Only a few days until . . .

. . . my 2 year blog-versary! I cannot believe it's been 2 years since I started out on this new journey in art and blogging. Time flies! We need to do some celebrating around here! Keep reading . . .

I just listed the collage sheets I have done so far in my Etsy. I hope to be adding more every week. However, I just want to warn you if you're looking for some of my previous people images . . . I have saved some of my people images for my own work. I will be sharing some but you will find more ephemera, scraps, borders, and backgrounds than you will find people for awhile. I have some kind of hoarding issue going on with myself. I am sure there is some psychological reason for it - people images are so important to me. I just told someone this morning that someday I'll be buried alive in piles of antique pictures and deserving of my own Hoarders episode. (Yes, I watched the back to back episodes last night). Anyway, Here's a few of my newest people-less image sets . . .









So, we'll be having two give away raffles to celebrate ya 'all puttin' up with me for two years. One will be for 10 free collage sheets from my Etsy shop and you will have to come back to see the other prize! (and remember there are more sheets coming!) No need to sign up yet . . . watch for the "Yahoo!" post coming soon!

Good day . . .

Thank you all for your gracious and generous comments on my last post. You have NO IDEA how they have helped and how much I appreciate them. Today was a good day and my son was feeling more normal. The power of prayer . . . sigh. I will keep you posted.

I finished reorganizing and cleaning out over 4000 digital files today - started that project earlier this week. Feels good to have my image files nice and tidy.

Here's two more little pieces done . . .

Mind Fly


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 9/3/2010. All rights reserved.
4 x 8 hand cut skinny mixed media collage. Image credits: mouth and cheeks are from Crowabout StudioB at Deviantscrap.com; eyes and nose from Sherrie JD's Body Farm and little star from Holliewood Studios also at Deviantscrap.com; lower gold border is from Lorie Davison of Studio Lorie at Scrapbookgraphics.com; small inner top border from cemerony.etsy.com; all other pieces are from my own stash. Lots of hand tinting.

Below is a digital ATC that I made in honor of my friend Trudi of Two Dresses Studio also known as Two. We both feel a little guilty that our friendship is so strong having not ever met in person. But, I guess if marriages can start that way these days so can friendship. Well, she has been a great source of reason and calm for me for quite some time now and so generous with her spirit and positive outlook on life. I have needed that more than ever and feel myself growing more positive and hopeful everyday. Mushy I am so I will leave it at that. Except, that I printed and hand cut a version of this ATC for Trudi and another friend I recently made who has also been great fun to get to know recently.
2


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 9/2/2010. All rights reserved.
Digital Artist Trading Card. Image credits: wings from Holliewood Studio's Metal Momma kit from Deviantscrap.com; texture overlay from flypaper textures; everything else from my own stash.

This is just one of the million reasons I love my husband. He reads my blog at some point almost everyday and doesn't always mention it to me but . . . tonight he said, I know you've been sad this week because the wings on your fairies were pointed down and they're supposed to be up. He's so cute and I love him so much. I hate seeing pictures of myself but here's a picture of us from a couple of years ago . . .

Are we dancer?

Debating what I should share and what I shouldn't . . . it's always scary to reveal what will more than likely be misunderstood. Basically this year sucks. I never use the word "sucks" but am thinking about painting a giant canvas featuring the word. I hate that I'm not sharing gumdrops and rainbows but . . . this year sucks. I know I have much to be thankful for and I am humbled at what we've been blessed with but . . . man, I want to come up for air. There's a line in the movie "While You Were Sleeping" where the dad says something like "and just for a minute, everything is okay". I have shared that here before, but it's so true.

As many of you know, I am still coming to terms with losing my dad last February and what I went through in his dying process. I am finally turning a corner on that I think but I still struggle to grasp the fact that he is gone and struggle to wrap my mind around the experience of helping him die. It was such a profoundly sad experience. Then there has been other normal life and work stresses to deal with.

It now appears my 18 year old son is suffering from an anxiety/panic attack disorder. I have had 3 episodes of ongoing and miserable anxiety in my life but none for a few years. I know how scary and agonizing it is and my heart is so heavy watching my son go through it. It is very hard to explain to someone that's never suffered from it, but it leaves you with an overwhelming sense of doom and fear and you can't explain what exactly you're afraid of. It's as if someone split your brain in two and your normal logic still works in one half and the other half is certain something bad is happening or about to happen and that you should be protecting yourself - it actually creates all of the physical symptoms of "fight or flight" with adrenaline rushes and pounding heart and muscle tension, etc. It can bring your life to a screeching halt. It paralyzes you. He really had his first bout with it when my dad died but I was so overwhelmed with my own self pity and segregated myself from everyone, I didn't realize what was happening. This bout was much much worse. He is under the care of a good doctor and we are treating it and we are seeing improvement, but it has been all consuming the last two weeks. My son, who has Asperger's Syndrome, has overcome so much in his life - besides Asperger's, he's had two very rare and very serious health problems as a child. He just absolutely has had more to deal with than most adults have ever had to deal with and at this life transition of starting college, I just so wanted to believe he had made it, was on his way, had nothing to hold him back. I believe down to my toes, that he will lick this too . . . it just takes time and a lot of work and a lot of support and patience from family and friends. In some ways, it is redefining me as a mother and person yet again and causing me to shore up and set a good example of how not to worry (and worry is my middle name). I just feel helpless and helpless is always frustrating. I believe in the power of prayer and hope you won't mind including my family once again in your own meditations and good thoughts.

I've been hanging out with my son most of the last two weeks. Have worked on collage sheets and have a lot done - just tweaking now. I did finally get two little pieces made last night and this morning. I was thinking of the song Human by The Killers - it asks "are we human or are we dancer?" I think it was Susan of Broken Heart Art that first introduced the song to me. It inspired both of these pieces. It's about being on stage and performing vs. being real and human. I was thinking of it because of what my family is going through right now and how it affects everything we do and yet the first impulse is to keep it private - put on a costume and pretend to the world that everything is peachy. You know me, always sharing too much information . . . my life is what it is and I can't hide it.

On My Sleeve


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 9/2/2010. All rights reserved.

4 x 8 hand cut mixed media skinny collage. Image credits: lotus flowers from Itkupilli.etsy.com; jacket, scarf, gloves from Sherrie JD's Body Farm at Deviantscrap.com; head, torso, heart, pants, fish, wings, all background pieces are from my own stash: texture from flypaper textures. Face and a few other pieces were hand tinted but most coloring was done in Photoshop prior to hand cutting.



Queen Dear


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 9/2/2010. All rights reserved.

4 x 8 hand cut skinny mixed media collage. Image credits: face and legs from Sherrie JD's Body Farm at Deviantscrap.com; background is made from 5 different flypaper textures; little bottom border piece cemerony.etsy.com; body, wings, crown from my own stash. Face and body were hand tinted with ink and pastel.

for Mandy and others . . .

The enormously talented Mandy Higgs recently asked about this little blog bumper sticker and so I thought since it had been awhile since posting it originally, I'd share with everyone.

This was designed last year after hearing so many complaints from other artists and image sources whose images and even completed artworks were used without permission or used in ways that were not intended. Several of us kind of started a grassroots campaign to remind everyone that when you use images without clear permission it hurts everyone. I hear over and over again from flickr members who offer images free to use in personal art work only to discover their generosity has been exploited and people are reselling their images without permission. And, even worse when complete works of art have been used without permission either in whole or part. If we overlook or ignore the abuse of the rights of those that give and sell us images to use, the images may no longer be offered to anyone. That's how it hurts everyone. Image sellers give up and quit selling, free-to-use sources quit sharing. And, to be candid, it really ticks off a lot of the creating community when a few bad apples ruin the pie for the rest of us that respect our sources and get permission. And, word gets around when it happens so protect your own reputation and be sure you get proper and clear permission to use images from other sources.

Feel free to share this bumper sticker on your blog or website. You have permission to use it for the purposes of sharing this proper use message but not sell it or claim as your own. You can find other free-to-use badges at the Stop Art Piracy Campaign Project on flickr.


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 7/21/09
You MAY copy this image for the sole purpose of displaying on your blog or website IF it is linked back to this flickr group www.flickr.com/groups/stopartpiracycampaign You may NOT use any piece of this image for your own artwork or any other publication or reproduction.

Image credits - legs are from my own vintage postcard, face is from kumareeboo.etsy.com, arms from iktupilli.etsy.com, body and crown made from pieces from LandofEnchantment.etsy.com, Sande Krieger, and flickr's 'Playingwithbrushes', and wings from Dover clipart. All were digitally altered, reprinted, hand trimmed and hand colored and attached to a background made from flickr's 'Playingwithbrushes'.


On another note . . .
Feeling much better! Not 100% but feeling better. 3 weeks in bed gives one a lot of time to think. I have a lot of exciting projects going and can't wait to get them all going and share with you. Biggest news and first project . . . finally figured out how I want to do collage sheets and am working on getting them in Etsy. Watch for that in the next few days!

Before I go . . .
Here's some place I go for inspiration . . . makes my heart jump with excitement.
Corinne Geertsen

Getting better . . .

Still horizontal as much as vertical. Yesterday was better, today a little rougher on my back but I'm getting better. I've been working on this one piece a few minutes at a time for days and days. Finally finished it today. Be back soon!

Pull


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 8/24/10. All rights reserved.
8 x 10 hand cut collage with some hand coloring. Image credits: flag from Clementine Design at Deviantscrap.com, some of the background and circle brush from AsunderEphemera.etsy.com, body from clipart.com, eyes from the public domain, waves, head, partial sky background from my own image collection.

Looking up . . .

Just a quick note here . . . I hurt my back about a week and half ago and have been on bed rest ever since. Still not able to sit for more than a few minutes but getting a bit better everyday. Should be in full swing sometime next week I hope. Have a good weekend everybody!

All is good.

Hey! I have no changes to announce, no big revelations! Hee hee. All is good.

Had fun playing digitally again tonight. I love the immediacy of digital work. I will still make my hand cut pieces but playing digital allows for some freedoms and discovery.

Fish Speak


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 8/10/2010. All rights reserved.
Image credits: bubbles and wings from Holliewood Studios at DeviantScrap.com: Spring Fairies kit and used with a commercial license. Everything else from my own stash.

Did you see it? It is quite amazing to see a star unfold before your very eyes. America's Got Talent gave me goosebumps tonight . . . I could listen to this little angel all day everyday. Absolutely amazing!

Runaway crazy person

Have you seen the movie Runaway Bride? It's one of my favorite light hearted girl movies. It has nothing to do with the image below but everything to do with my mind at the moment. I swear the whole world that knows me will think I have lost my mind.

At the risk of that, I have had yet another shift in thinking tonight. I am hoping that all these changes of heart, all of these twists and turns I seem to be making are eventually going to direct me back to the path I am supposed to be on. I have had yet another change of heart tonight. Well, it's been coming on for a few days but I couldn't deny it any longer tonight. I am a runaway crazy person.

In the movie, the bride keeps committing to get married and has a last minute change of heart and can't seem to say "I do". I keep saying I'm going to do things and it gets down to it and I can't say "I do" to it, or I say "I do" and then I don't want to. So, the nitty gritty is . . . tonight I think I am not going to sell collage sheets anywhere at all. I feel so goofy writing any of this as if the world is hanging on my every word to find out . . . I know that is not the case. But, I always give the details here, the honest part of the journey. And the honest part right now is that I think I need to just make art, not collage sheets. I just can't seem to do both well at once and I am not done making art. I have so many things I want to do and figure out. I think I've just had a hard time finding my "home" since my dad died. I have had a hard time feeling "home" inside myself and I think that needs to be explored in making art, and in a less shared experience. Selling collage sheets kind of shares the creating experience, I am figuring out, and that has it's importance and its time and place. But for now, I think I need to concern myself with just my own insides, my own imagery, to help me get back on track, back on the path, back "home". So, I'm running away again.

This piece below, is another quickie digital collage . . . it has nothing to do with running, but I think I relate to this feeling of "here we go again" absurdity I see in it . . . complete boredom with myself.

Aye, aye, aye


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 8/9/2010. All rights reserved.
All images are my own creation.

Onward . . .

Happy Friday!

I've decided to go ahead and offer some simple collage sheet sets in my Etsy. I don't have my shop open yet, but will open sometime next week. Things just clicked this week and I followed the muses and have overhauled my old bigger image packs, making them into jpg and png sheets. I won't be offering individual png images, but will offer the option to get the collage sheets in png format to save digi folks from extracting at least. I've saved the best of the previous sets, added new images, scaled some sets down, made some larger, etc. So far, I'm very happy with this new simpler direction.

The digi skinny below was made using some of my new images that you'll find in sheets next week. I am particularly happy with a set of sky backgrounds and borders I made from my own photographs taken as we traveled across the country last summer (most of them taken with my window rolled down, as we zoomed down the interstate at 75 mph). I rarely work digital as I am so not good at it, but this was a 10 minute digi collage I did before I quit work for the weekend. I don't always have time to sit for hours and do a handcut, hand colored piece, but I want to be sure to take at least a moment or two to make a complete piece everyday, digital or hand made, whether anyone else sees it or not. You get to see this one.

The Moment


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 8/6/2010. All rights reserved. Please do not copy, download, print or use in any other way without permission. All images in this piece from tumblefishstudio.etsy.com

Hope you all have a great weekend! I'm off to clean and go to the market and enjoy my husband being home finally! My little family hasn't been home all at once for more than a day or two in a long, long time.

I have super powers . . .

I can't make fish fly in formation over my head, but apparently, I have super powers. I am enjoying a day of whimsy and hanging with my kids. My son is 18 and about to start college, if we can ever find any classes open. Long story, but he's been accepted to three colleges and universities, we have paid all the fees, met all the requirements and can't seem to find any open classes. We are currently enrolled in two separate places, just hoping to get some classes that he can actually attend! That's an all consuming job at the moment. My daughter is 16, almost 17 and she is about to be a senior. Today is one of those days where nothing seems as important as hanging out with them.


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 8/2/2010. All rights reserved.
4" x 8" skinny using images from my own collection of vintage pix and papers.

So, as we sit around talking about various directions in which the writers could take Grey's Anatomy, as we watch reruns, we have been looking up things in Urban Dictionary. That's where we discovered anyone named Marsha has super powers. I can read minds and know who is calling me before I answer the phone (withOUT looking at the call waiting) supposedly but it does seem kind of true we decided.

We have also discussed why flip flops get stinky and how to get them unstinky and we've talked about thugs and contemporary uses of that word, and we've talked about movies, and friends and various things. My kids are getting to that remarkable age where even in seemingly trivial discussions, from their mouths, more frequently than before, flow some incredibly intelligent developed thought that makes you realize they are their own people with their own sense of self and that they have grown up or are about to be grown up. That amazement you find in your kids accomplishments does not end after the first words are spoken, or first steps taken. It continues long after they are talking and walking, and have grown taller and smarter than you, I have pleasantly discovered.

My friend Terri is celebrating her 35th wedding anniversary today and it made me realize I never proclaimed my undying love for my own dear man. Last week we celebrated our 22nd anniversary and more than ever, I cannot imagine my life without him. He has been such a rock for me always, but especially in the last year. The best friend I have ever had, the best husband I could have ever imagined. He completes me. He is someone I admire greatly for so many reasons and I know how very lucky I am to have him. He makes dreams come true. He has super powers too.

Fine Tuning

I am fine tuning things. Not just art, things in general. I don't have much to show you, but am going about changing things in my Etsy, and in my work, and my house, inside myself. Little adjustments here and there.

This morning I finally cracked open my new copy of Somerset Studio. I had been saving it for a quiet relaxing few minutes so I could savor the Anahata Katkin feature. She has long been my idol, my role model. I was aware of her and her work just about a year before she rocketed to the forefront of the mixed media world. I nearly cried at the end of the article, as if it were written just for me, given my recent experiences.



I'll quote the article 'Her advice for artists and young entrepreneurs who would love to live the creative life: "It's easy to look at successful people and think their circumstances were different than yours. But they're not. Anyone who is doing what they love will tell you the same thing: Believe in what you are doing no matter what and follow only your own formula. Our success has been built on the fact that we march to the beat of our own drum and have never wavered from our original vision."'

I had recently wavered, for whatever reason, possibly greed. And I lost all connection to my original vision, my personal journey. It became business and my business became other people's business and all that that entails and I could no longer hear the beat of my own drum, let alone my inner voice. So thank you Anahata, wherever you are, for once again affirming for me what I momentarily lost sight of!

Speaking of vision, here's a rather unique one I've shown you before, but it's been awhile. Scott Wade and his Dirty Car Art I admire him so for working in such a temporary medium. It is really quite amazing.

Big Changes . . .

Obviously, I am working on a new blog banner, first of all. Please excuse the empty header for now.

I have decided to leave DeviantScrap. It was a hard decision and one that will take me awhile to recover from, I'm sure. But in the end, it boiled down to not having the flexibility I missed in having my own little single owner business. I have said that I felt like a small town girl in a big city market and I was just not good at managing it or dealing with its ups and downs and quirks and issues. I kind of stunk at it actually.

So, I am going to take a bit of time to regroup. I have closed my Etsy to reorganize and fill up with new work. I am going to ease into just returning to my roots and visiting all of my blog friends and favorite flickrs and just make art for awhile. I will someday in the near future be offering my digital images through Etsy as I work on reformatting them to fit better over there.

Buried (blog) Treasure!

I'm a bit late today, but it was the day to post some Buried Treasure to participate in Seth Apter's (The Altered Page) annual blog collaboration. Participants are invited to dig deep in their blog vaults and repost one of their favorite posts from the previous year and then visit all of the other participants' treasures.

I had a hard time with this as the last year was consumed with my dad's failing health, spending time with him (1800 miles from here), taking care of him, missing him, and then his passing and really missing him. I am still in the stage of grief, marking time, looking back at those days and thinking "dad was still here" or that was "just before I left for Dad's", etc. So, I'm just not gonna go there. And, my art has grown and gone in new directions with the digital designing so . . . . what to post, what to post? As I was revisiting old posts I was reminded of a very cool little idea that just fascinates me . . . . .
the Art-O-Mat!



I originally posted about this in October, 2009 and mentioned how it is one of those "wish I would have thought of that" things. I still wish I would have thought of it. So, what is it? Well, it's the very cool idea of artist Clark Whittington and the idea is to sell art in vending machines. Currently there are 82 of these ultra cool vintage vending machines scattered across the U.S. with around 400 contributing artists from around the world.

Customers put a dollar in the machine, pull a knob and walk away with an original work of art about the size of a cigarette pack!

You can see all 82 machines, see where they're located, and samples of the artists' work here at the Art-O-Mat site! The whole idea was born out of the attraction to the crinkling of cellophane . . . I love knowing where ideas are born. You can read about that on the site too, but in case you don't make it over there, the mission statement is worth sharing here . . .

"Artists in Cellophane (A.I.C.), the sponsoring organization of Art*o*mat® is based on the concept of taking art and "repackaging" it to make it part of our daily lives. The mission of A.I.C. is to encourage art consumption by combining the worlds of art and commerce in an innovative form. A.I.C believes that art should be progressive, yet personal and approachable."


I also posted my favorite personal work to date in 2009 . . . in August.

Lady Fish


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 8/13/09. All rights reserved.
This is an 8 x 10 collage using a face and separate body from flickr's Suzee Que, wings from itkupilli.etsy.com, a crown from the Library of Congress, a fish from keeperofthenest.etsy.com, shoes from a magazine picture, flooring from flickr's 'Playingwithbrushes', buildings from the Library of Congress, black and white checked pieces from flickr's Nancy Baumiller (pieced together to form a frame) available at Crowabout.etsy.com, additional borders from flickr's wackystuff and designer Sande Krieger, and a main background from flickr's JoesSistah. All but the background were reprinted, hand cut with scissors, edged with ink, shaded with pastel and many were completely recolored with ink and pastel.

So, that's all I'll share tonight. It is always an unexpectedly fun task to go revisit your own old blog posts and see what you accomplished the year before or survived or enjoyed. I think the only two times I've taken the time to do that is with Seth's project. So thank you, Seth!

Challenges!

I want to tell you about a couple of challenges over at DeviantScrap.com. Everyone is welcome to play. All mediums are welcome and so are all skill levels. DeviantScrap is not just for scrap layouts, but altered art, mixed media, journaling, and collage! All types of work are not only welcome but encouraged in their galleries, challenges, and swaps!

So, I'm hosting a Shades of Blue ATC swap. You have until July 30th to upload your ATC. We have some folks that are trading digitally and some folks that are trading in the regular mail. You can sign up for either way and we'll match you up with a partner to trade with after everyone's done. No purchase is necessary to play in the swap or upload to the gallery. You can read the details here.

Delight Full Boy


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 7/10/2010. All rights reserved.
This is a hand cut collage with many pieces further tinted before attaching to the background.
Image Credits: The face is from Crowabout StudioB's Men in Hats kit. The body, crown, words and frame are all from Tumble Fish Studio element packs. All available at DeviantScrap.com

I'm also hosting a Tattoo Anyone? challenge. For this project, you can make any size you like, any medium or style. We're not trading, just uploading to the gallery and thread and two players will be randomly drawn to win free Tumble Fish Studio packs at the end of the challenge. Again, everyone's welcome and there's no purchase necessary to play. You can read more about this challenge here.

"Seriously?"


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 7/11/2010.
This is a little 5 x 7 hand cut collage for the Tattoo Anyone? challenge in the DeviantScrap.com challenges thread.
Image credits: The hat and green curtain background are from Old School, the wands and fish are from Art Dollies - both Holliewood Studios kits. The face is from Tumble Fish Studio's Twinkle Toes pack and the wings from Wild Wings. All of the above available at DeviantScrap.com. The counter and top strip are from clipart.com and the tattooed body is from the public domain.
All were hand cut, the face and body were colored by hand from black and white pictures.

Challengs in my own life . . . nothing serious, but challenges to some degree.
Lots of new projects to work on this week. I have my own website almost ready to show you and I can't wait for that. I have my Etsy up and running again. I am working on at least 2 new image packs for DeviantScrap this week (released in about a week). I've also decided to start adding jpg sheets to all of my png packs so when you get an image kit from Tumble Fish Studio at DeviantScrap.com, you'll be getting both png pictures and jpg sheets! It will be about a week before that's done, but keep an eye out if you're interested! I'm waiting for a magazine cover I did recently to come back so I can show you that.

Between all of that, I've been trying to visit blogs and flickrs this last week. I've really missed my art friends and the huge inspiration I have always gained from visiting other people's work and lives. Made it through the A's and most of the B's on my blogs links list. If you know how hard it's been for me to do familiar things and be social in my old stomping grounds since losing my dad, you'd know that is an accomplishment for me. I will make it through the whole list and I am learning to not hide in work 20 hours a day to deal with the little depression that I've been in.

Have a great week everybody and enjoy the summer!

Last Call!

Well, I'm about to sell out of my first two print editions!
There's only a few left of each of these . . .

Just Imagine (only 3 left as of 7/11/2010)


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 3/28/09 All rights reserved. You may not copy or download or use any piece of this artwork.
5 x 7 collage using a face from Spark Your Imagination's Elements No. 1, body from lisaslalteredart.etsy.com, wings from phenomenon1859.etsy.com, shoes, hair, and legs from personal photograph or magazine scraps, all reprinted, trimmed, and hand-colored, letters for words from public domain, all arranged on scrap papers.


Hope (only 2 left as of 7/11/2010)


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 4/9/09 All rights reserved. You may not copy or download or use any piece of this artwork.
This is a 5 x 7 collage using a face,legs, and some letters from an image sharing group on flickr, wings from jackandcatcurio, hair, body and dress from magazine pictures. All pieces were printed, carefully trimmed, hand-colored and pieced together on a background of scrap papers and handmade hearts.

My muses are finding their way back to me. I've managed to get a couple of pieces done but I am slower than a snail on a sloth. Truly starting to get caught up and am so glad! I've even started visiting blogs and flickrs but just a few at a time so I can savor everyone's best and latest!


Little Wild Thing


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 7/3/2010. All rights reserved.
A little 5 x 7 hand cut collage using images from Crowabout Studio B: A Bit of Vintage, Funky People Parts, Funky Doll Parts, Wild Things & Papers, Funky Birds and Borders,and the bird is from Holliewood Studios: Spring Faeries,and the floor is from Tumble Fish Studio: Funky Scraps. All at DeviantScrap.com.
These pieces were reprinted, hand cut, edged in ink, some tinted by hand with ink and pastel and attached to a background that was also slightly altered with ink.


I Can Can Can


Copyright 7/5/2010. All rights reserved.
This is a small 5 x 7 hand cut collage. All 25 pieces were reprinted, cut with scissors, tinted by hand, and glued.
Image credits: background, can dress, iron balls, and 14 sign from Clementine Design's Tommy Town kit. Wings and frame from Holliewood Studio's Stark kit, rays from Sunburst Paper Pack and fish and wand from her Dollies kit. Face from Crowabout StudioB's Funky Doll Parts and legs are from her Funky People Parts kit. Crown and sign from Tumble Fish Studio packs. All available at DeviantScrap.com

I had troubles with this one. I had forgotten to make this piece slightly smaller than 5 x 7 to fit the opening in a standard mat. It was too big for the mat and got cut off. So, I had to alter it again after I thought I was finished so it could work a bit better in a larger 8 x 10 mat. I just added an old photo frame, cut out the middle, inked it, and place the previously finished collage inside. So, it floats on the white background which I've never done before but I like it. This is one of my current favorite pieces.

Miscellany

I tried to make some of my own art yesterday but it seems my muses have taken a vacation after being neglected for so long. I've gone through this before, so I'm not worried. I have to do some tempting and negotiations to get them to come back - just a temporary strike they're on.

So, today I thought I'd share a piece from one of my Creative Team members, Amy Knutkowski! The piece below is from Amy using a few pieces from my new Miscellany Element Pack at DeviantScrap. Amy has such range in her artistic voice. She is able to use my cutesy pieces to make incredibly adorable and lighthearted pieces and in the next breath able to make the most intense surreal and mysterious masterpiece you ever saw. She has quite a following on flickr and there is no question as to why. Her talent and glorious imagination are obvious. Amy creates for more than one designer and is in high demand, but rumor has it that one of these days, Amy might even begin to sell prints of her work. I call this one when the time comes . . . (It's linked to her blog if you'd like to visit her and see this in full size when she gets it up - it gets a bit chopped off on my blog)

copyright Amy Knutkowski. Do not copy, print, download or use in any way without permission.

As I go about trying to find my missing muses, I always check in a few places. These are places that bring me such inspiration and so many ideas. Thought you might like to take a look.

Giovanniambrosioni

Flickr Hive Mind
(Play in here awhile - there are a number of ways to look at things using tags like most interesting, most recent, or by combining words like "collage, vintage, mixed media" or "altered art, collage". It's a great way to see work in flickr you might not see otherwise.)

Hope Kroll

Marci Roth

If you see my muses in these places, send them home. I need them ready for me when I get back on Sunday!

Lastly, here's just a few of the newer packs I have at DeviantScrap . . .









You can get any pack in jpg collage sheet format or png file format and some are on sale for only $3.20 right now!

Have a great 4th of July weekend everyone! See you next week!

Edit: Wednesday afternoon . . . I ended up finishing an unexpected piece today. Here it is, a skinny for a swap . . .

Hold on to Your Hat


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 6/30/2010. All rights reserved. Please do not copy, print, download or use in any way without permission.
All elements but one come from my Tumble Fish Studio Element packs: Big Whimsy, Twinkle Toes, Miscellany, That's the Ticket, and Letters. The propellers are needle threaders from Sherrie JD's Junkyard kit at SBG. All pieces were reprinted, hand cut, many colored or tinted with ink and pastel, and reassembled.

I survived!

I have put this blog post off, cuz I have nothing exciting to show you, but hope to very soon. I survived the very chaotic May/June and even had a day or two to veg. Graduation went beautifully and I am so proud of my son. To top it off, a couple of days after graduation, Cal Poly, his first choice in colleges, sent an acceptance letter when they had previously turned him away due to overwhelming numbers of applicants. So, that made it all the sweeter.

I'm off to Missouri later this week for a very short trip to visit my dad's widow . . .and out of tradition of always being there for the 4th of July. I dread it. It will be very sad for me as I think I will probably say goodbye to Missouri for a very, very long time. I cannot imagine being there without my dad or the rest of my family. I've been there just about every summer out of my 44 years of life, but now my family has all passed away and no one is there to visit - it will feel so empty.

After THAT, I am free, free, free and look very forward to a summer of making art - mostly art for me, very few trading or swaps or obligatory pieces and I really need that right now. I just can't wait. As I am getting all of my ducks in a row, finally, have even started visiting blogs a bit tonight and will continue until I am all caught up again.

Thank you for hanging with me during my drought here on the blog. Here's a free image for your patience and continued support, no matter what. You all mean so much to me! Hope to be back on top of it all very, very soon! (be sure to click on it to get the big version)




(please don't sell in a collage sheet or image collection or give away - direct friends here to the freebie)

It's June? Don't I know it!

Hi ya all! I already can't wait for June to be over! What a crazy month of stuff going on!

Good news - the huge yard remodel project is almost done. My arms and back are happy about that. Bad news - still have 3 major projects/events to get through by the 19th. Then I'm free, free, free!

Cool news - I was recently interviewed for the very yummy Altered Hearts zine at ScrapArtist.com. My friend, Patty Anne Henderson, did such a lovely job with the interview and layout and I am just so honored and tickled! (the picture is linked to it's location) This zine is packed with tutorials and images and gorgeous art work and articles and inspiration galore! You owe yourself a copy of this! It's a new must have magazine for me.




Well, I have two new packs at DS: City Limits and Juicy Grids. They are available as png packs or jpg sheet sets.






Hope everyone has a wonderful JUNE weekend!