For the Love of Outdoors Art Journal

I came across an old issue of Romantic Homes Magazine and fell in love with some of the images. So I thought it would be fun to cut them out and turn them into a journaling layout.

I started with blank pages where I wrote thank you notes to all of my family members who are no longer here but inspired me on my artistic journey. It felt good to create this journal layout with all that gratitude as the foundation for these pages.

It took a bit of time to finish because there were quite a few layers and I had to be patient and let things dry. I was going to for a romantic and dreamy vibe. And I wanted to pull the viewer into my magical garden. What do you think?

Hope this inspires you create a fun journal layout with some images you love!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

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“Gratitude is the single most important ingredient to living a successful and fulfilled life.” ~Jack Canfield

Thoughtful Thursday Draw Yourself Calm Book Review

Last year I had the pleasure of participating in Amy Maricle’s Inchie Challenge which was a lots of fun. I had so much fun that I bought her book, “Draw Yourself Calm.”

It’s a wonderful book that is well written and teaches you to simply slow down. The best part is you only need minimal supplies to get started. I find the practice of creating these mini works of art very calming and relaxing, a good way to destress. It’s also a good warm up for me to get the creative energy flowing.

In this video you an see the inchies I made for Amy’s 2022 Challenge that I put into a handmade book I created. I hope you’ll hop over to her site, Mindfulartstudio.com and learn more about Amy and her work. Highly recommended!

Stay inspired and create some art!

Thanks for stopping by!!

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“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” ~Edgar Degas


Welcome 2023 Special Offers

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I’m setting up a newsletter to give you insider information and keep you informed of special offers, new releases, exclusive deals and more! Emails will be sent periodically and you can unsubscribe at any. Just click the link below to join:

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Thank you for your Support, it’s Greatly Appreciated!!!

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In art she found herself Mixed Media Canvas

Thought I’d share with you a mixed media canvas I made a while ago titled “In art she found herself.” I created this on a 9×12 inch canvas using cut pieces of patterned paper, acrylic paint, lace, ephemera and pretty much anything else I could think of.

The little bows on the kite were the hardest. They’re very small and made from crepe paper that was painstakingly folded and tied off with a thread. Then I had to carefully glue them to the canvas. The style at the time was basically a face without any detailing. But I always look at it and feel it isn’t done. What do you think?

✨🎉Wishing you a New Year filled with Much Happiness, Good Health and Great Success🎉✨

Thanks for stopping by!!

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Thoughtful Thursday Reach for the Stars!

Photo by brenoanp on Pexels.com

Hard to believe the New Year will be here in just a few short days. There’s so much to think about during this time as we get ready to welcome a new era into our lives. I’ve been very busy plotting and planning my goals for the coming year and working on my battle board.

I’m determined more than ever to make this new year count and to reach the goals I set for myself so that my dreams will become my reality. But you have to take the first step and set goals. Don’t set so many they’re hard to attain and don’t make them too easy, they should challenge you. I’m sticking with 3 major goals and prioritizing the rest. I’m also adding deadlines for when I’ll reach these goals to keep me more accountable.

Once you finalize your goals, you need to come up with a plan to reach them. Outline the steps, in detail on what exactly you need to do to get there. Do you need to read a book or take an online course to learn new skills to reach your goal? Or is there physical work that you need to do like start an exercise program and eat a healthy diet? What ever you need to do, write it down.

The last step for success is to actually start following the plan you designed for yourself. Look at your goals everyday and do at least 1 thing daily to bring you closer to your goals.

The sheer act of starting your plan will make you happy. After a few days you’ll be excited that you stuck to it and your confidence and self esteem will grow tremendously. So remember to keep going and reach for the stars because anything is possible!!!

Here are a few motivational clips and tutorials to help you get started:

Hope this inspires you today and thanks for stopping by!!

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Dr Wayne Dyer Quote

I’m taking a much needed break before the holidays so I’m sharing with you a very inspiring quote by the late Dr Wayne Dyer on my watercolor painting titled “Change.”

“If you change the way the look at things, the things you look at change.”

Hope this inspires you in some way. Thanks for stopping by!!!

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Stand out in the Crowd Watercolor Painting

I wanted to share with you a fun watercolor painting I created a while ago. This is one of my favorite happy color combinations. For this piece I actually made 2 paintings. One was used for the background and the other was used to create the birds which I traced from a stencil, cut out and adhered to the background painting.

One thing I love about watercolor is that you can lift the paint off using various techniques. For the birds I used a stencil and a Wet Ones hand wipe to lift the paint off the paper. When using this technique, you want to make sure you have a fairly dark background so you can see the color variations where the paint was lifted.

To make the blue bird at the top even more different from the others I painted it with clear glitter paint. I also used a stamp with white embossing powder to add more interest. The quote in the bottom right was getting lost so I added a border to give it more pop.

You only need a few basic inexpensive supplies to create art and have fun. So what are you waiting for? Start creating some happy now 😊

Hope this inspires you in some way, thanks for stopping by!!!

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Thoughtful Thursday Cold Remedy

Photo by Archana GS on Pexels.com

With the cold and flu season here I wanted to share an old remedy that my mom used to make. She believed that honey and garlic would cure anything a cold or flu could bring and she was right. Although I’m vegan, this is one thing I didn’t give up.

Growing up honey was a staple in our home. We used it on toast, in recipes and to sweeten tea. It was always delicious! Honey has lots of benefits including:

  • Rich in antioxidants
  • Strengthens the immune system
  • Eases sinus issues
  • Helps suppress coughs
  • Promotes the healing of burns and wounds
  • Boosts memory and more!

Now add some garlic to the honey and you have even more health benefits like:

  • Contains antioxidants
  • Helps protect against illness including colds
  • Reduces blood pressure
  • Improves bone health
  • Improves cholesterol levels and more!

When you combine these two superfoods along with a bit of onion, no virus or germ can survive. I’ve used this remedy for years and it shortens my illness without fail every time.

It’s easy to make, just put the onion and garlic in a mini food processor and puree. Then transfer it to a small bowl and add enough honey to cover the pureed mixture (I always add a little extra 😊). Store it covered in the fridge. Normally when you refrigerate honey it becomes thick and crystallizes. However, with the added onion and garlic, it becomes more fluid like a syrup.

Now I’m not going to lie, the garlic and onion can be strong so don’t chew it, swallow it like cough syrup. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day and you’ll feel worlds better in no time!

Ingredients:

  • 1/8 onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • Enough honey to cover the minced onion and garlic.

Hope this helps you stay healthier this winter. Thanks for stopping by!!!

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We’re in the home stretch!

It’s hard to believe Christmas is just 12 days away! I hope that you are doing well and not stressing over the hustle and bustle that comes with this time of year. But if you still need some last minute gifts there are lots of beautiful, original works of art available in my Etsy Shop.

I welcome you to hop on over and take a look!

Wishing you a lovely day, thanks for stopping by!!

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“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ~Winston Churchill

Candlelight Angel

I hope you’re weekend is off to a great start! I thought I’d take a little break and play with some new ideas and techniques. I like the way she turned out but I’m not completely sold on this style. Looking for something more dreamy.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks for stopping by!!!

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