Sidetracked

Well, it is almost time for Artfest, so I started putting together my class supplies to make sure I had anything.

As I was getting the 12″ X 12″ paper, I realized I didn’t have anything that size to keep it nice, so I made a portfolio to keep them in.

I may not have all my supplies ready, but my papers will stay nice, and I am really happy with how it turned out.

Artfest trades

Five years ago, when I was pregnant with my youngest, I went to the most incredible art event.

http://www.teeshaslandofodd.com/artfest2008/info.html  I had a great time and enjoyed it more, knowing it would be a few years, before I had a chance.  Little did I know.  My youngest has lots of health problem, that makes it really hard to leave him.

About this time last year an online friend mentioned Artfest, and I knew it was time to go again.  I prepared all these fabulous reasons why I needed to go to present to my husband to convince him to take the week off and watch the kids.  I shouldn’t have wasted so much time.  He walked in the door, and I told him I wanted to go and needed him to watch the kids, and he said had a great time.

Well after a year of planning it is almost here.

One of the cool things about artfest is trades.  Many of the people attending, create little works of art and bring them to exchange with each other.  I took time last week to work on my trades.  The theme is forest walk so I stayed with that for my trades.

I have created about 15 or so mini journals that I will use for “special trades” (trades that are a little larger than normal).

Here are a few of the mini journals:

and the almost 100 bookmarks:

More work on the fairy journal

First of all, I have to say that I was sad and happy when the forest journal sold.  Thrilled that is was going to a great home with a wonderful purpose and sad, because I was hoping it would still be around when I needed a new journal so that it would be mine.

I have let myself have some play time and have been having a great time sewing pockets in the fairy journal and embellishing them.

the inside front cover and first page

pocket page #1

pocket page #2

pocket page #3

pocket page #4

pocket page #5

pocket page #6

last page

inside of the back cover

Artfest inspired

The first week of April I am going to this fabulous little art retreat called Artfest.  The theme is forest walk, so I decided to do a couple of journals inspired by that theme.  I used some gorgeous Japanese papers I was lucky enough to trade for.  I am really happy with the results.

The fairy one, I am not done with.  I am going to have fun with the pages, adding color, fairies, envelopes, and pockets.  I will probably take it with me to Artfest for the gallery.

This one I will be posting at my hyena cart and hoping it doesn’t sell before I need a new journal.

I am so excited for Artfest.

I had a customer ask me to make a lion box, so this is what I came up with.  I want to keep it.  I am in love with this particular stamp.  It is one of my favorites.

While I was painting boxes, I figured I would make one more using LeighAnne’s artwork.

I am so excited.  I have all my customs done, but one trade that I will finish tomorrow.  Then I have a few fun products I want to make for Necessitae’s stocking on the 15th.

When that is done, I am taking a break to work on some Artfest stuff.  I can’t believe it is only a few more months away.  I am so excited.

Two of the greatest Christmas presents

Well Maren seemed to finally get Christmas this year.  She got off to a slow start when she didn’t want to do any work to earn money to buy presents, but after I talked to her she got excited.

She started asking how much were earrings from some of my friends.  I told her they were in the twenty dollar range.   Then she asked me for my friend Danielle’s email and told me I couldn’t read any of the emails.  A little later she told me she needed to make Danielle two girl bookmarks and two boy bookmarks and not to open the package Danielle sent.  She was so excited and couldn’t wait for me to open them.  They were some gorgeous earrings.

I got her a very special present.  She has been wanting her own website since she was six, so we compromised on a page on mine.  I decided to buy her a domain and have it redirected to her page.  Santa left her a letter telling her to go type www.marenscreations.com .  She was so thrilled to see it go to her page and realize she owned it.

The second incredible gift I got was from my husband.  He gave me the 26th off and watched the kids all day for me, including taking Stiles to the chiropractor.

It was a fabulous day.  I woke up and did some work on the computer and then headed to Third Place Books, where I bought Little Lord Fauntleroy and then ordered veggie lasagna and read and ate.  Then I got some lemon cheesecake.  I came home and had the house to myself for about an hour and knit a little.

Then I decided I needed a creative challenge, so I went through my picture file and got all the pictures I had printed for projects and hadn’t used.  I also got all the journal covers waiting to be embellished and got to work.  I have a great time.

Here are a few of the items I created.

 

You can see all the other items I created that day here they are the first 18 items.

“The Touch of the Master’s Hand” journal

A couple of Sundays ago my daughters primary (Sunday school) teacher spoke in church.  She ended her talk by quoting one of her favorite poems The Touch of the Master’s Hand.

I have always loved the poem.  I remember quoting it when I was on my mission in Argentina.  I can still recite about half of it from memory in Spanish.  I decided I would use it to make her teacher’s Christmas present.  I would make a journal with the poem and a picture of a violin.

There was one problem.  I don’t have a picture of a violin.  I immediately thought of my friend Rebecca from Tree of Life Photography.  I figured there was a chance she had a picture of a violin.  Well she didn’t, but she did happen to have some violins and offered to take me some.  The pictures were so breathtaking so I couldn’t make just one.  Here are three of them.  Two (mine and the teacher’s) still need pages.

Combining new skills with old skills

I have been really busy with Christmas customs and all that fun stuff and have lots of things I wanted to share.  I thought I would start with something I just finished a few minutes ago.

My mom taught me to knit when I was a teen.  I only knit a few things and haven’t done anything with it since then.  I have seen so many gorgeous hand dyed yarns, that I decided I had to learn to knit.

So when I went on vacation with my mom in November, I asked her to show me again. 

I have been playing with it and decided that I wanted to mesh my new skills with my old.  So I started with an incredible hand dyed targhee wool from  <a href=”http://www.hyenacart.com/mosaicmoon”/>Mosaic Moon</a> and knit this great little journal cover.  I am thrilled with how it came out.

Artfest trades

Ok, I know it isn’t until April, but I am so excited and wanted to get started on a few day.  I took a break from everything else and made a few fun Artfest bookmarks.

 

I had a lot of fun with these.  It was fun to look through my scraps of paper and see what I could come up with.

Custom perpetual calendar

I have been super busy with customs and am almost done. 

I had a request for a custom perpetual calendar.  She wanted it to be secular and seasonal.  It was a little out of my normal area, so I was a little worried, but am really happy with how it turned out.  I am almost hoping she hates it so that I can keep it.  lol

If I get a chance to make anything today, I am taking a break and making what I want for a little while.