Exploring something new - Copic Markers

It all started a few months ago.

I saw a YouTube video tutorial showing Copic markers. Copic are alcohol-based markers used most recently by Manga artists in graphic novels, but scrapbookers and stampers have been using them for a few years now.The above doodle is my first attempt at using Copics. I used the wrong paper, but finished the piece in less than 2 hours.

If you are at all familiar with my work, you know I like to work with colored pencils and ink. However, I frequently have wanted to be able to fill in areas with saturated color without having to apply many light applications of pencil and risk burnishing too soon. Even though I work small -- tiny really -- my finished pieces took many hours.

I have another order in for more Copic markers already. I really like them!

My Personal Holiday Card - Ho Ho Ho

For the past several years I have been hand-making my holiday cards. Thanks to a super crafty sister, who introduced me to card making and to what materials to use, I have all the supplies in my art studio -- the most important one being GLiTtEr!!! I truly love to glitter, so every holiday card has some glitter added to it before it ever leaves my house.

This year I started with something different and very traditional.

I hand painted this tiny miniature of Santa. The painting is only 3.75" x 2.50"

I placed it in this vintage ornate metal frame.

Then, I scanned the completed assemblage and used my editing program to change the color of the frame. This was really fun and it was difficult to decide on just one color!...

... so (of course) I chose two.

The frame part was then finished with glitter in a tiny bit of gold and a lot of white-ish clear.

I think this is my favorite holiday card... so far, that is.

Happy Holidays!

It's True

Hello everyone! Sorry, I have been a bad girl... blog-wise lately. My only excuse is that I have been super busy with way too many holiday art ideas.

One of my eBay art groups, BWBA (Because We Believe - ART) is having a First Anniversary celebration and a big ornie giveaway drawing on their blog. I've placed a button to the right that will link you to the blogsite. There you can get the details and view all the ornies that will be given away soon.

Below, is a peek at the ornie I made for the giveaway. She is a tiny miniature original art piece that I have placed in a 3" diameter vintage ebony wood disk. I created a table-top stand for her, but she also can be hung if desired.**********

I also completed another bat ornie. He is currently listed on eBay. This one, a Chihuahua, is probably going to be the last one for this year. Too many other holiday ideas and not enough time to complete them!

Ay Carumba and Happy Thanksgiving!

I've gone batty...

This Halloween season I have been stitching bats. Lots and lots of bats! I've shown you a few of the previous ones in prior posts here. This current bat has to be one of my favorites...

so far.

I call him Frank N. Bat. He carries a banner that says "BwaHaHaa" and he can be hung either from his little blackened toes or upright. Frank even has the required neck bolts that Dr. Frankenstein suggested might be helpful ;-)

He is currently up for auction on eBay. Click here if you are curious.

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I have continued to create ACEOs this year, too. These are tiny artworks and one thing I have discovered about myself is that I love working small. ACEOs are only 2.5" x 3.5" in size. Like I said... tiny.

I have 2 ACEOs current up for auction on eBay this week.
This one can be viewed by clicking here.

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Click here for viewing this one.

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Thanks for visiting! I need to get back to work, so bye for now!

Oh so busy!

I have been stitching and drawing --- trying to get a few things created for Halloween.

Halloween is my most favorite holiday when it comes to making art pieces.

Recently, I have been making BATS! These are soft wool hanging ornies and true to their nature, most can hang upright or from their toes. I handsew them and even hand-dye the wool yarn I use to embroider and embellish them.

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And, then of course, I name them. You are looking at Mr. Cal C. Um here. He is currently up for bid on eBay. Click here to see more pictures and details.

Lastly, I got out the Prismacolor pencils, inks, and paper the other day and created the first ACEO I have made in well over a year. ACEOs are very small - they measure just 2.5" x 3.5"

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She is on eBay too. Click here if you're curious!

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Thanks for visiting.

I've been busy creating

I have spending delightful amounts of time in my studio finishing some of the WIPs from previous posts. Feels good!

I even managed to list these finished pieces on eBay this week.

Please check them out by clicking on the links to see all the details.

The Madder Hatter

to see his details, click here.

My 1st ever witch sculpture from a couple of years ago. I decided to list her on eBay this Halloween season. For more pix and to read about her, click here.

And, lastly for now...

Hector the Spector.

To see him and read his sorry tale, click here.

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I am going to list this little guy soon. He is my Cheshire Bat, another from the Malice in Wonderland theme.

Sneek peek...

Now, back to work. Thanks for visiting!

A little Bat Ornie

I thought I share a picture of this little bat ornie that I made for a Halloween swap I am taking part in. It is made from wool, Grungeboard, Lutradur, beads, paper, inks, wire, and embroidery. The bat body measures about 5" with a wingspan of about 7" -- the whole thing measures about 10" from the hanger attached to his toes to the bottom of his banner.

He was so fun to make, I have started on another. This next one is planned to be a Cheshire Bat for the Malice in Wonderland challenge, if all goes well!

Malice WIP Update

Hello again! Just another little peek at my Mad Hatter. This time he has his paint job, but I am still working on him and it is still early in the process. Anything can happen!

Malice in Wonderland WIP

Just a quick peek at the Mad Hatter I am working on for the AHQU group theme for August. We are creating a slightly different version of Alice in Wonderland -- developing the characters' darker sides - for Malice in Wonderland. I am working on creating a sculpt of the Mad Hatter a number of years later.

This peek is just the beginning and very early in the project.

Enjoy!

Hector the Specter

I am so pleased to introduce Hector-the-Specter. He has been a long time coming mostly due to the fact that I am incredibly slow with my artworks. I MUST have been a lady of leisure in a previous life because when I am creating, time has no meaning except for cocktail hour and dinner, of course ;-)

So, poor Hector was a disembodied face for about 4 months. He would occasionally gape at me from the workbench and grumble that I should get busy with finishing him.

Hector is about 12 inches long from the wisp of his noggin' to the bottom of his ectoplasm. He wears a heavy chain of regrets that keep him from passing-over.

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Now, this ornie just needs a hanger fashioned and Hector will be ready for an eBay auction in August, just in time for the Halloween season.

Time for a Make-over & Something New

Sorry for the lack of posts lately!

I have been busy, busy, busy -- and during all this busyness I managed to complete this punchneedle of a Pink Elephant. Hundreds of millions of tiny punches (okay, maybe just a bit of an exaggeration - LOL) with a floss-loaded needle are necessary to create these highly textured designs.

I created this design and worked this 4" X 6" punchneedle to compete in a challenge by one of my eBay art groups. It is a bit of a departure for me and a bit too cute for my usual creations of witches, Jack-o-Lanterns, skulls, bad birdies, etc., but it was fun just the same.

You may have also noticed that I changed my blog design and banner. I was only going to create a new banner that was more "generic" but I just couldn't stop there. Make-overs are good sometimes.

I hope you like the changes.

Time to share!

I was given a blog award and I must share it with you!

Here are the official STEPS of this Award:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.Thank you so much, Susie Jefferson!
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.Done.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.Only too happy to do that for Susie! You will love her blog!
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.Okay, check below.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.They're down below, too.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.{hope I do that correctly! They are fabulous blogs!}
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.Yep, will do.

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7 Little known things about me...
*I'm ambidextrous. Draw and write with the left hand, do everything else with the right hand or both.
*I live in paradise -- not only my surroundings, but a state of mind.
*I ride a Catrike (the low 3 wheel cycle, not at all like the childhood ones).
*I love to play Scrabble and therefore, I know some pretty weird words.
*I don't have a television by choice. {I do watch some shows on-line late at night through!}
*I am a volunteer librarian.
*I eat rhubarb nearly every day - all year long.

7 Blogs I Nominate:

Witch Hollow Primitives
Heather is not only totally creative, but she is versatile and charming. Oh, and she is the nicest person ever and puts together a beautiful blog.

Skeleton in My Closet
Even though Josie would like to have an award-free blog zone, I am going to send this award her way. She is just too talented, a bit twisted, and very busy with her blogs, art groups, work, and sculpts. I couldn't leave her out, she is a major inspiration to me.

PieCaKe PRiMiTiVeS
Lorraine is one busy and amazingly quick sew-ster! She creates charming soft dolls for all the holidays with a definite personal style. They are sweet and her blog has the most lovely photos of her creations.

Octoberfarm
This is one of the most interesting blogs I have ever visited. Jaz not only posts the most beautiful photos of her surroundings, but she has an amazing collection of rare {and rarely seen} witch treasures AND she cooks, too! You will be transfixed and hungry after visiting her blog!

Paint_Misbehavin
Witty and wise and covered in paint -- that is our Paint {yep, that's her name, too}. Fairly new to blogging but not to creating some wonderful Halloween themed artworks. Her primitive paintings of extra-large moons set in the nightsky are simply breath-taking!

Lisa Lectura Creations
Lisa's blog was one of the first blogs I ever visited... and she got me hooked. Lisa is very versatile - working with fabric, paint, stitches, wax, and embellishments. Her blog will make you feel calm and blessed, I know that's how I feel with every visit.

Light and Shadow Studio
Tammy is a complete phenomenon! Her signature art pieces are the happiest beaming moons ever, but that is just the tip of her "iceberg". She sculpts and carves ornies that are highly collected and snapped up nearly before the paint is dry! Her blog is a wonderful showcase -- don't miss it.

I wish I could have listed all of my favorites, but that would have taken me all year!!!

Thanks again, Susie, for this award, your supportive and kind words, and your willingness to share.

with fondness, Karen

Happy 1st Birthday, Pink Saturday!

What would Saturdays be like if Beverly, How Sweet The Sound, hadn't started and then invited others to join in to make our Saturdays PINK? She could have choosen any color, but PINK is the ultimate happy color - blissful, sweet, fun, and joyous - all together in one pretty tint.

Now, she tells us that it has been one year since others joined in spreading PINKdom. So I am posting this picture above from June Hoffman's book on Eggeury in celebration {PINKed up a bit for the occasion} and am pretending that the figure in the egg is Beverly!

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Next, I found this 1920's vintage sheet music recently. Just couldn't pass it up!

Words to wise.

Here are the lyrics, by Al Dubin & Irving Kahal...

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People who gossip are people who lie,

so try to keep out of their way.

Many a girl saw her happiness die

'cause someone had too much to say.

Homes have been broken and hearts filled with pain

by stories that shouldn't be told.

Dreams have been dreamed and then shattered in vain

before a new scandal grows old.

chorus

If you can't tell the world she's a good little girl

then just say nothing at all,

who cares what she once used to be

as long as she's sorry she needs sympathy.

Don't give away what you know of her life

someday she may make a wonderful wife

If you can't tell the world she's a good little girl,

then just say nothing at all.
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{Oh my, I sure hope she's sorry, or has a good attorney! LOL}

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Lastly, just a note of thanks to you for visiting and to Beverly our hostess.

Happy PINK Saturday, and many more!

It's good to be Queen...

... and here is why!

I am so happy I joined in this swap. A small group of us decided that we would make personalized crowns for our swap recipient. Ooooo Lucky Me!!!

Jamie of Peach Street Primitives is a very versatile and talented artist. Jamie made this amazing crown for me. She worked very hard on it, using extremely hot tools to construct this beautifully regal confection using wire, glass, beads, images, and letters.

I have to say, it not only fits like a dream, but she captured my queenliness to perfection. She spelled out "Artful Queen Madame K" around the rim.

Humbleness is hearby banished! So, sayth the Queen.

Thank you, Jamie!!

I finished something!

I am just so glad that I finished up the skull from a previous recent post. He came together rather quickly but his finishing touches took longer than I had imaged... way longer!

In case you didn't catch it from the two pictures, his eyes move and he has a surprise gag that was a simple idea, but took me forever to create. I thought I would be able to purchase something that would do this gag, but nooooo!

I had to engineer the whole thing because I just couldn't let the gag die. Kind of like this little skellie clown.
For more details and to discover what this gag is click on this link.

BoneZo the clown.

heheheheheeee

What We All Want -- Our Own Custom Crowns!

I am involved in a fun swap with a group of talented women. We decided that we needed to make something that was fun, quick, used materials from our supply stashes, and would be relatively easy to ship. Why not make custom crowns??

The artist I was to make a custom crown for is Tammy Strum. If you are unfamiliar with this popular artist you can see some of her pieces at Light and Shadow Studios. She is well-known for her whimsical moon sculptures and ornies.
How lucky for me that I had such an easy assignment! Of course there would have to be a moon, stars, and sparkles. I even got to sculpt a moon for the front piece - in Tammy's signature style - and gave this little moon its own crown and rhinestone eyes. Then, got out my glitter, my sequins, my pom-poms, and tinsels.

After I made it I still had almost 2 weeks to "test" wear it - LOL - around my art studio. It fit me soooo well.

Of course, the time came that I had to send it on to Tammy for whom I had made it. She has let me know that it arrived, so I can now share pictures with you.

The artist that is making my custom crown has let me know that she is trying something different (after all, it is for me and I am a bit different!) and will be mailing it soon. Ohhh... I can hardly wait!

My noggin is feeling a little naked.

Things Don't Always Turn Out Like You Plan - WIP

Remember the previous post? How I mentioned that the buzzards were coming back and I just happened to have sculpted a buzzard head?

Because I was inspired to "just get on with it" and finish the little guy, I sculpted his body from some different clay - a new type for me. The next morning, I found my buzzards body had lots of deep cracks all over it!

****** YIKES! ******

A really good look at the cracks below.

My husband mentioned that the cracks were actually a pretty cool effect. Hmmm... he was right. With a different subject this would be really great.

So, I turned the body upside down and around. Voila! It was a perfect skull shape. The cracks looked good now.

I added some more of that good ole' cracking clay and sculpted the skull features. Oh yeah! Happy again.

Now, I am not at all goth or dark or creepy in my real life. A skull had appeal to me but only if I could give it a fun twist. A clown idea emerged when I stuck a red bead on his missing nose cavity.

He kinda looks like me, too. Oh yeah, happy again.



I will post some pictures soon of my totally finished skellie clown, Bonezo.
BTW, I understand some people are skeered of clowns. If you aren't too chicken, check back soon!

It Must be Spring... The Turkey Vultures have Arrived!

So, okay... I know that most of you don't look for the return of the turkey vultures to signal that warmer weather is ahead, but in my little high country valley, they are a sure sign that Winter is over.

Now, this story gets a little eerie later on -- you'll see.

Just last week I had some Apoxie Sculpt left over from sculpting an element for a crown I was making for a swap piece. Without really thinking, I just sculpted this little vulture head. {side note: it appears that I am stuck on birds lately... Rocko Peep was my last sculpt before the crown}

Obviously, he is still in the WIP stage.

I think Mr. Buzz Ard needs a hat. Here are three options from my costume wardrobe. I am leaning toward the top hat at the moment and must decide before finishing the rest of Mr. Ard's body.

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Number 1... I call this the duffer or dude hat.

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Number 2... The top hat.

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Number 3... the wizard hat.

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Now, this is the eerie, weird part. About 5 days after I sculpted Mr. Buzz Ard's little head these three real turkey vultures showed up on my property. Never in the six years I have lived here have turkey vultures been spotted anywhere on the property -- they are down the road, usually soaring over some carrion in an open field. These are BIG birds, the cottonwood tree they are roosting in is over 90 feet tall.

So, I have to wonder... what were they looking at and why were they visiting me and Mr. Buzz Ard?

Hmmm............?

Just a Smiley

While out for a trike ride the other day we happened upon this small guy on a fence post. Just about the size of a golf ball, made of styrofoam, with wild "hair", and having a few pock marks (thanks to the snowplow and sanding trucks), he could still give us his happy smile.

So, if he can do it - you can do it, too.

Have a Smiley day!