Attitude

One of my favourite poems this poem about attitude.

ATTITUDE

by Charles Swindoll

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes”

I was flipping through my first art journal, and found that I had it written down. This is from my first art journal, it's almost 20 years old! So cool to come full circle and get back into something I was trying to do long ago! I had a good laugh at what fun things I tucked away in that book. For instance I found one of the first emails my brother sent me, valentine's notes, fun notes from my mum! I also found very interesting journal entries that provide some insight to the 2012 me!

My creation for this week's Simon Says Stamp and Show Your Favourite Word is a remake on my Attitude page in my journal. My word is attitude.

I had a vision for a picture frame, but it was not coming out as I liked. My best friend from University suggested using the colours of Tangerine Tango (my favourite) and Night of Navy.  My vision continued, this time, using foam stamps using Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die. I decided to do some experimenting with some scrapbook paper (now hidden by) acrylic paints, gesso, and letters cut out with my word play die.

hmmmmmm.....I need more practice.

By the weekend, my vision for my Attitude picture frame had completely changed. I have been working on it, but it isn't ready to enter into the challenge. So I will just enter my journal page...maybe I could win the random Simon Says Stamp Gift Certificate.

Thanks for visiting!

Heidi

From the Deck to the Wall

Our back garden deck has recently had some minor major repairs. I rescued a pile of rusted nuts, bolts, and washers ready that were heading to the metal recycling depot. My dad thought I was mental! But I knew someday I would think of something brilliant to do with them.  Well that day has come. I am so chuffed with this piece! (BTW, my dad was very impressed the result!)

You can see closes ups after all the details.

The bolts were very messy, so I sealed them with glue and seal. I used gunmetal coloured wire to tie the bolts in the square form. Here are the steps I took for the white wood looking piece in the middle of the frame:

• Ripped two cardboard pieces to fit the frame.
• Cut a centre shape out using one of the movers and shapers styled labels,
• Painted with white gesso
• Painted a later of grey paint
• Added a layer of crackle medium
• Painted a layer of white paint
• Added some frayed burlap distress stain then some glossy accents
• Used verdigris vintaj ink and white acrylic paint to highlight the wordband, the word token and one of the gears
• Punched holes and added metal eyelets.
• Added loads of Tim Holtz Idea-okogy sockets, gears and game spinners
• Used thinner gun metal coloured wire to hang the word band and suspend the cardboard in the frame.
• Embossed a piece of thin silver coloured metal with the cuttlebug watch cogs embossing folder
• Used the Faux Patina technique to add the colour and stuck it on the back of the cardboard. I used the two layers of cardboad to add depth between the wordband and the faux patina background.
• Added some chain and more Idea-ology bits for hanging my little creation

One of the things I have learned it the rule of threes. Things seem to be more balanced in some sort of triangle form. You will see that I used three silver with white acrylic pieces and there are also three copper and verdigris coloured pieces. .

Onto the challenges for my creation.  The Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge is Anything Goes. As always, one lucky particpant will receive a $50 gift certificate to shop at Simon Says Stamp. I was inspired by Tracy's Crackle frame. I decided to use the Frilly and Funkie challenge  as my foundation. This week FaF challenge is to Repurpose to Upcycle. The two items that I recycled are the bolts and cardboard from an amazon.com box. I completed my peice using the Studio L3 Compendium of Curiositites Challenge #2 Faux Patina. It is from page 58 from Tim's Compendium of Curiosities Volume 2. This week is being sponsored by one of Linda's friends Angie Lentz. Angie is offering an Idea-ology Messenger Bag signed by Tim Holtz!

Now for the good bits....the close ups. When I see a detailed project that I LOVE on someone blog, I spend loads of time gazing at the details. I love to see all the tiny bits and bobs....this is usually where I get my inspiration.

Thanks for visiting!

I do love reading your comments!

Tim Holtz A Compendium of Curiosities Week 1

Linda at Studio L3 is starting up the Tim Holtz A Compendium of Curiosities Volume 2 Challenge. 

Technique #1 is from page 66: Custom Foam Stamps

The sponsor this week is Simon Says Stamp

I made background of this card using picket fence distress stain on my custom foam stamp.

This is one print of my gears background stamps. I know I will be using this "new" stamp a lot!

Thanks for visiting!

Heidi

First Glimpse of my first official Art Journal

In the Spirit of Tim Holtz Tags of 2012, here is my version of the April 2012 Tag. BUT...since I don't really know what to do with the completed tags, I decided to covert the tag to something I could use in my first official Art journal.

(Please keep on reading after this first picture to see what I did with this tag.)

Now I say, first official, because I have always been a journaler of sorts. Or...someone who collected a bunch of little nicknacks/papers/ and stuck them in a book with an occasional thought written or expressed with magazine letters. Now I am using real art supplies in a real moleskine journal! So to me that makes it official lol! I have already created an AWESOME cover which I'll share at a later date. I decided to use my April 2012 Tag for the inside cover.

Over the past couple of months, I have found so many artists that overwhelm me with their creative genuis. One of these individuals is Sarah Engels-Greer. I am constantly visiting her blog to stare at all of her creations. Plus it's fun to read about her house decorating escapades. I wasn't ready to submit any of my "I'm new to mixed media pieces" to her My Monthly Mojo Challenge for March. And I'm probably not ready to submit to the My Monthly Mojo for April-Tagology, but I wanted to acknowledge how she has inspired me. I found myself wandering through my local hardware store looking for electrical boxes to use in a future project because of this piece she created!  I know my use of the Tag theme isn't that creative, but it is going in a very important creative piece.

The front of my journal says "Enjoy the Journey". Tim used a Word Band on his April Tag "The Journey Awakens the Soul". I thought this was perfect for the inside cover. I have been through a lot in the past few years, I feel I am at some sort of precipice to truly discovering and understanding myself and my role in this massive Universe (I think I've been watching too much Science/Discovery Channel television). Anyhoo...

The magenta background was a layer of acyrlic paint spread on with a credit card. I topped it with a layer of semi crinkled Idea-Ology Tissue paper. I took a peice of 12x12 Manilla Card and experimented with my new Dylusion Sprays using stencils, water, and kitchen roll. I took that completed cool looking inked piece and cut out letters using my new Word Play die. I also cut out a set of black letters. I glued them to the tag pieces and added Glossy Accents. I added my bird and branch topped with silver crown. I added a smaller tag embossed and stamped using the same technique as the big tag. I added April 2012 as the date of the start of the journal/journey.

Here is the list of challenges that I am entering my "tag turned into inside cover of journal"

Simon Says Stamp and Show: Show a Tim Holtz Technique

Frilly and Funkie: I'll Take Your Word For It

Tim Holtz Tags 2012 April

My Mojo Monthly April Tagology

Thanks for visiting!

Heidi

Breaking out the Art Parts

This weeks challenge at Simon Says Stamp and Show is Studio 490!

and over at Frilly and Funkie it's I'll Take Your Word For It

 I purchased a bunch of Art Parts and have been hording them! The good news is that I love them, the bad news is I love them! At least it's bad news for my bank account. I have also learned that I really need to sketch out my idea and decide on colours before I dive into getting messy. UGH....I am not too fond of my final piece. It finally looked presentable after a bunch of tear aparts and cover overs!

For the background I used a marblized technique with distress stains. I then stamped over it with picket fence DS. Finally I stamped the sentiment in Black Archival Ink.

Inspiration for the flower came from Sarah's Blog Post. Using the Clearly for Art White Out, I cut out 10 leaves with the Tim Holtz Small small mover and shapers leave die, painted them with rasberry and cranberry acrylic paints, then heated them to be able to shape them. Plonked them together to look like a flower. I need some heat resistant gloves and more practise! (I have been spending lots of time on youtube watching tutorials)

Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Stamps: Botanical Art & Be Happy...Make Art
Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Art Parts Sample Pack
Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Clearly for Art-Whiteout
Acrylic Paint:Rasberry, Cranberry, Olive green and Forest Green
Distress Stain: various for Background and frame art parts
Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Token, Screw Eyes, lace chain
Tim Holtz Sizzix Movers and Shapers Leaf
Rock Candy Crackle Paint

I've probably left something out. I would love to know how to do the linking thing with showing all of the products used, can someone be kind enough a clue me in.

Thanks for visiting!

Heidi