Wanna Play????

I was thinking today about having some fun with altered papers....
These papers could be used as backgrounds for your journals, cards, altered books, collage, or whatever suits your fancy.
So, I was thinkink of doing an altered paper swap....
Each participant would make decorate 6 papers....heavy cardstock, ledger paper, rice paper, bristol paper....sized around 8 x 10 and we'll swap.
Pull out your paints, inks, stamps, watercolors...whatever media you choose and let the altering begin. Use your imagination and just have fun.
To see some examples of a swap I participated in last year on artezine go here http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/decpap.html
This will be a lot of fun...so if you'd like to join me...send me email me sstaton3@nc.rr.com and I'll add you name. We would need at least 6 players.
Pages must be in my hands by December 12th so they can be swapped out and mailed back out on December 15. Mail without folding them and put in some type of baggie so they won't get damaged. Also, put attach your name/email on your baggie....and include a self addressed return envie with enough postage to get your package back to you.
So....wanna play??? Hurry....I will close sign ups on this Sunday, November 30th!!
Ophelia

Counting My Blessings

Good Morning....

Seems that I couldn't sleep, and this morning it was rise and shine at 2:30am....so up to the studio I went to catch up on a few things. Honest...I've been on art overload lately. Just truly inspired these days to put paint on paper.

First up....Jennifer's new prompt for this week was Count Your Blessings.
Here's what I did...


Just a listing of things that I am oh so thankful for...

Also, getting back to posting pictures of my "Quest": "Finding Ophelia" just, well, talks about me...what I love, don't like, my roles, my perfect day...just things that make me, "me".
:
I hope you enjoy these creations....
But, before I go....what is it that makes you - you? Whats your perfet day? What kinds of things do you like?
I've let mine spill onto my pages...and I encourage you to do the same.
Have I said lately how much I am LOVING my new Inks by Liquitex. I have honestly been able to write over all of my painted surfaces so far... Now, to get some different sized nibs to play around with...
Until next time...
Ophelia

One More Thing...

I made an ATC for the Altered Designs Yahoo Group that I belong to for the Handwritten ATC Mingle....and this was just so timely as I have found and totally fallen in love with Liquitex Inks.

So I made another one....

These inks have to be my absolute favorite.....no more worries of finding the right pen to write over my acrylic paints and such.....I just love them.

I found them last weekend at The Art of the Carolina's Show put on by Jerrys Artarama. What a great show. Lots of artist teaching workshops and vendors....you can find all kinds of art supplies for way cheap.

Michele Theberege was there demonstrating for Liquitex..... She showed me what I could do with them, and pointed me in the right direction for the the proper writing instrument....Dip Pens or Nib Pens...I think they are also called Lettering Pens...and well....I bought every color of the inks they had, and all the different sized nibs I could find :) I'll have to post more about my weekend there later....because it ROCKED!

Until next time,

Ophelia

Playing Catchup

I have been following Jen's Blog and on Monday, she gives a promt. I wanted to share what I have been creating so far.

Her first prompt (a few weeks ago) was Seasons of Change, and this is what I made.

Last weeks prompt was "Words to Live By"....and I did a page called "It's About Time"

I am beginning to think that she has been searching around in my head and heart as she comes up with these prompts because they are so relevant to what is going on right now. You can find out more at http://artisticallydesigneddiversions.blogspot.com/.

I will try to post more of my happenings today...that is until the Vicodin sets in and its lights out.

Until next time,

Ophelia

The Greatest Intentions

I have had the greatest intentions of blogging weekly and somehow, life gets in the way....this time lets chalk it up to a bum nerve in my face that has put me in bed for the last week and a half....so I"m quite behind.

I wanted to share with you a page I did in my journal to pay homage to those that have influenced me.... Enjoy.

Those that came before me have been important in shaping who I am. Some of you may certainly know what I mean....

My Grandmothers and Aunts who wanted me to sit and watch them quilt, when all I wanted to do was be outside climbing trees :) or my Mom with her true words of wisdom (which when I was younger, I thought she was just all words and had no idea of what she was even talking about) Enough already was all I thought...there are trees to climb. Or my uncles who tried to tell me over and over the important family history....and I was bored to almost tears while sitting and pretending to listen to the hours of talks.... My Dad who preached the importance of hard work.....right, right, I understand...tree climbing and rock play are definitely hard :)

As time has gone by though, I realized how important each of these valuable lessons were to who I am.... and now that some of my influences have passed away, oh, how I regret that I didn't sit and soak up every moment of being in their presence. There is so much that I want to learn from them.

Can you believe I learned to Quilt....and that I truly don't enjoy the outdoors anymore... my, how the times do change. As I now try to impress those same lessons on my own children and get those same far away looks from them as I remember having, I just have to grin....knowing that some if it will soak in...

Today, though, I will pay homage to those that made an impression on me and shaped who I am today.... those that let me know the importance of family, hard work, a good education....those kinds of things...

I invite you to do the same..

Until next time.

Ophelia

What Am I Doing Exactly????

Setting out on a Journey...

This journal is a Keeper.... A keeper of thoughts, dreams, and memories as I explore who I am. I can only imagine what a precious find this will be later for my children, hopefully. But, thats not to matter now....what is important is that I do what is necessary now to create the life that I imagine myself having.

Got my bags packed.....and I'm off.

I invite you to come along.

Until next time.

Ophelia

Let The Quest Begin....

I have had a chance to start in my journal....for this though, I am using an old book.

What I did was go through the book and cut out every third page to begin.

I then applied gesso to the inside cover and first few pages of my book, as I wanted to "claim" this book as my own for this QUEST.

On last year in Hampton, Virginia at Art & Soul, I took classes from Traci Bunkers and Juliana Coles and they both completely changed the way that I journaled. I learned so much from these gals and I'm deeply grateful that they were so both willing to share all that they know in these classes.

So, my book is claimed as my own for this journey that I'm about to embark on, and I wanted to share with you so far what I have done.

I basically just began with "This Book Belongs To......

And on the next pages I have "A Safe Place To....." I chose to use words like: Dream, Explore, Become, Create.

Are you on a Quest of Your Own?

So many people have contacted me about how my Quest has inspired them to look deep into who they are.

I encourage you to do the same.

Until Next Time,

Ophelia