Starting a New Class...

I have become addicted to something new, On-Line Classes, helping me pass the time until I retire.

I have now started Color Love 101 with Joanne Sharpe, my third with this instructor, she is fabulous, and am still finishing a class about how to get the most out of your die cutting machine with Jennifer McGuire.

I have taken about 10 of these very useful classes in the last 6 months. They are great because I can visit them at any time, anywhere and go back to any section as often as I like. I put the laptop right on my crafting table and work right along with the class halting the video when I need to catch up. It's great.

There is usually a group blog where you can share thoughts with others taking the class and an on-line gallery to see what other participants are doing with the same ideas you are learning.

Has my actual artwork improved.... hmmm... not sure. You see, I've been taking a lot of classes and so I'm kinda busy and maybe I'm not creating actual stuff as much as I was. LOL. Sort of like rearranging my craft room. If I change the furniture enough, I don't have to actually make something, it just looks like I'm being productive.

Anyway, Color Love 101 is all about using different mediums in your work, such as colored pencils, watercolored pencils and paints, acrylic paints, pastels and markers, to make bright backgrounds and illustrations. It should be lots of fun and I will be using lots of products to make some journals for the next 5 weeks.

I'll be posting some of my artwork here on a regular basis, I hope.

Thanks for stopping by.


www.onlinecardclasses.com Jennifer McGuire
http://joannezsharpe.blogspot.com/p/online-classes.html

A view of my craft room, 6/2012...

I love my craft room. It is more of an area than an actual room, a long, narrow section around and behind the stairs in our renovated downstairs. It is always visible which means I try  to
keep it neat and organized at all times. Not only do I store all my craft materials here, but, I also display some of my projects and collections. At its wider end, it is the destination to the patio, with two french doors (see photo 1). This does make for inconvenience at times, lots of things are dropped off on my crafting table- gardening tools, cat food, occasional bouquets. The doors face east/southeast and the morning light floods the area- hence the blinds on the doors.

Photo 2

So, moving to the right from the doors, Photo 2, here is the first storage rack holding everything from old acrylic paints to magazines to pre-made cards, eyelets and brads and my sewing machine. I have a clear shoe caddy that is filled with bits and pieces of ribbon that hangs off the free end. All color coordinated.


Moving to the right, this is my coloring desk Photo 3. Made up of Jet-Max cubes and white shelving, this spot has great light all year long for coloring. The windows overlook daffodils and tulips in spring and then the knock out rose bushes start to unfurl and have constant blooms through the summer. I can watch geese flying in the fall and the snow piles right up against the windows. This winter, I want to put a hanging bird feeder here, just have to watch out that the outdoor cats don't think of this as a fast food hangout.

Photo 3 Coloring desk.

Photo 4 Cats can't reach the glass balls.

On the window sill I keep my button jars, color coordinated, about 16 jars. You can see my collection of colored glass balls hanging from the top of the windows. We've gotten them all over when we have been on vacation. They create rainbows when the light hits them just the right way. My small collection of Boyd's Bears is displayed in the corner shelf on the counter.I keep ribbon, flowers, more buttons and card envelopes in the drawers

Photo 5

Photo 5. Continuing to the right, I keep a variety of things. Stamp wheels, ribbons, my new toys for Letter Love and Color Love.

Photo 6

Photo 6. Next is another black rack with 8 x 11 paper, to be done projects and my grandson's stash of stuff. At both ends are shoe racks with punches.








 Right past that is my collection of Stampin' Up! stamps from when I was a rep. Still use them all the time. Photo 7

Photo 7

Photo 8

Turning  around, on the left is my bookcase filled with how-to for scrapping, card making and other assorted crafts. Also a display of cards from my crafty sister, Alison, along the stairs. Photo 8.

Photo 9

Photo 10

Photo 11

Now we get to the heart of the room, Photos 9- 12. my island cube space. Since the area is narrow, I decided standing was the best option to give my the most storage space. When the work gets detailed, I turn around to my coloring desk, photo 3.
The island is composed of drawers and drawers of stamp storage, two layers of workspace- the bottom one for sprays, inks, T Holtz stuff.
On the top is my actual spread out and create space. Fiona, our black and white cat, is always interested in what I do.

This has worked very well for me. When I am taking an online class, I put the laptop on the counter so it is right there as I create. I can make Joanne repeat a lesson until I get it right.

Photo 12

Photo 13

 On the back side of the island, Photo 13 is my Cuttlebug and Vagabond area. I store most of my dies here and the beginnings of my 12 x 12 paper collection way to the right end.

Photo 14

 Photo 14. This set of cubes holds the rest of my 12 x 12 papers. Between the island and this set is a closet under the stairs, which we call my Harry Potter closet, that holds my craft traveling bags. I go to visit my sister in Buffalo often and take 1/2 my stuff with me to play when I am with her.

Photo 15

Photo 16

Here is my computer desk Photo 15, where I am typing now and next is a display shelf  Photo 16 and we are back to the french doors.

Thanks for coming with me on the tour. Wish you were closer so you could stop in and create with me.

Shining a little light....

Did this over the weekend. I really am enjoying all the letter styles and chances to draw (which I seldom do, much more likely to stamp something) and color the end projects in these classes I am taking. I think I will use this as part of my Newsletter article for the summer.

Thanks for dropping by.

Saturday evening....

Oh, how I ache.

I was weeding today, a chore I used to love to do. Could edge the flower beds, be on my knees for hours, make many trips to the compost pile with the filled wheelbarrow.

A few years ago, I would have done 3 times what I got done today and still have energy to make dinner, do some wash, make some cards. Now, I'll be lucky to get back up off this chair. The knees ache, there is a soreness between my shoulder blades, my hands are cramping. Maybe if I take a warm shower after dinner some of the stiffness will go away.

Oh, look, what I did weed does look nice. Just around that one tree... another tree to go and then the long border in front of the house and then the circular bed around the crab apple tree. Hhhmmmm.

Maybe I can do a little more tomorrow.

Taking a day off...

Hi, I'm blogless today while working on other things. Enjoy your weekend!

Artful Alphabets...

 While some of us were slaving away with our  Blogging from A to Z Challenge, some of us were also working on another Challenge. I am taking lettering classes from Joanne Sharpe and loving every minute of it. Thought I'd share a few of my practice pieces with you the way I did when I was taking Letter Love.

We started with simple print and script alphas and have progressed to colored in, patterned letters so far. Today we started painting letters with a brush and watercolors. You'd hardly know I'm left-handed.

I have a long way to go to produce projects similar to some of my
classmates. I just need to keep practicing.

With all the great online classes I've been taking, by the time I retire, I will have so many projects to pursue. I certainly won't be bored.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Our Local Arboretum...

This is a tulip!

 Gary and I treated ourselves to a walk in our local arboretum a few Saturdays ago. Our weather patterns have been a little off here in lower New York State. Due to a few late frosts and a very dry spring, the tulips were not at their best, but, we managed to get some great color shots despite the ragged petals. Hope you enjoy.

I love wisteria.

Photographing the photographer, Gary.

Tulip.

Tulip.

This was a tree/shrub with no name.

Weeping Redbud?

Thanks for visiting.