But I still have a problem.  I love color.  And I love it all.  I am addicted using lots of colors in my art journal in a variety of forms.  Sprays, acrylics, watercolors, glazes, crayons, etc, after I make a layout my desk area is covered with all the different things I grabbed to make that particular picture.  

And since I have two distinct ways of creating, I use different supplies for each style. 

For the past several years I have been picking a word for the year.  2016 was Pursue and 2017 was Outcome.  In journaling and exploring the meaning of both of those words I discovered a priority to connect with more people.  Not just people from my circle of friends, but people I have never met.  I journaled things like "pursue community," and "all outcomes equal reaching people's hearts."  

My creative process tends to be singular.  I don't dream and design very well with other people in the room.  I can't write when there might be interruptions.  And I can't work on a project for the same reason.  My creating obsession tends to lead to isolation.  

Contrasting with the desire to create is the desire to interact with more people in a positive way.  If I want to be any help at all in the world, if I want to lessen the stress, pain, fear, or loneliness of living and bring a little laughter and joy to a person’s day, I think I should start in my back yard.  And I think I should start with sharing what is easy for me.  

Art Play comes easy.  

I've admitted before how I'd rather buy art supplies than clothing.  Or anything else.  Which has left me with enough art supplies to share.  I don't have lots of one kind of thing, but I do have lots of things.  I adore colorful paint.  I adore different textures of paint.  I adore paint that does different things.  All that adoration equals a lot of different kinds of paint.  I have found my favorites - those I use occasionally, and those I have used only once or twice.  And I love printed scrapbook papers. I have enough scrapbook paper to make scap books for entire schools of children.  And washi tape.  And glue.  And...

My friend Dawn and I have a group on Thursday nights at 7pm in her home where we invite people to come on over, bring their art journal or bring nothing, and we chat and do art.  It is so fun.  Dawn is a high school teacher and I've gotten to meet some of her students and former students.  They are talented, smart, interesting, young.  It's been so cool.  (is cool a dated word?) I'd like to meet even more people.  

Our schedules change, so it isn't every Thursday night.  There is a face book group for this and I sometimes plan ahead and let people know.   (You should be proud of me.  Planning ahead is not a strong suit of mine.) Anyone is welcome.  

The Facebook Group is HERE.

I am always trying new things.  Learning new things.  I feel like I've developed a certain style, but I am constantly stretching to and incorporating bits and pieces of other peoples style.  I like messy.  I like layers.  And other than that - anything goes, from muted vintage to over the top color, I love it all.  

There have been a couple requests for classes and that has kinda been a goal for me.  Both the online and in person kind.  Both the free and the paid for kind.  

I don't know if I can do it.  I am not sure I will be a good teacher. 

Doing it anyway.  

Doing it anyway.  

I've created a MeetUp also, trying to connect with people.  (It's an app for your phone that I didn't know about until one of the nice girls on Thursday night suggested it.)   And with help from some great (and talented friends) there will be two free classes January 19th and February 2nd.  You can check them out HERE.  

It seems like forever since I was able to spend time playing with paper.  Okay, I just made a really cool guest book for a friends party (go see it HERE!)  But my dream job would be doing things like that every day!  Since I don't have time yet to make a new post, I thought I'd share this one:




I found this shabby, weathered, photo-shopped photo on pinterst.  It was just so interesting.  I wondered if I could create a scrapbook layout with it. ('Scuse my little cell phone photos.)



Because I place my scrapbook layouts in albums, I usually don't layer them up too much with heavy elements.  Don't get me wrong, I love lots of embellishments, objects, and eye catching clutter, but they tend to bulk up albums too much so I buy them and don't use them.  You might recognize the Jenni Bowlin butterflies, which I had for years got on sale, and a Tim Holtz compass, which is relatively new.

It's a gratitude giveaway!  

One of the ways to practice gratitude is to give to others.  

I've said something about this before, but I have a critical side to my nature.  - I know.  On the blog I'm all sunshine, sparkles, and a spoon full of sugar, but my real life nature has a tendency to be and to see things with a critical eye.

I've had some people in my life, very dear sweet people...okay, my grandma.  She could be just a wee bit critical.  I would walk in the door to her home and she would say -

 "Oh honey, did you brush your hair today?  If  you would just do it this way..."

"Oh honey, those pants are awful.  Don't you own anything that fits?"

"Oh honey, you look like you've gained weight.  Here, have a piece of pie."

                                                                   That last one is my favorite.



She loved the expression on the angels face and they way her hands are just "Pick, pick picking..."

And though I loved my Grandma, and I love this very special memory of her, she gave me that angel to remind me that her picking wasn't meant to hurt me.

Sometimes it did hurt me.

Now I hear those things coming out of my own mouth.  Or worse.  I pick, pick, pick about homework, house work, money, all the pressures that can be overwhelming, all my worries spill out of my own mouth in a negative and spill out onto the family that I love most.  And if they don't spill out, they are in my head crowding out all my joy and happiness.

It takes 21 days to make a habit. I know I said that before, but hey, I'm working the repetition so I can build a good habit!  This week I am going to give some of my gratitude away.  I am going speak positively to the people in my life everyday. I'm going to pass out hugs, smiles, a few sloppy kisses, and  say, "You look great, have a Reses Peanut-butter Cup!"


And there is something more, something for you.  Each week Nancy of  Domesticraft and I are giving away  a special something!  This week the give away is on her blog here. You have to pop over to see her to get more info for a sneek peek!  (Next week is me) It's going to be very good.  Comment here.  Comment there. Comment on our Instagram feeds.  Comment on Facebook and don't forget the tag #theheartofgratitude.  (If you forgot the linkies they are all in this post HERE)

Gratitude is not one of those things you keep to yourself.  You have to spread it around so that it gets everywhere.  (hey, Kinda like a Glitter Bomb!) Who are you going to spread the gratitude on today?

The girl's overcoat/dress is yellow tissue paper I cut to fit.

Her face shape just formed itself by accident.  I attempted eyes but this seemed to blur the lovely profile.  I didn't want to ruin it so I used a charcoal pencil to emphasize the edges of the "hair," and Distress Paint to make her face stand out.

The umbrella is Tattered Angles Mist and Glimmer Glam.

The idea of dancing in the rain, holding the umbrella, but not evening using it- it expresses such freedom to me.


Thanks for visiting.

What books have inspired you?  Have you done any art journaling related to them?  What creative thing have you done this week? -  Let me know in the comments so I can stop by your place and see!  Thanks for visiting.  

I started an art journal. 

 Sometimes it's hard to start new things because I know the end result won't be perfect. 

Maybe you are wondering why a Party Time Tuesday Design Team Member would share a something that didn't turn out how she wanted?

While I am growing more confident in my art - I still spend the majority of my time trying new things because that is one of the adventurous fun parts for me.  Not every adventure turns out perfectly.

So while this was a project FAIL, it was a journal success.  I learned lot's of new things, and I am ready to try her again.

If you get a chance this week, take some time to browse through the Party Time Tuesdays blog.  There is lots of inspiration, and as we are heading into the holiday season, you might find something creative there you'd like to try your hand at.

As for her story-  One of these days I will record me reading it and you can tell me what you think.  Do you have any favorite stories you like to tell?  Ones for long nights, or long car rides?  Let me know what you like in the Comments!

I like to make these little books just to give away - this one has found a home, but I have this idea of making one and wrapping it so pretty and just leaving it in some random city place to bless someone.






 










I'm still a little insecure about how my homemade gifts are received.  I attempted some gifts as a child that didn't go over well, and the memory still lingers.

But I love unexpected, undeserved, unearned gifts -  I love giving them and I love getting them.  A book like this takes me a couple of days, maybe six hours total to pull all together, fussy cut, arrange, add inks and spray inks, and I feel like, whatever the outcome, I am adding a bit of myself, my personal heart into the mix.  So I want the receiver to like it.  I want them to smile.

It's a little bit of a risk, giving a bit of your heart when you don't know how it will be received. Being a Christian, there is a message in this about Jesus- but I don't want to get preachy in this space.  If  you're curious about the gift Jesus gives that is undeserved or unearned or need prayer, or anything - feel free to ask me at Dapoppins@gmail.com I love to chat about the greatest gift I've ever been given.

Have you made something and just left it as a gift for someone to find?

Have you  been insecure about a gift you created?  How was it received?

I'd love to hear your story.

My daughter is ten years old.




Sometimes I ask her for drawings.  Here I asked for a dragon reading a book, and I got dragon's reading cookbooks  and getting ready for dinner.  I should place a coin next to these.  Her ability to draw tiny details blows my mind.  I usually have to get my reading glasses so I can see everything she did.

Needless to say, the girl inspires me.  I asked her if she could draw me some larger animals, so finally, after much coaxing and bribery, she did.  My little angel is going to be wise business woman -already knows the value of her work.



I printed out her drawings and used gel medium to adhere them to thin cardboard, (packaging form
scrapbook embellishments works great.)  The little birds are pre-cut chipboard left over from another project.

I then take the cut out images and use more gel medium to add them to my prepared canvas.


This is not a process I can do in one day or that I really plan out.  I had some idea where I was going, and how I wanted it to look in the end, but to be honest, I'm never sure, or very confident, about where I am going to end up.



I knew there were going to be animals and about the size I wanted.  I use a computer the resize her drawings and usually end up printing multiple images.  To prepare the canvas board, I started with the landscape.  This mix of patterned papers are from Studio Calico and Crate Paper. There are a few other papers in there mixed in from my scrap bag, the tambourine is actually from a 6X6 Basic Gray paper pad.  I just use whatever I think fits.  The clouds are sheet music, I left the sketchy lines because I thought it complimented the child's drawing feeling of the piece.  The sky started out sunset orange, with some Tim Holtz tissue paper, but I changed it to blue with some craft paint, gesso, and an old expired credit card.

I'm still really experimenting with mediums. The outlining is done with a charcoal pencil.  I bought a lot of of the Distress Paints on sale, and have some mixed brand 99 cent craft paint, nothing special, and these are what I am using right now.  I have a supplies wish list a mile long.


Have you ever been inspired by your kids or by a child?  What is something they do that promotes your own sense of creativity?

Thanks for joining me today, and if you have a love of paper crafting check out Party Time Tuesdays for their Tuesday challenges.  It's a great opportunity to share your work and win prizes.