Haircut

No more "longish" hair for me. I'm back to short hair, but it took 3 haircuts to get there! The first came in Oklahoma...nice haircut, with the longish sides. I couldn't handle it, tho. That straightening iron just didn't get along with me, so it was back to using the curling iron...and I was spending a lot of time trying to get my hair right. Ok, 2nd haircut, at Bubbles...came out of there and my DIL said "Gee, mom, there's a picture of your mom, and your hair looks just like that!" I knew the one she was referring to, it was from the 1950s. I like retro - in my art. So, the next day I went to Hair Cuttery and asked Sue to layer my hair, cut it short, no tapered sides...and I came out with a normal, great haircut...with the hot, humid weather and my naturally curly/frizzy hair, this haircut is a relief!!! I wash it, comb it back and go! Yippeee!!!! Freedom! In the meantime, I made some moos! These are blue...hmmm...do I like blue? Not sure.

New Stamps

I ordered some stamps from Stampotique. Lots of fun...I have to share one I did up a few minutes ago.

Rain and Art

Lately, most evenings are spent in the company of thunder (some of it ground shaking), lightening and rain...not just a gentle rain, but buckets full of rain. I needed to get out to run errands, but it helps to see when you are driving. So, home I stayed. I managed to catch the last half of "A Hard Day's Night". Talk about a blast from the past...

But, I did make an ATC the other night for a group I'm in. We needed to use a page from a book for the background. I found this lovely page in my stash and a very faded picture.

A Story about a Mermaid

Penelope was the squires daughter and lived in Little Trembly-by-The-Sea. She loved the children in the village and helped in the school, but her most favorite thing of all was to gather them up and sit on the rocks by the sea and read to them. Little did she know that there was a secret audience listening to her stories. Three mermaids would visit the rocks and happily spend an hour listening to Penelope’s stories.One day a fierce storm blew up out of nowhere, the children were terrified and started to cry. One little girl was so scared, she couldn’t move. Penelope was shepherding the children away from the rocks, when she realized little Gracie was not with the rest of the children. To her horror, she saw Gracie standing on the rock and the angry wind carry her backwards into the sea. There was no one to help Gracie, so Penelope raced to the rocks and dove into the swirling seas. It took her a few minutes to find Gracie, but find her she did. Penelope managed to tow her to the rocks and lift her up to safety. But by this time, the storm had worsened, the waters were so angry. Her dress was heavy and she couldn’t free herself of her buckled shoes. The rocks were very slippery and Penelope couldn’t find purchase, every time she tried to find a fingerhold, her hand slipped. Exhaustion seized her and it was clear the sea wanted her for its own. The mermaids found her floating and could not save her. In their distress, they took her body to Neptune and begged his aid, telling him of their love for this man’s child. While he could not restore her human life, there was a gift he could give her, he could bring her back as a Mermaid. And so Penelope now swims the sea and reads to the mermaids. © Lynell Fox, 14 June 2008

What Do You Prefer?

Years ago, I started painting with oils. Never thought I'd give them up, but I did...for acrylics. I loved tole painting, but then one day I painted on paper and look out...I had always collected paper, I didn't know why, but now I do. It was just the tip of the iceberg for this crazy passion for altered art...but getting back to my original question...what do you like to work with --- oils, acrylics, pencils, watercolors, gouache, oil pastels --- in your altered art. I'm sure there are a few I've missed, but you know what I mean! Or maybe all of them...yeah...why not?

Mighty Cool!

I found a comment from Claudine Hellmuth on my posting on 9 June about my peeled paper background that I worked on. Now how cool is that...she liked it!!!

I'm such a fledgling at trying these techniques, but I did like this one. It was mighty easy to do, the one mistake I made was I used the blue painter's tape, and I think it was too flimsy to tear the vintage paper I used. But if that's all you have, you use several applications of the tape to the same area and it works out.

So, what did I learn? Keep trying! Wow, I'm jazzed!!! Thanks, Claudine!!! What a thrill!

Lynn

Playing

Continuing with the peeled paper technique, I made a simple ATC out of part of the background sheet I created yesterday. I chose the theme of 1940s famous redheads...Susan Hayward, Maureen O'Hara and Lucille Ball. I love those movies, so here's my tip of the hat to them. And I have enough of my background sheet to make more ATCs or other pieces of art.

Lots Going On!

Boy, things do get away from me. Trying to find time for art, but it's hard. Having issues with my lower back, so now I'm going to get the shots in my spine...whooopeee! Do I know how to have fun? Well, in spite of it all, and that includes a nerve block on my left leg...I am making a little bit of art here and there...I tried Claudine Hellmuth's peeled paper technique. I had to work at it a bit, but it came out well. I completed the background, now I'm going to start working on the ATC. So here's the backgroun