Good Finds!

Well, it was another stellar Saturday for garage sales. It was also Open Studios last weekend so we were busy sailing around from garage sales to studios. Here's my list for this week:
• An old fashioned blackboard: $1
• A box full of old cigar bands: $1
• 20 mini vintage postcard set from the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest: $1
• Wood cutting knife: 50 cents
• Vintage Bates pop-up address book (just like my grandfather's): 25 cents
• 100 library book pockets: $1
• A sweet mermaid fountain handkerchief : $1
• 1908 Sears Roebuck Catalogue replica: 25 cents
• 8 pairs of decorative scissors : $2.50
• 17 retro plastic doilies (great for stamping): $2.50
• Set of 10 pack Spanish flash cards: $2
• A vintage wooden box with index cards: $2

For a grand total of $15. That is pretty much my garage sale budget these days. Now I have to figure out how I am going to use it in my art!

Pencil Case Cut and Sew Pattern

Here's my entry for the latest spoonflower contest. This time we had to design a cut and sew pattern for a pencil case. As you can see, I recycled my journal cover from the other contest and I also got inspired to design a whole collection that I named "Sunday Picnic". You can see all the entries and vote here!

Garage Sailings

In a town known for wooden boat building, we have our own version of sailing... that is Garage Sale-ing. Yesterday, the winds were favorable for sure. Port Townsend has really good garage sales and very good deals, this is what I scored yesterday:

• 3 framed vintage pattern covers: $1 each
• A rummy game: $2
• A pail full of wooden blocks: $2
• 5 fat quarters of fabric: $1 each
• A set of 20 vintage mini postcards from Wyoming: $1
• A Lily Poem crocheted cardigan: $1
• 7 mini bouquets and a roll of white tulle: $1
• 4 wooden balls: 25 cents
• 3 small paper mâché boxes: free!
For a grand total of $15.25
Good day for sailing! Dave still refuses to wear the little sailor outfit I made him, but I am sure he'll come around.

Lily Poem cardigan

Coccinelle

I was cleaning up my studio and found a bunch of leftover paper pieces laying around so I just pasted them on a piece of printmaking paper with matte medium and put it aside. I didn't know what I was going to do but by looking at the shapes of the collage, I started to see things appear and I slapped lines and paint and it turned into this. It went to a pretty ugly phase though and I almost gave up but I kept going and now I really like it! I wish I took a picture of the "before" collage...next time!

Under the Sea

When I was little, I really wanted to be mermaid. I still think sirens are one of the coolest creatures ever! Here's the start of my mermaid collection. The top one is the first in a series of greeting cards and the bottom one is a spread I did in an altered book project but it's an idea I want to use in my collection somehow. I could use clams or mussels instead of clothespins, what do you think?

Lucioles

My entry for the Firefly spoonflower contest this week. My dad used to call me "La Luciole" when I was little (it means firefly in french), so I just had to at least enter something. Lots of good ones this week if you want to take a look and you can also vote here for your favorites!

Between Speech and Silence

"The Red Leaf" |  Light background start

"The Bird Tree" | Dark Background start

First steps, light background on the left and dark background on the right

It's a known fact that I am slightly addicted to online courses...and art supplies, and trying new techniques! This one was a one week summer art camp class hosted by Carla Sonheim but taught by Diane Culhane. Super fun class. For this exercise we used only 4 colors (cadmium red, cadmium yellow, ultramarine blue and titanium white). We started by painting gesso over 2 wood panels. We added color, one light with yellow and red only, and the other one dark with blue and red only. Then we had to draw a tree and added collage leaves with a glue stick. After that, we just painted over it until the painting turned into something we liked!

Fresh Start!

I entered Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search and I am sorry to say that I didn't get picked in the top 50. We had to do a journal cover with a playground theme. There was 1500 entries so that was a long shot but it got me started drawing and painting again. I realized that all I need is a theme, a product and a deadline to start producing art that I can send out there to sell or license. So I enrolled my friend Arlene to create a little structure for me. My next project is due August 5th and it's a series of 4 greeting cards with a mermaid theme. Can't wait to see what I am going to do! :)