Painted Paper and Some Stamp Carving

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  There's Magic In Motion
Yesterday I made myself very proud!  I swam just over 2 miles in the pool!  I still can't believe it!  The swim workout I did included some sprints and lots and lots of laps :)  There was something magical about the motion.  The more I swam, the more I relaxed.  The more I began to feel natural in the water.  And I realize the same thing is true about my art.  I start out and things feel tense - tight - like they are not flowing.  But, I keep moving - I apply more paint to a page; stamp an image; doodle a bit - I create a space where magic can happen.  Just by engaging in the motion you let the Universe know that you are open to the magic.
Today I am sharing some of the results of my motion.  Two painted pieces of dry wax paper (deli paper) that will be turned into something :)  As I was painting the pages I had the urge to do some stamping on the pages, which led me to carve a few stamps of my own.  I hadn't sat down to carve stamps - the carving came to me because I stayed in motion and I waited for the magic to happen!  I hope you have a wonderfully creative weekend filled with magic!!!!!!

ENOUGH Art Journal Page

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  When You Are Stressed, Just Pick Up Some Color And Put It Down
I allow myself to get stressed sometimes...well maybe "sometimes" is an understatement.  I am learning how to adjust my thoughts so that I don't go down the dark stress hole as often as I do.  Part of staying out of the dark stress hole was choosing the word "enough" as my mantra word for this year.  I am enough.  I have enough.  I am doing enough.  I have had enough :)  So today I thought I would share my ENOUGH art journal page that I created for Paper Crafter's Library.  If you are a member of Paper Crafter's Library you can view videos that will provide the step-by-step details of how I created the page.  You can learn more about Paper Crafter's Library by clicking on the Paper Crafter's Library icon on my sidebar on the right.  Or, you can just pick up some color and put it down on a page and begin to explore creating your own page in your own way.  I did that today as well.  Found myself feeling a bit stressed about the disaster that is my craft room.  So I began to move stuff off of the main table and once a space was cleared I decided that I should alleviate the stress by creating something v. spending the entire evening cleaning up :)  I know - it's a bit circular if the mess makes me stressed...but somehow just creating something - anything - alleviates my stress - distracts my mind - lets my intuition take over.  So I just painted a piece of dry wax paper (deli paper) and it will turn into something at some point - perhaps the background for an art journal page, or get cut up and placed into a collage, or made into a roll of art tape.  For now it is just my art therapy :)  I highly recommend the experience! :)

CREATE Art Journal Page

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Resist The Urge To Add On

Today's lesson is not about art-making - although there is probably a lot to be said about "less is more" when it comes to art.  Today's lesson is about gossip and idle chit-chat.  It can be so easy to fall into adding on to or listening in to conversations that are about other people.  After all, if we are busy talking about others we have less time to examine ourselves.  I was proud of myself today - I resisted the urge.  I was a party to a conversation that wasn't about me - it was about others.  And the urge bubbled up to add a piece of "juicy gossip" to the dialogue...and I swallowed it.  I didn't go there.  And I feel really good about that.  This is something I'm going to make a conscious effort around - to resist the urge to add on (except when it comes to my art! :)

Today I'm sharing the first art journal page I created for Paper Crafter's Library.  I was like a kid in a candy store when I was asked to start creating pages (in addition to the cards and other projects I create/design for them).  The pages allow me to play with any and every supply I have on hand and I love it!  I will continue to share the pages I have created for Paper Crafter's Library - old and new.  I hope they inspire you to give art journaling a try!  For full video instructions for my Paper Crafter's Library art journal pages you can check out the information on becoming a member by clicking on the Paper Crafter's Library icon in my sidebar on the right.

Stamp with Stampin' Up! LIVE tomorrow!!!!!

Have you ever wished you could stamp with the folks at Stampin' Up!'s home office? Your wish is granted--and your opportunity is here! Here's the basic rundown.
Who: You! And feel free to invite anyone who wants to play along.
What: This is a live, streaming event where we will stamp with the All Wrapped Up Bundle on page 6 of the Sale-A-Bration brochure. Projects will also feature the Sweet Sorbet Designer Series Paper. Choose your preferred device--computer, tablet, smart phone, or even hook up your computer to your TV--and tune in to learn some fun new things to do with the bundle!
When: March 26, 2014, at 5:30 PM, 7:30 PM, and 11:00 PM (all times MT). We'll demonstrate the same projects each time, so choose the one that's best for you.
Where: You don't even have to leave home. Come to www.youtube.com/stampinupvideo at your chosen time, and be prepared to stamp! We'll also award door prizes to random participants.
Why: So many occasions are coming--Easter, Mother's Day, graduations, and more--and we want to help you be ready.
Hope you can make it. We'd love to have you join us!
*Never hooked up your computer to a TV before? Do a search on YouTube and you'll find loads of instructional videos. Make sure to do a practice run before March 26 so you don't miss out on any of the party.

Magnetic North Art Journal Page & Second Life For A Red Balloon

Today's Question From The Craft Room:  How Do You Measure A Year In The Life?
As I am typing this, the song from the show Rent entitled Seasons of Love is running through my head.  Have you heard it?  If not, you can listen to it here.  I've been thinking a lot about this lately - how do I measure a year in my life?  Is it by minutes spent traveling for work?  Dollars earned?  Love experienced?  Minutes walked outside with my beautiful dog?  Amount of time spent in the craft room?  Which measurements feel more significant to me?  To society?  Can I hold onto my own measurements - the ones that are truly important to me and do my best to ignore the measures other people use?  How do you measure a year in the life?  What I do know is that the minutes I spent creating this art journal page and my balloon collage piece were minutes well spent :)
This Magnetic North art journal page was one of the projects I created for Paper Crafter's Library as a Designer/Educator.  If you are interested in being able to access step-by-step videos of how the page was created, you can check out how to subscribe to Paper Crafter's Library by clicking on the Paper Crafter's Library icon on my sidebar on the right.  Otherwise, I will be sharing pictures of the completed pages with you here on my blog (I have a bit of catching up to do since I have already created a few pages for them - I will try to share the other pages I have done during my posts this week)!
I also wanted to share a bit of fun I had today.  On a recent walk in February, Buddy and I came across a deflated balloon being blown along the street.  I decided to pick it up and bring it home (yes, I'm kind of like a crow/magpie - picking up shiny things on my walks!).  Today I decided to start cutting it up and collaging it onto a piece of dry waxed paper.  This is what I ended up with...the balloon (what's left of it) is on the left and the collaged paper is on the right.  One of these days I will share what I end up doing with the collage paper!  Hopefully I'll think if something soon :)

A Second Life For Ribbon & Fabric Scraps?

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Take A First Step In Some Direction
So I've woken up a few mornings thinking about taking my fabric and ribbon scraps and ironing them on to fusible web.  Today I finally decided that I needed to follow through on the thought and do it...even though I have no idea what direction this will take me.  The task was complicated a bit by the fact that we blew a fuse in the house today so I only have one light in the craft room and one working outlet.  But I persevered - at least up to this point - and I have no clue what I will be doing next with this sheet.  I would still like to add more scraps, threads and bits and then your guess is as good as mine :)  But that's not stopping me.  Sometimes you just need to take a first step in some direction to get moving!  I will definitely share where this takes me!