So, back when I first committed to ICADing, I talked about how creating these index cards would hopefully become a ritual, a part of my daily art practice, and I envisioned them being warm up exercises to get those creative juices flowing.

While I have been making my cards daily, it doesn’t have a ritualistic feel.  There’s no consistency in the how or why of it.  Some cards were practicing techniques, but the following ICADs were simply clean up material – kind of like paper towels – they just sopped up everything left over on my work table after I had finished crafting for the evening.

ICAD 20 –

The music paper was scooped up from whatever project I had just finished.  Then, I did a very very quick face with a stabilo pencil, and some gesso.  She looks a bit stressed – you’d think she was just getting started for the evening, but rather this was a wrap it up card.

ICAD 21 –

Leftover pieces from a collage sheet that I was using to make ATCs.

ICAD 22 –

A leftover card from week 1 – more leaf stencils.

ICAD 23 –

Leftovers, from a 5 x 7 technique swap on Paper Traders, and an ATC

ICAD 24 

More leftovers, from the collage sheet

ICAD 25

These scraps were so small, it was either stick them on the card, or into the garbage.

I’m not sure how I feel about this leftoverness – it’s not really falling into place with my ritual idea.  But, on the other hand, after every athletic activity, there’s a cool down period – maybe my new ritual is cool down.  We’ll see.

By the way, speaking of comparing apples and oranges, and crafting to athletic activity – did you see the Olympic Committee’s ridiculous smack-down of the Ravelympics.  Now there’s a fight they really need to have a few weeks before the games.  There’s a real priority!  I know a lot of knitters got their stitches in a twist over this, but I just thought it was like something out of a Saturday Night Live episode – knitter down! 

Anyway, I didn’t photograph any of the crafting I did last week – I made a bunch of ATCs, a 5 x7 image transfer thing with some fabric and some stitching, a Dotee Doll, a digi art envelope – all for swapping.  I have one more swap to complete, and then I’m taking a break.  I don’t generally blog about my personal life, but my stepson is being . . . well, a teenager – and in the peaceful times in our house, when I have time to make stuff – I just want to do my own thing – not that it’s for me, as opposed to someone else, I just don’t feel like having any deadlines, or anyone else’s theme, or even format right now.  I spent three hours on the phone with my stepson’s mother on Sunday (and lets just say we are not buddies, nor are we on the same page), and the last thing I wanted to do after that was make a Dotee doll, but I had to because it was due.  So, I’m just taking a break from swapping – probably for the summer.

I did photograph the finished spread in my art journal.  Dianne left a comment on the last post, that perhaps I should add some blue to the orange and purple girl.  So, I tried it – I’m not sure if she looks less flat, but I do like the blue.  Thanks for the great comment Dianne!  I really appreciated the suggestion.  On the other side, I ended up doing a Stabilo girl with white paint –

I was still feeling the feather thing, so I threw it in there.

It’s funny that her neck turned out so long – because that’s how I’m feeling – like I’ve got my neck stuck out there.

Here, you can see the nice texture from the layers of pages and gesso a la Anne Bagby –

So, that about wraps it up for today!

I don’t know where this week went.  At work, our fiscal year runs from 6/30 – 6/30.  So, it’s use it or lose time for vacation.  I’ve had a day off here, a day off there – scheduling days that don’t conflict with court, or something due.  I’d like to say I’m being productive on these random days off – but I’m not.  I watch t.v. – I read.  Recommend – Gone Girl, definitely.  Although, my frugal side is in a full blown tizzy about this book.  Once upon a time, Amazon books were $9.99 – then, when prices began to be set by publishers, they went up.  And up.  Now, a bestseller is $12.99 – bummer.  So, for my $13.00 I wanted to get my $13 worth – and when you read a book in a day and a half, I feel robbed, even if it is a good book.  And, I don’t feel particularly motivated to buy another book for $12.99  the next day.  So, I went to my local library’s download system – which isn’t terrible, but the choices are definitely limited.  To my surprise the new Oprah book was available – Wild.  Not what I would normally choose – but it was free – love the library! – and I’m even more surprised how involved I am in it.  She’s a good writer – but it’s not that.  It’s a memoir, but it’s not really self-helpy – not like Eat Pray Love.  There’s no preaching, and I find myself yelling at her – haven’t you learned anything?  Are you really that big of a f-up?  Really – it took you how many miles to lighten up your backpack?  I like that while she’s f’ing up, she’s not judging herself, or beating herself up – she’s just trying to get back on track.  I like her.

Anyway, so I’ve been reading, and trying to catch up with my Open Studio videos.  I don’t know why I call it “catching up” – the class is available until January 1, but there’s so much material, I feel like if I haven’t touched it for a day or two, I need to go back and review.  And if I go back, I’m not going forward.  Two steps forward, one step back.  So, I’m just trying to get it all going in one direction. 

Here’s a journal page that was a springboard from one of the writing prompts –

I don’t usually pick figures of men –  but I found this video by Anne Bagby, and I was really inspired by her drawings – she chose the man in her sketch because she was moved by his big ears.  Anyway, if you clicked on the link, you’ll see it took you to ArtClick TV, not the producer of the video, Creative Catalyst Productions.  I’m not sure how these two sites are related, but I feel they must be, when you start comparing the catalogues.  ArtClicks, however, seems like a fantastic deal.  There’s a monthly subscription fee, and for $30, you can watch as many videos as you can.  Every month after that is $20.  Not every video is in the subscription catalgue – although more are than not – and the Acrylic Grunge Book video happens to be separate, so I rented the video for $8 for the month – which is certainly a better deal than buying the DVD if you ask me.   Her other two videos are part of the monthly subscription option, or they can be rented individual as well – for $10.  So, if I think I want to watch them, obviously, I’ll get the monthly deal, since all I have to do is watch just one more video to make the subscription worth it.  

Anyway, I was glad I rented the streaming video as opposed to the DVD, because the lesson just wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.  Not that it wasn’t good – but it was only an hour, and it’s basically a lesson on altering a book, and turning the pages into interesting backgrounds for sketching, but layering gesso and newspaper clippings.  Lots of layers.  And then, she wraps it up by applying an epoxy coating to the cover.  It was a fine video, but I just thought it was more of an art journal, and less of sketch book, and I thought there would be more of her pattern/collage techniques from the other videos incorporated into the book. 

But no.  I’ll have to watch them separately – and they do look interesting.

So, that’s the little of this, and the little of that – now the index cards –

Card 11 – My Crazy Quilt

Card 12 –

I’ve been watching Julie Fei-Fan Balzers Stencil Hop every week – and I’ve found myself a bit sad that I have very few stencils, and only 3 sprays – but I’m kind reluctant to buy stencils.  Same with stamps – I have very few stamps, and while I covet them, sort of, I don’t feel like buying them.  Because how many times can you use a stamp – that’s a. someone else’s art, and b. the same stamp – over and over, and have it still feel like it’s something you made?

I can’t answer that – I just don’t have them.

But, now that I’m back in the black, I’m thinking I might want to make some of my own.

And of course, Julie has a new DVD for that, through Interweave.

And I know there’s another video on ArtClick TV as well.

Perhaps a summer project.

Card 13

Just the left over ink from the above stencil, and the lyrics to Born to Run.

Today is one of my random days off, and we’re going to the Springsteen exhibit at the Constitution Center.  Today’s card will probably be my ticket stub, or something like that.

So, that’s about it.

Ramble ramble.

So last night, with a tornado warning in affect, and the rain pouring down, I was lost in my own little world, up in the third floor craftroom, working in the new Misty journal.

Huh, it rained?

Anyway, my new thing is sketching things that catch my eye on Pinterest – that’s the first page.  The second page is a journaling assignment from the class – there was writing, and some paint doodling, and the portrait started with markers, moved to crayons, then some paint, yadda yadda – I’m sorry more of the mediums didn’t actually show through.  And, most of the writing/doodling is covered up as well – I wish I had turned the page the other way.  

Then started out as a graphite sketch- and then I painted over her a bit – well, I used an couple of pastels and then white paint –

I feel like these portraits are just a couple of layers short of being satisfying.

But, I’m getting there.

And, today’s icad –

Lemon and I were in the back for awhile, and now I’m about to embark on a full on cleaning odyssey, so today is about home.  And, I wanted to practice my free motion stitching – so here’s today’s card.

I don’t know if I’m going to post them every day – I think there’s going to be a linky day twice a week, I’ll probably just post them then.  The making of the card is the ritual, the posting – well, that feels like habit.