Tag : Second on the 2nd

36 posts

201710/02

A second look: 3D printed Catan board

I was talking with a co-worker today about game nights…be it family, friends, youth groups or whatever group gets together to enjoy a bit of (hopefully) friendly competition, laughter and relationship building. She mentioned Settlers of Catan which is a favorite of mine. My family isn’t quite as excited about it. In fact sometimes they say in a very loving way….”Oh sure if we just want to watch mom play. ” I may have won by a landslide a few times….not that anyone is keeping track. ;)

Anywho…I thought I’d share for this month’s Second on the 2nd my WIP Catan board pieces.

Take a look….

I’ve working on painting all of the Settlers of Catan pieces in between playing nursemaid. Mini-me has influenza. I’m beginning to think that Typhoid Mary is camped out in our house.

See those little tiny bits of white in the green hex tiles. Those are teeny tiny sheep..complete with black faces. I have to take off my glasses and hold the tile a couple inches from my face to see to paint them. BAH!!! Getting older isn’t for the faint of heart.

The attention to detail is worth it in the end though. Once I get all the pieces completed, we’ll decide in the border color for all the tiles. It must be consistent throughout the tiles. I’m leaning towards a cream to taupe tone so that the paint job on each will really pop.

I also have to share this Model T Mr. G printed. He had to modify the original CAD file as it wasn’t going to print correctly. He designed the wheels, axle pieces and the mounts for the axles.

The penny is for scale. This is for a history presentation J is doing today. He and his partner thought a 3D model would add some punch to their project.

Time for a bit of tea before some errands and more nursemaid duty. I’ll do my best to get around to visit my T stands for Tuesday friends as soon as I can.

What are you doing today?

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Second on the 2nd

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halleday

201708/02

A second look: Art Journal vs Altered book

This month for Second on the 2nd I wanted to reshare or perhaps rehash the debate over art journals vs altered books. Let me know your thoughts.

Take a look….

Over the years there seems to have been a shift in the verbiage used to describe the process of taking a book of little or no use and making it into a piece of art. Or perhaps it could even be a book with great meaning to you and you want to express yourself within it. Either way…you are altering it from it’s original purpose. Hence the name altered book, right?! But the line has been blurred as mixed media and collage entered the scrapbook and paper arts world. I’m not saying this is a bad thing…more products, techniques, blogs and tutorials out there. Mixed media entered the main stream. Along with that is where the shift happened from altered books to art journals.

I’ve always felt (and still do) that explaining to outsiders what an altered book was bordered on exhausting at times. I’d, all too often, get a blank stare from the person I was talking to about my new passion. Somehow changing the way I described what I was doing as art journaling made more sense to my audience. Oh, it’s just art in journal form. Sure, if that makes it easier for you to understand…I’m cool with that.

For me, I feel as if the difference between an altered book and an art journal has a couple different facets. An altered book must first of all have been a written and published book. Secondly, for it to be an altered book, it has a theme. Such as this Vintage Fashion altered book….which happens to be the first round robin altered book swap I ever participated in. Too bad postage costs have skyrocketed since then.

After completing a few themed altered books, I began creating pages randomly with no theme. Just a place to play and be creative. Somewhere along the line I started calling my “no theme” altered books, art journals. It seemed easier or perhaps more logical way to describe them once I heard more about art journals.

For me, I feel an art journal can be comprised of any substrate. Plain or scrapbook paper, card stock, bound journal, moleskin, cardboard. You name it…it’s likely been tried…as well as, you guessed it….published books. This causes the dreaded crossover…well, is it an art journal or an altered book? I feel as if I’m talking in circles.

I think what it comes down to is personal preference. It is art after all. You can call it whatever you want. We all define what we think is art in very different ways. You aren’t going to please everyone and you shouldn’t try. Art is an expression of yourself. There are no hard and fast rules…which is why I got interested in altered art 11 years ago.

So there you have it…my opinion on the difference between an altered book and an art journal. What is your take on this subject? Do you agree or have another ideas? I’d love to hear your opinions.

Art | Blog | Creativity

Altered book, art journal, Second on the 2nd

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halleday

201705/02

T Tuesday: twofer post

We’re having a collision of posts today. T stands for Tuesday and Second on the 2nd.

Last week was very emotional for me… mom was doing very poorly, had fallen 3 times in less than 2 days and basically could no longer be left alone. I found a care center for her to move into but had to wait for all the paperwork to go through. I became mom’s nursing assistant in the interim. Now she is settled into her new place. Currently, I am working on cleaning out her apartment. Mini-me helped me box up her teacup collection. You’ll be seeing more of those as the weeks move along. I was inspired to dig up a post about some teacups mom’s gifted to me long ago.

Take a look….

1/25/2011

My mom surprised me with a small box of “orphaned” cups and saucers last week. (ah…who is it that used that term on their blog!!!)

She said…” Don’t know what you’ll do with these but I’m sure you’ll find something. Or else sell them.”

This one was in instant favorite for me. It looks like a mug but is very small in size.

I know this cup is very old. I’m hanging onto this one as is. It will find a home in my lawyers cabinet when I’m not using it.

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That’s it for today. As I mentioned before, I’ll be busy emptying mom’s apartment today. Then *gulp* a meeting after school with J and an army recruiter. I’m not certain that is the route he wants to pursue but it doesn’t hurt to get the info.

What are you doing today?

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Second on the 2nd, T Tuesday

13 Comments

halleday

201701/02

A second look: what I love about altered books

For this first edition of Second on the 2nd for 2017 I thought we’d take a second look at a post that highlights all the things I love about altered books and/or art journals. The altered book in this post is my Nature themed altered book I created following the AB 101 weekly lessons presented by our lovely hostess Elizabeth. Yes, I had created altered books previous to this but it was fun to follow along and be “forced” to try new techniques through the lessons along the way.

Take a look:

10/6/2009

I love the slightly wavy pages from layers of paint, glue and 3D embellishments.

I love how the edges get all gunked up with various colors as I work through the book. Some could think this was a failure on my part to properly protect the other pages. To me it adds to the beauty.

Who could resist decorative edges?!? Not this girl.

I’m drawn to the way an altered book looks as it stands. It tends to pop open a bit so you get a little peek at what’s inside. Delicious.

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This book permanently lays on a side table highlighting the decorated edge. It makes me happy to see it there all wavy and wonky with shiny bits and babbles just daring you to pick it up.

Art | Blog | Creativity

A second look: rusting result

Today for Second on the 2nd I’m sharing a second look at rusted fabric. This was the first time I tried this technique and was quite pleased with the results. Since then I’ve rusted more fabric and even some watercolor paper.

Take a look…

6/20/2011

I just couldn’t wait any longer. I had to unwrap the fabric.

I’m going to leave them to dry in the yard for a little while.

Just look at all the rusty goodness…

And this…

Love it!!

My question now is…do I rinse the fabric or leave it as is? I love the look of it right now but don’t want to endanger myself or others if it should be rinsed.

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I did end up rinsing the fabric at the urging of Elizabeth…it faded a bit but was still quite glorious. This post reminds me that I need to ask Mr. G for some more scrap metal that I can use for rusting.

Blog | Creativity

fabric, lace, rusting, Second on the 2nd

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halleday

201610/02

A second look: Friendship

Today I’d like to share a second look at an assemblage I created a couple years ago. This is one of those pieces that I keep thinking I’m going to give as a gift or list in my etsy store but I just can’t seem to get myself to do it. In fact, it’s currently sitting right beside me on my desk.

Perhaps I need to make another similar piece so I can let go of this one.

Take a look….

6/4/2014

I spent some time on YouTube last week….likely sent there from Pinterest. (See why I try and stay away from the screens…I get lost…sidetracked…and waste oodles of time.) I often like watching “fast forwards” of journal pages, collage and painting. I’m most interested in seeing how people go from blank page to competed project. Not the particular products they use. Not to emulate what they did. Just the process. The stumbles. The bad choices of color or image and how they kept going and turned it into something amazing…or not.

I often search out new unique ideas in an effort to continue to use the stacks of book pages I’ve torn from my journals and salvaged books. Since I’d been using some paper flowers on my cards and other projects recently, I thought I should potentially make them from book pages myself. I found a rolled rose tutorial. The technique is very well explained yet I immediately deviated a bit from what she said. I’m not big on following the rules and directions. I prefer to make it up as I go along. 20140603_5026 This first one is made mostly like the tutorial states…so it’s a tightly rolled flower.

These are more my own style and lay much flatter…more useful in a variety of projects.

But the ones used in the project below are my first blossoms. I just had to see how some spray mists would look on them. Gorgeous! Now what…Well…I had picked up a bunch of embroidery hoops at a garage sale a couple weeks ago to add to my ever growing collection. I have a thing for circles. I can’t seem to pass them up. This hoop happened to roll onto my work surface and land on some glimmer mist splattered paper. The idea I had seen on YouTube popped into my head. An embroidery hoop as a frame. Of course, that video used 3 hoops and was a wall hanging scrapbook layout. Like I said…I use videos as inspiration…not copy.It’s a little bit vintage… a little bit shabby chic…and a whole lotta me. ;)

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Thanks for joining me today for Second on the 2nd.

Art | Blog | Creativity

assemblage, collage, embroidery hoop, friendship, mixed-media, paper flowers, Second on the 2nd

7 Comments

halleday

201609/02

A second look: Dream world

Today I’d like to give a second look to the art piece that I eventually edited to become my blog banner.

I know I’ve said it before about some of my other artwork but this is one of my favorites. I guess I should say that I have lots of favorites. Different mediums, styles, challenges, etc…they all seem to have a stand out for me. A piece that I’m happy to share over and over. Obviously, I’m happy with this one otherwise it wouldn’t have become my banner.

Take a look….

11/9/2009

I love playing in this board book. I’ve been using a Kelly Rae inspired background technique on all the pages. The book has no other theme or direction. Maybe I should call it Random Inspiration. Hey, I like that!