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…

winter around here…

Posted on February 25, 2014 by susie carranza studio

i’ve been seeing SO many beautiful photos all over instagram and facebook of snow storms and snowy landscapes! i’m a bit jealous, since we never get snow around here – i don’t remember it ever snowing in my lifetime.

i was outside the other day checking out the cactus plants, when i got the idea for this blog post. so here i am sharing OUR winter here in sunny California – enjoy!

yup, winter around here right now is flip flop weather!

’til next time…

inside my sketchbook…

Posted on February 22, 2014 by susie carranza studio

i’ve been using my sketchbooks more and more lately, and really enjoying it. it’s part of my “create every day” goal for 2014. when days around here are so busy that i haven’t picked up a paintbrush all day, i love to sit late at night (when the rest of the familia sleeps) and draw in one of my sketchbooks.

i find myself using words and phrases so much more now, like this drawing from a couple of nights ago, “live a colorful life”. i drew it very late one night and left it to be colored in next chance i got..

…and i LOVE the results!

this work-in-progress photo was posted on my instagram page (one of my “good morning!” posts)…

i love working with colored pencils; i think they offer such great texture and layers to a piece…

like i said, i love how this came out! the flowers are a little bit different than my usual flowers, and the colors are bold and vivid – perfect for my handwritten phrase.

even my father, a man of very few words, asked me “why don’t you paint this larger and sell it?”

and i plan on doing just that, maybe on a 12 X 12 inch canvas. i am also recreating something similar on a canvas tote bag; stay tuned to see how that works out!

so – what’s in your sketchbook?

’til next time…

***

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