sleight of heart-in-hand

one thing is for sure,

no matter how hard you try to keep a date with your favorite journal,

life will conjure up reasons not to…..

until you've completely lost your creative focus.

and just when you think you're gonna have to resort to seeking out a magic wand 

and shouting "abracadabra" at the top of your lungs to find it again, 

you notice this week's DLP challenge…..

and you tell life that everything is gonna have to wait...

because you're taking a nose dive into 

the middle of your favorite journal for some well-deserved, 

and long-awaited creative time!  

here's to putting life on hold, 

and pulling a rabbit out of your creative hat. 

not because of any hocus-pocus……

but thanks to good ol' inspiration and sleight of heart-in-hand!  

:))

{supplies for this week's DLP "focus" challenge:

wings journal, derwent inktense pencils, micron pens, 6B graphite pencil}

kindness, hearts, and sunshine

it's week 28 already, and the DLP challenge is to 

add a tiny photo to your page. 

so i decided to pull out one of my favorite pictures…..

and add one of my favorite quotes.

and the result is a page filled with hearts and sunshine….

something this journal girl could never have enough of!

bring on the happy!

{you can read more about the DLP challenge here.

supplies:  moleskine planner, fabriano 140 lb. HP paper, 

derwent inktense pencils, pitt pens, PanPastel, 6B graphite pencil,

uniball signo broad white pen, washi tape} 

inspiration monday

here's an easy way to create a fun little storage container for your studio,
using just a few supplies!

choose a mini tote bag in your favorite color and rinse it out to remove the starches and sizing.  then iron out the wrinkles.

draw a little sketch of your design using a pencil.

(you could use stencils, too!)

now all you have to do is color everything using fabric crayons 

(i've used pentel fabric pastel dye sticks......they are very creamy and easy to use!).  

{note: since i used a canvas material, i got a more textured result.  if you'd like a more solid colored image, try using a cotton muslin or other smooth fabric surface.}  

to set your image, place a piece of paper over your design and run a warm iron over it......
some of the wax from the crayon will transfer to the paper.

just to tidy things up a bit, you can add some lines, details, and lettering if you like, 

using a fabric marker.

you can also add some dots or other fun stuff using some
dimensional fabric paint!

and when you're done, you have a sweet little personalized storage container
to hold some of your favorite art supplies!
:))


{supplies:  pentel fabric fun pastel dye sticks, mini canvas bags, 
compact iron, black fabric pen, pencil, pitt pen, scribbles fabric paint}

p.s.  alisa burke has put together a free "finding your muse" online class!!
check it out here!  it's really fabulous!!

hands and hearts

ever since i made this fabric tape, i've been wanting to use it on a page in my journal.  

so i decided to snip a piece of each tape (i cut the floral tape into a triangle shape).......

and glued the pieces into my journal in the shape of a house. 

then, using my microns,  i wrote out a little quote to go with it.

but, when i finished, it definitely didn't look "done" to me.

so i added some watercolor to the page, along with some doodle marks on the house to

give it more definition and jazz it up a bit.  

i think it still looks like something's missing, though......

because sometimes when you work on something, it's not complete until
you add that final element......that perfect "finishing touch".......

and then you know without a doubt that, yes......now it's done!


{thank you from the top, middle, and bottom of my heart 
to all of you who signed up for my letterLAB cursive class!!  xoxox}


{journal page created using fabric tape, micron pens, pencil,
koi watercolor, waterbrush, glue stick, elvie heart-in-hand}

inspiration monday......{elvie-encore-post #7}

i am often asked if there's a story that goes along with my heart-in-hand avatar, and i'm reminded of a day trip i took about 20 years ago.  we lived in the midwest at the time, and a friend and i decided to head out to a quilt show that was being held in a nearby town.  we ended up driving through amish country, and while i had known about their lifestyle, i had never actually experienced it up-close and personal.  it's hard not to notice their complete devotion to such a simple lifestyle, but what struck me even more was how they were able to convey this same simplicity into their artwork.  some of the most beautiful quilts i've ever seen were seen that day...the patterns were uncomplicated, the colors were true and rich, and the workmanship was exquisite.  and just as we were leaving, a small pillow caught my eye, decorated with a heart-in-hand, and with the words "hands to work, hearts to God".  i fell in love with it then, and twenty years later i'm still loving it...and i'm still inspired!  

inspired by heart-in-hand, i created this small quilt almost 15 years ago.  

i've used this image as inspiration for many pieces of artwork over these past years.  

{i'm currently on a little bloggy break......

this is an encore presentation of an inspiration monday post originally 

featured on april 26, 2009}

creative handscape

"hands are the heart's landscape."

Pope John Paul II

wishing you a wonderfully creative weekend, sweet bloggy friends!

xo

photo edited in photoshop using textures and lessons provided 

in kim klassen's skinny-mini online course.

inspiration monday

remember when we were kids, and Thanksgiving week rolled around and we would make those turkeys by tracing our hands in school.......and then we'd take them home and our moms would proudly attach them to the fridge using about twenty magnets?!  well, i was thinking about that, and i decided to be a kid again.....but instead of tracing my hand, i used my all-time favorite heart-in-hand and had a little gobbledy good fun......

do you think it's "fridge-worthy"?!  

 heeheehee

more on chalk

several days ago i was playing in my journal with chalk pastels (see here). this is a layout using the same stencils, same chalks, along with some micron pen detailing......but this time on a page from a discarded library book.. it's always amazing to me how the same subject matter can look so completely different when it's on a new background! of course, i'm so hooked on my cherished little heart-in-hand image, i think i'd love it on just about any background.....

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

inspiration monday

inspiration comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. and when i received this box from my brother jeff, a master craftsman jeweler and artist, i realized that inspiration and happiness definitely come in the form of a little yellow box with a champagne colored bow tied around it......

because when i opened it, this is what was smiling back at me.....

a "vaguely familiar" heart-in-hand pendant that he created using the lost wax casting method and sterling silver. jeff has included fun details all over this little goodie, and i just love the contrast of texture with the etched silver and that delicious glossy red heart!

and it's just as spectacular on the back, too!

jeff carried the theme one step further and carved the word "love" into the silver....but, it doesn't stop there.....

to make it even more personal,

he carved the word "elvie" into the bail as it wraps around the leather cord! is he a genius, or what?!!

there's no doubt about it......this is just-plain-over-the-top-fabulous! wearing this little pendant makes me feel SO happy, SO inspired, SO me......and SO truly blessed to have a brother who would use his multi-talents, and the extremely small amount of spare time that he has, to create something that would bring me SO much pure and absolute joy!!

thank you so much, jaffro.....my heart is swollen-the-size-of-texas!!

xox

sterling heart...in hand

i have two brothers who are jewelers.  they sit hunched over their jeweler's bench wearing a 20x magnifier on their head, hands always torn up from working with various metals, gemstones, chemicals and soldering sources.  unfortunately, we've always lived in different cities and learning the "tricks of the trade" from them wasn't an option.  so when an opportunity came up to take a metalsmithing class about 13 years ago, i grabbed it (and may i say that after taking this class, i have even more respect and admiration for the job they do and the artistry that's involved!) !  in this class i learned the "lost wax" method, where you sculpt an image from modeling wax, and then it's melted and cast into a mold that fluid metals are later poured into.  it took me about three seconds to decide that i would use my favorite heart-in-hand image....and about three days to sculpt the wax into my favorite image...and another week to do all of the other steps involved after it had been cast!  yikes...it's quite a process!  my final result was a very rustic sterling silver heart-in-hand pin...and every time i wear it, i think about the fabulous work my brothers do, and i have a huge appreciation for it!

heart-in-hand, part two

i have probably used the heart-in-hand image more in card making than for any other project.  this card was made using purple and blue paste paper, with arches textwove inside.

the hand shape was cut from the paper and then layered...and a sewn heart with a little message is revealed inside.

many years ago when i was president of our calligraphers guild, i made this small card for each of our board members in appreciation of their support, hard work,  and wonderful devotion to our group. 

cut in the shape of a hand, this one opens accordion style...

to reveal hand-marbled hearts surrounded by a special hand-lettered message!  i have so many more examples of cards (but, i promise, i won't bore you with them all!).  it's so much fun to take an image and see how many different ways you can use it!

please click on any image for a larger view

inspiration monday

i am often asked if there's a story that goes along with my heart-in-hand avatar, and i'm reminded of a day trip i took about 20 years ago.  we lived in the midwest at the time, and a friend and i decided to head out to a quilt show that was being held in a nearby town.  we ended up driving through amish country, and while i had known about their lifestyle, i had never actually experienced it up-close and personal.  it's hard not to notice their complete devotion to such a simple lifestyle, but what struck me even more was how they were able to convey this same simplicity into their artwork.  some of the most beautiful quilts i've ever seen were seen that day...the patterns were uncomplicated, the colors were true and rich, and the workmanship was exquisite.  and just as we were leaving, a small pillow caught my eye, decorated with a heart-in-hand, and with the words "hands to work, hearts to God".  i fell in love with it then, and twenty years later i'm still loving it...and i'm still inspired!  

inspired by heart-in-hand, i created this small quilt almost 15 years ago.  i've used this image as inspiration for many pieces of artwork over these past years...i'll share some of them with you this week!  

carving out some time for stamps

after spending a few days playing hookie, i'm eager to get back to my "wish list" of pending projects.  first on the list: carving some more rubber stamps!

 look familiar?  i couldn't resist carving a stamp of one of my most favorite illustrations!  i've enhanced the image a little by using a micron pen, and added the white dots with a gel pen.

this is the reverse image of the previous stamp.  i decided to carve the heart and hand separately, so i can switch the artwork up a bit (sorry this image isn't darker!).  this was so much fun...i could easily get hooked on this!