Wolf Full Moon

Here are my pages for the Full Wolf Moon. It's also called the Birch Moon. Things to think about are your wild nature as in the wolf, I just had to add this little wolf pup howling. The Birch moon is all about clearing away things from life to make space for something new. That seems so like January to me, people are always looking for new storage solutions, de- cluttering and deciding what they would like their year to be. What steps can I make to clear space from my life is the question I will be asking myself this month.

I recently took Jamie Ridler's offering on planning called Design Your Year.  It was really good, it helped me determine my priorities and see how to plan for them.  One of the things that I want to bring into focus this year is my garden,  I always seem to be so busy when the time to work in it is most important.  This year I am working my schedule around gardening time. It's just one of the insights I learned from this workshop. Information can be found here. The course is only available till Jan 31st but it only takes a few hours to go through.  So check it  out while you can.

Wishcasting Wednesday - How do you wish to sparkle

Its Wishcasting Wednesday and today Jamie asks us How do you wish to sparkle? As some of you may know Jamie has this awesome e-course starting soon called Sparkles hence the topic of todays wish.  Oh what fun.  I do wish to sparkle in all ways imaginable.  Today I actually do have a sparkle day.  If you head on over to Violette"s blog located here you will find an interview with yours truly.  Yes the Queen of Creativity was invited to say a few words over on her friends blog.  I hope you will take the time to check it out.

Now that is one way to sparkle, but I wish to do so not only in my business and creative life but in my personal life too. In the ways I dress and present myself to the world. I wish to be out there, to shine in every way possible.

To check out what other wishers are doing, go here   To see more about the Sparkles e course go here  There is also a chance to win some great prized if you sign up by the 24th.

Jamie Ridler

You know how much I just love Jamie Ridler. I found this interview with her. It is pretty engaging and awesome. I know you will love it.

Wishcasting Wednesday - What do you wish to fly free from?

The lovely Jamie Ridler asks us today What to you wish to fly free from? As per usual Jamie always ask great questions.

I wish to fly free from all the shoulds in my life

all the expectations that I set for myself

one week it may be exercise every day and then

it turns into a chore that I resent.

Or it might be doing Art everyday

sometimes the commitment becomes too much

and I tend to stress about it.

I want to be able to do the things I love

without conditions

To see what others are wishing today go here

Wishcasting Wednesday - What do you wish for your well being

The lovely Jamie from Jamie Ridler Studio's is asking the wishers out there "What do you wish for your well being" 

Today has been one of those days, the internet is  down so I came to town to get this posted.  Then as I tried to write my morning pages outside by the garden Flynn my dog was trying to do his business in my garden. In my attempt to make him stop I tripped over the little fence surrounding it. Head first into the mud and plants. Now my right foot, both knees the right side of my chest and face hurt.  Now my well being doesn't seem to be doing so well today.

Then I seem to have lost the healing bracelet I made recently.  I remember taking it off to shower or sleep or something but that was several days ago and I can not find the thing anywhere.

There are times when you have days like these and things just get worse as they day progresses. I have been trying to stop the spiral from happening.  I went and picked up some breakfast and went to the river to eat and soak up some of that great energy at the falls.  It has helped somewhat.  I also placed a few rocks  along the river for some one to find.  The words on them were peace, let go and beauty.  That felt good to jump out of my own situation and to try and do for someone else.

Which leads me to my wish for my well being.  I wish for calmness, I wish to not jump off the deep end so easily. I keep thinking I will grab that yoga DVD and start doing it again but I don't.  Or start meditating regularly again but I don't. I can't seem to get beyond the idea and in to the doing. So I guess I am wishing that I begin to do those thing that will make my well being so much more relaxed.

To see what other wishcasters are doing go here

Wishcasting Wednesday - Investing

Its Wishcasting time again. This week Jamie asks us


What do you wish to Invest in?

After just a little bit of thought on this I decided I want to invest in Organizing my life.  Not in the sense that my closets are clean or that my desk is organized but I want to organize my TIME better.  There are 24 hours in a day and I seem to waste a lot of it.  I on occasion do make lists and on those days I get many things done that I have wanted to.  The problem is that I am not consistent with it.

I want to set some art and writing goals and organize my time so I actually can do them without feeling stressed  or guilty because I am not doing something else.  I want to waste less time by watching TV, talking on the phone, surfing the net.  I want better priorities and then I want to stick to them. 

Maybe a reward system is in order.  Bribes are always good.  I could make a list of small things I would like to do or have and put them in a jar and when I have succeeded for a week or  more I could pull something out of the jar as a reward for a job well done.  The more I think about that I like that idea....  Now to some up with some fun things, I don't think it will be too hard.

To see what other wish casters are doing go here

Where do I go with Art Journaling

The wonderful Jamie Ridler asked if I would be part of her site today. From time to time Jamie features short interviews with clients. I talk about my experience with Wishcasting Wednesday. You can read all about it here.

A little postscript to my wishcasting post yesterday where I talked about wanting a mini retreat.  Well my appointment today got canceled so today I can do anything I want.  So another wish came true.  That wishcasting is pretty powerful stuff.

















Here are my latest journal pages. Lately I don't seem to know how to finish pages.  I like the look of this but feel it needs something more so perhaps it will have to just sit for awhile.

I drew this hand last night. This time I used a sepia pitt art pen, its started going out on me so I had to use a regular marker for the nails. I seem to be doing wordless journal pages lately.  I don't know why I think they are not finished without words. I need to change my mind about that.

I seem to be struggling with art journaling lately. Often my process is just to do some background pages, several at one time.  Then I try to fit something on that page and sometimes it flows and others its just a struggle. I wonder am I just trying to make something pretty.  If that is the case maybe I need to move out of the journal and work on canvas or wood more.

Do I just need to go deeper with the journal and talk about feelings and experiences and forget the idea that I want things to be pretty. Or I may just be struggling with style, do I want to focus more on images or words or both.

I like how Judy Wise seems to incorporate words and images and yet I also like Mary Ann Moss's style of very few words or my friend the Queen of Arts whose pages are always full of life and meaning.

I wonder what my style is and if I am happy with that or do I need to just let go of any thought about style and just create something.  I know I am over thinking this too much.

I'd love to know your thoughts on the subject.

The Wolf Moon

Its the Wolf moon tonight. This is my full moon dream board for January.  I am participating along with Jamie Ridler  
 
The first full moon of the year is the Wolf Moon and this is what Jamie says about it. This is the time when the wolves howl. They howl their yearnings. They howl their desires. They howl to connect with one another and to say “I am here!”

She asked these questions:

What are you seeking under this full moon, at the beginning of this new year, as you launch into this new decade? What is your heart yearning for? What is stirring in your heart and soul? What is ready to come into your life, here under the full moon? Howl your desire. We will hear you! To see other dream boards go here

I made some more striped paper and then some postcards for the postcard swap I signed up for.  I continue to love making these papers.

Then I took the left over pink scraps and made a border for a journal page.  I like how it is now,  but I may add something else or just some journaling. Sometimes I have to let pages sit for awhile before I think they are finished.

The Joy Diet

The Joy Diet starts today. It is the latest book that the Next Chapter book blogging group is undertaking with the wonderful Jamie Ridler at the helm. I think we could all use a little more joy in our lives.

The book has ten ingredients for Joy

NOTHING: Do nothing for fifteen minutes a day. Stop
mindlessly chasing goals and figure out which goals are
worth going after.

TRUTH: Create a moment of truth to help you unmask what
you're hiding--from others and from yourself.

DESIRE: Identify, articulate, and explore at least one of
your heart's desires--and learn how to let yourself want
what you want.

CREATIVITY: Learn six new ways to develop at least one
new idea to help you obtain your heart's desire.

RISK: Take one baby step toward reaching your goal. The
only rule is it has to scare the pants off you.

TREATS: Give yourself a treat for every risk you take and
two treats just because you're you. No exceptions. No
excuses.

PLAY: Take a moment to remember your real life's work and
differentiate it from the games you play to achieve it.
Then play wholeheartedly.

LAUGHTER: Laugh at least thirty times a day. Props
encouraged.

CONNECTION: Use your Joy Diet skills to interact with
someone who matters to you.

FEASTING: Enjoy at least three square feasts a day, with
or without food"

I think this will be lots of fun.. why don't you join us... You can sign up here












I found this wonderful site today called From Clutter to Shine and and have joined the Sisterhood of the Purple Bicycle. I love the idea and I always like to spread ideas. Go check it out here

Some new classes

I signed up for some new classes today that you may find really interesting. First the lovely Mystele at Little Glimpses Studio is teaching her Gut Art class. Its all about painting authentically and to your own style and looks to be awesome. You can sign up here. If you haven't been to her blog I recommend it. She has wonderful videos. She does this technique where she pulls an image out of a painted background. Be sure to watch that video it is really fascinating.

Next I found this class through Nina Bagleys blog Ornamental. The Poetic Eye Point and shoot Journaling with LK LUdwig who wrote True Vision and many other books. It is all about using your own photos in your journals. Most of mine just languish on my hard drive so I am excited to be able to do more with them. You can sign up here

My October is going to be busy since I will be adding those to the the Artists Way and the Joy Diet with Jamie Ridler, which start tomorrow. Well all the work will get me prepared for Nanowrimo coming up in November. Sign ups for this year begin October 1st. Maybe this is the year you write that novel. I encourage you to come join the fun. This will be my fourth year. By now it doesn't seem like November if I am not writing along with thousands of other people from all around the world. If you have any questions about the National Novel Writing Month please email me.

Full Moon Dream Boards

This is the dream board I made last night. Jamie suggested to look for ways to shine in the coming month. Most of my images I chose because these women really shine. I chose the patio picture to represent entertaining and the suitcase for travel. I thought the poem in the center to be very appropriate. I hope you can read it. I still have some white space so I may add more later.

It was a beautiful night for a bonfire. I just had two people due to the holiday but we all had a great time. I will be sad when it gets to cold to do these every month. I hope you are all having a great holiday weekend.

I'm being featured

I am excited to report that I am being featured on Jamie Ridler's site today. click here to see the interview.

I had a productive day in the studio. I finished the wand I made for a swap and then some mail art I needed to send out for a surprise.

I finally found my flip camera it has only been missing for 3 weeks. I can not believe I had not looked in the spot where I found it. This afternoon I decided I wanted to do another video on Art supplies. I had done 2 videos on the subject a couple years ago. To my surprise people are still watching them and giving comments. I think its time for another since I have added a few things and it would be fun to share them and talk about how I use them. Now that I found the camera I will set aside some time to film it. I have been wanting to do more art videos so maybe this will get me back into that habit again.