At long last, my copy of The Art Of Fabric Books: Innovative Ways To Use Fabric In Scrapbooks, Altered Books & More by Jan Bode Smiley has arrived!! *doing the happy dance*
The book is absolutely beautiful! Jan and the people at C&T Publishing have really outdone themselves. There are tons of gorgeous colour photos and excellent instruction. I especially like the attention to detail. If you are a quilter, this book is going to inspire you to think of using fabrics in a whole different way. If you are an altered artist, it's going to make you want to delve into the world of textiles. Either way, this is a definite must have!
A special thanks to Jan for inviting me to participate in this project. I am so proud to have been a part of it and you were an absolute dream to work with. Congratulations on this amazing piece of work!
Friday, January 28, 2005
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Kewpie love
Isn't this little kewpie just the cutest? She's only about 5 inches tall. The only thing I'm wondering is what Kewpies actually wear. The only ones I have ever seen in antique stores have been in their birthday suits. I will have to do some research!
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
January 25, 2005
I would be remiss if I let this day pass without marking it, so in that spirit...
In loving memory of my Gramps, who passed away one year ago today. He led a full and meaningful life and had more courage in his pinky than most people have their whole life. I miss him terribly.
In loving memory of my Gramps, who passed away one year ago today. He led a full and meaningful life and had more courage in his pinky than most people have their whole life. I miss him terribly.
Moving Day!!!
Hello one and all! Just to let you know, the move is complete. Tattered Edge now has a brand new home! My new URL is: http://www.tattered-edge.com Please be sure to bookmark it. Some of you might have already made it here via the redirect page I just loaded. YAY! Welcome, welcome!
You will probably notice a few minor glitches-that's being worked on. My dear sweet friend Kelly who has been the brains behind the move has been working hard and I thank her profusely for all her help. She has some other commitments to take care of but after that she is going to teach me the ins and outs of this new webhost so I can update some of my pages and do some tweaking. For now, I will continue to post new pics to my blog, so check back often!
In the meantime, there are TWO NEW GALLERIES to keep you busy. Gallery #5 has all my Published Work and Gallery #6 is for Collaborative Books. One of the upsides of moving to a .com is that there is more space which means larger, clearer images. I am happy about that for sure!
Whew! Lots of exciting things happening in my life! Thanks everyone for being patient while my site was in chaos. I am so glad to have it restored to order. A .com-who would have thunk it?!?!
You will probably notice a few minor glitches-that's being worked on. My dear sweet friend Kelly who has been the brains behind the move has been working hard and I thank her profusely for all her help. She has some other commitments to take care of but after that she is going to teach me the ins and outs of this new webhost so I can update some of my pages and do some tweaking. For now, I will continue to post new pics to my blog, so check back often!
In the meantime, there are TWO NEW GALLERIES to keep you busy. Gallery #5 has all my Published Work and Gallery #6 is for Collaborative Books. One of the upsides of moving to a .com is that there is more space which means larger, clearer images. I am happy about that for sure!
Whew! Lots of exciting things happening in my life! Thanks everyone for being patient while my site was in chaos. I am so glad to have it restored to order. A .com-who would have thunk it?!?!
Sunday, January 23, 2005
h2o ATCs
Below are three ATCs I made using Twinkling h2o's paint that I just bought yesterday.
First off, let me say I LOVE THEM!! They are gorgeous. The colours are amazing and I especially love that they come in these little pots like eye shadow. Because the pots are so small, it's possible to carry a whole colour pallet with you. I wondered about there not appearing to be a whole lot of paint in the pots, but I discovered a little goes a long way. You just wet your brush ever so slightly with water and rub it in the paint. That's all there is to it.
I wish you could see the twinkling part of these paints. They have this little shimmer to them like someone added a sprinkling of faerie dust to them. Up close and personal, they are just magical. I think they are my new most favourite thing. I am going to try painting a number of surfaces and see what happens.
As for the cost, I guess that depends on where you live. I bought mine when I was in the States yesterday. They were $20 US for a kit of 12. I had a $5 off coupon which is why I splurged. Here in Canada I have seen kits of 6 for $15 CDN. I see the link I provided for the picture have them for $18- $38, depending on the size of the kit. I would recommend shopping around to find the best deal.
Anyhoo, I am going to head off now and get some work done. Happy creating everyone!
First off, let me say I LOVE THEM!! They are gorgeous. The colours are amazing and I especially love that they come in these little pots like eye shadow. Because the pots are so small, it's possible to carry a whole colour pallet with you. I wondered about there not appearing to be a whole lot of paint in the pots, but I discovered a little goes a long way. You just wet your brush ever so slightly with water and rub it in the paint. That's all there is to it.
I wish you could see the twinkling part of these paints. They have this little shimmer to them like someone added a sprinkling of faerie dust to them. Up close and personal, they are just magical. I think they are my new most favourite thing. I am going to try painting a number of surfaces and see what happens.
As for the cost, I guess that depends on where you live. I bought mine when I was in the States yesterday. They were $20 US for a kit of 12. I had a $5 off coupon which is why I splurged. Here in Canada I have seen kits of 6 for $15 CDN. I see the link I provided for the picture have them for $18- $38, depending on the size of the kit. I would recommend shopping around to find the best deal.
Anyhoo, I am going to head off now and get some work done. Happy creating everyone!
Saturday, January 22, 2005
ATCs
Just a quick post of ATCs I made for the Bellingham swap today. It's pouring here on the coast and windy. Hopefully the drive won't be too bad! It's a good day to go shopping! Toodles!
Friday, January 21, 2005
Website update
Almost there folks! My dear friend who is helping me move the website worked very hard this week and the majority of the information has been moved. Saturday night we will be fine tuning so hopefully by Monday it will be fully functional!! I will post the new URL here, so keep checking back. (There will be a redirect page at the old URL so no one gets lost!)
In other news, The Art of Fabric Books should be in my hands shortly. Jan sent me a postcard teaser the other day saying she had her advanced copy. (Cheeky girl!) No word yet on when the second book, Altered Board Books Basics & Beyond will show up here. Oh the torture of it all!
The Book of Naughty, the collaborative book I am hostessing is coming together. The pages are arriving almost daily, making for some great mail days. So far everything that has come has been beautiful and so much fun. It's going to be a great book!
A trip to Bellingham is in the works tomorrow for the ATC swap down there. I am hoping this will cheer me up. I lost my most precious possession yesterday. I have this beautiful amethyst ring that dh gave me for my 30th birthday 4 years ago. He had set up this elaborate party that involved friends kidnapping me and taking me blindfolded to a historical museum where 40 of our closest family and friends were waiting. He proposed and we renewed our vows after 10 years of marriage, then had a big party at the house. He gave me the ring when he purposed and it is gorgeous and so precious to me. I would be less upset had I lost my wedding rings. I am hoping by some miracle, it will turn up. I am 99% sure it' s somewhere in my house, but I can't find it!! It's making me crazy.
Anyway, lots to do today, so I'd better get crackin'!
In other news, The Art of Fabric Books should be in my hands shortly. Jan sent me a postcard teaser the other day saying she had her advanced copy. (Cheeky girl!) No word yet on when the second book, Altered Board Books Basics & Beyond will show up here. Oh the torture of it all!
The Book of Naughty, the collaborative book I am hostessing is coming together. The pages are arriving almost daily, making for some great mail days. So far everything that has come has been beautiful and so much fun. It's going to be a great book!
A trip to Bellingham is in the works tomorrow for the ATC swap down there. I am hoping this will cheer me up. I lost my most precious possession yesterday. I have this beautiful amethyst ring that dh gave me for my 30th birthday 4 years ago. He had set up this elaborate party that involved friends kidnapping me and taking me blindfolded to a historical museum where 40 of our closest family and friends were waiting. He proposed and we renewed our vows after 10 years of marriage, then had a big party at the house. He gave me the ring when he purposed and it is gorgeous and so precious to me. I would be less upset had I lost my wedding rings. I am hoping by some miracle, it will turn up. I am 99% sure it' s somewhere in my house, but I can't find it!! It's making me crazy.
Anyway, lots to do today, so I'd better get crackin'!
Monday, January 17, 2005
The quote is from Albert Einstein. It reads: "Our time is rich with inventive minds." This was last night's collage on canvass. The idea just popped into my head so I sat down and created it. It reminds me of my Gramps who was incredibly techincally and mechanically inclined. Any and all talent I have in those departments I owe to him.
*note: The outline of the man is actually in grey but for some reason it reads as white in this photo. Its much more subtle than it looks.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Still Working On It!
My sweet friend is still working at restoring my website. All I can say is it will be fixed when it gets fixed. I am just grateful to have someone who knows what to do helping me.
I am still working away at class stuff. Today I finished the first part of my class sample book. It's looking pretty good if I do say so myself. I also spent a bit of time working on mirrors which I will also be teaching. I want to have a few different styles so my students can see the possibilities. I really enjoy making the mirrors. They are a good way to relax and unwind.
Tomorrow is the monthly ATC swap in Vancouver. I am excited because while I am there, I will be receiving more Book of Naughty pages! They are looking really, really good. If you want to see one, pop on over to Tracy Roos' website and click on her journal. She has posted her page for the project. When I saw it, I laughed my butt off. She is so cheeky! Must be why I love her so much. (Okay that and we share the same birthday and she's just a wonderful person.) Anyway it's good for a giggle.
Yesterday I had planned to spend the whole day working but it was not to be. My dh came home early and took me out to lunch which was a rare treat. (Rare in that he is usually at work at noon on a Friday.) Then he offered to pick our son up from school so I could get back to work, but when ds came home, he told me he had had an accident at the pool. (His class had a field trip yesterday.) He somehow sliced his heel wide open. I took one look at it and decided it needed stitches so off we went to the doc's office. He did need stitches, but the doc decided that it might be better to glue the wound shut. He went off to get the glue (a special surgical glue-not Crazy Glue) and when he got back I asked if he could also apply some to ds' lips. It took him a minute to figure out I was joking. (ROFL!) Anyway, he glued it and it seems to be just fine. Hard to believe the lifeguards would allow a kid with that kind of deep cut to still swim in the pool! YUCK!
All's well that ends well. Now if I can just get some uninterrupted time to work!
I am still working away at class stuff. Today I finished the first part of my class sample book. It's looking pretty good if I do say so myself. I also spent a bit of time working on mirrors which I will also be teaching. I want to have a few different styles so my students can see the possibilities. I really enjoy making the mirrors. They are a good way to relax and unwind.
Tomorrow is the monthly ATC swap in Vancouver. I am excited because while I am there, I will be receiving more Book of Naughty pages! They are looking really, really good. If you want to see one, pop on over to Tracy Roos' website and click on her journal. She has posted her page for the project. When I saw it, I laughed my butt off. She is so cheeky! Must be why I love her so much. (Okay that and we share the same birthday and she's just a wonderful person.) Anyway it's good for a giggle.
Yesterday I had planned to spend the whole day working but it was not to be. My dh came home early and took me out to lunch which was a rare treat. (Rare in that he is usually at work at noon on a Friday.) Then he offered to pick our son up from school so I could get back to work, but when ds came home, he told me he had had an accident at the pool. (His class had a field trip yesterday.) He somehow sliced his heel wide open. I took one look at it and decided it needed stitches so off we went to the doc's office. He did need stitches, but the doc decided that it might be better to glue the wound shut. He went off to get the glue (a special surgical glue-not Crazy Glue) and when he got back I asked if he could also apply some to ds' lips. It took him a minute to figure out I was joking. (ROFL!) Anyway, he glued it and it seems to be just fine. Hard to believe the lifeguards would allow a kid with that kind of deep cut to still swim in the pool! YUCK!
All's well that ends well. Now if I can just get some uninterrupted time to work!
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Under Construction
Due to the extreme kindness of a dear friend, my website is now being looked at and hopefully fixed. Please bear with me if you find it a bit out of whack in the next few days-sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better.
In the meantime, I am continuing to work on my class. I am also finishing up the pieces for The Book Of Naughty. Pages will be arriving shortly and I want to be ready! It's so exciting to see the book coming together. I am lying in wait for the postal carrier. (Okay, practically stalking...) It's like Xmas all over again except without the stress and endless shopping and tinsel sticking to your socks...
I don't know about the rest of you, but we have had our share of snow, especially considering we don't DO snow on the west coast. It's been the perfect excuse to sit around and make art instead of driving around town running errands and worrying about getting in a fender bender. Hope you are of like mind if you are watching flakes fly. Snow is mother nature's way of saying relax and tap into your creativity!
In the meantime, I am continuing to work on my class. I am also finishing up the pieces for The Book Of Naughty. Pages will be arriving shortly and I want to be ready! It's so exciting to see the book coming together. I am lying in wait for the postal carrier. (Okay, practically stalking...) It's like Xmas all over again except without the stress and endless shopping and tinsel sticking to your socks...
I don't know about the rest of you, but we have had our share of snow, especially considering we don't DO snow on the west coast. It's been the perfect excuse to sit around and make art instead of driving around town running errands and worrying about getting in a fender bender. Hope you are of like mind if you are watching flakes fly. Snow is mother nature's way of saying relax and tap into your creativity!
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Website Woes
Hello everyone. Before you all send me emails saying my website is seriously messed up, I know. It was being worked on this evening when something went horribly wrong. I am not sure how quickly this can be fixed, but suffice it to say, I am having fits over it. Please bear with me while the website is temporarily disfunctional. I will continue to update the blog since it's not hosted directly by my site. Keep your fingers crossed that it can be fixed quickly and easily and if you are the prayin' type, send one up for me! *sigh*Thanks.
Teaser!
Below, I have posted a few pictures of the books I created for Altered Board Books Basics & Beyond: For Creative Scrapbooks, Altered Books & Artful Journals by: Jan Bode Smiley.
Just a little taste of the kinds of the altered board books you will see inside! Enjoy!
Just a little taste of the kinds of the altered board books you will see inside! Enjoy!
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Friday, January 07, 2005
Publication #2!
Woohoo! They have finally posted a picture of the cover of book #2: Altered Board Books Basics & Beyond: For Creative Scrapbooks, Altered Books & Artful Journals by Jan Bode Smiley!! I have been waiting for what seems like forever to see it! This is *so* exciting!
Thursday, January 06, 2005
SNOW DAY!!
Yes, you read right-the greater Vancouver area is getting on of those rare occurrences-a snow day! Contrary to popular belief, it rarely snows here, except in the mountains. Up until this last week, I was running around town in a light polar fleece sweater, rather than a proper winter coat. Today actually called for a coat, boots and a snow brush/ice scraper for the car! Amazing!
In the meantime, I have been busy writing my classes and assembling my class sample book. The AB class filled up in a mere 3 days! WOW! As I've been reminded, most Canadians have not caught onto altered book/altered art yet unless they are active online. It' s just beginning to take off here. I have been at it for about 3+ years already, mainly doing swaps and projects online with friends from the US and Europe.
The first pages for the collaborative book project I am hosting, The Book of Naughty have come in all the way from Germany. The pages are wonderful and now I am getting really excited about how great it will be! I will have to post pictures when it's all done.
I signed up for a class on making a coptic stiched journal today. It was only $20 which seemed like a good deal for a skill I would be using over and over again, once I learn it. I have been wanting to know how to do that kind of binding for about a year or so now. Should be interesting!
Well, time to dig the car out and go pick up my son from school. Better leave early since it's slow going. Coming home from dropping him off this morning, I missed my turn entirely. It was pretty funny. I especially loved the look of terror on the face of the woman who was waiting to make the same turn from the opposite direction. I just figured "Oh well, I'll just catch it on the next block down." She looked like she was having a Depends moment!
In the meantime, I have been busy writing my classes and assembling my class sample book. The AB class filled up in a mere 3 days! WOW! As I've been reminded, most Canadians have not caught onto altered book/altered art yet unless they are active online. It' s just beginning to take off here. I have been at it for about 3+ years already, mainly doing swaps and projects online with friends from the US and Europe.
The first pages for the collaborative book project I am hosting, The Book of Naughty have come in all the way from Germany. The pages are wonderful and now I am getting really excited about how great it will be! I will have to post pictures when it's all done.
I signed up for a class on making a coptic stiched journal today. It was only $20 which seemed like a good deal for a skill I would be using over and over again, once I learn it. I have been wanting to know how to do that kind of binding for about a year or so now. Should be interesting!
Well, time to dig the car out and go pick up my son from school. Better leave early since it's slow going. Coming home from dropping him off this morning, I missed my turn entirely. It was pretty funny. I especially loved the look of terror on the face of the woman who was waiting to make the same turn from the opposite direction. I just figured "Oh well, I'll just catch it on the next block down." She looked like she was having a Depends moment!
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
More Book Info!
For those of you who are interested, C&T Publishing has just issued a press release, talking about the launching of their new line of books, aimed at paper crafters. Anyone who is a quilter is familiar with their wonderful publications.
One of the things they will be offering is blank board books. No more sanding, peeling and cursing! If you have worked on an altered board book, you have experienced what a pain and a mess it is to prep one for altering. I know I am going to love starting with a clean matte surface. I can spend less time prepping and more time creating-works for me!
Congratulations to Jan Bode Smiley on being a part of this wonderful new division of C&T! Jan has 2 books being released:
-The Art of Fabric Books: Innovative Ways To Use Fabric In Scrapbooks, Altered Books & More
-Altered Board Books Basics & Beyond: For Creative Scrapbooks, Altered Books & Artful Journals
*Please note that the second book is not hardcover like it says. Both are softcover.
Since I have art in both books, I am dying to see them. My copies should be here before too long! *fingers crossed!*
In the meantime, I have been working hard on writing my Altered Book classes. The workshop I had posted info on earlier is now FULL! One email and 3 short days later, no less! WOW!
The holidays are done so everyone is back to work and school this morning. YAY! I have a whole day of quiet to work in! I love my guys but it's so hard to concentrate on anything creative when the tv is blaring and people are interrupting me every 5 minutes. I am sure there are plenty of you out there who know the feeling. *grin*
One of the things they will be offering is blank board books. No more sanding, peeling and cursing! If you have worked on an altered board book, you have experienced what a pain and a mess it is to prep one for altering. I know I am going to love starting with a clean matte surface. I can spend less time prepping and more time creating-works for me!
Congratulations to Jan Bode Smiley on being a part of this wonderful new division of C&T! Jan has 2 books being released:
-The Art of Fabric Books: Innovative Ways To Use Fabric In Scrapbooks, Altered Books & More
-Altered Board Books Basics & Beyond: For Creative Scrapbooks, Altered Books & Artful Journals
*Please note that the second book is not hardcover like it says. Both are softcover.
Since I have art in both books, I am dying to see them. My copies should be here before too long! *fingers crossed!*
In the meantime, I have been working hard on writing my Altered Book classes. The workshop I had posted info on earlier is now FULL! One email and 3 short days later, no less! WOW!
The holidays are done so everyone is back to work and school this morning. YAY! I have a whole day of quiet to work in! I love my guys but it's so hard to concentrate on anything creative when the tv is blaring and people are interrupting me every 5 minutes. I am sure there are plenty of you out there who know the feeling. *grin*
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Art Goals for 2005
Happy New Year Everyone!
As I was working on some pages for the Book of Naughty today, I started to think of all the things I would like to do art-wise this year. Here's the list!
-I want to make at least one shrine. (If I like it, I would probably make several.)
-I want to try beeswax collage. I have all the stuff, just have not had time to try it yet.
-I want to do a circle journal project with a friend. I am doing this. I'm already thinking about what theme I want to do!
-I want to swap art with a few art friends I have not swapped with yet. This really excites me!
-I want to add to my art book library. I am a picky book buyer, but I do want to get some really good books. I have 2 on order so far.
-I want to make soldered slide jewellery. Again, I have all the stuff now that I got the correct tip for my soldering iron for Xmas.
-I want to do more collaberative book projects. I have one in progress I am hosting and another I am participating in.
-I want to attend Artwerx. I plan to do this with a friend. We are going to stay at the hotel where it takes place so we can totally submerse ourselves in art for 3 days. I am really looking foreward to this!
Anyone else have art goals for the new year?
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