graduations

Here are a few cards I made, using scherenschnitte, for some friends who are graduating:

pink...

and yellow....

Yes. They are same, just different colors. 

:P
 

copying Monet

Sorry for the lack of posts...

;)

I had a great trip to Subic for a soccer tournament over spring break. Our team placed second!

Read more about it here: soccer tournament

Anyways...

For art a few weeks ago, I had to copy a painting by Monet.

Here is the painting I chose:

We used to have it hanging up in our house.

Here is my duplicate:

It's ok... 

The sky looks a lot less neon in real life!

I had fun trying to copy it.

But...

I was using watercolors.

They are really hard to layer.

:P

So the poppies turned out looking like washed out blobs.

~
I'm actually copying another picture right now... Van Gogh's "Starry Night"! 

I'll post about it soon.

watercolor blue jay

Sorry it's been so long again...

:(

I'll try to blog a bit more on Christmas break. 

It's CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!

:)

Sleeping in, reading in, baking cookies, and making things!
Ah.

Here is a blue jay I painted today.
I liked how it turned out.
:)

 Anyway.
I'm almost done my semester art project. 

:D

So I'm not quite done art yet.
Almost...
:P

I'll try to post about it soon. 

another drawing...

Well, I know it's still Thanksgiving week, but I finished another drawing. 

This once is Christmasy! :P 

Yep, I'm a bit ahead of things.

Hm. 

I wish I could make it bigger, but it just gets blurry when I do.

:( 

In real life, it is a whole 8 by 11 1/2 sheet of paper. 

I'll have to figure out (ask Elise :P) how to make it less blurry.

(edit: Elise figured it out!)

stamps & stamping

Hey!
I'm back again.

This time, I am posting about my stamping experience.

No, I don't mean store bought stamps.

I mean handmade stamps, of course.

I was inspired.

This lady makes reeaalllly nice stamps. 

So cute, intricate, and pretty.

*sigh*

She uses an artist carving block for her stamps.

And a linoleum cutter.

I have neither.

Of course, by now you should know that probably won't discourage me much.

I improvised.

As usaul.

;P

Craft foam does an admirable job masquerading as carving block, and an ordinary craft knife seems to fit the job of cutting foam pretty nicely!

I like birds. And flowers.

So those are the stamps I made.

I layered my foam and glued it together, as it was so thin.

Then I cut out the shape I wanted for a stamp.

 I carved some details into the stamps. 

I made sure to carve deeply enough that you can see the marks, but not all the way through the foam.

That wouldn't have been good.

 :)

Lastly, I glued the foam shapes onto a piece of cardboard.

Then I tried stamping.

They worked!

I was very happy.

:D

I stamped on scrap paper...

ripped brown paper bags...

and pretty patterned card stock.

Then I made bookmarks.

:) :) :)

It was very fun.

And I like the final products, too! :P

(I also stamped on cloth...I haven't made any thing with that yet. We'll see if any thing comes of it...)

And that's all for now! 

My stamping fiesta is recorded.

:)

I will try to post again somewhere in the nearish future! 

;P

scherenschnitte hummingbird

*stares at title*
Wow, you are long...
...

Well,
No watercolor birds to show yet,
just a single scherenschnitte.

~
Schnerenschnitte
scherenshnitty,
and

scherenschnittay

are  my brother's, sister's, and mother's names for my outrageously named artwork...
Yes.

It's a strange name.

Sometimes I'm not sure even sure I'm spelling it right...

;P

[/end of rabbit trail]

I'm pleased with myself, as this was not a paper cutting I found online.
*gloats*
I made it myself.
 *gasp*

Well....

Not exactly.

I took Microsoft words graphics and played with them until I had a good pattern.
 :P



And...
for a change, I cut it on black paper.

I like the effect!

Ah,
Hummingbirds.
:)

recent projects part 1...

Well...I haven't posted in quite a while. Not that that is unusual or anything...

*rolls eyes*

I've just been busy making so many things.

Yep. Excuses.

Here we have what I made least recently: A posterish thing, with a quote by someone who I don't know.

I like the quote, and decided to make it into art.

Of some kind.

I used water colors and felt tip pens.

It would be hanging on my wall, but I have only so much space, and I like the others better.
Yep.

Here we have perhaps my favorite.

I suppose I should have saved it for last, but I am posting in the order of creation.

A scherenschnitte of a bird on a branch. The background is ripped and torn sheet music.

Terrible of me, I know.

(Consolation: It is photocopies of my music, don't worry! ;P)

This one is a very interesting twist on this interesecting circles tutorial.

I saw the tutorial and thought how fun it would be to make.

I also realized (sadly) that though paint chips are easily come by in the states, they are NOT in the Philippines.

My dad went to look for a good paint for our computer room and came back with a huge loop of paint chips. You had to return them of course.

I doubt the store would be happy to find that most of their paint chips had circles cut out of them, when they got them back.

Change of plans.
I dug out our stash of scrapbooking paper, and found some that I liked.

And believe it our not, I almost like mine better!

Next we have a doodle thing.

I saw (once again :P) a neat piece of art online.

It was a sheet of paper covered in designs made by several felt tip pens/markers.

I lost the link sadly, but I made two similar pieces, one greens and blues, the other pinks and oranges.

I have only scanned the second one, which unfortunately is not as nice. But here it is anyway:

A bit busy, to be sure, but interesting to look at.

I shall try to post a bit more soon!

I still have a few more projects yet to be seen...

Oh! and I think I shall start to post my novel chapter here as well!

origami architecture

I'M BLOGGING AGAIN ALREADY!

And It's only been 6 days!

Wow.

*holds out hand to quiet loud applause*
;D

I have found a new interest.
(big surprise)
Brace yourselves for another long name:

~Origami Architecture~

Ok, not that long.

I was searching for origami, when I ran across an inspiring photo.

Amazing.

Sadly, there is no free pattern.

After I recovered from this sad fact, I set about searching for more creations, but with free patterns.

My search, (rather unsuccessful) eventually morphed into a pop up cards search. Not sure how I got of onto a rabbit trail like that.

But I did.

I wasn't looking for simple pop up cards. Something more like this or this.

Yes, I definitely was nuts to think I could even try to make something like that.

Also,

these patterns were created by a Ingrid Siliakus.

A leading artist in this type of work.

Apparently she doesn't want to give them away free. ;P

So, I had to find something else.

Easier,
but not too easy.

Hm.

Most artists wanted to sell their patterns in books.

Sigh.

I finally found a great website: Baud and Bui.

Free, downloadable patterns.

Not too hard.
Not too easy.
:D
My first attempt:
A pagoda

I thought it looked pretty neat...

Sadly, it isn't pop up.

It just....stands there collecting dust.

It sure looks neat, though.:D

After that, I found another site with some free patterns.

It's in Spanish (I think...), so I can't read it, but I could still figure out the diagrams!

It's called:
Libros
The patterns are a bit harder.
:)
The best patterns I found were at the bottom of the most recent post.

Here is a city/town mirror image.

Turned out better than the pagoda.

*nods*

The last place I found was this blog.

It has a few neat patterns, and lot's of other neat craft ideas!

Anyway...

I have now journaled my quest for Origami Architecture patterns.

If anyone finds any other good sites with free patterns,

I would LOVE to know about them!!!

Maybe I'll just have to buy a book from those artists who won't give free patterns away...
;D

Another post about Valentines to come shortly!
(I hope...)

paper cutting

*looks at date of last post*

Hm.

So much for blogging more. ;)

Beading? Ah yes, I was into beading, wasn't I...

Well, this time it is paper cutting!

A few weeks ago, something triggered my memory, I think perhaps it was a package of computer paper. :D
Don't ask me why a package of paper I walk past everyday all of a sudden reminded me of a craft I did long ago, it just did.

Yes.

A wave of remembrance hit me.
"Remember that neat paper cutting you did when you were in 4th grade?* "
(in case you were wondering, that's my memory speaking... ;))

It was a paper cut out of a forest, with two deer facing a tree. (Mirror image)

My brain started turning.

"I could try it again..."
(my imagination speaking, this time ;P)

Out came the pencil, paper, and scissors.

A tedious half hour of :

-sketching,
-making sure all lines meet,
-making sure deer are proportionate, (in the first drawing, the head was tiny :D)
-making sure it won't fall apart when I cut,

Then I started.

Scissors did not work.
(If you ever try this, take my advice, and use a craft knife)

So, I switched to craft knife.

Much better.

Cutting,
cutting,
cutting,

When I reached the leaves I lazily decided to leave some off.

Yes, it didn't enhance the picture, but it did bring relief to my aching fingers.

Just pretend it's spring. ;D

*clears throat uncomfortably*
In case you're wondering, the strange objects protruding from the tree trunk are supposed to be clouds.

Yes,
not much resemblance.

Well,

"Not as neat as I remembered"
(conscience speaking ;D)

Next day, I trotted over to the computer to do some searching for free paper cutting patterns.

After many hours I found that another word for paper cutting is:

~Scherenschnitte~

Yes, it's German.

and yes, its a mouthful.
:D
I googled scherenschnitte, and found a website that has some neat patterns.

I don't think you're supposed to copy and paste them into Word.

*looks nervously around for police*

I did. :P

Here's the website, in case you want to use them too.

A few I tried:

A mirror image forest scene:
(the bottom half is a reflection in a lake)
Mirror image paper cuttings are easiest.

half the work,
double the results!

Another mirror image pattern:
"The Cat's Meow".... :P


This next one is a bit different, as it isn't a mirror image,

Took longer.

Sigh.

It turned out neat though:

I had to change the leaves.

In the pattern they were oak leaves.

Tiny rounded edges are hard to do with a craft knife.

Oak leaves are very rounded.

I think that's all that needs to be said.

In MY pattern, they are spiky. :P

Perhaps it's a pine tree...

I also found a Valentine pattern on Martha Stewart.

*copy*

*paste*

*print*

*cut*

A picture of me *gasp* cutting:

ok, a picture of my hands...

AND....

The finished product:

This inspired me to design my own.

Out came the pencil again.

It actually turned out nicely.

*shocked gasp* ;P
and another one,

in my opinion not quite as nice,

maybe too busy with all the curlicues?

Another blog,

Victory!

and as the Warner Bros say:

*insert Looney Toons music*

"That's All Folks!"