• Art - Blog - Creativity

    AJJ: cutter quilt

    July 7, 2026 - By 

    The color scheme on this one was completely inspired by this strip of cutter quilt. It was the last piece of it that I had. It was gifted to me in happy mail ages ago. I hoarded it for a long time but am trying to reform my hoarding tendancies.

    The fabric said late 40s or early 50s to me so I embraced the popular colors of that time. This is definitely outside my comfort zone but it’s good to  stretch yourself creatively from time to time.

    I thought shorthand pages fit the time period pretty well. I used a bit of lace and a fussy cut flower to finish it off. Oh yeah…couldn’t forget some words. The inspected by tag was in a little cup that sits on my craft space..I throw random bits in there all the time. Sometimes I even remember to USE them!

    I hope you’ll pop over to Art Journal Journey and check out the other challenge entries for my July theme of Fabric, lace and trims…oh my!

    Art Journal Journey

     

  • Art - Blog - Creativity

    AJJ: Flower Specimen

    July 26, 2025 - By 

    Todays journal page came from a little sewing table organizing. This always seems to happen to me. I go to organize then get distracted or inspired, abandoning my original quest and dive in to my latest thought.

    There happened to be a stack of sewing pattern paper at the back of my table begging to be used, as well as some fun orange papers I picked up in a grab bag at a recent rummage sale. This was enough to get my mind onto creating instead of cleaning and organizing.

    I folded the pattern piece to the approximate size of my journal, then stitched a rectangle in the center to hold things together as I began building the page on the other side.

    I used a length of eyelet lace and a scrap of vintage plaid for the next layer…giving them a little stitch together before using Fabri-Tac to adhere the piece to the sewing pattern paper. The teal brought out the leaf color from the orange floral paper just perfectly. Plus I love that combination. I also really love pink and orange together.

    I decided to highlight the “specimen” with a circle die cut before layers some ticket and label stickers.

    Behind the floral paper is a pumpkin vine embossed piece. Not really my cup of tea so I covered the majority of it with the floral paper. I ended up adding the bit of fabric ruffle to hide the rest of the pumpkins…out of sight, out of mind.

    The upper corner felt a little lacking so I stapled a tiny piece of handmade paper and added a tiny specimen card with a butterfly. These additions made it felt complete.

    I had so much fun making this page. Getting distracted isn’t always bad, I guess.

    Stop by Art Journal Journey and check out the linked pages everyone is creating based on my Botanicals theme this month!

  • Art - Blog - Creativity

    AJJ: Adore

    July 25, 2025 - By 

     

    My journal page for today I simply Adore…yep, I said that…couldn’t help myself. When I came across the handmade paper in my stash I knew I had to use it. The leaves and flower petals that are embedded were so inspiring!

    Just look at that texture!!

    Next I found the back of an envelope that was beautifully aged. The ideas really started flowing at this point. I thought about a romance…love letters….flowers.

    Whoa…I didn’t think I was that much of a romantic.

    This couple looked like they really adored each other.

    I used elements from several different ephemera packs including some Tim Holtz.  I’m on a mission to use up some of the things that I “just had to have” which pretty much turned into hoarding them.

    I hope you’ll stop by Art Journal Journey and check out some of the other artwork that is being created for my theme of Botanicals this month.

    Side note: Yesterday I realized, while updating my challenges and collaborations page, that this is my fourth time hosting over on Art Journal Journey.