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…

the week in instagram…

Posted on February 6, 2014 by susie carranza studio

are you as hooked on instagram as i am?! you can find (and follow, if you’d like!) me at instagram.com/susiecarranzastudio

bare feet in grass

late night: making earrings just for fun

pretty paint water, “dream” heart ornament, Jacquard textile colors

Yogi tea wisdom

dandelion: make a wish

putting items in Etsy shop on sale

cloudy february skies

photo booth on my iMac

my parents’ geranium plant

happy birthday to my husband, Lawrence

finally – much needed rain

lots of heart art going on!

Posted on January 30, 2014 by susie carranza studio

just wanted to share some of the heart/love inspired items i have in my Etsy shop –

and in our website Arte de Nuestro Corazon –

if you’re a creative soul, i have also been busy adding NEW items to my Etsy supply shop – my 2nd shop for destashing art & craft supplies –

i had planned on doing a blog post on what i’m currently working on – hand painting canvas tote bags, and more mixed media hearts – but my computer is giving me SO much trouble right now, especially when i’m doing any edits to my photographs. i’m hoping to get some help working out the kinks very soon…

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!