Funky Art Queen

I love love love Valentines Day! I think it must have something to do with all the red, pink, and romance. There are so many wonderful handmade Valentines gifts available on Etsy! If you have not already, you really should take a minute and go and check out all of the possibilities. You might even get some ideas to make some things! I made several of these little heart magnets and I have some listed in my shop.  I plan to add a few more that I finished today so be on the look out for that.  I would love to know what you doing for Valentines crafts or decorating.  Please Share your thoughts and ideas.  Meanwhile, hugs and kisses! (the chocolate kind) XOXO-Lesley

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE! I finally made my husband his Emperor Penguin. He asked for one a while back when I made some other paperclay penguins. This penguin was also sculpted from paperclay. I also painted a wooden block and glittered it up to appear like snow or ice. Then, I put it in this little glass globe. He really liked it and he says he is going to take it to work and put it on his desk. Isn't he sweet? Anyway, have a wonderful day!

Oh Happy Day.......I love that song. .....they sing it in a scene on Big Mama and I just saw that the other day. Oh happy day......oh happy day......I love that song and I'm singing it today because we have water again! Oh happy day, I can take a long shower and soothe my aching muscles. I have been taking a cardio class and I'm feeling it. Anyway, we had a major water line break day before yesterday. Did you know that it takes exactly 8 bottles of water to wash your essentials and hair and brush your teeth? You could probably do it with less but I was not willing to compromise any further. Ha! ON another note, I took some photos of the matchbooks and here they are. I don't know what I"m gonna do with them....probably give them to someone. I just had to make them. I also took some photos of some charms I am working on for the Funky Finds event in April (see icon on the sidebar). Still need to take better pics before I post to etsy.. Be watching for an artist interview...

So I discovered Stumbleupon and I stumbled all weekend and found a couple of cool things I would like to share in relation to Valentines Day. The first one is this site where you can go and just click on any box and read a love letter . This is just a huge collection of love letters. MATCH BOOK NOTE PADS The next one was really discovered when looking at Design Sponge (already linked on my blog on the side bar). It was one of the DIY projects . I made some hot pink ones with hot lips stickers on the front. I would take a pic but I am too lazy to get the camera out and do all that. Maybe later. Need more coffee. Next, I thought the rose ice cubes were beautiful. The author of this blog said that most roses are edible but people use so many pesticides that he did not recommend using these ice cubes for drinks but rather for chilling the wine or something like that. At any rate, they are lovely. So, I leave you these things with hopes that you will find them entertaining. I hope you als...

Here is another one.....I love these things. Hubby and daughter picked the perfect heart to go on this. I had planned on using a yellow one but they liked the red one better. I love the contrast of the red and yellow here! Anyhooooo, it is available on Etsy now. I had a pretty good weekend and I suppose I will go back to work and leave all my art here! Sniff sniff. Like my mother used to say, "it's a shame that I couldn't be rich instead of some damn good looking". Heehee On another note, my friend Lisa and I were talking about the magazine/book "Where Women Create". It is this scrumptious book filled with photos of fabulously organized and beautiful "studios". I just think it would be funny to do a "spoof" on that and have women like me show our "studios". But, not when it is clean and organized. It should be a photo of when you are in a fit of art making and have several projects scattered around. Maybe a shot of you with yo...

I sold the Art with a Heart Piece today! Yay! Yes, I'm tooting my horn. I have not had an Etsy sale in a while. So, that made my day. I am working on some other similiar pieces. Here is one that I just listed. I used a Florescent pink with this one and it is so bright and fun. XOXO! That is something that my friend "M"signs all of her lettersl, cards, and notes with and I love it. She inspires me. I'm also working on a piece much like these that is more on the side of Mother's Day. I am using hues of yellow and I will probably have it ready tomorrow. I know, I should be soldering my heart out. It makes me think of nursing school. My house was never cleaner than when I was in nursing school. I am a horrible procrastinator. If I had tons of homework, I found more excuses to not do it such as cleaning the oven or doing laundry. I hate deadlines and rigid instructions....I'm a rebel without a cause huh? Heehee

Sweet You (Available in my shop) I finished this piece of art tonight. I really enjoyed the process on this one because I discovered a new technique that I love for distressing. I remembered when I was in school a teacher taught us to make little faux leather boxes using masking tape and shoe polish. Did any of you ever do that? You cover the entire piece with little pieces of masking tape and then you "paint" the piece with brown or black shoe polish. So, (I'm just taking you on the creative process that goes on in my brain) I thought I would like a frame for my little paperclay hearts that looked like red leather. That was the initial thought anyway. I covered the frame with masking tape pieces. Then I painted it with red acrylic paint. After that dried, I thought it needed pearl or white in all the crevices to create an antiqued look. When I started rubbing the white in, the red rubbed off in places. I loved the distressed look this caused so I went with it and conti...

I worked on his little paper mache heart assemblage piece over the last couple of days. I'm going to put it on Etsy later. I'm still waiting on any takers for the Unique Hearts Photo Challenge . Can you tell I have been a little obsessed with Valentines Day lately? I suppose I am. Could it be that I love all the red?! Could it be that all the making of stuff for your friends and loves could be a HUGE reason I love this holiday? Well, I don't understand how you could not love this day! I went a little crazy today and decorated my dining room in a Valentines Style. There could be a lot more but the GR is a bit of a table surfer and I'm afraid he will get something and eat it. I'm working on some more Fru Fru people and I can't wait to show them to you. But, right now I am preparing some steaks on the grill. I also just pulled an Upside Down Pineapple Cake out of the oven for our dessert....so,I must go. More later. Hugs to all.

, This is it! This is my 350th post! (Cue Party Streamers and Balloons .... Richard Gear walks in....our eyes meet.....I'm wearing that slinky, sexy red dress......suddenly I want nothing more than to fall into.........) oh, sorry...I got carried away....back to the FAQ-350 celebration. In all seriousness, I want to say that blogging has been a wonderfully therapeutic,inspiring and heart warming experience for me. I remember that I started blogging way back in 2006 because it seemed interesting to me. I remember seeing the word "blog" and thinking I wonder what that stands for. I still don't know and I don't care. Blogging narrowed my world so that I could connect with other like minded people. Suddenly, I was not the only one in the world that picked things up off the ground to make stuff. I have learned so much from my girlfriends from all over the world. I have learned that we are all so similiar and yet so unique. Which brings me to this: When I was in nur...

After playing a little yesterday with the staining and baking of fabric.....I had to go further. I am so inspired by artists like Jennifer-Butt Uglee that I find myself wanting to do more art with fabric and prim techniques. So, today, I set out to make a doll. I wanted to do something Valentines. I made my own pattern for this doll. Meet Ms. February: I'm not kidding, I worked on this little lady all day long. This would be my first "rag" doll and it took some thinking to construct her properly. Then, I had to create her clothes and her little heart banner. But, I enjoyed making her very much. She is listed in my Etsy shop now!

Happy Sunday! I found this fun little online generator and just had to make one. I can't help myself sometimes. I'm planning on making some more valentines today. Oh the possibilities are endless. I have to get my swap loot ready for Pocket Full of Pretty's Valentines swap and I have several special friends/family that I need to get Valentines ready for. So, there is plenty to do.....I think my creative funk has lifted.....oh Look Out Craft Room!

prim hearts close Originally uploaded by Funky Art Queen I started making these fabric heart ornaments yesterday and finished them today. I had a lot of fun with these. I am learning about distressing fabric through staining with tea/coffee and baking. One of them is actually felt and was not baked. Everyone should have a bowl of hearts don't you think? Well, everyone except for SEBASTIAN ~! He had one already (he snuck it off the table right before their photo shoot) and he seemed to like it. Oh the challenges we face! LOL

mr and mrs frufru 2 Originally uploaded by Funky Art Queen I finished Mr. Fru Fru tonight. Now Mr and Mrs can be together. How appropriate since Valentines is coming up! Oh, and Mrs. FruFru is so excited about the Valentines swap going on over at Pocket Full of Pretty's and so am I. Get over there and sign up. What fun!!!! Also, be looking for my challenge that is coming soon! I will need your help on this one!!!! It will be fun! It will be a celebration of my 350th post! Wow, can you believe I have been blogging since Jan of 2006? Oh my, it is probably the longest I have ever done one thing. Anyway, to all you people who love to take pics.....get ready.....

My sister's JuJu has made it to her new home and she has already been to her first photo shoot. She is probably exausted by now....bless her little heart (that is stuck to her chest....permanently) Isn't this a lovely photo that my sister took?

My little ATC Valentine Doll made it to her home. I love how Marah can take my art and make it look so amazing. I just had to show you this. She was kind enough to let me borrow this pic that she took of her. Marah is a Graphic Designer and she has an amazing eye for beauty and interestingness. She is the one who created my beautiful blog banner using some of my art. You can see some of her designs here at Etsy . Go and check her out .