Flashback Friday

I haven't done a Flashback Friday in a loooooooong time, so I thought I would share these pictures with you.

One night, during my senior year of high school, I came home early from being out with my friends and wanted to paint. I went out into the garage and grabbed a ladder and started painting on one of my bedroom walls. The next morning my parents came into my room and said, "Oh cool, you're painting your wall. I like it!"
At the time it didn't seem like such a big deal, but looking back now, they gave me a lot of artistic freedom. There is a lot of underlying support in that kind of attitude. I have never been afraid to try new things in my art, and I think a lot of that has to do with times like that.
Anyway...here it is, circa 1992-1993?This is the only close-up I have. I must have worked on it off and on for a few months, but when I graduated and went away to college, my parents sold this house. They took these pictures before they moved out. I guess you could say I was really into quotes and color!:) I didn't finish it either. I wonder what the people who bought it thought! LOL It probably took a couple coats of KILZ to cover that mural up!

It's hard to believe that was 17 years ago!

Looking at it tonite, I pray that I will be able to always support my children's dreams and adventures in a special way.

Thanks for looking back with me.:)

Have a happy weekend.

xo,

Chrissie

Flashback Friday

Hello dear friends. I can't believe this week is already almost over!
I haven't done a "Flashback Friday" in a long time, so I thought I'd share this piece with you.
I made it in 2004, which means that Ava and Jax weren't born yet. One of these days I'll open up the frame and put their names in it. It is a mixed-media piece with lots of different elements. The background was painted with watercolors, and there's also some acrylic paint using stencils and stamps. There is lots of collage, ribbon, hand embroidery using metallic thread, metal scrapbooking pieces, and more. I really loved making this piece and it is hanging in our living room.
I hope everyone has a creative Friday. I am going to the Kennedy Space Center on a field trip with third graders.
Wish me luck!:)

Flashback Friday

I painted this in 2005 and sold the original. I was so happy to find that I had saved a file for it. The poem I wrote on it says this:

When I look within

I see something growing

I'm not sure what it is

but it turns my tears into diamonds

my hope into flowers.

Now I am growing into myself

and the years fall off

like leaves on a tree.

I'm offering 5 x7" prints on my etsy shop for $7.50 if you're interested.
Happy Friday! I'm going to take some time off blogging this weekend to enjoy Easter with my family. I hope all of you have a safe and lovely Easter weekend making precious memories with your loved ones.
xo
Chrissie

Flashback Friday and a Winner

It's time for Flashback Friday again. How do these weeks go by so fast?

This is an "ArtyGator" I did for the city of Sanford two years ago. It was 7 feet tall! I know I complained about the bunny taking a long time, but this guy took me a full month working 40-50 hours a week. Every single piece of glass that I mosaic-ed on him was handcut.

Annheiser Busch sponsored for me to complete this guy. So I painted the eagle on his arm...

Here's a close-up of the back.

A view from behind...

And a frontal view. Lots and lots of stained glass, mirror, and gold paint.

It was a city project and I think about 20 artists painted theirs. There were some really beautiful ones. Mine was the only mosaic one. I loved how he turned out but it was hard work!

Thanks for looking at my Flashback Friday!

And I guess you are wondering who the winner of the cupcake barrette is...

...it is Frugal Jen!!

Congratulations Jen! Please email me your address so I can get this out to you!

And many thanks to all of you who played and gave me your honest feedback about the pieces. I am definitely going to put some things together and list them on my etsy shop soon. Thank you also for the recent Etsy orders...:)
I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend. We have a Cupcake themed birthday party tomorrow for our little princess. I'll be back on Monday with some pictures:)

xo,

Chrissie

Flashback Friday

I made this last summer, and I loved it so much I thought I would keep it. But I ended up selling it at one of my Fall art shows.

It was mixed-media. Hand-painted, baubles, beads, resin-filled bottle caps, scrapbooking papers, found items, etc...

I'd like to make a whole series of them. They are so much fun!

This is a 16 x 20 painting that I hand-embroidered with beads and emb. floss. I made one similar to it a couple of years ago, sold it, and then made this one to keep. I love it.

This sucker took a loooooong time. Sometimes I love to do all that detailed embroidery, when I need to slow down.

Here's another close-up.
And on another note...

Michelle Allen is having this fabulous giveaway. Isn't it fabulous? Go here to enter. Except I want to win! I love her stuff!

Have a great weekend everyone. Thanks for looking at my "Flashback Friday":)

xo

Chrissie

Flashback Friday

Happy Friday!

I showed you here how I make these, so I thought I'd show you the other three that went in this series.

They are so "spring-y", right?

I am going to try really hard to finish two projects for my house this weekend. I figured maybe if I said it on my blog I would feel more accountable!

See you on Monday~

xo,

Chrissie

Flashback Friday

I love to paint, make collages, mosaic, sew, embroider, cut wood, write, and try anything that is art or craft-related. When I make something I like, I tend to go crazy on it. When I made one of these mini-mosaics/mixed-media collages, I couldn't stop. I made about 20 of them.

I haven't done any mosaics in awhile, but I will be this week. I have 2 special custom orders that are ready to begin. I can't wait to show you...:)

Have a great weekend everyone!

xo,

Chrissie

Flashback Friday

It's Flashback Friday again!

I actually had to scrape ice off of the windshield this morning...but it's supposed to be back up to 74 degrees tomorrow!

I made these kitties and dog series last year. If anyone is interested, I can post some prints on my Etsy shop.

There are a few more that I'll post later.

I have a big weekend coming up...an Open House Art Party tomorrow. I'll be back on Monday with lots and lots of pictures of this fun event.

Have a great weekend!

xo

Chrissie

Flashback Friday

It has been rainy and yucky here the last two days, so I haven't been able to get any new pictures. I thought I would show you some of my "older" pieces that have been in my archives. Let's call it Flashback Friday, and I think I'll do it for at least a few weeks. I've got 10 years worth of art pieces!

I started this piece in 2001, I think. It was big, and very heavy! I think it ended up being 5 feet high. It was my first attempt at mixed-media mosaics. It ended up being on the cover of a local newspaper magazine, and I sold it the very next day. "Love" is one of my all-time favorites...

I made this mixed-media mosaic mirror last year. A daddy had me make it for his daughter. He was very specific in all the things he wanted incorporated. I thought it was so sweet for a father to go to all that trouble for his daughter. It was one of my favorite custom orders ever, because he spent a lot of time thinking about it.

This is one of my mosaic panels that was custom made for some friends in 2007. I think it measures about 5 feet across and about 2 feet high. There are lots of handcut tiles in there, mirror, glass beads, pebble rock, and paint. I love how it turned out.

Don't forget to enter my contest here. I'll be drawing a name Monday morning. Have an awesome weekend!