inspiration monday

i'm a true believer that when you're looking for inspiration, look no further than your very own artwork!  there are lots and lots of ideas hibernating in your art journals, and they're just waiting to be turned into something brand new!   for example, you might find a little sketch that you did a long time ago and wonder, "how can i use this?".

one idea is to take your design and carve a stamp!
(i carved this stamp from a piece of speedy carve.....)

 then stamp it all over a blank page in your journal. 

 add some journaling and other doodles using your favorite pen, 

and finish it off with pan pastels or watercolors.
now you've gone from old design.....to  new inspiration!

but don't stop there!  change up the colors on your stamp......

and you never know...... a fun little rainbow garden might sprout up!  

(when an opportunity to draw cute little flowers with smiley faces comes your way, you've gotta take it!)

and after all that gardening,  treat yourself to some frozen happiness.....
all you need to do is change the direction of your stamp!

when you're looking for some new ideas, think of your art journals as little treasure chests......there's lots of inspiration bounty in there, i promise!


{all journal pages were completed using a hand-carved stamp, colorbox stamp pads,
micron pens, pan pastel, and a 4B pencil}

inspiration monday

there are many times when i'm really inspired to create something, but i have no idea what that "something" is.  so, i've been on a scavenger hunt this past week.......in search of my muse.  and as it usually does, inspiration snuck up on me as i was rummaging through my closet and found my little collection of old postage stamps.  once i saw these butterflies, that flickering lightbulb over my head was suddenly shining bright!!

so, here's my sketchbook interpretation of that orange-tip beauty.
thank you, inspiration.

{want to know how alisa burke finds inspiration? click here!}

inspiration monday

if given enough time, little seeds of inspiration can grow into dreams......and if those dreams are nurtured and taken seriously enough, they can grow into beautiful realities.....red-rubber-stamp kind of realities.....

actually, i have blogland's mondo beyondo cheerleader carmen torbus to thank for helping me to rediscover a little seed of inspiration that's been hiding in one of those dark corners of the creative side of my brain.....way back where all the cobwebs are thick and having wild parties. carmen asked me in a recent interview what my big dream was.....and after breaking up some serious cobweb parties and clearing out several dark corners of the creative side of my brain, i discovered a seed that's been waiting......for a long time......to grow. for whatever reason, i have long dreamed of seeing my lettering in rubber.....deep-etched red rubber stamps......and thanks to little seeds growing up into beautiful reality gardens, it has happened! i am thrilled to introduce you to my first deep-etched-red-rubber-stamp!!!

but what i find most interesting is how easy this whole process has been.....what i thought was so mysterious in having rubber stamps made was really nothing!  if i hadn't put so many hurdles up in front of myself, maybe that little seed wouldn't have gotten buried......and i could've been using my rubber stamps for all these years!

so the moral of this (long) story is: grab a flashlight and a broom and go hunting in those dark corners of your brain. sweep those cobwebs away and find those sweet little seeds of inspiration.....plant them....and watch them grow into gorgeous gardens of reality!!

i had some extra stamps made.......look for a giveaway soon! 

 i'll keep you posted!!

:))

inspiration monday

many times inspiration calls us to think outside the box......

inspiration calls us to be brave.
 it calls us to go on and do the next thing.
 even if just the thought of it seems a little scary.
and sometimes inspiration gets weary of seeing us hang out in the shallow end of the pool all the time, and it offers to be one of those inner-tube-thingies around your waist, whilst whispering in your ear.....
to trot on down to the deep end, close your eyes, hold your breath,
and just jump in.
 the main thing is don't think about it.....
just keep taking deep breaths, stay in the water so long that your fingers and toes get pruney,
and keep doing what you do best!


{happy labor day to all of my american friends!}

inspiration monday

it's the most wonderful time of the year.  inspiration is all around us.  the craft magazines are filled with great "make-it-yourself"  gift ideas, and martha stewart is a never-ending source of decorating enthusiasm.  and to be honest, if i'm not careful, i tend to get  "inspiration overload", mainly because i have a million ideas on my to-do list, and i want to do them all...by tomorrow.  

so when i start feeling that twang of overwhelm, i step back and do something totally traditional.  and tonight that means a good ol' bing crosby movie and some popcorn, not just for eating, but also for stringing.  it's time to decorate the tree, and this year i'm inspired to borrow from my childhood and do it the old-fashioned way.   what's old is new again...who knew that orville redenbacher could provide so much inspiration?

inspiration monday

i'm a firm believer that inspiration can be found anywhere.

all you have to do is think about what makes you really happy…..

and most of all,
follow your heart.

and before you know it,  the doors of inspiration will open to you
where you didn't even know they existed!


{supplies:  walls notebook, pan pastel, sakura gelly roll pens, pitt pens,
derwent inktense pencils,  8B graphite pencils, white pilot choose pen}

inspiration monday

i went out on a "retail safari" the other day and found this new grid paper pad.   i know it seems a bit kooky to get excited about a pad of paper with lots of non-repro-blue boxes on it, but i'll openly admit i absolutely love me a grid!  and once i added a new pencil to the mix, inspiration wasn't far behind…..

because before i knew it,  i was doodling fun letters and little swirlies…..

along with some whimsical little scallop banners…..

and other things straight from the heart.

but what surprised me was this little girlie.  i don't normally draw people, or pencil-shaded trees, and i don't know anyone named phoebe…..but here she is with her hair blowing in the breeze and a basket on her arm!

which just goes to show…..when you go on retail safari,  you never know where inspiration is going to lead you with all your new supplies!  

p.s.  and speaking of retail safari,
i also picked up the mar/april issue of Somerset Studio magazine…...

thank you, christen,  for the absolutely beautiful feature!!  xox
(i. am. SO. excited!!!)


{supplies:  bienfang grid paper, 6B uni pencil}

inspiration monday

i am SO super excited!   the doors open today to my new online class,
doodle page!  woo hoo!

this class is all about starting with a blank page in your favorite journal…..

and adding a spark of inspiration through a fun quote, some watercolor,
and other doodly touches until we have a finished journal page!

along the way, we'll talk about all the things that go into creating a journal page:

*inspiration and your own design style
*all of the main elements that go into page composition
*simple print lettering
*lettering variations
*shading
*watercolor, outlining, and borders

(we'll even talk a bit about chocolate!)

there's over three hours of video instruction, and lots of PDFs to print out!

this class is hosted over at Creative Workshops…..

as a student, you'll have 24/7 access to the classroom, so you can come and go as you like, you can watch the videos as often as you want, and you can learn while you're wearing your pajamas! 

           

so let's journal your favorite quote from start to finish…..

see you in the classroom!!  xox

you can watch this video in large format here!

{please click here for more information and registration!}

inspiration monday…..and a giveaway!

i can't think of anything more inspiring than opening a journal to a blank page
and filling it with a favorite quote!

all it takes are some simple letterforms and variations…..

a little bit of page composition…..

and some doodly finishing touches!

and i'd love to create a doodle page together with you
in my new online class over at creative workshops…..







because we're going to learn about all these things….and more!


please join me in the classroom over at creative workshops for my new online class
doodle page !

the doors to the classroom open on february 17th!
here's what's in store:
*we'll talk about finding inspiration
*we'll brush up on some simple print letterforms and learn several variations
*we'll get some insight on basic page composition principles
 *and we'll have some fun with watercolor and shading techniques!

there's over two hours of video instruction, along with lots of PDFs for you to print out! and you'll have 24/7 access to the classroom….come and go as you like, and journal while eating chocolate and wearing your pajamas!

♥♥♥♥♥

and to celebrate this creative new year and all the inspiration it holds,
i'm giving away a seat in the classroom!
all you need to do is leave a comment here on this post (just one comment per person, please!) by 10:00 p.m. EST on wednesday, january 8th.  one recipient will be chosen over at random.org, and i'll announce the name here on my blog on thursday, january 9th!  please make sure your comment either links back to your blog, or 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!)

see you in the classroom!

{please click here for more information and registration!}


edited:  comments are now closed….thank you so much!!

inspiration monday

i have long believed that the best way to find inspiration is to spend some time with other artists....and this past saturday i had the honor of sharing some creative cursive with 13 extremely talented, sweet little birds in manhattan, new york!

we talked about our abc's......

and practiced, practiced, practiced.

 then we got out our favorite supplies and added our own personal touch......

and we even gathered lots of ideas and created some dreamy artwork!

but most of all, we spent the day as only artists can do.....by sharing some laughter, lots of encouragement, and a little bit of chocolate with each other.
thank you, precious little art birdies, for a fabulous day!
i loved meeting each one of you.....you truly rock the casbah,
and i wish i could tell you how much you taught me!

and to my beautiful kindred art buddy michele, who puts her loving heart and soul into providing inspiration for others through her little bird studio.....well, as the saying goes, you better put on your sunglasses 'cause your future is looking mighty bright, girlie!  you are so very appreciated, and i thank you SO much for inviting me to your fabulous studio!  xox

inspiration monday

the other day i found myself staring blankly at a stark white journal page.   as i was struggling to overcome "blank page syndrome" i noticed some washi tapes sitting on my desk, and i discovered they were just the inspiration i was looking for!
here's what i decided to do.....

i chose three of my favorite washi tapes, 

and i divided my page into three blocks using a micron pen.

next, i laid down a piece of washi tape in one of the blocks.....

and then i drew a doodle similar to the design on the tape.

these curly-ques reminded me of waves on the ocean, so i painted a little sailboat.....
and now i can float away on the red sea! 

for my next block, i laid my washi tape in a different direction and

decided to draw something a bit abstract.

i love the contrast between the straight lines on the tape and the
wavy painted lines!

for my third block,  i laid my tape around the edges of the paper,  and 

then i decided to draw whatever was on my mind at the time.....

proving once again that choc-o-late really does go with everything!

this was tons of fun, and once you get started,
your imagination will take you to all sorts of places!
inspiration can disguise itself as all kinds of things.....
and it might even be as close as your favorite art supply!
:))

{these journal blocks were created in my moleskine journal using assorted washi tapes,
derwent inktense pencils, micron pens, 4B graphite pencil}


******

speaking of blocks, i recently had the pleasure of crossing online paths with a very talented artist named kevin coffel,  and he works with wooden blocks!  kevin is a very talented woodworker who uses reclaimed materials, and not only has he created a wonderful way to help others tell their story, he has also taken it to the next level through a venture that begins with kickstarter.  i love his idea, and i totally admire his moxie and all the hard work involved in turning his dream into a reality.  you can learn more about kevin and his "modulosi" project here....and if you feel inspired to join him in the adventure, i know he would really appreciate your support!  :))