Pretty in Pink

I was quietly and slowly preparing tea bags for use (carefully prying open the tiny staples at the top; teasing out bits of string; finding the opening and gently inserting a knife blade and then coaxing the crimped edge open; dumping out tea leaves; and then carefully pulling the paper flat ready for ironing) when the idea came to me to do an illuminated letter on a used tea bag. So when I finished the task of bag preparation, I immediately fell to doing an illuminated letter. I completed it this morning, and here it is. It is an 'f':

Here's a longer view so you can see the whole bag:

And here is the result of an hour of prepping tea bags to get the paper that I adore. There are well over 100 leaves here:

Thanks for dropping in today and I hope to see you soon! *smiles* Norma

What is on my workdesk today?

Really, this shot was taken Friday (last week) but I wanted to show you because I don't have anything swell to show for today. This is my most recent creation and I am kind of proud of it. So here's the scene of the action only a few days ago:

A close up of his mug:

If you would you like to see a whole bunch of different, interesting, inspiring, and artful work spaces; click here to get to Julia's blog Stamping Ground. There you will find an abundance of folk who play along every week to show what they are working on. Have fun!!

Thanks for popping in and I will hopefully see you soon! *smiles* Norma

Giuseppe is going to Carnivale!

DRAWING CHALLENGE NUMBER 74 Theme: Carnivale/Circus

I think that art makes people happy. I like the idea that being able to look at art whenever one wants is a happy state of affairs. Two years ago an idea popped into my head (imagination) to design a little pocket carryall that has an outside pocket that is see-through so that a piece of art could be popped in and viewed whenever one wanted. The art inside could be switched up according to whim.

For this design challenge, hosted by the gracious and talented Helen, who gave us 'carnivale/circus' as a theme, I decided to make the pocket clutch and to paint something 'carnivale' for the picture pocket on the outside of the clutch. Here is the painting. Meet Giuseppe:

He will be placed inside the outside picture pocket in just a moment, but I wanted you to see what the envelope looks like empty. I sewed this with my new old zigzag sewing machine which is sewing the way it wants to. I used the thread already in the machine which turns out to be brown on top and white underneath; and to use the thread tension which was set when I bought it (way way too loose), and only switched the stitch length and attached a zipper foot. So yes, there are wavy sewing lines and off coloured thread and skipped stitches. You can see all of the lumps and bumps folk! This is a prototype, let's say:

Now Giuseppe is in, looking out:

The envelope clutch as been loaded up with stuff:

And here is the back view of the loaded up envelope clutch:

So there is my contribution to this week's drawing challenge. Thank you Helen, very much for being the gracious host for this fun event. I can't wait to pop on over to your blog and see what you have done. AND to visit all of the participants for this week. If you want to see the fun and talent here, click on to Helen's name which is highlighted above, and you'll be transported via links, to a bevy of beauties! There is fun to be had here. Thanks again, Helen!

Thanks for dropping by. Hopefully, we'll see you again soon, *smiles* Norma

Fortune Card [Drawing Challenge 73]

My card for this challenge hosted by the lovely Ariane this week, turned into a fortune telling card. I made a little shadow box for it to rest in.

This really is a shadowbox isn't it? It was a blazing sun this afternoon when I shot the photo. The back of the card contains the sentiment to this card. It reads:

When the card is removed the empty shadowbox holder look like this:

I gave this card the number 2 for no particular reason. A bird rests momentarily on a blossoming branch against a white coloud. It is painted in acrylics.

Thanks for dropping in today, and remember to go up top and click on Ariane to get a wonderful viewing of the other participants' artwork. They are all linked by Ariane. See you soon I hope! *smiles* Norma

Drawing Challenge Invitation [72] with the theme: "A Small Book"

In the interest of simplicity, I've edited this post so that my actual little book that I made FOR this week, appears right up at the top. I'll do a line of stars or something to separate the two entries.

I've been wanting to do a little smash style book for awhile now, and so this is the opportunity to do it. I did. This is what the muse came up with. I never ask the muse, I just follow directions. This book is the size of a regulation size a.t.c. [3.5"X2.5"] and was written by me for my daughter for her birthday. It is a little book of instruction for how to 'keep house' as the saying goes. The cover is cardboard from mouse poison and s.o.s. pads boxes. The inside contains sewn and glued pages with subjects such as: housework, lipstick, perspiration, complaining, to name a few. I figure a gal, no matter the age (my daughter will turn 41 on the 13th and has two children ages 8 and 6 yrs.) it is good to have guidance in things household. The only real illustration (drawing) done for this project is a gal in a brassiere but that counts me in as a 'drawing challenge' I'm hoping. Here's the book. [I considered hiring a 'hand' model to hold the book. My hands are so crinkly.] C'est la vie! Here's the book:

FRONT COVER:

INSIDE PAGES:

So there is my little book for this week. Remember to pop down to the very bottom of this post to click on to the names of the other players who are linked there. You'll see some really fun things! Ciao. ************************************************************************************

As long as the book can be held in the palm of one's hand, I consider this a small book. A standard 3"X5" index card when folded in half gives a cover for a book measuring 2.5"X3" and you are off to the start of making a small book. Create art on the front cover and fill the inside with nice paper that is blank and you have a journal. Of course you can use the journal to write, draw, make art.

To show you a few examples of small books that have inspired me, I will show you two swaps in which I have been fortunate to partake. The first is a one-time private swap I did with the lovely Kim. This swap was done with a love for each others' work and came about in a private email conversation between the two of us. Here is the little book that I sent to her: (It is made from one used tea bag)

You can see the entire book opened with all of the pages complete, before it is constructed. Here it's been put together and this is one page:

And here you can see the book opened:

Two inner pages are seen, and here is the back cover:

And here is the little book that Kim sent to me:

Now it is opened:

Oh how I adore the little house inside:

Another swap I did was with the talented Stefanie. She makes the most original and wonderful cigarette paper little books. Her illustration style is a work of art. My gal features a lovely polka dot frock.

This is a cigarette paper little book that I sent to Stefanie. This is what it is made from:

I can't locate a photo of the finished piece, if I took one. The cover is all about spiders. The inside is one leaf of cigarette paper illustrated with the bird and with a quote attached to the image. So there it is folks. You are welcome to come join the fun here. Just make a little book and do a blog post the coming weekend. If you are playing along, leave a comment below on this post saying that you are IN, and I'll add your name to the list and link to your blog. I am going to try a little 'smash' book using cardboard packaging for the covers...I see an SOS pad package shouting to be used...and maybe that mice poison box. Oh my!!

Thanks for dropping in, and I'll see you soon I hope, *smiles* Norma

Just for fun, I feel like giving away a little tea bag paper book to one of the players for this challenge. I will do a draw at the end of the challenge (next weekend.) I'll need to finish off one that I have already started and so I don't have a 'teaser' to show you! See you soon. WHO IS PLAYING THIS CHALLENGE? The following: Sus, Kim, Ariane, Sue, Renilde, Nadine, Barbara, Helen?, Rachel, Mano WHO IS OUR NEXT HOST? Ariane!

WHO WON MY LITTLE BOOK GIVEAWAY? Ariane!!

Altered Rolodex Cards make me happy!

My art friend April Cole has done it again. Made me very very happy that is. Because she traded with me, another altered rolodex card. She created this lovely art card which you can see here.

Along with this precious tidbit she sent me a whack of papers and charming bits and pieces to use in my own art. Have a look:

Oh how happy I am to have this wheel slowly filling up with fun lucious happy art!

You can see the front side of the card as it appears in the wheel. The back side contains the image of the bee.

So a tip o' the hat goes out to April today. Thanks for dropping in and I hope to see you soon, *smiles* Norma

Toadstool and Daisy brooch giveaway winner...

...and the winner is...

Mad Madam Mel

But I can't figure out your email on your blog so would you please email me?? Thanks so much. Talk soon, *smiles* Norma

And a big hearty THANK YOU to all who left comments, for you really do make it fun for me.

Crow shaped mini art journal [drawing challenge 71 CROW]

Well over a year ago I designed a bird shaped (specifically crow) mini art journal inside of my head and it sat there, designed in full, until I read a few days ago that Carole had chosen the theme CROW for our drawing challenge group. It was a firecracker under my behind and took only a few hours to really put together. Here is my contribution to this weeks' challenge. It is 4"X3".

This is a cover shot with the 'tie' opened so you can see the bird painting. It's painterly and has a huge eye, but folks, this is a prototype. Give me some leeway. Now the journal has two pages opened so you can see what that looks like. The pages are quite blank as I will do finer design work in my next prototype development of this project. For now, you can see what it looks like, basically.

Now all of the pages have been opened. This journal is put together in the style of a 'coin book' where each page unfolds according to how the rest of the pages unfold. This book offers a front cover, back cover, and three leaves (to give six pages).

Again, the pages have been folded up and the front cover can be seen here, with the string tied around to bundle it up into a little treasure.

Thank you for dropping in today, and if you want to see more wonderful art with this theme, click on to Carole above who is our wonderful host this week.

See you soon, I hope, *smiles* Norma