PASSWORD GODDESSES

PASSWORD GODDESSES

Password Keeper: "Butterfly Goddess" $38.

No matter how hard I try to keep my passwords in one place, it just doesn’t seem to work. I decided to create "Password Keepers." Now my passwords are safe in my keeper and I always know where to find them.

Password Keeper: "Spring Goddess" $38.

I made one for myself and a few extra ones for those of you who might be interested. Since it took a long time to do original passport journals, they are priced a bit higher than the regular journals I made with same images. The journals are actually art journals but the sky is the limit for other uses. I used various items for the original password journals including crackle glaze and embellishments and on the regular journals, I took image and used encaustic wax, yarn and other embellishments. They are standard size- 8 ½ high by 6 ½ wide with beautiful thick black leather like covers and large rings. The pages inside journals are white artists paper for sketching or writing.

Close-up of inside of Password Keeper

Price for Password journals is $38. and for regular journals $34. If you are interested in purchasing. Just e-mail me and we can go from there. If the link doesn't work for you, address is cherdolby@cox.net Also, I have just added several pieces to my revolving Etsy shop which is located on the top right hand corner of my blog. I will be adding more as I finish pieces. Thanks so much.

Be sure to use a pencil when you enter your passwords (you know how they change and you will have a beautiful Goddess Keeper for years to come.

Password Keeper: "Snowflake Goddess" $38.

Sold. Thank you Diane!

Purple Passion Journal $34.

Butterfly Journal $34.

Frida Journal $34.

Grandmother Tree Journal $34.

INSPIRED BY MEXICO

INSPIRED BY MEXICO

Mayan Journal Page

My Mexican trip this year was uneventful except for the fact that it is the third year in a row that I was unable to get out of the Roanoke airport. First year it was the snow, second the wind and this year it was the fog that forced me to drive to an International Airport two hours away. It's a lot of work these days to have fun, especially with airline travel being what it is. I might add, it's worth it in the end.

I stayed at a hotel in the Maya Riviera area. This year, the year 2012 end of days year, according to the Mayan calendar, found Mexican vendors selling all sorts of end times souvenirs including 2012 chocolate candy and calendars galore. I personally don’t believe our world will end on December 21, 2012, even though I agree that things are quite a mess right now on our planet. I am hoping that mankind wakes up and sees what a glorious place in which we live. At this time we have plenty of water, clear skies, golden soil and bounteous countryside. It may not always be this way. Overpopulation, over warming and over indulgence threatens us all.

Frida Journal Page

It seemed appropriate that since I’ve started journaling this year, I should present my Mayan journal page and another one of Frida. For the first one, I printed one of my original faces on organza cloth, which can be purchased as 8x11" printing sheets, and placed it over the top of a Mayan picture I had taken years ago.

On the Frida journal page, I used a close-up copy of my original painting of Frida,which can be seen here. I did nothing else to it except destroy it with my atrocious handwriting..LOL…Anyway, I’m off to a good start with journaling this year and find it to be very addictive.

WHEN THE CREATIVE SPIRIT HITS

WHEN THE CREATIVE SPIRIT HITS

Journal Page Number 1

Remember the old journals that they used to sell years ago-long before memory making journals were even thought of? Well, I made a new years resolution that after seeing so many creative journals in blogland, that I wanted to finally start my own.

Journal Page Number 2

Unfortunately, it was the New Year’s holiday and no stores were open for me to go out and purchase a spiffy journal album. Actually, I really didn’t want to buy one anyway in case I messed up. Since the creative spirit or muse hit, I knew I had to improvise. I dug through my old pictures that I keep meaning to get sorted and found several ugly old journals that must be 40 years old! They are one of a kind now since I don’t think anyone is making these outdated beauties anymore.

Old Album I found In My Studio

Here are 2 that I have finished. Oh how I wish I had good penmanship! I’ve tried writing and printing on some of my artwork before and it is unreadable! I have even taken courses in calligraphy to no avail. I was thinking of trying to write in Italian or French which would be fun but I can’t do that either. I’m taking an Italian course right now so maybe next year but for now, my scribbles will have to do.

Close-up

My method for these two pages was this. On page number 1, I used a digital print of one of my original paintings and painted the background with acrylic so that it can be written on. Then, I cut out pictures from magazines and attached along with a very ancient looking key I had in studio. I painted over her hair with purple acrylic and then added a coat of sparkle translucent paint over the background making sure I didn't completely hide the musical notes and finally added Dorland's wax medium for a refined look and for protection. I love this wax.

For page number 2, I used magazine images and rubbed Never-Dull Wadding Polish to meld the images to my liking. Then I applied crackle glaze to the face and finished it off with more of the Dorland's wax.

Another Close-Up of Crackle Technique

I haven’t written on either of the pages yet (still procrastinating) so if anyone would like to make a copy of them to use in your own journaling, please feel free.

FRIDA JOURNALS AND SKETCHBOOKS

FRIDA JOURNALS AND SKETCHBOOKS

Crackled wax effect on number 2 Frida

Here I go again with my Frida obsessions. I spent so much time on the face for the painting I worked on a few months ago, that I am trying to utilize that time by using the digitals for various artwork that I normally create. This time around, I’ve chosen the “Gypsy Woman” series. Frida may not have been a gypsy but she had the heart and soul of one. She loved to dress in the native Mexican garb and wore flowers and jewelry that depicted her country.

All three Frida journals

I ran a digital image of Frida. I used all sorts of yarn and ribbons to embellish the spine and I placed some of the flowers I dried from my garden onto the front with encaustic wax, which I then painted.

Frida journal number 1

Close-up of wax finish

Inside back journal number 1

For the second journal, I did much the same with a few variations like crackling the face. The third one is an image from my “Music is my refuge” collage. I think she also looks Frida-ish.

Crackled wax effect on journal number 2

"Music is my Refuge" journal

Hope you like them. They are for sale. If I don’t sell them here at my blog, I plan to take them to the Farmer’s Market where I sell each Saturday. Hopefully these journals will appeal to someone who likes the textural feel of the cloth and wax.

Journal number 1 is 5x7” and priced at $46. Number 2 is also $46 and number 3 is $42. Please e-mail me if you are interested and we can go from there. I take all major credit cards, checks or Paypal.

Thanks so much! Hugs XX00
Cheryl

MESMERIZED!

MESMERIZED

Close-up, please double click for a better view

Although I tried to come up with another name for this painting, I could only describe her as “Mesmerized.” I think there is something about her eyes that makes her a look a little... well, a little "off." A better way to put it would be that she looks like she is completely spellbound. I found an old piece of thin lace and attached it to the wooden canvas with Golden Gel Medium and then painted over the entire surface with acrylics. This is a very large painting of 32"w x 48" H.

Double click to see the texture of the wood frame and then hold shift key down and click +

I was delighted to find the old mirror frame in my stash and it worked out perfectly. I distressed it by dipping tissue paper into a thin coat of white glue and then layed it onto the frame. When it dried, I painted it with linen acrylic paint. I think the linen gives the entire painting a soft look. I attached butterflies of all types with encaustic wax and added tiny crystals to make the hands look like the butterflies are emerging from them. My daughter, Kelli, modeled for me so that I could paint her hands.

Here you can see the textured lace dress by double clicking

Now that the painting is finished, I can use a digital image of it in any way I choose. I was so excited to finish this journal that I drug all my art supplies to my kitchen table since my studio is occupied at the moment with a large custom piece I am finishing. I will be posting about the piece in early December and I'm also very excited about the fact that my friend, Lisa, from The Wright Stuff will be my guest blogger with quite a story to tell about this very special project. Wait until you read about Sekmeth's breath!!! It will truly leave you mesmerized and spellbound!!!

Some of the materials used for the journal

I created the journal by machine embroidering around the image, which I had already placed on quilt backing. I placed it onto a Canson journal book in which I had already added the flat lace to and painted it with acrylic. I then added more lace, faceted jewels and butterflies with encaustic wax. I tied yarn and ribbon to the spine and voila! Mesmerized journal is now born!

Finished journal

Close-up of butterflies and wax

Close-up of the lace.

Mesmerized journal is for sale for $65.00 You can view her on my Etsy shop by clicking here

CELTIC WOMAN RETURNS

CELTIC WOMAN RETURNS

Completed journal pages

Whenever I travel to a foreign land, I always return with a gift. The gift is not always apparent at first but after awhile, it makes itself known. This time was no exception. Throughout the next several weeks I will be posting pictures from my visit to the UK and Ireland, and I will be revealing some of those amazing gifts I received from the beautiful people I met while there. When I speak of gifts, I do not mean those of a monetary value but gifts of words, kindness and lessons. There are always lessons to be learned, especially while traveling.

Cardiff Woman

You may remember the Celtic Woman Journal that I created to take with me on my adventure. I want to share with you the way in which the inside pages of the journal turned out. I wasn’t exactly sure of the direction I was going with the pages but after visiting Trinity College in Dublin and viewing the Long Room and the Book of Kells, I became inspired to try to duplicate that look throughout.

The Long Room measures 210 feet and has over 200,000 antiquarian books. It reminds me of a long arched tunnel. I felt very humble as I walked along gazing at these books, as well as the oldest surviving harp in Ireland. The Book of Kells is actually in the Old Library and is the most richly decorated of all the illuminated manuscripts in Ireland. The text is a beautifully rounded script with animal and human forms. I was surprised at how small the script actually is.

York Woman

I painted and inscribed a woman for each major area in which I traveled. My intention is now to finish the journaling with a Celtic Alphabetical letter for each paragraph of each journal page. I'm not planning on adding animals or figures though. I’m off to a good start but have a long way to go and I am hoping the lettering will improve as I go along. I had to use a calligraphy font to print out the pages since my own handwriting leaves much to be desired.

Celtic text

Killarney Woman

It was difficult to get the exact look I wanted for each Celtic Woman while traveling because I was trying to juggle a lot of things. I was able to accomplish much of the work while on my trip over the Irish sea to Ireland from St. George’s Channel in England and back over it again to Holyhead, Wales, since it is approximately a four hour journey each way.

Anglesey Woman

Basically, I sketched out each woman and painted them with acrylics, since I knew they would have to dry quickly to keep pace with the trip. I then scribed in the important events that took place for each area.

Glasgow Woman

West Country English Woman

Limerick Woman

Dublin Woman

London Woman

Celtic Woman Journal

Here is a picture I took on one of the landings while I was climbing to the top of Blarney Castle. Yes, I did kiss the Blarney Stone and yes, I’ll probably be even more wordy, if possible, because of it. I was surprised at what a difficult climb it was to get to the top. The turret in which I traveled became narrower with each step and there were even rope pulleys to help. Being a bit claustrophobic and also being afraid of heights, I have to give myself a bit of credit for tackling the climb. I must admit though, someone screamed ”help” very, very loudly when kissing the stone in a semi-horizontal position at the top. I'm sure you already guessed that the someone was me!

Hope you can use this picture in your artwork. I’m amazed at how green everything is in Ireland. Green is so soothing to the eye. I can almost visualize a ghostly woman making her way along the grass.

Midway view from Blarney Castle