Recap Of the Last Few Weeks/Months

So, I’ve been rather absent from the blog lately.

Mostly because I got incredibly busy with other things. Things that take/took me away from the computer - which is probably a good thing at times!

 

First there was Christmas and I was totally taken over by making clothes for my daughter’s new 18” inch doll! I got a little carried away, as I had too much fun with all the little things to make!

Needless to say, it was all a big hit!

 

Then, the HUGE, GINORMOUS task of sorting through the garage took over. Our garage had been the catch all place for 3 moves, 2 bathroom and one kitchen remodel and 1 larger construction on the house. Not to mention twins growing out of things at an alarming rate from babyhood, to toddlerdom and now beyond.

I tell you, it got to a point where it just seemed totally overwhelming and we tried to be out there as little as possible. Add to that the fact that for 7 months of the year it is too hot to be out there more than 5 minutes, and you have something that could rival with some of the pictures from the TV show “hoarders!” Yikes!

 

Anyway, I tackled it. It took me always two weeks before everything was said and done - and organized, and donated, and thrown out, and rearranged, and hauled away and cleaned ... you get the picture! But I conquered it! And I have to admit, it’s a joy to go out there now! Well, while it’s not blistering hot yet!

And I also admit to going out there sometimes just to rejoice in this tidy new garage that we have! I know I’m weird but I take my little moments of bliss any way they come! And the kids “christened” the new found space by making huge paintings on the garage floor!

 

 

 

And for the last few weeks gardening and my new found love of Art journaling and Mixed Media Canvases has kept me away! And the fact that for us this is the time of year where all outside activities happen!

Our garden has started to burst forth, and it’s becoming quite lovely and colorful!

 

 

 

 

But today I want to write a little more about art journaling. I’ve always been a crafter and as many of you know, a digital scrapbooker and designer for years. But I’ve never been much into the whole altered art thing. Until recently. But even then it was digital.

Then, at the beginning of this year, I got the urge. The urge to get my hands dirty! The urge to create with colors and textures and what not!

 

So, I’ve been busy! I started by doing Christy Tomlinson’s She Art Online Workshop. Here are a couple of my canvases. And then I somewhat progressed into Art Journaling! I have started many pages but none of them are quite finished yet, so I’ll let you see them when they are.

 

 

 

 

 

Even my 6-year-old daughter wanted to make one. So we did and with a little help, she did a wonderful job:

 

 

But for now I wanted to give you some tips, tricks and links that I found useful getting started again. Granted I had most of what I needed, but unlike with digital art journaling, you run out of stuff when you do the hands on kind of creating! To make it easier to reference, I’m making this next part a separate post, so read on!