happy places

what is it about finishing a journal that makes you feel like you've just conquered the world?!
i put the last few touches on the back cover of my "elvie journal",  and i'm happy all over
with a super feeling of accomplishment (even if it did take me almost a year! :)))!

             

here's a little cover-to-cover peek inside!

(you can watch it in larger format here!)

thanks for sharing this little art adventure with me! 

i hope you find yourself in lots of happy places this weekend!  

xo

{materials for the back cover:  elvie journal, derwent inktense pencils, koi watercolor, 

pitt artist pens, uniball signo white pen,  and a 4B pencil}

happy places

i hope you find yourself in one of your favorite creative spaces this
weekend.......doing all the things you truly love!
xox



{supplies:  strathmore visual journal for mixed media, hand-carved stamp,
pitt pens, derwent watercolor pencils, koi watercolors, uniball signo white gel pen}

inspiration monday

my sweet bloggy friend chrissy gardner participated in the mini workshop "12 artsy ornaments of Christmas" (hosted by christy tomlinson), and i couldn't resist making her cute little paper cottage project!  chrissy used vintage book text to create her cottages, but since i don't have any vintage textbooks, i decided to use some prints of my journal pages.

and after i cut them apart using the patterns that chrissy provided,

and did a little assembly work.....

i had a sweet little artsy paper cottage of my own!!  i added a few other things like the heart punch in the door, and the "smoke" coming out of the chimney......

but why stop at making just one cottage, when you can make two.....

or three!!

(this little birdie on the roof is one of my favorites!)

but what i really love about these little cottages is when you tuck a battery-operated tea light candle inside,  it looks like there's lots of love and inspiration radiating from within.....
just the way a sweet little artsy paper cottage should be!

you can read more about chrissy's project
(she adds her houses to a strand of Christmas lights.....super cute!!)
and the "12 artsy ornaments of Christmas" here!

{materials used:  prints of my journal artwork, tacky glue, exacto knife, scissors,
micron pen, heart punch, polyester fiberfill, battery-operated tea light candle}

inspiration monday

inspiration usually strikes when i'm in the bookstore.....and my last trip was no exception, because when i saw this sweet little beach hut in this book, inspiration struck hard!

i could make my very own elvie house!

and add some beads, buttons and hand stitching......

along with its very own elvie flag to sit at the top!

and i even have the perfect place for it.....

right in the middle of all of my other inspiration stuff!

woo hoo!

to read more about my inspiration tree, click here.

elvie house created using fabrics, stuffing, thread, beads, button, fabric glue, paper, toothpick.

project inspired from sew pretty homestyle