Guest Blogger!

I am SO excited to share that I am the guest blogger today over at Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's blog!!!!  This is my first time as a guest blogger. Go check it out!

Target find

Look what I found at Target today! They are solid wood sized 8 x 10. Looking forward to trying them out!

Struggle

I struggled with this page! There are probably more than half a dozen layers here as I just kept reworking and reworking. I wasn't feeling it and just kept layering paint and carving into it. I played with a friend's new stamps and then finally decided to fingerprint some faces. I like playing around with shading faces in various colors. I'm pretty happy with how it came out. Not sure what I learned from this, but I had fun just doing it.

New journal

I am at the end of my current journal so I made a new one! My girlfriend, Marissa, wanted to learn how to make one so I taught her. She had the brilliant idea of stamping the book tape. I LOVE it!!!! I'm thinking of buying the book Cover to Cover, which is about bookbinding. I've read the reviews, and they are all great. Anyone have this book? What are your thoughts about it?

Artful Gathering

I signed up for the Artful Gathering Online Retreat. I am registered for Whimsical Characters with Monica Zuniga and Still Pursuing Portraits with Pam Carriker. I have had fun playing around with some of my own whimsical characters styled after Monica's.






I love any class that pushes me to loosen up and allow my work to be messy. For reasons I can't explain, I've always been one who had to make everything exact. I have spent the last 2 years forcing myself to create messes, create in a way that isn't exact and focus on the process instead of the outcome. I think I'm getting it!

Old find

This July will be 5 yrs. that we've been here in Naperville, IL. Last night, I came across a box of things I haven't seen in forever! When I was in my early 20s, I was into beading. I made the peyote stitch bags, a lampshade, rings, bracelets, you name it. I was into the beading craze! I found this purse that took me forever to make. I think I only used it a few times b/c I was afraid it would fall apart. It's been in storage for more than 10 years & is in perfect condition. I still love the blue & can't believe I made it!!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! I had a great day w/my family. My husband and kids made me a delicious breakfast and gave me great cards made at school.
Bought and planted flowers. Had sushi for dinner with my mom. Spent time together! Gessoed over a page I sprayed with Dylusion inks. Then I added some paint in cobalt teal- a favorite.