September BBArtisans Treasury - Traveling Lite

Here's my BBArtisans team treasury for the month, called "Traveling Lite."  Just came back from an annual conference, that was three days long.  And I'll be leaving for New York with my mom in mid-October, to visit family.  Can't wait!  

In the meantime, here's some things that I'd like to carry along with me.  Looks like Cynthia's bracelet (on the lower left) sold!  Hope I helped!

AlphabeThursday – S is for Short Term Goals

I spoke last week, in my R is for Remember, that I needed to continue with my Short Term Goals.  The last post I did was in April.  Yes, quite a while ago.  I find that picking a few tasks for the coming month challenges me as well as reminds me of things to do.  So here are three goals for the month of October:

LeAnn's Halloween banner.  So cute!  

1.  Complete the BBArtisans Challenge

For the BBArtisans’ October challenge, LeAnn is bringing us “Prelude to the Holidays.”  Here’s part of her description:

“This month, I challenge you to create a holiday-themed item. It could be a new listing for your Etsy shop, a holiday decoration for your home, a costume or special accessory for a holiday gathering, or a gift you intend to give to a friend or loved one.”

Maybe I’ll make a holiday decoration; don’t think I’ve done that in a long time!

2.  Make at least three new items for my Etsy shop.

I have been so busy with my 21 Secrets Workshop, experimenting and making things for myself, that I haven’t made anything new for my Etsy shop.  People must be getting tired of seeing the same old stuff!  So I might try some more of these little kits, which sold so quickly.  Or maybe something new, like a holiday treat!

3. Get my house in order

October is going to be a busy month.  I’m flying to see family on the east coast - I might have to find someone to feed Buster, rather than leaving him at Hotel Vet.  And I should be living alone by the end of the month.  I might have to buy a television and perhaps pay a friend to help me clean the yard and move furniture, if Danny is not around.  With any luck, the weather will still be nice enough to work outside.   That’s a lot to demand – hopefully some things will get done.

September BBArtisans Challenge – Back to Childhood

Kathy's zentangle fish

When I read the BBArtisans September Challenge, Back to Childhood, and saw Kathy’s zentangle, it reminded me of my coloring days.  As a girl, I wasn’t into sewing, or knitting, or crocheting.  But give me a coloring book or a puzzle, and I was happy!    

A few years ago I bought this wonderful coloring book from a woman in Israel; here’s her shop.  The mandalas were so beautiful, I didn’t what to disturb them.  But this mouth, I decided to play, trying different materials on the paper.  Here are some of my finished pieces.  

With my first mandala I used watercolor pencils (here’s the pencil coloring above).  If you’re not familiar with this, you used the pencils regularly, then take a brush and add water to them. I went out and bought some tiny brushes, because the drawings were so intricate (and I like to stay within the lines!)

Now the mandala has been painted with water.  The paper needs a little more smoothing out, since the designs weren’t printed on watercolor paper.  But I really like how it came out.

With the second mandala I used my new Distress Markers.  They are similar to Coptic markers, with two heads.  One end is labeled “brush” and the other is “fine,” like a pen.  I have a set of 12 called Seasonal Colors, and bought them on Joggles.  You can also buy the markers one by one.

On the third mandala, I was going to use my little box of watercolors, but decided to try  more of the Distress Markers.  I also gave the paper a light dusting of blue with ink from my Ranger stamp pad, which is archival. 

This is a fun and relaxing way to enjoy art.  Since I didn’t have to worry about the design, all I was left to do was choose colors.  The more complicated a design is, the better your final product turns out, if you’re careful.  Everyone should try this.  Go out and get a coloring book, if you don’t have one in the house already!  Thanks, Athena, for creating the chalenge and the BBArtisansteam for bringing me something to relax with!  

AlphabeThursday - R is for Remember

It seems like I’m hearing lots of people forgetting simple things lately.  “I walked into the next room, and forgot why I went in there,” a friend said to me recently.  Or my BBArtisans team members tell me they take photos and write up their descriptions for a new item, but forget to upload the information into their Etsy shop.

So, I have a solution:  Make a list.  I actually love list making, and I know lots of other art journalers who do too.  A group of art journalers I know used to create “listed” artwork and share them on List It Tuesday, over at Aimee’s blog, Artsyville.

Sunday's view of my hott notes

I use hott notes.  It’s a great place to put your lists (and more) on your desktop.  It’s so handy to be able to see your lists, especially if you’re at the computer a lot like me.  I continuously change or add to them, keeping them up to date.  Hott notes is free and you can find it online.  Another digital to-do list is called Remember the Milk.  I used it a few years ago and it’s great if you don’t mind going online to see your list.  Now there’s even a iphone app available.  You can prioritize things, if your list is long!  It’s also free.

Writing down short and long term goals are sorta like having lists.  I looked back at my long term goals from the beginning of the year and completely blew it!  Oh well, lots of unexpected things happened.  I used to be better with my monthly goals, but I stopped writing those down in February.  So I plan to start that up again.  Stay turn!

See what other bloggers are thinking about.  Hop on over to AlphabeThursday!

Glue (and tape) it Tuesday – paper flowers

I was at Hobby Lobby this past weekend, buying some small paintbrushes I needed when I saw other things on sale.  You see, I’ve been planning to make some layered paper flowers so I thought I’d look around for supplies.  I found the brads, but no paper flowers.  So I put the brads back. After walking around the store some more, I found some small packages of cut flowers of various colors and sizes.  Just what I was looking for.  When I reached the check-out aisle, I realized that I had forgotten the brads.  Darn!  

“Silly me.  I returned the brads to the shelf at Hobby Lobby 

and have the flowers by themselves.”

I really need a shopping list when I go into any store (stay tune for this week’s AlphabeThursday post).

Monday I went to court and now my divorce is final. All but the paperwork, which needs one more signature – my X's!  When I met with my attorney last week, he said everything was moving along so quickly. Not like his usual cases.  He was just about to ask me if I wanted my maiden name back when he looked down at the Order Exhibit in his hands; 

“Oh, you already have your name,” he said. “Yep” I replied.

No glue over at Aimee's Artsyville blog but there is a lot of tape! 

21 Secrets - Words as your muse

I've been looking at another 21 Secrets workshop.  It's called "Words As Your Muse" and is being brought to us by Marah Johnson.  I know I'd have to gather words and phrases for this, so I started a month or so ago doing that.

Marah tells us for Lesson One:

"I challenge you to find a sentence... or a portion of, change the context and... create a statement of affirmation for yourself."

The phrase that I chose was "Open the door and step in!"

I'm not sure if I'm following the instructions exactly, but what I've been thinking about is creating a new and exciting home, where I'll be comfortable by myself.  And I'll be able to invite people to visit.  I forget what the original source of this phrase is from - probably Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

My art journaling page consists of a clipped magazine phrase, floral print paper, two kinds of stamps (postal and ink!) and mod podge.  I added some color with Distress Markers, Micron pens, and a lttle bit of watercolor crayons.  Bright and cheery, don't you think?

AlphabeThursday - P is for Photographs

What can be better for capturing memories than a photograph!  Sometimes I feel silly carrying around a camera with me, in my neighborhood.  But when I go on vacation, I always make sure I have a camera.  Here are some of my favorite photos from vacations in the not too distant past.

These first two photos are from Bolzano and Northern Italy, near the Alps.

Hard to miss Venice.  This was definitely on my bucket list! 

We flew in and out of Rome.  This is my favorite Coliseum photo.

A few years before we went to Italy, the family went on a trip to Ireland, in celebration of my nephew graduating from college. Here he is; I think we were in Dublin:

We stayed together in a house in southwestern Ireland and took day trips out to visit historic sites.  And took in some of the beautiful scenery.

Most of those little white dots are sheep.  They are just everywhere!

We went and visited a historic island.  Here are some wild donkeys.  So cute!

I forget now, how I managed to get a wide-angle image here.  Probably a camera setting.  That's most of the family, and we're looking back on the "mainland"... though Ireland is actually an island too!

See what other AlphabeThursday bloggers chose for their letter P