I Caved...

...I said I wasn't going to do it.

I don't NEED another notebook/journal.

I am sure a regular dollar store composition notebook would have worked JUST FINE.

But...

I really, really, really wanted to try the Moleskine notebook like all the cool girls have for their art journals! (Surely that is the secret to fabulous spreads, no?)

Precisely!

And so far, I am in love.

Behold my new journal for my Lovely Notions class.

Kraft cover, decoupaged with papers from the Lovely Notions class, plus a paper doily and some K&Company bling and paper ribbon tape in Wild Saffron. The fabric insert on the lovely lady's dress is fabric from my wedding dress (swatches I have been saving for TEN YEARS. Oy.)

First exercise was to use a favorite quote.

Turned out quite lovely indeed, if I do say so!

Rainbow Around the Block Project

I am participating in this project to support victims of the floods in Tennessee, as sponsored by Anna Maria Horner. Read more about it here and see entries on the flickr pool here. I can't seem to get another quilt FINISHED (I tend to stall at the "sandwiching" stage) but I can certainly zip through a few 12" squares! Who is in with me?

More Artful Amblings pages...

...caught up with my Artful Amblings - Year in the Life of an Art Journal pages. Not really thrilled with most of these....the prompts didn't flow easily for me. But I decided to soldier on and post nonetheless....

UN: this one was really tough for me...wanted a positive word (but you can see my mind wasn't cooperating...lot of negative "un's" in there!) I knew I wanted to try a tape transfer - and tho' it didn't turn out exactly right, I liked it for this photo...so I went with it.

SOAR: I had recently read this quote and thought it perfect for this prompt....an inspirational reminder to me to be my authentic self....

MOVE: Stole a line from Len on Dancing with the Stars when he scolded the "Stars" to listen to their dance pros when he told them to "show up, shut up and keep up!" Struggling with ENERGY for quite a while now...need to keep reminding myself to just KEEP MOVING.

TEARS: Was in the mood to collage and these colors are my favorites right now....the little yellow sub-page is for some private words on the topic....I think this needs more work but not sure what I want to do to it. I may doodle a bit more....love the layers.

TANGLED: This didn't come out at ALL like I envisioned....loved my idea of the entangled circles - first thing I thought of was the TANGLED MESS inside my jewelry box (no matter how many times I re-re-re-organize!) - and I liked the bold black word across the page...but then I tried to use my Portfolio oil pastels to highlight the lettering and ugh, I just don't like it now.

....and now I off to watch the LOST FINALE (so sad!)

My next art journal...

..will have this fabric cover ala the technique Teesha Moore taught in her latest video shares.

Seriously loving this technique....and that it is a portable project. Love to have something to take along on long car rides...and these little "quilt pillows" are addictive!

Niki & Kaylin - we must plan a stitching weekend! xoxoxo

Nostalgic Musings e-Course

Handmade journal - using Teesha Moore's tutorial

Oh my...lovin' me some art journaling these days!

Taking Hope Wallace Karney's Nostalgic Musings art journaling e-course...and love love love every bit of it so far. Cannot wait 'til tomorrow...first prompt arrives!! These photos are of the first two exercises. I can see doing many more spreads using these techniques/layouts. Loving how the watercolor looks - (as opposed to my usual acrylics and markers.)

Pages below are the first two exercises....cannot wait for the first prompt tomorrow!

Artful Amblings...Prompts 2, 3, 4

I am so behind in my posts! I've been spending lots of time with my art journals...(neglecting my stitching/quilting!)...and have been so inspired by the group participating in A Year in the Life of an Art Journal.

Over the last week or so I caught up with scanning my pages for the prompts.

The Jan 30th prompt, "Hope":

This started as a blue painted page (big surprise there! blue?!?) and didn't like where it was going....so I painted over it with some pink acrylic paint and sprayed some Glimmer Mist over the masked word "Hope" then outlined the letters before removing the mask; decoupaged torn pieces of napkin on the left (covered some messy stamping!), added some stamped butterflies and dots, the word "hope" repeated down the right edge, and my favorite part - some book text words to write out my thought. Love using gel medium as glue and sealant all in one...for these teeny words I used a small paintbrush to apply the gel --first to adhere the text to the page and then to paint over the words with the gel to give them a bit a sheen.

And the Feb 15th prompt, "The Unknown"

This started as a blank white page....I spilled some ink while playing with my calligraphy nibs, and decided to just leave it and doodle around it (not happy with how that came out....but there you have it)...the photo is from an ad in a magazine....the journaling is done with an UltraFine Point Sharpie marker....love how they write over the watercolor paper and the glossy magazine page. Very tempted to paint over those dang doodles/ink splotches....would have liked to see this as all black/gray/white....hmmm....

And the Feb 28th prompt, "Silence"

Right, right....we all know how LOUD I am and that I don't like total QUIET....so true to form, this page did not come out in soothing, pale hues. Loving the white pens of late....trying to find the ones that write smoothly without BLOTCHING....no luck with the paint pen versions -- is my technique the problem? How do you keep the paint/ink flowing without pressing out GOBS of it? I do like the Galaxy Marker in Milky Way White by American Crafts....broad point (used it to color in the doodles and outline the word "Silence" - but it isn't as opaque as I'd like. And it feels like it is "running out" already after only a few uses.)

Still working on my page for the March 15th prompt...will post it soon as it is finished and scanned.

Happy Sunday...and whoever took Spring away....we'd like it back, please.

Remains of the Day Journal...

Finally uploaded the photos of my ROTD journal...and some of the pages in progress.
Silk ribbons for the tie....
Some applique on the front cover (hidden under the flap when closed).
The inside lining...

I added a patchwork strip to hold pens..





Loving this online class from Mary Ann Moss. I keep watching the videos to learn how she puts her pages together - love this idea of using up the bits and pieces that you have (er, hoard!) and making background pages for journaling on.


I ended up with four FAT signatures -- but only two fit in the journal...(so guess who will be making ANOTHER cover!?)


I used a bunch of thin, kraft-brown pages from a sketch journal as a base for stitching other bits to. This is a security envelope sewed onto the page as a pocket...with a bit of fabric tacked on (yep. Anna Maria Horner. From her first line - "Bohemian")



Scrapbook papers in my favorite greens...the picture is from a PaPaYa catalog (oh artful loveliness...how much do I want ONE OF EACH! And GUESS WHAT?!?! They are making WRAPPING PAPER out of PAM GARRISON's ART JOURNAL PAGES! oh my. CANNOT WAIT.)


The newsprint paper bag is from a scrapbooking store (can't recall which? I just always save these types of bags because I love them...can't trash 'em!) I trimmed it down and stitched the bottom closed - left the top open so I can slip things inside. Beneath it is a page from an old atlas. The bird and butterfly were cut out of an ad from a Somerset Studios magazine, the Making Memories packaging is from their Vintage Findings line (love it) and the quote is from the packaging of some Amy Butler stickers.
The page on the left is a gorgeous painting of an almond plant from a hotel/spa room service breakfast menu...the green/white checked page is a bag from The Queen's Ink stamp shoppe that Aimee and I stopped in on the way to and from Inspired last year...(we need another ROAD TRIP, AIM!)...

I cannot believe how many HOURS I spent stitching up these PAGES! (It is ADDICTING, I warn you!) Seriously. I could do it all day (and I did last Sunday!)

Next step: sewing the signatures into the spine. Can't wait!

Prompt 1 - Artful Amblings Art Journal

The first prompt of 2010's A Year in the Life of an Art Journal was posted on the 15th. (Prompts are twice monthly, on the 15th and 30th.)

The prompt is: "WHAT? What is holding you back? What is stopping you? What are you afraid of? What is keeping you from your potential? WHAT?!?"

I answered in relation to my art journaling process. Even though I love to sit down with any of my journals - even if it is just to doodle a bit while watching TV or relaxing...sometimes that WHITE PAGE just causes me to freeze. And especially when the plan is to share it on a group site. Rachel's idea to write out all the reasons holding you back and then PAINT OVER THEM to take away their power was a great exercise for me. Originally, I started with a watercolored page, wrote all along the border of the page and filled in with some circle stamped images. But I really didn't like the end result...so I gessoed over it all and added two shades of acrylic paint as a base to start again. I used a Sharpie fine point pen for the journaling, and markers to fill in the letters. The stamps are a sheet of stamps I bought eons ago and cut up and foam-mounted myself (not very well!) The circle stamp is 7gypsies. The collaged bits are cut from a paint chip flyer. I love that I can still see a bit of the journaling peeking through the layers around the edges.

Art Journaling...2010

Ever since I participated in Emily Falconbridge's "Deck of Me" art journal group in 2007 - I have loved having an art journal (or two, or three...) going, and especially having regular prompts to keep me company along the way.

This year, I am participating in "A Year in the Life of an Art Journal" - with Rachel Wetzel.

This is the book I will be using (watercolor paper signatures, the cover is a patchwork of Anna Maria Horner fabrics - inspired by the journal Pam Garrison created from Mary Ann Moss's online class The Remains of the Day (which I have signed up for but haven't received yet....I CANNOT WAIT!)

And so...the first PROMPT was posted on Friday...my morning has been spent layering some paints and textures on the page - I think I am going to go with some stamping and collage....all subject to change as the mood strikes! Will share when it is finished!

It's all about pretending, right?

...as in fairy tales and make believe.

So pretend you can't see the gobs of hot glue which were needed to shore-up my attempts to hand tie the frame of twigs. (I had better luck with the canopy when I stripped down some twistie ties for the thin wire. Just right.)

And pretend that the left, front twig is not completely unsuited to serving as a bed post due to its curves. (It was dark out when I busted the twigs off the tree in the front yard, because, yes, I HAD to start this project the moment I got home from work on Thursday after seeing it on Emily Falconbridge's blog that day.)

Other than those minor issues - (hee!) - I am smitten with my version of The Princess and the Pea bed for Little Miss (ok, for ME and Little Miss!) You'll note the Princess in our version is sporting a gown of Anna Maria Horner's Garden Party Polka Dots fabric for the bodice, and Liberty of London Tana Lawn in Navy/Red for her skirt. With that garb alone she is clearly a princess, right? (Note to self--metallic DMC floss is a b*tch to tie and KEEP tied. May have to replace her sash with some narrow ribbon...that is, if the gown lasts. Sirryha is in the habit of disrobing all of her dolls and tossing aside their clothes never to be worn again. Oh dear. Doesn't bode well for us enjoying Barbies much, eh? Maybe she will grow out of it? Moms? Yeah or nay? Is there any hope for me on this one?)

Sigh. Oh well. At least she didn't smash up the bed! (I am guessing it is NOT as sturdy at the one Miss Emily and her hubs created!) I think Sirryha sensed how fragile this whole game was for me! She right away wanted that GOWN OFF of the wee doll, and once we counted the mattresses and restacked them a few times, she went back to her other babies.

And, uh, yeah. For those who will ask---that stack is 20 mini mattresses. (I do have some standards! I Wiki'd the original story for the official count!)

Alas, Saturday was spent with her other dollies....and the Princess was undisturbed in her slumber atop the leaning tower of bedding! This is Sirryha putting all her babies down for a nap. Note the "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" instructions aimed at me!

Not sure why the dolls end up under the highchair all the time....seems a tent or playhouse is what I should be constructing, no?

hmmmm....

One Little Word...2010

Love this tradition that I first read about on Ali Edwards' blog a few years back....

This year my word is "GO."

I needed a VERB. Something to remind me to MOVE....to DO...to GET IT DONE...to VISIT....to ACT.

....and now off I GO to finish cleaning up my DESK!

Alert the presses!

...I think I may have figured out this BLASTED DOUBLE CROCHET STITCH!

edited: ...or maybe not?

Seriously. This isn't supposed to be HARD, right?

What I'd rather do....

...when I should be doing something like cleaning up my crafting messes, or any other basic household chore!

The result of the snowed in Saturday of December 19: a new runner for this side table (the last one had a few burn marks from some candle mishaps. For a while now, the table was bare, but it isn't in very good shape, and I haven't committed to painting it...so I thought a nice little bit of red and white would help!)

These were all scraps/pieces from my stash (as I couldn't have gotten out to the shops if I wanted to what with the 15 inches of snow and all....) and I managed a few pillow tops to match, too!

Hmmm.....I can keep these out through Valentine's Day, right?

P.S. The photo is one of my all-time favorites of my mom. Circa 1959, newly married, black tights and a gold silk tunic, platinum blonde hair, holding a set of bongo drums she bought for my dad for Christmas (...because he "always wanted to be a drummer.") The lampshade is festooned with simple ball ornaments suspended by silk ribbons - tres chic. (I need to update that frame! I think I know just the thing.....will require a trip to Home Goods!)

The prize package arrived!

OK ...for those who made me promise to share what I received from the Tim Holtz 12 Tags Giveaway! The package arrived on Thursday....

Contents:

1 5x7 tabbed grungebook

2 red Heidi Swapp bling frames, 1 clear accents; 1 upper case RHYME ghost letters - (all on major clearance on HeidiSwapp.com right now if you need it!).

The bling has already been incorporated into my Journal Your Christmas/December Daily book....keepin it very simple this year....but the extra sparkle was a perfect addition to a few of the pages I already "finished."

Thanks Tim for the great 12 Tags (& Mario for the prize send-out!) I can 't wait to see what the GRANDE FINALE PRIZE PACKAGE is going to be! Details to be revealed by Tim on the 25th! HO HO HO!

Lucky Me!

Please don't hate me for my wondrous luck, ladies! I have been following the 12 Tags of Christmas on Tim Holtz's blog for the last 3 years.....and am a huge fan of his products tho' I don't own NEARLY enough of it to master all his techniques....

And I ALMOST MISSED OUT on this year's tags! I remembered last night and right away commented (and ran out to Michael's to buy the CAR STAMP because I had to make this my Christmas Card this year!)

....and then...this morning when I checked in to see Tag #7....guess what? I WON! Check it out here!

As if I didn't have enough on my list to do...now I want to make ALL OF THESE TAGS to enter for Tim's GRAND PRIZE. (Heaven help me.)

Back to my embossed cars and grungeboard! oohhh how I love this CAR!

Grateful....

...for another really good Cohen/Gilman Thanksgiving : )

Lynne and Rob - during our Wednesday prepping!

Basting is the key!

Lar always brings Lynne beautiful flowers for the holiday table.

Note for next year....MORE PHOTOS, PLEASE!

2009 Project Grateful {#9}

Friday, November 20, 2009

20 more things for which I am grateful:

1. A recipe for homemade spray starch! (recipe here)
2. BIG trashbags that don't RIP when you fill them.
3. Tap water (in our township at least!) doesn't skeeve me.
4. Sirryha's random hugs and squeezes at dinner tonight. (Always best when they are unexpected and unsolicited! awww....so stinkin SWEET!)
5. Restaurants with paper tablecloths and a generous supply of crayons.
6. That I always use the crayons at restaurants - even if there are no children with me.
7. Sirryha's newly discovered love for STICKERS - and that Rob doesn't mind when she'd rather put them all over HIM than in the storybooks they come with!
8. Honeycrisp apples. SO yum.
9. Rob is eating the bag of cucumbers that I mistakenly bought at Produce Junction thinking it was a bag of zucchini. (oops)
10. ZIP LOCK BAGGIES. Sandwich size and the quart size. How did I live without thee?
11. Rob is not an "I don't DO leftovers guy."
12. Emeril's Spicy Garlic Bread recipe from "back in the day" (recipe can be found here.)
13. My "Thanksgiving Dinner" binder that I've kept since 2001...which has chronicled everything from the cost of the turkey, to each recipe and guest list.
14. Jackie's Christmas book that she has kept for over 15 years that has all the special gifts received, breakfast and dinner menus, their annual Christmas card, and Mikayla's and David's letters to and from Santa. Seriously priceless!
15. Being ALMOST caught up with my correspondence....
16. Anna Maria Horner's Folksy Flannels are now available by the bundle in her shop!
17. My navy blue leather clogs that are almost a decade old, were never attractive, but are the most comfy shoes I own.
18. That the "business casual" dress code at work means I don't have to wear pantyhose every day ('nuff said, eh?)
19. That Rob came across a Miley Cyrus concert on TV, and he played the same three songs over and over again for Sirryha (via DVR) just because she loved it. "Again, Daddy!"
20. Getting to watch Sirryha eat ice cream. (She dips the spoon into the bowl of ice cream, and then delicately licks the ice cream off the spoon...one wee lap at a time...as if it is on a cone? I am not sure. But it is adorable to me, at the same time shocking that any child would not devour a scoop of chocolate ice cream! She maybe gets a spoonful down via this method!)

2009 Project Grateful {#8}

Lynne and Lar, Thanksgiving Day, 2007 ...love this photo!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Thankful ...

1. That we are a mere week away from another Thanksgiving dinner with the Cohens/Gilmans!

2. For a happy phone call from my friend who was STRESSED TO THE MAX a day ago. Glad it is "all better again."

3. For Panera Bread's chicken and wild rice soup on a cold rainy night.

4. For Johnson's (No More Tears) No More Tangles spray.

5. For Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus because I love the way Sirryha says her name and is mesmerized by her singing and dancing. (O.M.G. you have to see the new dance moves!)

6. For my Rowenta Professional Iron. I {heart} steam!

7. For Rob honestly not caring that the ironing board has become a permanent installation in the living/dining room. (Yes, I know I should install one of those hanger things in the stairwell to the basement....but.....)
   
8. For "off brand" rotary cutter blades that WORK JUST AS WELL AS THE OLFA BRAND at a fraction of the price!
9. For blog recommendations from friends, like this one. I know I would enjoy it if only I had more time!
10. For how happy it makes me when I find Sirryha's little pencil scribbles on my lists. : )
11. For the set of hexagon paper piecing templates from Bryne sewingthe quilt shops....I've wanted to try these ever since I saw this: http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/2009/08/hexagon-piecing.html
12. For free online tutorials like this: http://www.craftstylish.com/item/8335/how-to-english-paper-piecing-project (in case I never get around to a full quilt of Hexagons!)
13. For podcast interviews.
14. For multilayers. (In hairstyles, fashion, art, and best of all - PEOPLE.)
15. For surprises.
16. For restaurants that serve "tiny bites" desserts. (A ramekin of cherry cobbler with a mini scoop icecream. YUM with less guilt!)
17. For Kleenex (I love to iron...but hankies for blowing your nose? Ewwwww.)
18. For twinkle lights. Indoors or out....they are strings of happiness.
19. For Origins Ginger Essence perfume (still my favorite scent!)
20. For stick gum that still comes with printed wrappers so I can gum wrapper chains when I stuck somewhere with nothing else in my purse to occupy me!