Thursday at the Office...

My Gratitude on Veterans Day

This is my husband. He has hair longer than mine, lots of facial hair, he is a die hard surfer, a yoga master, he is a brilliant chef, super liberal, an amazing artist, builds and destroys structures for a living, keeps me grounded everyday and he is a veteran. Five years served as Search and Rescue in the Navy. I am so grateful that he served his country (hanging out of helicopters) but am even more grateful that he is a civilian these days. My gratitude to you my dear husband on this Veterans Day.

Recycled Wreath Tutorial

My love and passion for toilet paper rolls is soaring to new heights this week! I have been filming and creating non stop for my Haute Holidays online class the last couple of days and this means I am in full holiday mode and trying to find new ideas and projects to share! And this also means finding new and different ways to put toilet paper rolls to use! (I promise my next tutorial will not involve anything related to toilet paper!)

Today, I had the bright idea to make a non traditional wreath from cut up cardboard rolls.

Start by cutting the cardboard rolls into sections- varying in width.

Line up the sections into a circle- this could be small (even ornament size) medium or even really large!

Glue each section together and start forming the shape of the wreath.

Once the wreath is complete, begin to make small circled from the rolls or even from cardboard boxes- roll strips up into a circle.

Add smaller circles to the inside of the larger ones

Build up your wreath with as many circles as possible.

Once you are satisfied hang it on the wall!!

(Optional- paint it, give it a layer of gloss, add a bow, add cardboard shapes!)

I ended up painted my wreath black to match my living room decor!

Recycled Fall Napkin Ring Tutorial

I have a confession to make...I think that toilet paper and paper towel rolls just be be the greatest things to create and craft with! I have always loved them, in fact, even as a kid I created all kinds of fabulous things from cardboard rolls (I will share that with you later this month!) So for today's tutorial I decided to transform a paper towel roll into colorful napkin rings.

It is that time of year when we all start having more people over and entertaining. As always I am looking for ways to go cheap and creative....I love finding a way to make something that would typically be purchased- Especially when it comes to decorating and entertaining!

Start with a paper towel toilet paper roll

Cut the roll into even sections (I decided to just make four rings)

Paint each section with a THICK layer or two of paint- this will begin to thicken the surface of the cardboard and make it a little more durable. (I am using Claudine's acrylic paint in my most farvorite color- Classic Teal- YUM!)

Once the outside is dry paint the inside- again with a thick layers of paint. Set aside to dry.

(Optional- you can a layer of gel medium or even polyurethane for additional shine and durability.)

The next step is to create little flowers from colorful fabric.

Start by cutting out a variety of circles in different shapes.

Use a needle and thread and gather the fabric around the needle creating a messy ruffle.

Add different layers and sizes of the circles in the same way until you are satisfied with the look. (A variation could be creating a fabric yoyo- but I wanted a more free form, messy look)

Add a handful of small black beads to the center of the ruffle. You could also use buttons or even a contrasting color of fabric to the middle.

Set your flowers aside

Take your painted rolls (at this point they should be completely dry and be much more durable) Sew simple stitches along the top and bottom of the rolls. I kept the stitches simple but your really could have fun with using colorful thread and even more decorative embroidery!!

Glue the flowers to the surface of the rolls with either hot glue or craft glue.

And there you have it...simple, cheap and super cute napkin rings for holiday entertaining!!

Updates from the Studio and Giveaway WINNER

Happy Monday everyone can you believe it is November already?!?!

First I want to announce the winner of the fall leaves clutch- it is suzanne390! Suzanne if you could email me your mailing address I will get this sent off to you!

As usual, I am pretty much spinning trying to get things made, finished, created, designed and still find time to just be normal! But things are going quite well and I feel like I am slowly carving out a groove that works for me in this new life working for myself- it may be busy but it is a groove!!

I have been putting together lots of tutorials to share with all of you out there in the next couple of months and there is some fun stuff that I cannot wait to post so stay tuned!

I have been working upstairs in the house in evenings (something I am not really supposed to do because of how messy I am!) and in true "Alisa" form I discoverd by accident that the jar of Claudine Hellmuth's Studio line multi medium looks exactly like my favorite philosophy brand moisturizer! I almost applied medium to my face- No more bringing supplies upstairs for me!

I am gearing up to teach this weekend at the California Center for the Arts Escondido this Saturday, November 14th and there is still time to register! It is only $45.00 for non members and all supplies are provided!! If you are in Southern California I would love if you joined me!!!

I am also planning my teaching schedule for 2010 and it is looking like I may be coming to NYC, Portland, OR, my hometown of Seaside, OR and more! If you are interested in a messy class coming to your area feel free to email with any ideas!!!

I am in the process of adding new things to my shop- and will continue to add lots of homemade goodies for the holidays!

I have new arm warmers and some new fiber and paint necklaces!!

Fall Leaves Clutch Giveaway!

It has been a while since I had a giveaway. So to celebrate the changing colors of the season- I am giving away one of my new clutches. Along the theme of the last couple of fall leaves tutorials, this clutch is yet another interpretation of fall colors and inspiration- can you tell I LOVE this time of year?!?!

Here are the rules-

Leave me a comment- tell me your favorite thing about fall

You have until Monday

Ready, set, go!

Emerging

I am emerging after taking a little break the last few days to remember my grandmother who passed away this week. After some time spent processing and reflecting, I am now ready to return to my creative life more to come...

Updates from the Studio

It is really cold here in San Diego ( as an Oregon girl, I feel like a wimp even saying this! ) and my studio has been freezing. Last week when I couldn't find my arm warmers I resorted to cutting up a pair of tube socks to keep my hands and arms warm while having my fingers free to work! I vowed to myself when I had a little time I would experiment with creating some much more stylish arm warmers out of upcycled sweaters and that is what I did this weekend! I had so much fun creating these for my own cold hands that I decided to create a bunch for my shop so keep your eyes peeled for some super funky arm warmers coming really soon!

Speaking of my shop, I will be clearing out the the sale section in the next week or two and begin to add all kinds of new creations for the holidays. While I will still be making lots of goodies from canvas, I am moving forward with some new ideas and new creations and want my shop to reflect where I am at and stay current with what I am creating!

Last week I drove some projects up to the Stampington headquarters which was a wonderful excuse to get myself out of the house! They are such a fabulous group of people and their space is so fun and inspiring to visit! I will be working on a handful of new projects for some of their upcoming publications. This has actually become one of my favorite things to do- having a theme, a project to work on for a publication brings me back to art class assignments and actually inspires me in new and different ways!

Next weekend is my workshop- Canvas Remix: An Experience at the Center for the Arts Escondido- this class is a great opportunity to get a little canvas remix 101 for all those curious about my messy concepts when it comes to working with canvas! All materials are included and all levels of experience are welcome!

You are not going to want to miss the collaborative graffiti weekend with myself, Traci Bautista and Lisa Engelbrecht at the Art Bar in Santa Ana, December 4-6th! I know it is going to be a wild and creative weekend!!

I have been planning my teaching schedule for the spring and summer and it is looking like a weekend class in NYC is in the works- I will keep everyone posted with details!! So excited!

I have all kinds of new and fun tutorials coming soon to my blog and I cannot wait to share some fun holiday inspiration. If you have been inspired to create anything that I demo please send me photos so I can share your work! I love seeing how others put their spin on things!!

Ok...now down to my cold studio to start the day!!

Fall Fiber Place Mat Tutorial

I couldn't resist posting another tutorial inspired by my recent fall fiber wreath project! My next online class Haute Holidays started today (yes I am juggling 2 online classes at once!) and I am now in full holiday creating mode and came up with this fall fiber place mat project and thought I would share it here!

This project is along the same lines as the creating the canvas and fiber leaves used in the fall wreath. Start with a variety of painted canvas, fabric, even paper!

Cut out different pieces into large leaf shapes

I made sure all my shapes were a little different and also made sure they were the right size to fit at our round dining room table.

Layer all the leaf shapes on top of each other- keeping in mind contrast as you stack and layer.

Sew all the layers down, using the machine to create messy stitches and free motion designs.

Use in your fall table settings as place mats, a table runner or even in a center piece!

Happy Halloween!

Still hard at work in the studio but I whipped up a quick free motion spider web to say...HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Bouncing Around

As usual I have been hard at work in the studio today- bouncing from one project to another. I am very lucky to be a great creative multi tasker because I am not sure how I could bounce from painting and dying fabric (yes fabric not canvas) to stringing beads to writing class lessons to updating html coding on my website to working on a series of mini art quilts! And the day is not yet over- Fridays are the night that my hubby and brother bond over video games (insert my eye roll here!) and I work late into the night if I have the energy and tonight- I have the ENERGY- Lots to accomplish this weekend!

If you have a chance- pop on over to my friend Kelly Rae's blog where I am giving away a brand new clutch (hot off my sewing table) and also giving away a free slot in my current class- Adventurous Accessories- Just leave a comment to enter!

Fall Fiber Wreath Tutorial

Fall is my favorite season but because I live in Southern California I miss all the changing colors of the trees so I decided to create a fall fiber wreath full of all my favorite colors of the season! This is one of those projects that could have many variations and make use of different materials so feel free to put your own spin on it!

Start with a styrofoam wreath and paint it in a solid color and then set it aside to dry.

While the wreath is drying use stamps, drawings of simple leaves or even a simple painted shape of a leaf on the surface of canvas or fabric.

I used my own hand carved stamps on top of Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Sticky Back Canvas .

I love the sticky back canvas it is the perfect weight for this project and can even be printed on! Another variation could be to even print out a sheet full of leaf images!

I filled three 12x12 sheets full of leaf stamps in a variety of fall colors.

Cut out all of your leaves- its ok not be perfect with this step- just the general shape will be fine.

Take half of the leaves, peel off the backing and stick them to the wreath- these leaves will cover the ugly styrofoam. If you are not using Sticky Back Canvas simple glue your leaves to the surface of the wreath with hot glue.

Take the other half of your leaf images and layer them on top of colorful scraps of fabric or canvas. I used a variety of my hand painted scraps in my favorite fall colors.

Sew the layers together and trace the lines of the leaf images with your sewing machine. I used my machine because I LOVE the look of free motion stitches (and I am totally in love with my Bernina!) But if you do not have a sewing machine or don't like sewing- a variation would be to glue your layers of fiber together and the use a black fabric or permanent pen to add contrasting lines to the surface of the leaf.

When you are satisfied will all of your stitching lay out all of your leaves on top of the wreath and arrange them along the surface.

Use a hot glue gun and glue your leaves onto the surface of the wreath- if you don't have a hot glue gun, craft glue will work just fine.

Layer your leaves as you glue them down and try to build up a surface with color and size variations.

When you are finished, hang you wreath on the wall, a door or even use as a table centerpiece!

Updates from the Studio

You will have to excuse my absence online the last couple of days- I have been playing MAJOR catch up and am happy to say that after a few 15 hour days in the studio I am finally on top of everything (for a while). Lots going on here- lots of great opportunities that have been developing and then a handful of dead ends (rejections) that have sort of sent me in a bit of spin lately. You would think after years of art class critiques in high school and college and then just tons of rejection working as an artist for years, I would get used to it but it is still just as hard to deal with and usually causes me to question EVERYTHING. But thankfully I have a great husband who brings me to my senses and lots of work to keep me distracted- I am so enjoying some new ideas, new work and new possibilities I have been focussing on!

In other news-

If you are quilter please check out the newest publication from Quilting Arts- International Quilt Festival: Quilt Scene! It is FABULOUS and full of lot of inspiration (and a little cuff project from your truly). I am in love quilters the best and this magazine totally embodies the amazing vibe of the quilting community!

I have added yet another stamp set to my shop and in my next post will be a fun tutorial making use of these new fall leaves stamps!

My latest online class Adventurous Accessories start this week (this week is an intro to defining your style and the design process) and there is always room to join! If you are looking for some super unique projects on a budget this the the class for you!

Click here for more information!

Oh Bernina- How I Love you!

I took my Bernina into my local dealer this weekend- Sew Hut- for a little help with my continued mission to learn all that there is to know about my Aurora 430 so I can be a good and knowledgeable Bernina Artisan! What a lovely time it was learning new things- something that felt good for a change. Nina was so wonderful and patient with me and I went away with an even better understaning of my machine. I returned to my studio to my to do list which includes new purses for some new opportunities and LOVED trying out all the stuff I learned and of course going wild with my favorite technique EVER- free motion!

Online Classes- UPDATE

Normally I would not post 3 blog entries in one day but I am playing a little catch up over here so I apologize for all the information!

Monday, October 26th my Adventurous Accessories Online class starts and now that I have changed my online class rules- once you register you will have unlimited access to the class and the information. This means if you want to work along with me for the next five weeks register now- otherwise you are now able to register and access the class at any time and work at your own pace! Below is the information as well as the links to all of the past classes that are now available to register for! Reminder- if you have taken any of my past classes please let me know and I will give you free access!

Not to worry you can find all of this info on my website!

Adventurous Accessories

Starts October 26th!

I have a confession to make... I am an accessory junkie! For some reason I love purses, hats, scarves and all kinds of jewelry and can always find space for more. As usual my motto, when it comes to accessories, is why spend money when you can make your own?!

This class is something I have been planning for a while and it is just in time for holiday gifts! From hand painted scarves, altered hats to earrings, purses and jewelry- I will share all kinds of projects, techniques an inspiration to create your own handmade accessories. As usual, I will incorporate everyday supplies, recycled materials and lots of PAINT!

Get ready for an adventure!!

GRAFFITI CHIC

NOW AVAILABLE TO REGISTER AT ANY TIME!

Learn the art of graffiti!! This class will introduce you to the concept of graffiti and tons of techniques- layering, messy color, how to make handmade stencils, handwriting, different kinds of spray painting techniques, non toxic substitutes for spray paint, using household materials and tools, paint pens, free writing, and all sorts of other techniques and materials to create your very own graffiti compositions on paper, fabric and canvas that can be used in scrapbooks, journals, collage sewing and all sorts of mixed media projects.

RECYCLING REMIX

Recycling Remix

This class will completely change the way you think about everyday materials! It is jam packed with techniques, projects, ideas to incorporate a green approach and all kinds of ways to make art on a budget. For those who know me, will know that I am OBSESSED with finding new ways to redefine and use everyday materials- I strongly believe that learning to recycle and create on on a budget is a way to show respect in the art that we make.

This class will introduce you to all kinds of creative and nontraditional (and I mean nontraditional!) ways to use everyday materials, how to transform trash and things that normally get tossed (junk mail, cereal boxes, used envelopes, paper, old clothes and so much more), you will learn how to spend little to no money on supplies, inspiration in art history and lots more Everything that you learn can be applied to mixed media, fabric, paper, scrapbooking projects- regardless of the medium you work in you will be INSPIRED!

WHIMSICAL WOMEN

While I consider myself first and foremost a painter, I have found passion for pairing my painting and mixed media techniques with sewing! This workshop will bring it all together and you will learn how to create whimsical women made from painted canvas,

hand painted fabric, found objects and much more!

You will learn:

How to brainstorm, sketch and design your own women

How to paint simple faces

Create your own mixed media fabric

Learn simple and non traditional sewing techniques

How to incorporate alternative supplies and found objects

Simple and nontraditional sewing techniques

And all kinds of unique ways to construct your very own funky, wild, beautiful, mixed media whimsical women!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR WHIMSICAL WOMEN!

This Just In...

I am so excited to announce that we have finalized the details for the December Graffiti Collaborative Weekend Workshop at the Art Bar!! I am super excited to be teaching alongside two of my favorite ladies AND teaching a whole weekend dedicated to graffiti. This is going to be a totally unique and creative workshop- hope you can join us!!

GRAFFITI COLLABORATIVE:

SPEND A WILD, URBAN ART WEEKEND with:

	Traci Bautista
	Alisa Burke
	Lisa Engelbrecht

Join artists Traci Bautista, Lisa Engelbrecht and Alisa Burke for a weekend of messy,

wild, urban fun! Channel you inner rebel as you letter, paint and collage your way

through three days of graffiti inspired techniques and projects. You will have the

opportunity to spend time every day with each artist to learn about their unique

techniques and projects.

This Exclusive Opportunity includes 7 workshops, (plus Graffiti Challenge Event) for 3 full days -

starting early in the morning and ending late at night, all hosted by The ARTbar and held in

the artistic environment of the Santora Arts Building in the Santa Ana Artist Village!!

For more details click here

Halloween Craft- Blinged Out Skulls Tutorial

The best thing about this time of year (besides the huge selection of super awesome wigs available in stores!) is the plethora of skull parafanalia everywhere. I have a collection of unique skulls and for a while I have been wanting to find a skull with lots of bling. So in my never ending ending quest to transform everyday stuff into something creative and artful I decided to transform a few different skulls with very simple sparkle and bling!

I visited quite a few stores to prepare for this project and there are TONS of skulls- plastic, wood, paper- you name it there are skeletons and skulls everywhere and they are cheap! I purchased a few to show you how easy it create it is to revamp and alter another simple object!

My mantra- paint over anything!

Start by painting over your skulls (this can be plastic, wood or even paper!)

I painted over a couple of cheap plastic skulls.

Use puff paint (in metallic or glitter) and add dots all over the surface of the skull

Another option is to use lots of sequins glued to the surface of your skull!

Time consuming but so worth it!

Use one of the MANY wood forms out there and add colorful sequins and sparkle puff paint!

This guy even got involved and helped me alter a wooden skeleton!

If you can't find a skull that you like- try creating one out of paper mache!

Using a simple ballon and cover with paper mache mixture.

Peel off and then decorate with paint and sequins!

Wanted- Joy, Silliness and Spunk!

Life has been throwing a lot our way lately- lots and lots of family stuff going on over here- big stuff- issues that lately I don't quite feel prepared for. I have been struggling with vacations canceled, sleepless nights, worry and tears for those dearest to me. Somewhere in the last couple of weeks I seem to have lost my joy. And today I am gathering my resources, hunting it down and getting it back for good!

Wish me luck- joy can often be a challenge to find but it always seems to be lurking in the most obvious places :)

Updates from the Studio

I have started the process of fully stocking my Etsy shop- You will now find some funky fiber accessories, holiday cards and the beginning of holiday ornaments. I will continue to add more goodies in the coming months in preparation for the holidays

I have also decided to sell some the art from my recent Somerset Workshop article so you also will find a handful of the graffiti canvas collage paintings my in my shop under original art.

After much thought and consideration I have decided to open up all of my past and present online classes for registration. I have been doing a lot of back and forth about how best to offer classes online (its kinda tricky) but after some great feedback from all of you, I will make all my online classes available for those who want to work without time a time frame- So if you missed something a while back that you wanted to take- they will all not be available. For those who do like working within a time frame I will still keep the classes on a five week structure were there is a class start and end date for weekly lessons that you can work along with me as the lessons are posted. I will have everything up, full details and ready for registration by the middle of the week.

I think most of you out there know that I was selected to be a Bernina Artisan and I have a LOVELY Aurora 440 loan machine to work on- I am so excited to start working on some really funky projects for Bernina's Sewing Republic site and if you haven't visited it- head over and take a look- it is a GREAT resource if you are looking for some fresh sewing projects and inspiration. Since I am a very non traditional sewer (ummm I pretty wild) and have little "technical" or "traditional" knowledge when it comes to sewing I am going to be getting a little extra instruction from my local Bernina dealer on all of the bells and whistles on my machine this next weekend. I can't wait to learn all that there is to know and get even more wild with my sewing!!

I am working on another SUPER fun tutorial for this week so please check back in the next couple of days!!

And now......I am taking the rest of the day off....well kinda :)

Sunday Brunch in Photos

Yum

My most favorite combo for color and food- yum!

Giveaway Winners!!

It is time to announces the 3 winners from the last post!!

Renate

runningonink

Soggy Dog Studios

Please contact me with your addess at mealisab@yahoo.com and I will get your skull bags in the mail to you!

I was in a bad mood today- not sure why- just one of those days- but when the mail came my mood turned around because I got the first batch of my holiday cards back from the printer and they look great! This weekend I will be starting to fill my shop with beginning of holiday goodies (I can't believe I am even thinking about this in Oct!)

And this also came in the mail!

I love the The Sartorialist and for years it has been my favorite site to visit each day. I knew that I HAD to order the book! If you like fashion, good photography and just all around great aesthetic you will love The Satorialist!! I spent a good part of the afternoon devouing each page!

And then as if my great mail wasn't good enough- my hubby brought home Chinese food for dinner- I am now happy to report that my funky mood is now fabulous- all is right tonight :)

Another Giveaway!

Its another giveaway on my blog today! After years of blogging and having so many loyal readers and people that I now consider friends I want to say thank you by doing lots of giveaways in the next few months so stay tuned for more!

Today I am giving away three fun and colorful large skull pouches.

Leave me a comment

1-2 words that describe how your week is going- (mine would be-drained!)

I will pick 3 random winners

Halloween Craft- Lantern Tutorial

With fall in full swing I am continuing to post tutorials that are inspired by the season and today is another alternative Halloween project. I think it is pretty evident that I believe that ANYTHING can be transformed with a little paint!

This week I found one of those ugly but cheap plastic jack o lanterns for trick ($1.99) for treating. Since we don't have kids and there won't be trick or treating in our house, I decided to turn it into a decorative little lantern! (but this would be another great kids project if you have little ones that will be collecting candy)

Start by cutting out the eyes, nose and mouth with utility knife. You could get really decorative with this but I am clumsy and prone to injuring myself and wanted to keep it simple!

Give the the lantern a full coast of paint to cover the entire pumpkin- you may also paint the inside at this time if you prefer.

Draw simple doodles all the surface- I chose flowers but you could use simple shapes, words, your favorite pattern- just try to fill the entire surface.

Begin to fill in your shapes with paint. Living in San Diego, fall and winter often don't feel like fall and winter so I decided to painting my lantern with bright summer colors that would match my house and my garden this time of year- its typically blue sky and sunny :)

After your shapes are filled with color, go back and add tiny details in contrasting color so they pop. I LOVE the Scribbles 3-D paint that Duncan makes and it works great for tiny decorative elements in your painting! I decided to outline everything with white dots!

Once you are happy with the surface paint the inside (if you like)

Switch out the ugly elastic handle and add a ribbon for the handle

Add a tea light candle

I decided to use my lantern as a table centerpiece (paired with my painted skulls and messy painted pumpkins)

Updates from the Studio

In my quest to be more organized both in my life and online, I have decided that Mondays are going to be my weekly studio update on my blog- new and different things created, teaching updates and announcements!

With the holidays around the corner (which I CANNOT BELIEVE!!) I have started creating all kinds of goodies- I LOVE this time of year and I am always extra inspired about creating all kinds of stuff! I spent a good part of the weekend working on some drawings for some holiday cards that I just sent off to the printer and will be coming soon to my shop!

I also added another hand carved stamp kit with a holiday theme in my shop and I have already started creating my own holiday paper with it!

I have decided to make my Graffiti Chic online class available to register and participate in at any time. Since I will be offering a Graffiti Chic Part 2 in January, I thought that I would make the first class available for anyone out there who wants to take it! You can view a couple a couple of video snippets below- please visit my website for more information on registering for the class!

IMPORTANT NOTE-If you participated in any of the past Graffiti Chic classes and want access to the site again please email me and I will give you free access.

I am trying to figure out the best way to offer my online classes and while I think it is important to have structure with a beginning and end- I am considering opening up each class for registration at any time once the "official 5 weeks" are over with. This may give those looking for structure the opportunity to create within a time frame but also make the class available for those who like more freedom to work over a long period of time. Let me know any thoughts or opinions on this- How do you work best when taking a class?

Tomorrow I have another SUPER fun and creative tutorial that I can't wait to share and then Wednesday I will be doing another give away so please check back for more inspiration!

A Broken Promise

I made myself a promise when I left my job five months ago- that when I worked at home I would always get up in the morning, get dressed, make myself presentable and walk downstairs to my studio as if I were walking into work. As you can see in the photo above, that all fell to the wayside, along with not working at night, on weekends and being more balanced in my life. While completely happy and in bliss that I am FINALLY working as a full artist, I am also struggling BIG time right now with finding a healthy groove. I am learning things about myself that I never knew when I worked jobs for other people- the biggest is that I never really cared that much (sorry old job!). Now that I work for myself, I care too much. I finally have the opportunity to do what I have loved since I was a kid- to create and make things for a living and I am finding that my heart and my passion are wrapped up in everything that I do. While really fulfilling- it is truly exhausting. So with the start of a new week I am taking control of the promises I made, giving myself permission to break a couple of them and find new ways to take better care of myself and my new lifestyle!

Studio SALE!

What started as a frustrated hour of looking for my wood burning tool ended in the decision to get rid of some work! While my studio is actually really organized and clean right now (the burning tool was in front of me the whole time!) I have concluded that I have been holding on to SO many of my creations and I don't know why- I guess I'm sentimental!?! So I have decided to have a big shop sale starting this weekend.

I am getting rid of lots of stuff (sniff, sniff, tear)- class samples, purses, even originals to make room for fun new holiday stuff, new work, new ideas and new directions with my creative life!

So check my shop starting tomorrow for all kinds of goodies!!!

This is Jack

This is Jack- the stray kitten (now senior cat) that followed me home twelve years ago and he immediately melted my heart and I had to give him a home- adopted straight off the streets of Portland, Oregon. Up until meeting young Jack, I never considered myself "an animal person" let alone a cat person but this guy really changed my life and has been my sidekick through IT ALL! Now that I am working from home I have found much of my conversations are with Jack and throughout each day I share ideas with him, take candid photos when he is not looking and chase him off my husbands pillows before I make the bed (like this morning). I have resisted blogging about Jack for a while, I did not want to be viewed as a crazy cat lady but I can't resist it any longer- Jack is such a HUGE part of my daily life and it is time for me to declare that my name is Alisa Burke and I have been for a very long time... a closet, crazy cat lady! So now that I have come clean and have my secret out in the open you may be seeing more of Jack on my blog and maybe even in my art- after all, he is my muse :)

To celebrate Jack's appearance on my blog I would like to encourage artists out there to check out A Place to Bark website for an opportunity to help raise funds via art auction to finish their shelter!

Halloween Craft- Messy Pumpkin Tutorial

I will be posting lots of tutorials in the upcoming months and today's tutorial is a little inspiration for decorating fall pumpkins! This is a great projects for kids and adults!

Start with a pumpkin or gourd and cover the surface with paint.

Blend paint on the surface of the pumpkin.

Begin to add layers of MESSY swipes of color- letting each layer dry before adding the next layer.

Add layers of drips, splatter, marks and text.

Use stencils, stamps, even collage on the surface- use your pumpkin like you would a mixed media surface.

Try painting on different sizes- challenge yourself to fill the entires surface of the pumkin!

GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

How great all of your comments were!!! I really loved reading about all of your inspiring symbols- very interesting how we all seem to have simple things that represent meaning! Ok so these names were drawn at random through Random Generator!

KathrynAntyr, artgirly, Jessica Turner you are the winners! Email me at mealisab@yahoo.com to coordinate!

If you did not win, no worries I will be having a giveaway EACH WEEK so please check back for more fun stuff that I will be giving away- next week- SKULLS!!

Canvas Crowns Giveaway Today!

As promised I am doing a giveaway to celebrate the latest issue of Somerset Workshop. I have a whole section on what else? CANVAS! And I am pretty proud of it because it looks beautiful- huge kudos to everyone who worked on it but also because it really takes me a lot of time and thought to come up with new projects especially ones that involve only a few materials- paint and canvas. (If you have never tried to limit your supplies or your tools or even color when working on a project...try it. In my opinion it will challenge you to be really creative!)

In this issue, one of the projects that I demonstrate is a canvas crown. While I don't typically play favorites, this is one of my all time favorite projects that I have come up with. I am SO inspired by crowns and have always been intrigued by both the symbolism and their decorative nature through the ages. When faced with the challenge of coming up with some new projects made from canvas (that weren't in my book) I knew I had to create my own version of a crown!

So to celebrate I want to give away three canvas crowns to three of my readers! Here are the rules-

You have until Wednesday morning to leave me a comment

Tell me what object is symbolic to you and why

On Wednesday I will 3 draw names from comments and each of you will get one of the crowns in the picture above!

Updates from the Studio

It 2pm on Monday and I am still in my pajamas, I have black paint smeared all over the left side of my face and have been working non stop since early this morning- so much for my vow of creating balance in my life!! But I am happy to report that the weekend was a good one and despite my around the clock creative activity, I am feeling quite energized and full of inspiration!

I have updated my Etsy Shop with a handful of skulls that I have painted will all of my doodles and designs from my sketchbook- SO time consuming but super cool! I think they are perfect with Halloween around the corner or if you like skulls as much as I do (I collect them!) they are great little piece of decorative art for a bookshelf or mantel.

I will be teaching a workshop inspired by my book Canvas Remix at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido on November 14th.

For details or for all of their education programs click here-ARTCENTER.ORG

Had a wonderful conversation on the phone with Traci Bautista last week about the plans for our upcoming Graffiti Weekend at the Art Bar- details are almost ready to post and I cannot wait to collaborate and teach with Traci and Lisa!!!

Somerset Workshop has hit the stands and it looks FABULOUS!! If you are looking for brand new canvas projects- look no further than Workshop! I worked really hard to come up with some super creative ways to use canvas!

And last (for now) I have been trying to get organized with all of my planning (I heart planning- just ask my husband!) and have all kinds of fun stuff in the works for my blog in the upcoming months. I have decided that I really want this to be a place of more than just me writing about me and want it to be full, REALLY full of tutorials, giveaways, video, creative tidbits, philanthropy and more stuff that everyone out there can apply to their own creative lives!

I want to kick off my new "blog format" with a giveaway tomorrow! And I will be giving away 3 canvas crowns inspired by my Somerset Workshop article! So check back in the a.m. for giveaway rules! Three people will each win a totally one-of-a-kind, unique canvas crown!!!

One more thing! I am almost finished with the HUGE task of updating and making changes to my website-www.alisaburke.com so if you happen to visit it please refresh your browser so new stuff shows up!

Coming This Week

Been working one of a kind, hand painted skulls for my shop this week more later...

A Strong Craving for Good Art

Today, amidst the million of things that I had to do- I all of a sudden had a STRONG craving for some fine art and thankfully 10 minutes away is a fabulous museum that was showing a few of my favorites (Picasso, Miro and Calder). So I dropped everything and we spent the afternoon looking at amazing work- something that I really needed to do.

Every time I enter a museum or gallery it is a moving experience for me and something I do not take for granted. The first time I saw an original painting by a "master" in person was in Paris-

it was a van Gogh and I cried- I remember standing so close to the painting that my nose almost touched it and I just stood there for a very long time staring at the thick brush strokes, mesmerized by what I was experiencing. At the time I had read The Letters of van Gogh for a class and I related to something in his process- an unstoppable need to create art regardless of success. Seeing his work up close spoke to my heart and inspired me like nothing else. Since that experience, that feeling is something that I actually ache for and there was even a time when art history was just as important to me as making art. In college there was something profound about learning to paint while at the same time studying the masters, learning about their lives and the meaning of their work- that to this day is a huge part of my creative foundation. In a world where it feels like just about everything "has been done" and inspiration is so accessible online, where we all air our creative processes so freely (which is wonderful but strange at the same time!) it is a comfort to know and understand where we came from, the artists that paved the way and discovered what we may often take for granted. Today I needed to see really good art, I needed to find a different kind of inspiration, get goose bumps, a few tears and rediscover over and over again why I love making art.

Redefine Your Memories Tutorial!

Redefine Your Memories

I've been busy in the studio working on all kinds of new and creative stuff and I thought I would share a little tutorial that will be a part of an upcoming lesson in my Anti Scrapbook online class. I have been working really hard to come up with some unique ideas and ways to redefine the concept of preserving memories and giving significance to history in a REALLY creative way!

This project is all about using clothing. I think that we all hang onto clothing that has significance- a sweatshirt from high school, baby clothes, wedding dress- all very likely hanging in the closet never getting worn or used. For this project I used my wedding dress and felt comfortable doing this because a)I did not pay a lot of $ for it b)I have not worn it since! But if you are not comfortable using something like a wedding dress start small with a favorite something else that you have been hanging onto simply for sentiment.

I spread the dress out and used silkscreen ink mixed with water began to splatter and paint all over the dress.

Journal all over the dress (in permanent pen, fabric pen and/or paint)

I used the journal I kept during my wedding and honeymoon as a reference for my the written memories.

Build up layers and layers of messy text.

Optional- create a focal point with a word or quote, your favorite lyric, etc.

I added my own personal motto "redefine creativity" as a focal point.

Continue to build layers with text, paint, and color until you are satisfied.

When you are finished, stage a photo shoot and use the photos in your mixed media and scrapping projects!

Wednesday Morning in the Studio

Shop Update- New Art

It seems that I am finally settling into a pattern with this working at home lifestyle and while I am still working 7 days a week- I have been stepping away every day, spending more time with my husband, going to lunch with friends and just trying find balance on a daily basis. I am pretty sure that I am workaholic and am also pretty sure that the feeling of constantly wanting and needing to create and take on new projects is something I am going to have to keep in check- its just not healthy to be addicted to work- even if its art! Anyway, I have been consistent with my goal of carving out time each day to just paint pictures and I have finally added some new art to my shop.