My Soul Journey

I have been working on a project the last few weeks, that I have not talked about on my blog. I have had a few friends on one of the groups I am on encourage me to share, so here goes.
I have been working on the Soul Journal Project hosted by
Sarah Whitmire.
It is an awesome project, and has already been an amazing journey for me, that is why I am calling it my "Soul Journey" and not my "soul journal".
I am finding out many things about myself while doing this. I am learning so many really fun techniques, and getting outside of my comfort zone. Especially with paint! For some unknown reason, I fear paint, and the whole mess of it all.
It is almost as bad as when my kids were little and I had anxiety attacks when they would play with PlayDoh. I was mortified that it would get on the carpet. (I am so NOT a neat freak, but that would just really get me riled up.)
I am learning to open the seals on my bottles of paint, and dip the brushes in. It's still a little stressful, but I am doing it none the less.
I have used more gesso than I thought was possible, and gel medium - everywhere. I am loving it. What an adventure!
Here are my pages so far... I started a day late, so I am still a day behind, so I won't have my pages posted as quickly as I hoped. (Maybe I can get caught up- we'll have to see how busy things get)
The first picture is of my "Identification" page and my "Guard My Journey" page.

This next page was really fun, it took awhile to find all the pictures in magazines, because I had three magazines laying around in my house, and two were Family Circle and one was a Better Homes and Gardens. Not much variety. I refuse to cut up my Somerset Studios, or Cloth Paper Scissors- I don't subscribe to anything else, and I couldn't think of anywhere to get old magazines. I usually find my muse late at night too, so I just kept digging til I found something to work with. It turned out ok.

WOW-
This next one was a hard page for me... I was dealing with some strong feelings at the time when I was working on this page, so the journal prompt of "I forgot to tell you..." was really good for me. I was able to just release. Then I could cover it all up, and be done with it. I used several kinds of tapes. I was able to find some bandage tape, which I specifically used as a "healing aide". I am not sure that this page is complete yet, but I am also not sure yet where I want to go with it, so it will have to sit til I feel inspired about it.

Lastly this is my House/Family page, it was so fun, there are two pictures of my house page, and then a third of just my doll family.
The house is a pocket for my family. It is only a symbol, and not a true representation of our actual home, but that was not the point. I added a big tree, because the neighbors have a big tree up against the fence between our yard and their's and then the corner of their house.

This is a photo of my family in the house, and then a picture of the complete paper dolls. I had so much fun making the dolls. I have only made paper dolls one other time, and it is great fun.


Thanks for those of you lovely ladies that have encouraged me to share- it is hard sometimes to feel like you are going to be criticized for being new, inexperienced, or just sometimes unoriginal, but you have to learn somehow. I am grateful for the creative, welcoming, inspiring artists who are so willing to share their knowledge, kindness, and passion for this art form. You are priceless.

Birdie! Birdie!

Below is the birdie I made for the Paper Traders Birdie! Birdie! swap. We were to decorate a Maya Road's birdie book pages front and back. It was a ton of fun, and I had an awesome time making them. The inspiration behind my creation was this YouTube video.
PLEASE BE SURE YOU HIT THE PAUSE BUTTON ON THE PLAYLIST TO THE LEFT BEFORE YOU PLAY THE YouTube, OR YOU WILL HAVE THEM BOTH PLAYING AT THE SAME TIME :0)

The front has the black and silver crown and a silver guitar for a wing. The black and silver fiber tail. I stamped the word "Tweet" three times with silver metallic ink and put a metal concho into the chipboard for the eye.

On the back side, I used the pink side of the crown, and I cut out a set of pink metallic lips. I set a bright pink snap through the hole in a silver metal flower and glued it on to make a wing. I cut the paisley shapes out and colored the back sides black, so they wouldn't show white on the other side, and glued them down, added a googly eye, set the big eyelet for the legs, and then the process of the legs began.

This was the hardest part. I must have tried a ton of different things before I found the right stuff. Baling twine was too heavy and thick- it would have held up nice, but I stabbed myself really bad working with it, and it was terribly dirty. Then I tried floral wire- ick. I just didn't like it. I suppose it would do, but I just didn't like it. Bag ties- too flimsy. They just kept snapping, I would get them bent, then- Pop! UGH. Then I tried the scrapbook wire. It kept curling up on me. I would flatten it out, and it just wouldn't hold it's shape. Jewelry wire- that's a joke, not at all going to work, at least not the stuff you can get at our Wal-Mart.

Well, then I had to go get a new sprinkler and lawn hose, and there it was sitting in the middle of the living room, under my daughters bum, and you know those things are tied together with heavy "bag ties" that have a plastic like coating on them. That plastic peals right off. Really it does. The wire inside was the perfect weight for this project, and it didn't curl up or snap or anything, and I could bend it with my needle nose pliers, and I didn't get poked. I was able to make cute little bird "toes" and everything!

I am sure my story is WAY more than you wanted to know, but hey- the most unusual things can be the best and perfect supplies when you are creating art! I could not be happier, and believe me I used more things trying to get these just right, and I found it with a piece of trash!

Hometown Postcards

Well, here are my Postcards. I have been pondering over these little guys for quite awhile. I was doing these for Connie's "Where in the World" swap. We were to take postcards from your current place of residence, and alter them in some way with things that you like about your area. It would be hard to put anything but western stuff on my postcards being from Cody, Wyoming and all, but I did take an awesome picture of our state flower the Wyoming Paintbrush, and included that on one of them.

I think my favorite of the three is Annie Oakley. I really like the fact that the whole thing looks vintage, and I really liked that old ribbon with the beads on it. (I found that at a rummage sale!)

I liked the postcard of Buffalo Bill, because of the awesome leather work, but then I ended up covering it all up with the other images, so it didn't turn out quite as I expected.

The other one is of the Irma Hotel, which Buffalo Bill had built and named after his daughter. I think it was a little more difficult to work with because of the scale and the odd color of sepia. It is not black and white, but it is not the brown and white like the other two. (that's why I added the paintbrush flower- for a little color.)

Check out the give-away!

I have been reading a great blog lately, and have purchased some collage sheets from Kristin. I absolutely love her stuff, and to top it all off, she is going to be giving away a piece of her art. If you want to get in on it, just click on this link, and read all about it. Hey, if I don't win it, maybe you will?
http://krishubick.blogspot.com/2008/06/art-giveaway-and-thank-you.html

At Least I Know

Well, the verdict is in.
My doctor was out of the office all last week, and I had to wait to get an appointment- long story... anyway, I finally was able to get in to see him, and amongst other things. I was right. It started out as allergies, then a sinus infection... Well, I have walking pneumonia!
I am so frustrated because all of my family is going to be together for the 4th. My brother and sister from out of town arrive today, and I still feel icky. Doc promised I would feel better tomorrow, and I am holding onto hope.
With 6 prescriptions, and orders to get lots of rest- I am trying- really I am, I think I am making progress. The endless coughing is starting to subside, and I think the elephant sitting on my chest might consider finding a new place to park his behind.
I think I will be going to bed early tonight as we have the big 3 hour long Stampede Parade in the morning, then our family BBQ lunch, then we have the church picnic dinner, games and of course all night fireworks.
I think I will be one tired mom by Saturday!