make a journal and put some art in it

I'm happy to have found Samantha Kira's Easy-Peasy manilla folder and composition book journal re-uploaded.

What a great idea this is. I made one for myself and it's definitely a keeper. I'll bet you can find all the materials you need right around your house. I used an old morning pages composition book for mine.

Here are a couple of journal pages from inside this book.

I'm gonna play with this page some more. I like the words "tap in" because I've been so distracted lately and feel like I need to get back to the world around me and start enjoying the upcoming holidays. This is definitely a case of a journal page that I've worked on over a couple of days using layers to try to get to the bottom of what, exactly, is it that is going on inside.

I enjoy using this book because it is a very freeing area for me since I already have a relationship with this book as a writing book. Yeah, I have relationships with my books, don't you?

Samantha's got some great videos on art journaling, bookbinding and a fun blog as well. Thanks to her for her ideas and sharing them with us. Leave her a comment!

Eco Friendly Gift Coasters

Kevin: don't read this!!!

I'm back ... hopefully, you are here too! I've been consumed by busyness and now, blessedly, the show season is winding down and I'm just shopping, making and, best of all, getting ready for kids to come home! Yea! Everyone should be here by the weekend. How long do you call your kids "kids"? Maybe "offspring"? "The next gen"? What do you call your adult-sized young uns?

Anyways, in the clean-up after craft show process today, I had a million ideas (does that not drive you nuts? It drives me nuts. How am I supposed to clean up when all that "stuff" is inspiring me to make more "stuff"?) Anyway, here is a set of coasters I made for my nephew, Kevin. And it was fun, man; Really fun to draw on used CD's with a Sharpie.

Materials:
CDs, Sharpie, felt, scissors, glue and fabric marking pencil (or colored pencil)

What to do:
Draw on your CD with a Sharpie. I chose drinking glass images. Patterns would be fun though, right? Oh boy, you could treat them as mandalas! Hmm... I may need to make more of these. OK, back to business.

On the felt, trace around the CD using a colored or fabric pencil; cut the felt circles out.

Put some glue around the outside of the back of the CD and press the felt down.

Bingo. Done. I'm gonna package these individually in CD envelopes.

Website is Rebuilt

PS! My new website is up (I forgot to tell you in the last post). Chagrin. I need to take marketing classes.

I put up the story (or at least a chapter of it) behind my work, the citizens, birds, etc. and the new landscapes. Look in NorthEast Kingdom tab. Also, there is a freebie (I hope it prints out ok, let me know if it doesn't, ok?) in the Art Journaling tab. Feedback is welcome, if things aren't working, you can let me know.
xo

Printing and Binding Video

Thank you all so much for your caring comments about Chopin; we are moving through the hard moments. The nearly 18 years with her was worth this sadness, and I'm sure all pet lovers feel the same.

Moving on to a a lighter topic, if you love printmaking and bookbinding as much as I do, you'll want to take the five-odd minutes to watch this video. Awesomeness from Abigal Uhteg's The Complex of All of These and Women's Studio Workshop.

Thanks again to all of you. It all helps.

Sad Goodbye

Chopin c. 1994

named for Kate Chopin, writer

Last night, Jon and I made the very difficult decision to say goodbye to our cat of nearly 18 years, Chopin (aka, "shope-py", cookie puss, shopes and lately "old girl"). She was a treasured member of our family, a source of much joy and some hair-pulling-out. She was my kid's childhood pet. She was a cat who knew how to have a good time.

Chopin's been rocky for a year or so now and, I wonder if she wasn't waiting for Dan to be happily settled in college before she decided to let go. So we did. We all let go in a very humane way. I held her the whole time. All day today I see her everywhere. It's gonna be lonely here without her. We are at peace with our decision though, we did right by her to let her go.

To all the pets out there, I say thank you.

Thanks for reading this today. It feels good to write a little eulogy to the Old Girl.

Art Journal Video

Sitting in my studio today with a pile of "beautiful papers" threw me further down the hole. I'd been feeling a bit blocked anyway and that nearly did me in. I'm gonna take a page from this YouTube video from Eveline UK. She is using a binder to hold sheets of cardboard on which she journals; "non-precious" and budget-friendly. {Yes, that was an intentional pun back there. Did you find it yet?}

I'm gonna go back to the studio tomorrow and tear and rip and find "stuff" to sew down into collages. I'm gonna make one for each of my family members for Christmas (don't tell) and I'm gonna make one extra one as a giveaway for one of you.

In the meantime, go enjoy Eveline UK's video. Don't forget to rate and leave a comment for her. It's the best way to say thank you.

MamaCita Holiday Party Invitation

MamaCita is a group of women artists that I belong to. I feel very lucky to have such a strong and talented group of women to show and sell my work with. Everyone pitches in to help out with shows, support and brainstorming. Every year in December we have a group craft show/party - just women! This year it is next Saturday night. If you are in the area, please stop by for food, small paintings, photographs, jewelry and other crafty goodies. I'll have Journal Spilling there, if you are looking for an autographed copy. Along with

treehuggers

citizens

rescued journals

I'll also be selling one-offs (cheap). Happy Holidays,