Sunday, January 6, 2013

Art Calendar - January

Art Calendar Journal  
Project
----------------------------------------------
2013
January
 

 
 
 
This is an ongoing project of Kate Crane's,   the kathryn wheel. It's a year of journaling your life, and Kate invites all interested to join her annual journey.
 
I'm definitely not looking at this as a "challenge", although the flickr group is titled Art Calendar 2013 365 Challenge  That terrible word!..."challenge".  No, for me it will be a project.
 
 
 
I really like the idea of this project, because I think I will enjoy filling in the squares.  The part that scares me is the designing of monthly pages.  I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up with that.  But I'm sure gonna try.
 
I don't do artsy with paints and inks, but I love fabric and scrapbook papers.  This January spread has lots of sewing, but with the freedom of personal choice, I don't feel I need to stick to one specific spread design theme.  So, when it gets "hairy", I think I can cut and paste a paper month quickly enough to keep up with this.  We'll see.
 
 
 
I'm making double page spreads using two 8.5" X 11" pages.  I will keep them in a scrapbook album.  I'll show that when I show the completed month (and after I purchase the album).
 
I notice that here I am stuck in the standard January box.  Blue and white, cold and blustery looking.  That must be why I really wanted to start with February...LOVE red!
 
 
My biggest fear is that my personal time is so limited, that this project might consume all of it.  Again, we'll see.


 
I also fear that many of the highlights of my day will just be work, cooking, cleaning or laundry.  So I have a plan for alternative entries when those days become monotonous.  But, for the most part, I'm going to look for the positive moments of my days to journal.
 
Have a great day!
Annie


Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Sunday Postcard Art - Open Theme

    Indulge    
_______________________________
Sunday Postcard Art
 
This week's theme at SPA (Sunday Postcard Art) is an open theme...the only week of the year to create whatever my little heart desires. 
 
 
And my little heart desires to indulge my own desires a little more this year of 2013.
 
Selfishly yours,
Annie


Sunday, December 30, 2012

It never FAILS... I always 
FAIL !!!
 

I have had to face the fact that I cannot challenge myself to a challenge.  I don't think I've ever completed a personal or public challenge to date!
 
My most recent personal challenge that I made public was my pillow a month challenge...to make one pillow for each month of the year.  I really thought that was a simple enough challenge to succeed with.  WRONG!  I managed all of 7 pillows.
 

 
I didn't even like all of them.
And then there was the one I did not like as a pillow...



...but love it flat as a wall hanging.


 
And there are two others started but not finished.  I can at least say I gave it a good go. 

Within a span of 48 hours I decided on a new challenge for myself for 2013 and soon enough, faced the facts that I really won't get through it.  I really want to do these things, but I guess I'm just not cut out to stick with the same old same old day after day or month after month. 

Now finally I have "challenged" myself to figure out why this is.  My conclusion is that I challenge myself to accomplish something over a years time at a time when I have nothing particular in the works.  Then as time is moving along, inspiration begins to strike that leads me off into another direction.  And that keeps happening over and over throughout the year.

Now I'll just face the truth of it and go with the here and now and follow 2013 where it leads me.
 
I'm pretty excited about 2013 for the silly reason that I like the number 13.  This makes me wonder what this coming new year has in store for me and for all of us.  Naturally I hope for good things...like we all hope for.  We could sure use a good break couldn't we.
 
Happy New Year
to all!
Annie
 

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Sunday Postcard Art - Blue/Silver

View From the Stars
this week the theme for the
Sunday Postcard Art Challenge is
Blue and Silver


Since Christmas wrap is still surrounding me in my studio space, I thought it might be fun to see how some of this silver star wire garland would play out on a postcard.  The card is also top stitched with silver metallic thread.  The rubber stamp is by Hampton Art.

I have two postcards now needing homes.  This one, (which would need to travel inside an envelope for I fear there'd be no stars upon it's naked arrival), and these

Desert Flowers ...
 
...that see all with their googlie eye centers.  (I might suggest an envelope for this one as well.  Googlie eyes are pretty tough, but maybe not as tough as our postal workers).
 
This postcard, # Man
 
arrived at his destination naked with no flower for his new owner and no shoes as well a couple of joints missing.  This was my very first sad experience with mailing a naked postcard.
 
 
Holiday Joy, 
Annie

Sunday, December 16, 2012

It's all there's been time for...
because...
____________________
 
It's Christmas Time!
____________________
 
 
So, we'll just skip right over all the woas Me's because it's just plain that time of year.  I find that it all comes together best with the right frame of mind...a festive and patient frame of mind.
 
But I do so miss sewing time.  All I've managed since my last post is two more bottle/can wraps.
 
This special MEGA wrap for my sweet friend,  Carol (mamacjt) .  If you have a peek at her flickr, you'll see that it certainly doesn't look so mega on her MEGA go-cup!  That wrap is made to wrap a 10"! container!

 
I enjoyed the design enough that I wanted to try it with lime fabrics.  I really like the impact the narrow black strips have on the base colors.
 
 
I must get back to my wrapping, packaging, shipping and all other Christmas festivities now.  I love being able to sew leisurely during the last few days before Christmas.  As well as enjoying the lights and decorations and food and family and friends. 
 
a Merry Christmas to all,
Annie