Monday, May 29, 2017

Going Into June

 June is upon us so I have my calendar pages ready to go:


 The first page is a deli paper gelli print background on which I glued images from a magazine and outlined them with charcoal. The numbered page on the left of it looks like the one in the second photo. For those pages each month I use Peerless watercolors. The second page is an acrylic painting. I'll share a bigger photo below.

 Breaking news from the nest!!!


In this photo there are 3 babies- and only hours old. I now know that the 4th egg has hatched but I held off disturbing the basket with my camera. I'll share a new pic next post. So exciting to see!

It was a quiet holiday weekend for us and the weather was very mixed so I got to play in my journal, make cards, and postcards. This time I worked on a desk in a bedroom:

 This is one of the completed postcards:

 Darkroom Door Coffee Time stamp set-coffee mug, beans, coffee stain;  sentiment was a freebie download which sadly I forget from where:(  Joining Elizabeth and friends for T Stands For Tuesday!

 I was also playing with my poppy stamp and made two cards:



 The first one is for the Simon Monday Challenge with the theme this week of "We're going around in circles". These were quick and easy to put together. The poppies were colored with alcohol markers and highlighted with a white gel pen. The top one was done on Neenah Classic Crest 110lb. paper, the second with 140 lb. watercolor paper. I much prefer the Neenah paper when using the alcohol markers!

Products: patterned note cards- DCWV La Creme; poppy stamp - Magenta; sentiment - Papertrey Ink; Spectrum Noir alcohol markers; white gel pen; black card stock; Neenah Classic Crest 110lb. paper; Archival Jet Black ink; stitched circles dies - Our Daily Bread Designs. 

 And here is the impressionist page I painted in my calendar journal for the second half of June:


 Todd saw it and said- "of course you had to have the ocean in it" ;). This is the first time I used a base coat of acrylic in a soft cream and yellow ochre before painting the scene and I like the subtle effect under the layers of added paint. It's also the first time I did something like this with only a few colors and lots of layering and mixing and was very pleased with the results so I'm aiming to do more! Great tips and inspiration from the book Bold Expressive Painting by Annie O'Brien Gonzales!

 Also joining in with Paint Party Friday this week. A bientôt!

          " Find a way to express what moves you."    Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi



46 comments:

  1. Your weekend weather sounds like ours too. I'm not sure we will ever get summery weather here in NH. I spent a little art time too, but what else can you do with all the rain? I think you were more productive than me. Your calendar pages look great. I love your abstract. Actually, it all looks great Linda. :) Happy T day. hugs-Erika

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  2. Good evening, I am loving your journal page painting very much and I really love your coffee card too. always nice to have time to just create-Happy T Day Kathy

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  3. What a productive week you've had. Loved the June pages and the beautiful painting with the ocean in the background. It fits you perfectly for summer fun.

    The poppy cards were perfect for the Memorial Day weekend, too. They are simply gorgeous.

    Of course, my favorite has to be the coffee postcard, because I loved that stamp set you won. It fits you to a T (or coffee)! Thanks for sharing your wonderful art, your adorable new "family" addition (baby birds), and your coffee postcard and silver mug with us for T this Tuesday.

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  4. Your journal page is fantastic, it looks so full of light. Great poppy cards, too. Love the coffee cards, and the nest with those baby birds is just precious, looking forward to seeing more. Happy T Day, hugs, Valerie

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  5. love your calm june page, the poppies are delightful and photos lovely

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  6. Your artwork is wonderful and so summery. Amazing photograph from the nest-how exciting to see this happen

    Have a very Happy T Day

    Love Chrissie xx

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  7. Oh what amazing art here this week again ! You never cease to amaze me with your posts!
    Thank you for being with us at Tiot!
    Happy T-Day!
    oxo Susi

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  8. Oh Linda! Look at your baby birds!! I remember when our baby hummers hatched in our tree in the front yard in CA... They were kind enough to nest on a low branch... What fun it was to watch them grow... Look forward to your pictures... Love the layering in the first Postcard... I need to figure out how to do that ... its just gorgeous.. And the poppies... You had me at Poppy.. I'm trying to paint a postcard of a birdbath and tree with acrylics so i loved seeing this painting of yours.. I think it turned out beautifully.... Wishing you much more crafting time.. Hugs! deb

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  9. i´m always surprised how much art you can create within one week! awesome pieces, the poppies are my favorite this time!
    have a great week and happy t-day!!

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  10. How lovely to see your little chicks in the nest, aren't they adorable with all those fluffy feathers! Your June pages are beautiful with the Zen look and feel, and your amazing painting too 😀. I love your postcard, the colours and papers you used are perfect just the thing to make you rise and shine 😁. Happy T Day! J 😊

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  11. How exciting to have a bird family with four babies for neighbors. Will love watching the changes as they grow if you are able to take pics. I love the colors of your painting. Your flowers remind me of for-get-me-nots. I had tried taking a picture up at the lake, but it came out blurry.

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  12. Oh such delightful creations ~ calendar page is fascinating, poppy cards wonderful ~ post card so creative and your impressionist page is beautiful ~ Love everything on your post ~ baby birds being hatched ~ how exciting for you and us! thanks,

    Happy week to you ~ ^_^

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  13. Your art is stunning as ever but seeing those young baby birds was my highlight!

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  14. Beautiful scenes in your journal, your other projects look great as well. The photo of the newly hatched birds has for sure the Ahhhhhh factor, it must be good for you as well to see them grow in the coming days.
    Happy T day
    Yvonne xx

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  15. Ahhhh ...♥♥ such adorable little fussy baby birds. Love your art today also and like Elizabeth my favorite is the coffee card ♥ Happy T day and thanks for stopping by my blog
    Carol

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  16. I love your acrylic painting of flowers with ocean in the background, Linda.

    How exciting that you got a picture of the hatchlings! Thanks for sharing. They're just little balls of fluff, so I'm not sure why the photo makes me smile, but it does. New life, I guess.

    Very cool Rise and Shine postcard. I Love all the textured elements you added. Great composition :D

    Happy T-Day! Hugs, Eileen

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  17. Your calendar is looking good! Must get my June pages done! Your poppy cards are wonderful - we have yellow poppies in our caravan garden! Thanks for the hint about the soil Ph - I can't think what changed it but I do like the result!! The coffee stamp set looks so useful - it may have to go on my list! Love your 'ocean' painting! looking forward to seeing more of the baby birds! Happy T Day, Chrisx

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  18. Beautiful cards and calendar pages...love your painting with the water, sky and flowers. All the perfect components! Happy T day!😊

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  19. Happy PPF Sweetie! Hugs, Valerie

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  20. Hi there Linda, I do love your calendar pages. The themes are so beautiful too. I love that thought of opening up the window and letting the day come in.
    The bright and happy page with the flowers and water is just perfect.

    Oh so sweet to see those cute little featherballs in the nest! Just gorgeous, looking forward to their progress pics ;D)

    Always time for coffee isn't there!! Those poppies are lovely. You've definitely had a lot of fun, even if the weather was a bit ordinary.
    Cheers now and Happy PPF!

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  21. Both your calendar pages are beautiful, especially the one you painted in acrylic paints. And how neat to be able to see the little fuzz balls in your photo! Love your poppy stamped cards. The color combo is wonderful.

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  22. Those newly hatched birdies are adorable. Lovely work this week as well!

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  23. Your impressionist page is beautiful. Like how acrylpaint is softened.
    Happy PPF and weekend ♥

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  24. I just love your art you already know that. The photos of the babies is precious. I am so glad you are keeping tract of them and sharing it all with us.

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  25. Lovely work this week, you've been busy! The calendar pages look great, and that quote is one of my favorites. the poppy-cards are so beautiful, and I love the colours in your landscape painting, so bright and inviting. It must be so exciting to see the babybirds grow, it's so cute, all those fluffy feathers ♥

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  26. I love all of it! wonderful colors and shapes! i cannot even say what is the best, all are! :) I see you have moved your art supplies and things into your bedroom, so nice you found your place. Myself I'm sitting by the kitchen table, with small space. But what can we do? :) One day... and so on...

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  27. And so lovely to see the small babies in the nest!

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  28. Beautiful page, so sweet with the baby bird's! I love your postcard and cards. Awesome colors on your calendar pages, very lovely! Happy weekend!

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  29. Love all your creations. Your card submitted to the SSS Monday Challenge is beautiful I love the colors and the damask background is so pretty! Thanks for joining us on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

    Cathie ♥

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  30. love to see the little nestlings and all your fine cards :)

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  31. Enjoyed your journal pages Linda. Those red flowers I adore those
    Happy PPF

    much love...

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  32. Ok, I'm in LOVE with your coffee post card! But then I'm totally a coffee addict. Your poppies stand out beautifully and if I had to choose I think I like the rectangular one best, something about the way you put the poppies not straight looks fantastic and so much more graphic than the round one. You must be loving watching the baby birds, i'm a little envious. They're so cuuuute! Lucky girl. I appreciate the comment on my blog by the say, thanks for visiting. Have a great upcoming weekend!

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  33. Love your black, white and red cards. Just gorgeous!!

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  34. Linda, such a treasure post of wonderful art and that sweet photo...so precious!!!
    Love all of your artwork especially​ the black and red cards...wow, gorgeous!!!
    Great posting!!!

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  35. Oh how adorable.. that mother must feel safe there!! Can't wait to see more photos of them!! Love your impressionist art...really beautiful painting! You cards are fab too as is your coffee art!! Great post... Funny to see you moving from table to desk looking for that comfortable spot!!

    Hugs Giggles

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  36. How amazing to see those baby chicks....

    Love your impressionist painting..... its stunning.

    Hope you have a lovely weekend

    Karen x

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  37. Love your beautiful creations with those fabulous colors, Linda. It's so cool to see those baby birds. :)

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  38. Such lovely pieces Linda! Love the baby birds. Our 3 baby robins have now flown the coop. Sad to see them go.

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  39. What beautiful journal pages and cards! They are so lovely. How amazing to see the little baby birds...

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  40. Linda, your journal pages and cards are just lovely. And thanks for the info on the book - I'm always looking for good technique books. And fantastic view of the babies! :)

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  41. Wow! You've been productive...what fabulous pieces of artwork! Love them. Those baby birds are super cute too. :)

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  42. Your painting is terrific! I haven't painted an underpainting in ochre in a long time. I like how it brings luminosity to the painting. Thanks for the reminder. Have a lovely week.

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  43. Hi Linda, it seems like forever since I was here! I absolutely love that coffee postcard - it's gorgeous. It sounds strange to hear you say the weather has been mixed as by now you normally have amazing weather that's nearly too hot - I always remember feeling envious at this time of year as other bloggers would be having hot summer weather while we had the usual Scottish summer!

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  44. What a lovely collection! The rise and shine postcard is so darling and your journal page and painting are perfectly serene.

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  45. Here, it's rainy but loving it after the scorching heat! Love your set-up table...the poppy stamps and the page looks awesome!
    I can see the nest and can definitely feel the pain you feel! Hugs!

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Thank you so much for your comments; it's a pleasure to connect with you!