Wednesday, February 1, 2012

MY MOJO MONTHLY FEBRUARY-HEARTSTRINGS!

SEE THE NEW MY MOJO MONTHLY HERE! 

Hello and welcome to February! Further into the new year we venture, with a hint of Spring in the air. Are you raring to go or still finding your crafty feet? Whatever your crafty passion may be, do feel welcome and enjoy being creative in your own way. I'm hoping my Heartstrings will inspire both your own artful heart and Mojo! Firstly, let's talk to My Featured Artist, the very artful and sincere Tracy Evans... 

FIVE QUESTIONS TO MY FEATURED ARTIST...
I'm sure many of you have already encountered Tracy's wonderful work. I absolutely love her unique, creative style. 
Every piece fashioned with love, imagination and fabulous detail. Every inch and tone a real joy to admire...

Who is Tracy Evans in five words? Tracy in my own words is passionate, individual, motivated, thoughtful and loyal.
Where are you right now as an artist? I still continue to develop my art and feel I always will, I would like to think I am quite individual in my style, which can range from grungy to vintage to clean and simple with a love for the embellished look in my creations.  I am very passionate about crafting and strive to continue to perfect my style on an on going basis, I don't think I will ever stop trying to grow in my creative ventures.  I would love to think I inspire others In some small way to have a go at creating, that is what motivates me on a daily basis. I find nothing more satisfying than taking a rubber stamp and a piece of plain paper and transforming it into a unique individual piece with my stamp on each creation.
Which of your creations is closest to your heart? In many ways, all of my creations have a special place in my heart...The first piece, The Sewing Room I love as it shows my love of embellishments and I love the vintage pieces and the sewing theme. Secondly, a recycled book cover (below) for Simon Says, which again shows my love of earthy tones and the bits and pieces I love to use in my art. (I actually quite like it, which for me does not happen often.) I also collect hearts and love anything heart related, so this piece above really appeals to me especially the shape.
Where do you find inspiration when feeling Mojoless?  
My garden is a great inspiration to me from colours, shapes and forms. I love to see colour combinations in nature especially from plants that have self sewn in the garden creating their own unique colour partnerships. I also find fashion can inspire me from fabrics, patterns and colours. Home magazines can also play a part in my creativity and I find a good sort out in my craft room often leads to some creative play, either from old or new products I had forgotten about or simply from the motivation I get working in an organised space. I love to be organised!
You are going back-packing in the Himalayas for a year and may only take 3 crafting items. Which - and why? Anyone who knows me will be thinking I would need to be knocked out to even get me to the Himalayas. LOL! I do not travel well. However, if I did manage it I would need my Distress Ink Pads (is that one?), card stock so I could then create on the move and a notebook enabling me to make notes of any ideas that spring to mind on my travels, from the wonderful scenery, nature, buildings, ready to use in my creations when I return.  
Tracy creates for many Design teams including Creative Expressions, Simon Says Stamp & Show and is a Guest Artist with Artistic Outpost. She has been published in many magazines, a featured artist in Stampers Sampler and her wonderful blog can be found here!

Back at HQ...
Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring and heartfelt creativity Tracy!  Last month we were just getting started again...maybe this month you're finding your way, but also rather overwhelmed by the wave of wonderful new crafty goodies and products on their way. With Heartstrings we going a bit shabby. I want to encourage you to rethink a golden oldie - the heart, plunder the stash you DO have and also discover the potential in cheap, everyday materials. (Click to enlarge photos)
I'm starting with a variation on the banner! But with hearts and wood instead of flags and string to create a a piece of home décor. I cut five primitive hearts from old card, covered them in vintage magazine scraps and white washed them with cheap acrylic paint. I like the random patterns and shading you get from magazines. I distressed and stitched the edges and adding some alphabet stamping.

The double layered Tattered Florals flowers are die-cut from old brown paper, inked up with Pumice Stone and then spritzed with water. I gave them a good crumpling, dried them, swiped over more ink and added a touch of Gold Perfect Pearls. The shabby layers are scraps of chicken wire stapled to the heart and wait for it, a muslin gauze bandage nabbed from the first aid kit!
I coated it in white paint and when dry you can shape it to create great textured effects. The silver scrapbook letters are from a cheap sale. I gave them a bashing, 'rusting' them with Distress Embossing Powder and Alcohol Ink. The hearts are then wrapped in brown garden string and I added a few extras including a 'Granny' hair clip! You could hang them individually on pegs, turn the wood vertically or still go for a string or wire...
It's all up to you!
I have a weakness for buttons! I collect, scavenge and beg them but they're missing their true potential living in a chutney jar. I covered an 8" canvas in torn layers of ordinary tissue paper using plenty of matt medium adhesive, dried it well, added two coats of cheap gesso and then swiped it with Antique Linen Distress Ink to pick out the details.
I glued lace and cotton ribbon to the canvas before creating a heart collage of buttons. I chose creams and whites of various sizes, starting with the outer line, then filling in the centre. I used matt medium as it dries clear and gives you the chance to move things around if needed. To give it a little 'grunge' I wrapped around some wire, added rusty nails, a metal finding and hung it from a sink plug chain which make fabulous hangers. All pretty cheap stuff from a 'blokes' hardware store.
Time for a card this month... Can I say I love it?! I covered card stock in dictionary pages and die cut three hearts making sure I 'caught' certain words. I placed a little scrap over the word, inked up the rest of the heart and added some stamping before distressing the edges.
They 'hang'  from a scrap of crochet lace and I also added a button. They looked too bare on a plain card base and needed some 'grounding', so I machine stitched a few random lines which did the trick. Just a little inking and distressing to finish off. You could do this in any colour, any shape and with all sorts of papers, design papers, books and even stamped sentiments...mask, ink and be merry!

Challenge, Nice Stuff and Info...
Once again, I'm all done! My Mojo Monthly is all about the why, the what and creative adventures of crafting! What's your take and thoughts on hearts? I'm looking forward to seeing and reading about your artwork and I'll be calling by to look at all your work.
Wow! Thank you so much to everyone for playing along last month. Big congratulations to January's winner Rae with her darling ATC and in March we'll be meeting the very bubbly Kaz Hall! This month's giveaway is an inspiring book on creating vintage cards by Jill Haglund, a great Pumice Stone Distress Ink Pad and lots of lace - all to get you into a shabby mood...


My Mojo Monthly welcomes all hand-made crafters and artists. A few guidelines on submitting your work:
- In the spirit of MMM please write a few lines in your post about your creativity and why you want to share your work.
- You are very welcome to share challenge pieces, just tell me a bit about your inspiration.
- Please link directly to your post and not your blog so I can find you.
- Please add a link in your post to My Mojo Monthly, thanks!
- Multiple challenge photos without description will be removed.
- Feel free to take the MMM button for your blog - please do!

Once again, I really want to say a very big thank you to all of you for calling by, so much support and sharing your artful thoughts and creations. 
Have a hearty, loving and inspirational February!
Sarah.

35 comments:

505whimsygirl said...

Hi Sarah,

What a great post. Love the conversation with Tracy is interesting. Her work is awe inspiring (as is yours).

Thanks for sharing!!

Hugs,
Kay

Maggie said...

Wow Sarah love your pieces for this challenges so inspiring, great hearing from Tracy and to see her lovely work.

Back soon hopefullyto play :-)

Maggie

Craft Addicts - Tracy Evans said...

Hi Sarah, thank you so much for inviting me along, I am thrilled and honoured to have joined in jour journey. Your heart pieces are absolutely stunning. I love hearts, in all forms and your creations are so inspiring. I love the highlighted words on the card, lovely idea. Tracy x

Peggy Parker said...

Thanks, Sarah and Tracy, for the incredible mid-week inspiration!

bohemiannie! art said...

Really awesome interview. And the hearts honestly pull at MY heartstrings!

Linda Coughlin, the funkie junkie said...

Oh how wonderful, you are featuring Tracy this month! Terrific interview and awesome samples of Tracy's work. Love, love, love your heartstrings samples, Sarah! I'm afraid my best heart projects are behind me but I'll take some inspiration from your beauties and see what I can come up with to join in.

Hugs,
Linda

Alie Hoogenboezem-de Vries said...

Fabulous artwork, so creative!!

greetings, Alie :-)

Marjie Kemper said...

Great interview with Tracy! I love her chosen samples and I am just totally drawn to your own heart string pieces. Will definitely play along again this month. I love how classic yours are... you can take them out for years to come and they will always be timely and fresh.

Unknown said...

Great new My Mojo Monthly assignment.

Elizabeth said...

Hi Sarah, I think we are definitely on the same wavelength this month ... hearts, hearts and more hearts. I've just finished an altered canvas featuring hearts ... I'll link it as soon as I've got the post together and you've definitely read my mind at some point because I've been playing with the idea of a button heart for a week or so!!! Like the uneven rows of stitching ... I think even I could manage that with my runaway sewing machine :)) Elizabeth x

Elizabeth said...

Oops! Forgot to say, enjoyed the interview and I'm off to peak at her blog. Oh, and that's a prize I would not mind winning ... the book looks very inspirational and the lace would be sooooo useful :) Elizabeth x

Sarn said...

Congratulations to last month's winner.

FAB post this month. I LOVE what you've made. Very creative xxx

cheryl said...

I have always Loved Tracey's Work and have been a follower for some time,her work is just amazing,so creative,too hugs Cherylxxxx

cheryl said...

Sorry Just wanted to say,that I love your blog,and will be back,think I may link my creation I made today,thanks again love cherylxxx

Suzanne C said...

Fab interview with tracy! I am a big fan of her work! Yours too! Beautiful projects but I love that card with the hearts and dictionary words highlighted!

Brenda Brown said...

Love your post Sarah both your fabulous creations and Tracy's interview.
TFS.
luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Spyder said...

Fabulous creations, as soon as I'm home again and in my craft room.... I'm taking notes!
(Lyn)

Elizabeth said...

Hi Sarah, I've just linked my altered canvas which has more hearts than you can shake a stick at :) Hope you like it. Elizabeth x

Lynn Stevens said...

I'm one of Tracy's biggest fans!!! its always a delight to see her wonderful creations!
Lynn

Kaz Hall said...

Loved traceys interview and the hearts are just beautiful! Tracey is not only a very talented lady but is always so very kind with her comments, thanks for sharing xx

Kazx

Lesley Edmonds said...

Great inspiration this month - I particularly like your card :)

BumbleVee said...

love your heart card.... very effective....

toni said...

I am so glad I came accross your blog ,its very inspiring, I love the interviews such a great idea and your work is lovely. I love the little dictionary hearts simple but very effective. Have you come accross 'Asbo' tape its sticky backed aluminium tape about 7 cms wide. Its great for sticking onto card and embossing and painting with dabbers or alcohol inks very cheap for a big roll available from good hardware or diy stores have fun x Toni

penny4thoughts said...

A perfect theme for this month, Sarah! Your MMM posts are always so inspiring and I'm glad to be able to play along this month.

Dragon said...

Hi Sarah... finally got round to sharing... my colour scheme needed to be bold and masculine, and I have used that parchment curling idea once before... it always looks unusual. I love texture and dimension and this card has both in spades!!!
Love and light
Frankie
xx

Dragon said...

Sorry babe, I completely forgot after I got called away... it's linked now
Frankie
xx

Renee Zarate said...

Wonderful interview. Love your work and Tracy's.

Franka Benjaminsen said...

Another inspiring MMM this month. I read them every month and love all the interviews and projects. Great challenge this time...pfft I've made it. xFranka

Ali Manning said...

Your hearts are beautiful! THanks for such an inspiring post :)

Ibarra Creations 4U said...

Your creations are so beautiful!!! Thank you for sharing your ideas & techniques!

Esther said...

Hi Sarah - just discovered My Mojo Monthly and love your inspiration pieces, just had to join in...Esther xx

Ohhh Snap said...

I took golden literally lol. I did have to shop for the paper, but the paint is at least 20 years old, so golden oldie :D. Love your creations, especially the card and the chicken wire banner. Thanks for another great post of inspiration!

Ellie Knol said...

Just a little question, has there been a winner announced for January?
Can't find it...

Hettie said...

Hi Sarah. Fab interview this month and beautiful projects from both of you on display. I love Tracey's work. Hope my piece meets with your approval.
Hugs to you both
xxx

Monkeygirl said...

Thanks Nov 2019, that heart card is so nice , & it’s easy to do......going to make them for Valentine’s Day...