garden of happiness {elvie-encore-post #7}

he who plants a garden plants happiness.

to all of you who take the time to stop by this little spot in cyberspace.....

to all of you who share your big beautiful bloggy smile.....

to all of you sweet-little-purple-flowers-with-yellow-centers in my bloggy garden...

thank you.....you make my heart happy!  xox

{happy may-day, mom!  love you!} 

{i'm currently on a little bloggy break...this is an encore presentation 

of a post originally featured on may 5, 2010}

inspiration monday {elvie-encore-post #6}

i stumbled upon this fabulous you tube by sija, and had to try it!

it's a really quick way to add some dimension to a shipping tag.....

and then you can use it in your journal or on a card!

as shown in the video, i used a thin coat of gesso and let it dry
 (i'm impatient, so i sped things up with my heat gun), 
and then i applied tim holtz distress inks using a foam applicator 
(make-up sponges work, too). 
here i've used the colors broken china and peeled paint, 
while leaving some of the natural color of the tag peeking through.

and this is what it looks like after i used a gentle touch with 
a baby wipe over the gessoed areas! 

for this tag, i used two of my favorite distress ink colors:

spiced marmalade and fired brick.
then, i finished using a micron for the lettering.

these tags each took about ten minutes to create, and 
they definitely fit into the "instant art gratification" category!!!

                    

you can watch this video in larger format here.

{i'm currently on a little bloggy break...this is an encore presentation 

of a post originally featured on august 6th and 7th, 2010}

little yellow dreams {elvie-encore-post #5}

i caught myself day-dreaming about a
sweet little yellow house again....

isn't it great how your paintbrush
always knows what's on your heart?
xox



{created on fabriano medioevalis paper using
 koi watercolors, micron pen, pitt pen, and a 2B graphite pencil}

{i'm currently on a little bloggy break...this is an encore presentation 

of a post originally featured on november 15, 2012}

inspiration monday {elvie-encore-post #4}

i seem to have a lot of "experimental background papers" that are, 

let's face it, just plain lemons.    

so, you know the saying, when you've got lemons,  make some lemonade!

one of the things i like about this paper is all that juicy color...…

but to my eye, it's just too splotchy.  

so one thing i love to do is take a scrap of card stock and 

cut an opening out of the middle to create a little window 

(i've cut mine into a 1.5" square, but you can use any size or shape).  

then place it on top of the paper, and move it around...…

there are lots and lots of fun little art pieces hiding in there!  

make a quick tracing with a pencil around the edge of 

the window shape and then cut out the piece.......

and you'll have a pile of little art lovelies before you know it!  

suddenly that big piece of lemon paper is looking much better!

here's a way to make some lemonade with those little snippets of art happiness: 

draw a frame shape onto a piece of watercolor paper 

(i'm using my moleskine journal)......

and then paint it in.  i drew my frame with a tombow watersoluble marker, 

so i just used my waterbrush to activate the ink.  

when it dries, you can go back with your micron 

to touch up any lines that have faded.

once the frame is dry, glue one of the little art snippets to the middle.....

then add all of your special touches, 

and maybe even a title for your new little masterpiece!

keep painting frames and adding art snippets and titles......

and before you know it......

you've got your very own lemonade gallery!

have fun!

{my art gallery lemonade recipe:

the original background paper was created using bottled inks and this saran wrap method.

other supplies:  card stock, black tombow marker, waterbrush, micron pens, 2B pencil, glue stick}

{i'm currently on a little bloggy break...this is an encore presentation 

of a post originally featured on july 25, 2011}

amazing artist {elvie-encore-post #3}

just a little reminder......

whether you're near or far,

high or low,

east, west, north or south...…

you are an amazing artist!

p.s.  and you're also 

bold, fearless, gritty, sassy,

and quite bodacious, too!!!!

:)))

{i'm currently on a little bloggy break...this is an encore presentation 

of a post originally featured on october 20, 2010}

inspiration monday {elvie-encore-post #2}

i love using watercolor pencils, but one thing i noticed right away is the color of the pencil isn't always the exact color that goes onto the paper!  so here's a paint-chip system that i've been using for a while now.....they're super easy to make, and all you need is your paints, scraps of watercolor paper, your waterbrush or paintbrush and cup of water, a pencil, scissors, glue or double-sided tape, and some popsicle sticks.

first, draw a square for each of your colors onto your watercolor paper 

and paint each square using one color. 

 i like to put more color at the top and less at the bottom 

so i know how the color looks both as a dark and a light.

now, label each color.  
you can leave your swatches as they are 
and you'll have a great color reference......

but i like to cut mine out......

and mount them onto popsicle sticks using a dab of glue or double-sided tape.  
this way i can mix and match and see exactly 
what they look like right next to each other.  
it makes choosing your color palette really fun, 
and you'll be amazed at how many fabulous color combinations you discover!

plus, your entire collection will look so cute all tucked in a glass jar......

kind of like a rainbow-paint-chip-inspiration-bouquet smiling at you!

{you can use this technique for watercolor paints, acrylics, watercolor pencils, 

watercolor crayons, and any other color media you enjoy working in!}

***

{i'm currently on a little bloggy break......

this is an encore presentation of a post 

originally featured on april 18, 2011}

patience, faith, and gifts….{elvie-encore-post #1}

the sea does not reward those who are too anxious,

too greedy, or too impatient.

to dig for treasures shows not only impatience and greed,

but lack of faith.

patience, patience, patience, is what the sea teaches.

patience and faith.

one should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach -

waiting for a gift from the sea.

anne morrow lindbergh

from "Gift from the Sea"

{i'm currently on a little bloggy break......

this is an encore presentation of a post originally featured on july 14, 2010

i'll be posting art snippets from time-to-time over at Facebook,
if you'd like to follow me here! }

vanna, may i please have a consonant? ...................... {elvie-encore-post #9}

i'm a real sucker for anything that has a clever use of letterforms. so when i spied this box of swedish happiness during a recent trip to ikea, i instantly had visions of using them to leave notes for my little dutch sweetie on the kitchen counter, or playing cookie scrabble.....

but my abecedarian dreams were shattered when i opened the box, and discovered that it was filled with only the letters i, k, e, and a. three vowels and one consonant? this was a challenge that would send any wheel-of-fortune veteran straight into an alphabetical tailspin!

so, since there was no letter b in the box, i decided to create one for myself.....

in the form of a plan b.....

and just dunked them in a bowl of c-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e.

i just love finding new ways to use letterforms!


have a great weekend!  i'll see you on monday!

i'm currently on a little bloggy break......

this is an encore presentation of a post originally featured on february16,  2010

stamp carving 101......{elvie-encore-post #8}

would you like to start carving your own stamps, but don't know where to start?  one of the nice things about stamp carving is that there's relatively little investment, and you get a great return with a wonderful collection of hand-carved artwork!  for the carving material itself, my favorite product is the artist carve block, Mastercarve,  by Staedtler.  it comes in different sizes and really does cut like buttah.  my second favorite is a product by Speedball called Speedy-Carve...it's pink and comes in different sized sheets so that larger stamps can be carved.

once you have your carving material, you'll need a sharp blade.  the most popular and accessible are the carving tools made by Speedball.  the handles are usually plastic and have a removable bottom for blade storage, and the tip allows for blade changing and removal .  i use the #1 v-shaped blade for detail work, and a larger u-shaped blade to remove the excess material from around the outside edges.  one thing that i would like to stress is that these blades are very sharp...make sure that you keep your fingers out of the way (i speak from experience on this one!)!

Staedtler also makes a set of carving blades that are very nice.  unlike the Speedball, these blades are not removable, but permanently fixed in their handles.  another difference between the two is that this set is much more of an investment than the Speedball set.  for me, personally, the handle seems less bulky in my hand and easier to use, and i was able to use my 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby to help with the expense.  most of these supplies can be found at many on-line sources, Hobby Lobby, and Michaels (they usually carry the blades).

  

once you have your carving block and your carving blades, it's time to start carving!  i've been following geninne's blog for quite some time and she recently made a great video on stamp carving (view it here)...she does beautiful work and it's always fun to learn from the best!  enjoy!

this is my new "bliss" stamp!  the word was originally written with a brush marker and then carved from a speedball speedy-carve block using a Staedtler blade.  for the image, white ink was stamped onto black textured paper.


**edited:  since writing this post, i've also created a stamp carving video......
you can watch it here!

i'm currently on a little bloggy break......

this is an encore presentation of a post originally featured on may 19, 2009

inspiration monday......{elvie-encore-post #7}

i am often asked if there's a story that goes along with my heart-in-hand avatar, and i'm reminded of a day trip i took about 20 years ago.  we lived in the midwest at the time, and a friend and i decided to head out to a quilt show that was being held in a nearby town.  we ended up driving through amish country, and while i had known about their lifestyle, i had never actually experienced it up-close and personal.  it's hard not to notice their complete devotion to such a simple lifestyle, but what struck me even more was how they were able to convey this same simplicity into their artwork.  some of the most beautiful quilts i've ever seen were seen that day...the patterns were uncomplicated, the colors were true and rich, and the workmanship was exquisite.  and just as we were leaving, a small pillow caught my eye, decorated with a heart-in-hand, and with the words "hands to work, hearts to God".  i fell in love with it then, and twenty years later i'm still loving it...and i'm still inspired!  

inspired by heart-in-hand, i created this small quilt almost 15 years ago.  

i've used this image as inspiration for many pieces of artwork over these past years.  

{i'm currently on a little bloggy break......

this is an encore presentation of an inspiration monday post originally 

featured on april 26, 2009}

{to do}......{elvie-encore-post #6}

hope you have some fun things on your "to do" list today!

{journal page created using micron pens and watercolor pencils}

i'm currently on a little bloggy break......

this is an encore presentation of a post originally featured on september 9, 2009

discoveries......{elvie-encore-post #5}

i've been making blank journals for several years now, and as much as i love to create the journals, for some reason i have a mental block when it comes to creating in the journals.  i've been so inspired by many of you who are so good about filling your journals with creative play....and i've been thinking that it's time to jump on the bandwagon.  so....i finally took one of the many blank journals that i've had forever and made some marks on the first page.  it's not fine art. mainly, because i've discovered that i'm not a "fine artist".....i'm a "fun artist".   and i've also discovered that a little watercolor pencil, micron pen, doodle art, and ice cream sandwiches make for journal page happiness!

i'm currently on a little bloggy break......

this is an encore presentation of a post originally featured on august12, 2009

inspiration monday......{elvie-encore-post #4}

here's a great way to add a lot of inspiration to your workspace using a minimal amount of supplies.  first, you'll need a metal wire structure...it can be any shape or size that you choose.  mine is about 28" tall, and i found it in the home decor section at hobby lobby......i've also seen these at target and other fun places.

next, you'll need something to hang all of your goodies.  these are called "dangling clips"...most craft stores sell these in the jewelry supplies aisle.  if you can't find these, you could also use small clothespins, or anything else that will help you attach your items to the structure.

lastly, just clip whatever inspires you and hang it from your structure!  some ideas are greeting cards, bookmarks, business cards, small pieces of artwork, ribbon, photographs, love notes, post cards......the sky's the limit!  have fun!

i'm currently on a little bloggy break......

this is an encore presentation of an inspiration monday post originally 

featured on january 26, 2009

lovin' from the oven.....{elvie-encore-post #3}

my sweet tooth is reminding me that it's 3:45 in the afternoon......and that means chocolate!! today's pick: brownies.....in the form of an eight-by-eight inch pan of pure chocolatey happiness!  but, here's the dilemma:  do i cut a piece large enough to satisfy my cocoa craving, and then be done with it?  or, do i cut a more lady-like square, and then do the "brownie whittle"......you know, when you cut a small piece, and then go back a few minutes later and cut just a sliver (to even up the edges, of course), thereby saving on mega-calories by eating such a tiny piece......and then repeat the whittle as needed (to even up the edges, of course).....or until the entire first row is gone, and then proceed on to the next row.....

i'm currently on a little bloggy break......

this is an encore presentation of a post originally featured on november 12, 2009

i heart my mary janes......{elvie-encore-post #2}

it's probably a little silly to be so attached to a pair of shoes, but i must confess that i love my mary janes.  i think that i've walked at least a million miles in these shoes.  i've been told that i need to give them up and wear something a little more "grown up", but instead i choose to replace the elastic under the buckles, for the fourth time now, so i can walk another million miles.  besides, grown up shoes hurt my feet.

i heart my mary janes so much that several months ago i took a drawing class and decided to use them as one of my models...and then make some note cards!

and to carry it one step further (good pun? bad pun?),  i just had to carve a mary janes stamp.  and this pair will never need to have the elastic replaced...... 

i'm currently on a little bloggy break......

this is an encore presentation of a post originally featured on april 14, 2009

inspiration monday......{elvie-encore-post #1}

"some days there won't be a song in your heart. sing anyway."

emory austin

sometimes the inspiration just isn't there......and for those days when you really want to get humming, here are some ideas to tuck into your creativity songbook:

*grab a coloring book and box of crayons. it seems simple, but everyone finds comfort in coloring....and it's great fun to be a kid again!

*create some color washes onto blank paper using two or three colors of paint. just moving some color around with a paintbrush is inspiring, and you'll be happy to have these wash papers in your stash for a later project!

*spend some time curled up in your favorite chair with a good book, or even your stack of catalogs! my pottery barn and anthropologie catalogs never disappoint when it comes to inspiration!

*call one of your art buddies! having our own work space is fabulous, but it can also be lonely sometimes. good friends always have extra inspiration that they're willing to share!

*what's old is new again! look back at some of the artwork you created a year ago.....can you embellish upon the same idea? how would it look in a different color.....what happens if you use watercolor instead of acrylic?

*and my personal favorite that really gets me singing..... eat a piece of chocolate!! and yes, it's okay if it's on top of ice cream! (this one's a little tricky, and may need to be repeated once or twice before inspiration truly kicks in.... )




i'm currently on a little bloggy break......
this is an encore presentation of an inspiration monday post 
from november 1, 2009.