I am so thrilled! I got two new books in the mail today, Rice Freeman-Zachery's "Creative Time and Space: Making Room for Making Art," and Alison Eads' "The Artful Card." I'm about halfway through Creative Time and Space and highly recommend it for anyone struggling with this issue, finding and making time and space to create, it is very inspirational and full of great ideas. I just skimmed through the other book, but it looks yummy as well. It has some great techniques that I can use for visual journal pages too, and lots of collage of course.
As for my inconsiderate gall bladder, still feeling it, but not bad enough to go to the ER, just bad enough to not feel up to doing anything very active. I have piles of "housework" but no real energy to get to it right now. Oh well, it isn't going anywhere, is it? The fat free diet has been interesting. I'm not starving, and actually, my appetite is way down, another sign I'm not feeling up to par. But I have had to be pretty creative. The liquid diet the Dr. recommended ended yesterday, so today I've been able to eat solid food too. My favorite today was a can(I normally don't go for canned veggies except beans) of dilled green beans with a can of black beans. The two together were pretty good. The dilled green beans were actually green beans marinated in a vinegar and dill and they were very good, surprisingly. But even better with the added black beans. I would eat this again, fat free diet or not. I will have to be eating fat free for a few weeks until I have my gall bladder removed. Any fat will cause it to "turn on" and could bring on another attack, so I don't want to agitate the thoughtless thing if I can help it. And I have to admit, it was time to change my eating habits. I won't cry if I never eat another piece of fried anything or fast food, honestly. The chocolate covered twinkie is another thing altogether though.
Life, Food and Art Escapades
About Me
- Queen of Tides
- I am a multifaceted woman, living with intention and passion. I always see the glass as half full (ok, almost always). Currently into: jewelry design, glass beadmaking (aka lampworking), visual journaling, cooking and web design everything. Things that bring me great joy: my family, friends, Scrabble, British period pieces, Shabby Chic, Austin, TX, mini art tiles, autographed cookbooks, chocolate, Chianti, pedicures and beach glass. I don't "do" and/or dig: dishonesty, guilt, intolerance, unkindness, drama and goat cheese (it's a long story, but I love all the other cheeses!) So you now have a teeny tiny little picture of me, with a few warts thrown in. Welcome to my world!
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
More books...
This is a continuation of another post about books I have and books I wish I had. I'm still working on listing the books I have, so probably won't get around to books I want until later.
"Found Art Mosaics" is wonderful for anyone who wants to try creating a mosaic. Besides having excellent projects to get you started with great instructions, this book explains what kinds of glues and grouts to use depending on the materials and surface you are playing with! That alone is worth the price and then some. I actually saw this artist's work in Fredericksburg, TX last year, it is amazing and inspiring. You'll never look at a piece of broken anything the same way!
Another book I have is "Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life," by Kathy Cano Murillo. This is also a fun book with great projects and ideas to get you thinking outside the box. She also tells some stories with each project that are full of insights, some funny, some touching. There is also a lot of Mexican and South American feel to the projects, very colorful.
Also part of my library is "Subversive Seamster: Transform Thrift Store Threads Into Street Couture," by Melissa Alvarado, Hope Meng and Melissa Rannels. My kids and I love to hit thrift shops, resale shops and garage sales, so this book is really useful. Again, you will look at ordinary pieces of clothing in a whole different way. One of my favorite projects is creating a wrist cuff bracelet from purses that have interesting closures.
And I own several of Rachael Ashwell's "Shabby Chic" books. I love that particular style of decorating, worn elegance, pretty and comforting.
When we lived in Texas, there was a wonderful antique show in Round Top. I went a couple times, since it was an annual event. The antique show lasted several days, maybe even a full week. This little town, really little, was overrun with giant tents, like a circus had come to town, only there were several circuses. Different farmers rented out their fields and you just parked and walked, and walked. You couldn't see it all in one day. But there were so many treasures, I just loved it. Shabby Chic is big in Texas so lots of the vendors had things already finished in that style. Pieces of old furniture, stools and lamps, painted in pale or washed out colors and then gently distressed. I still love it.
"Found Art Mosaics" is wonderful for anyone who wants to try creating a mosaic. Besides having excellent projects to get you started with great instructions, this book explains what kinds of glues and grouts to use depending on the materials and surface you are playing with! That alone is worth the price and then some. I actually saw this artist's work in Fredericksburg, TX last year, it is amazing and inspiring. You'll never look at a piece of broken anything the same way!
Another book I have is "Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life," by Kathy Cano Murillo. This is also a fun book with great projects and ideas to get you thinking outside the box. She also tells some stories with each project that are full of insights, some funny, some touching. There is also a lot of Mexican and South American feel to the projects, very colorful.
Also part of my library is "Subversive Seamster: Transform Thrift Store Threads Into Street Couture," by Melissa Alvarado, Hope Meng and Melissa Rannels. My kids and I love to hit thrift shops, resale shops and garage sales, so this book is really useful. Again, you will look at ordinary pieces of clothing in a whole different way. One of my favorite projects is creating a wrist cuff bracelet from purses that have interesting closures.
And I own several of Rachael Ashwell's "Shabby Chic" books. I love that particular style of decorating, worn elegance, pretty and comforting.
When we lived in Texas, there was a wonderful antique show in Round Top. I went a couple times, since it was an annual event. The antique show lasted several days, maybe even a full week. This little town, really little, was overrun with giant tents, like a circus had come to town, only there were several circuses. Different farmers rented out their fields and you just parked and walked, and walked. You couldn't see it all in one day. But there were so many treasures, I just loved it. Shabby Chic is big in Texas so lots of the vendors had things already finished in that style. Pieces of old furniture, stools and lamps, painted in pale or washed out colors and then gently distressed. I still love it.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Books I have and Books I want!
I'm talking about visual journal books, ATC (artist trading cards) and the like. Here is what I have and what I'm using to play lately...
1. Kaleidoscope by Suzanne Simanaitis has a lot of focus on collage with a myriad of techniques and lots of fun projects to really get your creative wheels spinning...I love this book. My favorite projects include Susan Tuttle's "Exploring the Landscape Within, a self portrait," and Jill Jones' "Set Your Brain On Fire," among so many. Other contributors you might recognize include: Traci Bunkers, Christine Cox, Juliana Coles, Kate Lyon and Pilar Isabel Pollack. It is a great book to sit and read through to get inspired or just pick a random article to read and technique to try. It is a fabulous book all the way around and I highly recommend it.
2. Alphabetica by Lynne Perrella is another book I have and love. Full of techniques and inspiration through and through. My favorite part of this book are the Artists Workshops with the Masters. There are 14 "workshops," each just two pages, with great examples on one page, and the directions on the second page, along with a list of each artists' "Studio Essentials" and "Influences." The workshops includes "Composition" with Claudine Hellmuth, "Layering" with Lynne Perrella, "Building Outward" with Lisa Hoffman, "Using Vintage Photos" with Judi Riesch, "Attachments" with Lesley Jacobs, "Transparencies" with Sarah Fishburn, "Using Great Quotes" with Linn C. Jacobs, "Faux and Ancient Surfaces" with Lisa Renner, "Working with Fabric" with Lesley Riley, "Building a Surface with Patterning" with Shirley Ende-Saxe, "Metal Tape and Altered Images" with Karen Michel, "Creating with Recycled Papers" with Monica Riffe, "Constructions" with Michelle Ward and "Working Intuitively" with Teesha Moore. The entire book is bursting with inspiration and techniques to try, but the Workshops make it work every penny and then some! Again, I highly recommend this particular book, one of my top five.
3. Visual Chronicles by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino is the first book I purchased when I wanted to learn how to create a visual journal. It is full of good basic techniques to get you started and offers answers to any excuses that would keep someone from trying to create a visual journal experience for themselves. The chapters are called "Fear Busters," and each offers several ways to expel that particular fear or excuse. Some of the chapters include: "I have no time," "I can't write," "I'm just not artistic," "I can't draw" and "Nothing happens in my life." I have fallen victim to several of these excuses, so this book was a wonderful starting point for me personally. So if you have never done anything with a visual journal, I highly recommend this book.
More tomorrow...
1. Kaleidoscope by Suzanne Simanaitis has a lot of focus on collage with a myriad of techniques and lots of fun projects to really get your creative wheels spinning...I love this book. My favorite projects include Susan Tuttle's "Exploring the Landscape Within, a self portrait," and Jill Jones' "Set Your Brain On Fire," among so many. Other contributors you might recognize include: Traci Bunkers, Christine Cox, Juliana Coles, Kate Lyon and Pilar Isabel Pollack. It is a great book to sit and read through to get inspired or just pick a random article to read and technique to try. It is a fabulous book all the way around and I highly recommend it.
2. Alphabetica by Lynne Perrella is another book I have and love. Full of techniques and inspiration through and through. My favorite part of this book are the Artists Workshops with the Masters. There are 14 "workshops," each just two pages, with great examples on one page, and the directions on the second page, along with a list of each artists' "Studio Essentials" and "Influences." The workshops includes "Composition" with Claudine Hellmuth, "Layering" with Lynne Perrella, "Building Outward" with Lisa Hoffman, "Using Vintage Photos" with Judi Riesch, "Attachments" with Lesley Jacobs, "Transparencies" with Sarah Fishburn, "Using Great Quotes" with Linn C. Jacobs, "Faux and Ancient Surfaces" with Lisa Renner, "Working with Fabric" with Lesley Riley, "Building a Surface with Patterning" with Shirley Ende-Saxe, "Metal Tape and Altered Images" with Karen Michel, "Creating with Recycled Papers" with Monica Riffe, "Constructions" with Michelle Ward and "Working Intuitively" with Teesha Moore. The entire book is bursting with inspiration and techniques to try, but the Workshops make it work every penny and then some! Again, I highly recommend this particular book, one of my top five.
3. Visual Chronicles by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino is the first book I purchased when I wanted to learn how to create a visual journal. It is full of good basic techniques to get you started and offers answers to any excuses that would keep someone from trying to create a visual journal experience for themselves. The chapters are called "Fear Busters," and each offers several ways to expel that particular fear or excuse. Some of the chapters include: "I have no time," "I can't write," "I'm just not artistic," "I can't draw" and "Nothing happens in my life." I have fallen victim to several of these excuses, so this book was a wonderful starting point for me personally. So if you have never done anything with a visual journal, I highly recommend this book.
More tomorrow...
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