elliot lee

about two weeks ago, 

something happened to me 

that's never happened before.....

a sweet little blessing that weighs almost 9 pounds....

came into my life and has completely stolen my heart!

(and i'll let him keep it forever!)

meet Elliot Lee, my very first grandchild!!

(oh my gosh, he is SO precious!!)

xox

{supplies for announcement:  strathmore 500 series 140 lb. CP paper,

sennelier watercolor,  .3 mechanical pencil, embroidery floss, needle}

love lives here

in my search to add a new twist to my artwork,
i decided to begin a new series that includes only the things i love to do.
i definitely love to draw, so i did lots of drawing....

and i love to paint, so i added some happy painting.

and i love to stitch, too, so why not add some stitching....on paper!
(it's not just for fabric anymore.... :))

and the result is a fun piece of artwork that includes all the
things that are near and dear to my heart!


here are some other pieces in this new series....

if you're looking for a way to add some creative zing to
your journal pages or art canvas,
think about the things you really love to do, and then add it to
your artwork.  you never know what you might discover!

xox


you can also see other artwork on instagram and FB!

{supplies:  strathmore 500 series 140 lb. CP paper,mechanical pencil,
daniel smith watercolors, DMC embroidery floss, needle}

inspiration rediscovered

i've recently discovered that

just when you think inspiration is your new BFF

and you're thrilled because it wants to hang out with you day and night,

it will turn around and go on vacation.....

a really loooong, extended vacation.

so long, in fact, that you start to worry a bit

and wonder if it's ever going to come back.

so while i was waiting.....and waiting.....for inspiration to return,

i decided to take my mind off of my long-lost friend

by diving into some of the stitchy-goodness

that i truly loved doing as a young kid.

and then i wondered what would happen if i mixed in 

some of the journal-goodness i love to do as an "older kid".

and as you can probably guess, by the time i was finished

with all of this kid-goodness i realized that

inspiration had slipped in through the back door 

and finally came home to my heart.

now it's time to follow it.

(you probably knew i was going to say that.... :))

{thank you, inspiration!}

{supplies:  design from a page in my art journal printed on kona cotton

at spoonflower, DMC embroidery floss, size 8 black perle cotton floss,

watercolor and batting for heart, 11/0 glass seed beads, 

colored pencil, embroidery hoop, needles, scissors}

flowers and a smile

here's to the days of giving our mom a big smile

and a handful of picked wildflowers as a kid....

and getting a big smile and a big mom-hug in return!

wishing you a very happy mother's day, sweet bloggy friends!

{p.s.  i love you, mom!  xoxox}

[supplies:  strathmore 500 series 140 lb CP paper, 

daniel smith watercolor, .3 mechanical pencil]

chocolate eggs

the chocolate way is always the best way...... :))

{supplies:  moleskine watercolor journal, daniel smith watercolors,

micron pens, 6B and 3B graphite pencils, white uni posca pen}

four days of art bliss

last week i drove to donna downey studios in charlotte, north carolina

for a very long-awaited four day workshop.

i joined a room full of very sweet, talented and eager artists,

and our instructor was creativeGIRL danielle donaldson!

i will tell you right up front.....

it was four days of pure art bliss, danielle-style!

we started the weekend by drawing some fun art supplies....

and after danielle showed us how she paints her fabulous multi-color flowers

and her sweet little illustrations, it was our turn to dip our brush

in the watercolors and give it a try.

then danielle gave us a wonderfully detailed lesson in 

drawing one-point and two-point perspective objects.

this instruction was probably the most important (and the most difficult!)

of the entire weekend, as it's the foundation for all good drawing.

to be honest, drawing ellipses, determining vanishing points, 

and figuring out two-point-perspective boxes

 started to play with my head by the end of the day,

but i was so thankful to danielle for her willingness to dive in

and give us this essential instruction.  she taught it beautifully!

then danielle set up a still life that was as long as our work table....

it was fantastic, and i wish i could have spent another week there 

trying to capture it in my journal!

but for now i'm very happy to have these little objects 

as a reminder of a wonderfully creative workshop with one of my 

all-time favorite instructors!

many big hugs and heartfelt thanks to danielle for traveling

across the country to share her beautiful creativeGIRL-self with us.

i learned SO much,  i drew art that i didn't think i could draw,

and discovered new reasons why watercolor is so stinkin' cool.

(and i will forever smile when i think of her "grandpa story"!)

and thanks so much to donna and the group of talented art gals who were

also in the the classroom.....getting to know you and laughing with you

for four days did my creative spirit more good than i could ever say!

hope to see you again soon!

xox

{supplies:  newsprint, .3 mechanical pencil, 

strathmore 400 series CP paper, daniel smith watercolor}

Complete guide to Bible journaling

if you're a Bible journaler, then you've probably been eagerly awaiting 

the release of the new book "Complete Guide to Bible Journaling",

co-authored by Joanne Fink and Regina Yoder.

well, the wait is finally over.....

it's here, and i must say it's absolutely fabulous!!  

woo hoo!!

 this complete Bible journaling guide surely lives up to it's title

 as it's filled with lots of tips, techniques & how-to's, 

along with artist profiles of eleven Bible journalers who not only share 

their personal stories, but also a bit of their creative process.

there's also an extensive gallery that offers

lots of inspiration from over forty Bible journaling artists, 

and i'm thrilled, honored, and humbled

to be a part of this awesome project and

to have my artwork appear amongst these awesome artists!

but just to make it really complete, there's a bonus section in the back!!

yay!!  it includes lots of stickers, traceable drawings, 

vellum overlays and even Bible tabs!  

this bonus section is definitely the cherry-on-top!

if you're new to Bible journaling,

this book will answer lots of questions and 

definitely help you get started.

if you've been Bible journaling for a while, 

this book will offer you lots of inspiration and encouragement.

but most of all, this book will support all Bible journalers

in worshipping God through our artwork and

strengthening our own personal journey in faith

while we study His word.....

thank you so much Joanne and Regina!

xox

Joanne Fink is a calligrapher, designer and

best-selling author of the "Zenspirations" book series,

and has played an active role in the 

gift and stationery market for many years.

you can read more about Joanne here.

Regina Yoder is a women's ministry leader, 

homeschooling instructor, and

the inventor of the Bible memory system, Clubhouse Kidz.

you can read more about Regina here.

you can purchase or read more about this book here!

you can see the pages inside the book here!