Paper Beads, Classical Music, and a Blue Moon

a.k.a. "how I've spent my Sunday afternoon". How cute, that rhymes!!!
OK, seriously,
I'm dealing with some things. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was my studio trashed in a day. There's order/disorder in here after "stuff" piles up from doing one project, then another. So I have been spending quality time with my studio this month, working to create more order than disorder. This led to that, ie:
Bags of paper scraps!!! I FINALLY have all my paper scraps the way I want them - and no, not in the garbage! There's a big zip lok bag for each of these colors, blacks/greys,
brown/tans; pinks, purples, blues, greens, yellows, red/oranges. They are so cool. A good Paper Artist never throws away what can be used, and I hit my scraps whenever I need something small. Besides, I have some NEW IDEAS/PLANS for scraps.

This afternoon I've been cutting Making Memories scrapbook paper scraps into specific shaped scraps. These fun scraps were left over from a project I did last summer (2009) and I love the colors on them. Somehow the other day (I have no idea/don't remember) Paper Beads came into my conscious mind. And, having organized all my scraps, I knew I had another great idea fixin to burst forth. I also knew I'd get bored making only one kind of paper bead so I did a little online research to find interesting shapes.

Knowledge is power, and also since I knew it was 5:00 somewhere, I popped open an ice cold Blue Moon Beer (my daughter turned me on to this very light wheat beer last year), "invited" this guy to entertain me via the CD player (what a GREAT album - Vladimir Horowitz playing Chopin, Clementi, Liszt, Scarlatti, and others on piano!!)and commenced to rolling papers. Oh wait a minute, commenced to making paper beads. Here's some I did this afternoon. Aren't they just so cool!!?
I want to build up a stash of them to use in various art projects. For now, this was an awesome afternoon. There is a sign on the inside bathroom door at Tannery Row Artist Colony/Historic Buford where I spend a large part of most Thursdays, and the sign says "Go to your studio and make stuff!"

This afternoon I have fought - and won - another battle. I have given my Artist Self permission to come into my studio and "make stuff". Even though I "heard" the angry words of my mother telling me to "stop wasting time on such nonsense and get out here and make yourself useful" (heard repeatedly growing up) I stayed here, making my paper beads. And I told myself that I AM doing something useful artistically, after having done a few useful things around the house, because I'm going to have the beads I want to use in future art pieces. So, not only have I had a fun, relaxing afternoon, I've had another step in my recovery, embracing the Artist Daddy God created me to be. Let's hear it for progress! YEA!

Friday night BUZZ in the Studio here

I know this might sound gross, however, I confess that at the moment (while typing) I'm eating Milk Chocolate Icing out of a can of Pillsbury Icing. A few yummy spoonfuls really satisfies the chocoalte craving, and I don't have the added calories of cake. (I hear you laughing, just fyi). So I'm fixin' to clean up a little mess from the just finished project, and thought I would (eat my chocolate) and share what's happenin' here.

I just finished putting this latest Journal Book, "Say It In Reds" together. One of my goals for this new year is to do more collage work, adding "Free Style Applique" into the mix. This piece is my first endeavour.

A piece of 12" x 12" piece of patterned paper was my substrate, on which I had already marked quidelines on how it would cover the front of the Composition Book and turn under to the inside. I did two "canvases" with this "red" theme as one book was completed last week and given to a close friend for her birthday. Red is her favorite color and with all the supplies I pulled to design with, it didn't make sense to do only one when I had enough to play and design two. I had a good time doing the collage, however, when I got to the sewing part, I had a BLAST! Maybe it was because I used to sew most of Jessica's and my clothes years ago. Working at the sewing machine on my collages was like coming home. On this collage I also added nail heads after doing the applique.

I'm real particular about the way I do my Books. Here's a pic of the inside front cover. I like my Books to look "finished" and be long lasting. The outside canvases are turned under to the inside and then covered so there are no "raw edges".

I do this on the front AND back cover, then I bind the spine, pulling it all together. I'm really pleased with the way this came out.

Musical entertainment in the studio tonight has been a fun, eclectic mix. I actually started with a CD of Jeff Foxworthy. He had me cryin', I was laughing so hard! Being a True Southerner, I fully relate to his stories and actually think we could be related! Then we went on to Spyro Gyra (awesome jazz), J. Geils Band (Love Stinks), and then the king, B.B.King. Yeah, baby, we're groovin' in here!!

You won't find music played on my blog though. Drives me batty when I go to a blog and the music I'm listenin' to gets interrupted with somebody's play list that starts up as soon as I arrive. Urg. Maybe there's a way to shut that off when I'm blog hoppin'. Because I find it annoying, I am opting out of blasting you with my "play list" here. So, you'll have to google tonight's entertainment.

Tomorrow I am bound and determined to do a scrapbook layout with an adorable pic of my grandson that we got. I am so very thankful that we get pictures and a written update the 1 time a yr that we do from his adoptive family. MK may come have a "scrapbooking play date" with me also tomorrow, so it should be a fun day of creating art.

Be sure to do your own "creative something". I promise, it's good for the soul and warms your heart. Till next time,
;) bj