Saturday, August 31, 2013

DIY Silhouette Art

Good morning everyone!!!

Your friendly neighborhood artist here at your disposal ( and that is SO sarcastic - because I'm the furthest thing from an artist that there could be )
Although being an artist certainly is starting to be a term people use most loosely - if you want to giggle
check out a true ARTIST HERE - seriously - you won't believe your eyes ( and if you are related to that particular artist - well then I'm sorry - and I'm just an ignoramus - because I don't get it )

BUT - every now and then an " idea " is born and I attempt to do something on a canvas ( and that's a very loose term - because it's usually an old scap piece of wood ).  I created these for my kids last fall - made one each and put lyrics that meant something to each of them.  You can see details of it HERE


They seemed to be quite popular and are SO easy to do - that I decided to do another one with a step by step tutorial for you today..............it didn't come out as nice as the first ones because I was in a hurry to
get things done and didn't do as many buildings on this one

I only had very thin pieces of plywood to use - the first batch were made on pieces of wood boards actually.
So I started off with my " canvas "


I gave it a quick coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint - Pure White


John says - PLEASE don't paint on the dining room table
Suzan says - It's my EASEL - and please don't stifle my creativity
John says - We use that to eat on - PLEASE
John says - No wonder I can never find a a recycle bag - HAVE YOU BEEN USING THEM FOR DROP CLOTHS???????????

I've been wanting to paint this table for over 2 years now - John is standing firm against the idea -  I figure if I have enough " accidents " on it - he'll have no choice but to let me do it LOL
Ok - ready to see an artist in motion?
Take notice of my clean fluid strokes everyone -
and especially my tools!!!


A Sharpie and a Ruler - LMHO
Now I can draw stick figures AND buildings - SHUT THE DOOR!!!!!!!!!!!


For a city silhouette I make them as close as possible with different roof lines and add some smoke stacks ( chimney's? ) for interest


and I ALWAYS add a Church


Montreal is a city of Churches ( more per capita than anywhere else in North America apparently )
so a city skyline without one is inconceivable to me !!!


Ok - at this point John said the funniest thing he's ever said before ( well concerning the blog anyway )
I'm dying of laughter here.............and like usual he's dead serious !!!
I'm sitting at the computer uploading these images

John says - WHAT are you doing?
Suzan says - I'm giving a tuturorial on how to make these
John says - ARE YOU INSANE???
John says - You could sell these on your blog - why the hell are you telling everyone how to make them???
Suzan says - If you're expecting people to line up to buy these John you're in a dream world here!
John says - Well that's another lost opportunity ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Suzan says - Why do all your get-rich-quick schemes always involve me and a paintbrush?
Suzan says - Please go invent something................leave me alone, I'm blogging

OMG - I'm laughing my head off - I can barely type to finish this ..................
Hey John - You've got HIGH hopes - high hopes - high in the sky apple pie hopes................
Should I have these patented LMHO???

Ok - let's continue............I left the backgrounds white on the ones I made for my kids - on this one I decided to paint a grey sky.................just dry brushing once again -
I used Graphite and White chalk paint because I was out of Paris Grey -
It's completely ok to paint over some of the " buildings " at this point because they're all going to be filled in with the Graphite color anyway..............


I then added some Old Violet here and there - again only dry brushing -



Ok - now we paint the buildings - if you want to make Graphite a pure black - you can add some black pigment to the mix - I didn't have any so I added black craft paint - and if any of you tell Annie Sloan that I'll never speak to you again!!!


I paint the black in one direction only - up/down - and I do it thick for " texture "
And this is how it looks when you're finished ( or in this case almost finished )


I left the one I did for my Son like the above - completely black - but I usually dry brush some white over the buildings at this point..............in the opposite direction that the black was painted in - so side to side.
This allows the texture to show ..............

it almost gives the effect of a rainy twilight  - with moon glow just starting to creep in
oops - have to work on that steeple and cross a little!



Stay tuned - I'm working on a Paris one now.................BECAUSE



Tomorrow is day ONE of GIVE AWAYS  ( to celebrate 1000 GFC followers )
There'll be 6 different days and there may be a little bit a lot of Paris involved  
Have a great Sunday everyone
Much love,

Suzan yells - John the first piece is ready for the Art Gallery!!!!!!!!!!

Sharing with!
Homemaker on a dime                            Craft O Maniac                        Under the table & dreaming
The Charm of Home                               French Country Cottage           Chase the Star
Deborah Jean's Dandelion House            My Romantic Home                 One Artsy Mama
The Shabby Nest                                   Finding Fabulous                       Mellywood's Mansion
I Heart Nap Time                                  Funky Junk Interiors                  It's Overflowing
I should be mopping the floor                 Uncommon Designs                  Homemaker on a Dime
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia           Homework                               Stone Gable

Friday, August 30, 2013

Home is where the Hearts are...................

Good morning everyone - another heartfelt post today



When I began blogging I had no idea - absolutely no idea - the friendships that were waiting in store for me literally at my fingertips.  I had no idea I was about to embark on a journey that would have me meeting and becoming close friends with people all over North America and beyond - well beyond - from Europe to Australia and New Zealand.............and that people would connect with me - " get " me - ( my craziness and all ) has at times left me feeling completely overwhelmed.



We're strangers no more.
We know our children's names - our husband's names ( if there is in fact one ) we mourn each other's losses.
Deeply.
We celebrate each other's achievements.
We tease - cajole - and above all encourage.
We laugh - out loud
We cry - silently
We giggle and sniffle and giggle some more.
We offer praise - and suggestions - and give advice
We welcome newborns into the world
We say good-bye to those that have left
We do so collectively - as a whole - and when we decide to lift
some one up who's fallen - we hold " virtual " hands to do so, so that our " sister"
knows we're there.


It's a world where one day you casually mention that you would like to start a heart collection because of a clients collection you once saw - and fell instantly in love with ( you can read about that client's collection
HERE - It's amazing and worth it to see !!! )
And the next day you have an email from a friend thousands of miles away


Who tells you she would like to help you get started with that collection...............
And then proceeds to make the most incredible gift for you


This friend of yours - this very dear friend of yours - whom you have never met - has taken the time to create something with you in mind.............


Carol, I was touched beyond words to receive this - you'll never know how much your gift represents the
true essence of blogging for me..............of course when I look at it I'll think of you - my sweet colorful friend in California - but more than that - it truly represents how deeply connected this sisterhood of blogging really is and how I would be lost without it at this point in my life..................


John says - There's a package for you
Suzan says - Oh I think I know what it is!!!

But I wasn't prepared for the wave of emotions that flooded my heart the moment I saw it.

John says - What are you crying for now?
Suzan says - Because this represents my blog sisters John - one in particular but all of them in general
John says - Sometimes you make no sense at all....................why would a string of hearts make you cry?

He has no idea the metaphors that are racing through me - because this gift completely tugs at my heart strings.

When I think of blogging - I think of William Wordsworth's famous poem

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude
And then my heart with pleasure fills
And dances with the daffodils

Yes, my heart with pleasure fills, indeed.
Thank you for letting me dance with you everyday
I don't think I mention that near enough..............

Please take a moment to visit Carol from ART and SAND (one of the prettiest blogs out there - if you don't know her you are in for such a treat - and while you're there, completely mesmerized by what she does - take a look at what Steve, her husband, does as well )

Ok Suzan - enough with the soppy crap - THIS is why I try to keep my posts light and humorous lol
So before I start crying here again,
Much love to all -
Carol, you are amazing..................thank you for my Heart Strings once again



Sharing with!
I Heart Nap Time                                I should be mopping the floor                        Craft O Maniac
Under the table & dreaming         Confessions of a plate addict                         Not Just a Housewife
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia        The Winthrop Chronicles                              Marty's Musings            Homestories A to Z                            Savvy Southern Style                                    Adorned from Above
No Minimalist Here                            The Charm of Home                                     French Country Cottage
Deborah Jean's Dandelion House       Craftionary                                                    Chase the Star
My Romantic Home                           One Artsy Mama                                          The Shabby Nest
Finding Fabulous                                It's Overflowing