Tuesday, May 29, 2012

folk-art/decorative box project


folk-art/decorative box project, originally uploaded by Az~Kate.
Earlier this month I completed this project as a gift for our newest daughter-in- love's graduate Masters degree in business admin. She likes boxes and primitive/folksy art (so her hubby tells me), so I thought she might enjoy this hand-crafted item. She's also very artistic and crafty herself; she makes beautiful quilts. If you click on the photo, it will take you to the flickr page showing more photos of the process. A very fun project!  The 'story' of the images (a bird along a forested body of water) commemorates their wedding along the Columbia River (wedding decor theme was natural mossy boughs, birdhouses/birds).  On the back I painted a bird who has flown and come to land upon an Arizona saguaro, in hopes this will be their ultimate destination someday.  Tee hee.   It's a standing joke between us how I try to entice them to our warm, sunny, happy, land of opportunity,  Arizona!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Memorial weekend musings

Over a month and not a post... I'm truly sorry to any of you who actually check! ;)  I think I likely have no true followers at this point.  But just in case, I am alive and well and busy!  Lots of things have transpired in this month plus... finishing up my first year of drawing classes, our youngest son's return home for the summer from College in NYC, the shower (at my home!) and wedding of our dear friends daughter, play dates with the grand-darlings, our 32nd Anniversary so much more.  Here are all the pages in my 'square a day' sketch diary since the last one I posted (in February!) as proof of my doings. 12 weeks worth!  (Enjoy the super lazy, therapeutic chronicle, just for fun art! Start one yourself, and let me know you have ;))


















































Thought I'd pop a pen onto this page to give some size perspective of the sketchbook.  ;)























































This week, I had this fun idea to use masking on the outlines and a small space within each rectangle, then to wash some fun colors on the exposed paper.  However, the soft paper in this journal just ripped loose when I tried to remove the masking!  Thankfully the paper is thick, so there was still paper left behind once the masking was lifted, but a lot of paper went with it.  It ripped the edge quite a bit and I won't try this again, which is a bummer, because it looks pretty cool. 
















If you worked your way down to the bottom of this entry, here's a virtual hug, ((((( YOU)))))). 
I'm considering changing this blog and it's name, or starting another dedicated to my drawing classes... but I haven't settled on a plan yet.  My whole life is so different in key areas (family/church/daily routine) than when I began (and I wasn't all that clear on what this blog was to be, even then!) that I am not sure what direction I want to go with my online presence.  So far it's been a place for my thoughts and sharing the happy crafts I'm up to and maybe that's okay.  I don't know.  I don't know much about my life these days.  Just trying to figure it out. 
*Regarding Memorial Day (tomorrow) I am deeply grateful for the sacrifices our armed service members have made to keep our country safe, strong and free.  I really am saddened at how little this holiday represents what it was created for anymore.  Barbecues and family gatherings are AWESOME, but please don't forget the great cost others have borne so that we might enjoy these things in the abundance we do.