2013 is Off to a Questionable Start

It is day 7 in the New Year and I'd say, 2013 has made it's entrance with an questionable start.

**Started feeling a bit "iffy" Jan 30.  Ended up taking a couple of doses of medication to take away the "OMG...are clothes suppose to hurt your skin with contact" feeling while at work New Year's Eve.

**Never rang in the New Year.  Instead, after work on NYE, I came home, slathered on a tantalizing layer of Vick's, curled up on the couch and shivered my way into a feverish sleep.

**The Toad and the Oldest and Youngest Kiddo also came down with the "bug".  We are all getting our "once a year sickness" out of the way early this year.  Which, is a good thing.  The bad thing is...the "bug" lingers.  We are all still overly fatigued, suffering intermittent fits of coughing (me and youngest kiddo mostly), stuffed up noggin's and disappointment in the fact that food has absolutely NO TASTE.  

The biggest change of the New Year affects my crafting.  New Year's Day had me moving ALL my crap,  craft supplies out from the spare bedroom so that a student at the small church school my kids attend could move in. This is one of The Toad's boys he has coached in the past.  His parents actually live out of state, but  his older brothers live locally.  But, sometimes, it is hard to have your big brother be your "parent".  And this Kid doesn't want to leave the school.  Which means that currently, what was in my craft room has now taken over the hallway and is piled up in a corner of my bedroom.  

This little change is giving me a very long overdue push to go through my supplies, weed out, purge and re organize.  

Have I mentioned how long over due this job is?!! Needless to say, until I get this nasty job out of the way, there will be no creating on my part.  As of right now, I don't know where anything has gotten shoved, LOL!!

BUT!! I still have a couple of projects that I haven't had time to share yet!!  One, being, the second mixed media canvas that I made for the Spellbinder's Explore Beyond challenge.  

This canvas is completely different from my first canvas that I made for the challenge.  I decided to try my hand at what is the more popular style of mixed media, such as you seen with mixed media journals, etc.

Of course, I had to do it my way! While I admire those who can add layer after layer onto their pieces, I find that for me, personally, mixed media can become too busy for my brain. I look at certain pieces, not sure where my eye is suppose to to focus; is it suppose to be on the stripes and polka dot border?  The layers of paper and paint behind the main image? The paper pieced, colored, painted, drawn/doodled main image? The added stamping, doodles, etc.?  Or, the funky font of the sentiment?

So, while I wanted to explore the different mediums and  layers that make up most mixed media projects, I did it with a clean(er) and simple(ier) version that made me excited to try something new, yet didn't overwhelm my senses.

remember, you can click on the images for a larger view

I began with a 9x12 canvas board (which means it is a "solid" canvas versus a stretched canvas over a frame).  I dug through my outdated paper stash and found a newsprint style paper for my base.  

glued it down and added a "frame" of gesso around the edges

randomly scribbled with watercolor pencils

added the water and blended the colors 

used Spellbinder's Paisley and Hearts to make my little song bird

added glimmer mists and pastel chalks 

dug out my paints and brushes

die cut lots of flower layers and emboss texture

add a bit of shimmer.....

Put it all together

I liked how this piece turned out and find it rather amusing that it looks pretty girly, which is SO NOT ME, LOL!! 

I am liking this different creative path from just making cards.  I feel like I'm starting to return to my roots of painting and drawing with a twist.  Hopefully, I'll figure out my creative space soon and will be able to explore some more canvas work!!

Linking this to the eP blog challenge Get Altered--Using Canvas

I have ONE more quick, easy little project to share soon!! Hopefully, by then, I will have made a dent in the purging, reorganizing of the craft area and will be able to start sharing again regularly!  If no one hears from me by the end of the month, send out the rescue troops!! LOL!!

'Till next time.................