Homegrown Hospitality

Monday Morning Color Play

Ya know...you can doodle with fabric and thread, just substitute the paper for fabric and markers for thread.  This past weekends color play started with an idea which was spurred on by a phone conversation that I had on Friday.

I grabbed my scraps and started cutting letters.  Yes, I hand cut them, but you could use a die cutting system if you want.  I LOVE to sit a cut letters out.  For some reason, it is relaxing to me. 

I stitched each letter on with a coordinating thread.and just kept going until I got to the last letter...and I did not have room to finish.

whoops.

It read HANDMAD.Then, out of the blue, I got a great idea. I sat my stitching aside and doodled out the word and then colored it just like (well, sorta just like) the fabric that I had just stitched.  What a great way to create doodled letters. Use the fabric and the colors for your inspiration..duh! (notice I had not stitched an "E" on yet...)
Alright, so I went back to my stitching and thought (for reals) "What would Ma Ingalls do?" sooo I hand stitched another piece of muslin to the original piece and kept going. ( I know, I am a dork, it is ok!)

Then I cut out a really random flower, just like a doodled flower, a circle for the center and of course a leaf, and stitched those on. Then another flower to cover the blue paint that was at the top of my muslin scrap. (oh, and I did stitch on an E)I sorta completely LOVE how it is coming out and I love that it was a total game of picking out the fabric. The one I touched was the one I cut and stitched.  If I would have taken the time to sit and fuss over matching it, it would not have been as fun and I suppose it would have been too matchy.  I am finding that I am really becoming attracted to mixing patterns and incorporating more color to my work everyday. I am feeling a shift.

oh, and what is this HANDMADE thing anyway...

soon.

details soon.

Now go make something colorful!

Patience & Possibilities

I have been working on my upcoming new & improved "A Whole New Doodle" (previously hosted on the Scrapbook News & Review site) doodle class for WAY TO LONG and I want to thank you for your patience.  I am excited to announce that registration opens tomorrow, April 18th and the self-paced classroom will open MAY 1st!Just when I think I am done editing, I create something that seems like it should be included, like this "Just Add Color, Or Not" canvas.

It is a project in the class that you can re-create and then color in or not, but most important is the message it reads:

Within 24 hours of registration, you will receive  the login information and a list of the supplies I use.

Just like all of my classes, you are able to use what you have.  There is nothing you "need" to run out and buy/order online, unless you want to! The essential tools are simple and can be picked up at most any Target or Wal-Mart. The markers are a bit more of an investment and as I mentioned, you are able to use what you have. Here are a few more peeks at the basics we will learn in the class:

Borders, Borders, Borders... Circles and basic lettering
Stay tuned...Registration opens tomorrow!

Thanks again for your patience!

HOPE Is Necessary...

If you have been following along with this HOPE piece, I started with markers, then moved onto thread..

and jumped on an idea to rework the piece onto canvas with paint. I don't love it, but I don't hate it either.  I have faith and hope that as I experiment with taking a doodle and making it something else, it will all bloom.

Hope is necessary.  It is what keeps me going, in art, in life, really, in everything.
Little did I know, as I worked on this piece called HOPE Saturday morning, we would receive the devastating news in regards to our church family.

My first instinct, as it was for many, was to reach out to those I know and ask what we could do without stopping to think and know that all we can do is pray. My heart aches for Kay as a mother.  My heart breaks for Pastor Rick as our pastor and my heart is broken for Matthew as he battled so long and so hard with his illness.

HOPE, that is what we all need. We must share HOPE, practice HOPE and remind others that HOPE is a necessary part of our life.  We must,must, must look through to the future with HOPE and never ever give up.

Miscellany Part Two

The Miscellany continues, first by taking a doodle and mixing it up with media and now, taking a  doodle and mixing it with embroidery floss and fabric.

It started with me picking up markers that I am not used to picking up, coloring without lines and pushing myself outside my own comfort zone...and then taking the finished piece and looking past what it was, to create something else.
This is art from art and I am not quite done with the original doodle.  I have another idea...

I am hoping that my new way of making art form art inspires you to look at things just a little different, not just creatively.

Miscellany

For as long as I can remember, I have either created “Mixed Media” art or “Doodles.”

I have been telling myself for years that I could only do one or the other until someone mentioned to me, “um…duh…you can do both!” 

Insert - "Miscellany" -a group or collection of different items; a mixture.

I have no idea why I thought I could only do one thing or the other.  I just did.  It was ME setting myself up…I was the one who was in my own way. UGH.  Truth is, we all get in our own way sometimes and so with cards 13-24 in my 52 Pickup Online Workshop, it is time to merge things, remind ourselves to play and NOT get in our own way of creating. 

Here is a little peek at one of my cards 
and the link to regsiter and join us!

Happy Easter!

Gotta Have Hope

Personally and creatively, I am not all about the colors of spring but I do know what they represent besides the color of peeps and jellybeans...

therefore, I am giving them equal opportunity EVEN THOUGH THEY PUSH ME AGAINST MY COLORING COMFORT ZONE.Sometimes we all need a reminder of the bigger picture, a little push against the grain and a whole bunch of HOPE...

because how gray things may seem, no matter what..everything will be okay...Just gotta have HOPE.

Updates, New Things and Looking Forward

As mentioned just the other day, there are lots of creative things going on here that I am not quite ready to share yet, but I can give you some updates. 

All of the Erase Human Trafficking orders are just about carved and will be shipping out this weekend!  Thank you for your support and love with helping out!
New Online Doodle Workshop coming soon...IMPORTANT NOTE: This class, A Whole New Doodle,  was previously sold and offered at Scrapbook News & Review.  THIS IS THE SAME CLASS with a few added coloring pages, just for you!.  It is no longer available at that site and I am now offering here for those who did not have a chance to take it.

This class will be released in April and there will be a limited amount of starter kits that will include my favorite markers, paper and liner pens for an addtional price. Details coming real soon...

Thanks for your patience..and a little something that I doodled for myself as a reminder and thought this too needed to be shared...Note to Self (you): Even when I (we) can't see what is going to happen, I (we) must continue to .. Have a GREAT day!

Strong & Ready

Thoughts from yesterdays message at Church.. I, we, you, me, us, them...at some point in our lives, all of us are going to be given impossible tasks, are going to have to deal with major changes, suffer senseless tragedies and live with prolonged pain.

uggh.

Part of life here on earth.

Thanks alot, Adam!

Each one of those things above is a test and if you study, believe and trust, you will be strong & ready for when things happen. You may not understand them, it may seem unsolvable, it may seem like relief will never come, but it will. Don't look for why...explanations don't comfort, God does.

It is a promise.

So believe, trust, study and confidently look forward. It's called faith, duh.

Remember this:

Faith is believing with I don't see it.

Faith is obeying when I don't understand it.

Faith is persisting when I don't feel like it.

Happy Valentine's Day

Just in time for Valentine's Day, I am excited to share with you my first doodle that will be available for you purchase and then download and print on photo paper or cardstock.  No shipping, no waiting just instant happiness.

 
I played around with the print a little, printing on glossy photo paper, printing on regular ol' printer paper and on cardstock.  Here I printed on a 4x6 glossy photo paper and framed it
The smaller one down on the right is a wallet size print on regular ol' printer paper framed:

As you can see from both photos above, depending on what type of paper you print on will make a difference with the red color.  On the glossy photo paper, it is much more vibrant, and well, glossy.  On the paper, it is a flat,darker red (which I like, in case you were wondering)  Either way, it comes out great!

If  you print it out on cardstock, the fun thing about this print is that there are lots of little nooks and crannies where you can use your markers, paint, chalk, etc. to add additional color!

*Note - Watermark will not appear on your download

The price?

$9.00 ...just click the button below

A portion of each sale will go towards an account that will be dedicated to a "future endeavor" benefiting "Beauty For Ashes" in Uganda. (more on that soon!)

Happy Valentine's Day!