christytomlinson

studio play..

 
last week I had a little time to play in my studio and I wasn't sure exactly what i wanted to create, so I just started making backgrounds on canvas. it's one of my favorite things to do and it doesn't take a lot of creative thought.. it's just pure simple fun.. I will create like 4 or 5 canvases at a time.. trying to mix up the color schemes and paints and textures and stamps I use.  Here is a little bit of what I did..

This I did a lot of block/quilt pieceing.. with paper and fabric.

 

I also added paint and then used light modeling paste with a few of my favorite stencils and doilies for texture

 

I still need to add paint and texture to the sides, and stamping and rubons.

 I  

 Here is another one I started.. for this one, I just used some old sewing patterns as my background..

 

Then added paint, and textures with stamps,

 

This last one I ended up finishing.. just adding a simple embellishment to the middle that I made out of glass, paper and UTEE

 

This one I used the blocks of paper like the first one, but i also added texture with stamps and rubons and paint.

 

went with a bright summer colors!

 

 

For the embellishments, I popped it off the canvas using an old piece of corrugated box that I ripped, sanded and painted. I also used gold leaves for wings.. and used the word "Charity" in the middle of the glass. Something I always need a reminder to have :)  

and this is the the finished piece! I added a few of my own doodles.. it was a simple fast project.. this one is going in my bedroom.. good daily reminder.

 

sometimes I want to create but don't know what i want my final project to be.. so creating backgrounds is a great way to get my hands dirty.. without committing to any final. Love it!
This week I have some exciting news to share! It has to do with my ALL TIME FAVORITE magazine..ahh! I will post about that later this week!
my kids are back in school and things are starting to really settle down for me.. so I am also excited to start blogging more.. creating more, and actually keeping my house clean and organized.. is that weird? I WANT to clean? something must be wrong with me (haha)

Hope you have a wonderful monday!
hugs!
Christy

Artsy Fun.. filming MCC segments

I am back!! last week I took the week off from my blog, the internet, emails.. because honestly my body was having a breakdown. I don't know if it was from months of just going and going and finally all the stress was over.. but man it just shut down. It was also my kid's first week of school and I hadn't prepared at all, so needed to just focus on family, school shopping, registration, first week of school, etc.. it felt REALLY good to rest. I think the first day back of school, (all 6 of my kids are in school full time!!)I slept the entire day. It was SO needed. :) anyhow.. soo.. as you know.. The week before last, I headed down to utah to film my segments of the new show My Craft Channel.com airing this fall on the web. First off, let me say.. preparing for those segments were a KILLER.. holy cow. I thought it would be just me throwing some things together, bringing a few supplies.. haha. No. It ended up being a car load of stuff, and hours and hours of prepartion.. creating samples, step outs, etc.. for each segment. I was SO grateful that I had asked 3 guest to be on with me so show ME how to do a project, because I don't think with the time I left myself, I could have done one more segment before i had to head out the door! yikes!

So I arrived to the set early.. before my guest arrived, to film the segments only I would be on.. and I was IN LOVE with the set they had created for me! I brought of few of my own canvases, my own paintbrushes, etc  and old vintage things, to give it a personal touch.. but wow, In love!

 

This is a full view of the set.. I had just got done filming my segment on UTEE.. and creative ways to use it in Mixed Media Art.

 
Another side view..

 
This is an up-close picture of the back-wall.. what you will see in the actual "segment" love the old crates for shelving.. so me. and of course.. LOVE the red wall! it's hard to see, but it's actually textured wallpaper painted red. TOTALLY my style. Just loved it!

 
These are the two crew members who filmed and put up with me ALL day.. lol seriously these guys rocked. They were such good sports!  even when i burped really loud on set right before filming a segment. Kristine had got me a pop.. but it was bottled and it had a ton of carbonation in it and I only drank two sips.. but not more than 5 minutes later, I suprised myself and them as I let out a huge burp right on set. YOu should have seen the look on their faces. I think the look on mine was worse. I was more shocked than they were that I did it! lol.. good times..

 
Here is another one of them with Kristine, chatting about what a pain I am.. (only kidding. . they were awesome.. but I was a pain! )

 
these were the samples i stayed up all night making for the UTEE segments.. these were on wire dipping, faux soldering and more. I am addicted to faux soldering to use on canvas as art. Seriously addicted.

 
This is another view. On the hand is a necklace I made. I created a heart out of wire and dipped it into colored UTEE and then added a jump ring.. and some other fun charms. So fun.

 
here are some upclose pics of the art I created with the faux soldering techniques..

 
 
after i made the glass pieces, I put them onto canvases.. loved the dimension it creates!

 
 
here is another one I made, isntead of putting paper between class, I put a piece of lace.. I actually made this one for Jeanne, reminded me so much of her.

 
some of the samples i had created before I came.. THANK YOU TO my dear friend Meredith who helped me get these samples  done. She came over and dipped flowers and embellishments and created wire designs for me. I wouldn't have been able to get it done without her. love that girl.

 So after I finished the filming the segments with just ME in them, my "guest" hosts arrived around 1:00! and seriously.. if the crew thought I was a little crazy and nutty and loud.. they had no idea what they were in store for when Margie, Jeanne, Chrissy, Danielle and her sister showed up! lol oh my heck. I swear we had to do more takes just because we were laughing so hard at the off set comments. It was seriously so fun.

 
 
(Me and Jeanne on set.. she showed me how to create a vintage canvas on a vintage door plate. )

 
(Danielle and I.. right after filming her segment. she showed how to use coffee filters for background in art. SO cool!!!)

 
(margie and me.. Margie came on the segment I taught on using yarn, thread and Jute for creating mixed media art.. she was a fun guest to have on! Pretty funny!)

 
(for some reason I didn't get a picture of just me and chrissy! I hope someone else did on their phone.. but this was part of her project.. a cool art journal!)

This is a picture of all of us after the day was over. You may notice I am wearing a different outfit in each picture.. had to change outfits for each segments. The bad part was, I didn't realize or remember I guess, that my background was red, so 3 of my 8 outfits were red or dark orange shirts/dressed and I couldn't wear them! So in one segment I wore the tank top and sweater that I wear for PJ's!.. you couldn't tell on film, but it was funny.. because it's seriously what I wore to be the night before.. I am such a dork!  

I had such an amazing experience. I was SO worried that my body wouldn't get me through the full day of filming on thursday and I don't know if it was excitement, or what, but we got through all the segments and before i knew it was 6:00 pm and we were done! I was so grateful my fibro didn't act up during filming.. now i can't say as much for the rest of the night and then next three days.. lol.. I seriously felt like I had been through the ringer and my body hurt so bad.. I pretty much slept for 4 days straight when I got home. but it was TOTALLy worth the experience.. the show debuts on September 12th.. can't wait!  thanks for letting me share!
Happy Monday!

 

Out for a bit...

 
Hey friends.. I will be away from my blog for a bit..taking some time for some really important things. But I  hope to be back next week. Hope you have a wonderful one!
Happy Wednesday!

heading to utah for some film and some creative collaborations...

So as you know, I was asked to be one of the hosts on the new show coming up this fall, called My Craft Channel. It's a online based (web) TV show where everyday they will have shows hosted by expert crafter's, showcasing all different crafts and styles. I was asked to be the host for the Mixed media show.. and was SO honored and so excited! 

the show is produced in utah, so I am heading down today tonight as I will be filming in the studio, tommorow and thursday for my upcoming segments this fall! I am excited for a lot of reason.. one is because of course one of my very best friends, Margie Romney-Aslett,

 
(this is a picture of me and Margie last fall.. she seriously makes me laugh.. like stomach hurt laugh. She is just one of a kind that girl!)..

 lives there, so I get to stay with her and hang out with her funny lovely self. I also get to stay in her "infamous" guest room.. which is always a delicious treat!

 

(this is a picture of margie's guest room in her last house.. her new one is even more gorgeous and this time I will take pictures!)

 ANOTHER reason I am excited is because the producers of MCC,  built each of us hosts, our very own "sets".. and I can't wait to see mine! I have been told is totally screams ME. Red walls, rustic/eclectic furniture.. I can't wait! Of course I am going to bring my own art to put on the walls, and my own "art supplies to film with.. gotta have my own trusty paints and paintbrushes..

 

 

But can't wait to see my set AND the set of everyone else! I have heard they are each so cool!

AND probably the biggest reason I am excited is because I get to have "guest" on my show and I will be having four of the coolest artsy chics coming thursday to each film a segment with me!  Of course you know I had to ask my dear friend Margie to be my first guest.. she will be the first one to tell you she is NOT an artist.. BUT I BEG TO DIFFER.

 
(this is a canvas margie started at our girls retreat in April..)

 An artist comes in so many different forms and while she might not totally feel comfortable with mixed media art.. she is an amazing papercrafting artist, jewelry artist, and product designer (which includes desiginging paper.. which has lead into designing fabric and such!). Plus she puts on one of THE MOST creative events ever.. from decorations, to teachers, to food, to music.. hello.. THAT is art at it's finest.. She is also an amazing blogger.. always finding the most beautiful photos and capturing you and bringing you into this wonderful world of art she has created.. She is also an AMAZING decorator.. I love her house.. love her sense of style!

 

(this is a photo taken from her blog.. seriously THIS is what her house looks like.. not even kidding you. )

So Margie will be my first guest on my Show.. she isn't going to create a project or teach me a project I guess I should say.. but I am going to teach her and she is going to be funny and witty and awesome like she always is and make me feel at ease and happy and right at home.. couldn't be more perfect for the first day of filming.. I will film three more segments that day. (wednesday) before we call it  a day. So excited and So nervous!

On the second day of filming I will have 3 more guests coming to shoot segments (I will be shooting 12 segments in all.. 8 of them this week.. and so four of my 8 will have guest on them.. it will be so much more interesting than just me talking the whole time! :))

So on thursday, I am excited to share the camera with 3 EXTREMELY talented mixed media artist.. who will be coming on my show to teach ME a technique! and I can't wait!

My first guest is the amazing Danielle Donaldson.. from wishbliss studios.. she is one of the most brilliant painters I have truly ever seen. Her depth and details in her art is CRAZY!!! so crazy! I am jealous of her talent!

 

(this is one of her paintings...)

 
 (the details.. seriously..)

She is also a awesome jewelry artist and takes her art and mixes it with wearable pieces!

 


So I am SUPER excited to have this chicka in the studio with me! I have never met her in person.. so this will also be an awesome FIRST! can't wait!

My second Guest "host"/Artist OR first guest  for filming on  thursday will be a VERY good friend of mine.. who also makes me laugh like no tomorrow.. Jeanne Oliver from Jeanne Oliver Designs.
Jeanne is a MUTLI-talented artist.. from jewelry, to fabric goods (handmade bags, dresses, pillows).. to mixed media art..

 
(one of my favorite original pieces from her.. I have the one on the left in the back.. the two friends with their heads together.. LOVE)

 

(I also have this necklace she made from vintage finds while in Paris. It never fails, it's my favorite necklace to wear and I always get compliments when I wear it!)

Jeanne has a very vintage quality about her work.. which is very different than my bright funky ways.. so I am excited to have her come on and even teach me a thing or to about her style of mixed media art! Plus the good news is I get to hang with her for two days while she stays with us at Margie's house! YOU KNOW We are going to party! lol (and that means for us old farts.. staying up way past our bedtime lauging at the dumbest things possible).. :) Man I have great friends. I am one lucky girl.

My last guest for thursday is the ever so brilliant.. and seriously.. blow your mind.. talented, Chrissy Gardner.  Chrissy is also a dear dear friend. TRULY one of the best. Chrissy is ALSO  a well kept secret.. if you will. She is very quiet, very humble and doesn't share her art a ton with other people. But that girl.. OH MY GOSH.. she is so freaking creative it blows my MIND!!

 
(this is a picture taken from her blog.. her blog is always so inspiring.. she is on a little hiatus with it right now as she just moved to utah.. but be prepared because when she is blogging.. it's full of creative goodness and inspiration!)

She is just seriously.. and I mean this with my entire heart.. a creative genius just waiting to be unleashed.

 
(this is a mixed media project she was working on while at our girls art retreat).. she first doolded it, then painted it and then was embriodering it.. and then it was going to be turned into a bracelet! HELLO??!!!)

this girl thinks SO outside the box.. is crazy. I just wish she knew how talented she really was and shared more of her artsy goodness with the world. AT our girls retreat early this year.. with all of my closest girlfriends, she made each of us a pair of simple tourquise earring. Before that, I was not a wearer of earrings.. they always seemed to bother my ears like nothing else.. so I thought I would never wear them. NOW?? I wear them almost every day! They are SO me and because they are silver, they don't bother my ears at all! I truly wear them all the time and they are simple, yet funky and handmade andi LOVE THEM.

 

(This is a picture I took of them the other day using my phone) .. i was driving and sent her a text to tell her again THANK You for the wonderful earrings.. I truly DO wear them all the time.)

Anyhow.. I guess I am just super excited and super anxious for this week to come. I am nervous to film.. silly right? I mean I have done over 75 videos in my own workshops alone.. but it just feels "bigger" more pressure to be creative than ever before.. and of course I want to be myself. I want to be able to laugh and mess up and just be me on film.. so  I am hoping they allow me to do that and not cut too many "mistakes" out.. cause you know there will be! Lol

I will film 8 videos this week.. and then head back in September sometime to film the other 4.. AND when I do, I get the pleasure of having one more fabulous artist on the show with me.. the ever Talented Kelly Barton She tried so hard to make it this time around.. cause the 6 of us ladies hanging out.. holy cow.. that would have been SOMETHING ELSE!  but alas.. work and family came first. Which is as it SHOULD be.  Can't wait for September though! .( I will tell you more about THIS amazing chicka later! )

I am also just truly grateful for this opportunity. Seriously.. talk about a "LEAP".  I sometimes forget what a HUGE opportunity this is for me.. and then I will be talking to my mom about it or someone else and I can see the excitement in their eyes and I realize how blessed I TRULY am that I was asked to do this. Out of ALL the mixed media artist in our industry.. TRULY there are so many talented women AND Men, so I am grateful I was asked! I hope I do them proud! :)

 Well... I am off! I am going to take lots of pictures while I am there so I can document and blog about this experience. not sure how much time I will have, but if I do, I will post a blog about it while I am gone. (I say that knowing full well I am sure I won't have any time! lol  But I did spend some time this weekend in my studio.. I had this creative itch to create something just for ME.. so I did.. I will share that with you when I get back :) 

Anyhow.. thanks for letting me share this journey of MCC with you!  Happy Tuesday!

 

Creatively Inspired.... by the talented Alisa Burke

 
This past May, I had the pleasure of attending Donna Downey's Inspired Event. I was particularly excited to meet on of the teachers there.. Ms. Alisa Burke!

 
 
(isn't she a cutie!)

I was a huge fan of her work, her fabrics, her workshops, her blog.. her stamps!! Lol.. Just a fan!  So when it came time for her class, I couldn't wait to just dive in and learn from her. She was teaching us how to create our own fabrics by layering with stamps, our own doodling, screen printing and more.

 

 It was just a really great, relaxing class. The best part was when she ended up at our table and her and I were able to actually talk and meet. It's funny because I think we spent the better last half of the 4 hour class, just talking and talking. I was even MORE in love with this girl and her art because now I know she was not only one talented artist.. but a fun, down to earth girl as well. We just clicked instantly and I knew we would be long life friends. She's one of those girls that you just know.. after spending 2 hours with.. that you can just hang out and have a good time.. and just really enjoy it each other.   We exchanged phone numbers and have stayed in touch since then! Just love that girl! Well when I started this series, I instantly thought of her and doing some sort of  canvas piece, where I would paint/layer stamps, etc..  and raw piece of canvas and then make a purse or something out of it..   

Besides being an amazing painter, fabric artst (she makes the most amazing handbags)

 
 

quilts...

 

 Jewelry..

 

 

 

out of her canvas/cloth paintings..  and stamp carver 

 (she hand carves all of her own stamps.. and they are to DIE For! so popular that everytime she comes out with them.. she sell out instantly.. and I have YET to get my hands on some of them!)..

SHE ALSO is a insanley creative doodler.

 

 

Which is something I also really enjoy doing. (last saturday during the canasta tournament, I doodled all over the paper-covered table through 5 hours of play :)) (which by the way.. ME and my partner, My SIL, Jayla.. WON!!! the entire tournament! it was the doodling.. it was GOOD LUCK! lol)

 

So this past week, when I saw THIS blog post  about this  LARGE Wall-Art canvas she has made, which is all completely doodling, I was INSTANTLY inspired .. and knew that is what I wanted to do my next creatively inspired art challenge on!

 

 

 So I texted her and told her my plan and of course as the gracious adorable person she is.. she said yes!  

 I knew I wanted to create something large scale, like hers.. but I thought to put my own spin on by it with mixing colors, using stamps to give the background some depth and texture. I also wanted to add a few more colors to it, as I thought it would be the PERFECT piece in my art studio! Well I sat down to create with the intention of videoing my process, and my friend Margie called.. I began to doodle.. and before I knew it.. our conversation was over and  I was already finished! painted and everything! (oops!) lol.. 

Sooooooo....I decided to create a second one I could video as well.. to show you the process I used. These are the two pieces I came up with..

here if my first one.. it's 3"x18" long..

 

 

I went with bright summer colors, something maybe I could put in my art studio.. or my daughter allie's room.

I  
 On this piece I went with a more monochromatic flower.. so each flower is it's own color and just used shades of the color to give the flower dimension.

 
I did include on flower in the opposite corner that incorporated all of the colors.. to tie them all in together.

 

My second pieces.. which is the one I video taped for my blog.. was this piece here!

it's 24"x36" in size..

 
I intended on creating several flowers on this one.. like the first.. but got going and before I knew it ended up with ONE Big giant flower. I still may add a small flower in the upper right corner.. to even it out.

 

 

I also was going to do monchromatic flowers.. but ended up doing a mutlicolor flower instead..
 
 
 

After it was all said and done, I came up with two finished art piece and I honestly love both of them! If you want to see more of my process.. I have posted a youtube video below at the end of this post.. keep in mind it's MY Process.. not Alisa's.. as I am SURE she is way more "artist" than me! lol

  THANK YOU ALISA for your wonderful inspiration!! If you want to learn more about Alisa and her work.. first you MUST Read her blog.. holy cow.. she just painted a "rug"  the wood floor of her hallway in her house. .. um.. seriously girl? She is just amazing! But she ALSO teaches online classes as well as has her own books published! (her newest book, Sew Wild is due out any day.. and I get to be apart of a blog hop in it's debut!!) I chomping at the bit   excited about her NEWEST online class, ( and you SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY need to do it too)..  Beneath the Surface !     It's all about her process in creating art on fabric using layer  of paints, stamps, screen printing techniques.. (how to make your OWN screen prints.. which I promise ANYONE can do!!) Registration starts MONDAY and class starts August 15th! I am So going to be there.. you should join me! .. not kidding it will change the way you look at fabric art! Your OWN art and is a perfect medium for both SHe Art Canvases AND Art Journals! You also need to check out all of her other workshops.. I think she has like 7 or 8 online workshops that you can take and join now!

 

I made a video on my process (it's a Behind the Art Video and all in fast forward mode (or it would be WAY to long..) but I thought It might be fun to share my process a bit.. Anyhow.. thank you again Ms Alisa Burke. You are one extremely brilliant and talented lady. I still want to do a purse or something out of painted fabric.. but that is for another time. Hope you enjoy the video! Happy Thursday!

 

Spark your creativity!.. a artsy experience..

So I know a long while I ago, I posted that I was going to be one of the new creative partners this year for Spark The Event.But I am ALSO going to be teaching one of my mixed media classes at Spark as well! I have to tell you.. last year when I attended this event, I wasn't really in the "creating mood". I hadn't been for years, didn't consider myself a creative person or even an artist. After I attended that event, soaked in all the beautiful women, teachers and philosophies about art.. that were shared at that event.. I came home INSPIRED to do more.. to start creating again.. it was the perfect nudge I needed to just be ME again..

 
 

If you don't know what Sparkis.. well you are in for a treat! Spark is a creative event where all things creative and beautiful come together in one place. It's creative genius is the fabulousMargie Romney-Alsett.

 

 And it's her Third YEAR! From the classes to the food, the decorations, the rooms, everything is just one magical place! 

 

 

 

 It's a 2 day event hosted in this beautiful building in Utah. And when I say beautiful I mean it has a rooftop patio with christmas lights hung.. and they use it for the make and take nights and live music. Seriously beautiful!  As part of the event you get to take all the classes offered (which I believe are a total of 7  or 8).. 

 

 classes like stamp carving with the talented April Meeker,

 

 reverse applique (From Amy Tangerine), an Altered Shabby Vintage book, full of wonderful little details,

 
 

 a mixed media art piece (She Art Girl by me!),

 

 a jewelry piece, an art journal class by the talented DONNA Downey!

 

 and the EVER talented artists:  Emily Falconbridge, Mindy Gledhill, and more! PLUS guess what? they are going to have a blogger panel by some of the most well known bloggers in the industry! AMazing!

 
 

 It combines all things creative and you get to participate in ALL of them! Plus they will have a Market Fair with handpicked handmade artists featuring their work for sale.

 

They also include a make and take night where you get to spend the evening on the roof, creating all sorts of things from sponsors like jewelry, cuffs, cards, headbands, the list goes on and on.

 

 

 And if that weren't enough, you get served Delicious food as well! It truly is an amazing experience. This past week Spark held a fun little "soiree at a local gift store.. to give a taste of what's in store.. here is a fun little video on it.. But seriously.. if you are looking for something to really push you creatively.. to be surrounded by wonderful beautiful artsy people like yourself. To connect and make new friends, new opportunities.. new life changing experiences.. YOU NEED TO COME TO THIS EVENT.  It's this fall, in October (my birthday month!) near Salt Lake City Utah! So  come see me.. come take a class with me and all the other wonderful teachers that will be there. It will be one unforgettable experience! Check out the Spark Website for more info!

Spark The Event

 

Spark the Event No. 3 Soiree from Spark The Event on Vimeo.