inspiration monday

i recently received some new art journals from stillman & birn (thank you michael!).  what's fun about this line of sketchbooks is you can tailor them to the way you create.....there's lots of different sizes, wire-bound and hardbound, and many different types of paper to choose from!  since i'm always on the hunt for a journal that's filled with smooth paper for lettering, but can also take some water, i chose hardbound journals in the alpha and zeta series.....and then i started to play!

 i was curious to see if the paper in the alpha series would hold up to their claim of taking light washes, so i got out my watercolors to test it out.  i was pretty generous with the koi watercolors and the paper buckled a little (but surprisingly not much!), but it dried beautifully to almost flat again.  i used less water with my watercolor pencils, and there was no buckling at all.  so i would definitely give it a "thumbs-up-like" when it comes to light washes!

then i dedicated a page to testing out markers, drawing pens, and pan pastel.....there was no feathering out, no annoying bleeding around the edges of my lines, and no bleed-thru onto the other side of the paper.  i tested microns, pitt pens, koi coloring brush pens, and pan pastel.  two-thumbs-up on this one!

but what i was most curious about was the paper in the zeta series journal.....it's heavy weight, almost like bristol board, and it's so smooth it reminds me of fresh ice at the skating rink right after the zamboni machine has resurfaced it!   this is the type of thing that makes my lettering-artist-heart so joyful that i feel like i'm floating up in the clouds.....

so i took some advice from someone who found joy floating in the clouds, too.....

and i was inspired to create a journal page using only three supplies:
pitt pens, pan pastel, and a 6B graphite pencil.
{for me, this paper is definitely a two-thumbs-up, plus more!}

p.s.  and somehow i made a huge mess in the process!  i think that's how you always know inspiration is hard at work......when you have everything you own out on your worktable!  :))

{supplies:  stillman & birn sketchbooks in alpha and zeta series, koi watercolor, pitt pens, micron pens, koi coloring brush markers, pan pastel, derwent watercolor pencils, 6B graphite pencil}




♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

 thank you SO much for the sweet, sweet comments you left for my online class giveaway!!  you are the best-in-blogland, and i'm sending each one of you a huge, chocolate-filled cyberhug!!  xox

the recipient of the online class is gloria vivas!   many thanks from here-to-the-moon-and-back to everyone for participating and making our creative workshops giveaway-hop a huge success!!

boo-fun

i was looking at the calendar yesterday.....it's almost october already!!
eeeek!  and when i think of october, i think of stuff that goes "boo",
in a fun, whimsical sort of way.....and nothing's more fun that some boo-play!

so i got out some boo-supplies, and turned this.....

into this!

and this.....

into this....

and this!!

i hope your weekend is filled with lots of boo-fun-and-whimsy!!  :))


{these projects were created using my new stamp sets from technique tuesday....woo hoo....along with card stock, patterned paper, stamp pads, embossing powder, twine, and paper punches}



in other fun stuff......
there's still time to put your name in the hat for the online class giveaway at creative workshops!  just click here.....giveaway ends on sunday evening!

and....my dear, precious friend martha is sharing some great news about her entrepreneurial son, zach!!  he has started his own company and has won some great awards here in jacksonville already!  if you'd like more information about some awesome upscale guitar accessories, please click here (we're talkin' fabulous guitar straps made in peru and lots of other terrific items!)

inspiration monday.....and a class giveaway!

 this week we're celebrating the opening of our new classroom site over at creative workshops .....and what could be more inspiring than learning something new!!  our sweet webmaster, site-coordinator-extraordinaire, and curator of creative workshops, gail schmidt, has been working really hard all summer long to transfer everything over to the new creative workshops home, and in doing so, she's also made some terrific changes!  for example....

*when you register for a class that's already open, you have instant access to the classroom.....no more waiting for an invitation to arrive in your inbox!  yippee!

*our new classroom is now iPad accessible, and i know lots of you have been waiting for that!

*plus, so many of the things we already love are still in place:  lots and lots of amazing video classes offered by so many talented instructors,  24/7 access to the classroom....you can work at your own pace in your comfy jammies if you like,  and....classes rarely get retired, but if an instructor needs to do that, there will always be a 6 month notice given, so you'll have plenty of time to soak up every bit of online class goodness!

so, let's kick up our heels and celebrate in bloggy-giveaway fashion!  i currently offer two classes over at creative workshops, and as a party-giveaway-prize, i'm offering one free online video class....either letterLAB, or LifeStuff.....your choice!  

if you've already taken one of my classes, and would love to take the other, here's a great opportunity!







  
 {a sneak peek welcome video for LifeStuff!}


 or, if you've already taken both of my classes, please go ahead and put your name in the giveaway.....if you're chosen, you can gift your prize to another artsy friend!

entering is easy!  just leave a comment on this post (just one per person, please!) by 10:00 p.m. EST on sunday, september 29th.  one recipient will be chosen over at random.org, and i'll announce it here on my blog on monday, september 30th!  please make sure your comment either links back to your blog, or you leave your e-mail so i can contact you if your name is chosen! (this giveaway is open to all bloggy sweeties who are 18 years of age or older!)


{to read more details about letterLAB class, click here!
for more information about lifeStuff, click here!}

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

another really super thing about this giveaway is there's a total of nineteen different class giveaways you can enter!!  it's a blog-hop-party-giveaway-extravaganza!!

here's the list of fabulous participating instructors.....
check out their giveaway classes and make sure you enter!

Sara Naumann  *  Cat Kerr *  Jodi Ohl  *  Martha Lever  
             

Nancy Lefko  *  Cathy Bluteau  *  Mechelle Harrison * Elizabeth Johnson 
           

Liz Miller  *  Terri Heinz  *  Kerr Pelto  *  Diana Frey  * Marilyn Harris-Mills  
     

Nellie Wortman  * Gaye Medbury  *  Ann Butler    

 Dawn Meisch  *  Gail Schmidt   
                 

good luck everyone!

thanks so much to gail and all of her efforts in bringing us a great site to create, play and experiment! she's done an awesome job!

xox

edited:  comments are now closed.....thanks so much for participating!!

beautiful you

there's an awful lot of "same-ness" in the world.....

but, before you put a lot of energy into being different.....

just remember -----  

you already, most beautifully, and fantabulously are!

{and you even have your very own unique thumbprints to prove it!}

here's to being different.....
in the most amazing, extraordinary, phenomenal, fantastic, unique way possible!!
(and believe me, you're all these things and so much more!)
xox

{supplies:  walls notebook, pan pastel, pitt pens, thumbprint and stamp pad, uniball signo white gel pen, souffle pens}



♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

thanks SO much to all you beautiful-bloggy-sweeties who participated in the artsyville giveaway! sarah goodwin's name was chosen by random generator as the recipient of aimee's washi tapes! congratulations!  woo hoo!  

there's still time to join in the other participants' giveaways....click here for the full schedule!


happy weekend to you!  xox

inspiration monday....and an artsyville giveaway!

if you've ever received a goodie package from aimee over at artsyville, then you already know that delightful-giddy feeling you get from the moment you pull it from your mailbox.  so when her brand new washi tapes arrived, i was absolutely giggly-giddy, because not only has aimee picked such cute names for these sweet little gems, these are the colors of pure happiness!  and when it comes to washi projects, i say "let's play"!

idea #1:  how about taking a small cork square....
(this one is cut to 10"x10")

and jazzing it up with a piece of scrapbook paper and
some strips of "secret garden" washi tape!
now you've got a decorative canvas just waiting for some more artsy-goodies!

idea #2:
here's a little brown paper gift bag cutesyfied with aimee's "jolly town" washi tape.....
 tuck pizza delivery coupons and other fun stuff inside for your new neighbors!

idea #3: create a cute gift tag for someone special
using the "creative fire" washi tape and your favorite markers!

idea #4:
 here's a sweet little banner using the "happy trails" and "love charms" tape,
shipping tag remnants, chalk stamp pads, cotton string,  and micron pens.

and now my decorated cork square looks super happy, super colorful,
super playful, and super artsyvilled!

{idea #5:  of course, you probably knew i couldn't resist adding some more adhesive joy
to a page in my journal!  this "wild vine" tape makes the perfect roof for my little house,
and i somehow think that jane austen would love it, too!}

{supplies:  moleskine journal, derwent inktense pencils, pan pastel, pitt pens, 4B pencil,
artsyville wild vine washi tape}

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

now here's the best part.....aimee has generously offered to send one of you bloggy sweeties one roll of each design of her cute and colorful washi tapes!!  that's a total of six rolls of wonderful washis!!  woo hoo!!   all you have to do to receive aimee's washi tapes is leave a comment here on this post (just one per person, please!) by 10:00 p.m. EST on wednesday, september 18th.  one recipient will be chosen using the random generator, and i'll announce it here on my blog on thursday, september 19th!  please make sure your comment either links back to your blog, or you leave your e-mail so i can contact you if your name is chosen!  (this giveaway is open to all bloggy sweeties who are 18 years of age or older.)


and be sure to check out these other lovely blogs because they're all participating in aimee's blog hop, and some of their giveaways are still open, so sign up there, too!

Monday, September 9  Rachel Awes  http://allididwaslisten.blogspot.com

Tuesday, September 10 Joanne Sharpe http://joannezsharpe.blogspot.com

Wednesday, September 11 Jill Berry http://jillberrydesign.com

Thursday, September 12 Lindsay Hopkins http://www.penandpaintblog.com

Friday, September 13 Traci Bunkers http://www.tracibunkers.com/blog

Monday, September 16 Lori Vliegen http://elviestudio.blogspot.com

Tuesday, September 17  Raine Boyd http://www.limetreefruits.com

Wednesday, September 18 Samie Harding http://www.journalgirl.com

Thursday, September 19 Carolyn Dube http://www.acolorfuljourney.com

Friday, September 20 Tammy Garcia http://daisyyellowart.com

edited:  comments are now closed....thank you SO much for participating! xox

joy in the heart

a quick google search will reveal lots and lots of
different ways to use washi tape.....

but i must admit that one of my very favorite ways to use it
is on a journal page!

it's like instant, happy, adhesive art, and watching it come together with
some fun letterforms definitely puts joy in my heart!  :))

{speaking of joyful adhesive art,  please join me for next week's "inspiration monday" 
for details about an artsyville washi giveaway!  woo hoo!}


{supplies:  moleskine journal, pitt pens, pan pastel, 3B graphite pencil,
artsyville "love charms" washi tape, derwent inktense fuchsia pencil}

inspiration monday

when you're heading out for errands and appointments,  do you have some favorite supplies you like to add to your "in case i have to wait" bag?  i usually grab my houndstooth glasses, small moleskine journal, pencil, waterbrush, microns.....but when it comes to packing favorite watercolors, how can you possibly choose between all those delicious rainbow colors without adding 50 pounds to your bag?  here's an easy way to create a lightweight, transportable, very convenient paint palette that tucks easily inside your journal:

 first, choose your favorite watercolor pencils and color a very dark splotch with each one
on a small piece of watercolor paper (i used an extra page in my watercolor journal)....

then label each color, and when you find yourself waiting during an appointment,
all you have to do is activate one of those yummy dollops of color with your waterbrush.....

and block the world out while you pass the time in a wonderfully creative way!

and before you know it, your patience will be rewarded and
you'll be well on your way to crossing all those errands off your to-do list!



{small moleskine journal, derwent inktense and watercolor pencils, micron pens, waterbrush, 2B pencil}

dusty fingers

i am absolutely fascinated with chalkboard art, and i could sit and watch
artists kelly de ceuninck and pieter vanhoutte all day long!
 watch how beautifully these two coordinate their letterforms
to make so much "wow" look so stinkin' easy!

you can watch this video in full format here at vimeo!

inspiration monday

when it comes to reaching for the stars,

one of the great star-reachers himself shines some light on the subject :

 we can use a little step-stool and a butterfly net to catch a barely-off-the-ground,
dimly lit star in the sky.....

or we can really go for it, and climb a taller-than-tall ladder and use our glorious rubber-band-stretchy arms to grab the biggest, shiniest, brightest, sparkliest, farthest-away star in the galaxy!

let's add some major bling to our twinkle collection.....
and guaranteed, inspiration will be right there to nudge us along
every step of the way!

{completed in my walls notebook using pitt artist pens, derwent inktense pencils, pan pastel, 8B graphite pencil, uniball signo white gel pen}

{happy labor day! xox}