A Reiki Center Blessing....

My friend Joyce just celebrated the opening of her SANTA CRUZ REIKI CENTER.

Knowing I would miss the Blessing Ceremony (attending my nephew's graduation) I wanted to create a symbol of the good works she is doing, and will do for many years in her new Center. I envisioned a scroll that she could display opened up, or rolled up and stashed in a secret corner.

In the style of KC Willis, I wanted to keep it organic and reminiscent of the Ancient Energies that Reiki embodies. So, with bits of this and that, and words lifted directly from her website, here is what I came up with.

 Here is a close up of the top and bottom. I used vintage raw silk, hand made lace, and some translucent brown organza.  Ah, I just realized I didn't get a picture of the backside. All was layered upon a piece of vintage upholstery fabric, all in shades of muted green and soft healing creams.

And here it is, all rolled up, able to be tucked into a secret corner, still emitting Sacred Blessings.

My Lace and Fabric Journal WIP (work in progress)

THE CLOTH SIDE OF ME.... Like the wonderful artist Sharon Tomlinson, I too have a cloth side. Just haven't indulged her for a few years. But she's back now!

 Last week I finally started on the fabric lace book I've been visualizing. After pricing inkjet ready fabrics, (the run around $10 for 3 or 4 sheets!) What! When it's so easy to make your own! I cut a piece of freezer paper 8.5x11 and ironed it onto muslin fabric (that's all I could find at the moment). Found my pictures by one of my favorite painters, Alphonse Mucha, and tadaaa! I am really happy about the way these turned out. Since printing these I purchased some lovely, finely woven, pure white cotton. It's so easy to age fabric with tea or coffee, and I think the white fabrics will print the clearest. So, here is what it looks like off the printer. (I printed four to a page, since my book is approximately 6x8.

 .So here is my first one. I used some vintage Upholstry Fabrics Upholstry fabrics for the foundation. Each page will be sewn onto another piece which will be part of the book's signatures.  I loved this doily... it was the inspiration for this page. I did needle turn applique to insert her picture. Everything in this book will be vintage or antique. The ribbon at the bottom is very old seam binding, accented with some seed beads.

Don't you LOVE LOVE LOVE the laces on this page? The largest piece comes from a Victorian lace collar.  I also pulled out some of the gimp trim I picked up years ago at the estate sale of a seamstress. Everything she had was cataloged and marked, and dated! from the 1920's!!

 I love the swirly kind of Art Nouveau foundation that brings out the lovely warm amber tones in Mucha's work.

 And here is the last page I've completed so far. ACTUALLY!! none of these are complete! What was I thinking! I still have tons of hand work to do. I plan on using crazy quilt stitching and silk ribbon embroidery. I just bought 50 yards of silk ribbon, and have dyed a dozen different colors.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my WIP! Happy stitching!

49 Day Prayer Book

They say that seven times seven is a powerful number. To repeat an activity, or say a prayer, for 49 days moves us deeper into our purpose, requests, or prayers. This is a little book I just made (using TP rolls!), decorated SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, with SEVEN interactive prayer cards tucked into each week.

The sweet book is spiral bound with an easy to slide decorative band of butterflies and flowers. The inside back page has another slide to contain a sweet envelope to hold your secret prayers.

Will be on sale in my Etsy shop soon! Enjoy the pictures. (If you're interested in purchasing this one of a kind prayer book, leave a comment or email me at lovechris@earthlink.net.

Sweet blessings!

Memorial Day

Thank you Dad for your service in the Pacific. I love you, Rest in Peace.

The latest version of Phoenix Rising.... still working on lettering, etc.

Maja's Phoenix Rising

My friend Maja is opening a wonderful Center, PHOENIX RISING,  in Las Vegas New Mexico. This is my first draft for her logo. Any feedback is most welcomed.  This was done using Photoshop.

A Bit of Tahoe

I'm on a bit of a get-away this week, taking my son on a birthday trip to Lake Tahoe and Reno. It was a lovely day to travel through the state of California yesterday. I woke at 5am this morning to a luscious pink and blue sky outside my bedroom deck. Our resort/condo is at the base of Heavenly Ski run, tucked in the piles of rocks. Balmy weather. Experienced the eclipse yesterday.

I'm going to try to get into the swing of daily sketching and art-journaling. I started May with that intention and failed miserably! It's all in the intention, the thought... now to get in into real time action.

Here's my bedroom deck view and my quick watercolor sketch.

Way to start a new week!

Two Days in Big Sur!

I'm loving it! Spent just two days in Big Sur, Kirk Creek, overlooking the ocean. Worked on my book (almost done now) and a bit of art.

My 'art room' view....

 Here's my campsite at Kirk Creek....

 Just down the road, spent the day surf-side!

Why I love my Art Van!

I love traveling in my little Dodge Van. A comfy bed in the pack (a porta potty), little fridge, and my art supplies... my idea of Utopia, or heaven on earth!!

 My Window on the Sea.... Big Sur, two weeks ago

 

Here is the Plasket Creek Campground I stayed in. You can see the surf through the trees.

 

 My mobile writing studio! Right here in Santa Cruz!

 Leaving the door open for a welcome breeze.

 Always have my sketch book ready.... these are from last year's Yosemite trip.

 Snow Day!!! I travel to Yosemite last April to paint the wild flowers.... 8 inches of snow instead!

 And sometimes, I pull out my comfy camp chair, put my feet up and just read.

Birds on my mind....

I'd love to hear your comments or links to other bird paintings!
I've always loved sweet little birds that often accompany words of wisdom... so I've been creating simple little birds each afternoon. Most of them are sketches done on watercolor paper. I have a bunch of 300lb scraps! I used my Caran DAche watercolor crayons to layer in colors. I love the way they blend.

 These next two look so blah and not very vibrant or colorful. After I took this picture I went in with my new Sennelier Oil Pastels. Wow... what a difference! I only bought a box of 12, now I want the whole range of colors. I'll post the new picture later.

 This last one is done on a cradleboard canvas, mixed media, lots of papers underneath, stamping, pieces of vintage music. The leaves were fun. Adapted from one of my Life Book lessons, the leaves are made of coffee filters. It was fun to drop color on the leaves. The bird and the leaves are all attached to long strips of vintage sheet music. I used my Caran DAche watercolor crayons to build up layers on the bird. It was fun playing with new supplies I've never used until taking the Letter Love class!

Switching venue.... LETTERING CLASS

I'M so happy to be taking Joanne Sharpe's Letter Love on-line class! I've been following her work for years and now she's teaching classes. HOORAY!

Here's what I've done so far.....

As she transforms.... Encaustic layers

Still working on her.....