the weekly palette, 10/13

weekly palette #4, anatomical drawing

as a reminder, the winner will be announced on the last sunday of every month.

this month’s prize is a stack of 4×6 papers… some vintage and antique book pages and sheet music, handmade papers, printed papers, etc.

 

here are the “rules” if you missed the first posts:

• create something using some or all of the colors in the weekly palette (at least three is preferred).
• “something” = anything.  if you make it, it counts. an assemblage, something altered, a painting, a collage, an art journal page, a book/book cover, a dress, a pair of mittens, jewelry, digital art, a newly refinished piece of furniture, a craft item — anything.  any medium. i just want to see people get creative.
• email a photo (or two) of your piece with the email subject “weekly palette” to hi (at) altered bits (dot) com but in proper email format with no spaces.  include your name, blog or website address and whatever else you want.
• IF YOU’RE SUBMITTING SOMETHING PERSONAL, SUCH AS AN ART JOURNAL PAGE THAT YOU DON’T WANT POSTED, PLEASE INDICATE SO.  i’m kind of a mind-reader, but not always spot-on.
• check back on the last sunday of the month to see if you’ve won as i’ll post the winner’s name, blog or web address, and submission photo (unless they’ve requested it not be posted).
• feel free to enter every week for additional chances to win at the end of the month.  one submission = one entry.
• have fun creating!

french victorian anatomy: bleeding heart

i’ve never been very creative in my naming of things, but there is typically a story behind all that i create.  there is emotion.  passion.  every single piece i make is a reflection of what i’m feeling at that particular moment in time…  i’m moody — and i think it shows.

i started this piece several weeks ago and kinda fell in love.  i wanted to hold onto it for awhile before posting it up for sale.  do you ever do that?  feel a connection with your art and along with it the need to hold onto it for a wee bit?  it’s the heart — i am a deep lover of all things anatomy, particularly hearts, and this one is pretty fantastic in my opinion.

here is a detail shot of the heart:

i typically work fairly small, but this piece measures 16″x20″ — i’ve been doing larger things lately and i’m liking it!

a really wonder what an art therapist would say.  i was looking at some photos of my most recently completed pieces and they all seem to have some line(s) of separation.  divided color and texture.  two totally different halves/portions.

and some up-close details of the texture/patterns:

this piece is currently available here (along with additional photos): http://alteredbits.com/alicia-caudle-art.php

next up: some movable, light-up pieces i’ve been working on the past couple of years.  or that’s the plan.  i always get distracted or discouraged with the “whoops, got the wrong kind of LED” and whatnot then put it off again for another few months.  we shall see how it goes.

altered bits zine and other goodness

first and foremost, i want to thank all of you for your sweet and wonderful comments and emails from my last most.  i have been SO busy that i haven’t had time to respond yet but i will, and i love and appreciate you all.

now, on to biz…

i haven’t counted yet, but it seems to me there may be less submissions for to the altered bits mixed media art zine this round and the deadline is tomorrow.  i could be wrong though.  still, there were several people who said they had things to submit that i haven’t gotten yet so… if you let me know by the end of the weekend that you will be sending things, i can give you an extension until next friday, but only if you let me know so i can save a potential page for you (and i can’t make any promises).  otherwise, if you have your pieces ready, please get them to me by the end of the day monday if you can.  guess how i’m going to be spending my birthday tomorrow?  finishing MY pieces.  i have one started and not the other, neither are done.  ha. if you need more time than that, just ask.  i’m really quite behind and if i don’t have crap together i can’t really expect you to either.  i STILL have to interview the magnificent and wonderful artist who will be the center of attention in this issue too.  i really do suck.

over the past few weeks i’ve been working on some new digital collage sheets (okay, months, but shhh — i’ve been busy, thus super slow).  i have three new “collage for a cause” sheets.  two “for the birds” sheets and one “hearts only”.  both my very own little bug studio (now an official non-profit) will receive 100% of the profits to start/finish our studio remodel for children on the autism spectrum to come art it up with my aspie son and me, and the other charity is the non-profit called the neighborhood center for the arts.  remember susan in a previous post?  you can catch up here if you missed it: https://alteredbits.wordpress.com/2012/01/21/arty-goodness-and-love/

i also started six new “art journalling borders and bits” digital collage sheets.  i think i’m going to tweak some of them in the next week or two but they are fun.  i’ve had lots of people ask “why don’t you do borders like everyone else?  my response is “i have no clue what anyone else is doing — i don’t have time to look at other people’s offerings”.  i guess i should!

over the next few weeks, i will be adding TONS of stuff.  i have about a zillion bundles and kits here of varying sorts (art journalling, book making, vintage textiles, fabric and lace bundles, one of a kind randomness, new vials of about 4 or 6 kinds, etc.).  just ’cause i hadn’t added anything to my site in the past 7 or so months doesn’t mean i haven’t still be snatching it up.  looks like a hoarder’s nightmare around here right about now.  i’m proud that i at least got nineteen new digital collage sheets today AND lowered the prices on 90% of the “stale” ones that have been up for so long.  i’m also doing a buy two get one free, but no on “collage for a cause” sheets.  you can peek at them here: http://alteredbits.com/digital-collage-sheets.php

more soon — i’m getting ready for a super fun arty day with the kids on monday as it’s a no school day for both home and public kids.  wooohoooo!  seriously sorry i suck at correspondence and returning emails.  i’m quiet while in a funk but i’m snapping out of it, promise.

an anatomical book and a vintage paper bundle giveaway

i’ve been having so much fun making these “two story books” of mine.  i’m a huge dork and love plays on words… which i suppose is obvious.  i have several in the making, but this one is finally complete.

my newest two story book is just in time for valentine’s day, though anatomical hearts are a year-round adoration to me.

the pages off the bottom book are blood red, and the top book’s pages are black.  i love writing in white gel pen on dark pages.

available for purchase on my website, here: http://alteredbits.com/alicia-caudle-art.php

— also, i would like to have a give-away —

this week the fam and i went on some huge adventures, having a hike in an area i used to frequent, tromping past mini-waterfalls and gazing below at the willamette river.  it was pretty, and fun (though quite cold).  afterwards we went to one of my favorite volunteer-run used book stores and i got heaps of vintage foreign language books.  lucky me!  but lucky you as well!  i’ve put together a bundle of over 40 pages of foreign language text and image sheets for you: french, sanskrit, japanese, scandinavian, german, russian… i’m guessing on some of these.  all of these date from 1920 to 1960 and could be yours for collage or other art projects.

i will be adding a few more paper bits once the random generator picks the winner — something custom that i think he or she may like, such as vintage scrap, collage sheet bits, vintage ephemera, or stamps, etc.  all you have to do to enter is leave a comment.  the winner will be announced next saturday, the 21st.

good luck!!

xx

giveaways and goodness

what an exciting month july is!  happy belated fourth of july to those in the states.  we had a blast at our house.

The Pulse, founded by Seth Apter of the Altered Page, is a collaborative project that aims to introduce you to new artists, help you get to know familiar faces even more, and allow you access into the creative hearts and minds of a very talented crew of individuals. More than 130 artists have answered a series of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented in a series of online posts which kicked off July 2nd, 3rd and 4th.  The posts are chock full of AMAZING art and links to the artists websites — go check it out!  This will be continuing every Sunday until about the Spring of 2012.
 
  

as a gesture of gratitude to all of my wonderful readers, i whipped up several little vellum envelope collage packs with collage sheet images, vintage book pages, printed papers and such to send off to five lucky winners (some also have vintage stamps, chipboard pieces, handmade papers and gears).  i will be having a giveaway for four of these this coming weekend here, and one for someone on facebook.  all winners will be announced july 10th.  on a side-note, it’s just occurred to me that all but one of the packs have anatomical images so hope you like body parts as much as i do.  most of the images are from new collage sheets that are not yet listed on my site.  just leave a comment here or on facebook to be in the drawing.
 
  

last, and certainly not least, i wanted to share in advance that i will be doing an interview with jema “emilly ladybird” hewitt regarding her recent book “Steampunk Emporium” on the 11th of this month.  i can’t wait to share this with those of you who are into steampunk and/or jewelry and/or oddments and/or costume design.  there will be yet another july giveaway for this: one free copy of the book “Steampunk Emporium” and a little steampunk + other goodies bag from me with gears, watch parts, cogs, 1940s vintage beads, etc.

i hope you all have a magnificently creative start to the new month!  i’m working on three new series and some paintings — if only i could just sleep once a week so i could get done all that is in my mind!!

a day late

happy love, a day late.  we’re not huge valentine celebrators around here, but we’ll typically make each other something.

the little man woke me up with breakfast in bed that he made all by himself (cereal) and the most gorgeous card.  the husb actually made me art!  real, true life, visual art (i’ll photograph soon).  his art is music and he doesn’t typically enjoy making things, but recently we had a spur of the moment “altered man” workshoppy art fest here with some friends.  we all started in on altering some anatomical guy dolls.  well, he finished his in secret for me  and wrote me the most delightfully sweet love song (kinda sounded like an angry horror film narrator in a sexy nerdy way talking circuitry and electronics and love).  needless to say, the dude he made me was packed full of electronic bits, circuits, an LED crown, wires, etc., standing on a heart shaped circuit board.  i guess he’s sweet after all, eh?

i made him “us” last weekend, while so on top of things, but ran out of time making him the part two piece of “us as animals”.  sounds worse than it will be, hah.  anyway, us…

our hearts are all tangled and lovey.  guess i can be sweet every once in awhile too.  pfff.

xxox

another book, a butterfly and gorgeous goodies

i’m book obsessed.  i think i’ve made about 30 in the past two months, but this one i made for my shop since it’s been so barren over there that i could practically hear crickets.  the others were for art fairs and gifts, but this one is for you.  😉  my camera is weird and tries to make things look more pristine than they are.

i like to fool around with different weird binding techniques that i dream up but this time i was going to just cover the spine with fabric.  however, when i was done, i liked the rough and rustic look of it so i altered my original plan.

oooh, alicia-style crackle!  you can click to enlarge, if you’re interested.

and… a classic back pocket.  gotta have a place for those secrets, i always say!

i also spent some time working on my butterfly for the butterfly project.  if you haven’t heard of it, here is the short version: the holocaust museum in houston, texas, which is dedicated to educating people about the holocaust, remembering the 6 million jews and other innocent victims and honoring the survivors’ legacy.  fast forward to their project, the butterfly project is  to remember the 1,500,000 innocent children who perished as a result of the holocaust  by collecting 1.5 million handmade butterflies.  i’ve started mine and will be finishing it this weekend with my family.  both the husby and the son wish to make one because we think this is such a beautiful tribute to a horribly tragic historical event.  many of the husb’s ancestors were lithuanian jews.  two dresses studio has graciously offered to forward the butterflies to the museum and we’ll be sending ours off soon.

this is the start to mine (lace, embroidery, recycled sari silk, salvaged fabric from a once-gorgeous dress from the 50s, etc… and i think i will cover the black stitching ’cause i may now hate it):

now, i have to plug my sweet friend lisa jurist because i adore her and her gorgeous products have facilitated my whole book-making extravaganza lately.  without her, my binding would be ever so bland!  if you do not know her, you must visit her blog and etsy shop and i assure you, you will adore her too.  i have a mudhound shopping fetish so a couple of weeks ago when i realized i was low on her amazing recycled silks, i popped over to get more.  see how amazingly lovely this silk is!!

and in the package, that super sweet, ever-so-generous girl sent me this amazing miniature vintage printer’s drawer (she sells these in her etsy shop too!).  i’m in love and can’t wait to get some of my wonderful little victorian babies and poison bottles into it.  thanks so much, lisa!!

 

One World One Heart 2011

it’s time again for one world one heart!  actually it was time about a week ago but i was a bit slow… what else is new, at least for those who know me.  for those who don’t, hello!  i’m alicia of altered bits, a little online shop with mixed media and altered art goodies — and i have some goodies to share.  i’m also a mixed media artist with an affinity for dolls/doll parts, anatomical “things”, rust and anything that’s old, tattered and interesting to look at.

this year i’ll be giving away three things.  first up, a small frozen charlotte doll with a little bundle of gorgeous recycled sari silk ribbon in earthy hues:

next up, the whole “collaged bits” collection from altered bits in digital format (i’ll upload it to my server so you can download it).  i created these sheets and images so you won’t find them anywhere else (if you do, tell me though ’cause they’re mine, ha!):

last but not least, i’ve pulled one of my anatomical collages to give to YOU.  it’s entitled “still” and is mounted on black mat board.  i am not as much of a collage person as i used to be as i prefer to create creepy little assemblages but i almost miss the feel and smell of paper when i leave it for too long.

you know the drill — just leave a comment and you could win one of these three items.  winners will be announced on february 17th (the day before my birthday).

PLEASE MAKE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS: i had a winner last year who left no email address or blog address so i was bummed.

books, collages and quiet times

november is always a quiet time of year for me.  hectic, but still and calm-feeling at the same time for some reason.  it’s getting cold now which makes me want to go out even less than i typically would and i get so very busy creating holiday gifts for fam and friends, winter-time art show goodies, stuff my shops, etc. that i feel like a quiet little machine.   as crazy as november and december always are to me, i feel like i’m going in slow motion in this hushed little space of my own.

i’ve made a few more handmade books.  that makes 18 so far (they are tiny though).  three of these are gifts for sure (the two above = gifts to me – are the only non-blank ones), and some may soon be in my shop as i may have created too many to fit in my wee space at the 12/5 art fair (do you think 3 assemblages, 15 mini-books, 25 cards, 25 prints, eight collages, a large handmade book, five wristcuffs, three necklaces and six journals will fit on a 3×5′ table??).

i also did a series of anatomical collages a couple weeks back, or so.  four of which can be found on my site — just posted them.

first, i created a woman…

then i created four men.  here are three of them…

home, sewing, and heart stuff

phew.  i feel like i haven’t been “here” in ages.  not in the blog world or home.  we’ve just returned from a longer than anticipated trip… all over the place but spent the most time in southern california.  it was hot but wonderful fun for the most part.  and the little man got to visit disneyland for the first time which of course, as you know, is probably one of the most thrilling things in the world to a seven year old.  i had fun too… despite being a huge wimp when it comes to rides.  i’m even a bigger wimp when it comes to NO ART for 6 or 11 or whatever days it was.  not cool at all.  for that alone i’m glad to be home.

so today, reunited with paint and paper and fabric and lace, i made stuff.  first sewed a new curtain on a whim.  all kitchen curtains should have a pocket, ya know.  why?  i think i said something about this the last time i made a kitchen curtain (the one i decided was ugly this morning).  because husbands can be really mean beasts who hide your ring in an obscure cup or vase on the top shelf of the cupboard that you couldn’t even reach if you wanted to when you take it off to make him a damned meatloaf and lets you whine and cry for 17+ minutes that you THINK it went down the garbage disposal.  now, yeps, a pocket.  a sweet little dainty one that his big grubby man hands can’t fit in to thieve my pretty wedding ring… even if HE wanted to.  ha!  take that, husby!

after my mini bout of sewing (the curtain took all of 15 minutes to create so of course i needed much more) a heard a little folk story that made me somewhat weepy but smiley and a feel a bit verklempt.  so i had to make something in honor of said story.  the story goes like this (imagine this in the voice of johnny cash, which is how i heard it):

A Mother’s Love

Once a young man lived with his mother beside a great forest.  The young man was in love with a beautiful girl who lived in the forest.  He told the girl in the forest that if she would marry him, he would bring her anything that she asked.  Knowing that he lived with his mother, the girl said “take your dagger and cut out your mother’s heart and bring it to me and I will marry you”.  This made the young man very sad, but he wanted to marry the girl so he killed his mother and cut out her heart.  Running through the forest with his mother’s heart in his hands, he stumbled and fell and dropped the heart.  As he was getting up, his mother’s heart cried out from the ground, “My son, did you hurt yourself when you fell?”

and this is what i started to make, which is of course not done (the heart piece will be a door that opens to reveal the story inside, me thinks):

i have a new-found love of my local library.  i buy way too many books.  i picked up THREE of the books from seth’s book guild posts that i’ve been wanting to check out before potentially buying (the principals of uncertainty, journal revolution and eco-books) and a bit of velvet and a dash of lace (magnolia pearl book).  i love the principals of uncertainty!!  i will buy it for sure.  just reading the first little bit made me want to make a book for my son (i like writing stories), so of course i started in on that straight away.  it’s mostly crazy childhood stories for my boy, like when my sister sucked on a slug and almost died, and mama doodles and stuff like that…

funny.  i never posted this the other day when i wrote it ’cause my internet went down for days (router up in smoke).  so, i finished the principals of uncertainty and i loved it.  i think you should get it if you like art and doodles and witty, insightful girls who are eloquent and quirky in unison.  i will go back to find out who suggested it and thank them personally (tomorrow though ’cause we’re off to the zoo today).

missin’ you all heaps!  i’m off to start my three day blog catch up time the moment we return from our wild adventure.  woohoo!