• Blog

    A second look: Favorite things

    August 2, 2015 - By 

    SecondlookI almost missed Second on the 2nd for the second time….that’s a lot of seconds! Fortunately I happened to look at the calendar a little bit ago. Did I mention that this summer is getting away from me?!?!

    This post is from October 2009…take a look

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    I recently got to take home this lawyers bookcase that belonged to my paternal Grandpa. I’ve always loved the cabinet. As a child, it sat in our guest room. It was filled with shells my mom had collected from her travels.


    I had something a little different in mind. I’ve filled it with my art and some of my favorite things that had been packed away until now.


    Recognize the bowl? It’s my handmade paper bowl. It’s the perfect size for some favorite rocks and my mom’s arrowhead collection.


    This may look familiar. I use this is my avatar in Google.


    This clock was one of first altered pieces. The swirl on top was hand carved by my husband’s Grandmother. She is an amazing artist.


    This was also a piece I made very early on in my artistic journey. It was my very first assemblage. The butterfly inside is another carving by Grandma Rose.


    My Road Trip book always makes me smile. This was my second round robin altered book. It took the better part of a year to make it’s way around the country before returning to me full of fun artwork.


    The bookcase is ever changing in it’s contents. I love to rearrange decorative elements in my house and am often drawn to using something totally unexpected for the space. I think it drives my husband a bit crazy at times. He’ll just give me that “ok…if you really think that looks good” look.

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    These are still some of my favorite things. The lawyers bookcase resides in a different spot and is slightly over loaded but I love it!

  • Blog

    A second look: Favorite art piece

    June 2, 2015 - By 

    Secondlook

    Welcome to Second on the 2nd where we take a look back at a previous blog post that deserves a second look.

    I decided to go way back for this one. I had considered re-posting my very first blog post but decided this one needed highlighting instead.

    The thing that struck me was that each of the items I shared in this post are still prominently displayed and used now 10 yrs after creating them.

    Take a look at the original post…

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    Favorite art piece question 

    April 15, 2007



    In Art Techniques yahoo group, the question was posed; What is your favorite art piece you’ve created? I was very surprised when I looked back through my photos that my favorite pieces were all created within a couple weeks of each other and even more surprising to me…they were created in 2005 when I just started on my artistic journey. Admittedly all the pieces are all very similar in coloring and design elements…but that makes sense since they were created so closely together. I can’t choose my favorite…the collage hangs in our living room, the clock sits on my desk and the binder keeps all my “important things” also on my desk.

    I’m so glad that this question was asked! It gives me a whole new direction to go. I need to go back to collage and maybe work more collage into my altered books and ATC’s.

  • Blog

    A second look: Travels postcard book

    May 2, 2015 - By 

    SecondlookThis month for Second on the 2nd I decided to share a second look at a postcard book…well, actually two books…I created to hold my postcard collection.

    The original post was dated July 13, 2011.  Come along for a trip down memory lane with me.

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    This spring I got back into swapping postcards on Swapbot.  Of course, they have other things to swap but I’ve had the most fun with postcards.

    Who doesn’t love getting mail, right?!

    What do you do with a big stack of postcards to make them a little more fun…

    You make a book!

    This book was a great size and had the perfect title.

    I made 3 tiny signatures and attached them to the cover with a pamphlet stitch. I used a dry adhesive tape runner on the front side of each of the postcards to “tip” them into the book.

    These postcards came from all over the globe…

    Places such as South Africa

    New Zealand

    Slovakia

    And as close as the next state.

    Years ago, before starting this blog, I made my first book to hold my postcards.

    Kind of a cheesy title….

    But I was happy with the the way a bound the signatures as well as attached envelopes to hold some extras.  Good thing too…the pockets are filled to the brim now.