Journey into Collage – Week 22

As promised, here’s the page I did with the Stars and Circles template from yesterday’s hop:

To create these circles, I just got some text paper and cut them into circles:

and then painted the template on them using two different sets of colors. I used red and orange and green and blue:

Once it was painted, I just rubbed some more paint along the edges and adhered them onto my page.

I painted the background and stamped the words after adhering. I then used three other stencils: poppies, clouds, and butterfly meadow to create the black parts. And finally added the white with reverse chickenwire.

The words say: The world needs more color. So create more and more art. Fill it up with joy.

Journey into Collage is a project for 2012. You can read more about it here.

June 1, 2012 | Art, Collage, Mixed Media | 2 comments

Art Journaling and Stencil Hop: Stars and Circles

When Julie asked me if I would be willing to participate in her Spring 2012 Stencil Hop, my reply was a resounding yes. I am a huge fan of both Julie and The Crafter’s Workshop stencils. I am an even bigger fan of Julie’s The Crafter’s Workshop stencils!

I was the lucky participant of the Stars and Circles stencil which looks like this:

As soon as I got my stencil, the first thing I did was to create a collage page. But you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see that one. Right after I was done, I couldn’t stop so I created two art journaling pages so I am here to share those with you.

Here they are:

I used the circles template as a background for this one but it’s pretty loud and still a main part of my page. I think it supports the main star and the quote really well so I wanted to make sure it was a significant part of the page. The other stencil I used here for the big star is also by Julie and it’s called Layered Stars.

The quote is actually a Robert Frost poem that I’ve always loved. It says: We dance round in a ring and suppose but the secret sits in the middle and knows.

I liked how the circles represented people dancing around in a ring and the star was the secret that sat in the middle.

Then, I completely changed course and created this one:

In this one I used the Stars and Circles template more like a background. I like that it adds color and interest to my page but doesn’t take away from the flowers in the foreground. I also loved that the circles fit perfectly in the middle of the Leaf Grid template, which is also by Julie and so are the flowers, which is the Poppies template.

The quote on this one reads: Do not wait for others, go find your own joy. Step up and own your life.

That’s it for today.  Thank you so much for visiting me and make sure visit everyone else on the hop:

And then go back to Julie’s blog and leave her a comment for a chance to win this awesome template!

Oh, and come back tomorrow for my collage post which will also use this very template!

May 31, 2012 | Mixed Media, Weekly Art Journal | 34 comments

The Savor Project – Week 20

And here’s the spread for week twenty:

here’s a closer up of the left side:

The first story here is Nathaniel’s preschool and the mothers’ tea they had. And the second one is about Mother’s Day and my breakfast and the signs the boys made for me.

And here’s the right side:

The first one here is going to the movies with my boys. The Secret World of Arriety. and then about David drawing science. And then the last one is about how Nathaniel loves run run running for his life in the living room!

My art and our family photo along the bottom as usual.

So there we go. So far, so good. Still enjoying this project a lot.

Happy Savoring.

The Savor Project was supposed to be a weekly project for 2012. You can read about my setup here.

May 30, 2012 | The Savor Project | 2 comments

A Book a Week – Angle of Repose

When Jake and I were planning to move to the West Coast, several people told me to read Angle of Repose. It’s the quintessential California book, I was told. I bought it.

But I never read it.

We’ve now been in the west coast for nine years. And I finally got to read it thanks to book club. And you know what? It was wonderful. Slow in parts, quite sad but still beautifully written and told. I haven’t read any of his other books but now I know I want to.

And I must admit, it’s not as much about California as it is about moving to the west. A solid, wonderful read.

May 30, 2012 | Books Read in 2012, Literature | Leave a comment

Daily Sketching – Week 60

Here are the sketches from last week:

Sunday:

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday: (really dislike this one but alas didn’t have time to make another)

that’s it for this week.

Daily Sketching is a weekly project for 2012. You can see a detailed post on my steps here.

May 29, 2012 | Sketching, Watercolor | 2 comments

you are the one constant in my life

This is a layout I made for My Mind’s Eye’s blog for February.

And the journaling says:
when i look back upon the last 18 years of my life, all my twenties and thirties, the one constant throughout has been you and your love. Your kindness, your smile, your hugs. The one thing I could rely on. The one thing that stood by me no matter what. I am so grateful for you and I love you madly.

details:

May 28, 2012 | Layouts, My Mind's Eye, Scrapbooking | 4 comments

Weekly Diary – May 26 2012

here are some great moments from this week:

the boys playing “david ball” a game david invented and rigs to win each time.

david drawing everything he knows about science.

Nathaniel being goofy.

David holding his art.

and the back where he’s listed all he knows.

nathaniel goofier.

raisins were big this week. and so was this loud, noisy, annoying toy. It finally had to go in the garage before mommy lost her mind.

but the boy never stopped being goofy.

he’s such a joy!

he wanted me to photograph the top of his head.

David’s “what?” face.

more more and more science.

i love this boy.

nathaniel said he wanted to sit on daddy’s lap alllll day.

david’s classroom assistant from this year.

and his teacher. isn’t she awesome?

i love her.

david had a conference today where he explained his school year to us and all he learned.

and then it was family photos.

and tickle time.

i just love this family so much.

and here we go. i hope your week was wonderful, too.

Weekly Diary is a project for 2012. You can read more about it here.

May 26, 2012 | Family, Weekly Diary 2012 | One comment

Journey into Collage – Week 21

Page twenty-one:

This week I felt like I had no ideas at all. I wanted to play with oil pastels so I made my background and then just randomly put stuff until I was done.

The quote says: Stop trying to measure up, you’re perfect just the way you are.

Here are some more shots of it:

Journey into Collage is a project for 2012. You can read more about it here.

May 25, 2012 | Art, Collage, Mixed Media | 5 comments

Art Journaling – Arches Printmaking Set 4

Here are some more pages I did:

The full text reads: be your own light.
This art is my version of: the amazing print by sarusdesignart

And here’s the next page:

The full text reads: be the change you wish to see in the world. it starts with you.
This art is my version of: this stunning art by Pavel Guzenko

Well here we go. More coming next week.

I am creating multiple art journaling pages a week for now. You can read more about this project here. This set uses the Fabriano Roma papers.

May 24, 2012 | Mixed Media, Weekly Art Journal | 10 comments

Finding the Calm in the Chaos

I’ve been doing a lot of writing and thinking lately, partly thanks to the classes I’m taking. As well as Christy’s class that I mentioned yesterday, I’m also taking Ali’s 31 Things class this month, too. I debated a lot with myself over this class, partly cause I was planning on being gone for part of it and I didn’t want to do it halfway and I also wanted to make sure I could take my time with each of the pages. But, in the end, I decided to do it anyway. I did a whole lot of prep so now I feel more confident that I will be able to get through the whole class without stress.

Anyhow, this class has a new “word” everyday to encourage you to write about that topic and yesterday’s topic was “you.” There were some prompts by Ali and as I was filling mine, some of the same thoughts that I’ve had for a few years came back to the surface. With my word, “savor,” this year, I’ve wanted to channel the feeling of calm. Awareness and leaning into the joy, too. But also the calm that comes from being at peace, from not letting things take over.

This morning, I thought I had a meeting at David’s school, so I dropped Nathaniel early and we stopped to get a coffee and then I walked David into his classroom. I still had about 10 minutes before the meeting, so I sat outside in the sunshine and read my mail on my phone. I felt a deep sense of calm. I didn’t have anything I could get done in that ten minutes. I had given myself the time off and I just sat there, basked in the sun. I felt so calm and peaceful.

After I found out the meeting had been cancelled, I drove home and told myself that I would do more of these stolen ten minutes in my day. It’s not good enough to let myself of the hook at home, I need to go out, be in the sun, and just be in that very moment.

And I do think I can do that.

But it’s not enough. What I want to know is how to be calm when everything is happening at once. When people from work are contacting me over IM and my kids are running around making a lot of noise and one of them starts crying and I spill my drink on myself all at the same time. Because these things happen. I seem to have at least four of these every day. Some are smaller moments and others are bigger. But each of them cause me to completely go over the edge. I scream, I feel instantly frustrated, I start seeing black and I lose all sense of reason.

Not to mention calm.

I want to get better at handling these moments. I have two young children. Two boys. I have a demanding job which I am proud of but working hard at. I choose to work from home. I am grateful to work from home. So, since I am marrying my two worlds, and since I love the advantages of that, I’m going to have to find a way to start becoming calmer in the face of chaos.

It’s not even about taking a breath or two (or three). Though I know that helps. But I think I need a more fundamental shift in the way I look at things, in the way I handle things. A combination of changing some things and letting other things go. I haven’t figured out the magic yet. (Far from it.)

But from what I felt of that sense of pure calm and peace today for those ten minutes, I know I want more of it. And even if I can’t be that great during those chaotic moments, I can at least not go to that “bad place.”

Though I’m gonna aim for calm.

Secretly, that’s what I truly want to be.

May 23, 2012 | Personal, Thoughts | 5 comments

The Savor Project – Week 19

And here’s the spread for week nineteen:

there’s a middle addition this week for some Mother’s Day stuff, so here’s the other side:

here’s a closer up of the left side:

The first story here is Nathaniel’s 3-year checkup. Then us going to the Pirates! movie. And then just one of how i am in so much awe of my kids and how much I love them.

this is the little mat Nathaniel made for me for the mothers’ tea at his school.

and this is the picture David colored for me in Spanish class.

And, finally, here’s the right side:

The first two here the supermoon and my being on paperclipping roundtable. then the one about the kids watching the spider on the couch and finally flowers from my flower-arranging class.

I am trying to remember to include more of my own stories, too.

My art and our family photo along the bottom as usual.

So there we go. So far, so good. Still enjoying this project a lot.

Happy Savoring.

The Savor Project was supposed to be a weekly project for 2012. You can read about my setup here.

May 23, 2012 | The Savor Project | One comment

A Book a Week – Moneyball

I’ll admit I read Moneyball (or more like listened to it) because Jake forced me to. HE really wanted me to read it before we saw the movie so I pretty much listened 24-7 until I was done and that night we went to see the movie.

In the end, I am glad I read it. It’s a spectacular story even if you’re not into baseball. And while the movie was different in some ways, it was also good. In the end, the book was much better.

Of course.

May 23, 2012 | Books Read in 2012, Literature | 2 comments

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