Week 5

This is the end of Week 5 of "28 Weeks of Creativity 2012."  I plan on creating to a theme (Space and Beyond) for the rest of the year in art, crafts or writing projects.  I will post process notes and pictures here with an Extras category for projects that don't fit the theme or are from previous weeks.

Week 5:  "Stars" drawings

7/16/12

Today I made more "stars" drawings, this time with pastels and oil pastels.  I haven't used either of these media for a long time.  I forgot you could smudge them.  I really like the pastel one, it's so atmospheric.

7/18/12

I painted a "star" painting with watercolors tonight.  I liked the effect of the paint on the paper, but not the overall look.   I did one with Nupastels that I didn't like much at all.  My pan watercolors and Nupastels are almost new, unused.  I don't even remember when I got them, it was so long ago!

7/21/12

I kinda sorta like my Star drawings.  I really like the pastel one, kind of soft focus.  I'm wondering if the rest of the year's projects symbolized as stars represent how unreachable and far-off they are.  :(  Maybe I'm just reading into it too much.  I do like the spaces between stars as my obstacles because that's just waiting time...  Like what would you do if you were in space going from one star to another, you'd just wait.  Unless you had Warp Drive, then you wouldn't have to wait long (waxing philosophical).  I don't think I have Warp Drive!  :)

Extras:

7/20/12

I uploaded the photo of the cherries in a basket embroidery to the contest on Flickr.  It's in the New Embroidery with Vintage Patterns group http://www.flickr.com/groups/1440036@N24/  I have to wait 'til Wednesday to find out who won in each of the three categories. I don't think I have a chance, but who knows?  I embroidered for maybe an hour and a half a night spread out over 6 nights and 4 hours today. (Yes, I'm tired of embroidering right now!)  So that's 13 hours, geez!  Now I have a really pretty dishtowel.  It's almost too pretty to use, almost...

7/21/12

Here's the kitty montage of my 2 kitties and Tiger (Kari's kitty).  I was going to Dutch Embroider the whole piece with the writing "Home is where the cat is" and their names.  But over a year ago Trixie disappeared, a coyote probably got her.  My enthusiasm for the project went out the window.  I was decluttering and found the kitty heads, so I decided to do a quick and dirty montage.  I like it OK.  I just don't have the heart to do a complicated one.  I was just going to throw them away.  Cat face designs by Sublime Stitching.

Here's the yarn for next week's project!

Week 4

This is the end of Week 4 of "28 Weeks of Creativity 2012."  I plan on creating to a theme (Space and Beyond) for the rest of the year in art, crafts or writing projects.  I will post process notes and pictures here with an Extras category for projects that don't fit the theme or are from previous weeks.

Week 4:  "Space and Beyond" magnets

7/10/12

My brother suggested I make bookmarks out of some old Cosmic stickers and then laminate them.  I was decluttering and found 3 inkjet magnet sheets that I had never used.  I decided to affix the stickers to the magnet sheets, along with some other cute stickers. 

Then I cut them out.  My hand got tired cutting out the circular ones, but other than that they were very easy to cut.  I tried them on the fridge and they held one piece of paper, no more.  The magnets are very thin.   I was really pleased at how they turned out.  I guess this is more clever than creative. :) 

I will be giving these as little gifts!

I guess these belong in the Extras category, but I'll put them here...

Extras:

7/12/12

Here is what I did with last week's pendants:

The lightning bolt broke.  The other pendants turned out nicely.  I wore the yellow abstract one today.

In response to a prompt in the book, Creating a Life Worth Living, I made a picture of the next year as I see it.  Not surprisingly, it's yellow stars in a blue and black night sky.  The stars are wonderful projects, classes and events that I'll be involved in, some my own, some other people's.  The sky is my obstacles between the stars.  I'll be making other versions of this for Week 5. 

I like it!  It's very exuberant and hopeful.

I got the yarn for a baby blanket for my friend Kari's new baby (that hasn't arrived yet).  Hopefully, I'll get it done in time for the Baby Shower.  :)

Week 3

This is the end of Week 3 of "28 Weeks of Creativity 2012."  I plan on creating to a theme (Space and Beyond) for the rest of the year in art, crafts or writing projects.  I will post process notes and pictures here with an Extras category for projects that don't fit the theme or are from previous weeks.

Week 3:  "Space and Beyond" pendants made out of Sculpey III clay.

7/5/12

I did other things than play with clay at the beginning of the week.  Today, Thursday, I sat in front of my clay and supplies and thought, "I don't feel like it."  I didn't feel like softening up the clay or making pendants or anything.  Well, I started.  I picked out one new color, Lemon Yellow and used some leftover hot pink and violet to make "Space and Beyond" pendants.  I kept thinking, "I only have 5 jump rings" and "what am I going to do with these pendants?"

I started out with a moon, a star and a sun (looks more like a mandala).  Then I made stuff that reminded me of space and some of my ideas about space and time, that it kind of turns in on itself, or that it's like a lightning bolt.  So all in all, a weird experience with odd outcomes.  Then I brushed powder (3 different colors of Pearl-ex pigments) over the clay pendants.  Then I baked them.  Done!

7/8/12

After spraying the pendants with finish, I took their pictures.  They are still a little tacky so I'll wait until next week to add jump rings or embroidery thread to make them into necklaces.

I found my pinking shears yesterday!  I've been doing a little decluttering due to the Flybaby steps on the Flylady website.  I'm already on Day 12. I decluttered the craft supplies in my bedroom and found the pinking shears at the bottom of a plastic bag with Valentine's card-making stuff in it.

Extras: 

I didn't make much progress on my "cherries" embroidery this week.  Just didn't feel like embroidering.  I have until July 20th to finish it for the contest on Flickr (New Embroidery with Vintage Patterns group).

I hung the Death Stars from last week along my bedroom wall.

My brother, Chris, gave me an idea for next week's project.  It's relatively simple and involves paper.  I can't wait to get started!

Week 2

This is the end of Week 2 of "28 Weeks of Creativity 2012."  I plan on creating to a theme (Space and Beyond) for the rest of the year in art, crafts or writing projects.  I will post process notes and pictures here with an Extras category for projects that don't fit the theme.

Week 2:  Brush and ink drawings of spaceships (6 or more).

I don't know why the number 6 keeps coming up. :)

6/24/12

Tonight I printed out some pictures (black & white clip art) of spaceships.  If I have time tomorrow I'll start on them.  I plan on using just one color of ink for each set.  In other words, not 4 colors on ink on one. Just black or gold or whatever.  I did a Bing search for the images.

6/26/12

I used Liquitex Ink! with an Asian bamboo brush (Windsor & Newton).  My brother said my spaceship ink drawings were "slightly disturbing."  I explained to him that I was doing a Space and Beyond creativity challenge.  This is my own challenge, but I got the idea from the website for 365: A Creativity Journal:  Make Something Every Day and Change Your Life! by Noah Scanlin.  I haven't even read the book yet! 

I like the silver ink effects, but I got more changes from the purple ink.  I think I'll do at least 4  death stars because they came out really nice.  I'm set up in the garage with my table and easel to put the stock art on.  This is fun and relaxing and I look forward to it.

6/29/12

Worked on copper alien and death star tonight.  Don't know what I'll do with these ink drawings.  I guess I'll put a few up.  I'm worried about a couple friends of mine.  I thought drawing would ease my mind.  It didn't.

7/1/12  I did the last of the ink and brush drawings today, these two in black ink.  I expected myself to improve over time, but I like the silver ones the best.  It felt a bit like postmodern cave paintings.  These are the things some people obsess about, aliens and their spacecraft.  Almost mythological!

The death stars (Star Wars) are my favorite!  I think they turned out the best, especially the silver one.

Extras:  

I found out about an embroidery contest using vintage patterns on Flickr.  This is the New Embroidery with Vintage Patterns group using patterns from the Hoop Love group.  I plan to enter the "summer theme" contest.  I chose a bowl of cherries pattern because we only get bing cherries in the summertime.  I'm using variegated threads.  I'll post my progress in the Extras.

Here is hungry Betty!

 Next week I'll play with clay.  Stay tuned!