'WOYWW 96 - 04/06/2011 - What a Difference a Week Makes!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,

Last week, my desk was a bit tidy. But for WOYWW this week, there are bunch of recent purchases needing homes and tending to.

l - r:

• two permanent adhesive refills for my Xyron 510 adhesive machine (from Memories and Beyond Scrpabooking - Chicago's best mom-n-pop local scrapbooking store)
• steam iron - for new quilting hobby I expect to start upon retiring (cashed in rewards from our checking account. we also got a couple of iPods and a travel clock from bank account rewards. nifty, eh?)
• empty bottles, Ranger Adirondack acrylic dabber paints and Golden gloss polymer medium (from Sally's Beauty Supply and Michaels) - for prepping acrylic glazes. I use glazes on many layers of my art journal pages and Altered Book pages.
• mini-trunk and green notebook - I bought a couple of Copic pens and need to enter them into my color shopping notebook. Decided to keep Copic pens and dual-tipped Zig Calligraphy pens in this pencil box. I'm forever looking for these pens. Can't seem to find a logical home for them. Hopefully, I won't misplace them now that they're in such a big, shiny box. The colors will eventually be tested in the 'testing' journal that's at the edge of my workspace.
• Black covered wire-bound art journal - part of giveaway prize - I need to take photos of the pages.

Thanks for stoppping by.  Don't forget to play in my 100th Post Giveaway while you're visiting today! And more desks to spy on are here.


Peace,
LuLu

'WOYWW - 03/09/11 - Organizing after unpacking art journal supplies!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and welcome,

While I was organizing pens, pencils and markers after unpacking supplies from art journaling I did at the 2 day scrapbooking crop over the weekend, I realized that it's Wednesday! Time for WOYWW - What's on your workstation Wednesday...

Resists to be organized and consolidated:

Faber Castell Gel stix, watercolor crayons

(in an antique red tobacco tin I inherited - perfect size),

crayons, and colored pencils

I usually write illegible script, calligraphy or print quotes illegibly when I first start working on blank pages. Love the texture of handwriting, printing and calligraphy. Also I sometimes write and print after I lay down a layer or 2 of acrylic galzes on the page.

I prep journals all in a batch, usually. To me it makes sense to do all the resists while I have the resist supplies out. When I put the resist supplies away, and then  take out the messy glazing supplies and do messing glazing. I like to use old hotel or credit cards - per Dawn Sokol's Pages in Stages dvd.

Visit here for more desk look-sees!

Would love for you to comment on this post - or any of my other posts.
Thanks for stopping by and -
stay tuned for info about my 100th post giveaway - coming soon!

Peace,
LuLu

'WOYWW 2/2/11 - Laminatin' Heaven Inside / Snowtorious Outside!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and welcome,

Outside, here in Chicago, it's the Snowtorious B.I.G. Blizzard of 2011. But inside it's warm and comfy where I'm finishing up a little project to organize my future art projects. (We are so blessed to still have heat and power.).

The challenge was gathering supplies every time a new project is started. I was always neglecting to take something out - and then I was scrambling for something before medium or paint got too dry to manipulate.

So I decided that a supplies list was in order - a permanent list to use every time I start working on a project, including a written goal of what I want to accomplish during the art session. This way I can stay focused, be more efficient, effective and hopefully, more productive. Up until now, most of my art sessions have been random and serendipitous. I'd just work on whatever caught my fancy. Or experiment with whatever technique I'd just read about.

 Left to right: Golden Interference acrylic paint
(in a travel shampoo bottle with
 dabber applicator top), Xyron 510 refill,
YES! paste,

Permanent Supplies List, Xyron 510

You can see the laminated Supplies List just peeking out from under the right edge of the  Xyron 510 refill.

To make the list, I picked a sheet of Strathmore Bristol paper from my stash that was used as an experiment for calligraphy practice. It also had gold glitter all over it. I picked this Bristol paper because it's like thick cardstock. Then I covered it with some tinted gesso, and let that dry. I added a glaze from my stash I'd concocted with Golden Interference acrylic paint. Then I cut the paper in half from top to bottom and adhered the two pieces back to back with Xyron 510 permanent adhesive.

Next, I stuck a small double-sided tab in between the sheets at the top. It has one of my initials on each side. I adhered the tabs using my little Xyron 'X' sticker maker.

Then, I hand printed the list using a Sakura Glaze pen and printed the title with the calligraphy tip of a Copic pen. At first, I was going to type my list into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, but changed my mind. I decided that a hand printed list would be much prettier to look at for the next few years...

After the inks dried, I switched out the Xyron 510 perm adhesive refill for the Xyron 510 laminating refill. Then laminated the list. This was the first time I did any laminating with the Xyron. Not sure I did it 100% correctly, but it came out great for my purposes.

By the way, I also re-organized my workstation again before I started this project. My goals were to get as much stuff off my table as possible and to only have 1 current project on the table - in addition to my regular essential tools. I'm still working towards these goals, but getting a lot closer!

Here is a peek at more WOYWW artist desks.

Thanks for stopping by - and I'd love for you to become a follower while you're here. Just click the Follow button at the top of the page (if you're logged into www.blogspot.com.)

Peace,
LuLu

CLOSED - Giveaway! Giveaway! LuLu's 1st Blogoversary Giveaway! CLOSED

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and welcome, 
Wow, that was fast! It's hard to believe that I've done one year of blogging already. Zip, zip, zip!

So to celebrate, I am offering you wonderful Followers, my first ever online Giveaway! This prize contains some of my favorite art supplies! All Followers of LuLu Too Beaucoup have until midnight November 27, 2010 to enter.

Super-duper mixed-media art prize package!

1. original art journal - prepped, signed and dated art journal by me  - suitable for adding your journaling, painting, sketches, collage or photos (watercolor paper, prepped with gesso, glazes, calligraphy, art writing, dimensional embellishments, ribbons on wire binding - $300 value)
2. Moleskine Cahier Large Plain Notebook (red softcover, 80 plain blank pages - 40 leaves, spine stitching, acid free paper, 16 perforated removable pages, back pocket, 8.25" x 5.25" - suitable for sketching or practicing your calligraphy).
3. Vintage 1954 art book from the Art Treasures of the World Series - Van Gogh (used book, includes many color prints in fine condition - $50 value. These art books are wonderful for studying the 'master' artists lives and art works. The plates are perfect inspiration. I have a whole set of these vintage art books!)
4. old dictionary pages (from foreign language and English dictionaries)
5. old Spanish textbook pages
6. old French textbook pages
7. old math formula pages
8. Shakespeare sonnet pages (distressed by me with tea and walnut ink)
9. vintage sheet music 
10. maps
11. organizer tote by Crop In Style (for 12" scrapbooking paper, divided interior of 3 pockets, with velcro strap to slip over handle of rolling case)
12. 3 faux-vintage softcover 'Shipshewana' travel pamphlets (perfect to use as an Art Journal, already prepped with some pages removed)
13. metal / aluminum repair tape strips (adhesive backed, can be dry embossed and painted with acrylic paints or alcohol inks)
14. pocket notepad
15. vintage divided lunch tray
16. vintage illustrated nursery rhyme pages
17. vintage illustrated cookbook pages
18. old book pages
19. two chipboard coasters
20. foam brush
21. two  B & W prints (Tower of London and Tower Bridge, suitable for painting or coloring)
22. original watercolor of The Tower of London
23. 7 Gypsies chipboard album  (small)
24. various ephemera
25. original embellishments by me for LuLu Too Beaucoup
26. various dimensional embellishments  

HOW TO ENTER

1. Become a Follower.
2. Surf my blog to determine which of my posts you like best - and note the title.
3. Add a post to your blog mentioning this Blogoversary with a link back to this Giveaway post.
4. Add a comment (in English, German or French) to this post and include the title of my blog post that you like best and why you like it (from #2 above), PLUS include your email address, PLUS include your country, PLUS include a link back to your blog post.
5. Complete your entry before DUE DATE: midnight November 27, 2010
6. One entry per email address.
   
   
   Note: To be eligible, you must have a blog, an  email account and follow this blog.

Winner will be selected by me based on your comments to this post. Winner will be announced before midnight Novemebr 28, 2010. I will email the winner to get their full postal mailing address when winner is announced. Good luck!

Thanks to all of you for following my art work! During my many ups and downs, fortunes and misfortunes, you have made this past year rewarding and incredibly inspiring for me.

Thanks for visiting - and please come back again real soon!

Peace,
LuLu

NEW FLASH! MORE PRIZES here as of Nov 14!

Art Lettering / Calligraphy on AJ journal pages w-i-p!

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome!

Here is a sampling of my calligraphy and art lettering on art journal pages in progress.

Front cover of wire bound art journal -
glazing covered with calligraphy and art lettering

c mlh1 M L Haynes 2010

c mlh1 M L Haynes 2010

c mlh1 M L Haynes 2010

c mlh1 M L Haynes 2010

c mlh1 M L Haynes 2010

c mlh1 M L Haynes 2010

c mlh1 M L Haynes 2010

c mlh1 M L Haynes 2010

c mlh1 M L Haynes 2010

I often use my version of the ancient Greek Boustrophedon style of writing alternate lines upside-down. My version does not incorporate mirroed characters - yet! Although I do write phrases, numbers and sayings in variuos languages, my art lettering is not designed to be read - I just think it makes an interesting texture layer. Texture is what my art is all about. 'The more texture the better', I say.

TOOLS

Gel pens, chisel tip and calligraphy markers are my fave tools for calligraphy and art lettering (Zig, Sharpie, sometimes Copic, whatever I can find with a chisel tip that is permanent & water resistant).

c mlh1 M L Haynes 2010

c mlh1 M L Haynes 2010

c mlh1 M L Haynes 2010

This page is written with Sakura gel pens - yellow and white.

c mlh1 M L Haynes 2010

This page is written with Sakura gel pens - yellow and white.

c mlh1 M L Haynes 2010

Most pages have been embellished with my embossed and painted metal corners. Plus most pages are edged with printed tapes (my own 'LuLu Too Beaucoup', or Tim Holtz or 7 Gypsies tissue tapes). You can see my own printed tape at the bottom edge of the bottom photo!

INSPIRATIONS FOR ART LETTERING
I've practiced penmanship and calligraphy since elementary and high school. I still communicate often by writing long letters with fountain pens. (Love fountain pens!) But my inspiration for 'art lettering' comes from discovering Martha Lever's blog and other lettering artists whose work I've admired in the Stampington mags!

What do you think of the lettering backgrounds on these art journal pages? They are so much fun to create.

Thanks for stopping by - please follow me - and come back again real soon!

Peace,
LuLu

FREE Tutorial! How to Emboss metal for Art Journal pages, Altered Books, cards, scrapbooks! Complete steps!

Howdy and Welcome!

I'm back after a brief minor illness. Also, been working on pages in my art journals, scrapbooking and taking care of other areas of life.

This is a free tutorial. (UPDATE: Don't forget to check out the other FREE TUTORIALS and FREEBIES here on my blog!)

Embossed metal flags

These embossed and painted metal 'flags' are fun and relatively easy to make. They look fabulous on art journal pages, junk journals, altered book pages, greeting cards, BuJos (bullet journals), smash books, glue books, flo-jos (flow-ish journals), and in scrapbooks. This is not a new technique - just my way of doing it.

The embossed texture is so gorgeous - 
I almost don't want to paint it...

This metal repair tape is not archival, so if you want to use them in your acid-free archival scrapbooks, my suggestion is to seal them with an archival medium - like Golden soft gel medium gloss or Liquitex matte medium.

SUPPLY LIST:

• apron
• Big Shot [or other die cut machine] with embossing platforms
• bone folder [or similar burnishing tool]
• decorative scissors [or junky pinking shears dedicated to crafts (not your good pinking shears used for sewing)]
• dust mask [to protect your lungs when sanding the paint]
• 'Dust Buddy' [or damp paper towels]
• embossing folders and texture plates (Cuttlebug, Sizzix, etc.)
• latex gloves (optional) 
• medium (optional) - Golden soft gel gloss medium or Liquitex matte medium
• metal [aluminum repair tape (comes on a roll, from hardware store)] - this flexible, thin tape is adhesive backed and comes with protective wax paper on the back
• old table cloth [or large craft sheet or something to protect your work surface]
• old mouse pad (cut to fit)  [or flexible pad included with your die cut machine]
• page protectors (optional)
• paints (I got best results using Ranger's Adirondack acrylic paint dabbers which are opaque) or acrylic paints and 1.5" paint brush 
• removable tape (one-sided) - optional, for use with Big Shot
• ruler
• sanding block (from hardware store) [or Tim Holtz's]
• scissors
• various storage containers
• wax paper

PROJECT DURATION:

Several days, if done in 'batches'.

TESTING / MODIFICATIONS:

Test first: you can make a 'prototype' to test this process in just one day, by slightly modifying each step to just use 1 or 2 strips of metal. 

STEP 1 / DAY 1 - CUT:

Cut 5"-6" lengths from roll of aluminum repair tape using scissors. [Cut whole roll. This is a good   project to do while watching TV or a movie.] Store cut tapes until ready for next step.

Mine are stored in an old VHS tape box. Pencil boxes from Target or office supply store would also work. Or just rubber band them together. I store mine in a reused empty VHS box, because I take my projects on crops and when I travel.

Cut strips from metal repair tape - ready to store

Strips stored in old VHS tape box -
a perfect fit!

STEP 2 / DAY 2 - TAPE: 

(optional - works with large Big Shot platforms and the larger texture plates)

Tape three metal strips together using removable tape. Tape together in two places - about 1 inch from top and 1 inch from bottom of metal strips. The purpose of this tape is to keep the metal strips stable while embossing, and also while painting. You could skip this step and emboss and paint the metal strips one-by-one, but it would take forever! Removable tape is required so it can be easily removed later.

Repeat for all remaining strips. 

Store taped strips. I store mine interleaved between sheets of wax paper. One sheet of wax paper is used for each 'three-pack' - that is, one sheet of wax paper for each three strips taped together.



STEP 3 / DAY 3 - DRY EMBOSS:

Emboss a 'three-pack' using an embossing folders or texture plates. You might have to create a two-pack or use a single strip if the 'three-pack' is too wide in the embossing folders. Experiment. 

Repeat for all remaining three-packs. Store embossed three-packs.

Various embossing/texture plates and embossing folder

Metal Strip and Embossing folder

Metal Strip inside Embossing folder

Strip inside embossing folder -
ready to run through die cut machine

Embossed metal strips - yummy texture!

The embossed texture is so gorgeous -
I almost don't want to paint it...

Embossed metal strips stored in
 re-purposed plastic packaging -
ready to be painted  in next step

 STEP 4 / DAY 4 - PAINT:

Put on your apron, gloves, and protective covering on your work surface. 

Using 2-3 different color paints (analogous colors that touch on color wheel, or different tints of analogous colors, or your fave colors), quickly paint a three-pack using long broad strokes of the dabber or your brush. I usually paint my strokes diagonally.

Set aside to dry overnight.

Repeat for all remaining three-packs. Store painted three-packs.

Note: the painting / drying step may take a few days.

Important: paint must be completely dry before the next step, sanding.

Dried painted  embossed metal strips -
ready for next step: sanding

STEP 5 / DAY 5 - SAND:
 

Put on your dust mask. 

With your sanding block, gently sand a three-pack. Then wipe off dust using a 'dust buddy' or slightly damp paper towel. The goal is to sand off a little of the paint that's on the raised edges of the embossed metal.

 
Repeat for all remaining three-packs. 

Store sanded three-packs by color family. That is, store cool color strips together. Store warm color strips together. I use a rubber band or large clip. Fyi, when the painted strips are stored by color family, it makes it easier to apply strips to your pages based on color.

Sanding block and 'Dust Buddy'

STEP 6 / DAY 6 - REMOVE TAPE:

Pull off the removable tape from the back of the thee-pack. You now have single strips.

Repeat for all remaining three-packs. 

Left side has tape on back -
you can just barely see the tape.
Right side is an embossed and painted three-strip

Store single strips by color family. That is, store cool color strips together. Store warm color strips together. I use a rubber band or large clip. Fyi, when the painted strips are stored by color family, it makes it easier to apply strips to your pages, cards and altered books based on color.

Painted strips - sorted by color family,

clipped together and ready to cut in next step

STEP 7 / DAY 7 - CUT FLAGS:

Cut each strip diagonally from corner to corner using the pinking shears or a decorative scissor. I like to use the torn paper decorative scissor or pinking shears for this step.

Repeat for all remaining single strips. 

Store cut 'flags' by color family until ready to use on your AJ, altered book, BuJo, Flo-jo, cards, junk journal, ATCs, or scrapbook page, etc..

Finished Cut flags -
ready for cards, altered books, art  journals, and
scrapbook pages
(Important Note: seal first with a medium for archival scrapbooks)

STEP 8 / DAY 8 - ADHERE FLAGS:

When ready to use flag, remove backing and carefully place flag in or near corner of your page. This adhesive is very sticky so don't press into place into it is in the desired position. When in desired position, press gently to adhere. Try not to smash the embossing. Burnish edges only with bone folder or similar tool.

Sit back and enjoy your artwork!

c mlh1 - M L Haynes 2010

SEND YOUR RESULTS!

If you try this free tutorial, please post your results on YOUR blog and then send me a link to that post via my Contact form. I'd love to see your work based on this tutorial!

Thanks for visiting - please follow me - and stop by again soon!

Peace,

LuLu

www.lulu-too-beaucoup.blogspot.com/

P.S. My 1 year Blog-oversary is rapidly approaching!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!!! Stay tuned for my first Giveaway!

'Luminous Beings' - art journal page

Howdy and Welcome,

This is another page 'Luminous Beings' from my 2009 art journal #2 'Never Give up - Never Surrender!'
Also almost entered in the Lots To Do Challenge. but too late...

'We are Luminous Beings, not this crude matter...'
- Yoda, from Star Wars 5: 'The Empire Strikes Back'

partial view

partial view showing layered paint textures

close up - top of page

extreme close up

ingredients:

tinted gesso, acrylic paint, highlighters, black sharpie, gel pens. mesh tape (from hardware store), pencil, tissue tape (tim holtz), calligraphy marker (zig), matte medium (liquitex), soft gel gloss medium (golden), pinking shears, chipboard tag of fairy (unknown), gem brad, acrylic paint, deli sandwich wrap, found paper (a piece of a page from my maternal grandfather's art journal! He was an opera singer and an English teacher. Very fragile and brittle paper - I had to gesso it and handle carefully. The #2 - JOY is from my  list of favorite affirmations).

techniques:

art letering, calligraphy, collage, decoupage, assemblage

This page was a long time coming.

The tag came after a long period because I knew this page was not complete - just did not know what it wanted there. One day while organizing some chipboard I found a bunch of forgotten fairies. I painted her with a toothpick using a brown acyrlic paint so she'd be darker. But then I thought the tag was still too vibrant and too bright for the page. So I decoupaged a small piece of deli wrap over her. Which did the trick - she's just sort of peeking through a layer that looks a bit like vellum.

What do you think of her? Isn't she dreamy?

Thanks for stopping by - and please don't forget to comment!

Peace,

LuLu

P.S. Yes I am a HUGE STAR WARS fanatic. I saw the first film of the first trilogy (Star Wars Episode IV) 19 times at the movie theatre! I still watch it, but now on DVD - yippee!

'When all the Spotted Cows are gone...' - Art journal page

Howdy and Welcome,
Glad you could come by!
Here's another art journal page from journal #2 'Never Give Up - Never Surrender!'with some calligraphy (italic font).

'Spotted Cows saying' -

Collage of views below

Partial page 'Spotted Cows saying'

Extreme closeup ' Spotted Cows saying'

'When all the spotted cows are gone

the buffalo will cover

the world again'

- American Indian saying

I really enjoy art lettering. The textures and shapes that evolve just from writing words and letters never ceases to amaze me. This closeup seems to GLOW!

What do you think of the lettering and calligraphy on this page? Have you ever tried art lettering?

Thanks for visiting. Please come by again - and don't forget to leave a comment.

Peace,
LuLu