Postcard swap with iHanna!!!

Hey there!  I recently had a little bit of fun getting my "art" on!  

I created a batch of ten postcards for iHanna's winter 2014 postcard swap!  They are going all over the United States, and one is going over the great pond, to the UK.  I was feeling the pink vibe, so ran with it.  These are recycled gift cards....a style I no longer use in our store.  They had a glossy coat, so I gave them a light sanding, and a base coat of gesso.  There are scribbles with crayons, acrylic paint, irridescent inks, collage papers, and more.  Oh yes, and washi tape!  Cannot forget the washi tape!  

Taking them to the post office this afternoon!!!  Can't wait to see what I will receive in exchange!  THANK YOU, iHanna, for this FUN swap!!!

Peace Totem Workshop!

Behold!  The lovely ladies who attended our Peace Totem painting workshop last night!  We had FUN!  We painted, stamped, stenciled, and giggled.  And we love pumpkin muffins!  THANK YOU, ladies for joining our night of merry making!

Thank you GE Capital!

We had a BLAST yesterday hosting the fabulous folks from GE Capital for their team outing/fun day!  Everyone was so much fun to be with, and so creative too!  Just look at all the great creations they came up with! 

Dori's Solo Art Show at Barnes and Noble

 

 

Hello local friends!  I have been honored to be named the "artist of the month" at our local Barnes and Noble store here in Cedar Rapids!  Many brand new, colorful pieces of art are hanging for you to enjoy while you sip your coffee in the café!  Please stop by and have a peek, and let me know which one you like best.  I love hearing that.  And yes, most pieces will be for sale at the end of the month.  Let me know if there is something you're interested in!  Cheers, Dori

Art Making with The Arc of East Central Iowa!

 

Last week, we had the distinct honor and pleasure to host these wonderful folks from The Arc of East Central Iowa. The lesson was combining paints and papers into some cool collages on canvas! Each one so individual, and so beautiful! Some folks included pictures of loved ones and themselves in their art. A few of them started the evening saying they weren't very creative, but by the end of the night, it was smiles all around! So blessed and happy to host these wonderful souls in our studio! Can't wait to see them again!

 

 

 

Summer Art Camps All Done

Last week we finished up our last session of Summer Art Camp, and it was really great!  We made abstract paintings, mini "muses" out of clay, a mosaic frame, and a paper collage on recycled book covers.  The kiddos that came to camp this summer were really near and dear to my heart.  They were little people who truly love making with their hands, and they were so brave in their expression.  Truly a joy to work with!!!  Looking forward to planning more weekend workshops this fall and winter, to keep the momentum going! 

Having fun in the Art Journal

 

Hello there!  I've been really trying to make my art journaling and altered books a daily practice.

Practice, practice, practice! 

Isn't that what your teachers/coaches/parents told you to do if you wanted to be accomplished at something?  They were so right!  Even if I can only spare a few minutes, I try to lay down a little color.....

 

.....or collage some paper......

 

or scribble something with a pencil.....

......every little bit adds up to some fun, colorful pages!

Altered Art Books Workshop a Success!

 

Wow!  What a blast!!!  Yesterday I taught a FUN group of kids the basics of altered art books! 

We discussed how to pick the right book for you.  (One boy in the class got a book about how to make laser guns...he was in heaven! Ha!!)  We discussed how to glue and prep the pages, and then I showed them some fun and fast techniques for laying down backgrounds.  We painted with stencils, and we collaged with papers.  SO MUCH FUN, and I thank the Marion Public Library for inviting me to teach this medium, which is so near and dear to me.  I truly am IN LOVE with art journaling and altering books and it's such a joy to share it with others.

 

 



First session of Art Camp complete!

 

Our first session of ART CAMP 2014 came to a close this morning, and I was so sad to see these girls go!  I had so much fun spending time with them, creating all sorts of magic in The Dreaming Bear Studio!  We painted, we collaged, we did a mini mosaic, and we played with some mediums you don't usually see around here.  We listened to music, and had a snack or two.  It was great to see each individual's personality come out in their work.  I am so lucky to do what I do!!!  SUCH FUN!!!

 

Thank you to the families that allowed us to spend time together!!!

If you couldn't make it to this session, we have several July sessions that still have a few openings....click on our events/workshops page for details, then give us a call!  We'd love to see you!

A Little Art Journaling on a Rainy Afternoon

It was a quiet afternoon in the studio on this rainy day, so my friend, Erin stopped by.  We got to chatting....and naturally, our hands became twitchy, so I pulled out a couple of my altered books, and we played around with paints, inks and water soluble crayons.  Good times!!! 

 

 

Erin created these two Monet-ish pieces. 

These pics really don't do them any justice.....

there were LOTS of luscious layers....she's into that.  :-)

 

A peek at our workspace.....we make messes.

 

I ended up with this weird monster/flower/thingy/guy.  He makes me happy.

And he roars. 

 

Wishing you all a creative weekend full of happy roars!

 

2014 Art Camp!!! Join Us!!!

 

KIDS 2014 ART CAMP!!!!

Two 4 day sessions available for ages 8-13:

June 24^th-27^th 10-11:30am   $75 per child

July 15^th-18^th 10-11:30am   $75 per child

Two 2 day sessions for ages 5-7:

July 8^th & 9^th 10-11:30am   $40 per child

July 22^nd & 23^rd 10-11:30am   $40 per child

Your child will enjoy the excitement of creating and taking home 3-4 fabulous art projects led by a knowledgeable, fun loving staff member!  We will explore all mediums available here, including painting, collage and mosaic!  Spaces are limited, so please sign up as soon as possible.  All camp reservations must be made and paid for minimum two weeks in advance.  All sales are final, no refunds on cancelled or unattended camp days.  You can reserve your child’s space by calling with a credit card, or stopping in to the store.  Make this a creative summer to remember!

Call:  319-373-7070  Or stop by:  720 11th Street, uptown Marion

Mom's Day Out!!!

 

THIS SUNDAY IS MOM'S DAY!!!

Join us this Mother's Day for some fun in the art studio with your favorite Mom, Nana, Granny, or Auntie!!  We will be open SUNDAY MAY 11th from 12-4 so you can spend some quality time with someone who makes a positive difference in your life!!!

 

Choose from a variety of projects:  painting, decoupage and mosaic!  Not sure what to do?  No worries, friendly staff is always on hand to show you where to find everything and how to do it! 

 

This Mother's Day, create with us!  And enjoy some refreshing lemonade and sweet treats!

Can't wait to see you then!!!!

 

Be Brave Enough

Inspiration Exists!

A Simple Place Journal Page

Hello!!!  February is here.  Lord help me....the winter despair is setting in. 

No doubt about it.

I've been trying to distract myself with slapping paint and paper on things.....

mostly.....my journal.  Above is a picture of the "Somewhere a Simple Place" prompt from the Journal 52 project.  It's an assortment of acrylic paints, textured with a baby wipe through a stencil...the tree is made with a high flow acrylic....I'm new to those...we haven't made nice with each other yet.  All I want to do is crawl back into bed and throw the covers over my head.  We got more snow last night, and school got cancelled again.  The kids will be attending school all summer at this rate.  Don't mind me....it's not THAT bad.  It could be worse.  Thank goodness for a good stock of tea and art supplies.  I will survive.

A quick journal peek

My sweet friend Denise stopped by the studio and "arted around" with me today!  After working on a little painted table for the store (which I forgot to snap a photo of, darn it!), we pulled out our art journals and played around....and it was a blast!!!

I think this page is still a work in progress...not sure where to go with it....but we'll see.

Hope you are "arting around" and having fun too!!!

Monday notes

Howdy!  It's Monday!  Monday is usually my day for shenanigans.  We are closed at the store, and it's my day for running errands and getting oddball things done.  I ran out today with the dogs to get them a toenail clipping, and get Bosco boy updated on his shots.  After bringing them back home, I went on a date with myself.  I picked up a few crafty/creative books at the library, had a yummy coffee, and shopped around for some items I need for some upcoming large projects.  But what did I do??  I hesitated!  I didn't pull the trigger and buy the items I saw...and I'm now regretting this.  I wish I had purchased them.  Cuz now that I've thought about it, I realize how they can work.  ARGH.  Now I have to go back out in the cold to get them.  DUMB. 

While realizing that I should've bought said items, I had some time to play with my new Gelli plate.  LORD, do I LOVE ME SOME Gelli printing!!!  EEEEK!  Above is a pic of my favorite one so far.  Like it?  I still have a lot to learn about layering/masking/etc...but it's so much fun to play!!!  Now I gotta get the gumption up to go back out in this cold. 

But it's so cozy inside, with this guy.  Sigh.

Back Home, It's Cold, But my Journal is fun!

 

Hi again!  Are you cold?  I'm cold!  It's freezing!  It's so cold!  Chilly.  Brrrrr.  Yikes, so cold!  Brrrrr.  Did I mention that it's a bit nippy?  Sooooo....I'm over winter, how about you??  We returned from the Windy City Gift Show on Tuesday night.  Soooo glad to be home.  I know they tell you that you should always be positive and happy when talking about how things went, but it just was not the case.  The traffic was SLOW....the weather was cold....it was a LONG show.  I've always gotta put a positive spin on it...you know me....so I will say that we made a few good contacts that I hope will become fruitful over the year.  The people who get what I'm doing, really GET IT.  I love those people.  Everyone else.....meh.  And the "meh" people are not worth dealing with while I wait another 8-10 hours for a good one to come around. 

 

Soooo....I've come to conclusion that going after new wholesale customers is going to be done the new and improved way....searching them out in person and on the internet.  I truly believe that the age of certain trade shows is passing.  Everything is just too damn easy to do in your jammies, with a laptop!!!  Heck, that's how I buy for my store and studio!!!  With the exception of the CHA show, of course!  That show is worth every penny, because every where you turn, there are talented, vibrant artists showing you how to use all of the new products!  LOVE THAT!

 

Speaking of new products!!  By the end of the first day, Lovin Man helped me to see that we just needed to enjoy ourselves while we were there for the long haul.  He's good like that...much more patient than I.  So he took me to Blick, and I got some goodies!  Just a few, including a Gelli Plate!  I still haven't played with it...I'm hoping to this weekend.  So exciting!  I spent a lot of time in the hotel room watching videos of folks making fabulous prints with their Gelli plate! 

 I've been back on a creative tear, as of late.  Here are some pages from my journals that I did on New Year's Day.  Just having lots of fun...playing, stamping, dripping, daubing, gluing, and repeating!

 

And I thought this was the perfect message for the new year. 

 Hope yours is happy and grand so far!!!!  Let's THINK SPRING now!!!!  See you again soon!