Thursday, July 18, 2013
Thursday, June 21, 2012
I made a table. I made a table. I made a table, hey hey hey.
All I needed was to wait for glue to dry and I got bored and impatient. So, I made a table out of 2x4s.
I mean the mitre saw was all talking to me and making sweet noises. What were my idle hands to do?! I had my choice of non-treated wood or I could use the treated wood that was spray painted hot pink. Um, hot pink, por favor.
come to me, Lauren. I'm waiting...
So I cut out all my little blocks on the saw and then glued them to a piece of plywood in a brick pattern. If you look closely, some of them are a little wonky because the 2x4 was warped towards the end. Whatevs, I dig it just the same.
"That looks weird," says someone in the shop. "Just wait," said I.
Then I cut it down to size on the vertical Optisaw. And by "size" I really mean that I just cut it down so it actually had 90degree corners. I'm not really one for measuring things. Then I hit it a bunch with a belt sander so that I could smooth out all the pieces. After that I went down in sandpapers on a hand sander until it was super smooth. And hot. Remember: friction makes things hot (rrrwwwarrrr raawwrr). Finally I capped the ends off with some luan and attached that. You know, for that finished look. I got some shine on it with lacquer and brought it home to bring it all together.
On my way home I remembered that I wasn't really bringing home a table, I was bringing home something like a cutting board. I needed legs. I went to the hardware store and found no legs that I liked. Then I put it on Euro2012 highlights and found legs that I liked (mmm soccer boy legs...). Just kidding. So while there and being fussy because I couldn't find anything, I had an ah-ha moment! I have a weird plant thingy outside my door that would be perfect. I hurried home with my table-to-be and tried it out. Then I slapped some of my favorite lime green paint on the edges. Brought her upstairs and put some crap on it to stage this photo:
oooooooooooooooooooo! Right? I know. What? Humble brag!
I am so in love with this table that it's not even funny. I love the pink poking through. I love the pattern made with the wood grain. I love my favorite color green. I do not love the fact that in my ah-ha moment at the store I forgot that the plant thingy is unfinished on the top. Meaning that my glorious wood top is just resting on four prongs doo-dahs. So now I just need to figure out a better way to attach it. Otherwise, one big kid 24oz Miller High Life might knock it over. And we don't want that: broken tables and High Life everywhere. Let's look at that wood grain again, eh?
So tomorrow, well tomorrow I have some acrylic stuff to work on. We'll see how that works.
So I cut out all my little blocks on the saw and then glued them to a piece of plywood in a brick pattern. If you look closely, some of them are a little wonky because the 2x4 was warped towards the end. Whatevs, I dig it just the same.
Then I cut it down to size on the vertical Optisaw. And by "size" I really mean that I just cut it down so it actually had 90degree corners. I'm not really one for measuring things. Then I hit it a bunch with a belt sander so that I could smooth out all the pieces. After that I went down in sandpapers on a hand sander until it was super smooth. And hot. Remember: friction makes things hot (rrrwwwarrrr raawwrr). Finally I capped the ends off with some luan and attached that. You know, for that finished look. I got some shine on it with lacquer and brought it home to bring it all together.
On my way home I remembered that I wasn't really bringing home a table, I was bringing home something like a cutting board. I needed legs. I went to the hardware store and found no legs that I liked. Then I put it on Euro2012 highlights and found legs that I liked (mmm soccer boy legs...). Just kidding. So while there and being fussy because I couldn't find anything, I had an ah-ha moment! I have a weird plant thingy outside my door that would be perfect. I hurried home with my table-to-be and tried it out. Then I slapped some of my favorite lime green paint on the edges. Brought her upstairs and put some crap on it to stage this photo:
I am so in love with this table that it's not even funny. I love the pink poking through. I love the pattern made with the wood grain. I love my favorite color green. I do not love the fact that in my ah-ha moment at the store I forgot that the plant thingy is unfinished on the top. Meaning that my glorious wood top is just resting on four prongs doo-dahs. So now I just need to figure out a better way to attach it. Otherwise, one big kid 24oz Miller High Life might knock it over. And we don't want that: broken tables and High Life everywhere. Let's look at that wood grain again, eh?
So tomorrow, well tomorrow I have some acrylic stuff to work on. We'll see how that works.
Friday, June 15, 2012
I'm back at my challenges!
Art things:
1. Safari-zetti cards. What!? Safari animals! What?! Make them all kooky and shit? I'm in like Flynn, my friend.
So since these were my first cards I made from a loooooooong art swap break, dare I say: I was excited. I busted out all my paper and my paints and my photos. I must say that I got a little carried away on some of the neon paints that I bought. But hey! The 90's are back and it was all about neon and remembering one important fact: My anaconda don't want none unless you got buns, hon. Wiser words were never uttered, Sir Mix-a-Lot.
2. My old pal, Nan, on AFA hit me up with a challenge: Princess Bride. Say whaaa? To that challenge I said , "Of course!" I set about thinking on mornings in my sheet fort, eating some Lucky Charms, and watching The Princess Bride. I decided for my cards that I wanted to do random characters. Yeah, I could've done Buttercup or Wesley, but why? I love Christopher Guest. BTDubs - someone pointed this out to me:
Ugh, yeah, consider my mind: blown. Anyways. I decided on hand-drawn cards for my favorites characters. Again, that neon paint just sort of came out of nowhere and worked it's way all into my stuff.
I've got some owls to make and a house to build still. Also, I was challenged into some Virgin de Guadalupe cards. Everyone was making me blush on the site so I told them that I was going to get drunk and make some all with my left hand. This is what that kind of art looks like:
Inspiring, I know.
1. Safari-zetti cards. What!? Safari animals! What?! Make them all kooky and shit? I'm in like Flynn, my friend.
So since these were my first cards I made from a loooooooong art swap break, dare I say: I was excited. I busted out all my paper and my paints and my photos. I must say that I got a little carried away on some of the neon paints that I bought. But hey! The 90's are back and it was all about neon and remembering one important fact: My anaconda don't want none unless you got buns, hon. Wiser words were never uttered, Sir Mix-a-Lot.
2. My old pal, Nan, on AFA hit me up with a challenge: Princess Bride. Say whaaa? To that challenge I said , "Of course!" I set about thinking on mornings in my sheet fort, eating some Lucky Charms, and watching The Princess Bride. I decided for my cards that I wanted to do random characters. Yeah, I could've done Buttercup or Wesley, but why? I love Christopher Guest. BTDubs - someone pointed this out to me:
Ugh, yeah, consider my mind: blown. Anyways. I decided on hand-drawn cards for my favorites characters. Again, that neon paint just sort of came out of nowhere and worked it's way all into my stuff.
I've got some owls to make and a house to build still. Also, I was challenged into some Virgin de Guadalupe cards. Everyone was making me blush on the site so I told them that I was going to get drunk and make some all with my left hand. This is what that kind of art looks like:
Inspiring, I know.
Friday, September 18, 2009
little pieces of paris
i was looking up pin-up girls for the altered pin-up girls swap on AM. i came across this picture of betty page and i think it's hysterical!
these are for an inchie swap with theme of Paris. i made the houses/buildings out of paper from a french textbook. the background are from some paper i got that looks like wallpaper. then i added layers of pastels and watercolors for the buildings and edges. then i painted on the Eiffel towers with acrylic paints. i wanted them to look like film slides from some dreamy movie about Paris.
on AFA, were doing a pick-a-theme postcard swap and one of my swap buddies chose "monochromatic nudes" i came up with this skewed-boob chick based on a painting by Michael Parkes. the nude portion is done in all aquas and lime pastels and some acrylic.
these are for an inchie swap with theme of Paris. i made the houses/buildings out of paper from a french textbook. the background are from some paper i got that looks like wallpaper. then i added layers of pastels and watercolors for the buildings and edges. then i painted on the Eiffel towers with acrylic paints. i wanted them to look like film slides from some dreamy movie about Paris.
on AFA, were doing a pick-a-theme postcard swap and one of my swap buddies chose "monochromatic nudes" i came up with this skewed-boob chick based on a painting by Michael Parkes. the nude portion is done in all aquas and lime pastels and some acrylic.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
charms, skulls, and windmills
my friend amy on AM and AFA is hosting a "found poetry" swap. the idea is to pick out words from something written and transform them into poetry. about 4 months ago i came across a rural yearbook at the thrift store from 1979. i have cut most of the pictures out of it and was excited to actually use the words. so the "poems" i wrote still sort of have that western, rural feel to them.
this is my promised second set of Day of the Dead cards. these are all down in pastels and acrylics on bright blue and orange card stock. they're a little muted in this scan, but oh well.
i woke up on saturday and wanted to work on something. as i was perusing the AFA threads in search of things i needed to work on or would want to, i came across a charm swap. i've got a box of beads and bangles that i need to go through, so i figured "what the hell?". i made these charms by layering large sequins on a jump ring and then adding a bead and charm that said "inspire" on another. i really liked how they turned out and i'm looking forward to making more in future swaps!
this is my promised second set of Day of the Dead cards. these are all down in pastels and acrylics on bright blue and orange card stock. they're a little muted in this scan, but oh well.
i woke up on saturday and wanted to work on something. as i was perusing the AFA threads in search of things i needed to work on or would want to, i came across a charm swap. i've got a box of beads and bangles that i need to go through, so i figured "what the hell?". i made these charms by layering large sequins on a jump ring and then adding a bead and charm that said "inspire" on another. i really liked how they turned out and i'm looking forward to making more in future swaps!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
yaaaaawwwwnnn
on AM, my friend Wanda is heading up a new monthly challenge series where we have to either copy, imitate, or tweak a master artist's work. this month is Andy Warhol and i decided to do one of his famous people prints. i was going to copy is "john wayne" but instead i ended up tweaking it because it looks nothing like john wayne.
mine:
warhol's:
uncanny, right?
also, i finally finished my page for the Steampunk Round Robin journal swap i'm in! nick and i were in new orleans on friday for a friend's birthday and needed to kill some time. we went into their barnes and noble and found lots of old books on sale. it seems like a lot of their libraries donate books to them, but whatever happens i was able to score a wonderful book about the 1910s and 1920s and it had loads of photos. i love cheap books with lots of black and whites! so this page is for LandOfNOd's journal:
another monthly challenge on AM is the birds challenge. this month it's an ATC sized piece featuring a peacock. i did a watercolor background and drew the peacock and tree in pencil and pen. it's pretty simple, but i might add some more oompf to it when i get home today.
mine:
warhol's:
uncanny, right?
also, i finally finished my page for the Steampunk Round Robin journal swap i'm in! nick and i were in new orleans on friday for a friend's birthday and needed to kill some time. we went into their barnes and noble and found lots of old books on sale. it seems like a lot of their libraries donate books to them, but whatever happens i was able to score a wonderful book about the 1910s and 1920s and it had loads of photos. i love cheap books with lots of black and whites! so this page is for LandOfNOd's journal:
another monthly challenge on AM is the birds challenge. this month it's an ATC sized piece featuring a peacock. i did a watercolor background and drew the peacock and tree in pencil and pen. it's pretty simple, but i might add some more oompf to it when i get home today.
Friday, September 4, 2009
stuff i've been working on
this is basically going to be a post for me to place pictures of everything i've been working on.
3 zentangles made for the August challenge. i'm not really sure if i follow the rules to zentangles because i make a design/pattern instead of just doodling. oh well!
on AFA, we're working on making an inspirational tag book - basically, everyone submits 13 tags and the hostess is going to make a flag book from them. this is the process she's following i do not envy her having to make so many books! bellow is part of my sets of flags. i'll post pictures of my book when it comes in!
on AM i'm a part of circle journal with a nature theme. this is my first journal swap ever and i'm really excited. this is the first page i've made for it and it's going to my friend Corrie. she requested her pages be 4" x 4" with some chunky things on the right side. i used a couple of things i received in the prize package i received for winning the july art contest. on the back side, i drew some stylized waves and added a hint of color to them.
my friend kati on AFA is doing a part II chunky bird swap, the original swap was held over on AM. i think i made 4 or 5 birds for that swap and i've made 8 for this swap. i can't wait to see the returns i get and then turn my entire set into a garland or a mobile.
Bird Set 2
Day of the Dead ATCs for A.M. - be on the look out for another set for AFA. i can't resist a Day of the Dead swap!
Butterfly Inchies for A.M.
3 zentangles made for the August challenge. i'm not really sure if i follow the rules to zentangles because i make a design/pattern instead of just doodling. oh well!
on AFA, we're working on making an inspirational tag book - basically, everyone submits 13 tags and the hostess is going to make a flag book from them. this is the process she's following i do not envy her having to make so many books! bellow is part of my sets of flags. i'll post pictures of my book when it comes in!
on AM i'm a part of circle journal with a nature theme. this is my first journal swap ever and i'm really excited. this is the first page i've made for it and it's going to my friend Corrie. she requested her pages be 4" x 4" with some chunky things on the right side. i used a couple of things i received in the prize package i received for winning the july art contest. on the back side, i drew some stylized waves and added a hint of color to them.
my friend kati on AFA is doing a part II chunky bird swap, the original swap was held over on AM. i think i made 4 or 5 birds for that swap and i've made 8 for this swap. i can't wait to see the returns i get and then turn my entire set into a garland or a mobile.
Bird Set 2
Day of the Dead ATCs for A.M. - be on the look out for another set for AFA. i can't resist a Day of the Dead swap!
Butterfly Inchies for A.M.
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