I'm Coming Back!!! WOYWW 230

October was a tough month, and so I took a break from our weekly gathering, and I missed it. But things are starting to settle down, so I am sticking my toe back in the water and joining Julia and the gang for WOYWW - or What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday.

A mess! That hasn't changed. lol.

Front and center is a journal page in ocean-y colors (we just decided to save our pennies and go to Hawaii in about six months!) ...based on a great video that France Papillon did in her Journal on Monday's series. I am an unbashed fan of hers! I have done some paper weaving before, but never thought to try in my journal.

The coolest thing I did in October, by FAR, was attend the Art & Soul Retreat in Portland, Oregon. Portland is about 1,600 miles from where I live, but it's  the closest art retreat tome. I took four wonderful classes, from for great teachers. It was a great experience!

One of the classes I took was Faux Metal on Wood. 

This started out as a 12 x 12 x 1 piece of wood. We used plaster through a stencil, and then used a series of washes...one to neutralize the paint, one to rust, one to lay down copper, and the last to start the patina reaction.

Everyone's reaction was a little different, but I like all the variations that happened on mine. I think this will eventually end up in my kitchen.

That's it for now. I want to make sure I have time to start with the visiting!!! 

Ah, No Thanks...I'll Pass

From the moment I saw this slightly diabolic scientist I knew he and I were met for each other. One minute you look at him and he seems just like a guy who has been in the lab a little too long, and the next time you see him you'd/I'd swear he's cooking up serious trouble. So when I saw that the Simon Says Stamp challenge was "spooky" this week, I thought why not give this some play?

I started with a tag I had used Distress Paints on with Tim Holtz's marbled paint technique. It was an okay tag, but not the greatest. I had some deli paper on my desk I had played with a bit ago, and layered that over the tag and REALLY liked what that did. Next was some buff paint, a bit of sepia acrylic ink and then I was ready to stamp. I used the lab bottles from the same stamp set and embossed both of them. I knew I wanted to add some depth, but that led to a small problem. The Scientist was too flat. 

Well, okay. So I cut him out and made another background for him to pop up on. I liked this approach better. Now there is lots of depth to the tag with the vile, the moon (fragment with alcohol inks and stamps), and his assistant the raven (shrink plastic).

Originally I started with a "happy halloween" sentiment but it didn't seem right. Once I added the trick or treat I felt much better. I mean really, he's offering you potion 112. Why don't you try some?

Have a happy Halloween.......