30 Day Creativity Challenge: Day 6

Last week I was in the painting mood, but didn't have any new canvases. I did however have some old canvases of horrific paintings I'd done over the years.  The kind that you do when you're going through something and you just paint to "get it out".  I decided to paint over one of them.  As you'll see, I'm no artist.  I simply paint because it makes my heart sing.  I feel content, joyful and free

Stormy Window

In the background you can see some of the orange paint from the original painting, which I like.  I love textures, patterns, mixing things up

Apparently I also paint with my tongue hanging out of my mouth!  My husband poked his nose into the room and said "whats with the tongue?"  At first I was mortified, but then I thought..."well that's just more proof that you're doing something that you love".  Have you ever watched kids when they're REALLY into something?!  

And one final note.  I'm pained to announce (and it was painful to realize) that I can't produce something creative everyday.  It sucks, it really, really does, but that's my reality right now.  I don't like it, I really hate it, but life is just not cooperating with me.  So....my altered guideline for myself for this challenge is that I WILL do 30 days of creativity, they just won't be consecutive

30 Day Creativity Challenge: Day 5

Happy Friday everyone!  

Tonight I decided to play around and experiment with making handmade tags using stamps and decorative tape.  The stamps, ink, tags and string/raffia were all purchased at thrift stores.  You can find Pretty Tape here 

I think this tag looks great, but would look better if I extended the tape all the way to the ends

Tag #2 feels like it needs a bit more of something

This is cool, but one strip is cut straight and the other diagonal, I would like it better if they were both straight, and possibly going to the end of the tag as well

I really like how this one turned out!!

So you experiment and you learn, feeding the soul along the way  =)

ICANHASCHEEZBURGER.COM

30 Day Creativity Challenge: Day 4

I'm finding out very quickly that my energy levels need re-charged after work every day, before I can tap into my creative side.  I took a nice nap, packed up a shipment and looked around at my stuff.  There was something that caught my eye.

I spied a Trouble Light cage.  It was in my Etsy shop for awhile, but it didn't sell.  I had a thought...  

I love nests.  Always have.  So I mixed some cool nesting materials together added an old ceramic bird, and tied the cage up with raffia. I like it!

Happy Wednesday!  We're half-way there!! Yippeeeee

30 Day Creativity Challenge: Day 3

The curtain falls, the lights go on and you're suddenly blinded.  You blink your eyes until they adjust.  Then you stand up, stretch, and look around at the crowd.  Yep, it's intermission.  

For your viewing pleasure

Ok, yes I'm stalling.  Yes, I didn't do anything creative today.  Nooooo  I don't feel bad about it.  I can always make you laugh!

ICANHASCHEEZBURGER.COM

Mondays stink.  Onward.  See you tomorrow night!  =)

30 Day Creativity Challenge: Day 2

Guru Ratings

Today was a busy day for me, but I did manage to whip something up.  What worries me is if today was a challenge, what will the work week bring.  After working at my day job for eight hours I'm usually mentally drained and just want to veg out - so it should be interesting to see what happens.  But, here's a thought...maybe it will energize me to sit down and mess around with my supplies and try to come up with something unique

Volunteer

Today I made a bookmark.  I know what you're thinking..."big deal, anyone can make a bookmark", but that's not true.  My sister and I used to volunteer - teaching a class at a local women's half-way house and it was called "Art Education".  We had a teeny tiny budget, practically nothing, so we had to get very creative with our supplies.  One day I taught the women to make a pin out of cardboard, magazine pictures and glue. You would have thought I'd handed them the moon.  That's the way it usually was working with these women. Some of them had nothing; and knew nothing about nurturing themselves through creativity. They were incredibly grateful, but they didn't have to tell us that, we could see it in their eyes.  Next to raising my kids, it was hands down the most fulfilling time in my life!

Written and Illustrated by Holling Clancy Holling

I picked a childrens book for my illustration. I pick these up at thrift stores because I love their colorful, quirky, uplifting illustrations.  And who in the world was it that decided that adults don't need their books illustrated too!  Maybe we'd all be happier if we had colorful and quirky pictures to look at as we read our books!  I'm just sayin' 

Holling Clancy Holling

So I picked out my illustration and cut it out with my xacto knife (my favorite tool).  Then I cut out my backing from the back cover of an old sketch book, and glued them to each other. NOTE TO SELF: don't trim the bookmark after it's been glued to the backing.  Some excess glue clogged my cut, which shredded the illustration along one side. =(  The back of the bookmark looked very bare, so I stamped a design onto it, but I don't like it so I'm not showing it to you =(

I punched out a hole and added a piece of brown ric rac trim.  I think it's beautiful!  Thank you  Holling Clancy Holling!

WALLAH!

And I did promise to show you the completed Button Card.  I chose fine wire for attachment.

Have a great Monday, see you tomorrow night!

30 Day Creativity Challenge: Day 1

OK, so I decided to bite the button, err, I mean bullet, and go for it and do the creative challenge the same night that I wrote my last post.  I guess you could say that I was inspired by being inspired?  Yeah, I don't think that makes sense, but that's me in a basket.  Anyway...right away I thought of this big book of graphic prints that my sister (the "artist" in the family) (love you sissy!) had given to me years ago.

I picked out a print and cut out the design with scissors

I wanted it to have a sturdy background so I cut up a cookie box (love recycling) and using my xacto knife, I made a backing for my design 

Thank you Animal Crackers

I glued the print to the background and picked out three carved buttons from my stash for the center of my flowers 

I used an ice pick to poke holes for attaching the buttons to their card

Here it is all laid out and ready to attach.  I haven't decided if I want to use fine wire or thread/twine

WALLAH!

Yes, I know it' not COMPLETELY FINISHED, but it will be, I promise, by tomorrow's post.  Stop looking at me like that!  =)~

God's Paintbrush

Pininterest

Pininterest

When my kids were little and we'd all collectively witness autumn's awesome beauty for the first time each year, I'd always announce "God's paintbrush!"  Then as the years wore on I wouldn't have to say a thing... one of my girls would announce it before I had a chance to open my mouth.

Kids are like sponges, absorbing what's fed to them.  I hope I fed them well!

Pininterest

Pininterest

Pininterest

I'm thinking about challenging myself to a 30 day design challenge, and documenting it here on my blog.  I think it would be a good way to get my creative juices flowing again.  I would have to come up with a new design for a craft or art piece everyday.  It would not necessarily have to be executed that day, but I would have to document the idea here daily.  

I was inspired my these fabulous hand painted leaves by gifted artist Elena Nuez!  How fabulous are they!?!! 

Elena Nuez

Elena Nuez

Elena Nuez

Elena Nuez

Happy Friday everyone!  Have a glorious and safe weekend!