Here are some trades that I have been working on for artfest.  I think I got a little carried away. They were supposed to be simple, quick and really easy, but I loved the process. I just got lost in time and painted tiny little pictures for most of the day. It was really fun. I love getting lost like that.

After I painted them, I decided to get a little daring and added wax. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but the end result turned out great. I love the subdued color and the added texture. I wish you could see them in person.

Now, the question is whether I should glue on magnets for the fridge or pins to wear.  Maybe both? I can’t decide. Help!

A few people asked if I would show how we made our caterpillar book. No problem, because the whole reason I started trying to figure it all out, was so that I could keep a little inspiration book in my purse.

I made mine out of a paper bag, because I knew I was going to paint it and the brown paper holds paint well.  Any kind of paper can be used–scrapbook paper, text weight paper, cardstock…

1.  Cut paper into 4 x 4 inch sheets. The end booklet will be 2 x 2 inches.  Any size will work, as long as it is square and all sheets are the same size.  You can make the booklet any number of sheets. I will show how to put 2 together,  but my end result is 5 sheets long.

2. Fold each sheet in half both ways and in half diagonally. Pull diagonal fold inward as seen in photo. Repeat with all sheets.

3. Glue sheets together, with glue stick, so that one sheet folds inward and the other outward.  Continue adding more sheets if desired.

4.Fold booklet closed, carefully creasing each fold with your nail or bone folder.

5. Open and decorate whatever way you see fit.

Here are some other ideas in case painting isn’t your thing:
* Make one to tell a story. Write your birthing story, engagement, or something totally made up.
* Make a mini photo album. This would be a great gift for the grandparents.
* Make a birthday or anniversary card.
* Keep it blank and make lists and/or doodles.
* Make it inspirational.  Add photos, quotes, images from magazines.

Have fun with it!!

***First, thank you for lending an “ear”. It was really hard to hit publish with yesterday’s post, but I think these kinds of things help you to grow. Especially from all the kind words of encouragement and support that you have given me so far. Please know that I am not expecting you to run over and buy my stuff, or am I expecting to make HUGE sales. Having you here is enough. I’m just trying to grow and needed your help getting out the word, that’s all. Any sale I do make, however, I am forever grateful. It allows me to keep doing what I am doing. I do thank you, for everything. I am quite the lucky girl to have found friends in blogland. It helps keep my chin lifted.

So, today I spent the day in my creative zone. You know when you are making something so intently that you lose all track of time, forget to eat even? That was today. I sat and painted all these ornaments. The kids ran in and out, I stopped to feed them and to break up the occasional wrestling match. Before you knew it, it was time to make dinner. Very productive and meditative day. I needed that.

This is my 4th year making these ornaments and it is one of my favorite holiday crafts.  I love hand painting each little house and bird. And the glitter, of course, I love to add that too. The birds have been finished and the houses need some work still. Some are for the shop, but most are for gifts.  Plus, I always giveaway an ornament or two every year. Maybe I will do that on Wednesday. We’ll see.

Don’t forget, I’m still giving away an art print.

A quick black & white shot after work today for Maya’s b&w challenge. Can you see how dry my hands are? Ick! Well, I guess they don’t look as bad in the picture as they do in real life.  They are cracked and dry and they hurt. I am hoping that the little bit of moisture in the Oregon air will help them to feel better.  The bead is from a friend at work.  She knows how much I love Day of the Dead stuff and got it for me. Such a nice and thoughtful little gift. I thought this picture would be timely since I didn’t get a chance to post on All Saints or All Souls day.

Here in the southwest desert of Arizona, we don’t really have a typical autumn.  The weather is cool, which means that it is finally in the 80s, but there are no scarves, jackets or changing leaves.  It’s the changing leaves and Autumn colors of the higher elevations that I love most.

On our trip up to Northern Az last weekend, we had meant to collect some leaves. We came home with only a few, which are pressed in my moleskine journal.  I had wanted to make some kind of Autumn decoration for the house,  so with some creative thinking, the boys and I decided to make our own leaves.

Now, you may have beautiful leaves that surround your home, but the great thing about these is that they don’t crumble, you need paint, and they involve making a mess.  The ingredients for a fun activity with the kids.

Here’s what you’ll need:
A brown paper bag
acrylic craft paints in assorted Autumn colors (yellow, orange, green, red, brown, copper, gold)
paint brushes, sponges, old toothbrush
blow dryer (optional)
scissors
twine

1. Take one brown paper grocery bag, tear it open into one flat piece. Tear into 3-4 large pieces and crumple into a ball to give it lots of texture. Flatten out.

2. Prep paints by diluting with a bit of water

3. Slop paint all over paper.

4. Allow to dry. Use a blow dryer to speed the process (optional).

5.  Lightly sponge on metallic gold and copper paint

6. Spritz some diluted brown paint with a toothbrush to create speckles.

7.  Admire your pretty paper.

8. When paper is completely dry, cut into leaf size squares and cut out leaves (this is where the kids lose interest).  If you are lucky to have sizzix machine with leaf shapes, that would be a really easy way to make leaves. I don’t have one so I cut them all by hand. It wasn’t as hard as it may seem. I stacked several squares together and cut several leaves at the same time while watching Glee (again).

9.  Glue stems onto twine and hang your pretty garland on a window or around a door.

Just messing around with these little wooden plaques I have.  I made them after making this one the other day. The bag reminder has been quite helpful, by the way.

I thought  these would be fun to hang by the door before you head out. You know– don’t forget your keys, wallet, bag and positive outlook. Sometimes we need reminders like that.

I hate it when I forget my fabric grocery bags!!  URGH!!!  I try so hard to remember. They are hanging right by the door!  But, it happens every once in a while.  I’ve been known to shove 10 lbs worth of groceries into my purse, just to avoid a plastic bag.

Well, it happened again, on Sunday. A trip to Trader Joe’s resulted in lots of yummy food and 3 stuffed paper bags. After we put the groceries away, I was folding up the paper bags and was noticing how thick the paper was. Then the creative wheels started turning and because I’ve been reading A LOT about art journaling, well…

I was able to get 2 small journals (4 x 5 inches) and one large journal (8 x 6 inches) from two brown paper bags.

Here is a quick bit about how I made them:

For two small journals cut 16 pieces measuring 5 x 8 inches. Eight sheets for each journal. For the large journal, cut the paper into five or six 8 x 12 inch pieces. I ironed each sheet with steam to get them flat and then folded each sheet in half. Then I hand stitched the binding using THIS TUTORIAL. For one of them, I hand stitched a straight stitch.

You can paint the pages with one or two thin layers of gesso to make the pages thicker and stronger and to give you a clean, white page.  Just make sure to use a dry brush or very little water with the paint to keep the paper from getting too soggy.  From there on out, the sky is the limit!  Paint, draw with pencil, charcoal, chalk, oil paintstiks, crayons, pens, markers, decoupage with paper, photos or fabric, use stamps. I use mat gel medium for all of my collage needs (or you can use modge podge)

Ideas for your journal:

*Color study, paint a different color on each page and then write feelings or draw pictures that each color evokes.
*Words.  Write a random word on each page then paint, draw something that is associated with that word.
*Copy old black & white photos of family members and paste them to your journal.  Paint colorful hats, dresses, vests on everyone.
*Use pictures from magazines and paste them in your journal.  Fancy them up with markers, pens, paints, colored pencils.
*Make a numbers or alphabet book with the kids.
*Themes:  Pick a theme , make a list then and fill your journal with each listed item.

• ~things that make you happy
• ~wishes, dreams and aspirations
• ~pet peeves
• ~goals
• ~favorite things
• ~travel journal
• ~favorite place(s)
• ~favorite people

The great thing about these journals is that they are a really inexpensive way to get creative with art. There is no pressure to make a masterpiece, just a really fun way to get ideas down on paper and experiment.

P.S.  I thought I’d see if anyone else had done this, and because this is an amazing and huge world full of a gazillion creative people, I found that my idea wasn’t all that origianl after all.  Ah well.  I can happily say however, that I learned more and was inspired by the following three really cool paper bag journal makers:

Yoli’s Sacred Journey: Brown bag art journal
Journal Junk: Paper Bag Journal (video)
Judy Wise: More Stuff

*********************Cheers!!*********************

A little pun for you.  Just feeling a little goofy, and tired this morning.  Maybe I’m feeling an adrenaline high from all of the positive feedback about my show.  The nervous queasiness is there making a slow and steadily increasing presence.

I was alerted by the MSL producer of my show that the Martha Stewart Show doesn’t air on CBS everywhere.  So please check her website on the left sidebar where is says, “Local Show Schedule” and enter your zip code.

Now an update on my sister’s surgery.  It all went really well.  She was very nervous, but a little IV sedative did the trick.  She only received local anesthesia and had her right eye covered while they worked on her left eye.  She could actually see light, movement and tools while they were working on her own eye!!!! Isn’t that totally crazy and creepy at the same time?

Hopefully her body will accept the new cornea and not try to reject it. Keep your fingers crossed for her. All of your good thoughts, prayers and kindness has helped so much already.

I sent her a little care package to help aid in her recovery.  An eye mask, an aromatherapy eye pillow with lavender and three eye patches.  She asked me for the eye patches because she will need to keep her eye covered for several days. Maybe she can coordinate them to match her outfits when she goes back to work.

Tomorrow is the last day of school, so we have been making little end-of-the-year gifts for Super-E’s friends.  Just simple little bookmarks make from cereal boxes that I found at plumpudding, via crafty crow.  We might add something else if we have the time.

Can you guess where I am in these pictures?

I’m not sure how to write this because it seems so incredibly unbelievable, but I’ve been dying to share this since last November! Remember when I went to NYC?  Well I was there to be on the Martha Stewart Show! It was a crazy whirlwind of a trip. There I am  in the MSL CRAFT ROOM(!!!!) prepping for the show. I will be making these tshirts.

I still can’t believe it.  Seems like a strange and completely surreal dream and makes me super crazy nervous to think about.

You can see me on Thursday, May 21st on CBS.  Please check your local listings for times.

To celebrate, another giveaway this week…so please, stay tuned.

I’m a planner, list maker and box checker-offer. I have to write things down, especially plans/dates far into the future, or I’ll forget. Like, the family reunion in May. If I didn’t have that written down, I’d have to ask the husband when it is a gazillion times. That gets annoying. And with the kid’s stuff and my work, I have to have a plan, or have a yearly prospectus if you will.

I bought a really cute little planner last year from etsy, but it didn’t quite fit my needs. As I was searching for a new one, I realized that none of them really fit my needs. So I made my own (as us crazy crafters will often do). I spent hours on it. Many, many frustrating hours. Because I used Word, it was a formatting nightmare. But, finally… somehow… all the pages printed in the right order. 140 pages, front and back. Amazing. My poor, poor printer would have nothing to do with me after that.

I also had grandiose dreams of selling them on etsy, but after talking to my local printer, it didn’t seem worth it cost wise.

After all my time, sweat and tears, it is my precious little masterpiece. I am so paranoid of getting it dirty, I had to make a matching protective drawstring bag for it. Oh, and that little copper bookmark was made by a local artisan.  Perfect for opening my planner on exactly the right page.

Inside, it has monthly and weekly pages for each month, and has lots of prompts for list making. For example: Places to eat, books to read, music to listen to, movies to see, I dream of…, This year I will…, I’d like to visit…, etc. It will be fun to fill out through the year. I also put lots of blank pages throughout for sketching out ideas & such. I can’t wait to mark it all up.