Thursday, November 21, 2013

Oliver Update 112113

 
He's feeling much better today to the point that he's been a pest preventing me from finishing up some very important projects. Here he is laying on my studio floor, after nine straight hours of pestering me, finally taking a nap. 

Monday, November 18, 2013

Oliver is Sick!!!


Oliver is sick, he's been to the vet and he was given a shot to stop the vomiting.  I waited an hour like they suggested and then gave him water, 15 minutes later he was throwing up again.  This indicates that something is stuck in his stomach.  So now I wait for John to come home so that I can take Oliver for xrays to find out if something is stuck in his stomach or not. 

So...if he has something stuck in his stomach this means major surgery, and like tomorrow.  I'm putting my DVD back on sale and ditto this on the eBooks to help pay for his surgery, and the two vet visits today... I asked him a gazillion questions and I think at one point he finally figured out I was testing him... my experience with our last vet was, lets just say, unpleasant.


Mark Making with Nature DVD Series
 $39.95
 
2.5+ hours of instructional video demonstrating how to dye, paint, and print fabric with natural dyes. The video is a four part series and is delivered as a digital download! 
 



Own it today!!!

Mark Making with Nature eBook Combo

 
$19.95 
Add to Cart
 

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Monday, November 11, 2013

View Outside my Studio Window


Snow!!!  I laid down around 10:30 for a much needed nap and woke up a couple of hours later to snow.   Here's the view out of my studio window, onto snow covered scaffolding planks.

Saturday, November 09, 2013

Crows Stencil is Here!!!


And I'm already having fun!  If all goes well I will be getting my screen printing table cleared off and will use the stencil with natural dyes and earth pigments on fabric! 

Acrylic ink and alcohol inks on watercolor paper.

Until then I shall finish my this Harvest piece I started way back in September. 

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Mark Making with Nature Super SALE Ends Today!!!


Learn how to screenprint with Natural Dyes and so much more!!!
 
Mark Making with Nature DVD & eBook
SUPER SALE!!!
Click here to find out more!  

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Mark Making with Nature eBook Blowout!!!
Three Days Only!!!
Sale ends October 31st, 2013
 
 
 

Wednesday, October 16, 2013


Pre-Order Mark Making with Nature Today!!!
 
Will be available for digital download on November 15th, 2013!

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Studio Redux 092413 Contiues Onward!


The shelf has been moved over to it's new spot in the main studio, and soon there will be a newly rehabbed table in this spot for my new work station.


The shelf in it's new space behind the loom.  Now to get space cleared out of my office for the looms!


A mess, but also an obstacle for Oliver, this keeps him out of my sewing area and away from all of my threads.


The cheering committee, Oliver and Angel.  Notice the big yellow blob in the photos?  That's so you don't see the pile of laundry sitting on the floor that's slowly migrating it's way to the laundry room n the basement!

Sunday, September 22, 2013

It's Calling my Name!


It's saying stitch me!  An old studio/shop rag, that found it's way into the main laundry this past week.  Found it early this morning neatly folded up amongst the tee shirts, that would be a John thing.  It's oober soft and is whispering "stitch me".  I guess I'll have to give it what it wants!

Various types of natural dyes on cotton fabric.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

More Organization


The wall of wool has been moved, now to disassemble these wire racks and put the drying rack here, then it's time to set up the new computer work station in my drawing and painting area.  Some day that loom will be upstairs in my office with the wool, spinning wheel, etc!

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Part One - Black Birds in Trees Harvest


With a round object of your choice (I used a 6" plate) and a soft pencil (HB) draw a circle on your 9x12 sheet of watercolor paper.

 
 
 
Using a texture or geometric stamp, and waterproof ink, add some texture around the circular area.
 
 
Now fill the circle with some yellow paint, I used Folk Arts Medium Yellow.


Using a thin layer of grey paint the background.


The thin layer of paint will allow the background texture to show through; allow paint to dry completely.


Now apply alcohol inks and in random manner.  I spritzed the moon area with butterscotch, lettuce, and red pepper.


Not to worry the inks will dry way lighter than what you see in the image here! 


About half dry now, it will become lighter still!


Once the alcohol inks are dried take a baby wipe and in a swirling motion remove most of the ink from the moon shape on the paper.


This gives you a realistic moon shape and fall harvest coloring.  Not all of the ink will wipe away and this is fine you don't want it all to wipe away.


If you need to amp up the color for the background now is the time to do so.  Here I recharged the alcohol ink using some additional inks and a water bottle.  Spritzing with water will cause speckling, etc., to occur giving you more texture.


Place stencil of choice onto background, and using dry stencil brush techniques push the paint through the stencil onto the paper.  Here I'm using my stencil Black Birds in Tree which is available through StencilGirl Products!


Too much paint will cause the paint to go under the stencil and well creates a HUGE mess, but this piece can and will be redeemed!  Folk Art Paint - Licorice


And because sometimes I am a bit of a perfectionist, yes me, I went and created a second piece the steps of which are above, just to see if I could get the stencil portion correct!


And I managed to keep the paint in the lines this time!  Ok, the paint should be dry now I'm off to add more layers to the first version of this piece to see where it takes me, oh and to cook dinner!

Stay tuned for Part Two!

Wednesday, September 04, 2013

WIP - Autumn Bird Piece



Alcohol inks, gesso, black birds in tree inverse stencil, crow lino block - so far.  Off to add more layers.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Crow Stamp


Carving stamps again, this one is 4x6 inches, the next one will have feather and wing features.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Compost Dyeing and Other Fermentation Dyeing eBook!!!


If you purchased a copy of my eBook "Compost Dyeing and Other Fermentation Dyeing Techniques" last year through Kindle and it is corrupted please let me know and I will send you a replacement copy!

This eBook is Currently ON SALE
for $3.99

Thursday, August 15, 2013

On My Desk


Working late tonight.

Birds and More


Getting ready for my Open Studio, for Art Crawl Iowa, in October. 
Ink on watercolor paper.


And then some down time with some hand carved and mounted stamps.


Ink on watercolor paper.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

On My Desk 081313


Before - See the media trays on both sides of the table?  Well Oliver noticed them as well, turns out he has expensive tastes loves those soft paint brushes and those spendy colored pencils.  Sooooo...


Hubs made me a shelf last night, out of mdf, for my media trays and other supplies.  One of the perks was a spot for my sketch books on each shelf, now they are close at hand.  The biggest perk is having a larger work area and a spot at the left hand of my table for my large sketch books!


Monday, August 12, 2013

On My Desk 081213


A View from My Porch and Corn Head Girl in Orange
Watercolor, pen, ink, on mixed media papers.

Friday, August 09, 2013

WIP - Dream Land


Dreamland in progress!

More carved stamps for my Dream Land series.