Pencil Lines sketch

I have loved PencilLines blog for some time now.  I haven't really had an opportunity to play along until I was asked to guest design for them back in November of last year.  I am hooked now!  The current sketch is so cute!  I love the banner! Here is the sketch:

 And here is my layout:

Snow Day

Okay the weird little thing is that I did this layout in January!  But it totally looks like the sketch right?  I did it BEFORE I saw this sketch.  Don't believe me, well look at a few posts below!  I think that we are on the same wavelength!  Weird!  I used some scrap papers and made my own sprays using Faber -Castell's Gelatos and water.  I also used the Pitt Artist pens. Anyways... I thought I'd link it here with the sketch to compare and show off my ESP abilities.  I'm working on another layout using the sketch as inspiration so I'll post that when I finish as my OFFICIAL take on this sketch.  I just couldn't help comparing the sketch to this previously created page.  I don't know about you but these cold, snowy, blah days are getting to me!  I wish I was somewhere warm.  My parents keep tormenting me with photos of West Palm Beach and Key West!  They are having a great time and won't be back until the beginning of April.  I'm jealous and sitting here wishing that I had a warm location to jet off to.  It's mid-winter break and I have the winter blues!
Here are a few more pages that I've done lately... when there isn't much else to do except be inside, I get my mojo moving!

 

Family

Just one for me... Love this photo of us from last April in Florida

 Detail of layered part

 

The Wheels Are Turning

This was for the Scrap That Baby DT prompt this month. That is my Christopher with his funny face.

I Love You

This month's prompt at Scrap That Baby AND a layout using Nikki Sivils new "We Are Family" line.

I have some more but I'll save them for a future post... gotta have something to keep this blogging thing going.  Hope you are warm somewhere!

What a Banner Day...

Some exciting news to share... I'm now a print ad. 
 This is not the ad, but the artwork that I made in the ad...

Being asked to be on the DMC (Design Memory Create) DT for Faber-Castell art products, I made a canvas and cardboard banner with their blue mixed media product line.  I used a multitude of techniques on the entire banner and really loved it when I was done.  After sending them photos of it, they decided to buy it from me.  YES!  I'm a paid artist now.  AND... a few weeks ago they asked me to make three more in each of the 3 color packs that are in the line.  So, I made one in yellow, one in red, and one in green. I can't show those just yet as I have to mail them out to them and wait to see if they are going into print too.  I recreated the one in blue to take process shots and to keep for myself!  I might have to recreate the others now because they came out fabulous (if I do say so). I'm so happy that I'm finally a working artist.  I've always thought things happen for a reason and when the approached me I realized that this was that opportunity!  I am so lucky to be a part of this team!  Thank you Faber-Castell!  So, check out their blog with lots of "how-to's" and product examples.  I am over the moon about their mixed media line of products.  The watercolor pencils and Gelato sticks are my absolute favorites!!!!  I won't use any other pencils now!  I also love their artist pens so much that I use them for everything.


It's been a crazy month with work.  I teach art to Kindergarten through 6th graders and let me tell you, it has been a very busy time lately with 4 grade levels making clay projects.  I am constantly spraying clay, rolling clay, fixing clay pieces, loading and unloading the kiln, final glazing, and sorting into classes.  It's exhausting!  I am also starting new projects with 3 other grade levels so it's been hectic to say the least.  BUT it's been inspiring to see what kids come up with when given minimal instructions and shown what to do but allowed to be creative with their own style.  Emerging style as it is, but that's how we learn.  Someone teaches us basics and we experiment until we do something that we are satisfied with.  Then teachers try to push students farther.

 

We are preparing for our Empty Bowls dinner on March 29th at 5:15pm and 6:15pm at LBE.  If you are in the area stop in for $2 a person you get a handmade bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in our community that need filling.  You also get some excellent choices of soup, bread, dessert and a drink.  Cheap dinner and help feed the hungry in our area.