a girl and her journal

{ make a change without a reason }

For some reason, I woke up the other day with a page idea in my head; beige and red, with some columnar paper I found when cleaning. I knew my current journal wouldn't be able to handle the size I had in my head, so I grabbed a 9 x 12 watercolor book I'd picked up on a whim last summer at Michael's since it was 50% off...how could I pass that up?!

Anyway, I took a trip to Hobby Lobby to grab some spray paint and a wall decor stencil. My spray paint had been depleted from last summer's spray paint adventures (not to mention being thrown unceremoniously in my trunk) and the stencils...well, I don't take the best care of my stencils or stamps, so they get caked with paint and such...and warp...but yeah! I wanted something new! The stencils I had from last summer can't work now -- I was a different person, then, as we all are after any passage of time.

I forgot the fun of spray paint, not to mention the immediacy...you can cover an entire page in a minute! And it covers awesomely, and there's just something about the way it LOOKS on the page....I love it so much! It's certainly different than stenciling with paint or whatever. I meant to do it earlier today, but I ended up getting my hair cut, then seeing WALL-E (AMAZING CUTE!), so I didn't get out there until the sun went down. But I set up my little station and started playing...now I'm just working on embellishing while watching 'Animal Cops' with the puppies.

So yeah! Now I'm working in a BIG journal. I've never worked in this size before, so I'm excited to see what happens. Sometimes, you just have to change things up to see what happens!

Do YOU have any questions about spraying or what you see? Ask! I want to start giving little tips, but I need to know what you're curious about.

{ more workshop! & teaching in person? }

Sign ups are now open for the second session of the Artistic Alchemy class!

This one starts August 11th. So if you missed out of the first one, here's your chance!

I'd really love to teach an in-person class....I have one already put together. I daydream about the supply packet and the fun and the laughter and all that...I want nothing more than to get together with a group of fun artsy people and create!

Does anyone have any advice on how to get something like this together? What kind of place I should go to? Anyone have someplace where I could possibly teach?

{ wheeee! paintings and purses and pages galore! }

Watch out! I got a new digital camera, so this post is image-heavy!

I was on live cam for 5 1/2 hours yesterday!! Phew! It was tons of fun -- first, the party hosted by Suzi, then working on projects and such while jammin' to some tunes. It kept me working because I knew people were watching! HAHA. If only I had that accountability all the time! *laughs* I'm still sick, though...coughing and all that. It's moved into my throat; I haven't had a sore throat and swollen glands like this since I was a kid....

First, the finished products of what I worked on yesterday.

"Even Faeries Have Cell Phones"
Mixed-Media on foam board

Yes, foam board. Because it was the only thing big enough in my room for this drawing. I am SO HAPPY with how this turned out...I have a whole bunch of ideas (and as I'm home sick, I shall sketch some more modern faeries!). I love when I make something I love. She's willing to go to a loving home, though, and would love to answer your text messages for you...won't you let her come to stay?

Here's the tote! Cute, ne?! The embroidery around the wings took FOREVER...sorry if you were watching during that!

And I FINALLY took pictures of my pages in Dawn's 1000 Artists' Journal Pages. I was so giddy to see these in there...I sent the journals off eons ago! And she listed Page by Page in the resources section. How cool is that?!

Journal Pages!!!! WHEEE! The journal I'm using was originally bought for 2008...and then I stopped using it. A few weeks ago, I found it, and I'm really in love with it. It has a fake suade cover, has nice paper, and is the perfect size for me (7x9). When you hold it in your hands, it FEELS like a journal. So lovely. I'm in love. Love love love!! <3 <3 <3 <3 So here are some pages for you to enjoy. See ya soon!!!!

(I really had a backpack like that!!!)

{ happy tea party! }

I don't have a camera, so here's a live feed as I paint and play! And drink tea since I'm sick!

EDIT: okay, the cold's knocked me out and I ran out of medicine, so I'm off for the day. come back soon!

Join in the fun tea party hosted by Vanessa!

{ jazz up written entries & kira grab "box" #1 }

Last week, the topic of written journal entries vs. art journal entries came up on the workshop discussion list. While some people maintain two separate journals -- one for the "art" and one for the "words," others, including myself, put the two together.

The discussion got me thinking -- how can you make a simple handwritten entry "fit" with the rest of the journal? And then I realized I already KNEW how to do this....I've been doing it since the beginning. Here's how I jazz up handwritten entries, like the one at the left.

1. Do a simple watercolor wash on a few pages in your journal; I use watercolor crayons and like to play around with color combinations. It's freeing and allows for discovery!

2. When the need for a simple, handwritten entry presents itself, write atop the watercolor pages. Instant color!

3. Go through and add embellishment. Underline important passages. Draw tiny pictures to illustrate some of the words.

4. Color in words and letters! I love doing this!

See!? Easy as pie. Now, you've got your written entry in your journal and it's a bit more colorful. Color adds SO MUCH meaning to your entries....if you're in the workshop, you know that already!

Kira Grab "Box" #1

We're in the process of getting ready for a garage sale around here in the Casa de Kira, which has me cleaning out old purses and such...as well as art supplies! I felt you all would benefit more from my discarded treasures more than random strangers showing up at my house....plus, who doesn't like a package of fun art stuff!?!

Every day this week, I'll be putting up a box of goodies for purchase. Since I don't have a camera, I shall list some of the goodies in this, the first, box. It's one of those 8.5x11x5 flat rate boxes from the post office.

+ Cavallini postage stamp set (in the tin and everything!)
+ R+H mini-binder in lavender (I use one of these as a planner...they're great!!!)
+ tons of fabric!
+ found papers
+ a HANDMADE JOURNAL by yours truly. ;)
+ buttons, trim, and lace
+ a nice zip-up storage case for on-the-go
+ ink pad
+ felt
+ vintage air mail set
+ randoms pens & makers
+ pretty blue coin envelopes.

Everything's in awesome condition...it just needs a new home!

The box is $25 + $15 shipping. The first to comment gets it; it'll be sent out the same day you pay! All packed up and ready to go!

Keep your eyes peeled for tomorrow's box of goodies! Some other stuff ready to go: a making memories alphabet type set (with TONS of letters!), some paintings of mine, more fabric, marker sets, and TONS of found papers!

{ eye candy! }

Phew! I've been cleaning ALL DAY; my room/art space had gotten to the point where I could no longer find anything, and I hadn't done art in weeks because it was too much of a battle to get to my desk, and when I got there, there wasn't any room because of the clutter! My shelves are now all clean, everything in drawers -- making labels is next on the list. But I decided to take a little break since I found some journal pages I haven't posted yet...I think...in some of the journals I discovered under all the mess (read: mostly laundry).

These were from around the time my mom was in the hospital last Christmas, which is why I can't remember if they were posted or not....my brain's all muddled from last year's hospital visits (for two immediate family members), drama, and a car accident. Anyway, I'm sure the pages reflect all that 'cause, well, it was all on my mind!

This one was abandoned. Not because it's no good -- I did the whole thing, including the watercolors, in a doctor's waiting room -- but because I was focusing on being there and sleeping when I wasn't. I bought a new journal with Christmas money, looking for a fresh start, and never looked back.

This was made more recently, the image one I'd had in my head for weeks...I think it turned out all right!

And here are two pages from my CURRENT journal that are just waiting to be filled. More doodling, coloring, writing, all that fun stuff. But I just wanted to show you some pages in-progress to get an idea of my process. ;) (view them on flickr for notes on the process)

Well! I'm back to cleaning! I found a painting I started a month ago that wants some love, too! *laughs* I'm sooo still in my PJ's and haven't taken a step outside. Time to re-charge and re-fill and get things in order so I can make it all a mess again while working. ;)

one year!

{ blue & yellow flowers, searching for perfectionism, pieces vs. pages }

A new journal! I got in the mood to make a journal, so I sat down and made one...and remembered why I stopped making them myself -- they're hard and take a lot of work!

I've never done a half-bound one, though (and LOVE the look!), so it was kinda interesting to figure out how to do it. I saw this paper at Paper Source last week and knew it would make a cute journal cover. *G*

But as I gaze at it sitting on the couch arm next to me, all I can see are the imperfections. The loose signatures, the missed steps, the off measurements. How I still can't seem to cut down text blocks evenly. It's loose and maybe I've used store-bought ones too long to appreciate the imperfections present in my hand-made one? Why can't I seem to get past this? Can't I just use it and be happy?

*sigh*

I'll have to work through this. I always have other journals to work in. I just can't seem to be satisfied....

Something else I've been thinking about lately is Pieces Vs. Pages. Most of my artwork is in my journals. How can this be shown? Does it have the same value? How do I show this work off in coffee shops, etc? I can't just pull it out and hang it -- my pages are double sided. Do I HAVE a body of work or just books in a bookcase?

And then, there ARE some paintings, but every attempt I've made to sell them hasn't worked out. It makes me want to stay inside the journal where it's safe, where there are no expectations, where I can hide. Pretend to be an artist. Am I? What does that even mean?

workshop interest?

Are there still people interested in the workshop? If there's a good amount of people, I may be able to run another "session" starting mid-July. Let me know via comments or email.

Artful post tomorrow. Our basement flooded last night and I just got my car back, so not much time to art/photo/scan anything!

can i get a do-over?

Oh, what a day!

It all started yesterday, when my younger brother borrowed my car and it wouldn't start -- he had it towed, and I called today to see what was wrong. Apparently, the alternator's dead, as well as the battery. I asked them to charge the battery and I'd pay later to get the alternator fixed -- what do I need it for? Don't you just use the battery when you start the car?

Yes, I was that naive.

I also got my A/C fixed after two years without it, so, when I picked up the car, I decided to take a trip down to Paper Source for some journal-making supplies (I'm planning on opening up my etsy shop again with a whole bunch of journals) and other fun inspiration.

Well, on the way home, my car started going funny, my radio popped and went out, the RPMs stopped registering, and I managed to get a window open before ALL the electronics went out! I got a few more miles down the road before the engine gave out. I called AAA and waited -- in 85 degree weather! -- for the tow. And then I find out you get charged after 5 miles! So that little trip to Paper Source ended up costing me the papers PLUS $84!

I'm now lounging inside in a long t-shirt, basket of art supplies next to me. I've a headache from the heat (waiting for the tow) and all the money I'm spending to get my car fixed. And not being able to go to my favorite out-of-the-house spot tonight! *sigh*

Here's a poem I wrote on the side of the road while waiting. I'm going to do art and wait for a new day, because this one was tiring!

we all wish
we had a mirror
to show us what is
coming up from behind
and into being in
the present

a warning of what
is to come

yet if we did
get this
magic mirror
our lives would be spent
in worry
gazing into its depths
agonizing over what
is around the bend
behind
inside of the beauty and joy
surrounding us