"Hey, if I had somewhere to go, I certainly wouldn't be in Cleve-Land." -Howard the Duck

Thursday, August 29, 2013

And the Winner is...

...Ina Ftacek! 

Congrats, Ina...Please email me at ohkitten@cox.net with your snail mail so I can mail your washi tape to you.  And thanks again to Nancy of Mechakucha808 for her generous gift of these tapes...you can see many more fabulous tapes in her Etsy shop...I have more washi tape in transit from her...it's a disease, I know that...but how could I resist this one?  Or this one???  You can bet I'll be using that Dia de los Muertos tape a lot once it arrives. 

Have a very creative week, y'all...I've been drawing & painting in my patterns journal since I can't sleep at night from ragweed allergies...so I'll post more pix of my Pattern Play soon.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

There's still time to donate art supplies!

Just a friendly reminder...if you are able to donate art supplies or gift cards to help my friend Melody teach her Art Journaling classes to at-risk kids...there's still time.  Check out her blog here for info.  My two boxes are going postal tomorrow...I wish I could do more to help, but I know Melody will put all the donations to very good use.
 
Thanks so much!!!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Another Washi Tape Giveaway!!!

Fish & sushi...good stuff, right?  Well, Nancy at Mechakucha808 generously donated these 2 rolls of washi tape...both her exclusive designs...so I could have another blog giveaway.  Thanks, Nancy!
And I'm throwing in one of her too cute Kokeshi dolls...she sends these as a little thank you with orders over a certain amount.  I have a collection of them...they'll make a little grouping on our Christmas tree this year. 
 
To enter, please answer this...are you sad that Summer is almost over...or are you happy because Autumn is all too quickly approaching?  Me...I used to love Autumn, but since moving back to this nasty place, Autumn is just pre-Winter...and I hate Winter with a passion.
 
This blog contest will end in one week...so leave your comment by August 28...and check back here on August 29th for the winner.  Last time,  most of the comments came to me with no return email...just "no comment@blogger" or something like that.  You may have to reset your Blogger settings to allow your email to appear in the email I get notifying me that there is a comment.  It won't appear on my blog...just in my personal email so I can contact you.
 
Thanks for entering...and if you don't win...you can visit Nancy's shop & purchase these goodies & lots of others.  The Sushi tape is here...the fish are here...and the Kokeshi dolls are here...but she also has larger ones here.  Best of luck to all of you!
 

Monday, August 12, 2013

Pattern Play

I've started a new journal that I'm calling Pattern Play.  I've been inspired by other bloggers such as Mary Ann Moss & Pam Garrison and I decided that I needed to play with markers & pencils & paint to make some patterns of my own.  No rhyme or reason to what I'm doing here, although I am going chronologically in this book.  Often I'll jump around in a journal, but I thought I'd try this method.  Now...while I may draw a pattern one day I may not color it until later...and I may not color it at all. 

The book I've chosen is one I've had for years.  Bought it at Borders back in CA...I loved the shape, being long & sort of skinny...but fat & chunky with it's handmade paper inside.  The pages have great texture & heft...perfect for Sharpies as they don't bleed through.  Perfect for watercolors, too...which I'm rediscovering as a favorite.  My watercolors are all very inexpensive ones...but they're still fun to play with. 
I started with this spread...I did the smaller pattern first & then the larger one.  The colors added are from some Adirondack markers I've had for years & forgot about.  Here's a closer look...
I like not coloring the entire pattern...and I still haven't decided whether or not I'll color the larger one.  I did buy some metallic Sharpies yesterday...might be fun to make this a metals page.
I sat outside on Tuesday August 6th...and while it was a cloudy day, I decided to summon the sun by drawing some.  It worked...for about 10 minutes!!!  My lack of love for Ohio is reinforced each day.
I also had to vent here...the lyrics from Neil Young seemed appropriate.  When I was in college at Kent State, my return address on the letters I wrote to friends often started with "everybody knows this is nowhere...".  Yep...we wrote letters...way before the email days.
I haven't decided if I'll write in those stripes...might or might not.
Some patterns & leaves were what I could dream up on 8-7 & 8...these will most likely get some color soon.  Kinda zentangle-ly on those leaves...they were fun.
And one last spread...drawn on 8-9 but water colored yesterday & today.  I especially like this harlequin pattern...the watercolors are metallic...very cool.
So...that's what I've been up to lately...taking time to PLAY in my new journal..I hope YOU are making time to be creative each day, too...it's good for your mental health! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Kick-Off for 2013-14 Art Supply Drive!

Remember the excitement of getting a new box of crayons for school each year?  Or...if you're like me...the excitement of getting any new art supply?  These days, many kids don't have that opportunity.  Art is one of the first programs dropped when schools have to cut their budget.  Well, my friend Melody is doing something wonderful about that again this year...she's working to give some at-risk public school kids in Southern CA the thrill of having art supplies of their very own & learning to express themselves through art journaling!  Last year, Melody touched the lives of 3 classrooms of kids & the results of her efforts are amazing...these kids have produced some awesome artwork & hopefully have found a means of self expression that will stay with them throughout their lives.
 
This year, Melody is trying to be able to expand her program to 6 classrooms...that's 220 students!  She really needs our help to meet this goal.  I know many of my blog readers & friends have contributed to her program in the past...THANK YOU...and hopefully many of you will be able to help her again. 
 
Melody says it better than I ever can...so please go to her blog & read all about it.  I have one Large Flat Rate box going for her & this year I hope to be able to send 2 her way.  She has a wish list of some of her top needs & also gladly accepts bits & pieces of art stuff you can spare...as long as it's from a non-smoking home, please.  Of course, gift cards to Michaels & Target & office supply stores help, too.  If you're able to help, please do...and remember that excitement from YOUR back to school supplies!