For my bestie

A moleskin journal cover

for Kristin

Front cover

Back cover

I love you friend!

It's an interesting process to make something

like this for someone else.  

Someone so dear to me.  

Someone who isn't as bling loving as me.

I struggled at first.  

What to add, what colors to use.

Obsessing.  Too much.

If i am making something for me,

I just make what I like.  

What makes me happy.  

Lots of color, lots of bling.

Finally I was able to just let go and make what comes from my heart.

Knowing its a part of me that she loves.  

Knowing that when its in her bag or in her hands,

she will be reminded how special she is to me

and how much I love color and art

and making lovies with my hands.

And like our friendship,

it will get better with time.  

 

 

 

 

xx

Journal collecting

My most recent journals.

with the signatures held in mostly with Sari ribbons and fibers.

 

This is a cookbook that my neighbor, Vollie, had in a

'free' box when they were getting ready to rent out their house.

It was her mom's cook book, and I loved the cover and the size.

It was my summer journal.

 

This is a journal that I made from a book I found at Value Village.  It's from 1970.

It's amazing how in 40 years, the garden design elements haven't changed.

Either that or the trend has gone back to the basics?

It's a beautiful book with a great textured fabric cover. 

Bigger than any of my other journals.

 

 This picture is a little blurry, but it's my title page.

 'in the same way her arms reached for the sky -- she hoped to be

OPEN

to whatever comes'

(photo at a churchside labyrinth on Orcas Island, Aug. 2012)

 

 

This was a journal I started in Leisel Lund's 'gypsy journal' class.

 

 

Another great Value Village find.  An old book, fabric cover.

My most recent journal. 

Started for some more writing. 

Heavy on the color.

Filling it with happiness.

And authentic wholehearted me.

I painted the canvas, and then covered an old covers

to a book about cardiology with it.

a stack of goodness.

 

 

I think I should periodically do this photo project of imaging what I've been up to.

Shows the trends of what I'm in to.

Helps to time stamp it too.

 

I'll try to photo some individual pages soon.

 

 

 

 

'if you have a garden

and a library

you have everyhting

you need'

---cicero

 

xx

Where I want "to go" in 2013

Our PLAY prompt this week is

Where I want "to go" in 2013.

 

This feels like a year of change for me.

I feel like I'm making good progress on

'my stuff'.  :-)

 

 

 

From a Mumford song, with grace in my heart and flowers in my hair.

Seems like a great tool kit as I meander through.

 

 

 

Check out where Carla's going.

The gate photo is one of my own.

There's a story to that gate.

I'll save that for another time.

It's about a dream that I held for 10+ years that is not going to happen.

Yet...

Meditate.

Life purely.

Be quiet.

Do your work with mastery.

 

Like the moon,

come out from behind the clouds!

SHINE.

 

Buddha

M is for Map

 This week's Play prompt is 'M is for Map'.

I have a wee love of maps.
I'm old school -- I'd much rather have a paper map than a GPS.

 

 

Check out what Carla came up with.



open your hands
if you want to be held
--Rumi


xx

Wings

This weeks Play prompt was Wings.

 

I like wings.  I like quotes about wings.

I like to use wings in my art. 

 

 You are not meant for crawling.

So dont.

You have wings.

Learn to use them

and fly.

               --Rumi

See Carla's wings.



xx

Inside plastic

Inside plastic was this weeks topic for Play.

I wasn't sure how to go about this one, but then

thought of using plastic pieces

from the recycle bin to make marks.

I used a thread spool, a scotch tape roll center

and then a big lid from big girl's vitamins.

 

My paper is a piece of a paper bag.

I really do like how the paint went on the bag (after gesso).

The texture is really cool.

 

 

 

be open to whatever

comes next

 

xx



Between the lines

Between the lines,

between the layers,

she was slowly discovering

the woman she is.

And also a start on a title page...

it is what it is

xx

Less is more

Not my typical style -- the Play prompt this week is "Less is more". 

A struggle for me to just do a minimalist, no glitter,

no splatter, no glitter, stopping short project.

keeping it simple....

 See what Carla has done too.

...



 

Off to a yoga retreat this morning. 

Looking forward to the weekend away to refill my heart and soul

with goodness, peace and love. 

 

Kristin and I are driving over together -- the retreat is just outside of Leavenworth. 

I always love the time with her in the car -- it's a great time for us

to just catch up, unload, and of course laugh like crazy chicas.

 

 

 

'some is good,

more is better!'

xx

With wings

you begin to accept your defeats

with your head up and your eyes ahead

with the grace of a woman

and you learn that you can endure

you really are strong

you really do have worth

From the poem 'After a while' by Veronica Shoffstall

 

 

'dont look back,

you're not going that way'

 

xx

Play

Carla and I have finally come up with a name

for our callaborative year long project...

... PLAY!

 

It's so fitting because we are playing with words, paint, paper, fibers

and whatever else we can throw at it!  :-)

 

I am really enjoying this project...I like thinking about the topic

and then I also like just jumping in and doing the art that comes out.

 

This week's topic is ...  hang ups

The little blue bird says to the other... 'mama said there'd be days like this'. 

A great quote - a great Van Morrison song.

 

 

Carla started a blog just for this project.  Check it out @

http://journalplay.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

'if you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten your path'

xx

Project journal

It's a project that my friend, Carla Dixon and I have started based on Roben-Marie Smith's 'points of two' project.   We are following along with the same prompts that Roben-Marie and Kira did.  They are two artists that live apart and each created art once a week and posted on their blog about it.  We have thought about renaming it, so the name may change.

 

The prompt for the first week is 'Fall Colors'.

pumpkins and gourds

hot apple cider

harvest moon

kicking leaves

sweaters and scarves

halloween fun

 

I made the above journal to put all these weekly creations in.

And now for some silliness....

 

I'm not really sure who he gets the silliness from...   ;-)

 

 

Pumpkin patch, Fall City Farms in Fall City, WA

 

And then the weekend activities....soccer!

 

 

 

"Start where you are.  Use what you have.  Do what you can."

--Arthur Ashe

 

xx

Remians of the day journal

I recently signed up for an online class - 'Remains of the day journal' by Mary Ann Moss. It is made with a fabric cover and the pages are made from scraps of paper and from security envelopes.