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Getting Ready for Spring
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March 2008
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I'm sitting here in the wee hours of the morning thinking about all the neat things that I have sitting around here in boxes and wishing I hadn't decided to kick Draw out of the studio this past Wednesday.
Draw and I now sit in different rooms of the house with our computers - though, if I turn my head I can see him in his new office which also happens to be the kitchen table. Well, not now at the kitchen table because he pooped out on me and went to bed several hours ago.
As with anything, this major upheaval started with barely a flutter.
Every day when Draw came home from work he'd have to move my art stuff off his desk chair so he could sit at his computer. Come on. Quit moving my stuff around.
And everyday I'd feel guilty and apologize because he'd have to pick his way past rusty stuff and pretty paper and other odds and ends to get to his chair which was covered with more stuff.
So with that in mind, this past Wednesday, I mentioned that I'd been thinking... and what did he think of this...
After a few brief tears and a lot of hugs, Draw packed up his one box of belongings along with his computer and monitor and moved away... about 50 feet away... leaving me and my mess in a heap (or a bunch of heaps) all over the floor of my "new" studio.
So here I sit... in the wee hours of the morning wishing that I hadn't thunk the thought to boot Draw out on a "newsletter week". Instead of listing stuff in the shoppe, I've spent the last three and a half days trying to find it.
Hey ho... at least I got a few collage sheets done. I have no idea where that juicecame from - it must be spring when a young (ish) girl's fancy turns to art.
And thank goodness Rande's been hard at work being creative! Bless her heart... she is going to inspire you with some great art. And so is Theresa Martin with her latest obsession!
So get all comfy... grab your cup of joe or your Rosie Lea... put your jammies back on... and let's think about art for the next hour or so!
Hugs and busses,
Gale
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Keeping Our Eyes on the Bling, part deux
Oh, the delights of glorious glittery goodies. And in my search of more bling I came across this really cool watercolor paint from USArtQuest called Mica Color. You know USArtQuest, yeah? The Mica Queen. More mica than Carter's got pills and if anyone knows about bling it's those guys at USArtQuest. This Interference Palette with all those interference and iridescent and duo colors is really cool stuff. And easy to use - you mix it with water and paint. Definitely worthy of a spot on your art table.
And, ta da! I found more of that German Dresden in one of the boxes that Draw hid on me when he took it off his chair and put it on the floor. Four different colors of the scallop trim, and one of those is purple. Purple purple purple. Say that a half-dozen times and it doesn't even sound like a word any more. Purple. Or maybe it's because it's almost 2:00am? Add a bit of bling to your art with these wonderful trims. Gee, I think you might find that Rande's been playing with a bit of the purple Dresden... Back in stock are the Duo glue and Gilden Glitz - a regal dash of sparkle for your art. This stuff is so easy to use and adds such a rich look to your pieces. And don't be afraid to add it to dimensional bits like papier-mache eggs or houses or even plump little feather birdies. This is a definite "must have" if you have not yet...
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 How Theresa Martin Overcame Her Fear of Needles...
It's leap year which makes it a good year to jump into something new. I believe in "Omens" like that. So I'm trying lots of new things this year. One is hand felting. Gale now has a hand felting needle, brush mat and roving yarns in her shoppe. I resisted hand felting for as long as I could. I'm not sure why but it probably has to do with a phobia of working anything that remotely seems like knitting or yarn work. The more I saw of what people were doing, the more my resistance weakened. Turns out it's more like making a background for a collage, and that is something familiar to me. My first piece was muddy and I ended up throwing it away. By the second piece I'd found my way, and I discovered the best way for me to mix the roving and colors. Trying something new can sometimes be intimidating but felting is now one more technique in my art vocabulary. I like felting - working on a piece is meditative and the repeated stabbing gets out any aggression that may have built up during the day. Stab, stab stab! A bit of soft brown here, a bit of pale green there. Watching the colors mix and blend is like watching a river flow. There's a lot to explore here with hand felting... I've only just begun. Won't you join me? Let's be brave together and try out a few new things this year. theresa mARTin  An original piece available in Theresa's Etsy Shoppe This gorgeous piece is also available in Theresa's Etsy ShoppeTo see more of Theresa's amazing art, please visit her website or hurry over to her Etsy Shoppe so you can add one (or MORE) of her beautiful pieces to your art collection!
Also take a peek at Rande's Blog for more reasons to think about trying your hand at needle felting. Rande's done some fantastic felted brooches as well as some beautiful wall hangings.
And then when you've done all that and you're ready to jump - trip on over to PaperWhimsy and take advantage of the SALE on rovings and the needle felting tools you'll need to get started. It's fun, it's easy... it can be your next big obsession, too!
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Rande Hanson:
Inspirations 2 Art
March is here, and so is
spring. Birds are chirping and
everything is budding out. I'm ready to
see more color in my world, and in my art.
Trees are already flowering with beautiful whites and pinks. The azaleas with be in full bloom soon, with
every shade from lightest pinks to deepest purples, and beautiful corals.
Looking at all the new items and
collage sheets at Paperwhimsy, I see so many things to create art with these
beautiful colors. On my blog, I will
show you some of the rich backgrounds I have created with the new to
Paperwhimsy Adirondack Color Washes and Moon Glow Mists. I will also show you a few hand felted and
rusty brooches. And did I mention, with
lots of rich color?
I hope you will be inspired to play with all your rich colors and
make some springtime art!
Warmest,
Rande
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And so...
...it has been lovely spending this time with you! Hopefully, you've been amused, inspired, excited, and sufficiently caffeinated to continue on with the rest of your Sunday whistling a happy tune and creating wonderful things! Until next month... Blessings, Gale xoxo OH! P.S. Don't forget this... 
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