Donnalda Does Art

New Pages of My Travel Journal

2011-10-06T11:32:00.001-07:00

I hope you have created a journal and are ready to start creating the page designs. I love tabs and created them with postcards glued to the pages with about 3/8 of an inch sticking out past the page edge. After that I glued little titles to the tabs on both sides. You can also trim them with rounded edges. I used the tabs to divide my trips, going to Riverside, back home, and up to Joshua Tree. However, the year isn't over so I have plenty of blank pages to add tabs to when I need more. Consider this a work in progress, rather than something that needs to be finished in sections as you move on.

On the right is an envelope glued onto the page to hold various bits of ephemera from my medical stuff (the reason for all the traveling this year, and the theme for the journal). On the left is the page with details and little stories filling out the theme. I created story cards from index cards and made pockets on the page by just glueing the sides and bottom of the piece of decorative paper that I added to the bottom. I also added a narrower pocket on top of that one and tore the top edge. I love measuring tape decorations. You can scan your own and print it to use on your pages.

You can also get out your markers and begin to color the page edges. I do this while sitting in front of the television in the evenings. I like to lay down a band and then work smaller elements into the band. I use squares of a darker color on top of the drawn band, and then little detail elements in the lighter squares, or little detail elements in the darker squares (use a white gel pen for this it is great). You can also use rubber stamps to decorate the borders, and then color them with the markers.

I'm Back (kinda)

2011-09-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

I must say it has been a very interesting year so far. First the medical issue with the possible skin cancer that turned out to be a mole. (I am reluctant to return to the physician who cannot tell the difference and didn't do a biopsy to be sure, hmmm) And the gastric issue that evidently worked ittself out (not to make a pun, heh heh). All taking up huge amounts of time because none of my appointments through the maze that is now healthcare were anywhere close together. And since I had to travel almost 200 miles to get to this health care, I chose to stay with my sister since she lives in the same city as the health care facility. Also the fact that I am now completely dependent on my very small Social Security check each month makes planning anything that costs money relevant to that third Wednesday every month. So I have been home between June 25th and July 25 of this year since February!

The first time I brought my Etsy boxes and Art Fire boxes and planned on doing business from my sisters computer. I knew I would be staying a while so I packed accordingly. The second time I thought I would only be gone a couple of weeks (Boy was I wrong!) and decided after realizing that this would be a lot longer than I planned, to put my Etsy shop on vacation. But it has made me realize that this was a year to travel. Even though the travel only involved a very small area on the map of Southern California. So I decided to make a journal about it. I needed to do some artwork and had very limited materials (I was only going to be gone a couple of weeks, remember). Now I have decided this would be good for the blog, to inspire experienced art journalers and to be a kind of tutorial for those who would like to try this very fun, creative and inspiring art medum.

In the coming weeks I will be posting pages from this journal with ideas and noted on how I made them. I will also be adding some of my graphic stuff as treats for those that would like to play along with me.

So the basics. I started by folding 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper in half to make 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 pages. I nested these into groups of 4 (if you put more that 4 they have a tendency to stick out, if you don't mind that add more to your groups) these are called "signatures". I used bond paper, the cover sheets from the bond paper packages (nice and shiny and thick), construction paper, pages from an old tool catalog (this is a treasure I will be sharing with you later), and some lovely papers from a "stack" I bought at Walmart. Then I bound them together after stacking and marking them. This is my text block. I used the standard bookbinding stitch, you can use that too or any other stitch that holds all the pages together. I had a lovely piece of canvas that someone had had a painting printed on of yellow roses. It is stained beautifully and perfect for my cover. I used the back cardboard of the construction paper pad for the inside cover that I glued the first and last pages of my text block onto.

Then just for fun and to get things started I used postcards and greeting cards that a friend of mine was getting rid of to created tabs for the journal sections. I had no idea how things were going to be organized I just figured it was a good start. I love putting tabs in my journals.

Here is a photo of the first and second page layout. Stack paper on one side and construction paper on the other. The fish were from an invitation card, I cut out the bubbles and made the pink ones look like the thing on my back. I rubber stamped the torn paper before glueing it in and writing on it. The title is from a sticker page that came with the "stack". More to come.

Stay tuned.

Book of Shadows FIRE at my Dawanda Shop

2011-03-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

I have had this there for a while but I couldn't post very many pictures of it. So I thought I would put them all here so you can see the book all in one place. This book has about 80 pages so I couldn't show every one but you get the general idea here.

A Fundraiser Sale Item to help Designedby Lucinda

2011-02-18T15:42:00.000-08:00

This is a sale package I created to help a fellow Etsian who has suffered a tragic loss due to an accidental home fire. All proceeds will go to her and her family to help them replace some of the tangible items they have lost. Please take a look, I have offered five journal spots, tags, labels or alphabets (basically, all of my downloadables are included) for only $10.00. This is a great deal and you will be helping someone who really needs it.
Here is the link to the downloadable section of my shop:

Donnalda.etsy.downloadableshttp://www.etsy.com/shop/Donnalda?section_id=5792236

Alphabets are my new fun thing!!!

2011-01-19T04:04:00.001-08:00

I have been having so much fun making alphabets from my artwork. I am including a free gift for everyone who comes to my blog. This is one of the extras from my Romantic Alphabet. Just click on it and click on "Save Picture As" to save it to your computer. Have fun.

An Early Christmas Gift

2010-11-17T08:57:00.000-08:00

This is a journal spot/scrapbooking embellishment that I made just for this blog and my readers. Just click the "save picture as" button after clicking on the picture ittself and save it to your pictures folder. If Windows Paint is your only photo editing tool, make sure when you open it, it is set to 1/1 page. You can do this by going into the print options on Windows Paint.

If you have other photo editing programs you can resize this (make sure to copy and save the resize so you don't lose the original). So it can be a tag, a card (you can personalize it with a photo that has been copied and pasted into the frame) or a scrapbook embellishment or frame.

You can also scan some background papers and paste this onto it after saving the scan. Add your own decorations with peel and stick jewels or glitter pens. Put pretty ribbon into the punched out hole in the tag that you print on cardstock, or print on paper and glue to a shipping tag and make a personalized gift tag. Anyway, Happy Holidays everyone and have fun!

Donnalda Does Art: How to make art without a studio#links#links

2010-06-29T12:54:00.000-07:00

Donnalda Does Art: How to make art without a studio#links#links
http://thegraphicsfairy.blogspot.com/

How to make art without a studio

2010-06-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

My Laptop! I have been playing with Windows Paint again. It is my favorite "toy". I still don't have a workspace (so much to do to make it workable, sigh) so I have been getting my art jones done on my laptop. Here are some of my projects.

The above post includes a link to the Graphics Fairy's Blog where I got some of the vintage images.

Some pics from early this morning

2010-05-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

The rose settee is made from 2x4's. I have a lot of paint that I get at the "return" bin from various sources. Our house is going to be very colorful.

The pomegranite tree has finally set one blossom, we will be eating this fruit around Christmas time.

That is my garden in a box, made from 12 railroad ties. I made a top for it to protect the plants from varmints at night. During the day I leave the top up so things can get pollinated.

The laundry/shower set up next to one of the date palms (so handy for hanging things). The big bucket is for the washing, the two smaller white ones are for the first rinse and the fabric softener rinse. The piece of lattice is for draining large heavy items that I can't wring out. I also hang my husbands jeans on the palm stubs to drain them between buckets.

Hello Cloth Paper and Scissors Artists and Fans

2010-05-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

Hello. I just joined the Cloth Paper and Scissors website. CPS is a magazine devoted to the art and artists working in mixed media. I used to watch their program on KVCR when I lived in the city and developed a bit of a girly crush on Pokey because she was so open to new things and very creative herself. I got a subscription to the magazine from my best friend Judy for my birthday a couple of years ago and found heaven. I also have been a subscriber and contributor to Somerset Studio, and this magazine just blew me away. Everything is so original and inspiring. The website is super because it is a huge community of artists, encouraged to participate in the website ittself. There are galleries, forums and free demos, and even a shop. Just follow the link below.

In celebration of this I am offering a free journal spot right here on my blog. Just click on the pic and expand it, then "save picture as" to put it into your files. Enjoy.

http://clothpaperscissors.com/

New Facebook Fan Page and a Gift

2010-03-11T11:13:00.000-08:00

I have just launched my Fan Page and have opened up two discussions. I am also offering a gift on the Fan Page. The Fan Page is dedicated (at this point anyway) to Journal Spots. I love making them and using them. I have started a new project called Pirate Map Journal Spots and am offering one of them on the page. Just follow the instructions to capture it and then you can print it, and use it. One of the discussions is for the work you did with it. I will start a Gallery Album as soon as I get submissions. I just love all things "pirate" and last week when it was raining and I couldn't go outside, I decided to try a project from a magazine. It involved National Geographic magazine pages and a Citrus Solvent. I loved the look of some of the results and decided to make them look like old maps. I am going to add some of my drawn corners to them as well. But in the mean time, go to the link and get your map and play with it a little and let me know about it. I will post your work in the Gallery album.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1350140319#!/pages/Donnalda-Smolens-Fine-Art-Fan-Page/340254153261?ref=mf

Thank You DebsCrochet for the Sunshine Award

2010-02-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

What a cool thing to find on my blog today. I love it. Especially considering that there is some real sunshine today when it was predicted to rain. Did this award have something to do with it? OOOOO Spooky. Thanks again DebsCrochet (she has an etsy shop too, same name)
Here's a link to her blog too.

http://debs1967.blogspot.com/

Some End of 2009 Musings

2009-12-29T11:50:00.000-08:00

Well, this last year was certainly exciting for me. I had the experience of being evicted, had to completely uproot in 30 days (no mean feat in ittself), moved back to my desert house, lost my cherished cat (Kitty Boy Floyd, I still miss you so much it hurts) and went on Social Security as my only income.

Now I am at a very peaceful space. I have been knitting socks, gardening, and still cleaning a house that was pretty much neglected for 10 years. I have learned how to reframe a window, set in glass, make some outdoor furniture, and learn to not hustle for that big nut I used to have to crack every month. This last one actually took quite a while. It was like I was on vacation and would get a sudden anxiety attack about not having gallery showings lined up, or part time jobs to follow through on. I would find myself getting scared and then realize there was nothing to be afraid of, I could just drop my shoulders, and enjoy the here and now.

Sure I have limits now, but it is okay. My limits are not that bad. Here are some photos of the beauty and peace I am now a part of.

Some Art Stuff Journal Spots Tutorial

2009-10-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

I love making art on my computer. Journal spots are a great way to learn about what you can do with Windows Paint. This is a program that comes with every computer with Windows installed. It is usually under accesories. The flood fill tool is the little bucket. Just click on it and choose a color for the left mouse click and one for the right mouse click. The right mouse click will be the color of the negative spaces when you cut things out.

After the flood fill, you can free form cut or use the square to cut out things. Just drag them over to the right like a trash pile. Then you can begin to draw with the pencil or paint brush. There are various widths. Experiment off to the side, you can select and copy to put them into your square. I like to make one cool design and then copy and paste it many times. To get variations, just rotate it from the menu at the top. It is under image. You can flip it or rotate it to make it slightly different. If you think it is too big, just find the little blue dot at the corner and when you see the double pointed arrow on your mouse pointer, drag it to the size you want.

Now the fun begins, select the parts you want with the square select tool and click copy. Then click NEW from the file menu, don't save the one you were working on (like throwing out the trash) and click paste on the new file. There is your square all trimmed and neat. You can continue this process until you have the design you want.

To resize or make this ready for printing just select your saved image and use any photo editing tool, or even the printing wizard from windows. You can use the wallet sized selection to make this into a full page of journal spots.

I made the borders on this one from the above technique. You may use it for free. Enjoy.

Photos of Lotus and her kittens

2009-10-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

Stephen has a much better camera than mine and finally got batteries for it. Here are some of the photos he took in the last couple of days. It is hard to get them when they are being still because they are so darn frisky. So most of the photos are sleeping or eating.

A Photo of the Afgan I made for my Mom

2009-10-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

I learned to knit in patterns this summer. Armed with a copy of Adventures in Knitting by Barbara Aytes, and a treasure trove of yarn I keep unearthing from the old craft room, I began to knit. I learned what double throws and triple throws were, how to make yarn over patterns and how to knit onto another square. I made borders and finally crocheted a simple shell around the edge. I even made a little embroidered label to go in the back corner.

I just got a lovely thank you note from her telling me how it comforted her in her recent bout with a cold. I told her to consider it a hug every time she uses it.

Fall is here Yay

2009-10-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

The days are only in the 90's and the nights require a blanket on the bed. I have actually used the oven. I made a pie crust with olive oil and filled it with hummus and tuna and Trader Joe's Garlic Mashed Potatoes. It was yummy. Had some the next day for lunch.
I am actually looking through my seeds and getting a plan together for the garden. Our best growing season is between September and April. Since the nights are falling into the 50's the seeds will sprout. I can also start to make sprouts for food. Summer time here is low on fresh food, like Winter is in most other parts of the country. The compost pile is cooking away and I have been deciding what to start in pots.
I sent my Mom the knitted throw that I made. It was my first try at actually knitting something with patterns. I used the Barbara Aytes book "Adventures in Knitting" for the patterns. Each square was a different pattern. It was fun learning something new. I made a hand embroidered label for it also. I am now working on a blanket for my great granddaughter Bella. It is going to be a more substantial version of a shetland shawl. I did the center and am starting the borders. I bought my stitch holders for this project from Sevenyaks on Etsy. Great seller.
We have kittens! Lotus had three, white, orange, and grey tiger striped. They are so tiny and perfect. I love to watch them play. Precious little treasures.
As soon as I find my cord for the camera I will post pics to go with these posts. So far the boxes I have unpacked have not yielded any fruit. I will keep looking. It was a great summer and I look forward to the new adventures and surprises that Fall will bring.

Mesquite Bean Extract and what you can do with it

2009-08-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

Mesquite trees grow all over the southwest. They make long light yellow bean pods. It is the pod that is used for food.
I throw as many beans (whole) as I can into a pretty vodka, rum or whiskey bottle. Then I fill it with vodka. Let it sit without touching it for at least 3 months. It turns golden. I just leave the beans in it as I use it. This is an extract like vanilla and can be used all the same ways. I love to make cool drinks in the summer by using this with fruit juice (like apple or pear) and ice and make it a smoothie with ice in your blender. Superb.
You can also use it in baking. Or behind your ears to smell delightful. I am going to use it as a base for fruit brandy this winter, where you just add canned fruit and sugar every couple of months.
During the winter, I boil the beans on the wood stove to make the whole house smell like apples and cinnamon. Then I use the broth in bread and cakes.
you can also grind the beans and sift out the seeds and use this with flour in baking (like corn meal)
Finally got the printer coordinated with the solar stuff so I can print things. The camera is next, I will add photos to some earlier posts.

Summer Days Countdown

2009-08-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

I have been keeping a daily journal since I moved out here. Each day also has a countdown to the last day of summer. It isn't that accurate because here in the lower part of California, we have summer like weather sometimes until October. But it is encouraging the see the days dwindle down and know that eventually, I will be able to bake something, use our refridgerator again, and be able to go outside without having to run back and sit in front of the fan after only about 10 minutes.
I have learned to harvest and cook Palo Verde Beans! They are easy to harvest with a rake and a sheet. Just lay the sheet under the tree and rake the branches. They fall to the ground quickly because they are dry (a nice golden beige color) and many fall off of the sheet for the other desert denizens to enjoy. Hulling them is tedious, and I would have used a flail and basket type method, but some of the hulls had little holes in them and also little holes in the beans! Don't want all that work to be eaten up in the storage jar. They should be soaked before cooking, because those little suckers take up a lot of water. Even after soaking the ratio is about 5/1 for water and beans in the pan. They cook in about 2 hours, and are the consistency of corn kernels. But after that, you can add them to rice pilaf, or salads, or stews. I have used them as a garnish as well. They are black and add a nice contrast to the food colorwise.
Palo Verde Bean Rice Pilaf
1 Cup Cooked palo Verde Beans
1/2 Cup Chopped Onions
2 T. Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Canned Corn
1/2 Cup Chopped Tomato
Saute all in Cast Iron or heavy sauce pan until onions are transparent.
Add:
1 Cup Uncooked Rice
1 T. Chicken Boullion
Garlic Powder to taste
Saute with other ingredients for about 2 minutes.
Add:
2 Cups of liquid (water from the corn, stock or just plain water)
Cook on high until bubbly. then lower heat and place good fitting lid on pan.
Check after about 15-20 minutes, if rice is just starting to stick to the bottom and all the liquid is gone, turn off heat and replace lid. Wait 5-10 minutes before serving. this gives the food enough time to even out liquid wise and the rice will no longer be stuck to the pan. I think it is caused by condensation from the lid.
Garnish with: Chopped greens from the garden or chopped green onions.
Serve with tortilla chips or as a side dish.
We have been eating variations of this dish almost every night so far this summer. It is quick and easy and lends ittself to any extra items you might want to add.

Update from the Hot Desert

2009-08-02T22:43:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying a little break of under 115 degree weather. It seems so balmy. Our outdoor bathtub has been our little dipping pool. But we realized we needed to shade it when I couldn't even put my feet in the water because it was too hot! So Stephen got a really cheap "gazebo" (I am using the quotes on purpose) to shade our tub. We assembled it that night. Next day was great, cool water all day. Then that night there was a windstorm just before sundown. Even though we pegged it into the ground, it flew up and crashed into the mesquite tree. The cover was surprisingly strong, only a few little holes, but the metal frame bent in a couple of places. After the storm, we put it back with some improvements, using the rope provided in the package, we tied the legs down as well as pegging them and included a couple of tires for balast. Next day, whoops. Now more metal is bent. The connecting roof tarp and the side stitching is coming apart. So we wedged one leg under the tub (cast iron with enameling, not going anywhere) and attached a coffee can filled with concrete to it. The north leg we left down (more shade in the late afternoon and weighed down with tires. The east and south legs are tied to tires and wedged with heavy branches. But because of the bent metal the top connectors keep coming apart, but that is easy to do during the many times we go out there just to pour cool water over ourselves so we can return to the little 12 volt fans in the bedroom and be our own personal water coolers. Today (2 weeks after purchase and original setup) we found all our tie downs broken and the whole "gazebo" upturned and heading for the mesquite tree again. I thought the dogs might have gotten tangled in it somehow, but when we went to retie the ropes they came apart in our hands! So evidently this fabulous outdoor convenience is only supposed to last a couple of weeks because the tie down ropes have begun to self destruct. I wish Stephen had remembered to put batteries in his camera, mine is still packed somewhere in a box. Also one day I was just sitting on the tub enjoying the breeze and shade and my feet in cool water and I spotted a tiny lizard on a branch near the ground. I was in the middle of telling it how cute it was when a gopher snake came out of the bushes and grabbed it and disappeared into the weeds. Well, there went a couple of mis assumptions, 1 snakes eat lizards! 2 snakes hunt in the hottest part of the day if there is shade! More to come.

I have Moved!!!!

2009-07-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

Well, it was really amazing trying to get 9 years of living and creating in boxes and out to the desert house in 30 days. We went a few days over and still have some things in the shed, but I am now going through all of those boxes (that I didn't label, I know, I know). It is kind of like opening presents. What's in this box? Alright the kitchen dishes, and pots and pans. I really missed my glass measuring cups for a while. Now I am hoping to find my video games box, I think I packed it with clothing, but I can't remember. It was all so harrowing!
For the first week, I slept a lot just catching up. Now I have a routine that involves domestic duties and unpacking or cleaning. The ex just kind of let things go, so Wow, there is another job. But it's okay because there is no deadline. It is getting into the 110's degree wise so that pretty much slows down any laborious jobs, so I am just doing what I can and trying to stay cool. I love sitting in the old clawfoot tub at sundown taking my bath and looking at clouds. The summer sunsets here are spectacular with pinks and golds. I will post pics as soon as I can.
Happy Summer everyone.

My Watercolor Technique-A Free Lesson

2009-05-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

I have just posted this on Flickr.com, it is one of my favorites. It is a demo painting that I do, I have always had fun with it. First, you place the torn masking tape down for the fence, then wet the paper with a big soft brush. Then mix a wash in the lightest color you will use in a small dose cup and pour it over the paper, leaving some white where the sunlight will be coming from. After the shine disappears sprinkle with salt and let dry. After it is dry brush off the salt and rewet the paper gently, using only one stroke at a time so you don't disturb the underpainting. Mix another wash in a dose cup of the second lightest color. Repeat these steps until you have done the middle darkest color.

After it is dry and you have brushed off the salt, carefully peel off the masking tape and paint shadows and details using the colors you used in the washes and greys made from contrasting versions of those colors. I used yellows so my greys and darks were made from mixing violet and yellow together. You will love the opportunities to play with this technique, do a lot of these. Enjoy.

Moving Blues

2009-05-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

I am so stressed I can't sleep until I drop off. I have been just packing, cleaning and sleeping for the last few days. I don't know what time of day it is half the time, I just want to be out of here. I am leaving most of the electrical appliances because I won't be able to use them at the desert house with the limited solar energy. I am freaking out that I won't have enough boxes, or time to do this cleanly. The 31st is less than a week away. Yikes.

Kitty Boy Floyd

2009-05-02T15:59:00.001-07:00

When I was taking care of my Mom while she was going through several operations in 1999, I was staying at her house in Riverside and driving to my studio at Palapas in Palm Springs every day. The hour drive was good for thinking and planning, however sometimes at night it got a little scarey. I hadn't lived in Riverside for many years and it was a big city to me by then. When she went in for one of the surgeries, I was told she would have to be in a nursing home for a month. This frightened me because I was worried about her and had never been in her house alone before. The night before the surgery, I was sitting on the patio having a cig, and this little tiny black kitty appeared and jumped up on the table and started rubbing on me and purring. I thought it was late for a little guy like that to be out, so I went around the neighborhood to find out if he was lost. One of the neighbors said a cat had had kittens in a shed next door. So he was feral but had been around people before. I went to the store and got supplies and he moved in. I always thought it was so cute that he would be playing outside, and want in to use the kitty box and then run back outside again. We slept together and played together. I always had someone to come home to during that month, and when Mom returned she fell in love with him too. Which is remarkable because she has never had a pet of her own. When she was all put back together again it was time for us to move on. I had separated from my husband by then, and we found this place. I had also adopted 2 other black cats by then. When they first got introduced, Kitty Boy Floyd had already become quite large and they were still kittens so they were afraid of him. He crouched down low on the floor to make himself smaller so they wouldn't be afraid of him. Eventually Gizmo and Kitty Boy Floyd became buds, but Mut (a female) never really took to him. If she was close by, Kitty Boy would walk very slowly looking straight ahead and not at her. I always thought this was funny because he was twice as big a she was.

If people came over to visit, he would be the first to greet them. He like certain dogs but not all dogs. When one of my rescued cats had kittens, he acted like they were his and cared for them and groomed them and played with them. Evidently he was attractive to other lady cats because he always has a little personal entourage of Lotus and Isis with him. When I came home from petsmart, he would immediatley fish into the bag and grab the little white fur toy mice that I bought for him, he knew they were his. He was a sucker for catnip. He had a little bat toy that I could refill and he loved it. He was always friendly, a pest if you were drinking milk or eating ice cream, and I loved him dearly. We had been through a lot together and I will miss him every day.

He passed away today due to illness. He is now in my heavenly home waiting for me. I love you Bubula and always will.

Big Sale on DaWanda even More Downloadables

2009-05-01T01:14:00.000-07:00

I have so many more downloadables on DaWanda, come and see. All during the month of May they will be three for 4 Euros.

http://en.dawanda.com/shop/Donnalda

New Downloadables in My Artfire Shop

2009-04-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

Check these out. http://www.artfire.com/users/donnalda

Changes

2009-04-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

I am packing and trying to figure out what to keep and what to leave behind. Some of the electrical appliances are not going to be possible at the desert house, because we have solar panels for power and it is limited. So the A/C will stay behind. Also I think the Microwave won't be usable either. But all the other stuff is just going into boxes and I will go through them later when I have time. I need to really speed this up so I make the deadline. I have never been good with deadlines, but this one is not negotiable. I am also working on custom orders and trying to keep my online businesses alive. I have been doing research on my own and with the help of an Etsy thread to figure out how to have internet access without a phone line. I have lots of reading to do and several phone calls to make tomorrow before I have a handle on that one. I will also be informing my employer that I will have to resign from my job. I have called the client already. I had already become quite attached to them. Changes are always exciting and difficult. Scarey because of unknown factors and exciting because of the very same thing. I know once the move is done I will be so happy because I have always loved my desert house.

Notice in the photos, the kerosene lamps, used for light after dark. The goose cookie jar holds clothespins for hanging laundry. And the frog cookie jars hold bars of soap, and sponges for washing dishes. Even though the cats keep the field mice population pretty scarce, I don't like to take chances with things that are needed on a daily basis (and the nearest store is a half hour drive over dirt road).

Moving

2009-04-20T08:24:00.001-07:00

Well, I have now been served the "unlawful detainer" notice. I have gone to a Legal Service for seniors and have a lawyer now. So I will be spending the next 6 weeks moving my home and studio back to the desert house.
At first I was scared, then mad, now I am accepting the whole thing as something I need to experience in life to make me a better person. I know that I was sent by God to take care of that little girl. I also know now that I am being used as a tool by God to show my ex-employer what the consequences of her actions actually are. I am taking her to court for the money she still owes me. I will just have to try and repair all of the artwork she damaged when she moved it, and I still don't know what she will do with my equipment. I might need to have help getting that all back.
So here are some pics of my desert house. I am going to repair the back section of the house to use as my studio/living space until I can get everything repaired for the coming summer. The solar panels are not adequate at this time for a water cooler, but that will be a priority. Also a top priority will be internet service, somehow. If anyone reading this lives in a really rural area and has some tips about internet service, please let me know. I am going to be looking into WiFi and see if that will work for my situation.

BIG SALE ON ETSY!!!

2009-04-11T01:43:00.000-07:00

I am offering all of my downloadable journal spots (normally $2.25-$3.00 each) at 3 for $5.00 all during the month of April on ETSY. www.donnalda.etsy.com

Card for Mother's Day

2009-03-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

I just made these. I started with cracker box sides. It is a nice lightweight cardboard, I love to recycle. I made a pattern, marked it, cut it out and painted it white on both sides, several times. Then I drew with Sharpies and made pretty flowers. Each one is unique because I cannot draw the same thing twice, and signed on the back by me. Size about 4 1/2 x 9 inches. And it is free standing. You could even mount a photo in the "O" opening, just for Mom. For sale on my Etsy Shop. http://www.donnalda.etsy.com/

Some photos from the Lower Desert

2009-03-30T18:07:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics that Stephen took of the desert around the Salton Sea.

I love the bright blue skies and all of the golden colors. This is actually the road to my desert house. See the tracks in the lower right area that indicate the dirt road.

Original Pop Up Easter Card

2009-03-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

I love this basic design and have made a couple of cards using this mechanism. This is a little bunny with a big paint brush that you can move back and forth behind the empty basket. The painted eggs are also pop ups and the little chickie popping out of her painted egg! I put the printed parts on light green cardstock to keep the whole feel Springy. They are for sale in my Etsy Shop.

http://www.donnalda.etsy.com/

New Journals on Etsy

2009-03-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

I am excited about creating these journals. Two of them use the accordian spine technique which gives the journalist a chance to easily add signature sections (just glue them to the side of one of the Accordians) and I made the copper rings that bind them myself. This might be the start of something that I will thoroughly persue. I also created an envelope journal. The pages are glued to small cardstock hinges that are glued together so the page turning flow is smooth. I have a couple of them for my own use. I keep all of my clip art in one with about 20 envelopes double decker style, a great organizer. I also have one for reciepts for business expenses that has 12 envelopes labeled for each month. How handy that is at tax time and when searching for proof of purchase when returning things. I will be making more envelope journals as well.

Gallery Show in Palm Springs

2009-03-16T23:43:00.000-07:00

I am part of a group show at Images by Gideon Gallery on Cherokee Way in Palm Springs. If you are in the area check it out, it is a whole mini mall of galleries. Here is one of the paintings for sale there.

It is the front door from Cabot's Pueblo Museum in Desert Hot Springs. Check this great museum out too, it is only 20 minutes from the Gallery.

Four Days Until My 60 Day Eviction is Up

2009-03-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

I am getting a little hinkey, not sleeping, unable to focus on anything for more than a few minutes, etc. I have tried so many things, and I will do whatever God wants me too, including acceptance of this experience. I can only wait and see what happens. I have never been evicted before and find myself waffling between denial and panic. Something from my art journal to illustrate.

Zachary Michael Cruz Update

2009-03-07T14:24:00.000-08:00

You may donate directly to the Website: http://www.zacharymichaelcruz.com/
Or go to this blog for a list of Etsy Sellers and their donated items: http://etsybeagles.blogspot.com/2009/03/for-zachary.html
The funeral is today.

New Thread for Zachary Cruz

2009-03-04T22:53:00.000-08:00

Etsy closed the old thread, but a new one has started. People are posting the donation list on their blogs now.
New Thread Link for Zachary Michael Cruz Fund:
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6067233

Zachary Michael Cruz Funeral Fund

2009-03-03T15:48:00.000-08:00

This is a thread on Etsy of Etsy sellers who are donating items for sale to help the family of this little boy who was killed in a traffic accident. If you would like to help just click on this thread link:
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6065506

New Sketch Tuesday Post

2009-03-03T14:47:00.000-08:00

This is a book I am working on, I have written the text and am now working on the illustrations to go with it.

Homemade Videos on UTube

2009-03-01T12:49:00.001-08:00

These are from my friends, Bo, Max and Jonah. They are the creators and the stars. Great fun.
http://www.youtube.com/user/baxevamo

New fun website Scrapblog

2009-02-28T11:09:00.001-08:00

Cool Website about Art and Humanity

2009-02-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

I just found a wonderful website from our area. It is from a studio in Pinyon Pines, I loved reading the blog and probably will read the Twitter posts also.
http://www.anodyne2art.com/
There is wonderful art and a beautiful studio. Check it out.

Spiderbite's Sketch Tuesday

2009-02-24T13:24:00.001-08:00

Here is a sketch for a watercolor I am planning. I have worked out most of the details and darks and lights in pencil. When I make the painting I don't like to have pencil lines on my watercolors so I make a sketch first and get familiar with the subject and work out all of the points of interest in my sketch.

Gallery in Palm Springs

2009-02-23T19:01:00.000-08:00

I am going to be in a Gallery off of Cherokee Way in Palm Springs in March. It will be a group show (those are always more interesting) and I have chosen my watercolors from Cabot's as the theme. There will be 6 framed paintings and several for the browser bin. I am excited because this will mean my work is in more than one Gallery at the same time. Here is one of the paintings that will be framed.

What's On My Brain

2009-02-21T04:12:00.000-08:00

I love the old Phrenology illustrations, here is my art inspired by one.

Page Two

2009-02-19T11:53:00.000-08:00

I am juggling many very important things right now. It seems like one slip and I am toast, here is the art work that I created.

I am recording My Life in a Journal

2009-02-18T15:36:00.000-08:00

I have decided to create an Altered Book Art Journal. Rather than write in a diary I am expressing my feelings and experiences in an old book. I have removed more than half of the pages and covered each page with strips of masking tape first, then paint, then my art. I will be posting the pages as I create them. Here is the first title page.

My Artfire Supply Shop is Growing

2009-02-17T00:56:00.000-08:00

I have been busy making supplies for my Artfire shop. I find that when life gets tough, it is very therapeutic to make art. So I have been making tag sets, one of a kind tags, and pretty embellishments for my Artfire supply shop. My supplies are all angel and can be reused in other artists commercial endeavors with my blessings. I am being very careful to use my own original designs for this shop and I love the idea of possibly seeing this things used to create more art. I am going to include a photo of my Moon Goddess Tags.

My 300th Heart on Etsy

2009-02-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

I am celebrating my 300th heart on Etsy by giving this shop a free gift. The shop is Enchanted Loves and her jewelery is lovely. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6190378 this is a link to her shop. She will be recieving four hand made collage cards, and a thank you.

Last Minute Valentines on Etsy

2009-02-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my Valentine's Day offerings. There is still time, it's OK.

Cabot's Third Annual BBQ Bash

2009-02-05T14:27:00.000-08:00

It's coming in June. It is a wonderful event for the Museum and all the guests. The Museum is lit with colored lights and it is usually a beautiful warm evening here in the desert. We start getting a list of performers soon, so I will update when I know. I am hosting a very special table, with gift bags for everyone who purchases a ticket at my table. I have listed the tickets on Etsy, I hope I am not breaking any rules, but I think I created the listing to fit the TOU for Etsy. I have a new computer and photo editing is really confusing for me right now. But just give me time I will start a Cabot's album on Flicker soon. Here is one that I just did for now though.

This is a link to our website:

http://www.cabotsmuseum.org/

I am back

2009-02-02T11:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, I had to spend some of the rent money on a laptop. My ex helped me with half, so I am back but I will have to go through everything and make sure that I have on disk everything that is for sale online. In the meantime, this is how I FEEL.

And It Continues

2009-01-26T15:12:00.000-08:00

Okay, now my computer is down. I got out the old clunky "homemade" computer from the closet and fired it up. It ran for about 3 hours, and now (sigh) it is down too. I am at the Public Library writing this post. I need batteries for both of these computers and can only find them here. I checked my etsy shop and now I am posting this in case anyone thinks that I dropped off the face of the earth. NO. I am still trying to make all of this work, no matter how difficult it gets. I am sure I am not the only one that this is happening to. If you have any stories to share, go ahead Post them! It would be good to get it off of your chest and I won't feel so picked on. More to come when I have the chance.

Is It the Stars?

2009-01-19T15:50:00.000-08:00

This last week has been awful. I won't go into too much detail but Damn! My paintings from my old studio were moved without my permission to a new site which I have been given, in a pile, outdoors! Then someone moved them into the studio like cordwood. Agh. This is going to take a week to straighten out. I need my big table and it is nowhere in sight. Aghhhhhhh.

I was given an eviction notice this weekend, and my car is making a funny noise. WTF????? I am worried if I internalize too much of this I will have a heart attack or something. It has got to be the stars because I have been doing everything I was supposed to to make all of this work properly.

I am a hair's width from getting the new job, so I can hope on that. I should ask my friend, Amarna if the planets are in a bad place for me right now, I am sure she will say yes.

Anyone else having this kind of thing happen, or is it just my sign, Cancer? Let me know.

Selling On The Internet

2009-01-17T14:18:00.000-08:00

Hey, have you ever noticed that selling on the internet is a bit like fishing? You pick your water, throw in a line and wait. And wait. When you get a nibble, your heart starts beating faster and you tug on the line, and hope it is really a good bite. Sometimes they get away, sometimes they take a big bite and you reel them in. All of these metaphors fit perfectly with my online shop experiences. I have a few lakes online (etsy,dawanda,artfire) and throw in bait on a regular basis (listing new items) or sometimes just use my flies and repeat casting (renewing on etsy). I get nibbles (hearts, convos, alchemy,forge), but they are not all bites. It's a good thing that our declined Alchemy bids are not made public, believe me. But when I get a notice that I need to leave feedback on etsy, or there is a Paypal notice in my email, Wooo Hoo, I get all excited just like I did when I knew there was an actual fish on the end of my line. I was just musing about this last night and thought I would write about it. Anyone else have any metaphors for online business? Let me know.

Valentines on Etsy

2009-01-16T22:30:00.000-08:00

I have created some special cards for Valentines. One is a tri-fold tulips card that you can set on a table top to look like a lush bed of tulips. The others are Heart Collage cards that look like little applique heart quilts. They are completely hand made by me.

http://www.donnalda.etsy.com/

More Clip Art

2009-01-16T14:02:00.000-08:00

This is a floral variety sheet I have been using for cards, altered books pages and other stuff. I like the green background, it makes the cutouts stand out a little and it blends well with other background colors. This one includes a few more leaves for filler. You can find the download sheet at my Artfire shop: http://donnalda.artfire.com/

Handpainted Sunflowers Clip Art

2009-01-14T12:31:00.000-08:00

These are sunflowers from a couple of my oil paintings, that I tweaked to make a clip art page. There are individual sunflowers, a little header, corners and flipped sunflowers so you can make your own headers, corners and other cool sunflower stuff. All angel, which means there are no restrictions other than reselling my sheet (duh). I want artists to feel free with these designs and play. Enjoy.

They are downloadable so you can print as many as you need. Plus no shipping and 24 hour delivery.

Look for them in my artfire shop>>>>see link at right.

Original Clip Art Roses

2009-01-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

I have taken photos of some of my oil and watercolor paintings and played with them to make a sheet of clip art roses. I love using roses in my collage and altered book stuff and I wanted something original, so I played with Print Shop and some of my photos and Viola!

It was fun. First I imported the photo, carefully cut out the image from the background (enlarging the image helps with this) and then tweaked the image to have clarity and variety. I like using slightly greyed versions to make them look faded and old.

Here are some board dividers for an altered Book of Shadows in a Rose/Pink theme, that I actually made these for:

I have made a sheet of these available at my Artfire Shop that you can download:

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=ViewListing&product_id=50483

just click on the above link to look at them.

My New Supply Shop

2009-01-08T11:20:00.000-08:00

I have decided to add an Artfire Shop to my online venues. This will only be for supplies that I make myself. I have included my journal spots, hand painted papers, and tags. Look for new things weekly. I am having a great time inventing things to use for altered books, scrapbooking, and collage.

Store not available

Some photos of Hand Carved Rubber Stamp Stuff

2009-01-07T12:27:00.000-08:00

Here are some samples of what I do with my own rubber stamps:

New Lesson on My Website

2009-01-06T19:15:00.000-08:00

The free lesson for January on my website is "How To Carve Your Own Rubber Stamps". After reading a thread on etsy asking for help on this, I decided to create a whole lesson. You can go to my website http://www.donnaldasmolensfineart.4t.com and click on the lesson page. You can print the picture for your own files. I love carving rubber stamps from erasers that I get at the dollar store. I use them to decorate tags, make borders on my handmade book pages, and in my collages.
It is very easy to do and it is fun to use them together to make rich borders or all over designs for backgrounds.
I have also posted some of the things I do with my stamps on Flickr.com.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donnalda/

Christmas is Coming

2008-12-03T23:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my Christmas items from my Etsy shop.

www.donnalda.etsy.com

Pages from my Art Journal

2008-11-06T13:40:00.000-08:00

These are a couple of pages from my art journal. I have been playing with collage from magazines and combining them with drawing, rubber stamps and my own ephemera. It was fun. I am also offering them as prints on eCrater.
http://donnalda.ecrater.com/

My etsy Mini

2008-10-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

This is a test.

Welcome to Donnalda Smolens Fine Art Blog

2008-09-13T02:01:00.000-07:00

This is my first post to a brand new Blog. A little tour first. To the right is my Flickr Slide Show. My cats and some of my things for sale on DaWanda. On the Links you will find my Website, My Etsy Shop, My Silkfair Shop, My Art By Us Gallery, and My eCrater Gallery. I try to have a different focus on each one so they are not all alike. I will be posting weekly ( I will try really) to let everyone know about anything new.