ispywithmycraftyeyes

My Sewing Desk - Work In Progress

2012-03-03T14:30:00.001-06:00

I am so happy so far with the way my desk is turning out. I still plan on adding layers of color and design, but here are some peeks on the progress so far.

Primed and front panel painted. I just sanded the surface enough to give it tooth and then primed it with gesso. I am going with a prism color scheme here so all my paints and supplies will look nice with it. I love color!!!!

Now a couple of pictures with the first layer finished.

Some more detail and color added.

From this point I plan on adding a bit more detail with color, then doing an overpainting of black and white patterns. I have no idea how this is going to turn out though. I am having a great time just painting with no plan. For now this guy is unfinished, but when i get the painting done I plan on adding a couple of layers of gloss to bring out the color.

Paintings - Experimenting

2012-02-24T11:13:00.000-06:00

I am learning how to take some time and play with my paint. I usually have a definite plan when I paint, but love abstract and non-representational art. So I am trying to give myself room to play and make mistakes and paint over them and come up with something awesome and paint over it and regret that and then paint something I love even more over that. I am very inspired by Jesse Reno, Flora Bowley, Teesha Moore, Traci Bautista, Michelle Allen, and Julie Balzer. I am trying to incorporate some spontaneity, vibrant color, layers, and life into my art. Here's how that is working out for me so far.

This first painting has already morphed into something else, but it was what I ended up using as inspiration for my desk. And my desk will surely change too. I am just using craft paint right now. I hope to invest in some better paint soon.

Here it is again with another painting on my desk, the first one I played around with. It has already been painted over. Now, painting over another painting is nothing new to me. I do it all the time when I get bored with my paintings and want new art on the walls. I made quite a few more marks on this one and hope my desk turns out a bit more like it.

I added a funky zebra print trim to the side of the canvas since I will not be framing it.

Detail...

And here it is on my wall.

I will share some picture of my desk in the next few days, but for now I have to finish up a project. I am writing my first article for Cloth Paper Scissors PAGES 2012!!! Not my first how-to article, but the first time I will actually get paid for writing. And my long time dream of being published in a CPS magazine fulfilled. Have to get everything ready for shipping on Monday so I can make it on time.

Embrace Your Mistakes

2012-02-23T13:50:00.000-06:00

A couple of years back my grandmother got me a vintage sewing machine desk from a thrift store. It is very functional; it stores my sewing machine when not in use and holds all types of supplies. But it wasn't very pretty. So I had this idea that I would paint it. At first I thought I would paint waves on it, but my dining room has changed into my art room and I wanted something more colorful. Instead of practicing on a canvas and planning, I just went for it.

I had a base coat of spray paint that was dark blue for the original wave idea. I thought I would add some crackle paint and paint a coat of white over it. It worked well enough until I started painting details over the crackle finish. It just peeled off. The crackle paint did not adhere properly to the spray paint, and I had to scrape the entire thing. Ugh!!!!!!!!!!

Here it is in the process of being scraped down.

The terrible mess it made in my floor.

With a coat of gesso and the back of it painted black.

I have learned a lot from my mistake, mainly to plan, practice, to take the time to do it right. I am practicing on canvas right now and learning to paint, repaint, and experiment. Something I may not have learned if I had not made this little mistake. I think crackle paint would have been boring, now I am in the middle of a bright and beautiful painting that I am pleased with. I am also very happy with my canvases, and will share them with you in the next few days. And I will also be sharing some more work in progress shots of this desk.

Eye Mandala Finished!!!!!

2012-02-07T14:20:00.001-06:00

Finally got it done, now it's time to work on packaging. Here's the completed illustration.

And here's a half crop that I will use for packaging.

So, what do you think? I am so glad to have it finished!!!!

I Spy Jewelry Giveaway Winner

2012-02-03T11:39:00.000-06:00

The winner of my I Spy Jewelry Giveaway is comment #45, by Remy Hadley.

I will contact you shortly via email with all the information you will need. Thanks to all who participated! For those of you who did not win, but still wish to make a purchase, enter the code "BEMINE" at checkout for 25% off your purchase. Offer is good until February 14th.

Thanks!

Shayna

Framed Pincushion - A Pinterest Project I Actually Finished!

2012-02-01T21:12:00.000-06:00

So my friend Shannon got me real hooked on Pinterest. Why did she want to go and do something like that? And I made a board just for all the crafty projects I want to try out. I finished one yesterday and thought I would share it with you guys. It is a lovely Framed Pincushion.

The first image I saw was on Storage Glee.

They linked to a tutorial by Simone from Beach Vintage. Here is her version. So lovely and easy.

I actually did not use the tutorial. I didn't even see it until today. I just used the cardboard image in the frame I had and hot glued my fabric down to the front of it. Here is the plastic frame I got from the thrift store for $2.

I have been saving it for something awesome, and this was just the project for it. I use a lot of pins when I sew and also when I hot glue flower rosettes. So I wanted somewhere to put them while I work beside all over my sewing table. Here's a picture of some of the other materials I used.

Poly fil from a pillow I don't like (I like the pattern, but for some reason the material was not set right and the colors bleed when it gets wet), bright fabric, flat black spray paint, and I also used hot glue and a gun and white paper for backing. I took the picture out and spray painted the frame.

I cut a piece of fabric out just a bit bigger than my cardboard, glued it down to the front of the cardboard, stuffed it with polyfil, and glued the other sides down. I wrapped the fabric around and glued it to the back of the cardboard. Here is the finished cushion hangin on my wall. What do you think?

Don't forget my blog giveaway. It's open until midnight central time tomorrow, go here for details on how to win a $25 shopping credit to my I Spy Jewelry Shop.

I Spy Jewelry Giveaway - $25 Shopping Credit - Ended February 2, 2012

2012-01-27T17:33:00.009-06:00

It's time for my January giveaway! I have my shop stocked up a good bit and thought I would offer you guys a chance to win a $25 shopping credit, good for any combination of items in my I Spy Jewelry Shop.

So here are the rules......

International players are welcome. Each of the following will be worth one chance to win.

1. Leave a comment with your email address in this form - ispywithmycraftyeyes(at)live(dot)com. I won't spam you, it's just for contacting you in case you win. If you don't want your email address out in the open for everyone to see, just type "emailing you my address" in your comment and email it to me at ispywithmycraftyeyes@live.com.

2. Check my Etsy shop out, and in a separate post tell me what your favorite item is from my shop.

3. Pin one of these pictures on Pinterest, Tweet about this giveaway, share on Facebook, or post on your blog. Each one of these is worth another chance to win. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each one you complete.

4. Become a blog follower and let me know. Just make sure to leave a separate comment.

Leave your comments up to midnight central time on February 2nd. I will draw a winner on February 3rd, 2012 and email the winner a code for $25 worth of free jewelry from my I Spy Jewelry shop, along with instruction for use!!!

In case you are wondering, yes you can use part of the amount for shipping. For example, if you want $21 worth of items and shipping is $4, then there is your $25 total. If you want more than $25 worth of items, I will send you a Paypal invoice through your email for the remaining amount. Any questions? Just leave me a comment or email me (ispywithmycraftyeyes@live.com).

*Update* Wow, 99 comments! Thank you everyone for all the lovely comments, I really do appreciate it! I drew a winner using Random.org this morning, and the winning comment is #45, Remy Hadly. I will be sending you an email shortly with all the info you will need.

Thanks everyone! Because you guys have been so awesome I am offering all of you a 25% off coupon to my shop. You will be able to use it until February 14th. Just enter the code "BEMINE" when you check out.

Eye Mandala Inking

2012-01-27T10:44:00.001-06:00

So I have been working a lot on my eye mandala drawing, and I thought I would share the progress. I love working on these mandalas because they take time to finish, so the final reveal is something special to me. I am about a week away from that mainly because I have to work on it after my two-year-old Lula goes to bed - she wants me to hold her every time I pick this drawing up.

Here are a couple pictures of the outline work completed.

Outlining is probably the most tedious part. Once done I get to go on auto pilot and color everything in. This inking process is very relaxing and satisfying to me. I just love working on a drawing at this stage. I have a bit of the inking done, as you can see in the following picture.

I am very happy with the way it is looking so far. What do you think?

Be sure to stop by this evening...I will be posting a giveaway for a $25 shopping spree in my I Spy Jewelry Shop at 6 PM.

Eye Mandala - Work in Progress

2012-01-16T22:07:00.000-06:00

I am working on a new illustration for my I Spy Jewelry shop. It will be printed on my packaging some time in the near future. I am in desperate need of new packaging, and I thought I would make something special that I can use for a while.

Here is a detail shot of the pencil work.

And a picture of the drawing in progress on my Light Tracer II.

A picture of the pencil work done.

And one of my rough draft (in two pieces) on top of the finished pencil drawing.

It takes me a few hours to get my mandalas to this point. And I still have hours of inking left to do. Can't wait to get my Rapidograph pens out and get started.

Try Something New

2012-01-14T23:35:00.000-06:00

I have been working on some promo cards for my shop and thought I would share one. I started out with a scans of some watercolor splatters I made the other day and worked on them in Picnik. I adjusted the color, contrast, and saturation and added text.

I chose this one because I'm trying something new this week. One of my New Year's goals was to learn to play the guitar, and hubby has promised to teach me. We had our first lesson last night and I learned I am a total wuss. I was only able to play for a few minutes before my fingers started hurting. Yikes! Gotta hang in there though. Wish me luck!

Shop Revamp and Update - New Jewelry Listed

2012-01-07T17:36:00.002-06:00

I have made a decision to turn my Etsy shop into a jewelry shop and list my art items on my blog. I revamped my shop and have several items listed as of right now, and am currently working on more to list. Here is a sample of what I am offering in my I Spy Jewelry shop.

I plan on adding a page to my blog next week to sell my art books and other crafty items, so keep and eye out for that.

Until then, check out my shop and let me know what you think.

Sugar Skull Flower Finished

2012-01-03T08:08:00.002-06:00

So last night I took a few moments and finished an illustration project. It was intended for our house, but my friend Julie likes it a bunch and she talked me into selling it to her. I will end up making another copy for hubby (he says I never keep his favorites, including this one).

This is the first big project I finished with my Koh-i-noor 7 pen set. I am so happy with the performance of these pens compared to the Staedtler Pigment Liners I am used to. And so far these pens have not been quite as high maintenance as I expected. I get a greater variety of line width with the 7 pen set than the four pen set of Staedtlers, and since these are refillable I will end up saving a ton in the long run. If you invest in these and have a Hobby Lobby nearby, consider buying them there. I paid about $70 for mine after the 40% off coupon I printed off. And I didn't have to worry about them being damaged during shipping.

Here is the completed drawing. It was done on a 14x17" piece of Strathmore bristol board, and the image itself is almost 12" across.

I hope to find out soon about ordering prints of this for sale in my I Spy Etsy Shop. Can anyone recommend a giclee printing service?

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!

2012-01-01T22:10:00.000-06:00

To my old friends and new ones, hope you guys have a happy, fun, creative, and productive New Year!!!!!! I'll be trying to step it up this year with my blog, shooting for at least 2 blog posts a week and one giveaway a month. And I will also be listing more in my shops, so keep an eye out for new jewelry and vintage items.

Last year I reached my goal of having my art published with an article in Art Trader Magazine and handmade books featured in the premier issue of Cloth Paper Scissors Pages. This year my goal is to have an article published in Cloth Paper Scissors or Somerset Studio. Wish me luck!!!!!

I would also like to organize my house/art room/life a bit more, but that might be a long shot.

What are your New Year's goals or resolutions for 2012?

Christmas Present - Beads Organized

2011-12-29T22:02:00.000-06:00

Hubby and I received some gifts from the church he pastors (the church has been so loving, welcoming, and generous). I was very happy to see this organizer in my bag - the ladies who picked everything out know I like to be crafty and make jewelry. It is a shoulder tote with four organizers inside by Creative Options.

So I spent two days organizing my beads, ignoring the mounds of laundry and dishes that I knew I should probably take care of. I just sorted beads and moved them from the tackle boxes I had them in to these awesome organizers. What I like most about the organizers is that I can flip them upside down and my beads don't mix up. I did have to take some the itty bitty ones out (mostly stone chips) to make sure this did not happen, but even E beads are safe and stay where I put them. Here's a picture of the containers filled with my beads.

All four fit neatly inside the shoulder tote, and there are also front and side pockets to store my tools. And I am ready to go with my beads any time I want....that is if I don't mind carrying 10 pounds of beads around with me. That's right, the whole kit and caboodle weighs a total of 10 lbs.

I am so excited about this bag, and having at least one small corner of my life incredibly organized. Now I have to get one to fit all my metal components and wire into!!!!! Here's a shot of the same bag I found at www.stuff4crafts .com. It doesn't look quite so bluish in person.

Upcycled Frames - New Bathroom Art

2011-12-27T18:48:00.001-06:00

I have been trying to add some color to my house, something I can change out if I get bored with it. I am not quite ready to go with bright colors on the walls, so I figured colorful art and frames would be the way to go. I wanted to start in the bathroom and was trying to think of something cool that hubby would like on the walls when it hit me - Outkast. Oh yeah. So I went to work. The first frame I bought did not work out well. It was thin and I had painted it black. So I trashed it in search of a wider more colorful frame. And when I saw this little beauty at the thrift store I just knew it would work.

I know, it looks kinda boring and gross. But give it a chance. I got my brush out and went to work. One thing that I did not do that I really should have is sand it down a bit and prime it with gesso. Don't skip this step!!!! I just took the art out and went straight to painting my base coat, Folk Art Aqua.

Had to pull up the nails to get the panel out.

I did two coats of the aqua paint and let it dry overnight.

Then I came back and antiqued it with some thinned down black paint (used water to thin it). I just painted the black paint mix down and wiped the excess off. And here is where I had problems. Because I did not sand and prime my frame some of the paint peeled off. Not a big deal, I just went back and touched it up with the aqua paint. I had to do that in a few different places anyway because the black was too much. I let that coat dry for a couple of hours and then coated the frame with a spray acrylic gloss (which is kinda nasty and should be used outside or with a respirator - or both!). I sprayed one coat, let it dry 15 minutes, then sprayed another coat. I let it sit outside for a few hours before bringing it in.

When I brought the frame inside I put my print in and placed the panel behind it, then bent my nails back in place. It looked good on my wall, but I thought it would look better with another piece next to it. So I took a small plastic frame I had, painted it, and made a print of a photo I took to place inside.

I love this little frame, and thought it would look great with a nice coat of red. Since I was out of red spray paint, and I am trying not to use it right now (baby bump and all), I just used red acrylic on this one too. Normally I would use Krylon spray paint on something like this. I didn't prime this one or even gloss coat it. Just two coats of Folk Art Lipstick Red acrylic paint and I was done.

I let it dry overnight and then placed my photo inside and hung it up with my other masterpiece. They are in my bathroom right now. Here is a pic of them on the wall together. Once I get some more art and decor in the bathroom I will show you a wider view of the room. But for now this should do.

I would like to warn you....if you come to my house and know this song you may want to close your eyes when you enter my bathroom. Hubby and I both come out of the bathroom with this song in our heads EVERY time. Usually we sing it or whistle it for a few minutes before we even realize what we are doing. I may change this up before too long, but for now i think it is just too cool to take down.

Giveaway Winner Announced

2011-12-19T21:29:00.000-06:00

Hi there! My internet service was down most of the day, so I didn't get around to making a list of entrants and drawing the winner until this evening. My little owl friend helped me. I wrote your names on strips of paper and drew one out of him.

And the winner is......

.....Katarzyna!!!! I have sent you an email. Please make sure to send me your address to

ispywithmycraftyeyes(at)live(dot)com

and I will send these brooches your way. Thanks to everyone who participated!!!! Keep an eye out for more giveaways in the New Year!!!!

Happy Holidays!!!

New Brooches - and a Giveaway!!!!!

2011-12-13T14:15:00.002-06:00

I made some new brooches the other day and thought I would make a couple extra for my lovely bloggy friends. I had to make 8 for a lady my husband works with, and I made two extra for a giveaway.

Here they are in progress, just before I added the backs and pins to them. I made two of each of the solid colors you see below.

The material for the solid colored roses is repurposed prom dress material. Very nice and thick. For the multi colored roses I used material I salvaged from a couple of shirts that originally belonged to a family member that I found in the attic in the 90s. I used to wear them a lot, but there is a lot more of Shayna than there used to be, lol, so they no longer fit me.

Here's another WIP shot, and a picture of the back of one of the brooches. The material is hand cut and the edges melted with a candle. Then I sew little beads in the center by hand. Next I glue a piece of recycled leather (from old jackets) to the back and glue a pin on top. I finish it off by gluing a little piece of leather over part of the pin to make sure it stays.

Now for the giveaway. To enter you must leave a comment below. For extra chances to win, you can do one or all of the following...

1. Follow my blog and leave me a note in your comment that you have done so (if you already follow just let me know in your comment that you are a follower and you too will get an extra chance).

2. You can also post a comment on my Flickr here for another chance to win.

3. Post a link to this on your own blog and leave me a link to your post in your comment.

International players are welcome. I will draw a winner on Monday, December 19th. Keep an eye out for the post, I will give the winner three days to respond with an email containing their address.

If your name is drawn, you will recieve both flowers shown below.

Thanks everyone!

It's a boy!!!!

2011-12-07T11:42:00.001-06:00

Hey there my bloggy friends! Just thought I would share some ultrasound pics of our little boy.

His name is Grayson Phoenix Butler. That's my hubby's choice. I got to name the first child, Talula Renae Butler (she is 2 and loves the baby in Mommy's belly). We are so excited!!!!!! I am 18 weeks along and due on May 7th, 2012.

Foggy Weather

2011-12-06T19:19:00.000-06:00

We are having some sloppy, messy weather today and it sure did bring the temperature down outside. Here are a few pictures I took of the foggy afternoon we had today. This is my back yard.

Only thing we need to make this perfect are some creepy zombies out there somewhere....

Or some sparkly vampires.

On a brighter note, tomorrow hubby and I will go in to my OB to find out what we are having. Yes, for those of you who did not know, I am pregnant. This is my 18th week, so maybe we will luck up and see enough to tell if it is a boy or girl. Our two-year-old daughter Lula will go with us. We are very excited! I will let you guys know what we find out.

Skull Flower/Mandala - WIP

2011-11-30T13:06:00.003-06:00

Here's a new project I am working on. It is very similar to my owl flower - it is made the same way. I start out with a drawing and estimate how many times I want to repeat it. I then size and photocopy the drawing, create a flower center, and make a mock up with lots of tape and cut out photocopies. Then I place it on my Lighttracer II light box to trace the final drawing. Here is a photo of this step with the skull flower.

The next step is to trace the outline of the flower with a pencil. I also add on to the drawing if I feel it is necessary. I added a little heart tip to the petals of the center flower and some tiny flowers on the outside to make the drawing a little more full, and to tie the skull nose design in with the center flower.

When I am done with the pencil drawing I start to ink the entire illustration, starting with the outlines then filling everything in. Before I would use a Staedtler pen set to do this, and I would burn through a set with every drawing. Now I have my Koh-i-noor 7 pen Rapidograph set and I get more even lines, better details, and I don't have to worry about buying a $15 pen set for each drawing. The pens were expensive ($70 at Hobby Lobby after a 40% off coupon), but they will pay for themselves after 5 drawings, and I really prefer them. Here are a few pictures of the inking process.

I am not quite done with this one, but when I get done I will post a picture for you to see. I was hoping to have this one displayed in my house, but my good friend Julie has already spoken for it. I do plan to make another one for our home, especially since hubby really likes it.

Cloth Paper Scissors Pages - My Art Published!!!!!!

2011-11-28T15:02:00.000-06:00

So excited to share with you guys that my art has been published in the premiere issue of Cloth Paper Scissors Pages! I just received my complimentary copy of the magazine today!

I have been reading Cloth Paper Scissors since the first issue in 2004. I love the magazine and it has been a dream of mine to have my art featured in it. These books were originally sent in for the Mini Book challenge that was published in the Jan/Feb 2011 issue. I was sorta bummed to find I was not published with the challenge until I found out that my books might be published in Pages.

The magazine is awesome! It is so bright and colorful and features tons of books and art! My favorite article so far is "Vintage Inspiration" by Renee Rogers. I can't wait to get some of my vintage papers and books out and give it a try. If you need inspiration, Pages is packed with 144 exciting pages of it. You can order it from the Interweave store here, or check out your local bookstore to see if they carry it. I know the Books-A-Million in our county does.

New Pens!!!! - Koh-i-noor Rapidograph Set

2011-11-03T12:31:00.001-05:00

Wow guys, I am super excited!!!! Hubby is pastor at a local church called Faith Tabernacle, and we celebrated pastor appreciation Sunday. We had a guest speaker (Brother Thrasher) and a nice dinner. The church not only gave hubby a love offering, but me one as well. And do they know me or what? They got me a Hobby Lobby gift card! I was so touched I cried. They knew I love to make jewelry, but I decided to use the card on something I have wanted for a while but have not had the extra money to invest in - a set of Koh-i-noor Rapidograph pens. There happened to be a 40% off coupon running this week, so I did not have to wait long at all to get this set of wonderful pens.

I read online for a couple of days to make sure this was really what I wanted. After reading about 100 reviews I found there was basically two types of people - those who love Rapidograph pens, and those who hate them. Really. Here is a basic set of complaints: the pens are hard to fill, the nibs break too easily, the pens clog easily and when they do the pen is ruined, too expensive, the components are too fragile. But most people who enjoy the pens have used them for years and have found with proper care and maintenance the pens can last for years. One reviewer had a set of pens for nearly 30 years! Basically if you clean your pens often, use them regularly or clean the ink out of them between uses, don't draw too hard with them (they require only a light hand), and don't shake them, they will last for a long time.

I read reviews and watched videos of people using the pens. I also did a Google search and a Flickr search of illustrations and drawings done with Rapidograph pens. By the time I went Tuesday to pick them up I was practically drooling!!!!!

I got them home, opened them, scanned over the directions, and started filling. I found that could not get the reservoir off the pen. I tried but couldn't open any of them. I reread the instructions and they said to remove the reservoir with a "slight twist." I tugged and strained for a moment, then went back to the instructions. Duh!!!! I had really just glanced at the pictures - which are in black and white. I was forgetting to unscrew the colored clamp ring from the holder. So simple once I figured that out.

I got my pens filled and started doodling. Here is an illustration I did with the .25 and .50 sizes.

And one I did using just the .30 size.

I love how much detail I can get with these pens. So far the performance is far superior to any of the pigment liners I have tried. The line width is consistent, and the ink flows easily. My pen set came with Trans-Mix Media Brilliant Ink which I like, but I would like to try Koh-i-noor's india ink as well.

One thing I did not find was a close up of the tips or nibs of these pens. So I thought I would post one of the smallest and one of the largest tips. Click on these pictures for a full view.

Wow, so far these pens are awesome!!!! One thing I did notice is that one of my pens leaked a bit. It was the one I used the most yesterday, but I also notice that the clamp ring was loose. I cleaned it and tightened the clamp ring. I will keep you guys posted on these pens and their performance.

New Lino Cut - Submission for Cloth Paper Scissors

2011-10-24T11:45:00.000-05:00

I am so excited about the current Reader's Challenge for Cloth Paper Scissors! It's the Carve It Up! Challenge and you can read all about it here. To sum it up, you can use any carving material you wish and make a stamp that is 6"x6" or smaller, make a print, and mail it to their offices. I decided to use linoleum for my carving material so I can also offer prints of the image as freebies in my shop. I like it because it is firm and durable, and I can readily find it already mounted to a board.

Here are the sketches I prepared for my carving. The smaller one is the original, and the larger one I resized with my all-in-one printer and did a bit more doodling on. The sketch is actually a reverse image of my original pencil sketch. You have to remember that when you print it your image will be a mirrored image of what you carve.

Once I had my basic sketch the size I wanted it, I used carbon paper to transfer it to my linoleum. I use a Staedtler carving tool in size 1V to carve more detailed cuts, and a larger V tool I got in a wood carving kit at WalMart to do the larger cuts.

Here is a picture of the carved linoleum.

I did a test run of prints, but I think I will do another run before I select my favorite print to send off to the Cloth Paper Scissors offices. Here is the first run of prints.

Keep an eye out for my post of the second run because I will be giving away four of these prints! Until then, here is a closeup of the print. It is a 4"x6" image on a piece of 5"x7" drawing paper.

Skull and Sparrows - New Painting

2011-10-21T22:17:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine requested an original painting. She wanted a Day of the Dead inspired painting that combined a sugar skull, sparrows, daisies, swirls, and rainbow colors. I did a bit of research and here is the thumbnail sketch I came up with.

This painting took me forever to do. I experimented with a few different techniques, and they took me a long time to figure out. First I worked on my backgound layers, a step that I had previously not put much effort into. I was inspired by a video by Regina Lord of Creative Kismet. You can view the video here. I collaged layers of sketchbook paper with gel medium, coated them with a light brushing of gesso, then added some yellow with watercolor crayon. I wish I had taken of photo of this step, but I did not.

Next I did an underpainting in white. I have never done this, but after seeing this underpainting by David Lozeau I decided to give it a try. You'll notice his is much, much, much more detailed than mine. It was more work, but I like how it brightened all of the colors in my final layer. Here's the underpainting.

Next I did a sketch in pencil over the underpainting to use as a guide. This is usually where I start, then I do detail work, then try to paint the background in. You can imagine that this really limited the amount of detail I was able to include in my background. I much prefer this newer method.

Once the sketch was down, I began painting. I also had two lovely birdies to paint. These were thrifted vintage, and I believe they were from Homco circa 1970-something. They were golden, so I added layer of gesso and painted the the same colors as the sparrows in the painting. Here's the end result.

I learned a lot with this piece, but most of all I learned that acrylic is a labor of love. I think my next project may be watercolor, or maybe just a simple ink drawing. I need a break! Hey, let me whine just a little bit. I am 11 weeks pregnant and exhausted.

Mini Books - New Set

2011-10-09T10:53:00.006-05:00

A while back I made some Mini Books for a Reader's Challenge for Cloth Paper Scissors. I was announced as a finalist and mailed my books off to CPS. I did not get published with the Reader's Challenge, but my books are still on hold awaiting possible publication in a new Cloth Paper Scissors magazine called Pages. Waiting paitently to find out about that. And Since Pages is supposed to debut in November 2011, I should know pretty soon.

Here is a peek at one of the Mini Books that I sent off - titled A Bold Love.

I decided to make a few more of these for the festival I set up for October 1st. Here is a picture of the covers and rosette centers before baking. They are made of Sculpey clay that has been textured with random objects.

I used 140 lb watercolor paper for the pages. The paper in my original version was painted with Dr. Ph. Martin's hyrdus watercolors, but I chose to skip this step to cut down on production time. Here's a picture of the accordion pages cut and folded with corners rounded.

Once the covers were baked I painted them with several layers of acrylic paint and added Prima paper flowers for embellishment. Here are some pictures of the finished products.

I have a few of these listed in our I Spy Shop, so stop by if they catch your eye.

Charmed Brass Book Necklaces - WIP

2011-10-06T07:00:00.005-05:00

Okay, I finished these last week for a festival, but I don't have pictures of the finished necklaces. I sold a few, but I will get some photos of the remaining necklaces and post them later. Until then, here is a look at them in progress.

Here are the charms that hang over the cover of the books. I used antiqued brass filigrees from aka Lula Beads, vintage West German stackable flower beads from Lee Bell, and resin cabachons from aka Lula Beads. I put these together using my secret weapon, a scrapbooking brad. Yup, that's right. Works a lot better than a head pin, but a lot of times I have to increase the size of the hole in my components with a small diamond file so the brad fits through. These were attached to small jump rings.

Here is a picture of the books without embellishments, and one of the crazy way I went about sorting them and keeping them separate. The brass covers are made from blanks that came with a few sets of vintage brass stencils that I had. I cut them with metal snips and sanded them for a smooth edge. I used 140 lb. cold pressed watercolor paper for the pages. Each book has about 24 sheets.

Pretty books all in a row, waiting for their embellishments.

And the assembled pendants ready for soldering (of the handmade jump rings), then chain.

Published in ArtTrader Magazine!!!!

2011-10-03T15:30:00.003-05:00

Hey guys, my Embellished Paper Bead Mandrel article is featured in the new issue of ArtTrader Magazine. I am super excited - this is my first published article! ArtTrader is a free online magazine available for download in PDF format. You can find my article in Issue 16 - Fall 2011 here. But don't stop there - each issue has tons of beautiful art, helpful tips, and how-to article that will knock your socks off. Take a minute and add this site to your favorites - I know I keep going back for more!

I have a few of these mandrels in little kits in my etsy shop, i spy with my crafty eyes, so stop by and check them out!

A big thank you to Sal Scheibe and everyone else at ArtTrader Mag for featuring my article in this lovely magazine - and for offering it to us free! Keep up the good work!

You can also find awesome workshops and digital downloads for your mixed media art, so explore the site. And check out their sister sites ATCs for All (for some great trading) and Illustrated ATCs (for a jurored trading community).

Files and Journal Organized

2011-08-25T02:30:00.003-05:00

With all the organizing going on around here I thought I would organize my office papers. I had all kinds of papers just piled up and crammed in the shelf that now houses my important studio tools and supplies. So they had to go somewhere. I now have a filing system going for all my papers, like hubby's JoonBuggy shop, my future I Spy shop, my poems and songs, my novel notes (yes, one day I plan to write a novel - with my sister), short story notes, sketches, photography, and so on. Here's a peek into my file folder.

Wow, it's so organized I almost don't believe it's mine. I also had lots of scraps of short poems, little doodles, and word and craft ideas and inspirations that needed to go into my journal. I cut them all out and taped them down or just wrote them into my journal. I got several pages done, but here are four of my favorites.

Studio Relocated and Organized

2011-08-24T01:01:00.000-05:00

Wow guys, we just made some big changes to our creative spaces here in the Butler household. Here was our old space together, with my art studio on one wall and his music studio on the other. There was too much going on in one room for either of us to create.

So hubby and I made a deal. I would move into the dining room if we could get me a new desk and get rid of the dining room table we never used. Then he would have the entire studio to himself. With my art in the dining room, that meant my storage had to be in the washroom. We put up shelves, bought a desk (thrift store find), and almost killed each other trying to move everything around and sort stuff out. I had to purge a lot of unused art supplies and junk. Now I have a great space that I can grow into and decorate. What do you think so far?

It's not nearly as colorful yet as my old space, but it will get there. And look how much more room I have on this desk to work!!!!!! It is solid wood and shaped like a drafting table. What a great find for $25. I'm telling you, I dreamed about a desk so close to this one it's freaky. In my dream the desk was the same shape and same color wood with storage underneath similar to this one. The one in my dream had a bit more storage though. But how crazy is that? I love it!!! Hubby is so sweet, he took some of his studio money to buy it for me.

The Procrastinator Blues

2011-08-21T12:22:00.001-05:00

I force my hand onto a piece of paper

Strain to create

Feel a failure and mope all day

Then by grace I dig up treasures

Piled under assorted stacks of duty

That I have put off

Sometimes I feel a spark

When I breathe some air on these coals

Sometimes they are cold and hard

Like diamonds

Just pretty little rocks

So much work left to reveal the sparkle

I cut

Facet after facet

Too many things left undone

I Love Vintage!!!!!!

2011-08-09T12:31:00.002-05:00

And if you love Vintage items too, you should stop by my hubby's shop - JoonBuggy - where you can find vintage books, vintage home decor, and a few mixed media/assemblage supplies. His name is Brandon, and he's very funny, friendly, and cute!

If you stop by and make a purchase, be sure to use this 10% off coupon code for my blog fans!

ISPYBLOG

Lino Cut Owl

2011-08-06T05:05:00.001-05:00

With sales slowing down to a hault in my hubby's Etsy shop, JoonBuggy, I decided to give buyers an incentive to purchase books from our shop. I will soon be introducing a print of my owl lino cut as a freebie to those who buy any book from his shop.

This is the sketch I started with. I used carbon paper to transfer the drawing to the lino surface. I had to stop when I was half done and start over again because I forgot to transfer the reverse image to the carving surface and I did not like this guy as well in reverse.

Here is the lino halfway through the carving process.

I finished the carving and did a test print, but I really need a good brayer. I have spots in each print that have less ink, and I also have places where the ink fills the carved lines. This is all because the brayer I am using is a cheap plastic brayer that is very uneven. It even has a few indentions in it. Yikes. I also forgot to sand the protective coating off the linoleum before I got started which causes the ink to kinda pool up on the surface. Next time I will make sure to do more research before starting a project with an unfamiliar technique!

Here is the finished carving and a (sorry excuse for a) test print.

I believe I can make this work with a good brayer. If not I will recarve this cute guy again. Live and learn, right?

Pillows - As Promised

2011-08-01T17:52:00.003-05:00

So here is a peek at the pillows I have been making. I did these right, with pillow forms and covers so I can wash them whenever my daughter decides to smear blueberries on them or leave a piece of candy on top of one. Or just in case hubby spills cereal or something on them, lol.

Here is a picture of all the decor for the living room piled up into one place. I had to move everything into the dining room so I could paint the living room.

And here is a picture of everything semi-arranged. I still need to get a better rug for the floor and some matching coffee tables.

Not the best picture, sorry, but the light in our living room gave up the ghost and needs to be replaced.

Introducing Ruby

2011-07-29T12:34:00.032-05:00

I have finally gotten around to naming my jewelry. This design is called Ruby, and here you see Cotton Candy, Carnival Ride, and Ticket to the Circus.

Don't they look fun on this turquoise vintage typewriter? These are made with West German vintage flower components on antique brass filigrees. I use 18 gauge patina brass wire from Susan Olivio from her Etsy shop solivio. She is awesome, and her wire is beautiful and shipping is super fast.

These will go in my stash right now while I prepare for a local show in October or maybe closer to Christmas time.

New Painting

2011-07-25T14:01:00.002-05:00

No posts since February? That's horrible isn't it? Well I have been very busy though and have lots to share with you. I am in the process of decorating my house on a very, very tight budget. So most of the items I add will be hand made or thrifted.

If you go back among my posts you will notice my first attempts at pillow making. These sad creatures have been put out of their misery and their fluff transplanted into new ones. I will post on these soon. But first, here is a peek at my latest painting.

I needed a center piece for my living room, so I bought some canvas and went to work. Thank you Hobby Lobby for 30% off sales! With no home church and no job I have felt like a plant pulled from the roots and drug around by some weirdo gardener who isn't sure where to put me. So roots have been on my mind. And cities. Always Jerusalem, beautiful and new waiting for her decent to her proper place in our world. So I knew I wanted a city with roots in mid-air. And since I have traveled abroad twice, both times landing in Frankfurt, Germany I decided to use her skyline as inspiration for my levitating city. I typed "frankfurt, germany silhouette" into the google machine and did an image search and did a rough sketch of the coolest one I saw. It is by Luigi Di Serio and you can find it here - scroll down and it is the third photo.

Here is my sketch and a color test.

I am glad I used the color test as inspiration, but found this picture did not go as planned. Funny how that happens, huh? But I am pleased with the result. Here is a photo of the tri-panel during the third layer, the addition of the city silhouette.

And the finished project.

I think it almost looks like a battleship, what do you think?

Pillows!!!!!

2011-02-11T19:17:00.000-06:00

Here are some of the pillows I have been working on. Most of them are reversable so we can change the look up when we get bored.

This black one is painted with acrylic paint. I know, not very comfy. But it looks pretty! The small colorful one is made from a batik print with a crocheted doily that I dyed black sewn on to it. These sit in our recliner.

The small flower pillows are painted with acrylic paint on canvas. The small ones are more of the batik material with dyed doilies sewn on them. And the big one was quilted with my new free motion foot that I got for my Brother sewing machine. Very fluffy and comfy.

The black one here is the back of the quilted pillow. The medium sized ones are the back of the acrylic painted flowers above. I painted these with acrylic as well and hand painted lyrics to some of our favorite songs on them.

I have had a blast making these pillows! What's silly is that my hubby is scared to use them. Lol.

More Wall Art

2011-02-02T01:52:00.001-06:00

Yay, I have quite a bit of work done on the livingroom in our house. Here is the painting I did for the wall above our couch......

Here is the painting half way through.

And finished, with a side view so you can see how it wraps around. I painting the entire painting and frame white. Then I projected an image on it with my Art Tracer, and painted over my lines with black gloss paint.

The finished product hung on my wall.

I have also hung four framed prints on the same wall, but have not gotten around to photographing the complete wall yet. I am now in the process of making pillows for the couch, so I have been a bit preoccupied.

The TV wall paintings.

These are now complete (well, all but one) and hung already, but I haven't taken a pic of them either. For these I took three macro pictures, turned them into black and white and played with the brightness and contrast. Then I projected the images with my Art Tracer, traced, and painted.

I have lots going on right now, and I can't wait to get some good pictures and share with you guys! In the works right now...lots of pillows, and a 4x5 foot rug. What? I know, sounds crazy. And if I manage to pull it off I will take lots of pictures!

Wall Art

2011-01-13T22:29:00.001-06:00

My house is in desperate need of new wall art. Since I have to be very thrifty right now, I will be making all of it myself instead of purchasing (which I really wish I could do). Here are the plans I have drawn up so far for three of the main walls in my house.

TV Wall

This is the wall I look at most when I am in the living room. Right now I have family photos over the TV, but I plan on moving them into the hall. I got plenty of frames for Christmas, so I will fill my hallway with tons of lovely family memories. What to do with this bare wall? I have color in mind, lots of contrasting bold color. I plan to take three photo images from my personal stash and turn them into black and white silhouette images. Then I will trace them, project them onto canvas, and color them in with two contrasting colors. More of that to come!

Piano Wall

This wall is in my dining room, and has been totally bare for months now. I have a huge vintage frame I plan on using to create a faux "butterfly display." You know, the ones made from vintage sheet music or cutesy scrapbook paper. Okay, I know. These are sooooo overdone right now and it is not an original idea. But I LOVE them!!!!!! I have wanted one since the first time I saw one on some random blog forever ago. And my husband says he does not mind the butterflies, so I am going for it!!!!!!! And flanking my display will be two canvases with sugar skulls. My husband and I both have a thing for them. These will probably be done last.

Couch Wall

I think we will be going for idea number two. I have an old canvas that has been repainted four times - soon to be five. I think I can get one more use out of it. It has a really neat texture because of a coat of plaster of paris I added on painting #3. It will be painted white (frame and all) and I plan to paint tree silhouettes over it in gloss black. On either side we will have 5X7 prints of some macro photos I did last year in 8x10 frames. Here is a set we might use......

Well, that's where I am at so far. I will keep you guys posted as I make some progress!!!!

New Project!!!!! Owl Flower

2010-12-28T00:05:00.000-06:00

I am currently working on another owl project. I just finished a couple of commissioned pieces for a friend and that got me in the mood to try something a little more tedious and time consuming - and ultimately more rewarding. So I got out an original sketch and my light projector and went to work. Here are a few pictures of the progress I have made.

It's an owl flower, or mandala, or whatever. Hubby says I draw a lot of circles. I guess it's true. I love to make these flower drawings, they look to me like figures gathering, dancing, around one center, one goal, one fire, one story. Maybe they are getting ready to sing their heart songs.

I will update when I have made more progress. I plan on loading a few extra photos onto my Flickr photostream, so check it out if you wanto to see more.

Lark Book Review by Lorena Angulo (and Giveaway!)

2010-12-17T09:21:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite jewelry making artists is having a giveaway of two excellent books on metal jewelry making. Stop by her blog for a chance to win!!!!

If you are looking into a hobby or career of jewelry making, I suggest you stop by Lorena's blog and have a looksy. She reviews the following books in the Lark catalogue. Since she already owns two of the books Lark sent her to review, she will be giving away the copies of those that she received.

Please go to Lorena's blog post for more details. There you can comment for a chance to win.

Love handmade jewelry? Lorena makes the most beautiful jewelry inspired by Mexican culture and folklore. Check out her Flickr photostream and Etsy shop!

Mixed Media Toe Nails?

2010-09-27T02:47:00.000-05:00

Okay, so please tell me if this is carrying mixed media too far. I just could not bare the look of plain white French manicure nails. They are just not me. So I had to dress them up a bit. I did details on my toes since I am not ambidextrous enough to accomplish the task on my fingernails.

I added white nail polish for the tips, coated with a layer of clear coat, then added details in black acrylic paint and white gel pen. It all took well and did not smear when i added clear topcoat to seal it up. Fun!

Please note that my little toe did not make it into the picture because it sticks up. I mean it. I have freaky pinky toes. Don't judge me! I didn't make you look at them. Just imagine a perfect pinky toe to the right and pretend I didn't say anything.

Macro Photos for Etsy Packaging

2010-07-10T03:33:00.001-05:00

I am working on getting my Etsy shop going, and I have been making tags and preparing kits for sale. I have a couple of sets of macro shots that I print out and use for packaging my art kits, and I will also probably sell ATC sets of them as well. Here are a couple of my faves. I have more in my Flickr photostream if you want to check them out. Pay attention to the different copyrights, because I have some of my macros set up with attribution non-commercial creative commons licenses. That means you can feel free to use my images in your art as long as (1) it is non-commercial and (2) you credit me for the original image. So feel free to grab these images and play around with them in your art.

And here is a picture of the tags I am working on for my delux beadmaking kits.

The top circle is made from ShrinkyDinks, and the second from Sculpey original clay. So, what do you think?

Owl ATCs Made for atcsforall.com swap

2010-02-23T07:51:00.001-06:00

I think I got these guys made too late for the swap, but I thought I would post them anyway. I really enjoyed making these. They are done with watercolor, ink, and gel pen on 140 lb watercolor paper.

Crafty Tip: Handmade Envelope Templates

2010-01-26T08:05:00.005-06:00

I have a thing for repurposing items. I hate throwing anything away. So when I found some old presentation folders around my house I saw potential; I knew I could do something with them. It wasn't until a few weeks later after shopping for stencils that I found their purpose.

Hanging in front of me in the store were stencil blanks, the kind you use for cutting your own stencils. I bought some and brought them home only to realize they were not unlike the plastic the folders were made out of. The only difference is that the folders are thicker. Perfect for envelope templates, and very colorful!

I used a template from Mirkwood Designs for my pattern. Ruthann has templates for several different projects (like ATC envelopes, miniature envelopes, take out boxes, triptych cards, the list goes on).

I printed one out, cut it out, and cut my folder in the shape of the envelope. Then I used a sharpie marker to mark the folding lines on the plastic and write the directions down on it.

This is great to have around the house, and is also an excellent extra for mail swaps!

Mirkwood designs offers the patterns for free for personal use, but if you are able to please help her keep the site going with a donation. She is set up to receive donations through paypal, which makes it convenient (and safe). Just make sure to give credit where it is due (I put Ruthann's web site on this one since I will most likely add it to a trade envelope).

Ruthann also has a fun and informative blog/podcast. Stop by and check out her free projects and tutorials for paper crafts and fiber art (and the occasional receipe). Fun!

Some Old Artwork

2009-11-05T13:12:00.002-06:00

Here's some old Shayna art for you. The owl is from March 2008, the pink and blue swirls from 2001 or 2002, and the roses from 2008. Just found these in a notebook last night. I had forgotten all about them.

And the winner is

2009-11-02T22:09:00.002-06:00

Susan!

Okay it ended up being a coin toss instead of a drawing, but the winner is Susan! Congrats, your card will be mailed out by the end of the week!

ATC Giveaway!!!

2009-10-26T23:17:00.003-05:00

Here's a new card I made. It is on 120lb cold-pressed watercolor paper. The background is brown acrylic with Pearl Ex over a watercolor wash. The centerpiece is a polymer clay face wrapped with 24 and 20 gauge copper wire. This card will be given away Monday, November 2nd. For a chance to win, just leave me a comment below with your email address. I will draw a name and notify the winner by email.

2009-10-26T23:02:00.004-05:00

These are some ATCs I have received. The first is from Mafiosagrrl. It's called "Silver Lining." Love all the extras she sent! Check out her photostream here and her blog here. The second is from hopeless shade. It is a dress made from Ferrero Rocher wrappers. Love it! Check out her photostream here. You can see more of her art on her web page. The third is from ATC Greengiraffe; it is called "Usagi Kokeshi." Check out her blog and photostream. The fourth is from Roo2007. She sent an extra (which I was extra delighted to find!). Not only does she make beautiful mixed media cards, but also lovely hand drawn ones as well. I had to get one of each! You can find her photostream here.

These cards are all so beautiful and well-crafted. I look forward to trading with each of these ladies again in the near future!

First ATC Swap

2009-10-23T11:18:00.005-05:00

These are the cards I received from Margaret Roche. They are even more lovely in person. This is my first trade. In fact, I made my cards in hopes of trading with her. She trades a lot, and keeps a fabulous blog. You should check it out! waterblossoms

Latest Swaps

2009-10-16T20:31:00.005-05:00

These are my latest ATCs to swap out. They are for roo2007, ATC Greengiraffe, hopeless shade, and Mafiagrrl. I will put them in the mail tomorrow. Each set has an ATC, an ATC envelope, an ATC-sized thank you card, and a little scrap for collage or background. I am looking forward to the cards I will be receiving in exchange. Will post pics of them as soon as they arrive.

First ATCs

2009-10-14T01:09:00.005-05:00

These are some of my first ATCs. I posted them on Facebook and have traded these guys out so far. Can't wait to get the lovely cards in the mail from Roo and Margaret. These mail out tomorrow.

My Art Closet

2009-06-07T00:21:00.004-05:00

This is my newly organized art closet. I bought some shelves from Lowe's and put them up myself. I took an idea from Better Homes and Gardens and used Scrabble tiles to label my different categories of art supplies. This was a lot of work, and it turned my house into a disaster area for a couple of weeks while I sorted everything out, but it was worth it!

New Painting

2009-06-07T00:16:00.005-05:00

This is a new painting I did for my office. I work at home, so I need to bring in a little more color to my room.

Butterfly Macrame Journal

2009-01-06T13:19:00.009-06:00

Here are some pic of my Butterfly Journal I just finished. I just got some Dr. Ph. Martin's Hydrus watercolors (Christmas present from hubby!) and had to try them out. I am very pleased with them.

If you have thought about getting a set, don't hesitate. I got mine from Cheap Joe's (around $50 for a set of 1oz bottles), and they are fabulous! They are liquid, easy to use, and super concentrated. And very vibrant!

Belly Cast Before Painting

2009-01-06T13:17:00.001-06:00

My cousin's preggie belly cast I did for her. Should get it painted soon!

paper mache mess

2008-12-29T13:32:00.003-06:00

Okay, so a few months ago I decided to make a paper mache bust for displaying handmade jewelry. I had made paper before, but never a dimensional object. It went really well until the second application of paper when (because I built no base) the bust started closing in on itself at the bottom. Being an always calm and collected person (ha), I started peeling the paper mush off and threw it onto my fridge. My husband thought it was funny.

I wish I had a picture of the darn thing after I took it apart.

life is good-let me tell you why

2008-12-28T23:45:00.003-06:00

My name is Shayna, and I am 29 years old. I had a scare last year that involved the big "C" word, and endured a surgery and 6 treatments of chemotherapy. It has been 9 months since my last chemo, and my husband and I recently found out I am pregnant (7 weeks right now). Life is good. I love to draw, paint, write, sing, sew and laugh. I hope that when I get over this dreadful nausea I will be interested in doing these things more often, but it has put a hold on my creativity! This is my first blogging experience, and I am looking forward to exploring and finding like minds! Hope to talk with you soon!