Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Bag Frenzy...

I've been altering bags lately... as if you didn't know...  A few years ago I went on a purse frenzy...  and made these...

Flower Power purselet, deep pink vinyl with ribbon shoulder strap, magnet closure and flower appliques...





















Hippy Fibers purselet, denim colored gator textured vinyl with funky yarn shoulder strap and bead closure...





















Deep fuschia colored gator textured vinyl evening bag with hemp and glass bead trim, shoulder strap and closure (it has magnet closures too)...

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Going Out on a Limb...

Okay... So I went out on a limb and tried something that is not my usual style...





















 This is a 13x13.5x3 inch natural tote bag (the third and last of the pack of three I got last week). I cut a bird shape out of tie dyed cotton and decoupaged it onto the front. Then I tore a crumpled paper bag into strips and decoupaged them onto it to make the nest and twigs. Then I painted the leaves, bird's eye and its beak. Like I said, not my usual style... but I think it turned out okay...

Monday, March 29, 2010

Old Shop New Shop...

I posted two of my collages (posted earlier - if I could figure out how to link to the post I would) in my existing Etsy shop, PiecesofD:  http:piecesofd.etsy.com  and completed altering two canvas tote bags (see below) and posted them in my brand new Etsy shop,  Bohemian D's:  http://bohemiands.etsy.com  Check them out!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Theme Thursday and Art Creations Friday Challenges

Theme Thursday's theme is to create a 2x4 and Art Creations Friday provided a beautiful background... Here is my digital entry for both of those challenges...  The other elements came from Flicker freebies.

Tag Tuesday - Black and White

This is my entry for this week's Tag Tuesday Challenge. The theme is Black and White... No color allowed!
I hope mounted tags are allowed... as mine is part of a mixed media collage!

The shipping tag was was inked up all black with some funky black fiber...the flowers is made of black and white stripey fabric, some curly trim and a button... the canvas is covered with white and black graphic fabric. I cut a hole in the tag and canvas to make the flower mount flush (sort of).

3 Challenges...

Here is my entry for the Sunday Post Card (Time for Tea), Lots to do (Vintage) and Soartful (Frame It) challenges...

The frame was provided by Soartful for the challenge, the bee and Moroccan  teapot are from Google (I just had to use it Susie!) and the vintage Bird card is from the Graphics Fairy.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Ready to Embellish...

Finished flowers... 

























An altered purse...

Friday, March 26, 2010

Lunchtime Fun!

Sew...er so, I had prepared for my lunch break today by cutting strips of fabric to make flowers... I had already made some, but here's today's fun frayed flowers...


The purple/green multicolored fabric was a skirt, as was the brick red. The turquoise and white was a top and the others were made from a fat quarter I've had for a while and fabric I got from a thrift store. Of course I still have to put buttons (new and/or vintage) or vintage jewelry pieces in the middles. 

I also, experimented with layering them...


And check out my nifty little traveling sewing kit!

It's made out of one of those lunch meals with the strainer and sauce tray... Works great!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Score!

Went to the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store in Brooksville at lunch...
70s and 80s patterns... 40 cents each... I got 10 (at the Paws Thrift Store in Hudson they are only a dime)






Look at this cool retro fabric... There are several yards here... I might have to try to make a dress (I shouldn't have sold my sewing machine!) but there's plenty here to do lots of stuff! $4!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Art in my Office...

Here are some pieces that I made years ago that decorate my office...

















Colored Pencil on Wood


















Pastels on Wood

















This is Bruce of the Thicket! A friend gave him to me for Christmas. The name Bruce is Scottish and means "of the thicket (wood(s))"

He's named after my husband... He keeps me company throughout the day.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Surprise!

Some of you know I've been trying my hand at fabric flowers lately. Well, I bought a bunch of trim in a bag at a thrift store about a week ago and hadn't sorted through it yet. I pulled the bag out this morning and look what I found!






















These darling little pink ribbon roses...

I love the ones that Susie at http://vintagesusieandwings.blogspot.com/ has been making, so I wanted to try.  The only problem is (was) is that she made them with a glue gun and I wanted to try them while waiting for my husband at the surgery center today (he had a minor procedure).  So I decided to stitch them instead.  Here's the result...





















Then I looked through my button stash and found the perfect button to put in the center!




















Thanks...

Thanks for the help with how my blog views on others' computers... I've come to the conclusion that it has to do with the (old) version of Windows my bro has...

Question...

I viewed my blog from my brother's computer and the text that goes along with the photos was all wonky. Some of it appeared almost behind the photos and some was down the side, but only a letter or 2 wide. Does it appear that way to you? I usually use a laptop and try to make sure all the text is either above or below the photos, so I'm not sure if it appears the same on a PC. Please let me know. Thanks so much.
Dianne

Sunday, March 21, 2010

New Purse and First Times...

So I told you yesterday that I had visited my friend Lois and brought home one of her really cool purses... I had given her some tapestry fabric some time ago and here is a purse (mine!) that she made from it...

Check out the beautiful gold leaf she hung from it...


And here is my first attempt at making these cute fabric flowers I found in Stampington's Green Craft Magazine...


Not bad for a first time, I guess, but Maize Hutton definitely has it down!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Artful Visit...

I stopped in to see my friend Lois today... She has so many projects going on... handmade and altered purses, handmade and altered scarves and shawls... She wants me to help her set up an Etsy shop and maybe a blog. I took some photos of some of her new projects, but the only ones that came out well were these eyeglass cases...


and some cool planters...

Friday, March 19, 2010

It Wasn't Finished...

I showed you this several posts ago...

but it wasn't finished...


So... I antiqued the canvas with metallic gold acrylic paint...


and added crackle glaze... heavier at the corners to age it...  I think it's finished now.

A Farewell to Wiinter


The promise of spring...

More winter goodbyes at...
http://bitsandpiecesofd.blogspot.com/

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Freedom to Blog!!

Tonight I'm out of town and sitting in a hotel room... I can blog 'til my heart's content!  The only problem is... ssslllooowww internet!  I'm so used to my snappy wireless at home... this hotel hardwired stuff is like living the Ice Ages!!!  Not really, but you know what I mean...

And by-the-way... the movie... Ice Age (2) Dawn of the Dinosaurs???  Ummm... The dinosaurs died out wayyyyy before the Ice Ages...

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Curfew???

To my blog friends... My hubby (and I) have been noticing how much time I'm spending on the computer blogging lately...basically from the time I get home from the time I go to bed... maybe with a bit of time for art and to feed the cats... eat and such... but last night I forgot to eat... So I am self imposing a rough limit to my blogging and will be splitting the time between my two blogs. I follow a lot of you and will continue to do so... but if I don't leave comments every day or for every post, please don't think I haven't noticed your beautiful art work. I always look at your work and read your posts, but I will be commenting here and there and not as much. I'm also going to cut down on the number of challenges I enter, but will shift around during the week. Thanks so much for your artistic friendship, understanding and inspiration... See you soon!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Lots to Do Challenge

The theme for the Lots to Do challenge this week is Locks and Keys. Heather at Creative Solace did a lovely collage that sparked a spiritually beautiful memory of mine from days prior to my mother's death. My collage follows the following narrative... bear with me...

I had read a book written by two hospice nurses (Final Gifts) about the "language" of the dying (or "life limited" as they called them). It was filled with case studies of those near death and how they communicated. In almost every case, the patient communicated through symbolism. Anyway... a couple of days before my mom finally passed after a long battle with cancer, I went into her room and told her that my brothers and I were going to run some errands and would be back shortly (I didn't tell her we were going to the funeral home to make her arrangements, though I had told her earlier about the cemetery where we were going to have her buried - she had specific requests - but that's another blog entry). Anyway... again... when I told her we would be back shortly, she said, "Unlock the door." (But in her Georgia drawl it sounded more like - "unlock tha doughah.") I looked at her and at first thought "we've never locked our door."  then I realized what she was saying. If she needed to go... she needed it to be okay if we weren't there... I told her okay, went to the front door, jiggled the handle and went back into the room and told her, "Door's unlocked Mom." She was still there when we got back... but she knew that we wouldn't be angry if she left before we returned. Though sad, my mom's passing was a very spiritual experience for me. Here's the collage inspired by that experience...

I started with the 5x5 artist wrapped canvas that I painted gloss sand color. I added layers of cream colored tissue paper and white modeling paste, made indentations where I wanted to put the elements and built up the side for the photo, then added more tissue paper. I repainted it with the gloss sand and mixed the same paint with some flat burnt umber and water to make a wash. I coated the canvas with the wash and let it dry some, then wiped off some of the wash. I printed the photo on buff cream colored drawing paper that I used to use for my pastels and cut it out and decoupaged it on. Then I attached the key and earring with glue. The photo is from Google and I altered it a bit. The vintage earring and key are from my collection. The earring reminds me of the ones my grandmother used to wear to church.

Those of you that are checking out my other blog, Bits and Pieces of D... Beware... an almost identical post will appear there, only with more views on the experience of my mom's passing.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

New Spring Look

I decided to update my blog for spring... I'm not very girlie and I seldom to pink... but I love natural elements and worn and faded things. The banner is from http://bannerofblessings.blogspot.com/ and the background is from http://www.shabbyblogs.com/... Hope you like it. I'm also going to work on a second blog for introspection. I'll let you know when I have it up and running. I hope you'll visit.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Sunday Post Card

Sunday's Theme is Goddess... Maybe I should call her Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds... Of course I had to give her a nose stud... Hers is a ruby... mine is silver...
 
The face came from free-foto, the clouds (altered) in the background and the gems came from Google.

Mixed Media Shabby Chic...

Remember I posted that I had painted the other two 5x5 canvases... one avocado green and one sand?  Well... here's what I did with the green one...


I apologize for the quality of the photo, I couldn't get good lighting. But you get the idea.  The flowers are vintage paper flowers from my favorite thrift store. They are cream colored and the leaves have a bit of rust color on the edges. Then I added the creamy tulle, which has a little sparkle... and the gold leaf skeletons.

Friday, March 12, 2010

New collage on canvas...

Most of you know I've been sick the past few days and haven't been able to sleep at night. Before I came down with what ever it is that I have... I painted a 5 inch square artist wrapped canvas with flat back paint. I thought it needed more luster for what I wanted to do with it, so I gave it a nice coat of varnish. It shines like black ice now (not that I know what black ice shines like - so maybe it shines like my motorcycle when I clean it up). Anyway... I finished the collage last night around 3 in the morning.

 I had soaked some cheese cloth in a golden yellow acrylic paint some time back for a project I never finished. I spread it out into a loosely shaped heart and glued it down at a few points so that it would basically "sit" on the canvas and still have some relief here and there. I then attached a couple of fairly large black feathers and 4 golden-dyed Guinea fowl feathers (3 in a clump with the black feathers and one tiny one at the bottom of the cheesecloth). The last piece attached was a vintage golden pearl and crystal earring.  I placed it at the base of the clump of feathers. All I have to do now is sign it, name it and post it in my Etsy shop.

I just painted two more 5x5 inch artist wrapped canvases, one with sand colored gloss enamel and one with avocado green gloss enamel. Haven't quite decided what to do with them yet... but if they turn out anything like this one... I'll be happy!  I can actually see this piece on a wall in an elegant home.  I'm very pleased with it.

Advice???

So I have a question for all of you... I have an Etsy shop...Pieces of D (of course). Right now, there is nothing in it. I've sold many things from it, altered CD clocks (which haven't been selling well in the past year), jewelry (which  tends to be cyclical), beaded tea infusers and caddies (my best sellers, but I haven't been able to get the size infusers I need), some beaded hair sticks. I've never tried to sell any of my collages, art dolls (the three on the book shelf are the only three "Muse Dolls" I have left and I did sell a couple of them on Ebay),







altered bottles (complete with messages inside) or journals, or pastel paintings from my shop (although I've sold many to personal friends and followers - one of the attorneys at work even has a wall in her house she calls the "Dianne Davies Wall" as it is full of my pastels).  I've also never tried to sell my digital collages (you've seen all of them), as I've just started making them (How does one sell digital art?). I suppose I could have them printed on cards and such.  I also have a series of assemblage sculptures that I want to get published (although I haven't tried) before I even put them on my blog.


Sooo... okay I'm a bit afraid of rejection when it comes to my art for art's sake. Which, I guess is why I've only put "wares" and "wearables" in my shop.  Some of the photos I've just posted you've seen and some you haven't... Some I made years ago and they are just laying around... and my style is changing (you'll see that in my work that's in progress).  But my point is... Should I post them in my shop?  And if you have any ideas on pricing, I'd love to hear from you.  My email address is piecesofd@ymail.com if you don't want to leave your advice in a comment.  Thanks so much!