Summertime Top Talent

Welcome back to another Top Talent spotlight at Our Creative Corner!

This month we are shining the spotlight on the winner of the 'Summertime' Challenge that was hosted by me!

Our Creative Corner is so pleased to be welcoming Bonnie as this months Top Talent!!!

  Bonnie has just become a second time winner here at Our Creative Corner. She won Claudia's Autumnal inspiration Challenge - so you will see her here again next month! 

What a treat!!!!!

 

Before we show you Bonnie's stunning creation,  let's just spend some time finding out a little bit more about this lovely lady.....



1. Where do you live?

I live in the USA in the western part of North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains… right next to South Carolina… My Husband and I moved here 14 years ago to get away from the hub bub of New Jersey.. but we lived in the same mountain range up there…just a few 700 miles north of here. I grew up in NJ… raised our children in NJ and lived there most of my life… I have traveled a lot in the USA but have never flown in an airplane… and have NO DESIRE TO EITHER… I am a very grounded person… 

         We had always wanted a farm and so we packed everything we had into two trailers (one for us… and one for the Belgium horse) and we took off… we were headed to New Mexico… but when we saw these mountains… our hearts got hung up here… we love it here… these mountains are special and we love the energy around them. So we are hanging our hearts here for the time being…
 

2. How would you describe your art for the general public audience if they have never seen it before?
 
COLORFUL, and sometimes a little WILD… as I love it when I can get wild with things… Art should be FREE… and to be free you need to let go of all inhibitions… that is art… my art..
I do love to do all kinds of art though…

If I told you all the things I have done or do.. you might not believe me… but here it goes…

I love to spin wool, dye it, knit with it, felt it or just have it in piles to admire… 
I also love to draw, paint, Do Zentangle, create with paper.
I use to produce a line of silver wrapped jewelry that I sold wholesale, and created a whole line of special purses and beaded bags.
Sewing, quilting, and creating new things from old things… in clothes and in other art forms…
I love to make books, scrapping and also creative books… I have published over 18 books of my art; two being collaged cookbooks and 16 or so of my doodles and drawings.
So many of the things I love in my home are things that I love to create, like a huge basket collection… so I had to learn how to make baskets too when I was a teenager… and so I teach basket making of different fibers.
I am very prolific and love to create all the time… Doing Multi Media pieces and also total canvases covered in the old oil paints… or acrylic… just love it all.. you will tell my art by the colors and the love popping out of it…


3. Please tell us about any items in your craft stash that you can't be without? - What is your favourite 'must have' item for crafting? 

This is not a fair question as I would not choose to have only one ‘MUST HAVE’ item to have… BUT if I had to choose it would be white cardstock, pen and pencil… so I could create more and more things with that… 

also could I have some dyes … 


and how about a few die cuts…

 

and some rubberstamps,


 
and also lets not forget some ink pads… LOL..


 
.......did I hear you say ONE ITEM???

No way…??? Well then my one item would be my studio… the whole thing… I love it and take pride in being in it and using it everyday that I live… I enjoy it greatly…it is ME…
 

4. What three things do you think of most each day?

1.What we are going to eat for the day to keep our bodies nourished and in good health… we are very aware of keeping our body in the best health possible. That is body, mind and spirit…. it is first thing on our list every day… Meditate, plan meals and do chores is the first order of the day.
 
2. While all this is going on… my STUDIO is SCREAMING at me… HURRY up and GET in here… so I have to say that is the next thing I think about.. What am I going to do today to create a better feeling among people on this EARTH WALK…

3. This might sound funny… but the next thing of priority is “What colors are needed to be used… to bring this about…” As I stated color is very important in my art… and my life… I love color… In my art and my blogging, I try to send love to all people in need of LOVE… and I do that off and on all day long… I love people… people in my daily life are no different than my blog land friends, or anyone else… I love them all.. and respect their feelings. So I do think of people all day long.

 
5. How do you spend your time when not crafting?

       I have to say I craft 99% of all my life… I love to cook… and create new recipes… we are on a gluten free, organic diet and so we try to eat as much raw food and also good foods as possible… so I create all the time… I also love to knit my hubbies socks… he is totally spoiled and I love it…
      Most of my friends are craft oriented people as well.. .so I spend time with them.. .and lets not forget, I do teach at least about 35 hours a week… so it doesn’t leave much time… to do a lot of “personal things.”
       I love to spend a lot of time talking with my husband, planning out future projects for the farm and our lives… if is always fun… we have been married for over 45 years and still love to talk about things… all kinds of things.. and learn and read together… a big plus in our lives… 
      We also love to take rides to explore new things in our area… so that is a real exciting thing.. that is becoming a thing almost of the past, with the price of fuel.. .but we still try to get in a trip a week… at some time…



6. Do you have any personal goals you have attained or would like to attain in the future?

      The future… I would love to spend more time with our grandsons… one lives in NJ… one in NC… and would love to have the family all back together in one area… attainable???? You never know… but I am putting this out to the universe and maybe it will happen… magic and miracles do happen. 
      I teach classes now all the time… and love the gals that come to play and learn. Would love to have total week-end get away’s, publish more articles in art magazines and also create all kinds of books for others to learn from… Generally just more of what I am doing now… I love it all.  I am living the future everyday in as many ways as possible…


7. Any inspirational words you can share?
 
Always make sure that your “TO DO” list is very long… and that you always have something else ready to start, when what you are working on is done.. 

Always be ready to enjoy and live each and every second of your life to the fullest. 

And do it all in full LOVE from your HEART CENTER. 

  
I just would like to say THANK YOU to Laura for choosing my work as a winning piece for a challenge. Being in the arts all my life has been a total enjoyment and thrill and to be able to share it with the world is very exciting. Thank you to everyone at Our CREATIVE CORNER for this opportunity to speak out and allow you into my space a little more… I love it all.. thanks.....
      I have been on Design Teams in the past, also recently have been a Guest Designer on quite a few different challenges, but I have to say that this one has been the one with the most FREEDOM to create as I do....I have had a lot of fun making this project.

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You are very welcome Bonnie! We are so glad that you had a great time being here with us - It has been an honour to have you here as our Top Talent. You have been such a star and I look forward to hosting your Top Talent Spotlight next month...

     ....now it is time to shine the spotlight on this month's Top Talent creation - let's see what Bonnie made for us!

 

This project started off with being a book... and turned into a box with sections of art work, using a letter from the word NATURE to be the focal point of that particular section.


I have over 800 pictures of this project.... oh yes, did I mention that I love to take pictures too.. LOL... but I am only putting a few up here for you to see... you will have to go to my blog to see all the rest of them...

 

This is one of the sides of the cubbie that holds my art... of course it had to be created in a very special way too... all the sides and top are decorated with nature.

Oh the cubbie is covered in BARK that a kind birch tree gave to my Daughter in Law. She carried the bark in her arms for over a mile hike down the mountain and then it was a given to me as a gift. I love gifts like this. Thanks Casey

You can see the word NATURE spelled out here on the 'sections' of this project. I didn't have the letters A or R as they had been used on another project. so I used an upside down V and for the A and the & for the letter R... well you have to creative on all levels... and allow humor to run free too...

When you look at the front of the cubbie box... you will see the sections, waiting to be viewed... which you will be able to see that all on my blog. I have also made it multi layered on my blog, so there is a quick see version and also an intense one... with all the pictures of the project being made etc....

When you pull a letter out or a section of the cubbie , you will find a pocket on the front. The pocket has a picture like the one above on the front of it... and in the pocket a tag...

This whole project is all about making rubber stamps that suit your needs... I wanted a CROW stamp that was uniquely my own CROW... that would MOVE... and would CROW like things... that is what I did... and also a few more stamps too... and I used lots of techniques through out the entire project.

There are six sections... all different in all ways..

When you open the section up, there is another piece of art on each side... they are naturally all very different, using different techniques and venues...

Here is one that I created with a few of the crows, on a limb with all different squares in the background. On the limb, a few leaves from another rubberstamp... what fun I had. There are 12 different pages to view some that open into another entirely different area....

I also love to create all different kinds of things... so I had to make a face from air dried clay... and make a fun key for the outside of the project...

Sharing is a great experience... and on my blog I will show you a few other projects that I have created with the stamps simply created and used.....

 

This is just so amazing Bonnie! So many perfect details and it is obvious that you have put your heart into every part of this....Your work is always so wonderful and so very unique. It is such an honour to feature this gorgeous creation at Our Creative Corner.
 

Thank you for being such a wonderful Top Talent in the spotlight!

 
If you want to see more photos and details of this wonderful creation and find out how it was made, then please go along to Bonnie's blog and say "Hello" - I am sure she would love to see you there!

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Would you like to see your work here in the 'Our Creative Corner' Spotlight?

You could be here as our 'Top Talent' with the spotlight shining on something you have created! 

All you have to do is enter my Go-Rustic challenge and if you are picked as the winner you will be invited to appear here as our Top Talent and have the spotlight shine on something you have made. We will also ask you some questions so that we can be nosey find out more about you....

You could also be one of our Top 3 and you could even be the lucky winner of a $25 voucher to spend at the Funkie Junkie Boutique - a prize very kindly donated by Linda -The Funkie Junkie......

 

There is one more week of the Go-Rustic challenge left, so why not have fun creating!

You have gotta be in it to win it!

Happy Crafting! 

Laura xxx