free how-to video.

during my website holiday sale these little playing card ornaments were given as gifts. i received so many questions about where people could buy them that i thought it would be perfect to show you how fun and easy they were to make yourself. you need a few supplies, a bit of imagination and some free time but otherwise you are just in for a great time playing in your studio.

the video ran a lot longer than i thought (imagine that) so there are actually two parts. enjoy them and i can't wait to see what you do with the idea!

oh yeah, i guess you need this http://kellyhoernig.webs.com/freestuffvideos.htm

recycling.

so this charming piece is really little, 4x4 to be exact. i wanted to use recycled items to make something special that reflected the winter season. the background is actually a piece of an envelope from the disabled veterans. the window pane is from scrapbook die cut packaging. i have painted white across the envelope to add the wintery snow element then stenciled on some light snowflakes. i was trying to keep them nice and transparent so the scene behind came through. the large snowflake is the only thing newer, it is a die cut. can't wait to see what kind of christmas cards i receive this year, it should make for some interesting artwork for the next :)

word heroine.

i love this page.

i couldn't pick just one word, had to save a whole column of them. they include hero, heroic, heroically, heroine and heroism.

for my art though, it is definitely heroine (a female hero; the female character in a play, novel, etc.) that i wanted to art around. what better character than myself, right?

what would she wear, wings of course! hum, would that be dragonfly, butterfly or bumblebee? the more colorful butterfly is what i went for. the large H on her chest, well she has to have an initial, right? and it made me laugh. her saying, enjoy the simple pleasures. perfection in a page. playful, fun and heroic if you ask me...

holiday sale.

it's here.
my one and only sale of the year and yes it's the holiday so you've got it, my holiday sale!
everything is on sale, both acrylic and colored pencil packets, mixed media kits, my new online steampunk series e-course and as always, free shipping on everything.

what are you waiting for - oh yeah, the link
www.kellyhoernig.com

shop til your drop, I will be there waiting for you!
Happy Holidays!

word menagerie.

todays word is menagerie - a place where wild animals are kept; a collection of wild animals for exhibition.

i just organized all of my paper die cuts and remembered that i had quite a few different birds so thought this would make a great little collection for menagerie. i stenciled on leaves and branches then added some postage stamp birds to further the exhibition of the day. it is a full composition but the colors are just so pleasing to my creative eye that this one will be out in the studio for a while. so, what is your word for the day?

word bittersweet.

i absolutely
love this vine, bittersweet that is. we don't have it in our yard but down the street it grows up a telephone pole and well, along with my camera, i am a frequent visitor there. i am drawn to the wonderful orange coloration surrounded by a mass of winding tendrils of all sizes and colors of green to dark chocolate brown. love, really, is all i can say. in the fall these little berries seem to pop right out of their skin leaving these tiny orange leaves that get all moldy and spotted with decay giving this vine so much texture i cannot stand it. my creative senses are definitely on overload whenever i visit this huge vine. after all, what's not to love, tiny orange berries against a fall blue sky, just pure bliss no matter what you say! happy thanksgiving!

nesting.

another charming mixed media kit just waiting for your artistic talent. i found the charming nest image and knew it would be a perfect addition to a little 5x7 canvas. i painted the egg added some text (the definition of "nest") and feathers. the stamp i had just received from a friend in australia, imagine my luck when it matched the color scheme YEAH! love when happy accidents turn out so well for all of us artists. i know it will be a great piece to put in your studio reminding you that a nest is what you create no matter where you are. i have been nesting for a while, looking forward to time home and in the studio working. gathering, shopping and making sure i have everything i will need in one happy place. so, what are you missing, the nesting place of course. you can order the kit here NEST.

imagination.

i have been experimenting with a couple mixed media kit ideas and wanted to share. this one is called "imaginary places" and i absolutely love everything about it. the soft, aged coloration, the dress form with its tissue dress. the domino i couldn't help but add because of my love of game pieces and then the butterfly of course. it really wouldn't be one of my designs without a touch of nature, right? i love this and if you would like to purchase it, you can find the link here IMAGINE. hope you are wanting to play and have fun, that is the whole point of putting this all together in one little package!

word eerie.

i found this picture at the junk bonanza and could not wait to use it. it is creepy, mysterious and a little sad when you look closely at the childs face. he is reaching into his pocket for something of importance, i know it. maybe it makes him feel safe since he doesn't look too happy being photographed.

i loved the definition of eerie which is lonely; weird; gloomy; mysterious.

i think they all fit him perfectly. in order to keep the intrigue going i felt a payne's grey blue would be in order. it is much brighter blue in the photo than in the actual artwork but i love all the textures i achieved. bubble wrap into wet paint was the first layer, added paint drips, stamped coffee stains and spattered paint equalled pure magic!

word lacing.

there were so many words that i liked on this dictionary that it was hard to decide. lad, ladder, lake, lady, ladybird, ladyship, that i just closed my eyes and randomly picked one. lacing was chosen and i thought of a couple things instantly. shoe laces, punching holes in the paper and actually lacing ribbon through it then i actually read it. you won't believe how versatile this word is.

lacing (noun) - action of one that laces; braid of a uniform; a rope through the eyelet of a sail; colored border of a flower; a shoestring; metal clip to unite ends of belts; segment of a leaf.

can you see the dilemma of making art with it? the one that intrigued me the most was the eyelet of a sail so here is my rendition with my own quirky twist. it is my art after all which means my imagination run rampant :D

word purchase.

the word on todays dictionary page is purchase. right away i thought of a house, the largest loan most of us will ever take on. it reminded me of blueprints, ledger pages and of course numbers, really large numbers in most cases. i had fun with this one because i am an architectural renderer by trade so collecting plan and drawing books are a must for me. i decided to tear a house out and paste it on the page. i have a great ledger stencil and laurie speltz makes a great number stencil with a variety of sizes on one sheet. i picked my favorites and had fun placing them around the page. i chose various hues of blue to represent the blueprints i love to look at but other than that, there was no rhyme or reason to it. i have to say, this page was finished in about 10 minutes, i absolutely love when art comes together without an effort. have fun, rip out a page and let your mind wander - it's art after all!

word flourish.

todays dictionary page word was "flourish". i love paris and always think of it as very artistic with a certain flair in the air. it is my dream place, one day i will get there. i do have a future date with the eiffel tower, promise i will get there. it is a place i have been enamored with since eighth grade and let me tell you, that has been a long time. i used a paper napkin to create this little vignette giving focus to flourish as i went. although i'm not a pink person, i loved the combination of the roses with the dirty blue grey and well, i just couldn't help myself. so, what was your word today? are you inspired to do some dictionary art with me yet? i sure hope so :D

dictionary pages

words.
i love words.
all of them.

they challenge
me to discover
new ones each
and every day.
i play words
with friends,
love scrabble,
and can even be
found doing a
word search
puzzle every
now and then.


dictionaries.
a book of words.
can it get better?
really?
not thinking so.

dictionaries are like a drug for me. i need them and have quite a few. i have especially been collecting them in all sizes and shapes since becoming enamored with mixed media. they make great backgrounds, can be cut up for individual words for a special meaning or well, can be used for just about anything else you want.

so, my daily challenge...to create art letting one word on the dictionary page inspire me. no rhyme or reason, just pick one. can you believe in a random pick i pulled out the page with MUSE on it. what great luck. here's my muse page, i hope it inspires you to pull out, dust off and actually use that wondrous book i know you have hidden somewhere - the dictionary.

steampunk

i will be offering another ecourse and this one is all about steampunk. it is a series of art work that will take you on an adventure into this magical world. we will be doing a beetle, a squirrel, a girl, a butterfly, a bird and of course this wonderful owl. i hope you can join me.

journaling words.

art journaling 101 gave way to many pages, a lot of excitement and a room full of artistic energy. i love when this happens. throw papers, ephemera, paints and some decoupage in front of each student and watch what happens - pure magic. words mean a great deal to me, i actually love them. not love, but L O V E, them! so what would your journaling page say? what word would you be working with today, tomorrow, this weekend? it is a great place to start because it can evoke such memories, images and sentiments that you could use the word all journal long. give it a try, you might like the artistic fascination it has!

journaling in aqua.

art journaling 101 brought about personal color palettes and this one seemed to be a popular one. but, then again, who doesn't love a touch of aqua here and there. i love the variety the color offered each student and saw their creativity come from within. so, what does aqua mean to you? how would you put it into your art journal?

did you notice the overlapping of art elements? I tried to get to them to think of a variety of textures, sizes and interesting shapes. it will become boring quite quickly if everything is the same size and pattern on the page. they did a great job in every instance of this group. large rectangles, added embellishments, touches of fabric - a feast for the eyes!



journaling in orange.

this is a continuation of the wonderful art created in Art Journaling 101 at Artist Expo. i loved the imagination and the exciting color of orange used throughout these works. since it is my favorite color, i fell in love instantly. the individual personalities that came across each page made my heart sing. i love when you shine through in your art, it is what makes it so unique and special.

mix the orange with my favorite insects (butterflies and dragonflies) oh yeah, my heart went pitter pat so loud you could hear it across the room. so what would your orange page look like? what would you include? a message, a photo, a flower - aren't the possibilities just endless, love that!

art journaling in texas.

I taught Art Journaling 101 at the Artist Expo in The Woodlands Texas in June and wanted to share a couple of my students works throughout the week. They were given a plethora of supplies to play with and were asked to work with what inspired them. The finished works were unbelievable and the joyful energy was felt by all. It was an excited group willing to just reach for the unlimited possibility of each and every page.



adventure ride.

another page in my living canvas art journal. i wanted to focus on the wild ride of my artistic journey. it has taken me from designing pattern packets, books and magazine articles to exhibiting and travel teaching around the united states and now online teaching. it has been a fun, exciting and exhilarating ride throughout the years and i know there is so much more coming my way. online teaching will be a way to share my art with people around the world, wow, that is just so cool! if someone would have told me that when i started, i would have looked at them like they had two heads. speaking of two heads, did you notice the huge caterpillar i am riding? yes, that's me with the wings ready to take the reins and ride into the world of uncharted territories. hope you will join me for my first mixed media ecourse "5 days, 5 canvases" on july 9th. to find out more go to http://kellyhoernig.webs.com/ecourses.htm

what's your story.

this is the intro page to my living canvas class art journal and i wanted to begin with my story. i love this stencil from artist cellar and it reminded me of a giant pulley wheel. i know, only i could see such things. i decided to make a banner to attach the wheel stating my purpose for this page. this is the right hand side of the journal, on the left hand side i wrote "continually pulling myself in a forward motion." such a simple statement but one of perseverance (my word of the year). so, what's your art story? how would you begin to translate your journey?

my wings.

i am taking an online ecourse called create your living canvas by christy tomlinson. it is about finding yourself and what matters most to you and how to make it all mesh together. so far i am loving the exercises and it really does make you think about things in a different perspective. i'm working in a composition notebook where i art in the first half and journal in the second half. i like it to be separate but together and this inexpensive way works great for me. this little sweetie (yes that's my baby picture) is a part of my journal cover. i just knew it would inspire you to do something wonderful with your photos! happy creating...

wild art blog hop.

want a little inspiration for your art? how about diverse creativity, endless color choices and a host of styles to admire? well, if any of those sound interesting, you are going to love today's blog hop full of artists of all mediums. you will see some great art shared today by our experience in christy tomlinson and junelle jacobsen's art of wild abandonment sketching class. not only did junelle make it fun and easy (radishes and other produce from the grocery store) but the art that was created by everyone was just inspiring and bursting with creativity. i am proud to be a part of this group and am sharing this "peashirt party" inspired by my shopping trip to the market.

this feather was found in my backyard and knew it needed to be examined further and turned into a piece of art. exploring water soluble crayons was new to me and i just loved their fast and easy application. the tag will have the word "found" added eventually but for now, thank you junelle for the lovely addition of the sentiment!

if you are doing the blog hop you should have just visited the talented "margaret stewart". if you would like to start at the beginning, visit the blog of "claire smillie". from here you should go to the lovely "camilla olsson" art and proceed from there to the next artists site.

enjoy the hop and i hope it makes you want to approach your next art project with wild abandonment, unabashed creativity and unlimited possibilities!

hello sunshine.

get ready to join me in a wild abandonment blog hop tomorrow, you won't want to miss the art or adventures of the more than 50 participants. hope to see you there :D

green heart.

i knew you wanted to see the whole piece of art after following me for two days. well, here it is in all its wonderfulness. it gives me such pleasure to show you and hope it adds a smile to your face as well. did you notice how the design is placed into the lower part of the composition? yes, it was put there on purpose. i liked the airiness of the top with the drips running off the canvas and it is totally unexpected. who knew when i started that this is what i would end up with? not me and that was part of the creative challenge i gave myself. hope you let yourself have a little fun and create without thinking today in the studio. i know i've got a couple more backgrounds to do before my day is over :D

pinkalicious.

you saw the beginnings in yesterday's post. i wanted to keep him almost transparent so applied each layer of color with a lot of water and a loose touch. the darks really brought him to life and well, i absolutely love the finished moth. he adds a lot of charm and detail to the canvas and brings a part of who i am as well. hope you are tempted into the studio to give playing with backgrounds a try. you just never know what you will get in the end and isn't that part of the fun. i know for me it is a perfect way to just let go and enjoy the process of putting paint and paper to canvas. love it!

the beginning.

i was playing in the studio and made a few backgrounds without thinking about what would go on them. it lets me be a lot freer about the process of just putting paint to canvas. i tore a simple strip of scrapbook paper not caring about the pattern or color, just something i had on hand. stenciled over a paper doily and voila, background finished. now, the hard part. what should i add to this lovely piece? hum, a flower, a bug, some words - decisions, decisions. i really liked how the pink of the scrapbook paper stood out amongst the greens so looked into my butterfly files and there he was in all his mauve glory. i just had to put him in. so i started by sketching the moth in and filling the space with one coat of gesso...

my favorite.

i saved my favorite card for last and yes, i just had to keep it for myself. thank goodness i had a joker to redo and send in so i had 52 cards for the swap. i used the crown that showed through from the original card as the topper of this exquisite stamped face. using a page from a book, i stamped then painted the face to enhance its beauty and gracefulness. i then stenciled over part of the image on both sides and added the quote. i felt they went hand in hand and it looks great on a bookshelf in my studio - inspiration comes each and every time i look at her. so, are you ready to get involved in an inspiration deck swap yet? i sure hope so...

imagination.

another flower card that i just had to share. this one i cut in half so i could use the image twice on different cards. i couldn't help put the beautiful yellow on a soft blue background, they just went together so perfectly. the paper page was added for another layer then i stenciled dots on top to give it added dimension. this is a great quote and i wanted to place it in a place of honor so i added a thin border with a glittered bee on top. the card looks creatively balanced and i hope it inspires a lot of projects.

soar.

the simplicity of this card makes it one of my favorites from the deck. if i could have, i would have kept it for myself, but well, that would really defeat the purpose of swapping with other artists wouldn't it? i gessoed, painted, pressed into bubble wrap then glued on the butterfly image that i cut in half. i then stenciled through a doily giving it a lot of fun white spots across the image. i added the quote, inked around it and it was finished. the time flew by because i was just playing in the studio with paint, paper and glue. i love when that happens!

opportunity.

another inspiration deck card to share with you all.

for this one i painted, papered, stamped then found these gloriously glittered flowers to adhere to the card. of course, daisies are my favorite flower so it was perfect for the swap. i loved the quote and all the layers this little card provided. i hope the recipient is inspired to be creative and do art, after all, that is the intention of the deck.

dreams.

i participated in my first inspiration deck swap and had a great time creating these little bits of aspirations. using a regular card deck, gesso one side then proceed to adorn it with any element you find around your studio. i looked to the internet for inspirational quotes, sized them and printed them out. glue one onto each card, decorate some more and voila, you are finished. i put my name/blog/web address on the back and sent them off to be swapped. i can't wait to receive my little deck of inspiration. it will be wonderful getting a new piece of art to look at every day for 52 days. don't you wish you would have played too?

studio play.

although i didn't get the opportunity to be part of the graphic 45 design team, i sure had a lot of fun playing with their papers. i love to be inspired and well, their papers are all different enough that they give me a great reason to play in the studio. there is always next year, right? don't let yourself walk away from a challenge just because you don't think you are good enough. try and learn and then try again. i look at every opportunity as a chance to put myself and my art out there, don't you. i hope you find something that inspires you and you give it a try, today. isn't that what art is all about - creativity and inspiration all in one!

graphic 45 design team 2012 audition.

i am auditioning for a design team position for graphic 45 with this blog. i hope you enjoy the various projects created with their unique scrapbook papers. wish me luck!

this card was created with a word prompt of "rejuvenate" and the clowns were perfect for my analogy of the word.

i wanted to created layers with this 7x5 canvas and thought of the big top and all the magic that happens in the tent - hope you enjoyed the peek inside.

i was inspired by the loveliness of this tight rope walker
and wanted to give her a full dress and a cage full of butterflies to show off her beauty and grace.

i absolutely love paris, black and white, peacock feathers and eyes. this painted piece is done on a paper mache jewelry box.

i had a couple empty christmas card boxes with plastic lids left over this year and knew they would make great repurposed gifts. i created this dimensional pear to make you wonder what it is made of.

games, especially cards are a favorite of mine and well, anything from nature is a huge inspiration for my creative side. using this paper and designing a natural card for the wooden card box came very easy and i just love the results - want to play?

fairy tales.

this is my artistic contribution to the fly tribe's atc swap for march. since the theme is fairy tales, how could i resist, right? i actually used the same frog as my 12 days of christmas done in colored pencil only i gave him a lot more space this time. i added the heart and well, his wishful thinking that a girl is going to fall for his golden crown and reward him with a kiss - fat chance for that - but how much money are we talking, exactly? knew that would make you smile.

b mine, valentine?

i was experimenting with translucent yupo paper (the heart)
and loved working with colored pencils on its very smooth surface. the transparency lets the layers behind show through adding an extra dimension that i just love. i found scrapbook paper with words of adornment on them so decided to center the heart just under the word dearest and love that you don't really notice it until you study it for a while. the double ribbon was added because i wanted to give the left side equal weight to the large b block. i added a tissue paper flower and pearl brad to add a touch of rustic femininity to the piece. overall i am really pleased with the results and can't wait to try a couple more effects with the yupo paper.

meaning of art.

this is only part of a large canvas but it is the focal point. i love the written word and use book pages for my backgrounds in many of my mixed media pieces. i usually look for a word or phrase that i could create from. this one was a beauty and gave me all kinds of ideas. since i had just picked up the sweet paper lantern stamp in the dollar bin at michaels, i knew it would add instant charm to my dreamy vision. all the textures of the background just add layers of wonderment, a treat for the eyes really. but to me, they are the main delight because i love the challenge of making them work together as one. i used a charcoal pencil to give my title its spotlight but believe me, it would be up to you to discover it in the canvas. that's what it is about for me, making you see the details.

playful pieces.

i am on the hunt for vintage game pieces and came across this set up at old green shutters antiques. i loved the idea of the miscellaneous pieces being displayed in such a playful way, after all, cupcakes and games do go hand in hand :) 

i remember many hours of monopoly and to this day we play it and adjust the rules to make it a little more strategic. landlords that lend money and make you put up collateral, rent extended until you pass go, deals between people all written longhand and legally of course. isn't that what gaming is about, being inventive and using your imagination to unlock the what ifs in life. i often wonder what has become of my childhood friends and hope they look fondly at the hours we spent together stretching our minds with game playing. memories, we have them to treasure them don't you think? i know i appreciate mine each and every day. so grab your family and friends and make it game night once again!

love of the game.

i love games! love them! all games. big and small, long and short, easy or hard, there is not one favorite here. my love of games started on garfield street were the neighborhood gathered on a screened in porch to play for days on end. there was clue, sorry, monopoly, life and so much more and it shaped me into a person who thinks of the moves beforehand. now this is not always good because you can easily talk your way out of something. for me, it pushes me to see an outcome no matter what"s in store. i don't remember playing dominoes that much as a kid, but i love the game now. when was the last time you played a game, had some fun, shared some laughs and got strategic? hope it was yesterday!