new views

for the past month, i've been cleaning, organizing, and trying to keep the house "show ready" while we wait for that special buyer to walk through the door.  our house hasn't sold yet (fingers crossed that it will soon!) and to be honest, while i've been keeping the cobwebs at bay in the house, i think they've set up camp in my head!

so my sweet little dutch boy has brought me up to the mountains for some rest and relaxation!

 there's nothing like a complete change of scenery to clear the cobwebs out of your head, and give you a new boost of inspiration!  i hope you find yourself in one of your favorite inspiration places this weekend!!  enjoy!

inspiration monday

 repurposing your artwork can be as easy as 1-2-3!

first, choose a journal page or other artwork you've done that really inspires you.  scan it into your computer and print it out using a high quality setting -or- take it to a nearby office supply store and they will make a good quality copy for you.  then gather some of your favorite art supplies!

(today is Memorial Day here in America,
so for my project,  i'm using this artwork that i did three years ago)

now here's the 1-2-3!

1- use one of your favorite elements in your artwork..
(for example,  i really love this star, so i cut it out.)

2- now take another element of your artwork and try to think of a new way to use it.

(for mine, i really like those red stripes, but instead of painting them, i'm adding stripes to my new project using red twine....)

(and if you use a small hole punch on the edge of the paper, it will create a notch that's perfect to hold that twine in place!)

3- look for ways you can use your supplies to update elements in your artwork.
(for example, i liked the border scallops in my artwork,  but instead of drawing them, i updated the look by using a scallop paper punch with this stamped sentiment)

now put everything together, and you have a brand new project inspired by artwork
 that you've already done....and it was easy as 1-2-3!

✰ ✰ ✰

this card is dedicated with gratitude to all those brave men and women who have served our country, those who have given their lives in the line of duty, and those who continue to guard and protect our freedoms.  you are our true heroes, and we honor you today....and every day!

✰ ✰ ✰

{supplies:  memorial day artwork, white and blue card stock, doodlebug twine, colorbox stamp pads,
thank you rubber stamp, ranger archival stamp pad, scissors, adhesive, foam dots}

paint flowers

"I perhaps owe having become a painter
to flowers."

Claude Monet


{here's to a weekend filled with lots of time to paint flowers!! enjoy!}

inspiration monday

once you've made a brand new journal, and decorated the cover, 

it's time to tackle all those blank pages inside!  if you're like me, this can be both exciting,

 and a little intimidating.....how do you know where to start?!

that's where inspiration will take the lead and remind you that the best place to start with any new project is at the beginning......

and at the Crawley house, the best place to start is the front door!
(and as a result, no more blank page!  woo hoo!)


{created in my downton diary using koi watercolor, derwent inktense pencils,
pitt pens, 6B graphite pencil, waterbrush}

paper flowers and heartstrings

i received these beautiful flowers for mother's day!  but they weren't created by Mother Nature, they were made from magazine pages by my sweet son spencer and his adorable girlfriend tatiana.  as the story goes, he was in charge of cutting the flowers and the leaves, and she was in charge of the gluing and arranging.  i think they make a fantastic team, don't you?  

and while i absolutely love the flowers,  what really tugs at my heartstrings is they shared their imagination and gave so much of their time to create this for me.....and speaking of time, our sweet daughter melissa drove a five-hour-round-trip on sunday just so i could spend the day with her!  our kids have been adults for several years now, but as a mom, i think you always keep them under your wing, no matter how old they get.....and when they give such gifts of themselves, there's no greater joy in knowing you are so abundantly blessed!

thank you to my little dutch sweetie,  melissa, spencer, and tatiana

for a truly fabulous mother's day!!  love you, xox

inspiration monday

one of the best things about making a new journal for yourself is deciding how you're going to fill it up!   for me, that means coming up with a "theme" that really, really inspires me.....because if i'm not inspired, i'm not going to want to work in it.  but with this journal, i've already discovered that sometimes inspiration will lead you down a path that you kinda wish you hadn't gone down.....

because even though this topic really, really inspires me, i may have bitten off a little more than i can chew!  i found myself drawing tons of lines and details that started to make my eyes cross, but once i added some watercolor......

it all became a lot clearer to me that when you're really, really inspired by something....

(okay, i'm beyond inspired with this topic....it's more like borderline obsessed!)

it's worth pushing yourself through, because when you're done, you'll overlook all those slightly wonky, wavy, and a little off-kilter lines that you just drew, and instead, look forward to the next path your obsession inspiration will take you!!


{i created this downton artwork using koi watercolors, waterbrush, pitt pens,
derwent inktense pencils, uniball signo white gel pen, 6B graphite pencil}

love and wisdom from mom

moms are a wealth of wisdom, and they always give the best advice....

it's their own special way of telling us they love us.

and with all this advice and wisdom floating around,
there's no doubt they sure do love us an awful lot!!  :))

happy mother's day to all of you sweet bloggy moms!

p.s.  this is dedicated to one of my best friends in the whole world:  my mom!  
i love you mom!  xox


{supplies:  moleskine journal, koi watercolors, derwent watercolor pencils,
pitt pens, 6B graphite pencil, waterbrush}

inspiration monday

  a while back, i saw teesha moore demonstrate her amazing 16-page journal in this video, and i fell in love with it!  but her journal measures 8x10" and i prefer to work on a smaller canvas, so i made some variations to the template and came up with a journal format that i have since used for my pottery barn journal, and elvie studio journal.  my version is 5x7"and uses only half of a large sheet of watercolor paper......and there's just enough pages inside to inspire me, but not so many pages to make me feel overwhelmed!

this weekend i got out some paper and thread and made a new blank journal, but this time i was inspired to use a 5-hole stitch instead of the 3-hole stitch to bind it together.
if you'd like to make one too, here are a couple of videos showing how to do it!

                        



                        

when you discover a blank journal that rocks your world, it's easy to find yourself with an entire collection of them!  i hope you have fun making these!  :))

here are the supplies i used:

fabriano artistico 140 lb. HP paper

4-ply waxed linen thread

needle

book awl or paper piercer

large paper clips

ruler, pencil, scissors

 {the martha stewart scoring board isn't essential (but it's great, treat yourself!).....

you can read more about it here!}

getting to what is

in order to get from "what was".....

to "what will be".....

you must first go through "what is".

i hope you have a great weekend of "what is-ing"!  :))


{this was created in my walls notebook using derwent inktense pencils,
pan pastel, white uniball signo gel pen, 6B pencil}