My Favorite Class, Bucha, Ukraine Sunday SchhoolI

I so enjoy working with these little ones because they so love doing crafts.  Last Sunday was Easter in Ukraine.  They made these crafts then went and found the radiator themselves to hang them on with the magnets.

FAUX LINEN ~ A COOL TECHNIQUE

DONNA DOWNEY ~ ART JOURNAL TUTORIAL

http://donnadowney.typepad.com/simply_me/2013/04/ins-1.html

COFFEE STAINED PAPER

I love this, well, I love coffee and I love this technique as well.  It's so simple and such a nice effect.

http://gomakesomething.com/ht/age/coffee-paper/

GELLI PRINTS ~ A TUTORIAL FROM "I AM RUSHMORE"

http://iamrushmore.blogspot.ca/2011/04/gelatin-prints.html

This is a fun tutorial with lots of pictures.

Mixed Media Canvas – Keep Your Heart Open - A Tutorial

Mixed Media Canvas – Keep Your Heart OpenMixed Media Canvas – Keep Your Heart Open
I really liked this by Marjie Kemper and thought you all might enjoy it too.

ART JOURNALING ~ USE YOUR RIBBON

Using your ribbon and lace.  I love this idea.  So pretty.   Kim Bienschroth of Kimmerbe demonstrates.

DRAWING FLOWERS, HOPING FOR SPRING

We still have snow on the ground, though we've had days of melting.  Nonetheless, snow is predicted again.  Had enough melting up against the house that I saw iris shoots poking up.  Probably other things are growing under the now.  Some of these things I've seen have their own timing despite the weather.  I liken it to the fact that at times God has his own timing, despite what I want.  My challenge is to wait with patience.  So, even though we still have a foot and a half of snow on the ground, I am trying to wait with patience.  GOD, are you hearing me???

MORE WHIMSEY FROM UKRAINE

These are some of the silly drawings I've sent off in our Facebook swap.  Little pieces of art going all over the world.  Some have gone to Canada, England, Africa, Australia and of course, the U.S.  So fun to think of one's art going all over the world.  Hope you like them.

ARTIST TRADING CARD SWAP

 An artist trading card (ATC) is 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches.  I'm currently involved in a swap on Facebook in an art group there.  We all make cards and send to one another.    This cutie I received from England.  It was my very first arrival.

 This beauty came from Canada as is evident from the marvelous stamps on the envelope.  I just so happen to be a stamp collector since childhood so I was very happy to receive them and her pretty card.

And last, but far from least, was this bounty from a lady in California.  They shall be nice additions to my altered books.  I have a "bird" theme finished and I'm starting another.  Some beautiful work in all these pieces.  I'm so glad to be a part of this swap and collecting such lovely little pieces or art from around the world.  Next posting I'll show some that I've made and sent.

ALTERED BOOK PAGE BACKGROUNDS

 I am starting another altered book.  That means taking an old book and re-purposing it.  I rather do this than recycle or throw away.  Besides, it makes a great art journal.

 In this case I am using an old children's music book leftover from the days when I home schooled my children here in Ukraine.  We knew we couldn't buy English books here so we brought plenty with us from the states.  My girls never lacked for something to read.  These two are gesso and paint with a bit of stamping on this second one.

 I always remove about half the pages and then glue at least two together for strength.  Sometimes I gesso my pages, but not always.  Above was sprayed over a plastic grid I found while walking in the woods (someone's dump pile).  I know, just call me the bag lady.  I did like the effect, though.

 Yellow paint, followed by brown spray, followed by large foam stamps.

 Only gesso here and a border of tea tags.  Also, stamp pad (black) around the edges.  Music makes such a nice background. 

 After painting I brushed over it with a black stamp pad.  Gesso or paint can cause some buckling of the paper, but that never bothers me.  Just gives it more texture so I don't mind.

 Gesso and stamp pad....so pretty.

 Swirls done in crayon as a resist and painted over with the yellow.  I've finished a "bird" theme altered book.  This will be another or possibly bird/butterfly.  Two of my favorite critters. 

If you want to learn more about altering books you certainly can do a Google search, but you can also check out this site where I've been hanging out for several years now http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alteredbooks/

LAST WEEK'S SUNDAY SCHOOL

These are two of my classes from last week in Sunday school.  The top kiddos made wreaths.  Someone gave me some glow-in-the-dark flowers and stars.  We incorporated those with construction paper flowers.  When they were done we turned off the lights (basement room so dark) to show them. Lots of ohhs and ahhs.  So fun.

The middle picture is my sweet helper, Anastasia.  She's instructing the 10 year old boys.  They are always a handful, but fun.  Notice her heavy coat.  Still very cold here in Ukraine and rooms just never get real warm so everyone has their coats on.  The babies above have an extra electric heater.

Lastly the boys and one of the Sunday school teachers having fun with the photographer.  I think he looks good with rabbit ears.  Interesting how things like this cross cultural barriers.

My thanks to you who send materials for me to do this ministry with the children.  I couldn't do it otherwise.  You are a blessing to many.

WHIMSEY OR WHIMSY

I've often wondered at the spelling of this word so I finally went to the online dictionary.  This is what it said:
	whim·sy [hwim-zee, wim-] Show IPA noun, plural whim·sies. 1. capricious humor or disposition; extravagant, fanciful, or excessively playful expression: a play with lots of whimsy. 2. an odd or fanciful notion. 3. anything odd or fanciful; a product of playful or capricious fancy: a whimsy from an otherwise thoughtful writer. Also, whimsey. Origin: 1595–1605; whim(-wham) + -sy Synonyms 2. caprice, whim, humor. Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.

DISTRESS INK SPRAY ~ Homemade

Check out Marielle's post.  She'll show you how.  It's super easy:

http://rastahobby.blogspot.com/2013/02/distress-ink-spray-homemade.html

MAKE YOUR OWN SPRAY PAINTS

From StudoJanine.net you can learn how to make your own permanent spray paints for mixed-media.  If you haven't used sprays you are in for a treat.  I really like them, but so many that you buy are not only expensive, but they are not permanent and can run when you work on top of them.  That is sooo not fun when you have a nice effect going and you spoil it with another layer.  This is so easy, you'll love it.

DRAWING: "I AM THE VINE"

"I am the vine, you are the branches, if a man remains in me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."  John 15:5

This was done on Hebrew text.  I really like working on foreign text.  Since we live in Ukraine, on occasion we get the opportunity to travel around here just as someone might travel around in the states.  In 2010 we were in Israel while my husband, Jeff and a couple other guys led a seminar.  I got to tag along and I'm always on the lookout for foreign ephemera on trips like this.  I just like the sense of mystery drawing over another language.  Hope you like it.

ART IN MANY FORMS

Found this fascinating mask on Facebook done by the very talented

Sherry-Lynn Burton Arteaga

Some call this doodling, tangling or zentangle.  Whatever you call it, there's fun and relaxation to be had.  Google it.

You can see more masks on my board called "Crowns & Masks" by going here:  www.pinterest.com/coleenfranks, then look for that board.

 

ART JOURNAL ADAPTATIONS

Strathmore Papers does an annual  artist workshop.  This video is from one of the three I did last year.  The workshop begins March 1.  You work at your own pace and you have one year of access. The best part is they are free.  If you don't have access to the great Strathmore high quality papers you can do it all without, as I will since I can't get them in Ukraine, but once you use them you will be spoiled.  I will put the link to these workshops in my next post.

ART JOURNALS FROM GREETING CARDS~JENNIBELLIE

One of my favorite tutorial artists, Jennibellie is one for using what she has and I like that idea.

RECYCLE IN UKRAINE

These little cuties are using the Styrofoam plates as frames.  They love doing crafts and we do them every Sunday.  The Styrofoam plate serves as a frame.

They add a piece of yarn at the top to hang it and then decorate with stickers or foam pieces.

In Ukraine we don't have access to a lot of craft supplies so it is a natural to recycle here. 

ART JOURNAL STARTED IN 2009

Greetings from deep winter Ukraine. The great snow blizzard in the northeast U.S. is our everyday experience.   I posted this on Facebook recently and several had asked to see what's inside.  My childhood family now consists of us three sisters.  I'm the oldest.  The middle sister gave me this lined-paper notebook she had no need of back in 2009 while I was visiting in her home to take care of my dad.  I used to go there to do that for three-four weeks every year while his wife went to visit relatives in Florida.  I just started writing and scribbling in it.  Little did I know it would be the beginning of an art journal addiction.  I've included early pages and recent pages to give you a flavor of what's in there.

Some very early drawings and writing.  Here you readily see the lined paper.  As I got heavier in my approach I started gluing pages together to make them sturdier.  Sometimes they would buckle some from the art, but I really don't mind that.

A quick sketch added into my book.

My most recent addition.  I doodled the LOVE word while bored at a conference not long ago.  It seemed to fit since it's February. Here, foreign text, wallpaper, a grandson's scribbling, used wrapping paper, scrapbook paper and a paint clean up wet-one (lower right) plus ephemera.

"Listen."  I like using lace.  The rose boarder is from napkins.  Some paint, foreign text and scrapbook paper in background.

Left side:  "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."  Psalms 126:3  Right: "Open my heart."   The couch begged for a reclining figure so I sketched one in.  The ferns are imprints dried from my garden.  Background: paint.

"Bird Friends" ~ "But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;" Job 12:7.  The yellow down the left side are dried flowers from Israel on a long stem.  Background: paint.

"A sweet friendship refreshes the soul."  Proverbs 27:9.  Done last fall with napkins.  Background: foreign text.  Top boarder and subject is from napkins.  "Friends" is wall-paste through a copper stencil.

My 2013 "Intentions:"  "I SHALL HOLD MYSELF TO A STANDARD OF GRACE AND NOT Perfection."  The bird card says Happy New Year in Russian.  The card flips to reveal a 1966 USSR written and sent post card.  Background: paint first, then spray through a plastic doily stencil which was then laid down on right side.

The background for these two pages are done with strips of leftover scrapbook paper I wanted to use up.  Though by the time I finish with all the layers it gets harder to see them. On right William Carey is quoted: "Expect GREAT things from God, Attempt GREAT things for God.  You see the slight buckling here didn't hurt the effect of the page at all.

Someone I quick-sketched while sitting outside at Balboa Park, San Diego, California with my two sisters for a birthday celebration.  The little house was glued in from something else.

Some fast scribbling one day with paint sticks.

This little guy was a request from my youngest sister.  She was thinking of writing a book about a turtle and wanted to see what I might come up with.  He was fun to do.

This is the year I started, though, I have been working in it and another I started in 2011, both of which are almost filled.  I can't really say finished.  Are they ever finished?  It's so easy to go back in and start playing with a page, tweaking what's there.  Flipping through an art journal is like going through a scrapbook.  I remember where I was and what I was doing with each page.  If you've ever fancied doing one my advice is to jump in, you'll be glad you did.  Remember, there are no rules and you don't have to show it to anyone.  Mine is a fat book, but you are only seeing a few pages.  It's a great place to practice.  Thank you, sis, for getting me started.

GRATITUDE: It gives so much back

"Zentangle in Motion"

Found this on the internet.  I love the internet.  The possibilities are so outstanding.  Watch Zachery do the Zentangle process.  Very interesting.



You can see his blog here:  http://createdtodesign.blogspot.com/

KEEPING A JOURNAL by W. Cleon Skousen, 1996

Short, quick, but so dear.  Don't miss it.

SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES

 Today I"m sharing with you the classes where we do crafts every Sunday.  This group of little boys are always wild and fun.  Of course, one is too cool to do crafts, therefore, one or two more also sometimes don't, but they really do like them.  It was a particularly cold day when I did these pictures so all classes were pretty small that day.

 This class usually has six, including some girls and they are always excited for crafting.  As you can see by the shot, these were taken just a couple weeks ago. Christmas in Ukraine is celebrated well into January with the old calendar.

 These babies are my favorites.  They don't do much more than glue and scribble, but they love it.

 Surprisingly, the teens like doing crafts too, but we don't do them as often.  These photos are going into cards that they will decorate next week.  I was blessed by another missionary who gave me lots of photo paper so I could do things like this.

This last class usually has about 6 to 8 kids. Notice the computer.  Technology is coming to the classroom.  Every Sunday they have tea and cookies.  I think that is such nice touch for Sunday school.  My deepest thanks to all of those who send craft materials so I can do this ministry.  Without your help I couldn't do much since there are no craft stores here.  Blessings to all of you in 2013.

ART JOURNAL PAGES

Sometimes when I play in my art journal it seems like it just happens on it's own.  I prep pages and leave it.  Later I come back and start flipping through and something peaks my interest and things start happening.  This page was prepped with a bunch of scrapbook paper strips I had lying around.  I wanted to use them up so one day I just glued them all down.  It stayed like that in my book for a long time.  You can't hardly see them for all the other stuff that happened on top, but that's just the fun of it.  The right page has a quote that says, "Expect GREAT things from God, Attempt GREAT things for God." By William Carey.

FUN WITH STONES

I posted this on my Facebook page because I liked it so much.  I have a whole garden path with stones like this.  Well the big ones anyway.  It is such a cute idea I want to do it in my garden next spring.  These are what I call river rocks.  You can't find them just anywhere, but they are plentiful in the rivers of western Ukraine.  I just like rocks.  Ever since I was a kid I collected rocks and shells.  I collect sea glass while at the Black Sea as well.  Haven't found what I will do with it, but I like it.  I even paint on rocks....flowers, words, squiggles and then I leave them for strangers to find.  I'll post some of those later too.  Have a good week.

JENNIBELLIE ~ NEW YEAR JOURNAL EXERCISE

Jennibellie is at it again.  A very appropriate exercise for the New Year.  Such a clever girl:

WOYWW ~ What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday

Been back home (we're Americans living in Ukraine) for just over two weeks from being a month in California.  It's been a big adjustment from the warm sunshine to our deep snow.  Jet-lag is always an issue, but after two weeks I'm getting almost full nights sleep.  So today is actually the first arting I've done in two weeks plus the month I was gone.  Too long to go, but it is what it is.  Hope you like it.

The picture of Mr. 007 was cut out of a magazine and glued to cardboard so it will hold up for a while as a stencil.  Thanks for visiting and commenting.  Sure appreciate it.