Unusual Girl Studios

Well, its the end of the school year.  Time to thank the two ladies that influenced my children in a great direction!  I didn't want to donate to the gift card.  Why?  Because I'm not a joiner?  Because I want to stand out rather than share the spotlight?  Because I want a personalized gift that they can keep and always remember?  Because I want to impress upon them that I can't participate as a classroom volunteer because (loud children scare me) I've been so busy working and being creative?  Because I want to do both gifts for very little money but not look cheap?  Bingo. I saw an ornament made from a puzzle piece in a magazine and it stuck with me.  'I should do something like that' I always think.  Then the idea came to me and unfortunately would not leave me- like ringworm.  I would make a mobile. I found the very largest puzzle I could find at my local store.  Turns out the fewer the pieces- the large...

This is a bit of a departure from my usual work.  The project came about because I had a departure from work. Last week was my official first week of being laid off from my job of seven years.  Now, this is where I have to break into song- in particular- "Don't cry for me, Argentina~~~" This is a good thing, this lay off.  At least in terms of making a break and taking a different direction.  I will have to tighten the purse strings a bit- thank goodness I have tons of art supplies in my cupboards already!!!  The coffee shop called to see if I was ok.   Hobby Lobby and Michaels were concerned that I needed only a basket rather than my usual cart.    A relative asked if I had found any leads yet to which I answered with a resounding "NO."  Crimeny, its been like two minutes! Oh, the artwork.....Well, that's what I have been busy (obsessed) with!  I have some things in a consignment shop, including the ...

I don't want to have to.  Its slightly embarrassing.  But then I can handle a little embarrassment if it gets me what I want.  (See how honest I am?)  So, if you at all feel like it- could you, would you, please- if you haven't already... follow me on Networked Blogs?  I need two more followers and then people can actually find me on Facebook with out having to do a search for me!  Whew.  I really should be better at self promoting so I don't have to beg.  Begging seems easier today:)  Thank you so very much!

Hi Folks! Finally I got a project finished and am so excited to share it with you! What is this?  Not a painting exactly- more of a mixed media piece. Those are real dried grasses that I glued on to that canvas.  Tons of glue! Its the same picture, three times over.  I was trying to capture the dimension of the piece but its so tall that I can't get real close and get the whole thing in the frame.  Maybe you can enlarge it?  It took a ton of paint to get that background but finally, finally I was satisfied, today at noon, that it was finished and I could put down my brush and get in the shower!  Whew!  And by the way, if you ask me "how" I painted I have decided to answer "intuitively" which really means I just kept painting and painting until something came of it!  Yep, intuitively.

I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine, Catherine Constance.  She's a wonderful gal I met  through her blog which I have been following for a year or so, now.  And over that time I have been introduced to many new phrases that, well, just tickle my fancy to no end!  For instance- there is no other place I can find phrases such as- "Toodle Pip, Darlings!" "I'm off to watch princess stories on the goggle box!" nor have I ever described my pre- summer swimsuit body as... a "Flabby Tabby" or "Flobbally Bits" Seriously- I love that stuff, love it like tea and crumpets, love it!  By the way, she lives in FRANCE.  Much more exciting than Michigan. So why did I finally decide to share her wonderful-ness with the rest of you?    Well, because she's a kind soul who took pity on my non- life- threatening- but-really makes- me- whiny- physical- maladies- of late.  She sent me these ladies!  They are paper...

So much better at this than book making!  I want to make books though, I do!! This is..well, I've been calling her buggish because I really can't decide what she is!  I like her though- do you?   She has some rather fantastical butterfly wings on the back and are those antennae or horns? I tried to integrate, for better or for worse and I thought 'worse' a lot of times- decoupage.  My problem with decoupage and mixed media is that I hate, hate the edges that show.  I want the 'work' to disappear but then that's hardly what mixed media is about, is it?   I went over the wings again and again with different finishes but they looked plastic-y.  And if you think I hate edges- well, sisters and brothers- I hate plastic!!!! But I love resin.  So I poured resin over the wings and then added some metal trinkets- for better or for worse and many was the moment that I thought- worse, definitely worse, I think I'll go make some a...

Remember the art papers that I went insane over?  This was the idea in my head behind all that.  I have a secret fetish for books and for cut out cardboard shapes.  I've been wanting to make books out of them thinking how nice and sturdy they would be as a substrate for mixed media.  Well, I'm glad I took those pictures because that was a week ago and I have long since overworked the pages, murdered the pages, ruined the pages.   Whatever fresh appeal these bright colors had- long gone. See- I have issues with edges.  I like to layer 'skins' over other papers but can't seem to romance myself into enjoying those edges.  I'm better if they are torn vs. straight cut by scissors but really- I want them flat.  I want them to melt right into the other surface all neat and tidy.  My answer to that is to make the paper and scan it into the computer.  Or- to scan the design and print it on to the art paper- a two step process. ...