HEART in HAND

I found a home for one of the tiny, paper hands that I have.  I had this beautiful yellow frame I bought at Pier I a few months back so I took a piece of black paper to put behind the hand and it really shows it off well.  The glass opening is about 3" square and the hand is 2" x 1".  On the hand is written "Hand and heart shall never part."  Sweet.

Another Heart for My Tree

On previous posts, you've seen my "Tree Branch" that I put up shortly after Hurricane Sandy...when we got power back.  I kept it up during the holiday season...and it's still up.  It has hearts and stars and birds and birdhouses and a PEACE garland.  This morning I made another heart for it.  That's a star anise with a dab of gold added in the center.  The background is a napkin I decoupaged on it and a beautiful piece of ribbon whose colors work beautifully with the colors of the napkin.  The back of the heart is purple...the heart is cut out of a piece of purple cardboard and I've embellished it a little bit, but it's this view that I'm sharing.  It's now hanging on the "tree".  How long will I keep the branch/tree up?  Don't know...

Family.....

My Red Journal

It's hard not to do something with "hearts" when it's in a red journal.  I printed this photo of my brother on muslin recently, to see if it would work and I was amazed out how clear it came out.  Not sure what grade he was in....back in the day....I'll have to ask him.  It's been a bumpy week in my world and when that happens, you think about what defines you and, thus, the inspiration for my book....because it's family.  

In the photo, I noticed my brother has a tie with polka dots on it and I had a piece of paper with polka dots...perfect.  I also had some alphabet beads that spell his name...Bill, and the 5th bead has a tiny red heart.  The gold frame is from one of those magazine inserts that encourage you to subscribe and....how perfect it is for this!  The right hand page is painted red, has some sheet music on it and a big heart made of cheesecloth that I added molding paste to and painted gold...a brother with a heart of gold. XO

Here they are a bit larger:

PAPER TREASURES...

WHAT TO DO WITH THESE?

In looking for my next art inspiration, I came across these wonderful pieces made out of paper.  They were purchased at different times, from two different people. I don't even know how long I've had them.   The angel, heart-in-hand and dove are made of delicate paper that looks tea-stained.... I have been saving them for something special.  Well...what is that "something special going to be?"   And the three hands in color have that amazing cut-out work in the center of each as well as the wrist.  They are made out of scrapbook papers and they are different colors on the reverse side....all of these pieces are approximately 2 inches long and an inch across....

 I have always liked "hands" in art...even my own I have traced and painted and used in a few places.  Above, the two larger hands are favorite cookie cutters and then the two smaller ones are little hand ornaments.  The tiny hand in the middle...this one I made years ago out of polymer clay.  I used a cookie cutter for that one (not pictured here).  I made them for my son's class in elementary school...for Valentines.  For the boys...I attached a magnet so they could give them to their Moms to put on their refrigerator; and for the girls, I attached a pin closure so that it could be worn.  Those were the days...fun to revisit.  

I need to make some more hearts to hang on my tree of lights so I have hearts on the brain....you gotta' have....hearts.

Wise Men Bearing A Gift...

Art Journal

I definitely have to explain this 2-page layout.  If you're a church-goer, you might know that last Sunday was the Feast of The Wise Men, aka The Three Kings...the Epiphany.  I remember as a young child (5) living in Madrid at the time, and we put our shoes outside our bedroom doors to receive treats on this date.  And I clearly remember finding a Milky Way in my shoes.  I don't remember what else might have been there....it was a very long time ago, but my recall is that I probably hadn't had an American candy bar in awhile.  OK, moving on... on the 1st Sunday of the New Year when I attend church, our Rector always has a basket that she passes around during the service.  And in that basket are little paper, gold crowns.  Inside each crown, a word is written...a word you may like or not!  But I always find it fun to see what my "word" will be because I like to "journal" it.  Well...I wasn't blown away by my word....and I really wasn't at all sure what to say/paint about it.  So...

I started by painting the Three Wise Men. I used my new, water soluble crayons at the top and instead of stars...I added pinwheels...similar to stars but just something different.  I love the richness of the crayons... I know I've said that on previous posts.   I actually was going to make the Wise Men taller and skinnier...but this is what evolved...

 I wanted them to be very colorful, have metallic, etc.  I didn't give them arms...it was just easier not to.  But I kind of like their look.  

 OK....now I know you're looking at this opposite page and going....what in the world is the connection here between the Wise Men and My Secret Garden and what's the story with the red dress hanging on the line????

BACK TO THE WORD in my ring....The Word(s) I chose are SELF-LOVE. Oh brother!  (I tagged it to the left page).  Not being a person who uses a lot of WORDS on my pages....I like the art to tell the story....I did reflect a bit on those words.  After all....I got them at church...What I often like to use on my pages...lyrics.  And I chose some of the lyrics to Bruce Springsteen's Secret Garden.  Don't we all have a "Secret Garden"?  So those lyrics are typed very tiny across the two pages near the top.  I found the adorable little cottage on Pinterest.  After doing a little background painting, some rubber stamping, adding some bushes and a gate to the Secret Garden...my vision was coming together. I also added a key to the garden gate, bottom left.   I know you might wonder about the red dress hanging on the line in the backyard....but I'm not going to explain why that's there.  In fact, I'm not going to explain what this page has to do with Self-Love at all.

In the middle of the two pages is Nazareth, some tiny sheep, etc.  When I did the left page....I had not a clue what I was going to put opposite it...but these are turning into some of my favorite pages I've done.  Happy New Year.

....artful Journey

ART JOURNAL

I am having so much fun in my new journal.  It's amazing how just one small thing can set you on the path....for me it was the suggestion at the very beginning of this journal, that it was intended to be a ...trave-e-logue.  So I'm traveling...close to home.  

What do you take on a journey?  On a trip, I would pack a good book.  On a journey....I am writing the book.  The little doodle on the right hand page of me (that's supposed to be me) is drawn on  a white envelope.  Not sure why I kept it, but it was tacked to my bulletin board.  So when I started to think about what was going on these pages...that little piece of an envelope became my inspiration, my "starting point." 

 So on my artful journey....I have to have STARS from heaven...that's a must...I love stars!  And I need to know that there is an ANGEL watching out for me ( I believe there is one assigned to me); and I have to BELIEVE in what I am doing & I clearly have to be open to POSSIBILITIES!  Hope I recognize them.  I need a song in my HEART...I always have one....a spritz...just a spritz... of common sense. I have to stay slightly grounded. LOVE, that's a hard one...trust me, it just is.  And last but not least and possibly most important....I have to LET LOOSE...to let my art be real to me.  That's it.  That's what I'm taking on my journey!

TWEAKED

The pages need a touch more

PIZZAAZZ!!!!