Thursday, January 5, 2012
Paper Airplane and Repeating Chevron Template
Free black and white templates to download and use. I use them to make designs in Spoonflower, for masking off areas in painting, card making....and more. Right click to view and copy.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Assignements for 'writers block'
One of my friends asked me recently where I get all my artistic ideas from. This is really a difficult question to answer because there are so many places and things that inspire me. I scan the internet daily researching current projects and whenever I see something I like I make notes about it in Photoshop, or Microsoft Word. The documents get saved in an inspirations folder. I also use a sketch book to draw, or the notepad and camera on my cell phone to take notes as well.When I need an idea I review my inspirations and then use my favorite ones to create something. I also look for materials and inspirations at thrift stores, antique shops, and my day to day life. Being an artist is a constant hunt for ideas, and when you have been doing it for a while it becomes a habit.
Unfortunatly, every artist is prone to 'writer's block'. Today I have a very bad case of it. When this happens I either give myself a break or an assignment. A full day of staying away from art projects and materials can refresh your mind. Sometimes I need up to a week to refresh my creativity, but most of the time giving myself a simple art assignment works. Assignments are meant to shake things up a bit and make me think. Past assignments have consisted of the following.
1) Learn to use different materials or tools.
2) Choose an inspiration at random and make a spin off of it, or choose 2 difrent inspirations and combine them somehow.
My sister, Sharon, has a good one for this that she showed me recently. Modernize William Morris Wallpaper. Here is her solution.
Isn't it Fab! The drops on the paper to the left are metallic. You can't see it well in my scan.
3) Spend the day researching an artist, genra, or favorite art related website(s).
4) Revisit an completed project and find another way to use it or renovate it.
5) Unearth an old abandoned or on going project and try to make progress on it (I have lots of these lying around :P).
6) Pick up a craft kit from the store and put your own twist on it by using the materials in a different way or adding your own material or ideas to it. (This one can be fantastic or horribly disastrous. Either way you learn something valuable from it.)
Today I visited number 4. The project I choose to 're-do' was actually my most recent one for my Spoonflower shop; Peeling Pyrenees Planes.
I re-used the paper planes to create these (Physics of Flight). That's my own horrible handwriting in the background:
and the repeating paint peel texture I created for these (Paint Peel Chevrons)
The colors are from the Pantone Spring 2012 palette. Hmmmm I actually like these tiled this way too......Have to make another with all 3 colors now XD.
Back to work!
Unfortunatly, every artist is prone to 'writer's block'. Today I have a very bad case of it. When this happens I either give myself a break or an assignment. A full day of staying away from art projects and materials can refresh your mind. Sometimes I need up to a week to refresh my creativity, but most of the time giving myself a simple art assignment works. Assignments are meant to shake things up a bit and make me think. Past assignments have consisted of the following.
1) Learn to use different materials or tools.
2) Choose an inspiration at random and make a spin off of it, or choose 2 difrent inspirations and combine them somehow.
My sister, Sharon, has a good one for this that she showed me recently. Modernize William Morris Wallpaper. Here is her solution.
Isn't it Fab! The drops on the paper to the left are metallic. You can't see it well in my scan.
3) Spend the day researching an artist, genra, or favorite art related website(s).
4) Revisit an completed project and find another way to use it or renovate it.
5) Unearth an old abandoned or on going project and try to make progress on it (I have lots of these lying around :P).
6) Pick up a craft kit from the store and put your own twist on it by using the materials in a different way or adding your own material or ideas to it. (This one can be fantastic or horribly disastrous. Either way you learn something valuable from it.)
Today I visited number 4. The project I choose to 're-do' was actually my most recent one for my Spoonflower shop; Peeling Pyrenees Planes.
I re-used the paper planes to create these (Physics of Flight). That's my own horrible handwriting in the background:
and the repeating paint peel texture I created for these (Paint Peel Chevrons)
Back to work!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
It's good to be home! Promised Chicken Art
It's good to be home, off the road, and back on a regular schedule! Syracuse NY was cold but thankfully it did not snow much while we were there (though Lily would have loved a blizzard and was sad there was not enough to make a snowman). So now I'm back to work........
As promised, I'm showing you my favorite ephemera find from my road trip. The images below come from two Park and Pollard Co. Year Book and Almanac 1916. These are the most adorable chickens I have ever seen! They would be a cute embroidery project! There are more cute images in the Almanac, but I'm holding back on them till I release the set for sale in my etsy store.
Feel free to copy them. The scans will need extensive cleaning. The pages are so thin that the image from the reverse page shows through in the scans. Larger images can be accessed from my flicker account.
As with the last set of images I gave away, this set will lose it's public status after February 1st. So download them before they disappear.
As promised, I'm showing you my favorite ephemera find from my road trip. The images below come from two Park and Pollard Co. Year Book and Almanac 1916. These are the most adorable chickens I have ever seen! They would be a cute embroidery project! There are more cute images in the Almanac, but I'm holding back on them till I release the set for sale in my etsy store.
Feel free to copy them. The scans will need extensive cleaning. The pages are so thin that the image from the reverse page shows through in the scans. Larger images can be accessed from my flicker account.
As with the last set of images I gave away, this set will lose it's public status after February 1st. So download them before they disappear.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Final day to download beautiful Chrysanthmum Bookplate Scans from my Flicker Account!
It's the final day to grab these beautiful book plates from my flicker account, for free! By January 2nd they will only be available in small resolution (size) format here on my blog.
Visit my flicker account and download them before I revoke their public status. Once they are gone I will slowly begin cleaning them and prepping them for sale in my Etsy and Melyah digital shops.
No guarantees on when they will appear in my shop. I have a ton of projects stacking up as I type. My holiday visit to Syracuse NY has turned up some wonderful ephemera from the local antique mall, Syracuse Antiques Exchange on N. Salina Street. I must mention that the folks there are equally wonderful. If you have a chance to visit Syracuse stop by and visit them! I'll post more on my favorite find from there later this week...it's cute and chicken related. XD
Visit my flicker account and download them before I revoke their public status. Once they are gone I will slowly begin cleaning them and prepping them for sale in my Etsy and Melyah digital shops.
No guarantees on when they will appear in my shop. I have a ton of projects stacking up as I type. My holiday visit to Syracuse NY has turned up some wonderful ephemera from the local antique mall, Syracuse Antiques Exchange on N. Salina Street. I must mention that the folks there are equally wonderful. If you have a chance to visit Syracuse stop by and visit them! I'll post more on my favorite find from there later this week...it's cute and chicken related. XD
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Barbie Parts for Christmas!
Sounds strange but all I really want for Christmas is Barbie Parts......so I can wear themas jewelry. XD
I found some fabulous jewelry by Margo Lang (post by LA Weekley Blogs, image from there as well) while reading art articles online. It's an old post, so I hope the artist is still producing her work, but the images are priceless.
As a child I be-headed my barbies and floated their heads in food coloring all in the name of fashion (the food coloring was supposed to dye their hair). I also drew on them with permanent marker, mix and matched their body parts, and cut their hair. Margo's jewelry makes me reminisce of my contentious relationship with the perfectly, imperfect Barbie.
She has an Etys Shop too but it's closed for vacation. ReMembering Barbie. I hope it's not a permanant one.
'Hello Margo....are you there?'.....
Friday, December 23, 2011
Golden Flower Bookplate no. 16 'Christmas' + 2 bonus images
2 flowers from 'Wheeler' cut out and cleaned up.
See the rest of the bookplates and larger images for download on my flicker account.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Golden Flower Bookplate no. 11 'Wheeler'
This is my favorite plate from the book! Love their shape and color!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Road trip....
I will be unable to answer all e-mails or do much posting for the next 3-5 days. We are driving to NY to visit relative. Can't wait to get going, I love Road Trips for all the stops along the way. :)
I will have my laptop with me to work on Spoonflower and Society6 ect....answer occasional, important e-mails.
Free Golden flower color plates are scheduled to automatic post so they will still appear hear and be downloadable from my flicker account.
Rebecca
I will have my laptop with me to work on Spoonflower and Society6 ect....answer occasional, important e-mails.
Free Golden flower color plates are scheduled to automatic post so they will still appear hear and be downloadable from my flicker account.
Rebecca
Friday, December 16, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Very brief mention in Spoonflower blog....
I didn't realize I was mentioned in a Spoonflower blog post until my sister informed me. They included one of my fabrics in the giveaway for December's 12 days of Christmas. It was listed under the 12/11 post with the Alt-Aesthetic fabric Bundle.
The fabric was my Black Webs on Yellow.
That make me happy. :) Especially since I'm feeling under the weather today. Thanks again Sharon! What would I do without my Big Sister?
Here are links to the other equally fabulous fabrics that were in the bundle.
Mershim by Cateanevski,
Ghosts—Nightshade by Cateanevski,
Giant Flying Squrill Attack Tolie by ThirdHalfStudios,
Dotd Skulls White Small by ThirdHalfStudios,
Beautiful Bones: Sirens - Gold by JessicaSoon,
Alice in Steamland Doll Pattern by CurlyCue,
Black Spiderwebs on Yellow by MuddyFoot,
Ambition by Nalo Hopkinson, and
Large Ghostly Squid Damask by PattySloniger.
That make me happy. :) Especially since I'm feeling under the weather today. Thanks again Sharon! What would I do without my Big Sister?
Here are links to the other equally fabulous fabrics that were in the bundle.
Mershim by Cateanevski,
Ghosts—Nightshade by Cateanevski,
Giant Flying Squrill Attack Tolie by ThirdHalfStudios,
Dotd Skulls White Small by ThirdHalfStudios,
Beautiful Bones: Sirens - Gold by JessicaSoon,
Alice in Steamland Doll Pattern by CurlyCue,
Black Spiderwebs on Yellow by MuddyFoot,
Ambition by Nalo Hopkinson, and
Large Ghostly Squid Damask by PattySloniger.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Poodle Sculpting!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Saturday Morning Harajuku
My big sister is an Evil Genius!
She sent me this fabulously trippy Harajuku music video for Tsukematsukeru, by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. It's a song about fake Eye Lashes!
About half way through the song it gets really good as the singer adorns a costume with eyelashes on the chest and dances with her break dancing lions. The same talented artist also created the song PonPonPon, about eating too much candy, which is equally fantastic! I'm already having visions of clip art and fabric patterns inspired by this video XD!
Thanks Sharon!
She sent me this fabulously trippy Harajuku music video for Tsukematsukeru, by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. It's a song about fake Eye Lashes!
About half way through the song it gets really good as the singer adorns a costume with eyelashes on the chest and dances with her break dancing lions. The same talented artist also created the song PonPonPon, about eating too much candy, which is equally fantastic! I'm already having visions of clip art and fabric patterns inspired by this video XD!
Thanks Sharon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)