Monday, February 21, 2011

"Back In The Groove"

Hi everybody!

Well, it has been busy the past week or so.  Last week I was driving my sister back & forth for chemo treatments for a blood & bone marrow malady she is struggling through and I learned my friend in B.C. is being treated for her cancer weekly with her chemo treatments.  Our passports are in the works and should arrive sooner than later so we should be heading up north sometime in March!

In between taking my sis to her treatments I jumped into my own survival therapy ... art work!  First I designed what I thought would be a great mount mat for ACEO's in a celtic knot pattern.  I wanted it to fit into an 8"x10" frame so I measured carefully and laid out my pattern and began.  I finished it last Friday morning (2/18) and printed off my first copy and I was delighted with it!

Went to put it into an 8"x10" frame and, horror of horrors, it was a bit too large!  I had drawn it to exactly 8"x10" measurements, which when put into a frame obscures the outer edges because there is about an 1/8" ridge on a 8"x10" frame .... but I still like it, so here it is:
But, because I wasn't happy with the overall effect and I couldn't reduce because then the area where the ACEO is to be mounted reduces as well and then it doesn't look right.  So, not to be discouraged, I began a new plan of attack on a similar design with my drawing measurements being smaller, around 7"x9".  I just finished the new design today (2/21), putting in about 8 hours a day for the past 4 days, and I am really HAPPY with the results!  And it fits!  Yes!

Here, for your viewing enjoyment, is my "new and improved" B & W Celtic Knot Design Mount Mat for ACEO's......
Would love to hear how you like both versions and what you think of these pieces.  I will be posting the second version in My Etsy Shop later on this week.  First I have to take a few photographs of how it looks framed.
Hugs!
Karen Anne aka Ireland Brady

9 comments:

  1. I really like the celtic knot. Reminds me of crochet :). You definitely have more patience than I do.

    Sending (HUGS) for you, your sis and your friend.

    Stay inspired!
    Michelle

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  2. Hi Karen Anne ;o) Great to hear from you! I'm sorry you have been through so much! I hope your sister is ok and I do hope you get those passports soon!!!! I love both, but there is something about the second one, that really catches my eye! Maybe the black in the corners being bigger, make it a little bolder?

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  3. Hi Michelle! Thank you for liking my celtic knot ... it is reminiscent of crochet isn't?! I do love crochet. Patience? Not sure, maybe in this instance more escapism? When I don't want to deal with what is going on around me, I escape into art ... it is temporary, but it does so help. Thank you for your hugs, I'll send them on! Hugs back 2 U!

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  4. Hey Stacy! Good to hear from my fav Ontario artist! I haven't been through so much ... my sis and my friend have. The passports will come when they are meant to come, and that is the truth.

    The second one is the one I had in mind when I did the first, but I didn't quite understand the scheme. In the second one, the scheme of the celtic knot kicked in and I was able to accomplish what I had originally wanted to do. I wanted a little "pizzaz" and I think that is what you were seeing ... Karen's "Pizzaz"!

    Hugs to my dear Ontario friend!

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  5. I love Karen's Pizzaz ;o) You say you haven't been through alot, but you have to keep strong for your sis and your friend, that's alot! I know what my mom went through, when I was sick! She was a pillar of strength for me. After I got better, she needed a vacation! ;o)

    Hugs Stacy

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  6. Hey Stacy, you are blessed with a wonderful Mother! And I am blessed with a great friend, You!

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  7. Karen Anne,

    You can still make the first one work if you have Photoshop. It can be 7" x 9" & have enough space for the ACEO. Clip out the center knot at full size (save to another location as a layer), shrink the rest of the drawing to 7" x 9", then put the center back in (keeping center knot at the full size). There may be overlapping, but if you work in layers, you can erase what is sticking out from the overlap.

    It might take an hour or 2, but it might be worth saving since you put so much work into it.

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  8. Thanks Lise! I think I'll print out your instructions and just try it ... I have Photoshop Elements 4 but am not at all proficient with it. I guess it just a matter of jumping in and experimenting until I learn ...
    Thanks again for the advise!

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