My She Art projects

I have been wanting to explore mixed media more and try to over come my fears of using a canvas.  I think it stems from worrying about the cost of a canvas, which isn't very much, but thinking I might ruin it.  Well, I jumped in with two feet and I was so excited, I actually started three canvases. This was all due to Christy Tomlinson's She Art Workshop.  Here are the first three canvases from two different stages.  The first stage was bacground papers, ink or molding paste and the second stage was adding additional paint and rubber stamping.

Left: papers and a little paint. Right: additional white paint and red dots. 

Left: tissue paper and Tim Holtz tissue tape, plus two double sided swirl stickers. Right lots of added paint and textures.

Left: spray ink and stencils (some by Tim Holtz). Right: added paint scraped over molding paste dots and some added stamping.

I just couldn't get enough of making these backgrounds, so I found a chipboard book and began adding papers and paint to these shapes.  I really like how a different shape changes the whole look of the "canvas".

I should have some finished items to show soon.  Check back soon!

Julie

Matthew's Baby Shower

Over the Christmas holidays I saw my dear friends Mark and Sonya who were expecting their first child in March.  I wanted to make them a keepsake for the baby and offer to make their shower invitations since my family was co-hosting the event.  They were very excited and showed me a picture of their bedding. I wanted to keep the design of the invitations and the frame as similar as possible, but change them enough to avoid copying exactly.  We were all very happy with the results.  After making the invitations and the keepsake frame, I also designed and created a "Welcome Baby" banner and table decorations. (Thanks mom for your help!)  I was REALLY excited when I was able to get the Silhouette to cut out the designs I had created.  Here are a few pictures of my project.  Enjoy! 



Background created with chalk and torn paper.  Dragonflies by Stampendous. All other images drawn by Julie Mogford.



Silhouette Die Cutting Machine used to cut all parts of the banner and strung with orange grosgrain ribbon from Stampin' Up!



Same elements from the banner glued to skewers and placed in sand to keep upright.  Green tulle ribbon final touch.



It's the Last Day of the Year!

Wow!  I can't believe it is December 31, 2010.  I love this time of year.  I like fresh starts and that what I feel like on New Year's Day (I guess I also feel like that on my birthday and the first day of school each year).  I have so many things coming up in January that I can't hardly stand it.  I am really looking forward to the Ali Edwards class I signed up for with my mom, and several friends of mine, One Little Word.  I like that we will have assignments for us each month of the year. That kind of structure / pattern is good for me.  It keeps me motivated.  I picked my word - FLOURISH!  Here is what I found on MSN Encarta's dictionary.
flourish
1. be healthy or grow well: to be strong and healthy or grow well, especially because conditions are right
2. do well: to sustain continuous steady strong growth
3. brandish something: to wave something in a dramatic way that draws attention
And...
It can also mean a dramatic hand movemtn that draws attention, a loop or curl, and in music, it can be an ornamental trumpet call (heralding the arrival of an important person), a short prelude/postlude of a piece of music, or a brief showy technical passage within a piece of music.  Of course I like the musical references, even if I don't perform anymore. 
The word comes from: [13th century. < Old French floriss-, stem of florir "to bloom" < Latin florere< flor- "flower"]


I'm really excited about this word and I look forward to the projects from Ali.


What else is on the horizon?  planning for a new family reunion, making a shower invitation using photoshop and illustrator, taking a new illustrator class from Carina Gardner on JessicaSprague.com , husband's birthday, and that's just what I can remember right now, and doesn't even include everything going on at work.

Since I'm here, I'll post this picture that I had planned to post earlier this month. I had done more, but not all of the pictures came out well.  I will work on a system for that.  I found these little wooden pieces and turned them into Christmas tree ornaments.  I covered them with papers and other embellishments that I would normally use on my cards or tags. Sorry about the quality. 

So, that's all from me for now.  Looking forward to improving my blog skills this year too. Here's to 2011!

~Julie



A day in downtown San Antonio and a busy weekend.

In a few moments, we will be off to downtown San Antonio to deliver our student art work for display at a convention we are attending tomorrow.  After we are done, we get to spend the day downtown, which is a special treat!  Then tomorrow will be super busy setting up and taking down art work.  Then Saturday, we are off to the car show - looking for the next car we will buy.  Sunday I'll be at Scrapbook 911 at the Totally Tim class with Carrie and Jennie, and hopefully Shay will be there too.

Looking forward to it - bigtime!!!

Working on background and banner

It's been a long weekend!  I've relaxed and I've been working on my Photoshop and Illustrator skills - Thanks Jessica and Carina!!!  I participated in an online class by Crystal Wilkerson and Kristina Proffitt called Blog Design Basics for Blogger (on http://www.jessicasprague.com/ )and used their videos to get my blog looking the way it does now.  I will keep working on it during the next couple of weeks to fine tune it.  I say "couple" of weeks because this week will be so busy, I don't know where I will find the time to blog or craft or do much else, but I will try :) It's the week before Thanksgiving so it will be crazy at work.

Here is a current shot of the blog, for posterity, and hopefully, I will make some additional changes tomorrow.  And, even better, work on something in my studio to share.

Till tomorrow....