Round Robin with Carmen!

We are on the last pass of the journals this week (August 23). One more is on its way to be decorated by me and then I am so excited that my journal will be returning! I am so anxious to see all of the juicy creativeness that everyone has added to it. Thanks so much to Carmen for arranging this round robin and letting me be a part of it. So here are my pics for the last two journals I have been working on. Two very different pages. They were both fun to do. The last picture is of a piece I created following directions in "Digital Expressions" by Susan Tuttle. It is a great workshop book for Photoshop Elements. The date is really August 23, today. I guess since I started adding pics on the 13th and saved, that is why the date is messed up on top.

Wishcasting Wednesday

It is wishcasting Wednesday over at Jamie Ridler's Studio. Today' prompt is "What do you wish to focus on?" I wish to focus on making our home a calm, tranquil place. Right now I am having trouble getting into a groove (not a rut, just a smooth routine would be nice). Everything seems hectic and just barley getting done. I am not managing my time well, at all. I am going to try starting each day with an intention that will help me on my way to achieving this wish. Happy Wednesday to everyone.

Round Robin ART SAVES Journal

Even though I haven't been posting, I have been working in the beautiful journals coming my way. I am always so excited to see what creations are in the journal that has arrived in my mailbox or on my doorstep. I am posting pictures of all the pages I have done since the last post. With my daughter's wedding over (it was wonderful) and being back from our trip to Alaska (my 50th state to visit!!) I expect things to be a little slower around here. A few months ago I did a dreamboard that included wishes for the wedding and an Alaskan map. I am pleased to announce that those dreams came true just as anticipated. And now...some more journal pages:

Round Robin Journal

I mailed off another journal. It is so fun seeing what has been done in the journals as they arrive! In this journal, I used Tilez font for the scrabble board to state the theme "Art Saves". Inside the envelope is the quote by Robert

Fulghum who wrote "All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten". It is a great book. I can't wait to see the next journal arrive in the mail.

Round Robin Journal

I finished up the page in Serena's journal and sent it on its way to the next artist. It was fun putting the page all together. On the paper in the lower left corner, I have the words "art is a key to the window of the soul" repeated. Be sure to check out the other participant's websites. They are listed in an earlier post. Thanks for stopping by.

Round Robin -Art Saves Journal

I finally finished up the cover. I used some distress ink over it all to tone down the colors a little and embossed some swirls on it. Then added the fringe, just because! I also attached a multicolored fiber bookmark. I lined it with some fabric that I had that I really like. My second page echoes the "Art Saves" theme. The photos have not turned out the best. My lighting needs improvement, I think. I have gathered up many goodies to construct pages with as the journals come my way. I am so excited to send my journal out on its first journey.

Round Robin Journal Project

I am participating in a round robin journal project organized by the wonderful, creative mermaid, Carmen. Here is the start of my journal that will travel to eight other participants and be blessed with wonderful, marvelous artistic creations by each of them. I am new to the art journaling world so hopefully my efforts will improve as I get to work a page in each journal that will come my way. We are being encouraged to use just what we have on hand for the pages we create. The theme is "Art Saves". The one picture is the cover for my journal. I am still working on it, but this is a picture of stage 1. I used the paper-cloth technique by Kelli Perkins in her book Stitch Alchemy. I want to add some embossing and some other stuff to it before I declare it finished. The other picture is one of my pages I have created for my own journal. We are given two weeks to complete our creations so I have another week to work on another page before the journal flies away to someone else.

Hop over to the other participants' pages and check out what is happening in their creative worlds.

Gemma

Shari

Karen

Lila

Doreen

Scarlet

Serena

Carmen

My Sacred Space

I am taking an online workshop led by Kathryn Antyr at TrueNorthArts.com. It is a personal retreat workshop and since I don't want to take away from what she is doing, I won't put in too many details. But I would suggest if you are interested in creating sacred space for yourself you consider checking into what Kathryn offers. Here are some pics from the journal I am working on as I go through the workshop. My favorite place is by the sea and if I can't be there (since I live in MO) I try to find time often to spend in nature by water. Being in nature (hopefully looking out at water) is my sanctuary. Creating this little mobile "altar" to nature gives me a place to pause. The hands reaching and touching inside the heart is how I feel when I am outside in a quiet place filled with all sorts of plants and animals. I feel especially close to God then and I feel like we are connecting in a very spiritual way that doesn't happen inside. The image of the hands is by Meganne Forbes. As I read about sacred spaces and "altars", I realized I had many examples around my house in how I chose to decorate and show off keepsakes from or about special family and friends and travels. I have included a couple of pics that seem to fit my idea of "altars". One is a shelf with some artwork my daughter made when she was little and a pic from her starring as Alice in Alice and Wonderland. The other picture is of a shelf with my sons little rubber boots and other things with his pic and below his shelf is a shelf with a fan and glassware that belonged to my Grandma. Even the cabinet these shelves are in honor my grandparents. The cabinet is made from the front doors of their farmhouse that I spent lots of time in with them. They chose to sell the farm because of health issues. Eventually, a church bought it and was tearing it down. I was able to buy some of the doors and an eight pane window. Michael Moore in Hannibal, MO was making cabinets out of old salvaged materials, and I had this made from the doors so I will always have part of the house where so many special memories were made with me. All over I have curio cabinets or vignettes that have special objects that help me remember special people and times. I am learning to pause and appreciate their presence more. I know the people are the important part and not the objects, but since the people can't always be here, it is nice to have something that represents them. I am running a little behind with the workshop. Life got a little hectic for a while. But since it will be open until in March I am good and choose not to feel pressured.