Scripture Sunday: 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

It's OK

Today I'm sharing a few random pages from my mini-moleskine journal that goes with me in my purse.   It has no theme.   The only rule I'm enforcing is that I'm making myself resist the urge to use it to jot down to-do lists and shopping lists.  I do want it to be somewhat "artsy".

I've always been a huge rule follower.  And I tend to get frustrated and feel limited because I follow all these silly self imposed rules.  I'm really trying to release my feelings of "I'm not doing it right" which is stupid because these are MY art journals.  There is no journal police to arrive at my door with a warrant because I dared to use a Sharpie instead of a fancy art pen.  Or because I only use one side of the page because of the bleed through.  So I decided to give myself permission to do all those things. 

Scripture Sunday: Psalm 27:5

Quick little page in a 4x4 journal I found lying around.  (Why yes, I do have about 7 journals in progress and I'm trying really really hard not to feel guilty about that).  It has inspired me to make an art journal dedicated to my scripture verses that speak to me.  I'm thinking I may use a prettier larger journal for that.  Luckily I just bought a Hand*book journal 5.5" x 5.5" (bound and covered with blue linen) which I think just might be perfect for my Scripture Journal.  

Doodles on paper and fabric

The last two weeks have been mentally exhausting, and I seem to use up all my brain power at work.  I get home and suffer from "mashed potato brain".   I'm still keeping up with the necessities, but not much else on the list is getting done.  I've stolen a few moments here and there to create.  I'm enjoying just letting go and creating.  No deadlines.  No rules.  Not for anyone but ME.  I need that.

I also stitched a little bit on a binding of a colorful quilted table runner.  I hate that part of the process.   When I get to the binding stage, I feel so close to being finished and the binding part just feels like work instead of play and I want to be done already.   Hopefully this week I'll finally have it completed.    

Friday night, I doodled on fabric for a little while.   I started this wall hanging about a year ago as a fun little geometric piece to hang in my cubicle at work.   I worked on it at a quilt retreat and then put it away for a year and forgot about it.  I'm eager to swap out the quilt I've got in my cube right now.  I love it (a Ricky Tims convergence quilt with hand dyed fabrics) but am anxious for a change.   Here the new one in progress. 

I actually finished fusing all the shapes to the top and made myself go ahead and pin baste it and begin machine quilting.  I always procrastinate on the basting process.  But I love to machine quilt.  It's like drawing with thread instead of a pen.  Unfortunately my machine either needs alignment, or a different needle or thread, or it just plain doesn't like stitching through 5 layers of fused on fabric.  It keeps skipping stitches which is highly annoying.   So I'm troubleshooting that issue before I can finish.  Sort of a bummer since I was rolling along nicely.   

Here is my helper.  No he is not allowed on the ironing board.  Or in the middle of my pile of fabrics.  You try telling him that.

 

How a watercolor garden grows

A little fun with my wonderful SU Watercolor crayons: 

I scribbled some shapes with various watercolor crayons and added water with the aquapainter brush.  When it was dry, I outlined it and added some detail with a .05 multiliner pen.

Scripture Sunday: Isaiah 58:11

Just a little doodle for a Sunday.  Created with markers on 4x6 SU Whisper White cardstock.  

I'm actually very excited today though because when I transferred my fonts over from my old laptop, I re-discovered the font I had created from my own handwriting.   So cool to type my own handwriting on the screen :).   Can you see it in my copyright signature?

CREATE in 2013.

A few weeks ago I stumbled across Stephanie Ackerman's blog: Homegrown Hospitality.  I LOVE her work!  She's really inspired me to just jump in and create.  She chooses a "word of the year" every year to give focus to her artwork (and life).    The word that immediately popped into my head is CREATE.  I NEED to create more art.  Creating art makes me happy and I want more happy in my life.

On her blog, she has photos of an adorable little mini Moleskine journal.  Check it out.  Although I have a random art journal or two (or three) in progress, she inspired me to run immediately out to Target and pick up a mini Moleskine.  (Actually it's a Moleskine volant series).  It's soft cover w/ 80 lined thin ecru colored pages.  3.5 x 5.5".   I like it because it's very very portable.  I'm keeping it in my purse along with a fine point Sharpie and/or a .5 journalling pen.  At lunch I'm doodling at my desk.  Fun!

At least the mini moleskine is a bit more artsy than my usual office art medium: manilla folders.   Although I gotta say that I just adore the way the sharpie absorbs into the folder :)