NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS/GOALS

Copyright 12/12    Diana Putnam

It is the time of year to set some resolutions and goals for 2013.

I am going to continue working on the organization of my my room,  enjoy Bend more by attending more functions, take at least 2-3 classes to interact with people with the same interest(s), read a bit more, and the big one is to spend less time on the computer with groups.  As much as I enjoy them I am going to have to choose one where I can grow artistically,  where swaps/exchanges are done and is small enough to not be overwhelming, but active enough to be enjoyed.  

Tomorrow I am hoping I can find my way downstairs and quietly go into temporary seclusion.....

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE.

After Christmas and First of the Year Projects

Since I was snug as a bug in a rug yesterday I focused on the continuing  of "organization".... and getting several projects ready to begin.  

I have one painting I am working on of a friends' dog, and will start a scenery.

On one of the groups I am on they have spoken of a jean pocket swap /
altered art so I picked up a couple of things I would need as I normally don't work with fabric....but I think it may be about to change.

I went to town and purchased:
Buttons to match the material(s)  I am planning on using
2 Sided Fusing Material
Ribbon
Bias Tape
Quilting thread


My sister has requested some steampunk jewelry.  It  took me a few extra months to restock so I guess now I  should begin working on these in the evening for a "spring send".... 

I am working on a "Readers' Shawl" for myself that is knit, and a headband in crochet.... and will no doubt be working on some crocheted embellishments for the jean pockets as I have several that I purchased about a year ago.  

My room is still pretty clean and organized so I won't have to do that...I can pretty much go down and
begin...that is a good feeling.

I feel that I have done a real good job with last years' New Years Resolution so now I can begin to think what my "goal(s)" for next year will be....and only 5 more days to mull it over....  

Happy New Year to all my blog friends....

I got Lei'd

Copyright 12-12    Diana Putnam

This is the gorgeous Hawaian Lei that was "lei'd" to me on Christmas day by my friend Candace.  It smells absolutely heavenly..... and I wonder if this is what Hawaii smells like....  Candace said they are tubular roses and to me they smell a lot like gardinas which are my favorite smelling flower....  It feels so cool around your neck..... ahhhhhhhhhhhh,

My daughter and Family

Granddaughter Meghan is on the Left, then V. Michelle, hubby Chris and then Michael (who will graduate this year).   And in the ole truck is Herman.....        Where does the time go?

Necklace

This is the necklace I made for my daugher for Christmas.  I used lampwork beads I purchased from her, some delicas the same color as the green in her beads, some moonlight crystals, frosted dagger beads in white, white furnace glass and the pendant although handmade in that it was hand cut and put into a silver framework was done by an Oregoinian.   My daughter loves 
rainblow moonstone.

For the Birds

Copyright  12/12  Diana Putnam

I always feel so sorry for the birds when the snow is coming down, the wind  blowing and although beautiful to me the blizzard has a different effect on our nature friends. .   They take shelter while they try to get their "food" for the day. 

  I love the "look" of the one on the right and the longer, lighter, curly hair from the beak down as if she has a "muff" on.     My hubby keeps the feeders filled, shovels around the main 2 feaders so we can throw out old bread, or something we think will be a treat.   My chair is right by the front window so I can watch them there and also directly in front of me where I paint Larry has put up another main area....  There is a lot of creative stimulations with music, nature,  some inscense, and surrounded by color, collections, paints, brushes, mediums, etc.

But back to the birds.

Annette Dozier Country Pathways

Annette Dozier has a new BOOK out which is volume #8.

Annette is one of my favorite landscape/scenery artists in the decorative painting arena.  I have all of her books and will be adding this one to my library also.  I purchased mine from Hofcraft which appears to be the only online vendor that has and is advertising this book....

I love the down to earth artists' of TODAY...what we can learn from them personally, and what they can teach, and how it can be applied/modified/introduced within our own style.

Off to paint....I have a dog photo waiting for me to try my hand at.

Winter Treats

Copyright  12/12   Diana Putnam

I was taking photos outside as we are having some glorious, beautiful, snow... and all of a sudden my husband appeared in my viewfinder... to put up our evergreen wreath so I thought "why not, and thanks Larry"....  Got some really NEAT photos and I wish I would have had these for my Christmas card this year....but there is next year.   


As per Bob Ross....."Happy little accidents"

Drafting Table

I love the drafting table that I rec'd last year for Xmas and I have been using it full time since I redid my work area.  It is the perfect height and angle adjusted  for what I like....  One of the problems was just about everything set on the table slid off....so I knew I had to come up with "something" that would stop this so that I could utilize the WHOLE table efficiently while I painted....  I tried a piece of the rubberized shelf paper and it worked great so I purchased the narrowest one and have it at the very top and down both sides.  As you can see it accommadates my paints, brushes, medium dish, paper towels, etc....  Sometimes you have to work with something to determine what it might need to make it more artist efficient....  The towel to the right is my dabble cloth which removes excess medium or paint from my brush and a dishtowel will last me about a month.  Most of them I pick up at either the dollar or thrift store and is used constantly...and I love paper plates for my palette....  These are things that work for me....so think if this might make things easier for you.

I clean my table with the Mr. Clean sponge and Awesome cleaner from the Dollar store....undiluted.  I let it set about 5 minutes after a good spray and it looks brand new.  This was the first cleaning....but it needed it and since I was making things efficient I needed to also make it "clean"....  My round barn is on the table in the "to do" stage on an 8" x 10" portrait grade hand wrapped canvas board..... 

Brush Hugs.

Altered Tag and Glue

This is the tag I made for a friend using a "young" picture of her...  This was a fun piece that just kinda evolved so I just let it....    I was disappointed to hear that two items were "off" when it arrived and was viewed.  Finding the right glue for the right hold depending on item and surface is one of the hardest thing for me in the art field....  Some of the glues don't hold anything it seems so it is pretty much a throw away glue...  I am going to have to go "look" and see if there is a site "somewhere" online of a glue guide.....

Happy Creating.

Salt Dough Recipe

Just found the recipe for this so thought I would blog it.

1 Cup Salt
2 Cups Flour
1 Cup lukewarm water

The more you knead the smoother the dough.

Store in bight container.

Bake at 200 Degree F or air dry

Add natural coloring.  ie:  Instant coffee, cocoa, curry powder, dill etc.

I may add something like shredded paper.....

I often see items that have been made with this salt dough and I have just loved them....  Some day I have to go back in time and try the salt dough....I remember my mother making it for me to play with.

DeLane Lange Design

This is one of my alltime favorite designs.....  The pattern I used is by Delane Lange and I believe is called Little Cottage and Thomas Kincaide has an almost identical design but his is Hidden Cottage or visa versa....but there is a lot to be learned .... practice and brush up on each time you paint the design.  I think that this is my 4th - 5th time over the past 15 years or so....

This took me 3 "sittings" from start to this point.  I just put a finish spray on and now tomorrow I will paint the back and sides and I think I am going to use a light color on the edges....  On to the "next one"
which is going to be a round barn.....and  I think I am going to do it as the winter season...   Both pieces will be for friends.... and my own design with the barn....  It is basecoated and ready for me to add those details which is sooooo much fun.

I have been working a lot with Traditions extender and the Liquitex soft and full body acrylic paints.
Learning how to use the Medium to achieve looks that have been difficult for me.... with brushes I know work well for me, has been an awesome journey.  This medium acts like a "magic tool" and
can be used in so many ways once you learn what you and "it" can do together.....LOL.....  I have had to put the "playing" aside as I paint for family and friends.......but once in awhile I sneak in about an hour of "playtime"...

While I used DeLane Langes design I used paint colors of my own choosing/mixing etc. in the Liquitex
line of acrylic paints....and Dynasty Decorator Series Brushes, IPC Brushes, Black Gold brushes ( 4 of which are in a brush kit I sell on Etsy under the shop name of:  (artisticrenderings)

This painting reminds me of how some of the houses look here in Bend with the bottom line about where the gate is.....  Many of the houses are "nestled" and just look so fantastic as one wonders what the inside looks like.....  Nestled houses brings to my mind:  quiet, nature, peace, beauty, and if one is fortunate to live with there are 4 seasons that is another bonus.

Wood Dominos

Yesterday when I was out doing some Christmas shopping (so I won't be stuck short if the weather gets bad),  I found a wooden box of wood dominos.  They immediately became my Christmas gift to myself which will be put to good use as some special necklaces.....This is the first time I have seen wood dominos (and I have been using dominos for about 7 years for bracelets, earrings,  pins, etc.) so I consider them the "Treasure of the Day".    (The photo below is NOT the wood ones...they are still in plastic until I want to use them, and when I do I will post a photo of the front and back of what I decide to do.

Feather Hair Jewelry

Copyright  12-12    Diana Putnam

This is the first hair jewelry piece I have tried......and it is for a friend of ours....  He might add it in with his pony tail, attach to his straw hat....from his belt loop it is just hard to tell.  This is a piece that is versatile, can be worn by male or females depending upon their personality, etc.  This is the fun about wearable art.  There are 2 skulls, a stone, gem bead, dragon fly, and the feathers....  I have to get ahold of my friend Ely from Quillnaros (on Etsy) and get some of her fantastic hand marbeled/painted feathers for some really one of a kind pieces.....  Each one I make will be different.

Vintage Doily

I LOVE vintage and new crocheted doilys....they have always been a favorite...

Tonight I ran across a mixed media piece that intrigued me using scrapbooking paper to wrap a candle in and I thought....I wonder what this would look like with the photo I took
of this doily...so now tomorrow I will have to go "shopping" for some pillar candles....  

I love craft projects when they are out of the box, different, and tend to make me creative in my own way.   

I have been busy doing swap projects, working on Christmas presents, trying to stay "current" with meals,  grocery shopping, etc.  

Tonight I began work on something I don't know what to "call it" yet and so tomorrow that is at the top of my agenda....to finish it up so it is done and not a half done deal that I sometimes pull.  Maybe my New Years Resolution for this year should be "NO MORE PROCRASTINATION".... or GET ER'
DONE......  I also have a painting I need to finish up so I can start the next one.  Got some gifts wrapped and they will go postal tomorrow.....  

Enjoy the creative process...either yours or that of others.

My Christmas Card for 2012

My Christmas wish for friends and family this year is Celebrate.... and inside "Life".

The photo is what my camera "caught" when I took a photo of the outside decorations of a portion of the house across the street from us.....and I loved the firework look.  I purchased the cards from a company where I buy all of my card blanks....  If you are going to pay for a card
why not purchase one (or several) from an artist to have on hand?  Plus it can be framed using the
card as if it were a mat.

Have a joyous holiday season, and Celebrate Life.

SNOW BALLS and ICYCLES

I love the whites and the blues of winter....mixed with a simple little tree just is simply elegant?  

The icycles are frosted, the small lampwork beads (snowballs) are transparent clear glass rolled into a

white opaque frit then after they are annealed they are "etched"...which makes for a really pretty white bead.  The Tree is emboxxed front and back, and I like this clasp as it is easy to get on and off...  The rectangular beads next to the clasp are clear furnace glass that has a thin white line around it like a white candy cane....just seemed to "go" with everything else.  

When I do the next one that will be very similar to this one....I will make my choice as to which one will be mine and which one will go to Etsy to sell.

This could be worn casual or elegant and can easily be "seen" that it would.

Tierracast silver plated charms, clasps etc. can be purchased through Etsy Shop "Dragynsfyre"

Altered Paintbrush

I added a couple of more embellishments to this piece and now can deem it "done" and get it on my way to my partner....I added a large vintage chandelier prism dagger as a neck embellishment topped with a typewriter key, a copper ring stretched to fit as a type of ornate headband, a swarowski crystal halo or tierra, and I made a clock for the bottom using an old camera lens, a metal grid,  typewriter keys at 3, 7 and 9 o'clock and last;  on the right side , I attached another grid with a
cup hook and hung a metal clip to the hook because it looked like a purse.....  This was fun and I have no doubt that I will do another one but different.....

So beware.....this is on my way to my partner...and it might be you.