Postcards are in the Etsy Shop!

Hi friends!!!  How's it going?  We are bracing for the arctic blast here in the Midwest!  It's really already begun.....wind chills well below zero.....but Wednesday is supposed to be the worst.  We've got our milk, bread, and most importantly, dog food for the fur baby....and we are ready to weather it out!  We're Iowans, after all.  Nothing to it.  Ha!

I finally got my postcard sets listed in the Etsy shop!  I just love these....and I have a lot of fun dropping just a line or two to a friend when I'm thinking of them.  These are colorful reproductions of my original mixed media work.  You can go HERE to purchase.  CHEERS!!!!  Stay warm!!!

Art Journal Cover Closeup

Happy Tuesday, friends!  We are tucked into the big yellow house today, as another round of ice and snow come down!  The temps have gone up a little, which is nice....but those roads are slick!  Bosco the chocolate lab, LOVES this weather.  He loves rooting around in the white stuff.  I'm not sure what he's hunting for...but he's very busy!  

Today, I'm sharing a peek at the cover an art journal.  This is the one I shared in the recent journal flip video.  As I mentioned before, it's an old library book.....a picture book of whirligigs and weather vanes.  I love the added patterns and images that old books provide.  Most of the time, everything in the book gets covered up...but occasionally a bit will peek through now and then.  

I tend to save the covers for last.  I'm not sure why that started...but it's what I do.  It's kind of fun for the outer shell of the book to reflect where you ended up when you finished it, I guess.  I'm currently doing a lot of really busy abstract work.  Lots of scribbles and scrapes, and unusual color combos.  So that's what showed up on this lovely red fabric cover.  I hope you enjoy the textures and layers that developed.  Thanks for peeking!!!  -Dori

New Art Journal Flip Video!

Hey guys!  I did a thing!!!  I FINALLY made my first art journal flip video!!!  This has been on my "to do list" for quite some time now, and I'm so happy!  It's not perfect, but I hope you enjoy it!!

This is an old library book that I altered.  I completed it a few weeks ago.  The time span it covers is around 3 or 4 years, I believe.  And that's because I flit back and forth between several books.  It's always interesting for me to go back and review a book cover to cover...I love seeing how my color choices and marks evolve over time.

 I'm hoping to create more of these as I find the time.  BIG THANKS to my hubby for all the technical support (hand holding) to get this done.  He is the computer literate one in the family.  Ha!
We are bracing for a snow storm here in Iowa....it's supposed to start around noon today.  I'm ready!  The groceries are purchased, the art supplies are stocked.  Let's do this!
Happy Friday!!!

Hey you, you rock!

Hi gang!!!  Thought you might like a peek at a recently completed project.  It was delivered to the recipients late last week, so it's safe for me to share now.  Ha!  This is a 30x40 canvas that was commissioned by the Marion Public Library as a gift to their staff.  It will hang on their freshly painted gray wall, inside their vestibule, where everyone arrives for work.  They will see this lively reminder every day as they enter the building.  Isn't that fun?   

I had so much fun creating this one!!!  I'm really into the abstract shapes, repeating patterns, and scribbly bits.  Lord, do I love me some scribbly bits!!!  And texture!!!  Love all the texture that showed up in this one!!!

Did you have a lovely weekend?  We had a rather busy one, which involved lots of socializing, and some overeating.  EEEK!  We are looking forward to getting back into our quiet routine this week.  

I've got several long studio days scheduled to finish a few large projects.  And lots of little project ideas are brewing in my buzzing brain that I'm ready to bring to life.  Stay tuned!!!!

Art Journal Peek - January 7th 2018

Hi friends!!!  I'm popping in with a quick art journal peek for you!  I'm hoping to get back in the habit of making this a regular feature on the blog.  I've been really into making SUPER BUSY ABSTRACTS....and that's no exception in my journal pages.  You can probably see there is a lot of texture on this spread.  I laid things on THICK. 

 I remember feeling a little heavy when I made this, as I was thinking of several friends who are going through a hard time right now.  That's where the words came, in the end.  

This spread is in a recycled altered book....and you name it, I think I threw it on there:  acrylics, markers, graphite, ink, pastels and collage.  The final message is written in pencil, and then I sealed it with a matte medium to prevent smudging of the more delicate materials.  

My art journal is, and always will be the place where I can just "work shit out".

Know what I mean?

I always feel better after a session of moving my hands.

Cheers, and happy Monday.  -Dori

Getting Crafty: Calendar Envelopes for the New Year!

Howdy pals!!!  It's 2019!  Happy New Year!!!  How are you?  We Patricks love the exciting prospect of a new year.  We're kind of nerdy about sitting down, notebooks/laptops in hand, creating new wish lists, intentions and such for the 12 months that lie before us.  This is a good time for us to do a quick sweep of the house and closets, creating a donation pile for our local Goodwill.  (I have 1 large bag of clothing, and two small bags of books ready to go!)

We are also kind of nerdy about fresh calendars and planners.  We love a beautiful calendar....they are hanging all over the house.  Practically a piece of art in itself.  My friend Barbara gave me a sweet little gift of handmade envelopes made from a British gardening magazine....and it reminded me that I could get a bit more life out of my retiring calendars.

I've had this beautiful Frida calendar hanging in my studio all year....artwork by various artists.  I've loved it, and today I decided to give these beautiful images one more use...as envelopes.  I dug out some old templates, traced them onto the calendar pages, and cut them out.  I used a bone folder to fold the edges crisply, and used Elmer's Extreme Glue Stick to adhere the sides.  When I'm ready to mail them, I'll use washi tape, or more glue stick to seal the top, and I'll attach a plain label for addressing them on the front.

I've had my templates for so long, I'm sorry I can't remember where I got them....but there are lots of resources online:  These mini's are cute,  this is a useful size,  and hearts for Valentine's Day are fab!
I think these will delight the recipients who find these in their mailbox during the new year, don't you? 

Wishing you all a restful day with the ones you love, and a bright, happy new year full of blessings and joy!  XOXO  -Dori