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Handmade books and various art explorations
March 11th, 2010
OK, I’m officially hooked. I’ve managed to gawk at over a hundred pages (so far) of delicious, artistic, fabulous, yummy items from some amazing artists. I’ve also had two projects of my own published on CraftGawker to-date: a close-up of my copper tree collage, and a mini-booklace with sheet music pages. It’s neat to see my mini-book on the “most gawked” page! (Thank-you, visitors!)
One thing that I appreciate about this site is that it is making me pay more attention to my creative photography skills as well. My first submission was declined for photo/craft composition (it was a direct shot of a book isolated on a white background.) Rather than being discouraged, I took this as a challenge! This led to the great top-down shot of my mini-booklace (above, far right) which has been gawked 49 times and favorited 5 times so far this week. (Cool!) Of course, as “daring” as my photo was, someone out-dared me a few days later. I’ll let you check out the CraftGawker.com site and see if you can spot the photo I’m talking about! =) You can see my two submissions here. Happy gawking!
Posted in Inspiring Artists | No Comments »
March 2nd, 2010
This charming little mini-book is 3/4″ square. It has covers recycled from a discarded bracelet, sheet music pages (love it!) and is coptic bound with a clasp for attaching to a necklace or bag.
The striking black, white and red makes it perfect for a night on the town. It is a beautiful one-of-a-kind accessory for a book or music lover! (That’s me!)
Tags: handmade book, mini-book, music
Posted in Contests and Giveaways, Handmade Books | 1 Comment »
February 15th, 2010
Congratulations to the three (yes, I said three) winners of my 2010 One World One Heart giveaway! (Winners were chosen by random number.)
First place goes to Sharon from Texas who had this to say:
“The photos are so unique! Wow! Amazing. It would be hard to choose. And the idea of a book. My mind is running in circles now.
Oh Nikki! I’m so excited! I’m going to do a happy dance when I finish emailing you! I love the wee planets photos and would have picked one of them if I had not peeked at the mini book. I’ll have to pick that wonderful mini book! It is amazing! Thank you, than you, thank you! Wow! I still can’t believe that book! I can’t wait to see it in person. Thank you Nikki. You have made my day!”
You can visit Sharon’s blog here: http://happeningsonchaosranch.blogspot.com
This mini-book is 3/4″ square and filled with lovely red mulberry paper; covers are parts from a bracelet and it has a coptic stitch binding. Ready to be attached to a necklace or bag and filled with love notes, thoughts or photos of your sweeties!
And because I loved your happy dance, I’m including a print of your favorite Wee Planet, “Tongariro Volcanoes” too. This is based upon a panorama photograph of the Tongariro Volcanoes by my friends Ralph and Susan Bussard and converted to a wee-planet by yours truly:
Second prize goes to Kerry of Minnesota who says:
“AACKKK! I’m a winner! Oh wowza! Now I have to CHOOSE? Yikes. Hard choice. I think first I’d chose the book if the first prize winner does not come forward. And then it came down to the Old Tree and Bridge…. hmm…. eeny meeny miney moe… I think I will pick Planet Bridge! Yay! I’m so excited! I love your blog. I have been contemplating blogging myself…”
I hope you do start blogging, Kerry! It’s a great way to document your “journey”, whether that represents your life, your art, your family or your other passions. Let me know if you do and I’ll be your first follower!
Here is the Planet Bridge that Kerry chose:
Bonus Round:
I decided to add a bonus-round drawing just among all of the folks who commented on another post and/or became a follower of my blog. My way to say “thank-you” for your thoughtfulness, you’ve made my day!
And the Bonus Round winner is Mary-Beth of Canada who says:
“Nikki, your wee planets are amazing, I’d love to be a proud owner!! LOL And I’m a sucker for mini books too! Great giveaway!!!
Nikki, thank you so much for this!!! I am so thrilled to own one of your wee planets! It’s so funny cuz when I revisited your blog last night, I had a feeling I had won one of these!!!! Eerie!!! LOL I would love to have That Old Tree, I think it’s absolutely lovely!”
Mary-Beth also commented on my “Book of Home” post and kindly said:
“Nikki, I wanted to say what a wonderful little book this was and I love all the images you used in it, especially the tree! Fabulous!!“
Thank-you, Mary-Beth! You can visit Mary-Beth’s blog here: http://myjourneyintoart.com
And a big THANK-YOU to everyone who visited my blog during OWOH. I hope to see you back soon!
Photography Credits for above planets:
Planet Tongariro Volcanoes - photo by Ralph & Susan Bussard; planet by Nikki Smith
Planet That Old Tree - photo by Steffe; planet by Nikki Smith
Planet Bridge - photo by Andrew Prokos; planet by Nikki Smith
P.S. Do you have a great 360 degree panorama photo that you’d like to see turned into a planet? Just let me know!
Tags: giveaway, handmade book, wee planets
Posted in Contests and Giveaways | 1 Comment »
February 6th, 2010
This week has been productive for my art, if not for my job. 
I created a mini-book for the OWOH giveaway (you can PEEK HERE or enter by leaving a comment on the OWOH giveaway post HERE by Feb 14th) which was lots of fun and got me back in my art studio again. I’m going to make two more mini-books in this series (and one is for me to keep!)
Next, I made this “Book of Home” with photos from my childhood farm in Minnesota as well as a few from my current home in Texas. (I was inspired by a similar book by Laurie Snyder.)
At the near right is the book open, showing the back side with a tree from a field on our family farm. At far right is the front side of the book. Images from top to bottom are: a copper shield; black birds in a tree; my parents looking at the old barn; my mailbox in Texas with icicles; an old photo of my sister, her friend and I walking through the fields; an arial view of Coffee Creek Ranch; and the old barn.
When open, the book is shaped like a house. When closed, the book is shaped like an envelope.
Here are a few more photos:
 
Thanks for looking! Remember, comments make me happy! =)
Tags: handmade book, home
Posted in Handmade Books | 6 Comments »
January 29th, 2010
I’m excited to be a part of the “One World One Heart” blogging event/giveaway for the first time this year!
In keeping with the magic carpet theme of this year’s event, the first prize is an 8″ x 8″ print of one of my “wee planets” (winner’s choice). These are entire mini-worlds for you to explore created from 360 degree panorama photos. What a great trip to take on that magic carpet you found! Below are a few of the worlds you could take home:
 Planet Path, rural Bryan, Texas  Planet Winter Hotel  Planet Swanage OR, your choice of wee planet from my gallery!
The next prize (because why stop with just one?) will be a handmade mini-book created especially for you by me. I’ll be making it this week so I don’t have a photo to show you yet…and that makes it a surprise! I can post an update later when it’s ready, though perhaps it should it stay a mystery…?
[UPDATE Feb 6th: The mini-book is ready! For those like me who can't resist temptation, you can PEEK HERE!]
To enter, simply place a comment on this post. Be sure to include a valid email address so I can contact you if you win!
Deadline to enter: Midnight on February 14th
Winners will be announced: February 15th, 2010
Remember to check out the other participating blogs by clicking on the logo to the left. If you have a blog, there’s still time to participate in the giveaway - details on the OWOH site.
I hope you can take the time to read some of my other posts to learn a bit about me and my art and also have fun visiting the other blogs in this grand adventure. Good luck, everyone! (And I can’t wait to check out all of your blogs, too!)
[UPDATE: wee-hours of the morning of Feb 15th:]
COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED - WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY!
It’s past my bedtime…I’ve been too busy visiting your blogs! Thank-you so much to everyone who visited me and left comments. I do hope you will stop by again to see my latest creations… Drawing will be tomorrow (the 15th) after I’ve had a little sleep ;) Good luck, everyone!
Tags: contest, giveaway
Posted in Contests and Giveaways | 155 Comments »
January 9th, 2010
I lost a (silly) bet with my husband and he challenged me to create a piece of artwork with a poem as his reward. What a thoughtful way to reward me, too! Below is the poem (by Karen Ravn) and the four collages I created, one for each sentiment in the poem:
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Only as high
as I reach
Can I GROW
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Only as far
as I seek
Can I GO
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Only as deep
as I look
Can I SEE
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Only as much
as I dream
Can I BE
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I chose this poem to inspire my husband. We both continually strive to improve ourselves and to stretch our horizons. We challenge each other to grow and to think and to do and to learn. This poem and the artwork I’ve created around it reflect that creative spirit of curiosity, growth and boundless potential that I see every day in the two loves of my life.
The tree is a common element among all four collages to tie them together visually. The first panel (GROW) has a silver-leafed matboard tree on top of an altered photo of the sky with a seagull. The second panel (GO) uses copper leaf and an old map with the legend/poem raised as well. The third panel (SEE) has the tree cut-out and is mounted above a mirror (for self-reflection). The photo is a macro shot that I took of dew drops on a spiderweb in the grass. The final panel (BE) is a mixed gold leaf tree on a beautiful photo of the heavens. All four collages measure 6 x 8″ each.
The process:
After deciding on the poem and spending many nights thinking about it and jotting down ideas for techniques and subject matter for each of the stanzas, I finally had an idea that I wanted to try. First, let me list a few of the varied ideas that I set aside. I may use these on a future project someday.
- Idea 1: Collaged backgrounds of vintage illustrations from old books or manuals, all tinted to the same color - perhaps dyed with coffee or tea for a sepia tone. For example, for “high” the images could be astronomical instruments, diagrams of the movements of the heavens, blueprints for airplanes, etc. For “far” it would be maps or modes of transportation. For “deep” it could be drawings to do with the sea, the human eye, or microscopic cells/germs. For “dream” it would be mind-maps and brain diagrams.
- Idea 2: Simple color scheme of black, white and green. Zentangles for the tree elements, varying the color positions.
- Idea 3: Fabric over the matboard and beneath the photo, showing though a cut-out tree shape in the photo for a raised, fabric-covered tree.
- Idea 4: Impressed and painted copper foil; embossed mirror; swirls or designs worked into the leaf…
- And a dozen other ideas, no two alike.
My first step was to locate/create imagery that spoke to me for each of the panels. I found some vintage illustrations that I liked, but not enough. I eventually chose photography for the backgrounds rather than illustrations. I poured through my own photos, my collection of old books and creative commons photos on the web. I found and altered the perfect images and then added the text for each part of the poem.
I then cut the tree out of the SEE photo, as well as out of a plain piece of card stock. I used the back side of this template to trace the tree segments onto mat board, three copies of each piece. As I went, I numbered both the template and each piece so that I could later reassemble them. I painstakingly cut the shapes with an exacto knife, learning that I had to always go counter-clockwise around each shape (I’m a lefty) to keep the angles right. I had to re-cut several shapes as I learned what worked and what didn’t, especially on the itty-bitty ones. I spent so many hours on this step that I lost feeling in the tip of one finger tip for several weeks after!
Once the pieces were ready, I added metal leaf to them. Not as easy as it sounds! The first time I didn’t use enough spray adhesive and had to spend days filling in the gaps on the edges. I was wiser on the last tree, which was a relative breeze to do. When complete, I sealed the leaf.
Finally, I mounted the SEE photo face-down as a template on a block of wood with a piece of paper to protect the front of the photo. I applied Terrifically Tacky Tape (which is wonderful, I might add) to the backs of the tree pieces. I then laid down one or two pieces at a time in the template, sticky side up. I taped each of the three collages (with invisible gift wrap tape) temporarily to a piece of matboard to keep the pages stiff. Then I lined up the top of the page with the top of the template and pressed it face-down on top. This adhered the tree to the collage, bit-by-bit. It was so exciting to see the pieces finally coming together after all of the time I had invested in this project!
The last step will be to double-mat and frame the collages. I haven’t yet decided whether to do so four-across in a row, or 2 x 2 in a grid…Hmmm… I can’t wait to see it on the wall! =)
 With this project, I’ve also challenged myself to present my art more, well, artistically. In the past, I’ve usually taken a face-on photo of the artwork showing the whole piece, and maybe edited out the distracting background and adjusted the brightness. However, I’ve been paying more attention to the images that catch my eye in magazines and on the web and I’ve noticed that the shots I like best are rarely so static. They draw the eye, show an unusual angle, focus on detail, show depth and texture and even leave something to the imagination by how the shot is framed and cropped. The art seems more touchable and real in these photos.
I hope that I have captured the essence of the artwork and the soul of the poem for you, and maybe inspired you to reach a bit higher, step out on your journey, reflect and grow and most of all, dream bigger dreams.
Tags: art, collage, photo, trees
Posted in Artistic Creations, Photo and Collage Art | 5 Comments »
January 9th, 2010
I’m finding out that I have more in common with my sister, Cheri Long. She passed away this past fall. Below is a sampling of some artwork created by my sister:
 Watercolor by Cheri Long - her travels  Self Portrait, Cheri Long Hiking  Portrait of Joseph Smith by Cheri Long  Enliven by Cheri Long Knowing my for creating one-of-a-kind artist books, my sister made one for me:
 Handmade book by Cheri Long, Cover: Three sisters  Handmade book by Cheri Long, Interior Pages  Handmade book by Cheri Long, Hidden Pocket Thank-you, Cheri. I love you!
Tags: art, cheri, portrait
Posted in Inspiring Artists | 1 Comment »
November 27th, 2009
 Cheri Jo Long, 1980 - 2009 My kid sister Cheri Jo Long passed away unexpectedly on November 11th. She was 29 years old and lived more in her few years than most people do in a lifetime. She has traveled the world and touched so many lives.
We are all looking for ways to honor her life. My uncle Jay is giving up smoking in her memory. My sister Crystal is painting “Cheri’s room” in her house in one of Cheri’s favorite colors and has done so much to share memories and photos of Cheri on FaceBook and with Cheri’s extended work family in Viriginia and the Twin Cities. My father made a touching collaged photo to share with those who knew and loved Cheri, and my mother plans to plant a tree with a nice bench in her memory. My grandmother has been baking meals and desserts non-stop for the extended family.
As for me, I’d like to honor my sister by living my life instead of just marking time. It occurred to me that I’m working for a living, but what am I living for? Every day the dishes get done and the bills get paid. I’m taking care of the essentials but am I truly living?
So, in honor of Cheri, I’m re-evaluating my life. What is important to me? What do I want to achieve? What will nourish my soul? What are my goals and how do I achieve them? How do I ensure that I stay “on track” with living my life and not fall back into a comfortable rut? What do I not like about my life and how do I change that? What have I been putting off for “someday” (i.e. maybe never)? Why can’t someday be today?
My husband and I used to check-in with each other on our progress toward our goals on the first Sunday of each month. We’ve fallen out of the habit — I’d like to start doing this again.
NOTE: This is a good way to keep yourself on track toward achieving your goals — find a partner and keep each other motivated and moving forward. Make a list of your goals. Refer back to this list each month and evaluate your progress honestly. Tasks feel to big to accomplish? Break them into smaller, achievable steps. Do something from your list every month.
I’m going to share my goals and my thought process here on my blog as a way to keep myself honest. The first step is thinking about the various areas of my life and setting some goals. In some areas I have more questions than answers — that’s OK, the questions are an important part of the journey. The next step is to make a plan to achieve my goals. Finally, I need to do regular check-ins to keep on course… Without further ado:
A. Work-life Goals
Question: What do I want from my work-life?
“My job is not my life.” Sometimes I get caught-up in the day-to-day aspects and lose sight of the big picture. My work should enrich my life, or at least enable me to live a fulfilling life. It should not consume my life.
- Work-related stress. What causes me the most stress? How can I reduce or eliminate this stress?
- Time-suckers. What takes the most time with the least reward/benefit? How can I make these tasks more efficient or remove them completely?
- Boundaries/Balance. How do I keep my work-related tasks from eating up the whole day?
- Stable, recurring income (including build-once, sell unlimited times services) vs. one-time projects. Continue to build up a base monthly income with these types of information-services (etc) to the point where this side of the business alone could support my needs. Make the one-time projects the gravy and not the meat of my business. Look for other services/projects that could be re-sold to multiple clients to build this side of the business.
- Get the business to the point where I can eventually step-back. What tasks are mine-alone that I don’t feel others can do yet? Can I make these tasks more automated/efficient? Can I document these processes so that someone else could handle them without me?
- Get organized. Keep projects on task and prioritized; don’t let anything fall through the cracks for lack of organization; make continual progress on high-importance, low-urgency tasks (not just the “squeaky wheels”).
- Self-defeating habits. Yep, I’ve got them and I know what they are. They affect many areas of my life, not just work. I need to recognize them when they happen, stop and think twice. This doesn’t make my life easier — cut it out, self!
B. Home-life Goals
My family is my heart. They shouldn’t take a back-seat to everything else.
- Quality time with my daughter. More trips to the park and walks outside. Less TV! More one-on-one time reading books and playing together.
- Make time for my marriage. Talk to each other (and not just about work). Go on an occasional DATE! Hold each other more. Eat meals together as a family.
- Taking care of myself is NOT OPTIONAL!
- Build a honey-(and-me)-do list. For all of those little repairs and other projects around the house. Do one each week or two until the list starts to disappear. First to-do task: add a safety-chain to the tree swing.
- Be engaged with teaching my daughter. Do some research on fun ways to integrate learning with play. Make sure our nanny is on the same page and teaching/engaging Celeste, not just passively baby-sitting.
- Connect with my sister, nieces, parents and extended family more. Weekly phone calls! Send more fun-mail-day cards to my nieces.
C. Soul-Nourishing Goals
These are the things that enrich my life. I need to make time for myself and build a life I’m proud of, a life that makes my soul sing…
- Make time for ART every week.
- Learn new skills/techniques. What should I learn next?
- Make the “Somedays” HAPPEN. Set a date, make a plan, make it REAL. Someday, I’d like to travel and see the world. I need to think about this more and set some specific goals. Where do I want to go and what do I want to do/see when I get there? Beyond the tourist-traps, what will make each trip a rewarding experience? Someday, I’ll take an art class, go to ArtFest, TEACH a book-making class, do more art swaps, make a book for myself rather than to give away, etc. What other Somedays have I been putting off?
- Reconnect with artists and friends. I’ve missed out on the art scene (blogs, Yahoo groups, swaps, art-dates) since my daughter was born. This has been such a source of motivation and inspiration to me in my own art. I need to reconnect!
Cheri, life is too short. I hope to live a life with no more regrets for missed opportunities, a life that is truly lived to the fullest.
 I love you, Cheri. I miss you…
Tags: cheri, goals
Posted in Musings and Articles | 3 Comments »
November 10th, 2009
It’s so nice to get fun stuff in the mail rather than just bills and junk! And what could be better than art? Check out my new Tumble Fish Studio prints by Marsha Jorgensen:
I was introduced to Marsha’s artwork (a.k.a. Tumble Fish Studio) through a fund raiser for a mutual friend, Tina Wright. I was the top bidder on a piece of her artwork and a gift certificate to her shop for another print and she was kind enough to send me three! (Thank-you, I love them!!) Marsha makes these delightful collages the old-fashioned way — by hand. You can see more at her blog or her etsy shop.
Last week I also received my order of art goodies from The Shoppe at Sommerset. I now have a set of test tubes, some watch findings (tiny, tiny gears and parts), unusual paper flowers and a cool collage sheet. Still no time to play with them - maybe this weekend…? I hope so — I’m going through art withdrawl and my hands are itching to CREATE!
Tags: collage
Posted in Inspiring Artists, Mailbox Treasures and Gifts, Photo and Collage Art | 1 Comment »
October 28th, 2009
Based on a 360 degree panorama photograph of a rural Bryan, Texas scene taken in 2007. This “Wee Planet” was donated to a silent auction to benifit a dear friend, Tina Wright, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.
 This is one of my favorite Wee Planet creations. I took the photos during a delightful afternoon ride through the country side and back roads with my husband on his motorcycle. The weather was perfect and the wind and sheer exhilaration of the ride made my spirit soar. I honestly have no idea how to find this little meadow and pond again!
The Silent Auction and Benifit Dinner is October 29th at the Wellborn Community Center from 4 to 8pm. Please stop by!
Tags: silent auction, wee planets
Posted in Photo and Collage Art | No Comments »
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