Friday, December 13, 2013

Christmas Season

With all those gelli prints sitting around, it was time to create a little Christmas cheer.  
The print I used made some awesome trees, no need to add ornaments. A couple of wraps with metallic threads and some doodles with a gold metallic Gelly Roll pin and the card was complete.  It found it's place among the Nativity set that comes out every Christmas. This Nativity set was made for me by my mother back in the early '80s. It has a couple of dings and poor Mary lost her head a few years back (compliments of a nosy kitty). Thank goodness for super glue! 

I love the traditions of Christmas, the decorations that come out year after year, and each year adding something new. 


Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Homemade Christmas Cheer

A little bit of impromptu Christmas crafting. Using an old cheese server, figurines from my Christmas village, and a sprinkling of fake snow and I've created Christmas Under the Dome - I'm channeling one of my TV shows!


I've also combined my junker skills with my crafting skills and created my own version of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

I started with a piece of edging that I pulled up from the front flower bed
do not adjust your monitor - unfortunately this photo is blurry
but I didn't notice it until after the craft was completed

After a little help from my husband to remove the staples and wires that held the edging together, I sanded the blocks a little and then pulled out the craft paints to begin my magic.


While waiting for the creations to dry I went outside and cut down a pine tree that had sprung up in the front yard. Environmentalist don't be alarmed - it was destined to be cut eventually as it was growing right under the electrical wires and everyone knows that trees, Georgia weather, and outside electrical wires aren't a good combination.

I placed the tree in a stand in the middle of our front window.

Back inside I checked on my craft - I painted little houses, decorated for the holidays - the paint was dry and the houses were ready to be hung.


And here you have it, my very own Charlie Brown Christmas tree decorated with a Christmas Village.

I think it needs a string or two of lights but it's been too rainy to get out there and put any on. I'd actually need to buy some first because all though I have several unused strands of lights in my stash, I'm not sure any of them are safe for outside.

Time will tell if I ever get around to lighting the tree and meantime I wanted to go ahead and share my little decorating project. The cost of this project - $0.00 - I had everything on hand. Now that's what I call a priceless craft!

Close up of the houses

Maybe next year I will add to the collection but for now I'm enjoying a little bit of Christmas cheer - and Lyra loves watching the houses blow in the wind, sometimes even spinning like tops when there's a huge gust. Silly cat. 

Monday, November 18, 2013

A Mini Book of Gellis

All those gelli prints that are stacking up .... some of them have found their way into a mini book.


I used a small book that I found on the bookshelf



I cut pages from my favorite prints

and glued them directly to the pages of the book

the pages are 2 1/2 by 3 1/4


I removed some pages so it wouldn't be overly thick

62 pages plus front and back inside covers and 
of course the book cover


it still doesn't close correctly but

I plan on putting it on the shelf standing up and fanned out anyway

'eh, everybody's a critic!

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Gelli practice


Two more days of printing and the stack continues to grow. 


I still feel like there's a learning curve that I'm having trouble navigating. 


So, as they say ... practices makes perfect. 


Right?


Still have a ways to go


... but it sure is fun trying to get there. 

Thursday, November 7, 2013

A Handful of New Gelli Prints

I'm still in the process of learning what I can do with my Gelli Plate. I'm using a 6x6 plate but would love to graduate to one of the bigger ones and definitely get the circle one that just came out. But for now, I'm satisfied experimenting with the one I have. 




My stack of prints is getting bigger and bigger. I need to start incorporating them into other projects instead of hoarding them. 


There just aren't enough hours in the day to do 
everything I want to do. 



Wednesday, November 6, 2013

I found this in one of my art journals - I don't remember when I did it but the message is timeless. 

Did a little doodle last night

For some reason I'm fighting the urge to put a big red bird on one of the branches!

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Gelatin - it's not just for eating!


Let me introduce you to my newest obsession

 

It's a Gelli plate!
With some paper and a little bit of this  
(I'm talking about the paint, ignore the beer carton) I have been printing up all kinds of fun paper to use in my art journaling, collages, card making ... and just about every other artistic endeavor that comes to mind. 

A few prints ... ok, more than a few ...
 


 

 

  

 

And this is only a small sampling of prints that I've pulled. 
So, what have I done so far with some of the prints? 





I have a plan to pull these pages and future ones together. I'll share that with you some other time. I've also started a 30 day ATC challenge. Here are the first three: 

I know I've only scratched the surface of what I can do with my plate and the possibilities are endless for what I can create with the prints. Meanwhile I'm on a creative high and relishing in this personal journey that many won't even understand. That's ok 'cause I'm not doing it for them, I'm doing it for me!