• Art - Blog - Creativity

    Secret place

    I’ve had the idea for this page knocking around in my head for a while. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it work until I realized that using die cuts would be the answer.

    My neighbor borrowed me her massive stash of dies and a motorized version of a Cuttlebug….more on that on T Tuesday… In the stash were the perfect dies to bring my vision to life.

    I went through my scraps and picked out warm Fall colors. As I set the die cuts out on the page I realized that they needed to blend with each other better to give more cohesion to the page.

    I used 4 different sprays to achieve the mix of colors you see here over the top of the already different papers. Now I was feeling better about how this page was coming together.

    The words I used came from my thought of this magical place, deep in the forest. A place where the dense forest gave way to a place with smaller saplings and bushes, A place for the lovely creatures of the wood to gather.

    My word stack consists of rusted fabric, torn lace, bundle of green thread and the mop-up paper from the earlier sprays.

     

    I think this is the very last spread in this journal. It’s getting too thick to close and increasingly difficult to work in. Of course its my own fault…I tend to use lots of bulk on my pages. I can’t seem to help myself. I love texture and fabric!

    Won’t you join me in the final days of Words to live by at Art Journal Journey?

    Art Journal Journey
  • Art - Blog - Creativity

    I knew where

    Time is ticking away so quickly for June. My Words to live by challenge on Art Journal Journey is almost over. I figured I’d add a page…and maybe more…before the month comes to an end.

    I got a little carried away with texture on this one. I just kept layering it on. The background got so wrinkled and wonky that I had decided to tear the sides in and stitch it to a piece of kraft card stock.

    I’ve been really into orange this month I’ve noticed. It definitely is one of my favorite colors.

    Stacking layers of fabric and paper is also big on my list lately. I just love the look of it.

    And of course the found text. It was the perfect phrase. I could really go for a relaxing warm day at the beach…staying all day to watch the sunset.

    I know you can’t join me at the beach but won’t you join me for Words to live by at Art Journal Journey.

    Art Journal Journey
  • Blog - Crafts - Creativity

    T Tuesday: mini vacation edition

    Hello and welcome to another edition of T stands for Tuesday. Last week I had mentioned a mini-vacation was on the schedule. We left Thursday morning and were about 20 mins from our finally destination when it started raining…pouring really.

    It was cold and rainy pretty much the whole time we were there which was a really big bummer. Mini-me and I passed the time by doing a puzzle and playing pictionary. Neither one of us slept very well that night so we got up before 5am…

    I made some coffee and picked up my knitting. Evidently I was tense or just out of practice because it was so dang tight I couldn’t continue. I pulled it all out and grabbed a crochet needle…

    I made three dishcloths in short order to leave at the cabin.

    Just as the weather was starting to clear, we headed out for a college visit that was almost an hour away.

    Mini-me had missed the tour I took J on a couple years ago. I knew right away that she’d love this college.  After hearing about it she wanted to visit on her own. I think its at the top of her list of schools.

    After our visit at Morris we headed back to the cabin. That evening we got to enjoy time with family and PUPPIES!

    I only have this one picture of the smallest of the dogs…all huskies. At one point I had two puppies on my lap and one of the big huskies trying to climb up too. Just call me the husky whisper I guess. It certainly was entertaining with 4 dogs running around.

    We headed home on Saturday morning since had other things going for Sunday and Monday…more on that next T stands for Tuesday.  As well as a garden update. It was off to a slow start but has really come a long way in the past week or so. Hopefully I’ll have some photos next week. Raining like crazy…again…as I write this.

    This week has appointments for me and a Costco trip with the neighbor. I gave up our membership to Costco when I started working since going on the weekends is less fun than poking your eyes out with a rusty fork. Lucky for me, I have a sweet neighbor who is willing to take me along or pick up a few items as needed. I honestly haven’t missed Costco as much as I thought I would and likely don’t spend as much when you figure waste and impulse items.

    I’m still working on reorganizing my craft area and supplies. Purging some stuff I’ll never, ever use. I’m sure over time there will be a thing or two I will have wished I saved…always happens. I just feel like we have too much stuff in general. I’m attempting to get rid of the extra; the clutter, the un-needed, un-wanted and un-loved. Not Marie Kondo style…that’s a little intense for me. But at my own pace with the end goal in mind…less stuff.

    What are you doing today?