michelle ward

m.i.y.o.

Tomorrow is the last day for the current GPP Street Team Crusade.  We've been Making It Our Own and many artists have come by to share their inspiration and interpretations as we strive to add an authentic and personal touch to all that we do.  Often we turn to custom tools to keep things original and unique - like carved stamps or cut stencils.  There have been many times where I have created an element simply because it didn't exist and I needed/wanted it.  THAT is how I began designing and selling rubber stamps.  I made images I wanted to have that weren't available yet.

 

As you know, we are huge HIM fans in this house.  I have an entire drawer of HIM shirts, at least 5 hoodies, several bags, and countless accessories with heartagrams thanks to Hot Topic, Spencers, Heartagram.com, and concerts.  In the early days there was not alot of merchandise with the heartagram on it....so we had to Make Our Own.

 

I carved these stamps and we used them with fabric paint or even cooler: bleach, to make tshirts and stuff.  I cut stencils too.  And the heartagram pendant came by request of Peter and his friends (they all wanted one), made from pink wire.   It's awfully primitive but pretty cool of me don't you think? 

 

A couple summers ago I made these for my NJ/NY HIM Street Team.  Super quick and easy and inexpensive.  Great party favor.  

The heartagram selections at Hot Topic these days are kinda scarce again until the new album comes out (too long from now!) so I may have to go back to Making My Own HIM merch.  (Very closely related to Make It Your Own is Do It Yourself!)  Stop in at the Street Team to see what we are doing....and then come back later in the week to see the new challenge and play along with us.

navigating

Serendipity, synchronicity, coincidence.....I pay attention and feel like I'm in tune to the meaning of what happens around me.  I look for connections, significance, in art-making and in life.  Not long ago Lisa pointed me toward these books.  Mr. Rushnell is my kind of guy.  He not only identifies with my favorite, *winks*, but he takes the position that they are God-sent.  I'll buy that.

 

This month my friend Kathryn posted to her True North Arts blog about serendipity and synchronicity, and the role it plays in the creative process.  I was honored to be an invited guest - you can read her interview with me HERE.  She then challenged her readers to invent a compass.  I didn't have the time to create something this month, but in my studio overhaul I came across a portfolio of old sketches.  Synchronicity!  Check out my compasses.

 

This doesn't really count as an entry to her challenge, but the message is timely....especially as our oldest has just graduated.  The deadline for Kathryn's prompt is Friday, therefore I'm not-so-timely in directing you her way.  Don't let that stop you.  There is alot to read and think about over there, and I'm certain she has more up her sleeve with future projects.

sheesh, it's hot

We melted today.  95* is too hot for April.  At least it didn't rain and I could do a little spraying.

 

I love collecting type from magazines but I don't really care what it says.  I will scudge up these pages tomorrow with some sandpaper and then spray paint so they look like decaying posters often seen on random surfaces in New York.  This Walls Notebook is perfect for that. 

I confess, I've put up a few posters myself - although it's been a while since my HIM Street Team sniped in the city.   We need a new album so we can launch a crusade.  Here's some old Evidence.  Kat didn't mind getting the heartagram sticker...she's a fan.

Speaking of crusades, No. 30 is coming to an end.  We are discussing journaling in your journal with Cat Got Your Tongue?  Come play before it's over!

goodie two shoes

 

Finished up a few pages - loving my new carved thorns.  Making tools and using them.  Very fulfilling. Yes, I keep re-visiting this quote.  It's a fave.  Yes, I keep re-using the same colors.  They are faves.  After mentioning that I wear my palette I realize I live in my palette too.  Yep - even have red walls, sage and mustard too.  No, I don't have black walls....just black furniture :)

 

Made an evidence page of my find - even took a rubbing of the sole.  Thanks for all your comments about my boots!  I've been wearing them every day.  I haven't worn suede boots in years - loved those slouchy pixies from my DD* days and wish I still had them as Fallon is dressing in 80s fashion this week at school.  Tomorrow is the Frankie Says Relax shirt.  (It's a repro from Target....my signed-by-the-band original T is retired from wear.)  *duranduran

Evidence of a Lucky Girl:  This perfect cup arrived from Carin - she gets me ;)  And Theresa gave me the heads up on the scrabble thing - Xs & Os glued into place, which I scooped up from ETSY:  RememberMeEmily.  And how about that cute card from Sam?  Priceless.

  

One week to go on the current Crusade.  After Shaping Up, we are now practicing Portion Control.   What I am talking about?  Come see!  Lots of crusaders have already shared their interpretations - so fun to learn from one another as we all try something at the same time.  Congrats to Cath Sheard for being the most recent Top Hat Pick.

confessions of a packrat

Do you tear off the used postage from your holiday cards every year like I do?  It's a habit I started years ago, and I'm happy to admit I have stashes of lovely stamps to use in my art.  I'll take yours if you don't want them.  Really.  Tear off the corner, and save it for me.  P.O.Box 73, Piscataway, NJ 08854

 

Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Central Standard Time, registration begins for the workshops at Valley Ridge.  It's the only place I have committed to teach at for next year.  If you are thinking of taking the class with me you might want to save your used postage, right now, and tuck it away until October.

    

planning and procrastinating

When I have alot to get done I tend to procrastinate.  I actually think it's part of my creative process.  Sometimes I'll take up a mini-self-imposed-project that is totally unrelated to an article I should be writing and yet somehow it feeds me enough to get my thoughts focused and the words fall into place.  I've been at the computer which presents a great tempation - not for surfing, but for messing around in photoshop.  It's kinda related to my article, kinda.   

 

You can see the photo I started with above.  Then I made about 17 variations - all part of my self-teaching and keeping up with PS skills, but really, a procrastination.  It's ok, I learned a few things today, even if I didn't get everything crossed of my list.

 

The party was a success - a perfectly ordered thunderstorm added to the aura.  I will take more photos on the 31st as I didn't do the best documentation of Saturday.  Thanks for chiming in on Fallon's costume and make-up rehearsal.  Like a 13-yr-old, she didn't take advice from ANY of us but was adorable.

 

check mates

X and O were my partners in crime for a while.  Of course x and o would eventually take you to tic-tac-toe, right?  Then onto checkerboard.....the scale made me think of the chess punch, and soon I was channeling new ideas which required new tools.  Here's the visual story:

 

 

  

  

  

  

Oh, let me take a moment to recognize that this is my 300th post.  When I noticed I had just hit 100 on the Street Team blog I checked the count over here and it was at 299.  Wow!  Dear readers, this platform, my blog, helps me define who I am - and it cleared the path to meet you.  What's that saying?  It's out on the limb where you gather the fruit.  I ventured out and you served the fruit.  Thank you.

  

Back to chess.....like WAY BACK.  Making these new tools was like revisting old friends.  For nearly ten years I have incorporated chess pieces in my work.  Here's some of the visual history: 

 

 

 

 

 

on my desk

 

Love shopping at tjmaxx, marshalls and home goods.  There are several that are dangerously close to everything.  This weeks score was a journal.  Cheap thrill.  And how about these pins?  What?  Your first stop at the mall isn't Hot Topic?   Usually it's our only destination.

  

It's time to read up on how to handle the seasonal change with my lovely rose bushes.  I'm clueless and need to figure out what I need to do asap.   It has brought me such simple pleasure to go visit my roses every day and I want to keep them safe for next year.  Any hints? 

My cousin Molly sent me this book, 90 minutes in heaven, and suggested I read chapter 2.  I admit I have not read the rest of the book.  All I needed to hear was Don Piper's account of heaven to give me a rush of peace and comfort.  Sure, I trusted that heaven was the kingdom it is promised to be, but his words came at the right time for me.  He describes, in simple words, what it was like to enter heaven.  My take-away is that there are no words yet invented to express the immense joy ahead of us.  My take-away, from this one chapter, was to be thrilled that my sister is there.  Thank you Molly, for this precious gift, for this perspective.  Another book I have found helpful is Surviving the Death of a Sibling.  Grief takes on many faces and it is different for all of us, even within one family.  Shannon was a wife, a daughter, a friend - but she was also my sister. 

Love my jumbo size Sharpie paint pens.  Messing around with them makes me really happy.  Love when they smear.  The nib on these things are 1/2" wide!  Get some!! 

 

 

 

 

  

And the braces are off!  Look at this lovely face.  I promised Fallon I wouldn't blog about her new *friend* (Anthony)....I'm not.  He may have been edited from the photo, but the blush he provoked is there.  Does that still get me in trouble?  *wink*

 

Congratulations to Kathryn Antyr for being the Top Hat Pick for Crusade No. 23.  It's our second anniversary at the Street Team blog! 

*Throws confetti on self*.

h&k

 

Same subject, same colors.  I like a limited palette.  It gives me the opportunity to explore textures and shapes without being distracted by color choices.  There is truth to less is more.

  

  

  

Love the Jill Penney and Daniel Torrente images from Stampotique, don't you? Circle stamps and large alphabet (HUG) from GPP.

x meets o

It was back in June that I shared my journal work spinning a "+" into an "x".  See {positive spin}.  Now "x" has a new friend, meet "o".  Duh, right? 

My ritual is to collect and create supplies and then process the palette (or in this case shapes) on journal pages.  If it clicks I will have filled up many pages and will take what I've learned onto other surfaces.  What started with an xoxo stamp from the dollar bin ended up as a full arsenal of custom tools:  stamps, masks and stencils.  I saw that x next to that o and I was toast.  Hyper-focus designing new tools was my mission, and trying them out in the journal was a satisfying reward.    

  

Because we had terrific weather this week I was able to move my studio outside and spray with abandon, completing six painted canvases where x meets o.  A peek at the canvas work:

  

When you want a little something different to bring to your art:  make new tools.  When you can't find a supply that you need:  make new tools.  When you want to create authentic and original art:  make new tools.  xoxo

positive spin

I've adored the maltese cross for years.  I wear one every day.  I play with the image often in my work, and you've seen it show up in my own carvings and my rubber line.  Because I tend to be linear, and literal, I never considered the 45 degree variation of the "+" to make it a "x".   You'll see I went nuts experimenting with my new perspective.  Anytime I discover a form or shape I invest a little time making new tools....

 

 

 

And more unfinished pages....sometimes it just feels good to get something started on the page.  It's a process to make additions to a painted background....it can take days to complete, or it may always stay as an experimental background. 

I'm taking an a quick trip home to see my sister.  Squeeze your eyes tight and spin those positive vibes and prayers our way.  Take a deep breath and appreciate what your healthy lungs can do.  Shout and sing on the 4th of July....because you can.  And never forget to wink and whisper sweet somethings to your loved ones.  xoxo 

change

School ends tomorrow.  Time becomes less frantic.  Days become long and lazy.  The change of season brings a change of style - not only in what we wear, and maybe what we eat, and how we fill our days....but maybe how we create too.  For me, I see my color palette change...does yours?  (Ok, so I'll never give up red and black). 

As a fan of Tim Russert I was shocked, as you were, to learn he had passed away.  Over the weekend we watched countless hours of his friends honoring him with their stories, re-runs of Meet the Press, and the special edition in Sunday.  This afternoon we watched the memorial service.  What a man.  His enthusiam was infectious.  I was touched they arranged for The Boss play out the service...but even more...I was impressed at the intro....you might have missed it....the journalist mentioned that as the hundreds of people were filing in, the music playing was taken from Tim's ipod.  As was obvious, his loved ones GOT him.  Here's what was they heard:

 

the shape of things

I obsess about several shapes.  A close relative to one of my faves, the maltese cross, is the quatrefoil.  I also obsess about punches.  I'm always on the prowl for new images.  You know I swooned when I saw this one:  HERE.  

The black and red pattern you see in the upper left is a photo of a wood box at our front door (for shoes!)  Here are the close-ups of the punch-outs from rubbings done over textured wallpaper on colored paper, for GPP Street Team Crusade No. 21:

Many of you have written kind notes asking how my sister Shannon is doing.  I was going to refrain from giving an update here to respect her privacy...but then I decided we could use your continued prayer and good vibes.  As you may know she left the hospital in time for her 40th birthday {yay!} but after a week home she's back in.   It still warms my heart to think of all the responses we got when I asked for your words of cheer.  I know you will join me in sending positive energy her way again.  xoxo

crusading, cutting

We wrapped up the month of March with a record number of participants who shared links to their custom cut rubber stamps.  We took a vote and bumped cutting stencils to April.  Congrats to Susan Warder for being the Top Hat Pick for Crusade No. 18.  I made a little tutorial on stencil cutting over on the Street Team blog, and will continue adding to it as I did last month with the carving tips.  I'm still obsessing over roses...had to make stamps and stencils yesterday.  WARNING:  It's Addictive.

The only way to know if you have cut a good and useful image is to put it to work.  These are the beginnings of journal pages using both acrylic paint and spray paint with my new stamps, stencils, and masks.  Give them a test run before cutting more because you'll learn what you might have done differently, or what additions you'd like to have:  for instance, a solid image of your stencil to create a foundation to make it *pop*.

I don't often use people or faces in my work so I've stayed away from attempting a portrait stencil.  But I've been wanting to do a Valo, and a Poe, and finally starting working on them.  I had an a-ha moment when I decided to take this design which wasn't quite working, and turn it into a half-face.  I got so excited with it I had to make a PS brush and take it for a test ride digitally.  I think I'm ready to cut HIM out now.  *grins*

 

Wanna join a fun community of artists?  Come see what we're doing on the Street Team.  We have new players every month, so don't be shy.  We have artists who share their time and talent, but most of all, their enthusiasm for making cool stuff.  Seriously, *we rock*.

nothing beats a messy day

Not sure where I got this habit of using an asterick ( * ) when writing on my blog or leaving comments.  It usually surrounds a verb, like this:  *blows kisses*  or *scrambles to find a link* or *grins*.  I think it evolved from a messageboard I belong to that used to have The Best smilies to include in a reply.  So when the board changed servers we lost the smilies and we had to invent a way to *say* what we wanted a smilie for....like when a new photo of our favorite rock star got posted we would *faint* or *swoon*  or *squeeee*. 

A few days away from my studio makes me crabby.  I love when there are so many ideas rattling around that it only takes a nano-second to engage and get messy.  Seems like I never get my task completed which is ok because it's ready for me the next morning.  Can't show you just yet what it is I'm working on but that isn't the point....it's to remind you how good it feels to be in the moment and make stuff.

I was watching L.A. Ink last night and was inspired by Guy, Hannah's brother, and how he designed an edge of a shoulder tattoo (couldn't find you a picture) but it was kinda like the brush I made today to border the photos above.  Super cool.

Just one more thing...a note about blogging.  You'll notice I put my signature circle brush on all my photos.  If you have the capability I suggest you do the same.  Just today I saw one of my journal pages on someone's blog.  First, I think that's a no-no unless you've asked for permission.  But stuff like that will happen in this online world so take credit for your photos and mark with your name.  *steps off soapbox* 

i'm a believer

 

I've been involved in a Self-Portrait collaborative journal exchange - and this is one of the pages I made.  I was typing out strips of words that define me....I asked Fallon to come look at the document and tell me if she could think of another word.

She said this:  Believer.  It took my breath away.  Believer.  She didn't say shopper, or cook (which I'm not but kids don't really know that), or car-pooler, or dweeb, or .....  She said Believer.  I know she didn't mean it in the religious way, although I am that kind of believer.  She meant it in that I believe in people, I believe in friendships, I believe in love, and I believe anyone can make what they want of themselves.  Thanks Fallon, I will live up to your definition of me.

The original above was for another artist (can't tell who yet).  Below are variations done in PS to test additional palettes as I continue on this theme in my own journal.

   

is this running through your head?  i've been singing it all day.

more tips

Sometimes I carve right around the outline of an image that is a shape like the stars in the post below.  With a word stamp I will often leave at least one straight edge, marked with a gridded clear ruler or triangle so the edge is square with the image.  This gives me the opportunity to line up a stamp if I want to.

And a few more visuals - when I carve out a crowded area I like to use my exacto.  I tend to use the 'V' and 'U' shaped carving tools for cleaning out the blanker areas.  I don't always trust myself with the 'V' to make all those curvey cuts.  I always cut on the right side of an image - constantly moving the stamp.  Often I can't remember if I've cut a line so a bend the stamp a little to see where my lines are.

OFF TOPIC:  are there any other typepad users who have noticed funky things happening with their photo albums?  My thumbnails in the side bar keep changing.  They used to all be the same size and from time to time one or more get smaller.  I opened a help ticket but haven't heard - was wondering if you had the same thing going on?

loving it

You know that saying:  Do What You Love.  It goes hand in hand with Love What You Do.  From the same words is What Do You Love.  I love making real art, but I'm totally in love with exploring things digitally.  As I've said before, I'm self-taught, and I'm still working in PS DS.  What's DS you say?  It's my comical reference to DinoSaur era.  That would be PS 5.5.  I have a later version here but I'm reluctant to load it since I nearly passed out and threw in the towel when I made the switch from 5 to 5.5.  If you've seen the new Stampington publication Somerset Digital Studio (I don't have a copy yet!) you'll see I wrote a tutorial on making custom Photoshop brushes.  My apologies to those of you who have left the Dinosaur era and are working in a current version because the steps might not be exactly translatable - but hopefully you'll still gleen some value in my tips. 

So what's my point today?  I guess it would be that having an interest in learning is just plain good.  Know what you love, and Do It.  I don't know where I'm going with my digital skills but it really doesn't matter - I'm learning many cool things that can be interpreted in my 'real' work, and I've been able to make graphics for myself and others that is not just playtime stuff, it's a paying gig, so that's something.  My other point would be that when you know what you love, and can spend time doing it, it doesn't matter why or what for, ya know?  In looking back at the evolution of my digital playtime I realized that much of it can be blamed on my favorite band.  Yes, that's what I said.  I can attribute my growth in developing my digital skills to HIM. 

 

If you aren't an avid fan like me, you may not be aware that many bands have message boards.  When you participate on a board you have the option of creating an avatar and signature for yourself - graphics of a very small size that show up on your posts.  I've made a habit of not only making my own, but offering my services to other online friends on the board.  I also participate in the graphics contests that are posted monthly.  I can proudly say I won this month for designing a wallpaper below (meant for your computer desktop) and have won honors a few times over the years.

You may recall seeing the journal pages above - this time they have been layered, with text added.  I love the combination of real work and applied text.  It's a great learning tool that leads to problem solving - like how would I get that text onto my page in the real world?  Toner transfer, carved lettering, printed transparency maybe?  Below is a partial portfolio of some of my messageboard graphics made for me and some friends, as well as assignments for the monthly contests.  It won't look like much to you, but to me it represents the hours of homework learning how to manipulate images and text.  The canvases are so tiny you would hardly believe how much time they took - but to me it's time well spent because it got me to where I am now.

Know what you love but haven't tried it yet?  What are you waiting for? 

This month we are Cutting It Out on the Street Team.  We are carving stamps and cutting stencils and sharing the results.  Soon I will post a tutorial on the stencils.  Interested in making a custom stamp?  Come play with us on the Street Team.  Congrats to Pam McClung who was the Top Hat Pick for the Pandora's Box Crusade! 

messing around

Low tech meets high tech.  Low:  Spray paint (black then copper) over stencil onto patterned wrapping paper.  High:  Scanned image embellished with custom Photoshop brushes and text.  Messing around is a great way to learn things....whether you are doing it in a low or high tech way.  Starting image below.

I've shown something similar to this before....when you spray heavily onto a stencil you can quickly flip for a terrific mono-print.  Some unfinished journal pages....to get you psyched about monoprinting with your stencils.  Custom heart cut by Susan Warder, thanks girl!

winter whites

Elizabeth, as seen in the current issue of Artful Blogging, is hosting another online party, The Polar Festival.  To join in, I am pic spamming with whites - some older art I dug up just for the festivities.

She'll have the participating links up Saturday, Feb. 9, (when I'll be off celebrating Heartagram Day!)  Stop by eb's place, I'm sure it will be a day of lovely visuals.

EDIT:  I was asked to show the whole photo of "Purest Love" so I got out some old magazines and found it, as well as two more from another issue.  Then I dug even deeper into the archive and found a page a made for Lynne's True Colors White journal in 2001.  Was it that long ago?  Sheesh.

I think the stories the artists wrote about their pages in True Colors made it really special.  This spread wasn't in the book, so here's what I wrote about it:

Since working in these journals took on the pattern of adding music as a foundation I began researching for White songs before Lynne’s journal even arrived.  closed cd.  I hadn’t settled on a song but had chosen several tunes with White in the title.  (I knew Lynne had a jukebox so thought I would be clever and create a white and silver retro faux Wurlitzer with an enclosed cd.  I had everything from Barry White to White Wedding ready to burn.   Then when the White book got here with it’s lovely cover of old whites, and gorgeous pages filled with lace, feathers and pearls, the perfect song whispered to me: Edelweiss, with it’s lyric “small and white, clean and bright”.  It never would have occurred to me to use that song before seeing Lynne’s book.  Edelweiss and the film it came from, The Sound of Music, became my theme for White.  From an enclosed envelope that came with Lynne’s book I scanned pictures of her backyard view in winter and manipulated them in photoshop, turning them sepia, for “the hills are alive, with the sound of music”.  I found an old book cover with a title that fit my theme, and created a booklet filled with the song lyrics, information about Edelweiss flowers, and a packet of seeds (a real find, thanks to Ebay, as they are an endangered flower).  I didn’t actually use white in Lynne’s book but implied it with light shades of pretty colors, with a winterscape, and with my theme. White’s music addition is a mini cd with several versions of Edelweiss from the movie soundtrack as well as a rendition sung by Harry Connick Jr.

Ok, that's all the White I'm going to dig up for now.  If you're visiting here from EB's party, thanks for stopping by!

same day, different subject....sort of

These letter masks are my not-so-new favorite thing.  I've had them for a year but often forget to pull them out since they are stored differently than my other stencils.  I've been loving using them with spray, and then going back in and redefining with acrylic or pencil.

I've been asked about taking apart my journals.  The detail below should explain it. 

same fragrance, different day

I like to work on journal pages after I've removed them by opening up the spiral.  That allows you to work on a few pages at a time.  It also doesn't limit you to which direction the page is oriented.  The example below illustrates how this page ended up with no real "this side up".

 

And after I scan in a page I like to mess around with it digitally.  The original page is above, and below (click to enlarge) are manipulations with colorizing, saturation, gradient, and curves.  It's all part of learning things in Photoshop but it also gives me a different perspective of how I might approach things on the real page.

   

leave a trail

My studio is in a state of Upheaval.  With company coming I'm scurrying to finish the clean&purge I started earlier this week.  I wish I had one more week, and a dumpster.  Feels good to toss out stuff.  If you don't USE it, shake it off.

romancing the rose

Still infatuated with the classic red rose. 

Journal page:  craft paper background (always a great way to start!), tissue paper and wrapping paper scraps, red staples, ribbon, stickers, rubber stamp alphabet, stencil, acrylic paint, gesso, spray paint.  To get the spray paint to drip down your page simply hold vertically against a cardboard backdrop, spray onto cardboard just above the page, and "catch" the drips.  Set aside, remaining vertical until paint dries.

epic art

I'm waiting to hear from my friend Anne who was possbily going to the National Gallery for a viewing of the new HBO documentary on The Gates.  Christo was going to be there for questions.  Cool.  Look for the film to come out in February.  Loved The Gates - was able to witness them twice during their fleeting 16 day installation in Central Park.  It was like walking through one' man's dream.  His next installation will be over the Arkansas River in Colorado in 2012.  I've invited myself for a visit with Lisa to see it.

Next up for NYC:  Waterfalls on the Waterfront.  Mayor Bloomberg is expected to announce the porject today.  No pictures yet - renderings should be released this afternoon.  Here are photos of his previous waterfall projects, the amount of scaffolding is a little alarming:

From the New York Times: 

Four man-made waterfalls, 90 to 120 feet high, will punctuate New York’s waterfront for three months starting in mid-July. The creation of the Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, the project is a collaboration between the city and the Public Art Fund, the nonprofit organization that presents art around the city. The waterfalls have been designed to be environmentally friendly and will be in New York Harbor at Pier 35 in Lower Manhattan, at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge and between Piers 4 and 5 in Brooklyn and at Governors Island.  (It will be on display from mid-July to mid-October, and will be illuminated after sunset.)

EDIT:  these just in.....

on the twelfth day of christmas....

digital art:  personal photo taken of chess pieces in front of scenic background (photo), colorized, bible quote added as transparent layer, custom star brush burned, second quote, title, and signature added, framed with custom brush border.

another double post

SHE is always five steps ahead of me.  While I'm bobbling around in the wake behind her she's lobbing out movie and book recommendations, among many other things.  I have a notebook next to my computer (and phone) just to take notes as she rattles off all the things I have been apparently clueless about.  For instance, remember all the fuss about The DaVinci Code?  SHE is the one who told me to go get it.  WAY before anyone ever said a thing about it, SHE had already read it.  Like that.  So when she said "I just saw this film, don't even rent it, just go buy it", I did.  Because, she GETS me.  My new nickname for her is PulseGirl.  She's always got a finger on it.

THIS dvd is amazing!  I admit I didn't know the first thing about the typeface Helvetica, and rarely, if ever use it.  I have a much greater respect for it now.  MUCH GREATER.  The people interviewed are fascinating.  The whole thing is simply riveting.  It was a real thrill to see one of my favorite graphic designers, David Carson, on the list of participants, and to see him talk about some of his design process.  I also scribbled down names of people I didn't know so I can look them up and see what other books or cool things I've been missing out on.  I know many of you are font-junkies like me so you will Love this!

See what a difference a typeface can make?  One of the questions asked of type designers was "what's your favorite letter?"  Imagine having to pick one?  This was interesting too.....

Happy 50th Anniversary Helvetica.

think outside the box

 

Day 3 & 4: Dead End, New Beginnings

Trying again.  Have had two posts eaten up.  My goal yesterday was to get some cork wall tiles for Sam's room.  He has about thirty wall calendars hung in perfect lines around his room and each month when he flips the pages he has to re-push-pin back in the wall.  Cork makes sense, yes?  Do you think Lowe's or Home Depot had them?  No!  I did find an online source, just waiting for confirmation of the thickness - need them to be push-pin appropriate.  Crossing fingers it's not another dead end.

Continued working in my Himnal.  Not Hymnal.  HIM lyrics + Journal = HIMnal.  *cracking myself up*

One of my favorite new things is this paint dabber.  Works great on alphabet stamps over a painted page.  Sometimes ink just doesn't cut it.  These are just the trick! 

Watched Corpse Bride with Fallon last night.  It's a good thing to watch a film over and over...you see things you might have missed the first or tenth time.  Found this photo of the puppet guy settting up a scene.  How about that staircase?  My uncle is a Construction Coordinator in the movie industry.  Before I was married I thought about moving to CA to work for him.  How fun would building sets have been?

And now for new beginnings.  I have had this doll for years.  How hideous is that attire she came with?  The collar, yes!  The rest?  No!  I have a gigantic clock case she will reside in - so grungy and weathered it looks like it came from the floor of the Titanic.  I'll be painting some tyvek clothes for her - in black and white of course, and we'll have to do something about the purple on her head.  Bleh! I know, spray paint!  She'll look perfect on our red bedroom wall.  As you know, Pierrot is my Muse...should be fun.  Stay tuned.

Next up:  The Mall, by request of the kids.  Here's out routine:  in through Macy's to navigate the Lucky Brand jewelry, then Hot Topic, Vans, Journeys, Pac-Sun, Spencers, Claires, Sephora, food court, home.  Band merchandise will be involved, twist my arm.

Day One: Dirty

No school for a whole week!  That means a break for Mom too.  Spent the morning in my jammies.  Did a little shopping on ETSY (will share soon).  Got to the post office just before closing.  Had an impromptu pizza party.  Can you smell my garlic breath from there?  Got dirty in my studio with some spray paint.  Couldn't find my gloves so my hands almost look like this..  I'm avoiding cleaning.  If you're going to procrastinate you should at least be having fun making stuff, right?  Blackletter is still my fave new font.  Spray is still my fave old medium.  And I haven't evolved in my color selection - who says you have to?