This is the most recent piece I have done. It is my first finshed bees wax piece. My friend Jessica is getting married and I made this memory piece for her. This is my first bees wax piece since my class in Phoenix. I was really excited how it turned out!!! I used some beads and was worried if the bees wax would keep them on the board. It did!! I tried some wire forms and the bees wax held these as well. I warned Jess that this piece was not to be hung in heat or direct sun or ecerything would fall off of the board! The colors are great and work well together. I think she was as pleased as I was with the results!!!!

This is page 2 of Grama Louise's book. I used water color pencils and an iridescent pearl acrylic paint on the background paper. I cut up my picture of her family boat. (The boat picture was a copy of the original, as I can't bring my self to cut up old pictures!!!) I typed up the story she told of this with a old type writer font. The next page, page 3, is similar! Now, I am on to page 4...

This was another picture I took while I was in Buffalo for my granddaughter's baptism. We got to go to Niagra Falls and autumn was in full force!!

I loved doing this piece!! I actually had to scan a very large picture in four pieces and stitch them together in Photoshop. I added a digital frame that you can just barely see to and changed the color to a brown. The frame was so fun to do!! I wanted to continue the layout onto the frame and I think the results are great!!

I was in New York City last year but only briefly. I saw so many things and I took lots of pictures. This was one of my favorites of Grand Central Station. I have to say... New York is amazing... I was in awe!!! My only regret was that I didn't visit Ellis Island. I wanted to see my grandparents names on the "wall".

This is the first page of Louise's Book. The picture is Louise as a baby being held by her older brother Horace. I really love this old professional picture. The story on this page is in her own hand writing and is the first page in the notebook she gave me of her life story. The story talks of were she was born and some of her earliest memories. She tell of her father working as a mortician and opening a funeral parlor in her grandfather's furniture store in Bolivar, Missouri. She said, "An undertaker had to build his own caskets in those days plus the fact that these Missouri Ozark people had never had an undertaker before and Dad had to take a law man with him or they would not let him have the bodies." Her father decided that maybe building power plants would be easier work so Louise's dad became an electrical engineer of his time building power plants in several cities. Because of his work the family moved lots while Louise was growing up. She has some interesting memories recorded in this notebook. I an excited to see what this book becomes.

I have started an altered book for two reasons. One, the idea of an altered book intrigued me!! To take a book that could be considered garbage and make it into a piece of art really sounded fun. And, of course, I needed to include my family. So I began a book on my Grandmother Louise. This one will be about her childhood. I asked to write about her life so she did. From that writing I am creating a book about her childhood and one (or possibly two) about her adult life.
I choose a child's book with a wire binding for this book. I covered the front and back with fabric and paint. It was almost scary to cut up the front of the book cover...to actually put a hole in it. But I have become quite confident now in cutting up books!! And I am really loving the results!!

PHOENIX FUN!!!

I just got back from Phoenix after a great time playing with art. I attended several classes held at Mystic Paper in Mesa. This doll was done at one of those classes. The teacher was Becky Bunn. There were only a few students in her class and we had a great time. Her class was call "Steampunk Altered Tin Doll". She is made with parts of a small ceramic doll and a tin can treated to look rusted. This is a new form of collage for me. I love the results!

CAMERA CURIOSITY
What a cute kid!!! Grand kids are the best! This was a picture that happened while we were planning family pictures. I find that some of those "Opps!" pictures are really fun and fun to use on my pages!

CAT & MOUSE

I am a cat person so when I saw this "cat barn" in the middle nowhere I had to take a picture of it! I added a texture from another picture I had taken and a frame download from Designer Digitals. Fun picture!

FLOWER GARDENS...
I wonder just what is "legal" to include on a blog. This is a photo of flowers from my garden. I have lots of photos I have taken and want to add to my blog.
Most of my art work is about family. There are some exceptions! I enjoy photography as well. I use Photoshop 7 as I have not upgraded yet. I use Elements 7 too. But I seem to get around the computer okay!

My Favorite Heritage Piece

VOSS...
This is one of my favorite pieces. It took GRAND CHAMPION at the county fair and a first place at the Wyoming State Fair. The piece tells the story of my husband's great grandfather who was an early missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He left his family, a pregnant wife and several children to go to Germany to serve the Lord. He was an immigrant to the United States from Germany so his missionary trip took him back "home" to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with friends and family he had left behind. The people of his mission loved Brother Voss. His wife Annie supported him with faith in the Lord's choice to send her husband on this mission and by sending her love to him in her letters which sometimes included a little money. If you look closely at this piece you can see a copy of one of the last letters Brother Voss sent his wife thanking her for the $16.00 she had sent the last time she had written to him. She was as important to his mission as he was. To show appreciation some of the members in this German mission purchased a Dresden doll and sent it home with Brother Voss for his sweet and patient wife.
This couple displayed such faith in the Lord and such love for each other that I felt the deep desire to create an historical piece which might tell this story. I included a photo of the family he left behind, a picture of him as a missionary and a picture of the couple in their old age. As I work on the layout and the frame, I could feel the spirit of these people encouraging me. I was near tears at times as I reviewed again and again this wonderful family story.
I love telling these stories with my art. I especially love telling the uplifting and moving stories of families. I love listening to people tell these stories to me then as the spirit moves I create my art. I really love it!!!
Leah Voss