Wreck this Journal Final Day

Its hard to believe its over, I have spent nine weeks with this book and an amazing group of woman. We have all wrecked our journals and opened up and grown in amazing ways. What a ride its been. Thanks to Jamie for leading us and all the wonderful participants.

Jamie asked us to think about what we learned from the experience and what we want to say yes to. For me I learned there are no limits. I can take the idea from the journal out to my own life. The possibilities are endless. As to what I want to say yes to, I want to say yes to everything. I will have more fun, celebrate more often and reach high to achieve my goals. I keep thinking I can do it and I will. I think the experience has given me wings in ways I had not imagined.

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.

Journaling with SARK

I signed up to take this wonderful class with SARK. You can check it out here. I think its going to be a blast. Today is the last day to get a $10.00 discount, so check it out if you are interested. Plus she has the thriving artist program if you are strapped for cash.










I have been de-clutterinng all over the house. Its a big project and will be ongoing for awhile. I have been doing this with Goddess Leonie who has a lovely site and is located in Australia. Its funny to be doing this with help from a land down under. You can check her class out here. At first I thought what do I need a class on decluttering for I know how to do that. When I looked deeper its more than that. She has added spirituality to the mix. So far we have created altars, explored using feng shui and learned to cleanse our homes. I am enjoying the process. My hope is that this time its sticks, that I just don't clutter up the house again.

Right now I am working on my writing desk. I am trying to make it a sacred space, to clear away the unnecessary and to make it a place I want to be. I am not sure what that means yet. I think that all of this change is a process and evolving.

I have also been working on a project for a swap so I can't show it here yet. I also started working on the Etsy shop. It is amazing how much work that takes. I am at that stage where I need to take more photographs before I can move forward. It seems like I have my hands in a many areas but have nothing to show for it yet.

Missing child

This is my friend Jullie's nephew. Unfortunetly he has been missing since Friday. I am helping her get the word out. Here are the details.

This is Robert Grant Manwill he is 8 yrs old and has been missing since 7-24-2009. He was missing from Boise, Idaho and any information should be reported to the Boise police at 208-343-cops. Please Keep this going.

Encouragement Box

This little box is my encouragement box. Its an idea I learned from my coach Jamie. I picked up this beautiful box at a shop called Tuesday Morning but any box will do. It sits on my desk now and inside are encouraging notes from fellow bloggers or wonderful comments I have received that make me happy, that remind me of my own brilliance.

The idea is to read these on the days that you are feeling far from wonderful and these will bring you back to that creative whole person that you are. I think its a wonderful idea.















I did this journal page yesterday. One of the things I have learned through coaching is that intuitively I tend to follow where the energy is. I do so many things that sometimes it is hard to make a decision of what to choose on a given day. Since this was pointed out to me I am seeing it in all aspects of my life.

This is an example of what I mean. Yesterday I am thinking should I work at cleaning this area of my basement or should I go into town to look for storage containers, or do the laundry, or should I just make some art. I stopped myself and said OK where is the energy, or what am I drawn to the strongest. I really wanted the basement area cleaned so that is what I ended up doing. When I needed a break then I made the art journal page and the ideas flowed so easily.

I think that when I follow the energy, there is no resistance and I am more productive. I never thought much about resistance before but now I realize that when you get rid of resistance there is no limit on what you can accomplish.

Are you letting resistance hold you back?

Wreck this Journal week 8

Welcome to week 8 of wreck this journal. I thought it was our last week but it looks like we are going for another week. I have more pages to do so that works out great for me. Enjoy all the wrecking.

I am an Artist

One of the exercises I did when working with my coach was to write down all the creative things I have done. After I did my list I was amazed at all the different things I have created and the variety among them.

It is all part of believing that you are an Artist and then being able to act like you are one too. I think it also helps you feel like you are an artist inside too. When I first started telling people I was an Artist I did not really feel it inside but after awhile I did. I think this whole artistic thing is one big journey. I think confidence comes one step at a time but you have to take that first step.

Here is the list I made

1. Sewed my own clothes.
2. Painted landscapes in Oil.
3. Learned to Spin yarn on a spindle and spinning wheel.
4. Became a accomplished dyer.
5. Learned to weave.
6. Learned how to make glass beads.
7. Took up stamping and card making.
8. Took a classes on colored pencil, drawing, watercolor
and acrylics.
9. Learned to knit and crochet, embroider.
10. Participated as a weaver in The Thread Project.
11. Participated in many Art swaps online.
12. Created silk bouquets for my wedding.
13. Made costumes for my daughter and I to wear to the Two
Towers Premiere.
14. Made 2 character costumes for Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King.
15. Made part of costume for Final Fantasy X.
16. Made beaded earrings and bracelets.
17. Made beaded medicine bags.
18. Made a booklet on bravery to give away.
19. Painted an Painting of a woman to give away.
20. Made my daughters dress when she was a flower girl.
21. Made a quilt for a friends graduation.
22. Wove a blanket for myself.
23. Wove a blanket for my daughter.
24. Wove two blankets for my husband.
25. Wove many dishtowels.
26. Wove several scarves.
27. Wove a blanket for a friend.
28. Spun millions of yards of yarn.
29. Created concept and then painted and organized an art studio.
30. Took a class on stenciling with spray paint.
31. Made Christmas stockings for 15 people.
32. Knit 20 pairs of socks.
33. Knit 10 sweaters.
34. Took weaving classes, spinning classes.
35. Taught spinning, weaving, beading, classes.
36. Taught art journaling classes.
37. Taught making ATC’s for kids.
38. Took a photography class.
39. Created an art journal.
40. Made journals from scratch.
41. Taught my sisters to spin yarns.
42. Performed in a play about the thread project.
43. Painted many female faces.
44. Participated in the Big Draw a 30 day drawing experiment.
45. Drew many drawings in my sketchbook.
46. Designed and wove fabric.
47. Did cross stitch embroidered pictures.
48. Made 2 cross stitched Christmas stockings.
49. Made many Christmas ornaments.
50. Made prayer flags for a swap.
51. Wove tartan samples for Canyon County Sheriffs dept. The Sheriff has kept one and the other is on file with the tartan society in Edinburgh Scotland.

I challenge anyone reading this to go ahead and make your own list and post it on your blog. I'd love to hear what your experience is after doing this. I'll bet you will feel more like the Artist you truly are.

Gone camping

I drove to Missoula today to see my daughter. I stopped at the Redsun Labyrinth and walked the labyrinth. It was a wonderful experience. I got a few insights and the walk was just beautiful. I was able visit with my friend Patty, the owner. I love Montana, it is such a beautiful state.

Sarah and I will be camping for a couple days. I'll check in after that.

I added 2 new slide shows to the sidebar. They are a collection of all the art journal pages that I have done. I hope you enjoy looking.

Wreck this Journal week 7

Its week 7 in the wrecking and I am still enjoying the process. I hope you enjoy the video of my efforts.

Explorations along the way

I decided to keep going with these water color crayon faces and see what happens. Sometime when I try a new technique I do it once and then may not do it again for months. I think when you try again its like starting all over and you really don't remember where you were or how you did it. I felt my comfortable with this one. I still had bleeding problems. I think I am having too much water on the brush. With the next one I hope I get better with that because it really causes problems.

Now what does one do with a face painted on fabric. When I did this in acrylics I put the piece into a tote bag and I love that idea. I may do that with this current one. you could also make a book with this as one of the pages. DJ Pettit does that quite often. You might even make clothing out of it like the back of a jacket. Then you could wear your art around with you.


















I did this journal page the other night. I started with scrapbook paper and then added some stamping to make it more unique. This picture just jumped out at me and seemed so right. I didn't add any words but I like it just as it is. Sometimes a page just falls together magically. I love how art can do that sometimes.


















This is a work in progress. First I just put black gesso on the page. Then I found this image ans she looked so striking on the black background. She is from a calender by Patricia Wyatt I love her work, she depicts woman so beautifully. I haven't decided if I will journal all over the page or wait to see if something else needs to be on the page with her. I particularly like that a wolf is with her on the page. I have such affinity for them that I wanted one in this journal. When I look at it I see myself with my guardian spirit. Maybe I will just journal about that. I love how blogging sometimes answers the questions you are asking yourself.

What has your art or blogging itself told you lately?

An award to pass on

My new writing friend from across the pond at The Wright Stuff awarded me this fun blogging award for my perseverance in the pursuit of my art and blogging. Oh what fun this is, now I get to pass it on to these other desereving blogs that I really love. They all inspire me whenever I go to their blogs.

The Queen of Arts
Just me and my Art
Jamie Ridler Studios
Creative everyday
All Norah's Art


















I have been wanting to try doing a face using watercolor crayons after seeing Sharon's videos on the subject. I had all sorts of problems with the colors bleeding and so forth but this is my first try. Its done on muslin backed with interfacing. The eyes are lopsided and two sizes but I think it was a good exercise to do and I think the next one will definetly be better.

Creative Everyday - this week

My post for Creative Every Day is a hodgepodge this week. Lots of different creativity in different genre's are showcased. I have been in a little quiet Art period of late. I have started lots of journal pages but nothing seems to be finished. I have experienced the same with Wreck this Journal activities so I figure it is a cycle that I will snap out of soon.











This first group are some cereal boxes that I plan to make into ATC's. The spray paint worked great on that cardboard.


















This page is in the paper bag journal. I am finding that the spray paint looks really different on the paper that paper bags are made of.


















Here is another female face I drew why listening to a poetry reading.



















This is the latest scarf off my loom. It is rayon chenille in black and variegated blues, woven to appear like a window check. I like the way it looks. I am now threading a simple cotton warp for another scarf. A couple years ago I was going to be part of a show so I wound all these warps. The show fell through and I never move the items. This summer I am hoping to weave up most of them. Then when I get that etsy shop open I will have something to sell.

Have a wonderfully creative day!

Wreck this Journal week 6

No video this week since I can not find my flip camcorder or my point and shoot canon which has a little movie camera on it. I found it hard to take picture of the WTJ pages since the cook is kind of warped now.

As Jamie mentioned slowing down I too experienced that. When I was gone for a week I really lost my momentum. First I took the book in the shower and it got quite wet so the cover is coming off.


















Next I added more stamps to that page'
















This is a page where I had friends draw on.















I took a walk in the field and picked up all these things. Some plants I found interesting, some trash and a firecracker and this little bone that I thought was so cute.
















Here is my page of bad drawings.


















This is the page where you do pencil rubbings. I used some rubber stamps. The top one is text and the bottom is a stamp that looks like marble.

As we get towards the end I find it is harder to find those easy pages to do the ones I don't have to think about or prepare something for. So its time to get creative with it.

So how has the wrecking affected other things, well I have started de cluttering my house again. I have gone through 3 kitchen drawers and am moving on to some closets next. The clearing out feels so good.

Sacred Life Sunday - backyard birds

I walked out to my backyard and saw these love birds. I thought what are they and after a closer look discovered these are Mourning Dove Babies. I thought they were so cute.
















Right next to them was this young robin. It looks so much different from its mother.














Then I tried to capture the ellusive humming bird.



















I caught this one trying for a little drink.

This summer I have been just amazed and the wildlife that is in my own backyard. Maybe I have just taken the time to slow down enough to actually see what is around me.

Now what else could there be that I am not really seeing?

Enjoy your Sunday.

Crystal Hunting

I am off to Dillon Montana this morning to go crystal hunting. Well not hunting I guess its digging. There is a place close to Dillon called Crystal Park when you can dig for quartz and amethyst crystals. I know we won't find one like this picture from the net but it will be fun anyways.

I couldn't sleep, woke up about 3 am with ideas for my book. Wrote them down in a notebook and then tried to go back to sleep. The ideas kept coming. I turned my light on to write four times. It seemed a little ridiculous but they were great ideas so I am excited about that. I did finally fall back to sleep for a couple hours at least. I hope you are having a fantastic weekend.

The Kestrels had babies

There are five babies in the kestrel house. You can see the house to the left of Dave. There is a ladder there to climb up there.













This was about 2 weeks ago and they are all white and fluffy..













not very cute at all.



















Now this next picture was taken today and they look more like kestrels to me.
















They are all huddled together and they look pretty neat now that they have lost all those baby feathers.
















They will all be flying around soon,

An announcement

I have been working on tweaking this new blog all week. First turning around some of the pictures in the banner so they were not all facing the same way. Then I added two slide shows on Monday and a third on Wednesday. I could tweak this thing over and over but I think I will let it be for now. My next adventure will to start working on and Etsy shop. I will let you all know when that is up an running.

Now its time for an announcement. Some of you know that I have been working with a coach to help me break through some creative blocks that I felt were really holding me back. To be honest I would never have guessed before I started working with a coach that I would be making a statement like this. I guess that is the miracle of coaching, discover something about yourself you really didn't know.

I am writing a book on Creativity. I had focused so much on writing a novel that I never even considered doing a non-fiction book. Through coaching I discovered that this idea fits me perfectly well. My book will have chapters of essays on various topics and will also include art projects that will relate to those topics. I'll be sharing some of my journey and experiences along this creative path. I have no title yet and no publisher but I am confident that they will both come.

I may be initially talking about a subject here that I will end up elaborating about in the book. It would be hard for me to totally keep a secret about this project and I really see no need to do so. I'll keep you posted on how its going.

Strawberries and Champagne

image from the web

I had the most wonderful evening last night. I thought I would celebrate the full moon with a bonfire. I just invited one friend to come over. She said she would bring over a healthy snack. It didn't quite end up that way. She came bearing the gifts of chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of champagne. We ended up having a wonderful treat and just celebrating life. I had built a great fire, we did some drumming, visually threw our wishes and hopes into the fire and had the most wonderful time.

Sometimes it the simplest of moments that makes life so special.

This afternoon I am meeting some women friends for a session of free forming dancing. It will be our first try at this but I am hoping to have a wonderful time.

Why don't you try and do something special today that makes your heart sing.

Making art with recycled materials

Many of us are trying to our best to save the planet by buying green or recycling. As an artist you may wonder what it is that you can do. How about making journals from recycled items. That is just what I did this past weekend.

















I used Judy Wise instructions on making a paper bag journal. I decided I wanted a cover so I made a simple cardboard cover. I used cardboard I had saved from Calenders I had previously purchased. It required the use of the Coptic stitch which I had never done before, so I found a tutorial online but then ended up using instructions in a book making book that I had on my own bookshelf. I really liked the simplicity and rhythm of doing this stitch. I think I will make more journals this way.











This is what the spine looks like. It looks like a little chain stitch between signatures.













This is the inside showing the paper bag pages. soon they will be full of paper paint and embellishments.


















On a few of the pages I sewed in some pockets just for fun. I am not sure how I will use them but it will be fun to experiment on those pages.

















I had done this stencil experiment on a thinner paper bag so I sewed it right on the journal page.












This is another journal I made out of a composition notebook. I removed all the paper and used some old manila file folders to make the pages. I was going to sew it but I kept having problems with the spine so I used my Bind-it-all and made a spiral bound book out of it.

Another thing that you can do is to use up all your paint. If you have any left over on your palette, use that paint as a background color on a canvas or in an Art journal. That way you are not washing it down the drain or tossing in the garbage.

In making a collage you can use of course anything, but how about junk mail and newspaper, greeting cards, or recycle old book pages in your work. I know that people sell collage elements but I think a piece has more life and more impact if its something you found yourself. Once you start thinking this way you will come up with all sorts of ideas.

I also make ATC's out of old cereal boxes. I got the idea from Karen at Art in the Garage. Here is where I tried the technique previously. I now save all my cereal and cracker boxes and so forth to reuse. Sue Bleiweiss has a great free project on making booklets from cereal boxes, check it out here

What is your favorite ways to using recycled items in your art?

Wreck this Journal Week 5

This is the paper chain that I colored with water soluble pastels and then my kitty found it and wrecked it. I think that is appropriate, even the kitty is getting into the act.









This is that pencil that I talked about that changes color. It seems either write in yellow and orange and then turns to green and blue. It is a pretty fun thing to play with.

Sacred Life Sunday - Friendships

While in Salt Lake City I got to reconnect with an old friend. Linda now lives in Boston. It was great to spend some time with her.














One of the things I did at GA was to go to the Prom for all ages. That's Diane on the left and then Molly and Jennifer to my right. Don't we all look dashing. We had fun dancing the night away. Diane and Molly and I roomed together. It was like being back in college sitting in bed talking way into the night. It was great to be able to learn a little bit more about these ladies I call friends.

Flag Swap












Other special friends are my art friends the glitters sisters. Although we live far away we really have a close bond fostered by Art and connection. We just did a prayer flag swap.


















This is Ninnies flag and she is from Alabama.


















My flag from Idaho.


















Pam's flag, she is from South Carolina and then Portland Oregon and now she is in Florida

















This is Lorraines flag and she is from Callifornia.


















This flag was done by Janet, who is also from California and it is spray painted.


















This flag was done by Kai who is from Cornwall but lives in Ohio.
















This was done by Cheryl who is from British Columbia, Canada

















This was done by Gemma and she lives in the Phoenix area.


















This is Violette's flag and we all met via her message board.


















Mahala lives in Washington


















Mahala sent me two flags.


















The lovely Lisa Oceandreamer made this one and she is from California.

This group of ladies are really the best. I treasure their friendship and feel honored to have some of their art. Do you have any Art friends to share with? If not join a swap on line. You never know who you are going to meet. lasting friendships start this way.