i’m still here!

Posted on May 6, 2014 by susie carranza studio

okay, so i’m not great at this blogging thing – yet. i just realized that it’s been over a month since i’ve posted here. i’ll try to do better! i won’t bore you with the details of internet problems and a non-working camera. i’ve gotten accustomed to taking all my photos on my iPhone, and it’s really convenient – i just need to work on taking and editing better photos…

just wanted to share some of what i’ve been up to. i HAVE been painting A LOT lately – finally! i’m getting back into the groove and loving it. the top photo shows a stack of canvases with finished backgrounds (most from my gelli printing sessions) that were just waiting to be finished. i’m working my way through the stack one by one…

this 8″ X 10″ mixed media original is one of my new favorites! titled “forever”, it’s a gelli printed canvas with acrylic paints, recycled papers (love to reuse and recycle!), and hand drawn touches. it will be available in my Etsy shop later today!

“Love knows no boundaries”, another 8″ X 10″ mixed media original, started with a map of the Pismo beach (California) as the background, then layers of texture with acrylic paints, Sharpies, and recycled papers (hearts are cut out from gelli prints). (this one is available in my Etsy shop now.)

stay tuned for more new artwork! 🙂

i’ve also been destashing supplies i’m no longer using (again!). i’ve been giving a lot of thought to this art business i think i’m in, and i’m come to the realization that i need to FOCUS. i want to try SO many creative things, i want to do it ALL – painting, drawing, beading, hand stitching, collaging – you name it, i wanna do it. which is fine, but if i want to sell my work successfully i think i need to focus on my strengths.

so – my Etsy supply shop is getting filled with items i’m no longer using: stamps, ribbons, paintable items, miniatures…you need to see for yourself!

newest items added to my Etsy supply shop…

Etsy supply shop collage (from Instagram)

that’s all for now…hope your May is off to a great start!

’til next time…

art-filled day…

Posted on March 20, 2014 by susie carranza studio

my husband and i took advantage of the beautiful sunny weather a few weeks ago and set up a painting area outside. we set up our canopy and our 6-foot table underneath and carried LOTS of art supplies outside.

i love when lawrence and i get to do artwork together; he works a ‘regular’ job during the week, so these times are rare…

i was excited to use my ROUND (!) gelli plate for the first time! i told myself today was just about playing, so i wasn’t worried about finished products, just going with the flow.

lawrence worked on creating mosaic crosses…

(sorry for the inconsistency in the photos – some were from our digital camera, some from my iPhone.)

i had to get a picture with my new round gelli plate BEFORE i covered it in paint!

my first print with the round gelli plate! remember, i was just playing with it, so i of course started with my favorite color (Americana’s Calypso Blue from DecoArt), then added a darker blue and got a cool, water-looking print.

i used one of my favorite stencils, the random text box stencil from Retro Cafe Gallery on the round gelli plate. i made some prints on white cardstock, some on old (rectangular) gelli prints. i was pretty happy with the results…

i’m thinking i’ll use these in future mixed media projects (stay tuned!)…

i also made some prints with my rectangular gelli print, this time using blues and orange (i LOVE this color combo!).

i’ve been wanting to make prints with large doilies, and today was the day…

next time i’ll use brighter colors for more vivid prints. i do love how i ended up with a half-painted doily – that will definitely be used in a future project too!

i tried out my set of alphabet metal stamping set on a piece of wood, just to see how it looked –

but i had to stop and take photos of my paper mache skulls while the natural light was still right.

(these are all available at our website www.ArtedeNuestroCorazon.com, at $18 each.)

(my mom checking out what lawrence is doing)

it was a good day. it was a beautiful day to be outside, i got lots of gelli prints ready for future pieces, lawrence created two beautiful mosaic crosses – all in all, a good day.

til next time…

around here…

Posted on February 28, 2014 by susie carranza studio

here in California we’re FINALLY enjoying some rain!!! it’s funny how dramatic newscasters here are – other parts of the world are dealing with terrible weather, especially snow storms. here, as soon as ANY rain is in the forecast it’s “STORM WATCH!”

i’m embarrassed for us sometimes (lots of times)…

anyway, just wanted to share some of what’s been going on around here…

i’m a big fan of coffee (favorite: Nescafe!). i have lots of “good morning” pics on my instagram and facebook pages showing my first cup of coffee for the day…

one of my latest projects is a new collection of tote bags. i’m enjoying making my own fabric spray paints (love this blue!); can’t wait to see how they turn out! (stay tuned…)

latest sketchbook page. julie balzer is one of my favorite artists, and she came out recently with a line of face stencils. this was my first time using my stencil. i loved it (although i did feel like i was cheating somehow by not drawing the face myself)!

and finally – i’ve been adding LOTS of new items to my Etsy supply shop – so many new cool supplies for all my fellow creatives out there!

’til next time…

new items for a new year…

Posted on January 24, 2014 by susie carranza studio

i’ve been busy working on my Etsy shop! i created a “SALE” section, to which i’ll be adding certain items at reduced prices. i’ve also been creating new hand painted pieces to add to the shop, and with Valentine’s Day around the corner, i’m hoping my new mixed media hearts, with inspirational words and phrases, will find new homes soon…

these hearts were inspired by the art badge i shared in my last post (2014: create every day…). i loved the art badge so much i recreated it onto a paper mache heart (excuse the photo – it’s from my phone)…

…and enjoyed that process so much i wanted to make more! i used recycled papers (tissue papers, Gelli Plate prints, junk mail envelopes, book pages, and more), acrylic paints, stamps, and miniature flowers – i love being able to reuse items i already have.

(another phone pic)….

each heart is one of a kind and available in my Etsy shop now!

peek into my sketchbook…

Posted on October 1, 2013 by susie carranza studio

happy october everyone – my favorite month! LOVE the cooling temperatures, the changing leaves, Halloween – everything!

so, i’ve always doodled. when i worked a ‘regular’ job i doodled during staff meetings, i doodled on napkins at meal times (and still do!), i doodled while on the phone…but i never really kept a sketchbook. you know, one book where i sketched out ideas. i doodled everywhere anyway, and i never sketch out a painting before i paint it, so i guess i never saw the need.

well, this past june my husband took me to Dick Blick Art Store in Pasadena for some birthday shopping. i went to just buy a Gelli plate but came home with more. you know how that happens, right? (you can check out some photos from my first time using the Gelli plate here – playing with my Gelli Plate.)

so, along with my new Gelli plate, i got some Jacquard Textile paints (which i was very excited about but haven’t used yet), a roll-up pouch for brushes & drawing supplies, and a sketchbook. and i’m enjoying it. i haven’t done alot in it yet, but i really love drawing/painting in it late at night, when everyone’s asleep and it’s quiet.

here’s a peek at a few things i’ve been doing. please forgive the not-so-good pictures; the lighting here hasn’t been great for photo taking…