Flea Haul

Do you love the joy of the hunt as much as I do? It's so darned rewarding to repurpose and recycle ~ plus I love finding something beautiful that has a time-worn patina!! Well, I finally remembered to share my haul pictures from MAY... because there were so many sweet little treasures I wanted to share! Funny story: just before that weekend, I had a dream about a straw handbag and decided I wanted to find one for the summer... sort of like the ones I used to carry in my college/disco days, lol. When i spotted one for $4.00, YOU KNOW I didn't hesitate!

It was so rewarding to find 2 huge rolls of plain white paper for painting collage papers and three cute little plastic tools: an alphabet stencil, shapes stencil and a paint scraper, all for around $1.00!

Well, I have to confess that there were two extravagences that set me back about $30 ~ (which is why I don't go very often) ~ the stunning RED ROSE tablecloth from the 1940's and the gorgeous pair of crystal earrings which I will most likely upcycle into one of my own jewelry designs.

The little scotty dog is a cream-colored cigarette case from the 1930's which I just couldn't part with. (was thinking of selling on ebay) I currently use it to hold my business cards and just adore that it pops open when you give it a gentle squeeze! A great little conversation piece.

Other items: cabinet card, cute vinyl make-up case, cross pendant, 2nd pr of earrings, lace table runner (on my kitchen table), a precious journal and an extra large piece of vintage sheet music!

Art Journal Fodder: Craft Foam

Thrift shop find!

Cut from a sheet of craft foam, there are two ways to play peek-a-boo! You can choose to reveal the POSITIVE/stamp or the NEGATIVE/stencil (or BOTH).

To use as a stencil, simply fill a spray bottle with watered-down paint or dilute alcohol ink in a small amount of household rubbing alcohol. To use as a stamp, brayer or use your fingers to spread a thin layer of paint onto a smooth surface, I use a 8x8" ceramic tile, press and stamp!

Tools used: pen, craft knife with a fresh blade and an "anywhere" punch!

Art Journal Page 7Aug11

STEPS 1 + 2
Paint! Whoever said, "once you use paint in your art journals, it becomes addicting," was right! There's nothing more fulfilling than laying down that first layer of color, usually after I've applied a layer of gesso with a cheapo "chip brush."

APPLICATION
I prefer to use a credit card to apply my acrylic paint because it's fast, clean-up is easy (keep a shallow bowl near-by, filled partially with water - or clean off immediately with a baby wipe or a rag), you use less paint and the BEST PART is that your pages won't stick. Rather than wasting leftover paint, just scrape it onto future pages (see my next post!)

TECHNIQUE
Start with a lighter color. Then, after scraping the 1st layer of paint across your page, scrape a dark or medium shade overtop of it. Next, use your fingers to drip random drops from a glass of water or block the nozzle on a spray bottle with a finger, for larger "glops!" Wait about 1 minute, blot the excess water with a paper towel and SCRAPE to reveal the lighter color underneath. Keep adding water, as needed.

LAYERS
Paper and I have always had this love affair. 10 years ago, i referred to myself as a "paper artist" and I've got a room-full to show for it! Vintage magazines, nat geo (used here), old dictionaries, ledgers, primary schoolbooks, ephemera, postcards, cab cards, sheet music, scrapbook paper, cardstock... the list goes on. So! it's super fun to incorporate that extra layer either before or after gesso or in between paint layers.

Another layer that's a must for me is using handcarved stamps and grabbing something from my "mark making" collection such as bubble wrap, sequin waste (used here), old shower curtain grommets, corks (used here)...

the uglies

we all have 'em... in our Art Journals, that is! "let the inspiration flow" - guess it wasn't flowing MY way, that day, lol.

I've read both sides of the keep it or paint over it discussions, and truthfully, only you can make that call. For me, I got depressed every time I looked at it. About 5 weeks passed, I bought a few alphabet stencils in a Thrift Shop and had an "AHA" moment. Next, I simply pulled the tape off -used a little red acrylic paint and a spouncer to re-do the title. (luckily the old one was on masking tape!!) And... SCORE!

Earrings: August 2011

Thanks, Gaby, for the inspiration!! XO

Earrings: June 2011

Before I post a whole new batch of designs, I wanted to catch you up to date on a small sampling of the earrings I made for a local Art Show in early Summer. These eight pairs are currently on display in a retail location, and through a special arrangement with the owner, they are also available for sale in my Etsy shop, where I can create a custom listing if you spot something you like!

Convo me here or in my etsy shop!

Basic Stamp Carving

more stamping, a photo by cookievf on Flickr.

Why buy basic shapes when you can carve them yourself! A few months ago I managed my first attempt at basic carving with a Speedball lino cutting tool and a block of flexible, pink Speedy-Carve. Dick Blick carries a 9" x 11 3/4" sheet for $21.00. Erasers are great for carving too!. And don't forget to save your wine corks :D

I stamped this "sample set" with a brown pigment inkpad on a sheet of blank newspaper; a nice weight to use in collage. I also used it to make my painted background papers, shown in an earlier blog post and on flickr as well. View the carved stamps and the painted papers here.

Art Journal Page 18Jul11

painted a wash of green paint over a self-portrait,

"crackle" rubber stamp cube, in brown ink,

torn pieces of vintage wallpaper,

new fave color duct tape,

deco tape,

pink porfolio oil pastel,

applied molding paste with corrugated cardboard for texture.

Art Journal Page 13Jul11

Products/techniques used:
- Gesso is always my first layer.
TIP: I prep all of my pages with gesso first for several reasons. 1) Using a "chip brush" gives me added texture, 2) laying down a solid, opaque white base makes my colors POP, 3) gesso prevents the paint from soaking into the paper so, again, more pigment is visible.

- Several layers of acrylic paint were scraped on with a credit card.

TIP: If you don't want your colors to blend, sometimes creating a muddy appearance or (GASP!) turning brown, then use a blowdryer or heat gun drying each layer of paint completely. This will ensure that each color remains pure.

- Bubble wrap or sequin waste!

- I added the white drips across the top of the page using Speedball white calligraphy ink.
TIP: Blowing paint or ink drips with a straw helps to spread it out and pushes the liquid further down the page.

- The butterfly wings are torn vintage ledger paper and are colored with sharpie "metallic" and poster paint pens.

- Just above "take a leap" I applied several strips that I cut out of a magazine ad.
TIP: I always try to use collage for added texture and layers. If you adhere them with gel medium or mod podge, be sure to cover the top as well. After painting over collaged bits, this gives you the option of wiping some of it away allowing some of the image to show through. Clear gesso works also.

- I used a hand-carved petal stamp to make the flowers with black staz-on ink.

- The flower stems and grass are portfolio (water soluble) wax pastels.
TIP: For a softer look, you can paint over portfolios with a wet paintbrush. Or you can leave them AS IS, like I did, for more of a handmade, distressed, even childlike effect.

- The text around the butterfly was written using a silver metallic sharpie and outlined with a Pigma micron pen.

- Alphabet stamps for "take a leap of faith" are Sunny Lower Case by Hero Arts.
TIP: When stamping letters, to avoid running off of the right edge of a page, start at the edge and work backwards. To center text or a title, stamp the middle letter and work outwards.

Have fun and be sure to leave a comment if you try one of these tips!
Please feel free to share one of YOUR favorite tricks/tips?

Butchers, Mummers & Baseball

...are all part of my family's legacy in the greater Philadelphia/NJ area specifically referring to my grandmother, Julia Kelly Cook's father (she eventually marries into the Farquhar clan) and her three brothers, all pictured below.

A copy of a copy, and still legible, is this article from an unknown Gloucester, NJ periodical of an unknown date, yet it's clearly one of my favorite pieces of family ephemera. Not because it's about an entire town's gratitude for my (paternal great-grandfather's) family's contributions - though that's certainly, quite SPECIAL - but because it gives me a clear sense of

who they were,
what they did,
and what they loved
... all in 1900!

Charles Sr, center, with a hat, surrounded by his family!

Charles Sr is absent from this photo but his three sons are here along with his daughter & his wife. Harry is in the bottom row, next to his sister (my grandmother, Julia), Charles Jr. is in the back row on the right and Martin is next to him. My grandfather, Joseph Willis Farquhar, their brother-in-law, is next to martin. Just behind Julia is Charles Sr's wife, Anna, mother of those amazing children!

(Cook is not only my father's mother's maiden name, of German origin & initially spelled K-O-C-H but also my married name, which is Romanian & spelled C-O-C-A.)

Pinching Myself ~ I Get To Live Here!

MY VALHALLA! The first three photos were taken in New Milford, CT around mid-day yesterday, on a "birthday road trip" with a very dear friend. The last shot was taken at an old favorite fishin hole at Hatch Pond in Kent, CT just before sundown on june 25th. All are less than 6 miles from home.

Proud to be an American circa 1858

During an annual visit to my favorite aunt (NJ sept 2009), I was able to photograph the document which granted American Citizenship to my great-great grandfather, Thomas Edward Farquhar.

The first few lines read, "BE REMEMBERED that at a Court of Common Pleas _ Camden, in and for the County of Camden, and State of New Jersey, in the United States of America, on the twenty eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and fifty eight, Thomas Farquhar, a native of Ireland, exhibited a petition, praying to be admitted to become a citizen of the United States..."

Citizenship granted 28, Jan 1858

Laura Farquhar Reeve, self-portrait

This is how much I love her!

She has been the inspiration behind my passion for genealogy and, to date, I have 69 people in my family tree and a similar number of corresponding vintage family photos!