This is the cutout that I am working on as an ad campaign. This is the basic cutout shape. There will be overlays of text but the theme is for an AIDs Awareness Campaign called "Know Your Status."

Art Journal Challenge (Two)

Here is a piece that I am adding to my Art Journal Challenge Page for the second week of prompts. The prompt is Negative. When I think of negative, I think of negative space in cutouts so I decided this simple cutout to show both the positive and negative space.

I haven't figured out how I will use this cutout but it will make its way somehow into this week's journal page.

More Cutouts

After working on my emergency Mother's Day Card crisis, I decided to develop of series of Garden Party cutout cards. Here are the first two in the series. These are just the prototypes and not the color combinations that will ultimately be used. These are folded cards that are 4.25" by 5.5". I will have either 4 or 5 in the series.

Art Journal Challenge

This was my entry for Week One of the Art Journal Challenge. The prompt that I chose to use was "Scribble." I used one of the watercolor pages that I had specified for this challenge. This is a matchbook page that folds backwards and tucks into a one inch turn-in. The valley fold of the turn in will be stitched to an accordion spine that will then be cased in.

The pages are 90 lb Arches cold pressed watercolor paper. I usually would have used 140 lb but I wanted something that could be folded so I opted for the lighter paper. The paper curls more than I would like but that is what you give up for flexibility.

I layered fives colors of watercolor for the background. I based the colors on the brads that I already had. I wanted the colors to coordinate. I then attached the brads in random order being sure to try and not place two brads on the same color next to one another. I then took embroidery floss and scribbled between brads. I used five colors of thread (one strand each). I originally was only going to use four colors (red, dark purple, light purple and navy) but decided I needed a lighter color on top and added the yellow.

Happy Mother's Day

First of all,

Happy Mother's Day to all those who qualify.

I received a frantic call this morning at 10 AM. Please keep in mind that Sunday is the only day that I have off from both of my jobs. I normally sleep in (which is 8 or 9 AM since I normally wake up at 6). I leisurely treat myself to a diner breakfast and aimlessly enjoy my day.

Instead, this morning, I received a frantic call from S (who is one of my truly good friends in NYC). Here is how the conversation went:

S: Dude, I need a Mother's Day card, bad.

Me: Go to the store and buy one.

S: No really, I need one of your cards, really bad.

Me: It's Mother's Day already.

S: I know--I'm a total shit.

Me: Why did you wait til the last moment.?

S: Stop being my Mom. Can you make me a card? Don't you have one around.

Me: Nooooooooo. I make cards to order. You know that.

S: Just throw something together for me, pleaaaaaaaaaaase.

Me: Why don't you just buy one from the store?

S: You always make cards for my Mom. If I don't give her one of your cards, she will know that I waited until the last moment and then I have to sit through the entire brunch hearing how bad of a kid I am.

Me: Alriiiiiiiiiiight. When do you need it?

S: Well, brunch is at 1. Can you bring it to the city by then.

Me: Excuse me? Don't you mean--can I pick it up on my way to the city?

S: Oh, ugh, yeaaaaaah. When do you think I can stop by and pick it up.

Here is what I came up with.

Option #1. The design is from a Dover Publications of Floral Stencils. I cut out the design and backed it with red moire paper for the buds and petals. I used a patterned Florentine paper for the leaves and stems ( I wanted it to look like variegated foliage). There is text weight white paper on the inside that reads "Happy Mother's Day."

Option #2--This is the same card as above showing the white liner as the background.

I don't really know which one I like better but I think that they turned out OK considering it was a rush job. S better be bringing some Godiva chocolates in the near future (He is a Regional Manager for Godiva). Oh, the things we do for friends.

Another Commission

Here is another commission that was done in addition to the Wedding Album mentioned yesterday. The Japanese Silk book cloth covers the back boards and continues onto the cover of the cased in journals. The decorative papers and French Marbled sheets that coordinate with the end sheets of the album and the red silk book cloth. The pink book was for the bride and the red wave book was for the groom. The text blocks were the lined journal text blocks from Hollanders.

Wedding Album

Here is one of the commissions that I was working on. It is a wedding album for a young couple. The colors of the wedding were deep red and ivory. The pages are hand torn and are Folio (250 gm) Antique. It is a beautiful paper to work with and is great for album pages. The indentation that you see on the front cover is for a 4 x 6 photo from the wedding. The covering is a Japanese Silk book cloth.

(above) The album from the front view.

There are two folios per signature and these are sewn onto an accordion folded spine with 6 mountain folds. The last signature has three folios. This amounts to 25 pages for photographs (if using the front side only) or 50 pages if you are using fronts and backs (which is not recommended for a photo album unless there are interleaves and it isn't recommended in that case either).

(above) The album from the side view.

The endsheets are a beautiful French Marbled paper that has a gold iridescence.

(above) Endsheets and hand torn pages.

The finished dimensions of the photo album are 12" by 12" which will allow two 4 by 6 photos per page (in either orientation) or one 8 by 10 photo (in either orientation). The accordion spine allows for the the album to expand once the photos are added and the extra long ribbon will keep the album shut should it splay open once it is filled.

I Haven't Fallen Off the Face of the Earth

Hello faithful readers,

No I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. I have been extremely busy though. The theater that I am working at has opened its new show and it is called "American Idiot." The show is based upon the Green Day album of the same name. To say that my life has been chaotic is an understatement. I am also still working my day job and teaching two mornings each week as well. My class ends in two more weeks so life will be a little less chaotic very soon.

On the creative front, I have been doing some commission work, and some private swaps on swap-bot. I have also signed up to do a one month Art Journaling Challenge. The nice thing about this month' s challenge is that it is stress free. You get the prompts on Sunday for the entire week and you work a page(s) as you have time. I plan on working on one page per week. Also, I am working on the pages in a loose format and will then bind them when I am done. These pages will feature a new layout based on a different according spine binding. Each page will fold backward like a reverse matchbook. I have been developing some non-traditional sized books and journals and this new design will be featured in that collection.

Finally, here is the card that I designed for the Opening Night of American Idiot. It features the artwork from the album and show.