Hey there, and Welcome to my world of Krazy! If you are visiting to check out my art journal pages, please let me know you've been here. If you've stumbled upon me by accident, you are welcome anyway! And if you are here to read about the ups and downs of my Krazy life, feel free to comment as well, there is safety in numbers and it's nice to know I'm not alone!

Tuesday 9 July 2013

Angry Bird Minions!!

Handbuilt Clay "Minions" 8-10 year old class

Finished Minions


Angry Bird Instructor Demos


 
Clay Pinch Pot Angry Birds -Age 8-10




Summer is here, and I am thrilled.  Typically summer is my busiest season.  Not much time for blogging, but loads of time for art.  I teach summer day camps at the local art gallery for 5 weeks.  I love art camp as it fills me with creative energy.  The above photos were from todays class of 8-10 year old students, and they NAILED it!   They made pinch pot sculptures of the ever popular Angry birds and Minions from the summer hit Despicible Me 2.  The creative vibe was flowing as the kids worked diligently for two and a half hours on this fantastic pieces.  So much fun.  After they are bisque fired we will paint them with acrylic paints. Hope to post more summer assignments as time goes by.  If not, I'll be back more frequently come fall!
 
 
 
Stay safe and Love Yourself,



 

Tuesday 18 June 2013

Bleeding Tissue Background, mixed media




Hello out there!  Big welcome if you are visiting from over at Artists in Blogland where they have been crazy enough to feature me during Technique Tuesday.  Mwahahaha... If you haven't run across Artists In Blogland yet, I highly suggest you check out this amazing community of artists.  It's a great networking site with a lot to offer.  From Technique Tuesday, to Show and Tell Saturdays, and Color this Quote, there is oodles to keep you inspired and busy!  Artists in Blogland also offers places to promote your blog, etsy shop, and any classes you might offer.  How cool is that!   

 The technique I offered up for this Technique Tuesday  is one that I use quite frequently in both my art classes, and in my art journals.   It's simple, bright, colourful, and was used for the background of the page featured in this post.   Using Spectra Bleeding Art tissue paper and a little water, you can beautifully dye your paper  a rainbow of colours.   Check it out, and let me know if you use it, I would love to see your results!




Until Next time!
Stay Safe and Love Yourself,

Monday 10 June 2013

Joie de Vivre!

W
Mixed Media Journal Page

As always, linking with Artsyville, for Glue It Tuesday, as glue was used but not harmed in the making of this page.  Better late then never i say!  It's been two weeks!  Two weeks since I've posted.  My how time flies when the weather is good, and the energy is high.  I must confess that I find it hard in the summer months to spend time at the computer, for a variety of reasons.   My computer is in the basement where my studio is located  It is dark in the basement... It's hard to be inside in the basement when it's nice out.  You know what else basements have?  Bugs... yes bugs..  I don't like bugs... in particularly centipedes, which when it's hot, love the cool darkness of my basement, and my basement in particular... I am convinced that the whole population of centipedes in my neck of the woods live and breed solely within the four walls of my basement.  So therefore, in the coming summer months, you will likely see a decline in my posting, because I will be outside in the sun.... with the cute and cuddly bugs, and not in my dark basement, with the not so cute and definately not cuddly bugs.

I have been busy though!  The beginning of June saw me host my very first art journal challenge over at Artjournaling.ning.com.  Our fearless moderator, Comfortable Shoes,  aka Leslie Herger, was brave enough to give me a shot, and for that I am thankful.  So my challenge.... to use graffiti in an art journal page.  I've been on a bit of a graffiti bender, admiring the lettering, bright colours and bold designs (not partaking, it's illegal and a no no!)   So, if you aren't already on Artjournaling.ning.com, head on over and check it out!  It's an amazing site, chock full of goodies.  If you are so inclined you can check out my video here.



Next I took some time with my art students to do some Guerilla Gardening as part of my Random Art of Kindness project.  You can read about it here.  Such a fun little project. I will definately be doing this again.

Lots more going on this month but I shall save that for another day!  Until then,

Stay Safe, and Love Yourself,


Tuesday 28 May 2013

This is how I gelli roll... whoop whoop.

Mixed Media Journal Page


 
 
 
Sooooo, went out an bought a Gelli Plate.... yuppers!  So excited, I've been happily slappity slap slapping paint on the plate, and going to town with a venegence.  This page was an older unfinished one, that needed just a little "je ne sais quoi"... so I took one of my gazillions of spiffy prints, some u-hu, and biff, bam, boom, voila!   Ahhhhh. A page I am happy with.    Create Laughter in Life.  I love to laugh, don't you?  When was the last time you laughed?  Not just a tee hee, but a full on, gut-busting, hyperventilating, hiccuping knee-slapper.  You know, the kind where you laugh so hard that no sound comes out and tears stream down your face?  I love those kind of laughs... where you fan your face in a vain attempt to send oxygen to your brain, and then you settle, only to snort and start the whole process over again.  It's contagious, it's cathartic, and it's unfortunately few a far between.   I cherish those moments of brief sanctioned bouts of insanity.  So, I am determined to laugh more, more heartily, and more deeply because laughter is truly the best medicine.  
 
Stay Safe and Love Yourself,

 
 
 
As always, linking with Artsyville and Glue it Tuesday.  Go check out the new Washi Tape... Aimee is a washi tape queen... she is going to rule the world one roll of super hawt washi tape at time!    
 
 

Thursday 16 May 2013

Paper madness!


Paper Journal
                                    
 
Mixed media Left side spread

Right Side Spread


 
 
Ahh, so I am riduculously behind this week.  I blame the gorgeous weather.  I have been busy though, gluing, gluing, gluing.  I have been inspired by Suzy over at Sunshine and Lollipops to create a journal using all my bits paper.  I'm a bit of a paper h00r.  I'm not a scrapbooker, but I love paper.  Any, all, no matter the size, style or texture.  I hoard paper the way a starving man might hoard a cookie crumb.   It's a sickness really.  So I took a small cheapo composition book that was freecycled to me, got out the trusty UHU, and went to town!  What fun it was to gleefully glue down bits of paper willynilly.  Just looking through my paper collection was have the fun, like meeting up with an old friend you haven't seen in a while.   Good Times!  Anyway, so my glue it tuesday submission for Artsyville is late, but it was more like a glue it week anyway!  I hear the call of the glue stick, it's calling my name!  Until next time,
 
Stay Safe and Love Yourself,
 
 
 
 

Tuesday 7 May 2013

Your beautiful

Mixed Media Collage

It's Tuesday again, and that means one thing: Glue-it Tuesday with Aimee and the gang over at Artsyville.  This week's page is a long time coming, about 9 years in fact.  Just a brief history to explain the sentiment behind the page.  Nine years ago, at the age of 27, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation.   I wish I had known about art journaling then.  Fast forward to the future, here and now finds me cancer-free and healthy, the trials of cancer a notch in my belt, and a growing distant memory.    The hardest part for me throughout all of this, wasn't the hair loss or the weight gain, the medication or the exhaustion but overcoming the mentality of being somehow less of a woman.  The rediscovering of my sexuality and the understanding that my scars were not shameful,  didn't make me less or ugly or undesirable has been a long time coming.  I've learnt to love myself not in spite of the scars but because of them.   So this page is a tribute to me, and to every woman out there who has looked in the mirror and wept.  YOU are BEAUTIFUL, and that, is the honest to God truth.

Stay Safe and Love Yourself,

Monday 6 May 2013

Playing God with Dandelions.

 
 





Just a quick post today.  I've finally got my act together and finished the monthly Colour This Quote from Artists in Blogland before the actual end of the month.  I also video taped my process.  This months quote from Picasso is  "Every Act of Creation is first an Act of Destruction."  Yup.  Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, sometimes something beautiful can come from the destruction of something else.    I chose to use dandelions on this page.  First because my lawn is covered in them, and although they are considered weeds, there is something lovely and beautiful about a dandelion   Bright and plentiful, tenacious and stubborn, impossible to get rid of, kind of like me.  Second, I felt the dandelion embodied the sentiment behind the quote quite nicely.  The simple act of destroying a dandelion is also an act of creation.  After all, plucking it from the ground and blowing its seeds in childish glee also perpetuates the species.  In destroying one dandelion, we perhaps create hundreds more.  I encourage you to go out today, destroy a dandelion and spread beauty in it's wake!

Cheers,



PS I swear this all sounded better in my head... honest...



Tuesday 30 April 2013

Time Flies...

Mixed media collage with zentangle and transfer




Holy Bat Balls! It's been a busy week. I feel like I've forgotten to breathe. Not much time to sit down and write, and my motivation to get my art on, was low at best. My intentions were good, I would sit down and start working on something, but ultimately, I would become distracted or irritated, or tired....or hungry... or interrupted... a LOT!  Killing two birds with one stone this week again. My entry for Glue it Tuesday and Artists In Blogland's monthly colour me quote. This months quote was brought to you by Judy Garland: "Always be a 1st rate version of yourself, instead of a 2nd rate version of somebody else." I like the quote, it's a good reminder to stay true to yourself.   I hate this page though... it's a second rate page. I debated on even putting it up... but... I'm staying true to myself ;)  Lettering is my nemesis!  I hate lettering. I feel many of my pages are ruined by mediocre lettering. Grrrr.   Do you like lettering???? Do you hate it too?  What are some of your ideas and suggestions? I'd love to hear from you.... I would love some pointers and suggestions.
 
Stay Safe and Love Yourself ,
 
 

 

Tuesday 23 April 2013

How do you glue?

Mixed Media Collage

So I have this junk drawer of art.  It's where I put all my scraps and bits and bobs of stuff that I just KNOW I'll use, but somehow never do.... sound familiar?    Well, behold!  A page made from the Drawer of Detritus!   Why yes, that is indeed a shoelace there!  Left over foil from easter chocolate two years ago... yup, it's on there.  Tacky foam hearts.. check.  Odd scrap of fabric from halloween costume three years ago, yarn from an unknitted project... check and check.  Oh Glue it Tuesday... how I love you so! 

I'm also pleased to announce that my Random Art of Kindness project across Canada is coming along nicely.  Today I will be mailing out a personal card to the Yukon Territory.  My lovely sister-in-law has given me an address to send to a person she knows!  Many thanks! 

RAK #18 Yukon Bound


  • Yukon - DONE
  • Northwest Territories
  • Nunavut
  • British Columbia -DONE
  • Alberta - DONE
  • Saskatchewan
  • Manitoba
  • Ontario - DONE
  • Quebec
  • New Brunswick - DONE
  • Nova Scotia - DONE
  • PEI
  • Newfoundland

If you can help me with any of the other provinces or territories please let me know!  I would be very grateful. Until Next time!


Stay Safe and Love Yourself


Monday 22 April 2013

Creature comforts!



Poutini Martini from "The Works"


RAK #17






Yesterday was a rough day.  Mr. Krazy left for an out of town job, Middle Krazy and Little Krazy fought like cats and dogs, and yours truely, the Head Krazy, lost blew a gasket.  I'm sure the eruption could be heard halfway across the world.  After a less than stellar start to the day, I committed myself to some art therapy.  It's amazing what the simple act of leaving a piece of Random Art of Kindness can do for the soul.  After leaving the above little canvas for someone to find, I happily dug into some mega comfort food, and decided that the day wasn't so bad after all!   
 
 
 
 
I've also started on another little project called fu#k it monday.  The idea came from the original fu#k it monday post.   It's still a work in progress, but I hope to share with you my idea soon!  Until then,
 
Stay Safe and Love Yourself,
 

Friday 19 April 2013

RAK's Are Going East Coast

RANDOM ART OF KINDNESS #15 and #16



I received a surprise email today from a lovely woman named Sabrina.  She belongs to the same Art Abandonment group on facebook as I do, check out her blog for some beautiful mail art!  She has kindly offered to place two RAK's, one in Nova Scotia, and one in New Brunswick!  So after a quick squee of delight on my part, I snapped up her offer, and now, I am off to the mail box to post the cards.  Also, Dawn over at Girl Unwinding, featured Kookaburra Laughing on her link love this week!  I'm so honoured!   These two ladies totally made my Friday!  I'm totally grinning like the cheshire cat!  Until next time duckies!
 
Stay Safe and Love Yourself,
 
 

Wednesday 17 April 2013

RAK's are Flying out Today!

From Left: ALBERTA RAK #12 and ONTARIO RAK #13

BRITISH COLOMBIA RAK #14


 
 
So if you have been following along, you may remember I have started a project to send RAK's (Random Art of Kindness) across Canada.  It is my goal to have one in each province and territory for a total of 13 in all.  The first RAK is being sent to a dear friend from my college days who has offered to place the RAK in Alberta.  The second RAK is a "Personal RAK" being sent to Ontario, meaning that I was asked to send it to someone in particular by a third person ;)  The third RAK is being sent out to BC to another dear friend who will place it somewhere publicly to be found.   So off I go to the post office!
 
Stay Safe, and Love Yourself,
 
 
 


Tuesday 16 April 2013

It's never too late!

Mixed Media Collage RAK


As always, linking up with Artsyville for Glue it Tuesday, and as an added bonus, I figured out the linky button too.  Huzzah!  As mentioned in my Sunday post, I've done a few Random Art of Kindness pieces on 5 by 7 canvas board.  This is the second of the three I have completed.  It's all set and ready to go, it just needs to be left somewhere.  I just love the quote on this one, "It's never too late to be what you might have been" by George Eliot.  The little picture in the bottom left corner comes from a card a young student of mine made for me, many, many years ago!  She and her brother printed 6 handmade cards, and even made the box they came in as a thank you.   She's older now, a young adult and I often wonder if she continued on with art.  The one thing I love about teaching young children is that they come into class with eyes wide open, and the possibilities of many futures lay stretched out before them.  As a teacher, I hope to be able to open just one of the many doors in their journey.  Teaching adults, is always a little more difficult.  As grown-ups we are more self-conscious and in many ways more insecure in our abilities after years of negative self-talk and doubt.  I never used to enjoy teaching adults for this very reason.  In my prejudice, I found adults to be narrow-minded, unenthusiastic, striving perfectionists... Hello Pot, this is Kettle!  Now, I find that the opportunity to teach adult classes presents a chance for growth and change.  A way to remind myself and others, that it's never too late to be, what we might have been. 
Until next time,

Stay Safe and Love Yourself,

Sunday 14 April 2013

Happy Birthday!


Random Art of Kindness #11


Place of Abandonment

Mixed Media Canvas Board


Today was a very special day in the Krazy household.   Middle Krazy celebrated her eleventh birthday!  So in her honour we placed a Random Art of Kindness down the street from the restaurant where she was having her birthday lunch.   She was very excited to discover after lunch that the piece had been picked up.  It's a bit bigger than my normal RAK's.  It's 5" by 7" canvas board.  I really enjoyed working in this size and hope to make some more.  I just loved this quote when I came across it: "Smile.  Let everyone know that today you're a lot stronger than you were yesterday."   How awesome is that!  The author was unknown, but man, it's a great quote.   I hope whoever picked it up smiled!   Until next time,

Stay safe, and Love Yourself,

Saturday 13 April 2013

RAK's across Canada

RAK ATC CARDS

RAK ATC CARDS


If you have been following along my blog, you will recall I had an idea I was working on.  I am pleased to say that my plan is ready to be put into action.  For those of you just stopping by, here's a brief recap.  I have recently started a program I call Random Art of Kindness, or RAK's for short.  RAK's are small pieces of art, either ATC or Postcard size, left in various places for people to find, take home and enjoy.  It's something I like to do to spread a little joy and happiness into the universe.  So far I have placed 9 ATC sized RAK's across Ontario.  I'm hoping that other artists might be inspired to do the same and link up with me as we spread RAK's around the world. 

I want to branch out a bit, and spread the word, however, it's slow going.  So if you are willing and you blog, I would be very greatful if you grabbed my button, and spread the word, bird!

Okay, now my plan!  My goal is to send my RAK's across Canada, one RAK to each province and territory, 13 in all!  So, I am putting out a call to action on Facebook for people to help.  They can either nominate people to send these RAKs to through the mail or they can volunteer to receive a RAK and place it Randomly in their province.   First come first serve, until I have recipients in each province or territory.  The are only two rules.  Rule one is that I cannot know the person the RAK is being sent too if being sent directly to a person.  (trying to keep the Random in there somehow)  Rule number two, is that if the request is to place the RAK, then the volunteer must document via photo, where they have placed the RAK and allow me to post the photo on my blog.   I'm hoping that if I am able to successfully send RAK's across Canada, I might open it up to the US and try for all 50 states! Or is there 51... I can never remember...  Anyway, I'm off to gather willing victims!  Wish me luck!

Stay Safe, and Love Yourself,


Tuesday 9 April 2013

Joy


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It's Glue It Tuesday again over at Artsyville.   Head on over and say hi to Aimee.  While you are there check out her bright and cheerful art.  My contribution to this weeks Glue it Tuesday, is the newest page in my art journal.  The quote "Joy is not in Things, It is in Us" is by Robert Wagner, which sums up my past weekend admirably.  Middle Krazy and I took a trip to my hometown to watch the Provincial Gymnastics Championships.  We brought along two good friends to share in our adventure.  It was also the first time in about 6 months I was able to see my parents, and family!  A joyous occasion to be sure.   I'm very close with my family, and although Skype is wonderful, I much prefer the tangible-ness of being able to hug and squeeze the loving daylights out of them until my heart is content!  I was also able to spread a little joy with some Random Art of Kindness.  The following were my offering to the world. 
 
 
 
RAK 7 Left at a Restaurant
RAK Left at a Comfort Inn Internet Station
RAK 9 Was Left at a Pay Phone at the Sport Complex
RAK 9 was left on a unsuspecting persons car parked next to mine. 


 
 
 
Leaving behind these little pieces of art feels so right to me.   It truly brings such joy to throw it out there to the universe and let come what may.  I do hope that people find them, and enjoy them, or maybe even pass them on again.   I would love to hear from you, and your stories!  Do you leave Random Art of Kindness?  Please tell me your story!
Until then, may you find joy where you least expect it!
 
 
Stay Safe and Love yourself,
 
 
 


Friday 5 April 2013

RAK's on the Go!

TOP L-R: RAK 7 & 8 Bottom L-R RAK 9 & 10
Today, I am leaving for a weekend away with my daughter, and our girlfriends.  Woohoo for a girls weekend!  I'll be traveling to my hometown to cheer on my daughter's friends and team mates at the Provincial Gymnastics Championships.  The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, my bags are packed and I'm ready to go.  I'm taking along four Random Art of Kindness Pieces to distribute along the way.  I hope to get photo's of them all hidden and waiting to be found to post on here with in the next week.  I'm also working on an idea that has me very excited.   I can't wait to share it with you.  So more to come in the next little while.  Until then,

Stay safe and love yourself!