One foot is in a wet spot made of freshly spilled coffee. The other is dry. I began this morning by painting the sky. The pearl sky blue paint came out in shimmers as I poured it into my glass bowl. Stirring with a straw I mixed it with some water to make a wash; I wanted a light cover of color which while wet made circular motions with a lint free cloth to show a whispy affect. I took a short break then had to choose the color for my "grass" and settled on an apple green. With the same technique as I used with the sky, I brushed it on the canvas, taking care to dab up any runs. Next I went to a website to purchase this wonderful paint called Glimmer Mist. If you get some time check this Youtube video out on the basics of using this kind of paint. It's gorgeous when it's done. I chose the same color just a lighter tone for each color. Now it's time to begin making my 3D flowers and butterflies.

HOLD THE PHONE I WOKE UP WITH A THOUGHT!

I woke up this morning with the most interesting thought in my head regarding my ARTPRIZE project. Instead of painting all my flowers on, why not just give the piece a splash of background color and then achieve the look I want with 3D paper flowers too! Not only will this project have a huge rainbow full of a thousand butterflies but it will be hovering over a field of 3D flowers. It's going to take me much longer than I had originally planned however the outcome will be a lot more interesting in my opinion. Oh stay tuned people, stay tuned...

THE EVOLUTION OF MY ARTPRIZE EXPERIENCE

THE EVOLUTION OF MY ARTPRIZE EXPERIENCE

 

The second installment of "The Evolution of My ARTprize Experience"... I did think for a while (thought it probably doesn't look like I put any thought at all into this piece haha) on what I wanted my entry to look like. I knew I wanted to go with it being very colorful and eye catching, and I also wanted a design that didn't fit inside any box. Especially not any box of mine. I wanted to push myself outside of my abilities, so I could learn new things as I go. So far, I have. I learned that you really want to pre drill. You just do. Less splitting of expensive canvases. Then thanks to my dear husband, clamping is a must, just do it, you'll be a lot happier when there are no gaps. So I purchased several different sized premade canvases and began to join them together.

Then you need to think if you have a wall big enough for your piece to hang. CUZ THERE AIN'T NOBODY GONNA BUY THIS LOL aw come on....laugh at yourself. Yes. I have learned to laugh at myself A LOT. Unfortunately I find humor in almost anything. I laugh at myself the most. I'm always shakin' my head and laughin' at all my projects because they are all such a hoot and I usually end up suprising myself. Just after I got all of my canvases together, joining them with little steel brackets I wanted to hang it on the wall and get started. I found that the whole piece wanted to make a circle. It wasn't wanting to lay flat against the wall. So after talking with my hero (Geoff) he told me I definately needed a brace and not only one but two. Oh dear and I thought this was going to be easy. Nope. So yesterday we picked up more wood to make the cross pieces needed to keep my art piece flat. It's at the point here in the above picture right now because I'm waiting for the screw driver to finish charging up after laying down the first brace and re-positioning most of the steel brackets.

This would be a good time to talk about re-purposing. I've decided to make my art piece using as many materials that I already have on hand. Hence, these old wood screws.  When I found these I knew I needed 15 and do you know that that's exactly the number I had on hand? YAY! No second trips to the hardware store, it's all here. I'm so happy I saved these when we first moved in to this house. 

So I sit here and wait for the screwdriver to charge, and share with you all the progress of my artprize entry and the shop front where my artprize entry will be displayed. It's called God's Kitchen where many hungry people are able to have a meal and be given hope. It's still such an honor for the opportunity to be able to call this venue, my artprize venue.

AND THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!

ARTPRIZE "HOPE BUTTERFLY" WILL BE AN EVOLUTION

Artprize. I've been interested in getting involved in Artprize since the first year it began. I've attended, looked at the art, but always had a dream to just enter. Not to win, but to make someone smile. To take part and be apart of a group of people that love art, and like to articulate their thoughts and feelings through something tangible.


So this year on the very last day to sign up, I took the plunge. I was nervous as I didn't have a venue, wasn't sure who to connect with and so began looking for some place to put a piece of art. I knew what I wanted to make, and reached out to 3 venues and waited. I waited. Waiting....and after hearing nothing back from any of them, decided to prayerfully choose one that I could make a difference in. I clicked on the venues and the first one I laid my eyes on was God's Kitchen. I didn't know they were going to offer up their place for a venue, but I knew right then, I had to ask...


I only waited one day; they wrote to me, happy to have my art in their venue and I now have a signed contract to put my art at God's Kitchen for Artprize!


My piece at it's highest is 72 inches; it's shortest 18 inches; it's widest will be just short of 84 inches as I have to stay within a 7ft area square. This is a brick wall; I will either have to pay someone to drill holes (provided the venue ok's this) or with their permission hang close to the wall from the ceiling.


My design will resemble a rainbow, made out of thousands of paper butterflies, sprayed to a shine, with rainbow colors of tears for the back ground and the words "There Is Hope." I wanted to do more however more may be less in this case; I'll have to take a look and see as I go as this has been an evolution of a project. 


I plan on documenting the work as it's done, step by step so that those that would like to see how it's going can follow along, until the final installation.


At this point 500 red butterflies have been cut; and my canvases have been ordered. Once they get here I'll be attaching them in an abstract way for interest. The next step is the rainbow colored tears. Once they are dry I'll begin attaching the butterflies, one by one. I anticipate having to cut about 3000-4000 butterflies for this project.

This probably was the most fun I have had in such a long time. I made a cake I found in the Readers' Digest; and decided to give it to a friend that loves peeps. My husband, Geoff and I took it to him, and he took it up to his folks house for an early Easter Dinner.

Just recently, a friend and I decided it would be nice to give a birthday potluck to an older lady that we work with. She lives alone and loves attention, so we began to plan it...or so I thought. I said I could make a cake, and I was really excited about how much fun it would be to create it, what colors I would use, and what embellishments to make it perfect for her. It was mentioned that she wished for a costco cake for her birthday; but I don't have a membership. Some of us were having a lot of fun throwing out suggestions of what to do for this fabulous cake and I started spending time searching the net for ideas. I pretty much had settled on a 3 tier decorated with her favorite thing; I would make her candy butterflies and spiral them on the front, for a dramatic look. Today was the day that I was to go to the store and shop for all the materials; however  my friend, who I had began planning this with a week or so ago, told me "_________ just said that she wanted to pick up a cake at costco, it's how she wants to contribute to the potluck."  So as I was looked at, like I was to give in and didn't have a choice, I just back down and said, "well, then, what shall I bring? I haven't planned for anything else." Nothing at the time was suggested, so I thought about it while I was at work today. I decided homemade coleslaw, would be a good choice. I suggested it to my friend, who by this time usually would've come around and asked everyone what they wanted to bring. But she never came and talked to me. Never asked me what else I could bring. Maybe she would rather I not participate. But anyway, trying to stay positive and participate I told her I could bring coleslaw, and she paused and said that someone else was bringing it. I said well, what is there left for me to bring? "nothing, not really anything." So I went from bringing the cake, to bringing nothing and not feeling much like she wants me included. She did make a suggestion I could bring ice cream to go with the cake, however getting it to work, without melting would be hard. So I've chosen to not participate. I wish I had asked for the day off. This doesn't feel good to me, I know it's not about me, but my friend, maybe without realizing it dissed me from these plans. Maybe she feels like if I brought the cake I was looking for some praise or something stupid like that, but all I wanted to do was to do something nice for an elderly lady. So decisions..

Not taking anything to it. I mean, they all ready have everything.

DIY Paper Flower

I've always wanted to blog about a DIY project and decided today was the day. This is a tutorial on how to make a paper flower, my way. LOL I realize that there are some very good tutorials, maybe even easier than this one, however this is my design, and it's fun and my style of easy. So here goes!


Now do you want the easy way? Or the cheapest way? Once I show you the easiest way and you realize that you don't have the tools, then you will know how to do it the cheapest way. With good 'ol sissors and a great fold.


Easiest Way:


Large/Med Heart Shaped Paper Punch
Med size Paper Punch
Paper (cardstock color on both sides)
Hot Glue Gun and the glue...


Start by plugging in your glue gun; next punch out your heart shapes, you'll need approximately 12.

OK then after you get those punched out, wrap each one around a skinny pen or pencil, even a crochet hook will work.

You'll want to wrap it the long way, with the two sides of the heart touching making a petal shape.


Once you have them all shaped like a petal next you'll want to punch out your circle, out of the same paper.

Take the circle and lay it down in front of you; taking your first "petal" apply your hot glue to the back just down by the bottom tip of the heart and place on your little round piece of paper you punched out.

Keep gluing them on till you get it to fill the outer diameter of your circle

Then you'll want to take your next "petal" and bend the end of your heart towards the inside of the petal like shown in the picture below.

Place a little hot glue on the bend that you just made and place it, working to the inside of your flower, overlapping the petals you've already glued on.

Keep working going around in a circle until you come to the middle where you will finish by making your last remaining petals, rolled more tightly (you'll have to do this with your fingers) and then bending the bottoms up, applying the hot glue and placing those tighter petals in the center. You may have to get a spoon handle to push them down to make them stick as this is a tight space.

Once you've glued your petals in your flower should look something like this.

If you have any questions, feel free to message me at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Designs-By-LaShelle/229846245044 or check out my online shop at http://www.mybutterflyheaven.etsy.com

Drive. Ambition. The desire to create. I don't have it at this moment. Does anyone else feel this way from time to time? Wait...I need time. Time is what will give me those feelings. Something I don't have right now.

I've been working 12 hour days. It's my dream to be out of debt. No house payments, no car payments. Just the regular monthly bills that roll in. That way if we want to pick up and leave at any moment we can.

After this show, I began thinking about what it would be like to be free to do what I want to do. Not be constrained to a day job for a living. I'd love to be able to set up a little shop and create beautiful art, meet new people, talk about creativity and what makes people smile.

Finding the time to add new things to my shop, and be challenged to come up with more designs would so much fun. No stresses would also help me lose weight as I wouldn't be stuffing myself with food to block out all those issues that keep arising in this fast pace world that I can't seem to get a grip on.

I guess doing what I need to do at this moment is all I can give and once the goal is achieved my new life will start. I guess it's time to learn a little patience.