Time for a "Coffee Break", by artjunkgrl

The day started kinda crazy and I'm off again to see my friends for coffee. It's definitely time for a break! It's been raining here like crazy (but I don't mind as I think we need it). The girls ranshackelled the whole house yesterday making "forts"...it was fun though. Well, off I go.

--Lia

(p.s. I could not get this to show up well on the scanner as it had some dark colors/layers....I try to upload it as close to the original as possible. I usually don't make one's this dark I guess...anyway, I used markers, crayon, pastels, over the painted background.) This was my "coffee break", I will be back to my beach obsession theme shortly! :) Lia

"beach house art" by artjunkgrl

Reminds me of the quote:

"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home". ~Twyla Tharp

I love the places art takes me to...back in time, to places I've been or I want to go, to a colorful and happy world!

Where will you go today?

--Lia

"try it because...." by artjunkgrl

"try it because...." by artjunkgrl, originally uploaded by artjunkgrl.

worked on this little collage last night. Had fun with it. Tried something new. I love putting together collages, it's like doing a puzzle and it is SO relaxing for me. It's definitely my "escape and relax" time!

Items used:
_wallpaper background (from discarded wallpaper books, check your local hardware store. I called once and they were begging me to take them!)
_sewing pattern piece
-vintage image from an vintage sewing magazine
-photo markers (I always use these for the black and white photos to add some light color). If you want to know brand, I will look it up for you.

About the quote: try it because...

try what you say? art, collage, going with the flow, that new dress, a new style, seeing things in more than one way.... you fill in the blank!

Have fun this summer! I'm "trying" to! lol!

--Lia

"life is beautiful" by artjunkgrl

Finally, finally, finally, sat down and did some "art" therapy last night. I have been so involved doing other things around here. I miss art after a few days! I am trying to work on mounting and also "pulling the collage together" with a top coating. I love all the art part, but the tech part does not come as easily to me! I need to step out of my "comfort zone" and add this last "step" to my collages. (another goal? I guess it's time to list my art goals......). Lol....One thing at a time, Lia...right?!

Have a GREAT weekend! xxoo Lia

I need to "consider the season"....

I made this little ATC the other night (before falling asleep on my lap desk). It was a loooong day. I fit in some art at the very end. I've had a few health problems come up...I had a bad sinus infection which spread to my eye! yup, very rare, but just call me the medical mystery. I have a infection in my eye that I did not pay attention to until my vision was impared. With all the stress of graduation, end of year stuff and transferring my mom from rehab, I didn't listen to my body. I did not have any redness or irritation. It was just a gradual but steady cloudiness. At first I thought it was my contacts, so , dummy me, I kept changing them to a new disposable pair. I did this TWICE. Then I just started complaining that my vision must just be getting worse. DUH. Then I wake up one day and boom, I have a large cloud in front of my eye, no depth perception. I then, finally, made a dr. appt. Now, mind you, (and me), if my kids or anyone around me complained about having any ailment what so ever, I would have had them at the dr. in 2 nano-seconds. This led me to the question of

"WHY DO I WAIT TO TAKE CARE OF MY NEEDS"?

Is it laziness, is it that I'm just too busy and I ignore it, or is it that I don't think it matters enough?

Well, that was my wake up call. Apparently my doc says it will now take a while for this to get better and he is treating it "agressively".

So, why am I whining about all this???? Because I want to say to other women who may ignore signs their body is trying to tell them, (like me), to take care of yourself. After this happened, I took out my "to do" lists and found that only one or two things were on the list that I had to do for myself. I then made a NEW LIST.

It reads, "things I need to do for Lia":

1. make doctor appt. to make sure sinus infection isn't back and go on antibiotic again if necessary

2. get two new shirts and two new shorts so that I will stop wearing my daughters (until I have time to get some new ones).

3. clean out my makeup bag so I don't reinfect my eye.

4. Make a schedule for myself so I am not always so stressed out. Work on things I've been putting off. SO,

If you've gotton this far, I just want to say that I hope you make your list today too. What can you do to take care of yourself better? If you are one of those "got it together" kind of gals, what do you do to make sure you don't neglect yourself?

So, in summary, after working all day on junk around my house because I couldn't drive around town, today, I will take a break, "consider the season" and take my advice and get my girls outside and to the pool. I won't feel guilty. the chores and other things can wait. I want to be well so I can be with those I love, in health and for a long time!!

~Lia

from artjunkgrl's "studio"

from artjunkgrl's "studio"
Originally uploaded by artjunkgrl.

From my desk last nite....I was "tidying up" my new "studio". Like I said before, it is in what we formally (or still call) the mudroom, so things end up in there as it's next to the garage, so things going in and out of the house (shoes, etc.) end up cluttering the place. Anyway, I am still sorting some stuff. Got this cool vintage pattern at the local second hand for 25 cents. I loved the color and style of the dresses! Thought it would be cool for a future collage or something, not to mention that the pattern papers inside also are great additions to a collage or other paper project. I just love anything related to sewing. I grew up around this stuff since my mom is a seamstress. She started sewing at age 11. She is way talented. I can only quilt. do not know how to do anything else. she didn't teach me to sew (although I often hung around helping her with little tidying tasks). The reason she would give for not teaching me is that I needed to "get an education" and not do these things. Later in life, I took up a quilting class. I LOVE to quilt. She really frowned upon it, even now that I am 40, ok, 41....she went on and on about the "quilts" and said why would I want to play with all those "little pieces". I told her it relaxed me. She doesn't understand. She said I should wait until I'm old and have blue hair.....she is a crack up. Think "big fat greek wedding" kind of mother. yup. that's my mom. As my sis says, "you just can't make it up.". Anyhow, I'm proud of her for raising us and making education so important, but the little girl in me is always wanting to sew, collage, or whatever. One funny thing happened though earlier this year. I showed her the quilted wall hanging I made from my class and asked her to "finish" the edges for me on her special machine. She took it home and promply called me to say that I had done excellent work on the back of the quilt! she was impressed. That's alot coming from "helga", (that's my nickname for her). Anyway, the reason I wanted to write "from my desk, to my blog" is that I wanted to write out a few "creativity" goals I have for this summer. They mostly involve learning, and I hope to make time to do some of the following:

1. Learn how to mat my collages on to mat board. I've seen a few of these from other artists and I'm amazed at how it makes the collage so sturdy and looking like a mini work of art. I hope I can learn how to do this. I will look into it. So much to learn, wish some of my blog buddies lived near so we could teach each other stuff!

2. I want to scan the collection of vintage photos I have of my parents. I would like to start a "fabric" book with the vintage photos of my mom sewing in her village. (my parents got married older, so essentially, they were old enough to really be my grandparents). Perhaps this is why I have that old world taste in everything. I just got my scanner back yesterday...after 3 weeks in the "repair center", so I am going to be scanning up some of my collages soon as well as the photos.

3. Do some "Freestyle" scrapbooking. This looks right up my alley since I love collage and pictures, and this style is SO much fun and anything goes, kinda like me!

4. Make one collage or painting on a canvas this summer.

5. make one large collage paper "quilt" and frame it (I already know what it's going to look like, just gotta get my junk together). and last but not least.

6. Participate in some swaps. I've heard of these and it sounds like alot of fun. Great way to meet more "artistas" too and have fun wrapping some things up.

Ok, maybe that's overly ambitious, I dunno, but at least this is what is on my mind right now. I do want to commit to staying creative and developing my artwork.

What are your "creative" summer goals?

~Have a great summer day! ~Lia

Summer Fun!

(sidewalk chalk drawing by my daughter Leni)


My Summer "Chillin' Time"


It's summer and I want to play
Keep my to-do lists at bay
For I want to chill with my kids
Drink slurpees and take off the lids

I want to finally say "yes!"
When they ask me to work less
I want to chase down the ice cream truck
And let everything else run amuck

I'll trade in my sneaks for flips
"let's go to the pool" on my lips
I want to hug, kiss and protect
I want to be silly for effect

I want to let go and be free
I want to finally be me.


LK 

Happy Father's Day

My Father
Originally uploaded by artjunkgrl.

Dear Daddy,

You were so young and handsome here

You were so strong, you had no fear

I didn't know you, but I was to be

Your first daughter, that was me



I thought of you this morning

and all those special days

when I would give you hand made cards

that you would always save


I love how you used to tell me

that I'd "always be your girl"

I remember when you were

my entire world.


So today I want to say, that we're never really apart

For no one will ever take the place

That you have in my HEART.



~I love you Daddy
PTC
1921-1996
rest in peace

emergency kit...have art, will travel....

Friday Finds~Cute Tins, thanks Lilia
Originally uploaded by artjunkgrl.

I had a few inquiries about my "art emergency" kit, ie, lapdesk and ephemera tote. I'd love to share what I do, thanks for asking. I love organizing stuff. The # one principal I've learned is that you "must do what works for YOU!" I think that about everything...even losing weight! I spent years trying to organize by the book, but it didn't work for me. So, having said that, here is what I do.

1. Everything I have bought for my art supplies has a "handle" or is portable. This is so that I can take it anywhere in the house. I have "most" of my stuff in one central area. I get most of my containers from either: $ store (they have alot of portable stuff), something unconventional around the house (tool box, basket with handle, etc. ). Most of them DO NOT CLOSE, they are open on top so that I can slip things in when I find them wandering off to another room in the house, OR, I can plop something in for a quick clean up. I am NOT "compulsive" about everything going in the right slot (for ex. I have a $ store tote with 4 compartments, I put 4 types of marker/pencil, etc. there. I can sort it later when I feel the need to.

2. I have a lap desk. I bought it at an office store, but I checked online and Container Store has it.
This is pretty sturdy, cleans easily and I don't flip open the sides. I just have it on my lap at the couch.

3. Minimal kit stuff: scissors, glue stick, paper, cardstock, a few embellishments.

4. I paint/save background I like ahead and also put those in a tote. When I see an image I like, I save it and I print them all at once. So, in essense, gather your fave ephemera and keep it in one place, over time, then you will have things at your fingertips.

5. When I sit at the couch I will grab, the ephemera tote, the background tote, and the writing implements. The other minimal kit stuff is in my lap desk.

If you all have any more questions, please ask! I can't wait to see what you all will come up with! Remember, you don't have to buy anything fancy, you can use stuff at home. If you have a printer, you can print out free images, you can paint some backgrounds on some junk mail, and there you go! Let your creativity do the rest!

Have a great weekend!

-Lia (artjunkgrl)

"TRY" by artjunkgrl

"TRY" by artjunkgrl
Originally uploaded by artjunkgrl.

have not made a collage for a while. was so glad to sit and have some art time tonight. I used some of my painted newspapers here, My scanner is getting repaired right now so I took a digital pic. I may add something later, but happy to get something down tonight. :)