Image Transfer Workshop

I loved this workshop group - we experimented a lot and got crazy results, sometimes really good ones, sometimes really weird ones. One of the things that *didn't* seems to work was the ITS solution on the tiles - I tried it afterwards, and by baking the tile instead of using the heat gun, it seemed to transfer a lot better. I still think I rushed it a bit (and next time will let it soak several hours) but here were the steps I followed:

Cut the thermal (laser) design to fit the unglazed tile

Rub a fairly generous amount of the ITS solution on the front of the thermal (laser) photo

 Pllace face down on unglazed tile and rub until well-adhered, then bake in a 325F oven for 30 minutes

 The paper will be firmly stuck to the tile after baking

 Cool the tile, then soak it in cold water for at least an hour (this is where I rushed it a bit)

 Gently rub the paper off, leaving the ink design - you can see that it came off around the edges, but I think if I had torn the edges to make them softer, this might not have happened.

Coat with a clear acrylic spray to protect the tile

30 Shades of Twilight

Note to Self

The banner is up at the gallery - that means get back in the studio and start painting! 10 down, 20 to go - yikes.

Herbs and Shards

The Herb Market was a trip! I had never done a show like that before with tables and lots of vendor rules and big crowds. The emphasis was on herbs (naturally), so I took some Scent Shards, the new little Sprig Shards, and the small dishes with bees on them.
Well! The Sprig Shards *sold out* in an hour - one woman bought 23 of them. I hope she has a lot of friends (or sprigs). Almost all of the Scent Shards and little dishes sold as well. It was amazing.
I absolutely couldn't have done it without the help of my dear friend Maria Luhrman, who manned the cash box, talked to everyone and kept them interested, and even gave me the best homemade granola bar I've ever eaten. Thank you, Maria!! Here are some photos (thanks to Mike for taking these)

 Maria and I set up the stuff - shard city!

 Lookin' good . . .

 I have some new and different finishes on the little faces

  

The people start to arrive - the guy on the right says, "Hey, there are some Scent Shards!" OK, not really.

But there was a feeding frenzy for quite a while - wow. And almost everything was sold. What an afternoon. I'm so grateful to the Herb Market committee for inviting me.

Meanwhile, back in the Twilight Studio . . .

Work is going well on the Shades of Twilight series - I read part of The Prophet today while I was working in the studio and there are some lines that fit exactly what I'm working toward. I've finished ten of the small paintings, 20 more to go. Here's a preview (although they may change a bit) ---

 From Top to Bottom:

20 Ginko

29 Copperine

8 Chassange

More Spirited Creations

I received these photos tonight from Rue, a talented creator and online friend - just look at her new Samhain Altar Doll: "Season of my Soul:"

 It makes me feel like dancing in the forest! Lovely work, Rue - as always, you elevate my little shard faces and give them a whole new life of their own.

Blessings from Joanna!

After Joanna posted her spirit doll instructions, I was swamped with orders for face shards - it was great! These five packages went out just yesterday afternoon. And the loveliest part is that I receive photos from artisans all over the country showing how they use the faces in their constructions - here's one from Karen - it's fanciful and celebratory.