GPP STREET TEAM # 45 Back to Back

Michelle over at the GPP Street Team had a fun challenge this month. I am glad I got the time to work on this challenge. She asks that you take a background and work on it three different ways.

I started with this background I had done for the challenge on tissue paper. It is rich with a lot of layers.

At first I printed out 2 copies but they came out small so I glued them down to the page and added a strip of another color and then ribbon on the side to fill in another gap. Then I decided to do a collage.

Next I just made copies on my printer so they came out full size.   I added one scrap of paper to enhance the color and make it look a little different.  Then I saw this image of a woman in the background so I painted her.  I added scrapbook paper for the dress. The bird and words came next. To finish her off I outlined in charcoal. Charcoal is one of my favorite things to use on a page.

Here I turned the paper in a different direction and found another lady in the background. I decided to paint over the background and some of the dress area.  I added the words, covered the white paper in pastel and outlined in charcoal.  This challenge was so much fun.

I'd love to invite all the of the GPP Street Team Participant to check out my new network here 

To see what the rest of the GPP Street Team did this month go here

GPP Street Team #44 In a Scrape

I decided to play along with Michelle Ward and company and get out the credit card but this time no charges apply. I use scraping tools in my work quite often so this was an easy challenge for me. I use credit cards, putty knifes, palette knives, cardboard or anything that is lying around in my studio.    I forgot to take pictures in progress of the steps so it mostly finished pages.

On this page I scraped on paint and then added stamping. It was so bright I wasn't sure how to make a page ouit of it so I just drew my hand on top and added some words.

This page I had scraped on paint and then tried to scrape over a mask but I kept having disasters so I  just painted over it again. I used stencils and stamps after that. I had this silhouette all cut on and colored with stamp ink.  She seemed to want to be part of the page too.














This next one I remembered to take a pic of first.  I scraped paint and then put a circle of paint over the sections and then scraped that paint into the piece.  I like this technique because after I scraped you could still see the circles.  I got this idea from a quilt I saw recently.  It had all these rectangles of different sizes with circles appliqued over them.  It was a stunning piece and an idea I want to pursue on paper.














After I found these images I just highlighted the circles with charcoal and made some additional ones for words I added.












This piece was done at my friend Jolene's house and its a combination of using my intention word for September from Creative Awakenings: Envisioning the Life of Your Dreams Through Art   and scraping.  I had all sort of colors underneath but did like what I had so I just put gesso  over the whole piece. Then I juist statred adding all sorts of fun stuff to the page.
















This is a tag that Jolene made me. When we first met I had given her some supplies from my stash. She incorporated the embossed wallpaper into this tag along with some metal work. The words follow your heart are added which was so appropriate for me. Since my surgery I have been wearing a necklace that I bought in Montana this summer. Its a heart with the words Follow your heart ingraved in it. I wear it to remind to do just what it says. This tag hangs proudly in my studio where I can see its message.

To see what other GPP team members are doing go here   Or better yet maybe this is the month you  choose to participate.

GPP Street Team #43 Text Messaging

I thought I would try to get back to art with this challenge.This month Michele has us working with words from magazines and newspapers and junk mail. I spent the day in bed yesterday cutting out words from magazines. Today I set about gluing it all down. I can't believe how tired just that little bit made me.

First I did a page with black words on a  white background.  I did not pay any attention to which words I had, I just fit them in the spot I had on the page.















Then I did a page of color words. These were fun to do.   I already had 2 pages in a journal primed with black gesso, so I started out with a black background, but you can barely see that. I am not sure how I will add something on top but it was still fun to do. I think it is fun just reading all the phrases and seeing what images pop into my mind from them. To see what others are doing with this challenge, go here.

My recovery is going slow,  I had expected that but still some days its really hard to just do nothing.  So far I have read 6 books and 3 magazines.  Today I am going to have Dave take me to Barnes and Noble to pick up the new Artful Blogger as I need something new and inspiring to look at.

I go to the Doctors on Tuesday, for my post operative check up.  I already have gotten the pathology report back and it was good news. I won't have to have anything further done so that is a blessing for sure.  I just have to recover from this surgery which will take time and patience. I put up the last section of prayer flags in the garden so all your wishes are flowing all around me.

GPP Street Team #42 Strip Ease

This months GPP Street team challenge is all about ripping paper. The lovely Michele Ward is always challenging us to do something fun and this month is no exception.  I am a scissors kind of gal so this is a good challenge for me. Its not that I have not ripped paper for pages before, I have but its just not my most favorite thing to do. So I hope to let it loose this month and fall in love with this idea

I ripped papers and then inked the edges with those little cat eye pads. I journaled on some of the strips. Then I layered an image on top and scattered some more journaling on the page.

This was fun so I decided to do more pages.

















First I glued down some strips, that include wallpaper, old music and old book pages.

Then I added gesso and then a couple layers of  paint and some stamping.

















and then an image, and I noticed I had gotten ink all over my hands and smeared it on the page, I got most of it off but it is still pretty visible. I may have to journal on that spot or paint over it.

















 The next page I did the same thing, adding strips of paper and then gesso.

















Here I added stamping and then painted over it with several shades of red paint trying to emphasize the strips and then more stamping.

















Next I cut the poppies out of that paper I bought recently and attached them with gel medium.

















I outlined the flowers with charcoal pencil and blended with a tortillion.  Then I added an image but forgot to take a picture, ooops, well I painted the dress and then added it to the piece. I also added charcoal to the outline of the figure.  I really liked the way this turned out.

To see what other Street Team members are doing go here

GPP Street Team #41 Grid Lock

I usually try to do the GPP Street Team challenge earlier in the month but June seems to have slipped by. This month Michelle Ward has us working with grids. Just lay out a grid on your paper and fill it in with whatever.

















This one I filled in with papers and then did a double grid of sorts by adding small images in each spot. This is definitely a fun way to play in your journal and the results are prety pleasing, Hard to go wrong here.

On my second page, I drew a grid on a painted page then outlined it in white pen and really liked it as is.

Then I turned it around, I like the brick wall look of it even better. I had a hard time covering it up but once I started playing with paper it was too much fun.

I added paper to all those spots and then a few things on top.  I see the value of doing this early now.  I want to try a few more but since the deadline is today I ran out of time.

To see what others are doing with this challenge  go here

GPP Street Team #40 Step on the Scale

 Its time for the GPP Street Team's Challenge #40.   Its all about size and Michelle asks us to go big or go small or do your usual size but cut it down or try new tools in a new size. Oh what fun.

Here I did a 2 page spread and tried out 2 new sets of larger alphabet stamps. The angel was pulled art and that moon just wanted to be blue.  I like how that happens.

Then I decided to go small and did a tag, with paint stamping and collage.

















I found an even smaller one to use, 1.5" X 2.75" I made a reduced copy of the materials I used in the first tag, and changed the color scheme














Side by side you really see the difference.















Then I found another tag and played with that one.  After painting it I used a Krylon gold marker to create swirls on the background and on the edges. I went looking through my collection of small images and this seemed perfect.

Then I decided to go big this is 9 x 12 which is larger than I usually do.  The background is done with PanPastels and then I drew the city on with Pitt artist pens.  I made a mistake with one of the buildings so I added scrapbook papers to cover it up.

This challenge was really fun.  I used all sorts of new materials and sizes and re-purposed old ones.  It doesn't get any better than this. To see what others did with this challenge or to do it yourself go here

GPP Street Team #38 Grab a Tissue

It GPP Street Time again and this time Michelle has us playing with tissue paper. I have used tissue paper on my pages before but I never painted it with gesso. It really gives the tissue an unique texture. I liked using it that way.














First I covered white tissue with gesso and adhered it to the page with gel medium.  Then I added some colored papers and patterned ones. I glued these down and added gesso on them.














This is after I added some paint and then some stamping.  I really like how this one turned out. I liked the colors so much that I haven't  decided how to use this one yet.














I had spray painted the red on this page previously and added various shades of red tissue paper, both patterned and plain. Then I added violet oxide golden fluid paint to unify all the reds. I stamped stars to coordinate with the starred tissue paper.   This image of girls seemed to want to be here.  I added some journaling and called it done.














This one was the same process, this time I added random colored  and patterned pieces of tissue papers. Then I added gesso and paint and stamping, you know the routine. I dded the image of the girl and I like how she looked. I may alter her a little or ad some journaling later.














This last page was not done with the tissue paper technique. I had sewn striped paper I had made to a page and made a page out of it. These women in the image reminded me of good times and many friends over the years.

GPP Street Team #37 Love Letters

Its GPP Street Team time again. This time Michelle has us working with letters, mainly X and O.  I thought it would be appropriate to post this on Valentines Day so here I am with my pages using the Letters O X. 

This first one I had spray painted the background, its on very thin paper bag that had been sewed into my paper bag journal. I stenciled the letters and then outlined them in white gel pen.

This second one I really had fun with.  I tried using the Ranger Color Wash inks that I have had for some time.  I never really liked them before but this time I had so much fun using them.  I headed to my local craft store for more colors but they no longer carry them.  I hate when that happens.  Now I will have to go online to get some more. I also stenciled stars on this page too and then outlined some of the letters with gel pen.

On this page I also used the Color Wash inks and several layers of stamping and then I added letters using both stencils and stamps. The image is a greeting card and the words  are 'We are the night ocean filled with glints of light' by Rumi.  

I really enjoyed this challenge, it gave me the opportunity to try some new things that I might not have otherwise.  You still have a couple weeks perhaps this is the month you join in with the rest of the GPP Street Team. You can see other entry's here.

CRUSADE No. 36 ~ Braving the Elements

I decided to start participating again in the GPP Street Team challenges put on by
Michelle Ward. This months challenge had us making paper snowflakes and using them as masks and then as elements on the page. In addition I used a bird stencil, snowflake stamps and colored and charcoal pencil. This was a fun exercise that I would do a little different the next time. I was using my paper bag journal and with all the texture it sometimes is hard to get stamps to work. Click on the link above to look at what all the other challengers are doing this month.



I have spent the last 2 days cleaning and reorganized both the weaving and art studios. They are both functional now but what a lot of work. I want to work at not getting things into such a big mess this year. Wish me luck I am going to need it.

Lynn asked on how I did that transfer before painting my self portrait. Its was just a basic gel transfer using Golden Soft Gel Matte Medium. I lather gel on the image, place it face down on the substrate I want to transfer it to and smooth out the paper with a piece of mat board and wait a few minutes and then pull the paper off and the image should transfer. I have been thinking if perhaps I left it on longer I might get better results. I was using an image from an ink jet printer. I hope that answered your question.

GPP Street Team Crusade # 34 - Come Over To The Dark Side

I have always wanted to participate in the GPP Street Team Crusades. For some reason I never take the time. This months crusade is # 34 - "Come Over To The Dark Side" , and I wanted to participate but lately I am so busy that I could easily have let this one slide too so I just forced myself to do it. I love working with black gesso so yesterday I did these pages. I loved all the things Michelle did and if I had used spray paint mine would have looked so similar so I decided on a different approach.













I think this pages says how I was really feeling. Too much stuff to deal with lately. In one moment I am really excited about things and the next down in the dumps. So what is a girl to do, well journal about it of course. It gave me the opportunity to also use my cricut for some embellishments, that is where the city on the bottom comes from.













This next one evolved just because I found the crane picture on my desk and I liked how it looked on the black surface. I used some portfolio oil pastels to color the white of the picture and just blended it together. My white gel pen was giving me fits but I finally got it to work. This was fun. I think I will try to do this again.