My FUSSED UP Life... f.k.a. Fuss It Up! Designs

BloomTrue Workshop!

2012-02-25T20:38:00.001-06:00

As you most of you know, I'm taking part in Flora Bowley's

Bloom True Intuitive Painting workshop.

I just love everything I've learned so far about color and

layering and even how to just let go

and make marks without thinking

of the end result!

I'm actually about a week behind but

that's what I can do ...

so that's what I do!

After adding dark and light values, which you can
see here... I added

bright, translucent color washes of

orange, yellow and fushia.

I was thrilled to

get back to a color scheme I was more comfortable with!

I took a lot of pictures because it will soon be
covered...

...covered with the next lesson and the next
layer of paint! And I really like it how it is now.

But as much as I like how it looks now, that's o.k....
because this painting is just technique~learning marks
on a canvas and lessons put into practice! Undoubtedly
many paintings will follow.
Below is the large piece that these detailed shots came from...

36"x36" work in progress

And below is what it looked like after week one!

What I've found is that I love the painting more

and more after each lesson. Knowing that gives me all

the courage I need to let go of this layer and embrace the next!

Thank you for letting me share a little bit of this

painting journey with you! As always, I love to

hear from you and cherish your thoughts!

xoxo

Paint Party Friday...!

2012-02-24T10:34:00.001-06:00

Happy Friday everyone...

and a special welcome to all of my

Paint Party Friday and

Sneak Peek Friday friends! You

are deeply appreciated here!

What a busy week

I've had... I only got to paint twice!

But I'm heading to the studio soon, will paint the day away

and post my Bloom True progress tomorrow, so stay tuned!

{read tomorrows post here!}

All week I've been posting about what inspires me and

asking the same questions of you.

I posted about inspirations outside, with nature, and about

the "pops" of color I found inside my home.

I celebrated another fabulous Birthday...

and posted my

Birthday Bash Giveaway...

in case you missed that post, you can read all about it here!

To celebrate my Birthday week

I'm giving away three original pendant necklaces that I've

created...

{It's not too late to enter!}

My grandmother always told me to

count my blessings one by one. This week has

been one of those weeks that I realized over

and over again just how blessed I am!

Thank you ALL for visiting, leaving a comment

and the fabulous Birthday wishes you've given me!!!

I hope everyone gets to be as creative as they want to be

this weekend!

xoxo

INspiRaTIOn iS EvERYwHERe!

2012-02-23T15:54:00.001-06:00

What INSPIRES you!

It's clear from my last

INspiRaTIOn iS EvERYwHERe! post that many

artists find inspiration in color.

I do too and absolutely love color!

Going deeper, I decided that what I

really love is when colors POP... or stand out!

This is very clear if you enter my home

and just look around.

I have little pops of color everywhere.

One way to make your colors come alive is to place opposite

colors next to or near each other. The red flower above

really stands out because it's on top of a green book cover.

The same holds true for this oil painting... the red scarf

really pops because it's painted on a green background.

Another way to get colors to jump out at you is to

add them to a neutral background... like the picture below.

The neutral wall color, the candle holders and

the vintage bling all help the red candle stand out!

One more way to get color to pop is through contrast...

placing lights and darks near each other.

The yellow roses pop because they're surrounded by

darker reds and purples. The cranberries below pop because

of the lighter gold glass and white candle.

The patterned cups work the same way... with lighter

colors on top of darker colors and vice versa.

Ditto for the stack of books and the titles.

That's just three ways I get color to pop in my home.

I have found the same principles work in my

artwork! There is actually an

original abstract painting of mine in one of the photos above

with the complimentary colors green and red.

Tell me, does your home decor reflect your art style

like mine does? I'd love to hear...

and don't forget, every comment, repost, pin,

etc. counts for my

Birthday Bash Giveaway which ends Saturday at

midnight central time!

Be inspired and happy creating!

xoxo

Birthday Bash Giveaway!

2012-02-22T14:26:00.000-06:00

Hooray!

It's my birthday once again and for some

reason, I love to give presents to others on this day!

I've learned so much over the past year about art,

business and myself... to say I'm grateful would be

an understatement. Blessed beyond measure

would be way more accurate!

And because of this, I want to bless others with

some of my Fuss It Up! creations!

The first necklace (top photo) is a tiny print

of my original mixed media artwork on

a vintage ivory domino! It represents a heart overflowing

with love, music and happiness.

The second necklace (key) features a vintage

earring with glitter and the word "happy" in type

on the front. It declares to the world that

you've found the key to happiness.

The third piece (above) is a mixed media soldered glass

pendant necklace. It has original artwork and the word

"happy" between two pieces of glass, soldered with lead free

solder. It again declares your happiness to the world!

My Birthday Bash Giveaway includes all three of these!

Tell me which one is your favorite and why!

The winners will be chosen according to the number of

times you enter... and each thing listed below

counts as one entry!

To enter is soooooo easy...

~every new follower counts

~every comment counts

~every share counts

~every Fuss It Up! Facebook comment and "like" counts

~every "pin" on Pinterest counts

~every friend referral counts (those who do any

of the above

saying that you sent them)

Everyone has so many chances to win!

There will also be other randomly chosen gifts and the

giveaway ends Saturday at midnight Central time...

so get busy!

It's only my Birthday week once a year!

Have a great day and be creative!

xoxoxo

INspiRaTIOn iS EvERYwHERe!

2012-02-20T14:09:00.000-06:00

What INSPIRES you!

Since it's the

first day of the week and I have so much to do, I did

what comes naturally to any creative type. . .

I put off my responsibilities, grabbed my camera

and went on a walk looking for inspiration!

I stated recently that I get inspired by nature

everyday and today was no exception. The colors seemed

to PoP everywhere I looked!

I tried to pin down exactly what inspires me

so much about nature... and anything, for that matter.

I decided I'm always inspired by patterns. . .

and colors . . .

and contrasting elements. . .

and textures.

And the more of these each thing has, the better!

What inspires YOU most in nature?

And how

does it show up in your artwork?

Please tell me! Because it's my birthday week

{and I always celebrate ALL week long!}

every comment I receive this week will be entered into

an end-of-the-week Birthday Bash Giveaway!

Comment now and stay tuned for giveaway details!

xoxo

Dreamy Sundays

2012-02-19T20:34:00.000-06:00

Original Mixed Media Collage 2010

Evolution of a Painting

2012-02-17T23:08:00.000-06:00

Taking over a white canvas with warm colors . . .

finding shapes . . .

adding cool colors . . .

more warm colors . . .

white highlights . . .

dark contrasts . . .

more to come!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

xoxo

Bloom True Workshop

2012-02-16T13:45:00.001-06:00

I had a fabulous paint day in the studio today!
I added more cool colors to my

second assignment

in the Bloom True Workshop by
Flora Bowley and love what happened.

(first lesson here)

This is what I started with. The point was not

to think about it but just "play" with my tools

and some paint! And that's exactly

what I ended up doing!

Before I realized what I had done, I noticed that I didn't

leave much of the previous layer!

I just couldn't help myself... the music was on...

the paint was flowing...

and I was lost in the fun!

One friend commented that it looks like an

underwater scene...

I can definitely see the bubbles in this view!

I love how the surviving warm colors peak through

just a bit!

And so in one session I went from this... (above)

to this!

And now I'm all set to add another layer of

warm colors before tomorrows lesson!

It's a beautiful sun~shiny day today here in Iowa...

I hope the sun is shining where you are

and that you're happy creating something

fabulous!

Happy Paint Party Friday and

Sneak Peak Friday!

xoxo

CuRREntLy TeACHinG

2012-02-15T14:42:00.001-06:00

_________New Class Listings..._________

Here are some of the classes I'm currently teaching and where!
Classes Now Offered at Fuss It Up! Designs Art Studio

Mixed Media Collage Painting!

Learn how to create a fabulous Mixed Media Collage painting

using acrylic paint and recycled items like used

gift wrap, bubble wrap, and even a Starbucks coffee sleeve!

This workshop includes all of the materials, easy

step-by-step instructions and each student will leave

with a finished piece of artwork ready to hang on the wall!

Middle school through adult students are welcome.

(Price includes cost of materials).

Taught by artist Renee Mak at

Fuss It Up! Designs Art Studio

222 1/2 5th Street

West Des Moines, Iowa 50265

Thursday 6:00 - 8:00pm March 1st Tuition: $40

Saturday 10:30 - 12:30 pm March 10, 2012

Grab a friend and register now!

Credit card or PayPal accepted!

_________________________________________________________________________________

Vintage Photo Pendant Necklace

Do you love the look of old photos and all things vintage? Now you can learn how to turn

vintage photos into fabulous pendant necklaces in this easy to understand, step-by-step workshop! Each student

will leave with several finished pieces

and the knowledge to create more at home!

Taught by artist Renee Mak at

Fuss It Up! Designs Art Studio

222 1/2 5th Street

West Des Moines, Iowa 50265

Tuesday 6:00 - 8:00pm March 8th Tuition: $30

Grab a friend and register now!

Credit card or PayPal accepted!

Class Date

______________________________________________________________________________

FFabulous Key Pendant Necklace

with Vintage Jewelry!

Learn step-by-step instructions on how to create a fabulous key pendant necklace featuring vintage jewelry! Student will leave class with a completed necklace, instructions and supplies to make more at home! Middle school thru adult

students are welcome! All supplies

included but feel free to bring

your own vintage key or jewelry to use!

Taught by artist Renee Mak at

Fuss It Up! Designs Art Studio

222 1/2 5th Street

West Des Moines, Iowa 50265

Saturday 10:30 - 12:00noon March 17th Tuition: $34

Grab a friend and register now!

Credit card or PayPal accepted!

Class Date

____________________________________________________________________

Classes offered through Waukee Community Education

Winter/Spring Catalog 2012

Pure Silver Charm Workshop!

Thursday March 15, 2012

6:00-8:30pm

In this easy step-by-step workshop, you'll

learn how to create a .999% pure silver charm

using Precious Metal Clay.

Each student will leave with 1-2 finished pieces

of heirloom quality pure silver... ready to

wear on a necklace or bracelet!

Middle school thru adult

students are welcome!

Vintage Photo Pendant Necklace

Thursday April 19, 2012

6:30-8:30pm

Turn vintage photos into fabulous glass pendants

in this easy step-by-step class. Each student will

leave with 2-3 finished pieces and the knowledge

to create more at home! Middle school thru

adult students are welcome!

{for prices and registration to these classes,

click on the picture above or call

(515) 987-2761 to register}

These are just the classes I' m teaching thru

community education. Classes & Workshops

offered at Fuss It Up! designs are listed above!

For private workshops and/or

parties please comment on this page

or call 515-865-3044

and we'll schedule a date and time!

xoxo

INspiRAtionS!

2012-02-13T13:44:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I take a step outside and am completely

amazed at the beauty and inspiration that surrounds me!

Today is one of those days...

Although it is bitter cold and my world is covered with

snow, I can't help but notice the

tree beside my house

and the little buds on the end of each branch.

I think they came early because of our unseasonably

warm midwest winter . . . they seem so tiny and fragile . . .

and now they're forced to co-mingle with the snow and ice

and patiently wait for spring!

In an instant I think of the creative soul , and how many times

we start to realize our hopes and dreams

and even begin to bloom and then get hit by a storm . . .

one that seems bent on slowing us down, stopping us

or even killing our dreams altogether.

I also think of my own life, the storms I've had to endure

and the many things I've overcome . . .

and can tell you from experience that the storms,

each and every storm, can only kill your dreams

if you let them.

And if you just hang on and hold tightly to your dreams,

the storm will end, the sun will come out and

a new day will dawn.

The beauty that follows will be beyond

your greatest dreams...

and that's what hit me this morning

as I stepped outside into the cold.

That's also what keeps me chasing my dreams,

learning new things

and creating art that inspires others

to do the same!

Feel free to share your inspirations...

what dreams are you chasing...

and which ones have you conquered!

xoxo

Dreamy Sundays

2012-02-12T21:56:00.002-06:00

Ingredients for a perfect afternoon...

Starbucks coffee , dark chocolate and

creative dreams!

Have a fabulous week!

xoxo

Bloom True Workshop

2012-02-11T18:44:00.000-06:00

I had a fabulous paint day in the studio today!
I began my second assignment (first lesson here)

in the Bloom True Workshop by
Flora Bowley and love what happened.

The colors really pop! The lesson was about getting to

know my tools... the brushes... and whatever else I use

to apply paint!

I used cool colors over the warm colors . . .

and simply made different marks with paint!

For my second painting, I used the marks that reminded

me of roses (from the first lesson) and just went with that!

I had fun using a foam brush . . .

and contrasting colors!

I didn't finish today but got a really great start!

It will be really fun to see how these paintings end up after 5 weeks!

Happy painting....

xoxo

Paint Party Friday!

2012-02-10T12:52:00.000-06:00

Happy Paint Party Friday! and

Sneak Peak Friday!

Painting by my daughter Monet!

This week has been really busy but I'm thrilled

to be taking part in the BLOOM TRUE workshop by

artist Flora Bowley and would love to share my

progress with you!

This week was all about letting go of

all inhibitions and covering the canvas with paint!

I learned two techniques...

My first canvas is 36" x 36" and has

warm colors mixed with water!

I'm always amazed by how the paint flows...

where is decides to go and where it avoids going!

For the second technique I decided to tack primed canvas

to the wall of my studio!

I put on some music, a blind fold and painted with

my hands . . . per Flora's instructions!

Here's a short video clip (unedited!!!)

This was really fun to do... like finger painting back in

preschool!

I again chose to work with bright, warm colors and will probably

have this canvas stretched before the next lesson.

Of course this exercise zipped by so quickly that I

just had to cover a third canvas with paint!

The detail that caught my interest the most here was

how some of my marks remind me of roses!

And my finger marks remind me of a fence

or a trellis!

Now I have three canvases all ready for the next lesson!

I love that no matter how busy I get, I can always

squeeze in time for painting and being creative...

I hope that you can do the same!

Please take a little time to stop by the

Paint Party Friday and Sneak Peak Friday links

and see all of the FABULOUS artwork!!!

{Just click on the numbered names to go

to each artists blog!}

Happy Friday!

<3<3<3

Vintage Photo Pendant Workshop!

2012-02-09T10:39:00.002-06:00

Last night as the sun set and the chill got chillier, 30 women came out

and created one of a kind glass pendant necklaces!

Class samples by Renee Mak

The class was offered as part of the

West Des Moines Community Ed program.

Vintage photos were provided but many students

brought their own photos to use!

I also brought along some vintage comic books!

And some even cut up and used words or graphics from

my business card!

Each table had samples and written instructions . . .

and while some students jumped right in, others had a hard

time deciding what picture to choose!

Lots of fun chit chat filled the room . . .

and many creative ideas where shared!

Artists made one or several fabulous pendants that I

hope to see around town! Thanks everyone for coming

out and having a great time with me!

Feel free to post pictures of your finished creations on the

Fuss It Up! facebook wall , "Like" us if you haven't already and

check back often for future classes!

And have a great day!

xoxo

CuRREntLy WoRKing oN!

2012-02-07T13:06:00.000-06:00

Today I'm working on getting some more cards wrapped up

and delivered to my stores!

I love taking detailed photos of parts of my original

mixed media artwork, getting prints made and making them into

cards! (Go here for a short tutorial!)

This process is called "leveraging" your art! I've been

doing it for quite some time but several artists teach

classes on all the different ways you can make money

with your designs!

Always sign and copyright each card...

and include your contact information! I have more

artwork on my business card so I stick one of those in

the package as well.

Because Valentine's Day is oh so close, I chose some

of my heart designs for this batch!

Cards are a big seller for me...

what are some ways you leverage your artwork?

I'd love to know!!!

Have a creative day...

xoxo

ViDEo INspiRAtionS!

2012-02-06T13:42:00.000-06:00

Here is a little video inspiration for you

to start your week off right!

It's about the lovely artist Danielle Daniel, her art

and what inspires her!
{click "watch on YouTube"}

Hope you enjoy it and have a very creative week!

xoxo

ARt and aRTIsts I LOvE!

2012-02-05T19:57:00.000-06:00

Flora Bowley!

As part of celebrating my birthday all month long,

I signed up for an amazing painting adventure with

artist Flora Bowley!

Her new studio!

I'm so excited for class to begin

because I really love her work and also love learning

new things about myself and painting!

Her eCourse is called "Bloom True" and it's about being

brave with art, exploring intuitive painting and

having tons of fun in the process!

Here's the video introduction to the class...

Flora Bowley Paints Online (2012) from Diggable Monkey on Vimeo.

She travels all over teaching her fabulous style...

her blog often showcases the people she meets

and the beautiful places she goes.

Book by Flora Bowley, 2012

Like many of my favorite artists, she has just finished

a book, pictured above, that I'm sure will be a great

asset to my art library! It's called

"Brave Intuitive Painting"...

I love the subtitle "Let go. Be bold. Unfold." which is

exactly what I plan on doing tomorrow when

BLOOM TRUE begins!!!

Anyone else signed up?

Stay tuned... I always share my fun!

Have a great week and

happy painting!

‘Crown’ (acrylic on canvas), Flora Bowley

Trash to Treasure Workshop~ Finished Piece!

2012-02-04T11:14:00.000-06:00

Finished 6" x 6" Mixed Media Collage!

Last Wednesday I taught my Mixed Media Collage workshop

for West Des Moines Community Education...

I blogged about it here and promised to show

you the final results ...

Detail

And here it is!

I always begin a "sample" in each class but

rarely get to finish it there.

I love this star!

All of the pieces, including the star, are things I had

laying around the studio. Things others may

just through away in the trash!

Heart detail

This cute little heart is the back of a Starbucks coffee sleeve...

of which I have an abundant supply!

Textural edge

One of my favorite parts of mixed media is the process of

building up the layers... especially when the texture shows up

afterwards like on this edge!

Happy!

When I look at this finished piece I feel all warm and fuzzy

inside because after it's done, I see the usual symbolism

that's almost always visible in my work.

Three stars (three children),

happy heart (mine!)

and fulfillment (nothing missing, nothing broken)!

Here's a question for you...

do you have themes that constantly

show up in your work, even when you

don't plan on it?

Let me know what you think and

as always...

Happy Creating!!!

xoxo

Paint Party Friday!

2012-02-03T09:33:00.001-06:00

Hooray... it's once again Friday and time to

meet up with happy painters from all over the world

through Paint Party Friday!

Because I just finished up my sketchbook

for The Sketchbook Project I'd like to share

some of the bright pages I painted before I filled

it in with my doodles!

My theme was HOPE.

I simply collaged works onto the dry pages.

After that I added colored prints

of my original artwork.

I then doodles on the prints!

I just let my mind go and doodled away!

I like how it all came together...

and will share more of the finished project soon!

Have a fabulous day and happy painting!!!

xoxo

Trash to Treasure Workshop!

2012-02-02T13:00:00.000-06:00

Last night I had the opportunity to teach my

Trash to Treasure Mixed Media Collage class

to some FABULOUS students!

And while I didn't get many pictures,

(because I'm still trying to figure out my new camera!!!)

the pictures I got are great!

A full class of mixed media "newbies" quickly

understood the easy step by step process and

when I asked them if they might create more at home,

I got a unanimous "YES"!

I was very excited to have a Starbucks fan in the crowd...

she even brought her own Starbucks coffee sleeve to use

in her piece!!!

And several of the students brought really fabulous items

to share, including Japanese wrapping paper and

real scrabble tiles!

Here's the sample I started for the class but have yet to finish...

Class sample

There will be a cute little house sitting in the valley under the

star... with a Starbucks roof to top it off...

I've posted the finished piece here!

Future classes I'll be teaching include

Vintage Photo Pendant Necklace!
(Feb. 8th)

And

Vintage Jewelry Key Pendant Necklace!
(Feb 7th)

The next Trash to Treasure class will be held in

Waukee on February 16th at South Middle School.

Trash to Treasure: Mixed Media Collage Painting

For more detailed information call

515-633-5001 (West Des Moines)

515-987-2761 (Waukee)

Hope to see you there!

Happy Painting!

xoxo

Sketchbook Project

2012-02-01T13:00:00.000-06:00

Happy first day of February... my birthday month!

I promise to party all month long...

I always do!

But today, here is a peak inside my sketchbook

I finished for the Sketchbook Project!

Inspiration doodles

I chose the "Hope" category and so, of course, my

sketchbook is all about hope and what it is to me.

I also wanted to inspire people to have hope with color

and evoke a "light heartedness" with whimsical doodles!

Getting started!

I used some of my favorite original designs and some of

my favorite colors and just doodled my heart away!

"What is Hope" page

I love how the black doodle lines POP on the brightly colored pages!

Hope grows!

I will definitely be using some of these as doodle pages for

future projects!

Hope village!

I'll be sharing this sketchbook more in the future too!

Cover art

Have a hope filled day everyone!

Doodles~ Week Four Complete!

2012-01-31T14:46:00.002-06:00

What an amazing and fun workshop!

Finished Piece

Here is my finished piece from

week four of Doodles Unleashed by Traci Bautista.

Flower detail

From start to finish this workshop was so much fun

and I learned new techniques that I'll use often.

Collaged doodle detail

Like adding doodles with gel medium and then painting over them.

Marker word detail

And using transparent markers for a "watermark" effect...

see the word create above in blue?

Fluorescent doodle detail

Using fluorescent paint and markers was also new to me...

but I really like how bright it made things!

Flower detail

This detailed shot of a flower is from the lower right hand

corner of the finished piece...

I love how all the different layers show thru, don't you!

Face close up

Overall I have to say that taking this workshop was the best way

to begin my new year! Traci's techniques and teaching style

has both taught and inspired me in more ways than I can say.

Hope my little blog posts have inspired you too!

Happy painting...

xoxo

Colorful Inspirations!

2012-01-31T11:52:00.000-06:00

Here's what's inspiring me today!

Colorful pieces...

Doodle pages...

Unopened supplies and almost finished projects...

Heart cut-outs...

Journal page and stencils...

Brushes...

Flowers and free ~form stitches!

What's inspiring you today?

xoxo

A new Home!

2012-01-29T23:39:00.000-06:00

I'm please to announce that one more of my paintings

has found a new home!

Detail

This mixed media acrylic painting

measures 48" x 48" and now belongs

to fellow artist Angela Meijer.

Here are "detail shots" of some of my favorite parts!

Below is a patch of heavy bodied acrylic...

the red drips are fluid acrylics.

I love to use stencils in my work, like the one below!

This mark looks like it has wings...

and sometimes there are hidden words!

I know this painting has found a great home where it

will be admired for years to come...

thanks Angela, for helping me spread my artist wings

and fly!

xoxo

CuRREntLy WoRKing oN!

2012-01-26T15:34:00.000-06:00

Here's to my second week with Paint Party Friday!

This week I've been working on several things all at once!

The most fun has been painting the assignment for

week four of the

free Strathmore Workshop I've been taking...

I'm not quite done with it but will walk you through a quick

step-by-step lesson of what I have so far...(just in case you still

haven't signed up yourself or don't have time)!

The very first step is just doodling on your surface,

anything at all! I wrote about the color BLUE because I knew

this piece was going to have a blue background and because I love

it so much!

Several layers of acrylic paint have been applied using paint, stamps and stencils...

My stencil is a recycled plastic doily and one of my stamps

is the back of a Starbucks coffee sleeve! I added white for variation.

After the blues dried, I stamped my piece with fluorescent

pink and orange paint using an old medicine bottle and a tiny plastic lid.

I really like how these colors pop on the blue background!

To add flowers, I painted a handmade foam stamp.

I used two colors and two stamps for this layer.

If you look hard enough you can faintly see the doodles

from the very first step in the center!

Here's a close up of the layers!

The week 4 lesson is about creating a

stylized face for our mixed media backgrounds. So here I have

masked one in...

along with some hair.

While that dried, I cut out a few of the doodles from the week three bonus lesson.

Then I painted the doodles bright colors!

And added more details to the face and hair and more colors.

Little by little I worked on adding layers... allowing the colors to dry in between!

More hair and details, etc... and a color wash for the face!

This is how far I got today...

the next step is adding doodles with markers, ink and

whatever else my artistic eye calls for!

Many of Traci's doodle girls have only one eye so I did that also.

This was really a fun excursion from all of the other things I

currently have on my plate.

I hope you had fun following along and

give it a try yourself!

Happy Painting!

xoxo

Classes and Workshops!

2012-01-22T18:54:00.000-06:00

"Trash to Treasure Mixed Media Class"

Here are some of the classes I'm currently teaching and where!

Classes offered through West Des Moines Community Education:

LEARNwest Winter/Spring Catalog 2012

Trash to Treasure~

Mixed Media Canvas!

Wednesday February 1, 2012

7:00-9:00pm

Create a fabulous mixed media collage painting using acrylic

paint and recycled items like used gift wrap, bubble wrap,

and even a used coffee cup! This workshop includes

all the materials, easy step-by-step instructions, and you will leave with a finished piece of artwork ready to hang on the wall!

NEW!

Vintage Photo Pendant Necklace

Wednesday February 8, 2012

7:00-9:00pm

Do you love the look of old photos and all things vintage?

Now you can learn how to turn

vintage photos into fabulous pendant necklaces in this

easy to understand, step-by-step workshop!

You will have fun creating two to three pendants

using vintage photos, glitter, words, and a tiny

bit of bling! All supplies are included and

each student will leave with instructions

on how to make more necklaces at home.

{for prices and registration to these classes,

click on the picture above or call

(515) 633-5001 to register}

Classes offered through Waukee

Community Education

Winter/Spring Catalog 2012

FFabulous Key Pendant Necklace

with Vintage Jewelry!

Tuesday February 7, 2012

6:30-8:30pm

Mixed Media Collage Painting!

Thursday February 16, 2012

6:00-8:30pm

Learn how to create a fabulous mixed media collage

painting using acrylic paint and recycled items

like used gift wrap, bubble wrap and even a

Starbucks coffee sleeve! This workshop includes

all the materials, easy step-by-step instructions

and each student will leave with a finished piece

of artwork ready to hang on the wall!

Middle school thru adult students are welcome!

Pure Silver Charm Workshop!

Thursday March 15, 2012

6:00-8:30pm

In this easy step-by-step workshop, you'll

learn how to create a .999% pure silver charm

using Precious Metal Clay.

Each student will leave with 1-2 finished pieces

of heirloom quality pure silver... ready to

wear on a necklace or bracelet! Middle school thru adult students are welcome!

Vintage Photo Pendant Necklace

Thursday April 19, 2012

6:30-8:30pm

Turn vintage photos into fabulous glass pendants

in this easy step-by-step class. Each student will

leave with 2-3 finished pieces and the knowledge

to create more at home.

Middle school thru adult students are welcome!

{for prices and registration to these classes,

click on the picture above or call

(515) 987-2761 to register}

These are just the classes I' m teaching thru

community education. Classed & Workshops

offered at Fuss It Up! designs will be listed soon!

For private workshops and/or

parties please comment on this page

and we'll schedule a time!

MoTaMat... a Happy detour!

2012-01-22T15:15:00.000-06:00

Happy Sunday to you all!

"detail of one of my painted shirts"

Today's post is a surprise . . .

even to me! Here's what's going on:

I was attempting to list upcoming classes

I'll be teaching on my Fuss It Up! Designs website,

and I took an accidental detour!

I wasn't really paying attention and apparently

logged in with the wrong email address and password.

Normally, a prompt will appear informing me of the

mistake and allow me to try again.

But not this time. To my surprise a website opened up

that I had completely forgotten about!!!

It was a blog I began a few years ago under another

company name:

MoTaMat... the Art & Design Company. This is what

the header looked like!

Feeds:: Posts; Comments

The first word is a combination of my three

children's names... Monet, Taylor and Matisse.

"fun it the studio"

After only a few months I became so frustrated by the

fact that people could neither say nor remember

my company name that I changed it!

That's when Fuss It Up! came to be.

Finding this website was crazy! But

I got one very important thing out of re-reading

my posts . . .

major encouragement!

If I could have looked into the future and saw "me" today,

I might not believed it! I'm happy, healthy and fulfilled

in ways I didn't think possible. And most importantly,

I have confidence in myself and my art and a beautiful plan for the future!

You see, that was started during a time of uncertainly about

the future and self discovery. To say I was

"flattened" by personal events would be the understatement of the century!

I wasn't even sure what my purpose in life was after several,

(another understatement) really hard years and circumstances.

I knew I loved art but had no confidence

in what that meant, if I could become an artist or what to do next.

I started that little company,

unofficially, to explore my strong points, try and find

other like minded souls and hopefully, make some money

along the way!

Many changes have taken place along this art journey of mine...

and there are several things I now know for sure...

I was created to create . . .

I am gifted to encourage others . . .

and I can do anything I set me mind to!

Feel free to explore that website . . .

several of the "dreams" I journaled about

"journal prompt for “The Creative ENTREPRENEUR” by Lisa Sonora Beam"

are now a reality and I'm well on my way

to achieving brand new dreams!!!

So be encouraged . . . sometimes we don't realize

how far we've come until we take a look back,

whether on purpose or by accident!

Have a great day...

resource: “The Creative ENTREPRENEUR” by Lisa Sonora Beam

Doodles~ Week Three!

2012-01-21T05:00:00.000-06:00

Doodles~ Week Three!

Part One...

Part one of Stylized Faces was to create a colorful mixed media

background.

The lesson started by taking a blank piece of Strathmore Series 400

Mixed Media Paper and markers and writing a few words

on the page. It could be anything... and won't really show in the end.

I wrote CREATE LIVE LOVE. Then several other marks

with markers was added.

After that I added paint with a brush over the entire surface, using

several similar colors. Paint and glazing gel was used to

color over the words without entirely blocking them out.

Everyday items, like bubble wrap, a medicine bottle and a plastic lid

where then used to stamp a complimentary color onto the painting.

I also used the back of a Starbucks coffee sleeve and a handmade

flower stamp to add interest and layers.

This process continued until I added several more layers

and felt the piece was ready for step two...

a stylized face! That lesson will be on Monday.

Here is my finished piece... ready for next week's part two.

Here are a few close ups of the painting...

and...

Be sure and tune in next week for the second half

of this fabulous Doodles Unleashed Workshop

taught by Traci Bautista and hosted

by Strathmore Studios!

This week we also got a bonus lesson at the end... hooray!

It was all about free style doodling on paper with india ink

and a brush.

I used a piece of scrap paper, formerly packing paper

with paint from another project. I took my brush in hand

and just doodled... without thinking or trying to make any

specific shape or word.

I kept my brush moving until the ink ran out and then

I dipped it and doodled again...

until my entire page was filled!

This doodle page will be used next week as collage material for our

finished mixed media collage stylized face!

Try these techniques and tell me how you liked them...

until then~

Happy Doodling!!!

xoxo

Currently Working On...

2012-01-20T12:52:00.000-06:00

CuRREntLy WoRKing oN!

Here's what I'm currently working on...

and...

These are two 10" x 10" gallery wrapped mixed media canvases

that I started as samples for a mixed media class.

The text is a page from a vintage book and you can faintly make out

the chapter title "My Fight With A..."

This intrigued me and so I plan on keeping it visible!

We all have

fights on our hands and I really like the idea of taking a "fight" and

turning into something positive. That's the point of my mixed media

class called "Trash to Treasure".

One of the things I LOVE so much about mixed media is the layering process

and how the painting seems to get a life of it's own and

tell you what it wants!

I'd say that these two are almost finished... with a few more layers,

a mantra and just a tiny bit of glitter!

Happy Painting!

xoxo

Paint Party Friday!

2012-01-20T00:28:00.001-06:00

Paint Party Friday!!!

This is my first time taking part in

Paint Party Friday!

Paint Party Friday is a fun blog where creative types

post what they're working on or what they have finished.

To show them some super heartfelt love, I decided to

showcase several of the Hearts from paintings I've done in the past!

All of these Hearts are just details of larger mixed media paintings.

Some of the paintings have sold and some have yet to find their

permanent home.

Most of these images have been made into prints, cards or journals

and some have even been used in other mixed media projects!

All of my Hearts express my love for life...

the love I share with my children...

and the greatest Love of all, that guides me each and every day!

Hope you enjoyed these little Hearts

and join in Paint Party Friday too!

xoxo

Winter Flowers!

2012-01-18T17:55:00.000-06:00

Just because there is snow on the ground and more on the way doesn't mean

the garden's not in full bloom! I've been taking the month of January off,

from my retail Art Boutique, and spending extra time playing catch up...

and planning for the year to come.

It's been really nice...

especially because I've taken the time to learn new techniques and just play!

This piece with colorful flowers is the product of just that! It uses techniques

I learned from Traci Bautista's Doodles Unleashed Workshop

and includes acrylic paints and watercolor crayons...

hand made stamps and stencils...

...bright colors and splatters and drips!

It's only half way finished but will someday become art papers, cards,

prints, fabric and whatever else my creative mind thinks up!

Thanks for reading my blog! Please leave comments below...

and have an amazing day!

Blue Mondays

2012-01-16T11:56:00.000-06:00

It's time for another Blue Mondays post...

I've been spending so much time painting doodles and have, quite frankly,

gotten carried away!

The studio is a wonderful place for me to get lost...

even if just for a moment.

I let the brightly colored paint take me places far far away...

where the sun is shining, flowers are blooming and the leaves are still on the trees!

Finding and following colorful doodles is easy and extremely freeing...

with no plan or expectations, I just let the paint flow!

The brush and paint carry my thoughts out onto the paper as if it's magic.

Of course the color blue always appears...

and is always a welcome addition to my piece!

And so... here's one more post dedicated to the fabulous color Blue...

and all the wonderful places it's been showing up in my doodles this past weekend!

Have a fabulously colorful Monday...

and don't forget to be creative today!

~XO~

Doodles... Week Two

2012-01-14T17:30:00.003-06:00

Doodles... Week Two!

The second week of Traci Bautista's Doodles Unleashed Workshop

is called Spontaneous Watercolor Backgrounds!

I love this exercise!

I got to randomly spread color around and then

"find the doodle" in the color!

I made this simple foam stamp and added green to

my yellow and orange background.

Next I used silk flowers as stencils and continued

to build up my layers.

"Finding the doodle" is the most fun...

Layer by layer...

Color by color...

And mark by mark!

Now to add additional marks, letterforms and any final details

until I think it's done!

Stay tuned for the finished piece... and if you still haven't

signed up for this FREE workshop...

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!

It's just soooo much fun I want to share.

xoxo

Doodles Unleashed Workshop

2012-01-13T00:14:00.001-06:00

Doodles Unleashed Workshop

As many of you know, I'm taking part in a free

workshop via Strathmorestudios.com

called Doodles Unleashed.

It's a four week class and each week I get to

learn a new technique from our fabulous instructor,

Traci Bautista! She leads me, and over 3000 other artists,

on a step by step journey of fun, creative and

colorful mixed media doodling. Here's a quick

photo overview, start to finish, of one of my

pieces from week one.

I started by laying objects onto mixed media

paper. Then I sprayed color over them.

{Keep your eyes on this fleur de lis and watch how it changes throughout this process!}

Layer upon layer of bright colors were added until most of the

surface was covered.

Removing the stenciled objects was the next step.

And then I continued to add color and marks with

oil pastels, watercolor paints and more acrylic paint.

After everything dried, I doodled with more paint and

a brush...

This time I used deeper colors, continuing until I filled the page.

The final two steps were really fun...black india ink, which added definition...

and white-out pen which added dimension!

Voila! I started five and finished three, and this one is my favorite. Did

you keep an eye on that fleur de lis shape? It's still there!

Here are parts of my other two finished pieces...

and...

This is really fun and easy, so give it a try

and let me know how it goes!

And now, I'm on to week two!

Thanks for reading!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-06T15:33:00.001-06:00

Well, the year 2012 is finally under way and so is the

Doodles Unleashed:

Mixed Media Techniques

with instructor Traci Bautista

It's put on by

Strathmore

and absolutely free so I highly recommend you

jump on board... it's not too late!

Week one is called

"Playful Printmaking" and was so much fun.

It's easy to follow and although I

haven't finished the exercise yet, I wanted to share

what I have so far...

Join me!

Have a great day!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T14:57:00.001-06:00

Happy Holidays!

From the bottom of my heart...

I wish you

Peace, Love & Joy

like you've never known before...

today, and every day to come!

xoxo

Renee!

Holiday Giveaways!

2011-12-23T12:36:00.000-06:00

Holiday Giveaways!

This week has passed by quickly and so have the

A Little Bit Of Everything Holiday Giveaways!

Here is the last giveaway...

Copper & Clay Leaf Necklace from Dandy Designs

DANDY DESIGNS

Copper & Clay Leaf Necklace

The piece entered for the giveaway is a stunning necklace fit for any occasion. Tiny clay leaves are treated with a metallic powder giving it a beautiful sheen, then varnished for protection, accented with hammered copper and chain. The closure is a handcrafted copper toggle clasp, a small detail that really finishes the necklace well and makes it into a piece of wearable art.

Dandy Designs brings you handcrafted artisan jewelry. Polymer clay is used to hand sculpt each bead and pendant, or to inlay metal bezels with dazzling patterns. Combined with other materials such as metal, cording,

ribbons and leather the designs are endless and each piece is truly unique!

Just go to the Facebook page and comment on this post for a chance to win...

and good luck!

Holiday Giveaways!

2011-12-22T11:40:00.000-06:00

Holiday Giveaways!

This week is quickly coming to a close and so are the

A Little Bit Of Everything Holiday Giveaways!

Here is the giveaway for today...

Cupcake Cotton Candy Top and Petti-Tutu from Maggie's Rose Garden

MAGGIE'S ROSE GARDEN

Cupcake Cotton Candy Top and Petti-Tut

Maggie's Rose Garden is a boutique specializing in the princess mentality. We love to make fairytale dreams come true! At A Little Bit of Everything Boutiques we always keep a variety of pettiskirts, tutus, hair bows, tutu dresses, princess wands, flower hair clips, unique boutique clothing items and more for all of your special occasions including weddings, birthdays, Valentine's Day, Christmas and professional photographs. We love to make your day even more special and unique!

Our giveaway item is an outfit we call Cupcake Cotton Candy which retails in our store for $55. The top is a cupcake appliqué design with yummy chiffon cupcake icing, and a beautiful and unique petti-tutu. Great gift for the little cupcake on your list!

Isn't it soooo cute!

Just go to the Facebook page and comment on this post for a chance to win...

and good luck!

Holiday Giveaways

2011-12-21T11:09:00.000-06:00

Two Giveaways today!

Brought to you by

A Little Bit of Everything!

{Remember... to win, you must comment on the Facebook page post

on the link above...}

Good luck!!!

Fashion Cape from Mainstream Boutique

MAINSTREAM BOUTIQUE
Fashion Cape

Mainstream Boutique is a fun clothing boutique with our main store in Valley Junction. We sell fun and funky at a price anyone can afford. Our giveaway item, a beautiful fashion cape, is valued at $46. You may also find us on Facebook and in Valley Junction.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mainstream-Boutique-Des-Moines/232218686799626
Website: http://westdesmoines.mainstreamboutique.comPhone: 515.229.3008

- Cindy Lane, Mainstream Boutique

4 oz Almond Cream Intense Moisture Hand Cream from B & B Handmade Products

B & B HANDMADE PRODUCTS
4 oz Almond Cream Intense Moisture Hand Cream

Our thick, intense moisture hand cream softens and soothes even the driest, roughest, cracked hands. This cream is long-lasting, even after washing hands, as its made with beeswax. Beeswax forms a protective glove to keep moisture in. Cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, sweet almond oil, and glycerin are added to provide the intense moisture in our best selling hand cream.

At the boutique we offer luxurious handmade bath products including sugar body scrubs, hand creams, body lotions, body butters, tub truffles, shower butters, bath bombs and chill pills. Also, handmade goats milk, shea butter and glycerin soaps for men, women and children. Foot scrub and foot cream. We have gift sets and a Glamorous Girls line geared specifically towards young girls and teens.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bbhandmadeproducts
Website: www.handmadesoapandlotion.com

- Brooke Reising and Bridget Galligan, B & B Handmade Products

Holiday Giveaway... today only!

2011-12-19T10:35:00.001-06:00

Time is running out to win! Enter by midnight central

time tonight to win!

One-of-a-Kind Colorful Journal from Fuss It Up! Designs

hosted by A Little Bit Of Everything Boutique!

FUSS IT UP! DESIGNS ...One-of-a-Kind Colorful Journal

Fuss It Up! offers hand painted clothing & accessories, handmade, one of a kind jewelry, unique gift items, mixed media canvas paintings and classes, workshops & parties! By artist Renee Mak and other very talented local artists!

Our giveaway item is a one of a kind colorful and happy journal designed by Renee Mak. The journal you receive will be similar to the ones shown in the photo.

We are happy to be a part of A Little Bit of Everything Boutiques. You may also find us on Facebook and at our art studio in Valley Junction.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fussitup

Website: www.fussitup.com

- Renee Mak, Fuss It Up! Designs

Holiday Giveaway

A Little Bit of Everything Boutiques’ merchants have decided to give back to our wonderful customers this holiday season with a giveaway of prize items worth several hundred dollars! Winning any of the items is a great way to check one of those important gifts off your list...or treat yourself to something special!

How it works:A different prize will be given away every day from December 19 – 23. Two prizes will be given out on Wednesday! Upon completing the tasks below, you will be entered to win the daily prize.

A limit of one online entry per day is allowed per individual for each separate giveaway.

All posts must be made before 11:59 p.m. CST to be eligible for that respective day’s giveaway.

You must be 18 or older and an Iowa resident to enter.

Winners will be posted on the A Little Bit of Everything Boutiques Facebook page. Winners are responsible for picking up their prize at A Little Bit of Everything Boutiques located in Kaleidoscope at the Hub, 555 Walnut Street Suite 223, Des Moines, Iowa.

Click here for official rules

How to enter:

Like our Facebook page: A-Little-Bit-of-Everything-Boutiques
Like the Facebook page of the merchant sponsoring the daily giveaway: Fuss It Up!
Comment on and repost A Little Bit of Everything’s daily Facebook post

Prizes:

· Monday: One-of-a-Kind Colorful Journal from Fuss It Up! Designs

· Tuesday: Crocheted “Hat of Many Colors” with 3 Flowers from Jelly Bean Dreams

· Wednesday: Fashion Cape from Mainstream Boutique

· Wednesday: 4 oz Almond Cream Intense Moisture Hand Cream from B & B Handmade Products

· Thursday: Cupcake Cotton Candy Top and Petti-Tutu from Maggie’s Rose Garden

· Friday: Copper & Clay Leaf Necklace from Dandy Designs

Thank you for participating! Happy Holidays!- A Little Bit of Everything Boutiques

Christmas in Paris!

2011-12-13T12:27:00.000-06:00

Christmas in Paris!

Wouldn't it be fun to hop on a plane and spend the night

in Paris... at Christmas time?

We could walk the streets with a pastry and cafe au late...

pretending we live there!

Look at amazing light displays...

Take pictures and people watch...

Do a little holiday shopping...

Visit fabulous landmarks...

Watch the streets clear as dawn approaches...

Welcome the new day...

And then hop a plane back home!

Wouldn't it be fun!

{All photos are linked to the original posting...}

Blue Mondays

2011-12-12T12:32:00.000-06:00

Last week one of my favorite artists, Traci Bautista, had a
blog post which held the question:

"What is inspiring you today?"
My answer at the time was colored glass, and so today's
Blue Mondays post is filled with Blue glass and
hopefully it will inspire you too!

I really love blue cut glass...
the way the light hits the angled cuts...
it makes it sparkle and gives it a life of its own.

This vintage glass powder jar is adorable
and can hold so many things...
jewelry, fortunes from inside fortune cookies or
dark chocolate covered coffee beans!
What would it hold for you?

I imagine that a blue glass and silver creamer
would look great filled with several of my favorite pens
on my writing desk... if I had a writing desk.

Fabulous blue glass beads are right for any occasion,
especially laundry day... with an old t'shirt, faded
blue jeans and vintage cowboy boots!

This blue glass jar just begs to hold old fashioned
peppermint sticks for creamy hot chocolate sipped
the night before Christmas.
Oooo, I can taste it now!

And so, at the close of this post,
I ask the same of you:
What is inspiring you today?

I love your comments so don't hesitate to
leave one!
Have a fabulously inspired day!!!

{all items in the photos can be found
on Etsy... just click on the picture and
you'll be there!}

My FUSSED UP Life... f.k.a. Fuss It Up! Designs

BloomTrue Workshop!

Paint Party Friday...!

INspiRaTIOn iS EvERYwHERe!

Birthday Bash Giveaway!

INspiRaTIOn iS EvERYwHERe!

Dreamy Sundays

Evolution of a Painting

Bloom True Workshop

CuRREntLy TeACHinG

INspiRAtionS!

Dreamy Sundays

Bloom True Workshop

Paint Party Friday!

Vintage Photo Pendant Workshop!

CuRREntLy WoRKing oN!

ViDEo INspiRAtionS!

ARt and aRTIsts I LOvE!

Trash to Treasure Workshop~ Finished Piece!

Paint Party Friday!

Trash to Treasure Workshop!

Sketchbook Project

Doodles~ Week Four Complete!

Colorful Inspirations!

A new Home!

CuRREntLy WoRKing oN!

Classes and Workshops!

MoTaMat... a Happy detour!

MoTaMat! the Art & Design Company’s Blog

All things ART… All things Design… All the Time…

Doodles~ Week Three!

Currently Working On...

Paint Party Friday!

Winter Flowers!

Blue Mondays

Doodles... Week Two

Doodles Unleashed Workshop

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

Holiday Giveaways!

Copper & Clay Leaf Necklace from Dandy Designs

Holiday Giveaways!

Cupcake Cotton Candy Top and Petti-Tutu from Maggie's Rose Garden

Holiday Giveaways

Two Giveaways today!

Fashion Cape from Mainstream Boutique

4 oz Almond Cream Intense Moisture Hand Cream from B & B Handmade Products

Holiday Giveaway... today only!

Time is running out to win! Enter by midnight central

time tonight to win!

One-of-a-Kind Colorful Journal from Fuss It Up! Designs

Holiday Giveaway

Christmas in Paris!

Blue Mondays