Read

Good Morning everyone, from a wet and thankful Northern CA, oh how we need this rain.  My share this morning is proof positive, I will do anything to avoid the ritual of cleaning my studio table.  I barely have a 6"X6" square to work in, there are copic markers, scraps of paper, cuts from recent projects, you name it, it is stacked, covered and a mess.  So I woke this morning with full intention of gathering, putting away and cleaning up so that I am able to move on to next project.  I got up, brewed coffee and walked to table with mug in hand.  What happened next is what always happens when my table is cluttered, my imagination goes "oh boy, we are going to play, look at all that color, don't throw that scrap out it has wonderful lines." on and on, well you get the idea.  But, I do have options, I can just shut down the imagination in its' tracks but that makes the imagination rather cranky and my heart sad, I can reason from my left side to the right but that doesn't really work all that great, my left side usually gives up and shuts down or I can bargain, which is what I did this morning.  I told myself, you may make a bookmark, BUT, you cannot pull any items from of their area, you must use what you have on the table and then you will clean, ROFL.  So now I am off to clean my table top.  I wish you a lovely Friday, if it is raining or snowing where you are be safe, hugs

A Spider Playing in the House

Friendship is such a wonderful thing, I have one and we send articles, cards, little treasures back and forth through out the year, it truly makes a connection that lasts forever. She recently sent me copies of 4 poems she received in a retreat and thought I might enjoy them. One of them was by Rumi, a mentor I go to often for solace and or wisdom. It is one I had not read and was very moved by the powerful message. It so says something I feel more and more is my truth. I wanted to do a card that would tell her immediately my favorite and thank her, I also had a few things to tuck in besides.

I was especially intrigued by the title of this piece. I am always enchanted with the symbolism of words and also how they differ in different parts of our earth. Here are some for "Spider", which definitely will give you an idea of the title meaning. Spirit of creation, power, protection, fate, rebirth, just a small snippet of many. The poem is below if you are interested.

So as you venture nearer and nearer to the weekend, keep this in mind and "go mad", lol, hugs

A Spider Playing in the House

Conventional knowledge is death
to our souls, and it is not really ours.
We must become ignorant
of what we have been taught,
and be, instead, bewildered.

Run from what is profitable and comfortable.
If you drink those liqueurs, you will spill
the springwater of your real life.

Forget safety.
Live where you fear to live.
Destroy your reputation.
Be notorious.

I have tried prudent planning
long enough.  From now
on, I will be mad.

~Rumi

Everyday Magic

Yesterday I had some errands to run, I also had a 25% off entire purchase coupon for Michael's.  Since I was driving right by, I did that turn signal thing and pulled in.  Wow, Michael's has exploded with burlap and cork, it's every where, lol, not sure how long it has been available, I need to get out more.  I found these 4x4  canvases and thought they would make fun backgrounds and they do.  But that is really not what I am sharing  this morning.

"Create with everyday magic", what is everyday magic?  Okay, here is an example, you are leaving work, you have to pick up kids at daycare and you have to go to the grocery store, hmm, which first?  Grocery store first means more gas, a little longer jaunt, but kids in the grocery store make you crazy, as you are walking to the car you realize there is a glow in the air, pinks and oranges are bouncing off your car, NOW, this is the moment of everyday magic, do you stand there for a minute and really watch, can you determine where the orange begins and the pink stops?  Are there clouds, is the sky alive with birds enjoying the magic, or do you get in your car and drive off unaware that all of this magic has surrounded you?  Here is a little challenge, you don't have to post anything, you don't have to go out and purchase anything, just make the commitment to be aware of 1 thing each day that is everyday magic, then capture it, in a journal, on a card, in words, something that will stamp the moment in your consciousness, we all need more magic in our lives, hope your week is full of it, hugs

Home Sweet Home

Good Morning and a fine one it is here today.  Have you ever driven down a street or maybe on your own street, there is a house and you just know that it is not a happy house, inside or out.  The windows are dirty, the color is off and the yard is only tended to as a last resort, more weeds than grass. We have had a house on our street just like that, it has been that way for a quite a while and especially this last year as it went into foreclosure.  The "For Sale" went down the first of the year but nothing happened, then a couple of weeks ago, some contractor trucks showed up and it has been a flurry of activity ever since, sawing, hammering, men on the roof, then earlier this week a fresh coat of paint went on.  It's windows are shiny clean and the shrubs and bushes are getting a new haircut. It is almost a happy house, just needs some loving people to move in.
So this was my inspiration, I started playing with some of  my houses.  Background is from a sweet packet by Prima.  Houses were colored with Copic Markers, the skeleton key on the right is an old Quickutz die, some fun cloud photo corners.  I need to get our power spray out and give my little cottage a spring shower, our yard did get a mow this week, after all the showers and fair weather, it  was getting a bit deep.  Hope you have a great rest of your Sunday, hugs

Sweet Songs of Spring

Saturday, Saturday, a little play time.  Another onsie, the little music block is from the "Harper's Boutique" stack.  Our little chickie birds are all over the newly popped buds on the trees, tweetering and singing to each other, I was inspired.  I took liberty with its' color, they are mostly brown, I love how full their little bellies are as they have gorged.  All colors are Copic markers except for background on onsie is gesso and the other background is Tim Holtz distress inks and Pan Pastel chalks.  Have a great weekend, hugs

celebrating the chevron

Lol, just a variation on yesterdays share, except this is a onsies with rounded corners, fun for just a quick hello, thinking of you, miss you card.
Love the white and brown chevron background, this was done with gesso.  Have a happy Friday, hugs

Celebrate

I cannot remember the last time I purchased patterned paper, it has been a while, but I could not resist when I saw The Paper Studio "Harper's Boutique" pack, it is all black and white patterns and they are so yummy, I used one as my background for this card. All colors for images are Copic markers. I used misc. rub-ons for the word block.
 I know it is still winter, but you could never tell by our weather here, today it will be in the 70s.  Some of the trees are already flowering and my little Mulberry sapling has tiny buds all over it.  My Camellia bush is in bloom and I have several bouquets inside.
Hope everyone traverses into the weekend with happy plans, stay safe, hugs

The Story of the Chevron Bag

 At some point last year I caught the Chevron bug, I sent a friend some gift bags and she loved them and wanted some for her girls, a couple of the bags came with designs on them.   As I was working on this design, I decided I wanted the bag to have a chevron background and remembered seeing some at Hobby Lobby, but when I got there I realized I had not remembered exactly what I thought I had seen.  The chevron was too big and busy and it was on a bag with a white background which would not work for this design.  Then I remembered what I had seen was some SEI paper with chevrons on kraft paper, hmmmmm, note to self, slow down, focus.  One of the things I do when, I cannot find what I want and actually have some time, is just roam the store with my cart, looking and letting my attention drift away from what I want, this usually draws me to a good alternative or  a solution to my dilemma.  I found myself in front of the stencil section and I was just staring, there was a huge wall chevron and there was a tiny chevron but not one that would work and even if I did use a stencil, what would I use for my color?  Walk, walk, walk, I wandered back to the stencil area about 2 times and then I decided to buy the 9"X18" "Show Off" blanks and cut my own stencil.

 Here is the stencil on top of one of the blank kraft bags, this is more a sharing of tips than a tutorial. The stencil blank has a shiny side and a matte side, after cutting I realized that the shiny side has a thin film that comes off, since there is no mention of this on the packaging and very little direction, I will keep cutting with the film attached and remove after the cut.  I designed and cut the stencil with my Silhouette Cameo, my settings were speed:3, depth30 and blade on 6 and I set for a double cut. When weeding the stencil begin at the top left side and gently pull out zigzag on a slight diagonal, go slow, so as not to tear.  I would say this is a light weight stencil blank, just a little heavier than cover acetate. I used "Stencil ease" Stencil Adhesive on the matte side, I was able to do 3 bags before reapplying the adhesive to the stencil, after the second application you can get 4 to 5 bags.  My bag size by the way is 8"X10".  I wanted a subtle chevron and decided that I would try Ranger's "Distress Ink", for this bag I used "Wild Honey"

I found the best way to apply the ink was to begin in the top left corner pulling out about 2" and down, continue across the bag until completed, it takes about 2 or 3mins per bag, once you get the hang of it.  So this will be my new favorite stencil for a while, lol.

Here is the bag with the chevron done with distress ink, because I am doing the card hold border I am only distressing the front of the bag.  I am anxious to try some other paints with these, but will have to wait until I get this project wound up.  The moral of the story is:  If you can't find it, just do it yourself!  Hope everyone has a fab day, hugs

Happy happy birthday

Happy Monday, a little birthday card today.  My life is still about juggling hats, managing with lists and it has helped so much that I have carved out my daily studio time.  It gives me time to reflect, focus in on my goals and create.  Appeasing my must definitely keeps my stress level down, lol.  

I chose a craft paper card blank for today's card, then used a black back drop and a gelli pull.  Chunky photo corners created with Cameo Silhouette and Copic markers.  The shells and fish are also Copic colors, the fish image is a Silhouette Library image.  I also have a new ID stamp done by my friend "Loopy Lou", yeah! I love it Lou.  I am also loving these little string bows lately.  Hope your Monday flows into a beautiful week.  Hugs

Who in the world is Alexander Woollcott?

My card today features a quote by Alexander Woollcott, "There's no such thing in anyone's life as an unimportant day."  Oh our special days, the ones we wait for, cannot go to sleep the night before them, we wake up to the air crackling with expectations and excitement and when they are over, we sit in wonder and say "that was the best day of my life", we tuck these days away in our heart and sometimes call the memories up to sooth or share. But what about those days we struggle and fear we will not be able to trudge through, we fall short or worse don't even try to keep up, those are the days filled with lessons, the days that solidify the challenge to do better or climb higher, are these not maybe the most important days?  I think better I will write this quote on my heart, so that I remember there are no unimportant days, no one better or worse than the other, each day is a reason to participate in a journey to understand and love the world I live in, to find at least one rose to pluck out even if the day is filled with stink weed.
Alexander Woollcott, American Journalist and critic, New York City, 1887-1943, a member of the Algonquin Round Table ( I have a thing for early 1900 social clubs) another favorite is Studio "219",  Alfred Stieglitz, husband to Georgia O'Keeffe and promoter of some of the greatest "Impressionists and Post Impressionists", he was an artist in his own right with some 2,500+ photographs to his credit.
The background for card is a piece of "ticking" scanned and printed.  Chunky photo corners, a fun bow from hemming tape, and a heart.  I had some play with the quote as I continue my word art obsession.  All colors are Copic markers and some airbrushing.  Have a grand weekend, one day at a time, hugs

Baby Buggy Birthday

Creating over-lays using clear acetate and frosting spray, FUN! then laid the overlay over a spray sheet and scanned in for the card background. Added some silver balls and a piece of string bow.  I continue to go through and clear out some of my stash boxes and found the sticker the other day, it arched nicely over the carriage.  The great thing is the over-lay can be used again and again with different colors and backgrounds. 

As my friend Carole would say "A Slam Dunk" card.  Happy Valentine's Day to everyone, hope your day is filled with hugs, chocolate and flowers.

Thanks Doc

Happy Monday, this card began last week when I took my friend to her post surgery appt. with her orthopedic surgeon.  She had a partial shoulder replacement.  I was sitting in the waiting room and looking around and in the corner was this glorious display case, with a vintage doctor's bag and some antique surgical instruments.  Thank goodness for our I phones, I asked if I could take some photos, got the okay and started snapping away. What a treasure.  The Caduceus and xray are from the internet and I used my broken chevron background.  I had some great studio time last week, I am going for week 2, hope your week is smooth and full of opportunities. Hugs

add water

A new watering can for my stash.  We are getting a wash of rain this week, so water is on my brain, lol.  I found this chart in an old Sunset Garden Book (copyright 1947) and decided it was perfect for my old rusty watering can.  Cats are all cloistered in bunches on top and under each other and the "W" word is not to be spoken, lol.  This has been a fab week, with some studio time and even a book was devoured.  Hope everyone enjoys their Sunday, hugs

Love Squared

Oh my goodness, two days in a row in the studio, I am in heaven.  I slept like a log last night too.  This is my first attempt at "word art", it actually was easier and went much more smoothly than anticipated.  I did the love squared in two steps, first I wrote it out and scanned it in, turned it into an element and cut it out, then I colored with Copics and did the same process over.  This definitely has a vintage feel to it, I loved the old spinner cards, the inner spinner is a Tim Holtz piece.  The hands are from an EKSuccess punch and were colored with FW "Old Copper Plate Gold" ink.  The tiny tag is an old Quickutz die.  We are getting a little relief in the drought this AM, much needed rain.  Be happy, hugs

Magic

Some days just call out for a little "magic". What better place to find it than on our studio tables.  Big chunkie photo corners have been on my creation list and I have been having so much fun with them.  The first of the year I pulled out all my calligraphy pens and nibs and one of the things on my list is to do some serious play with lettering, it is easy to get lazy though and just go with what you are used to, so will really have to concentrate on that one.  The hands are a line drawing, coloring Copic markers.  Photocorners were colored using Copic markers, THdistress inks and Viva Gold Metallic rub.  Happy Wednesday, hugs

Heart Speak

Broken chevrons, a double string bow, a faux blackboard block and some gilded hearts, a simple valentine. Heart colors are Copic makers and Viva "Inka Gold" Metallic Rub.

It is Monday, I am full of inspiration and my calendar does not look like a road map for a marathon, hugs

Dog People Are Wonderful

My time is still not my own, but getting better, I am pulling at least a couple of hours a day from my studio.  I promised a friend I would do some "thank you" notes for her, she is a dog lover and will be sending them out to a few friends that have helped her through a crisis.  I did not have time to sit and sketch out an element, so I used a Spellbinder's Die and an image from the Silhouette Library to create what I needed.  I used a crate paper background on a craft paper card blank.  I created the word block using a piece of chipboard and again a spellbinders die and then created my own photo corners.  Hope everyone has a marvelous Super Bowl Weekend, hugs