Tim Holtz Blog Prize!!!!!

OHMYGOSH! OHMYGOSH! OHMYGOSH!!! I was one of the winners on Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas Blog . . . He sent OODLES of his cool vintgage metal embellishments! They're BEAUTIFUL! So . . . I'm a double winner . . . I win from his AWESOME tutorials AND this prize! All I did was leave a comment on his blog . . . he chose 20 winners from each day of comments! YEEEEEK!! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Michi's Extra Role in TV Show MEDIUM

Here's a "blurb" about an extra role I have in the popular TV show, MEDIUM . . . I THINK it's coming up on Friday, December 4th, 2009 at 9:00 PM Pacific Time on Channel 2 (KCBS) . . . I'm wearing a black jacket, black pants, red top, name badge, reading glasses, carrying a clipboard . . . I'm one of about a dozen extras who play bio-tech employees who walk in the background . . . back and forth . . . back and forth . . . back and forth . . . you get the picture!!! LOL!!! I hope I don't end up on the cutting room floor after I've told all my friends and family!!!
How EMBARRASSING!!!! LOL!!!!! Have fun!!!!!

Say now . . . if YOU'RE interested in being an extra in the entertainment business . . . the largest extras agency is http://www.centralcasting.org . . . "See you in the movies!!!!"

Cubic Zirconia by ArtBeads.com

Hi Mixed Media Artists!
I was fortunate enough to have my blog noticed by ArtBeads.com . . . I'm proud to say that I am now a member of their Blog Design Team . . . for the months of November/December . . . ArtBeads.com's Blog Team is featuring shiny, sparkly, colorful Cubic Zirconia . . . here are my designs featuring a colorful bracelet made with their beautiful Cubic Zirconia Coin Beads . . .


A beaded choker with a Cubic Zirconia Lavender Oval Length Drilled Bead . . .

. . . and matching earrings . . .
I have to confess . . . not only am I on their Blog Design Team . . . I'm probably one of their best customers . . . if you sign up for their email newsletters . . . they have the BEST sales . . . watch out for their DOLLAR SALE when it comes out . . . AND . . . shipping is free . . . HUBBA! HUBBA!!!! LOL!!!!

GREY SAVE dot ORG

One of my retired school teacher buddies from my old school, Louise Winders, is SO involved with Grey Save . . . a Greyhound Adoption Group Serving Southern California . . . she's already adopted three gentle, mellow, soft greyhounds that are such wonderful companions for her . . . here is more info on the organization . . .

Grey Save

(866) Grey-Save

(866) 473-9728

info@greysave.org

Greyhound Adoption Group

Serving Southern California

http://www.greysave.org/

What a wonderful cause . . .

Chris Cozen Workshop

I was SO fortunate to have been able to take classes with Chris Cozen from Golden Paint Company . . . it has been on my WISH LIST for a long time! I was in AWE of her knowledge of the Golden products and what they can do for you as well as her gift at mixed media art . . . the first piece is my only "finished" piece learning to use Golden paints . . . glazing liquid . . . collage . . . stamping . . . transfers . . . stencilling . . . it was a lot to absorb in a 6-hour class, but I LOVED it!!!!! The following three pieces were practice pieces learning to use the materials and techniques!!

The second class I took involved using the new Golden Open Acrylics which allow the artist a greater period of moving the paint before it dries . . . it felt so smooth in the application . . . it was amazing!!!! This piece uses Golden Tar Gel which gave me a clear layer to work on . . . it's also "stringy" in texture which is totally fun to work with!

The next of the samples show how to use acrylics to look like watercolors . . .
The following is a sample of painting on top of dried Golden Absorbant Ground . . .

The next two pieces are paint on Golden Molding Paste . . .

The following shows a resist we were able to do with the mediums . . .

If you ever get a chance to take a class with Chris Cozen . . . I highly recommend it! I learned SO much in such a fun, nurturing atmosphere . . . Chris Cozen currently has two incredible books out . . . Altered Surfaces and Transfers and Altered Images . . . I highly recommend them, as well . . .

Have fun everybody!!!!!!!

The Encyclopedia of Greeting Card Tools & Techniques

One of my stamping buddies, Pat Newman, recently introduced me to The Encyclopeida of Greeting Card Tools & Techniques by Susan Pickering Rothamel, owner of USArtQuest . . . Pat and I met at Sylvia Valle's Greeting Card Class held here locally through Saddleback Valley Unified School District Adult Education . . . This book has so many tips on tools and techniques in it . . . the samples are also wonderful!!!!!

Paper Transformed

I'm also loving this book, Paper Transformed . . . A Handbook of Surface-Design Recipes and Creative Paper Projects by Julia Andrus, creator of Ranger Ink's Perfect Pearls . . . WOW-WEEEEEEE!!!! Does this book have great tools and techniques, as well!
I love 'em both!!!!!!

Cards For Heroes dot Org

My second grade retired public school teacher/stamping buddy, Judy Justice decided she wanted to get involved with Cards for Heroes dot Org http://cardsforheroes.org/ . . . she invited a few of us retired teachers (all from the same school) to spend the day with her making cards for soldiers serving overseas for them to send to family and friends . . . we decided to make cards from the beautiful ATC's we exchanged in our card making class last spring . . . Here's Judy . . .

Kay Davis, retired third grade public school teacher/stamping buddy, was there being super productive, as usual . . . whenever we get together to stamp . . . she's the one that gets the most done!

Irene Tatsuta, retired second grade public school teacher . . . volunteered for YEARS after she retired . . . she helped teachers prepare learning tools like bulletin boards, charts, etc. in so many ways . . . she helped me many a time and asked nothing in return . . . here she is . . . volunteering again . . . this time for our troops overseas . . .I couldn't believe all that we accomplished and had a good time, to boot!!!!! There were cards all over the place by the time we called it a day!!!!!

Jessica Sprague Digital Workshop Part 3

I'm getting back to my complimentary digital workshop given by Jessica Sprague . . . here the project is TEXTURES . . . vintaging a photo by desaturating the color . . . adding texture . . . adding softness . . . getting a "grungy" look . . . here is the before and after of this technique . . . The following images are compliments of Elizabeth Golden . . . again, before and after . . .
The following project is adding more texture . . . type . . . and vintage color . . . again, adding grunge . . . here are the before and after . . . this image came with my computer . . .

Jessica Sprague Digital Workshop Part 4

The next project is Selective Spot Coloring . . . here you see the original photo . . . then one with the color stripped out and just the Toucan color painted back in . . . These photos came with my computer when we purchase it . . .

The next project is a story board . . . taking three separate images and incorporating them onto a background . . . The following images are compliments of Dover Publications . . .

Jessica Sprague Digital Workshop #5

The final project was a Collage made up of separate photos and parts of photos . . . Photos are compliments of Dover Publications . . .

I am truly NO COMPUTER GENIUS . . . but Jessica Sprague truly makes it a successful venture!!!!!

I LOVE BLING!!!!!

YUM! YUM! YUM!!!!!!!!!!! I love BLING!!!! These Swarovski Crystals from ArtBeads.com are SO lucious! The first piece is made with Swarvoski Beads and nylon covered beading wire . . . I like the way it really shows off the BEAUTIFUL crystals . . . Please click on the highlighted words to link to their website . . .My second piece features a Swarovski Pendant . . . a deep purple with a BEAUTIFUL blue center . . .I made a bracelet and earrings to match . . .ArtBeads.com also has GORGEOUS Swarovski Crystal Rhinestones . . . Whew!!!!
HUBBA! HUBBA! I DO love this BLING!!! LOL!!!!!!

Jessica Sprague Digital Workshop #1

Jessica Sprague generously offers occasional free digital workshops . . . I am a total NOVICE when it comes to anythng digital, but I signed up for her class . . . downloaded a free 30-day trial of Photoshop Elements . . . and am in the process of taking her PHOTO EDITING: FRAME UPS AND SPECIAL EFFECTS workshop . . . The first project is a PNG Frame (please don't ask me what that means . . . I really dunno . . . LOL!!!!) . . . the first photo is a BEFORE and the second one is an AFTER photo with the PNG Frame and Word Art . . .
The next example is also PNG Frame and Word Art . . . again, a BEFORE and AFTER photo . . .

Jessica Sprague Digital Workshop #2

The next projects were Frame, Brush, and Tint lessons . . . again, here are the BEFORE and AFTER photos . . .
This Grunge "Clipping Mask" is my personal favorite . . . I LOVE this look . . . it is SO cool . . . I'm anxious to continue my lessons to find out more . . .