inspiration monday

one of the best things about making a new journal for yourself is deciding how you're going to fill it up!   for me, that means coming up with a "theme" that really, really inspires me.....because if i'm not inspired, i'm not going to want to work in it.  but with this journal, i've already discovered that sometimes inspiration will lead you down a path that you kinda wish you hadn't gone down.....

because even though this topic really, really inspires me, i may have bitten off a little more than i can chew!  i found myself drawing tons of lines and details that started to make my eyes cross, but once i added some watercolor......

it all became a lot clearer to me that when you're really, really inspired by something....

(okay, i'm beyond inspired with this topic....it's more like borderline obsessed!)

it's worth pushing yourself through, because when you're done, you'll overlook all those slightly wonky, wavy, and a little off-kilter lines that you just drew, and instead, look forward to the next path your obsession inspiration will take you!!


{i created this downton artwork using koi watercolors, waterbrush, pitt pens,
derwent inktense pencils, uniball signo white gel pen, 6B graphite pencil}

love and wisdom from mom

moms are a wealth of wisdom, and they always give the best advice....

it's their own special way of telling us they love us.

and with all this advice and wisdom floating around,
there's no doubt they sure do love us an awful lot!!  :))

happy mother's day to all of you sweet bloggy moms!

p.s.  this is dedicated to one of my best friends in the whole world:  my mom!  
i love you mom!  xox


{supplies:  moleskine journal, koi watercolors, derwent watercolor pencils,
pitt pens, 6B graphite pencil, waterbrush}

inspiration monday

  a while back, i saw teesha moore demonstrate her amazing 16-page journal in this video, and i fell in love with it!  but her journal measures 8x10" and i prefer to work on a smaller canvas, so i made some variations to the template and came up with a journal format that i have since used for my pottery barn journal, and elvie studio journal.  my version is 5x7"and uses only half of a large sheet of watercolor paper......and there's just enough pages inside to inspire me, but not so many pages to make me feel overwhelmed!

this weekend i got out some paper and thread and made a new blank journal, but this time i was inspired to use a 5-hole stitch instead of the 3-hole stitch to bind it together.
if you'd like to make one too, here are a couple of videos showing how to do it!

                        



                        

when you discover a blank journal that rocks your world, it's easy to find yourself with an entire collection of them!  i hope you have fun making these!  :))

here are the supplies i used:

fabriano artistico 140 lb. HP paper

4-ply waxed linen thread

needle

book awl or paper piercer

large paper clips

ruler, pencil, scissors

 {the martha stewart scoring board isn't essential (but it's great, treat yourself!).....

you can read more about it here!}

getting to what is

in order to get from "what was".....

to "what will be".....

you must first go through "what is".

i hope you have a great weekend of "what is-ing"!  :))


{this was created in my walls notebook using derwent inktense pencils,
pan pastel, white uniball signo gel pen, 6B pencil}

inspiration monday

last year my little dutch sweetie treated me to a fabulous weekend in asheville, north carolina and we had a wonderful time visiting biltmore place.  not only is the estate magnificent, but the gardens are absolutely gorgeous, and several of the beautifully carved statues that adorn the grounds caught my eye.

and even though i tried to capture some of the details of the estate in my journal last year,

i find myself still inspired by everything i saw there, so i decided to get out my journal

again and start making some marks with a pencil.....

then i added some watercolor.....

along with some more marks using a pitt pen.

and now, not only does the memory of this spectacular place live on in my heart,
but it's in my journal, too!


p.s.  the recipients of thursday's inspiration boxes have been chosen and notified....
thank you SO much for your sweet participation, bloggy love and support!!!  
i appreciate all of you more than i could ever express!!  xox


{created in my wings journal using koi watercolors, pitt pens, and 4B graphite pencil}