With summer fast approaching I thought it would be nice to squeeze in at least 1 more spring art journal layout. I love bunnies and trees and wanted to create something magical with the two.
I started creating lots of layers and used paper doilies for the top of the tree. I found the words “Weaving Magic” that I had cut out from a magazine and saved in my stash and thought it would be perfect for this layout.
I was originally going to add more critters to these pages but I liked the idea of keeping it simple and focusing on the bunny’s wonder of all things magical. What do you think?
I hope this inspires you to create some magic this weekend✨
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“Everything is magical when you see it with your heart.” ~Unknown
The air in our home can be filled with harmful chemicals and pollutants. Even if you take care not to use heavy scented cleaning agents you’re still not safe. The countertops in your kitchen and bathrooms have been known to emit harmful chemicals into the air without you ever noticing. Even installing new flooring, carpets or painting the walls can also pollute the air you breathe.
Luckily there is a simple solution. Certain houseplants are quite efficient air purifiers. Plus they bring lots of good vibes to your home. The next big question is how many plants do you need? The answer is you only need about two (10-12 inch potted) plants per every 100 square feet of space. For example a 13×15 foot room is 195 square feet so you would need 4 small plants to clean the air in that room. Below is a list of some of the best purifying plants for your home.
21 Air Purifying Plants:
Aloe Vera
Bamboo Palm
Boston Fern
Chinese Evergreen
Dragon Tree
English Ivy
Ficus
Fittonia Frankie
Flamingo Lily
Golden Pothos
Lady Palm
Lemon Button Fern
Mass Cane / Corn Plant
Parlor Palm
Peace Lilly
Philodendron
Red-Edged Dracaena
Rubber Tree
Snake Plant / Mother-in-Law’s Tongue
Spider Plant
Wax Begonia
Each of these magnificent natural air purifiers requires different care and lighting so keep that in mind when choosing a plant for your home. Also having living plants in your space has shown to be quite therapeutic in relieving stress, boosting your productivity and overall well being. So add some happiness and good vibes to your home!
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“We might think we are nurturing our garden, but of course it’s our garden that is really nurturing us.” ~Jenny Uglow
Sometimes the greatest joy comes from the smallest and simplest of things. In filling my Simplest Things Journal which I started as part of Amy Maricle’s Challenge at Mindful Art Studios I’m finding so much joy and freedom as I create different designs with simple marks.
There are different steps in my process. For some of these I’ll start by creating small tiles, in varying sizes that I stash away until I’m ready to use them. Other pages will begin with a watercolor wash in the journal and then I go from. Really it comes down to doing what makes you happy at that moment and I honor that.
If you’re going through any kind of stress or you just need a break this is ideal and so beneficial for your heart and soul. You can check out online classes, YouTube videos or simply pick up a pen and get some paper and start playing. You’ll be amazed at how good it feels. The best part is you don’t need a big block of time, a few minutes a day is all you need!
Hope this inspires you to create some art!
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“Color is the place where our brain and the universe meet.” ~Paul Klee
Who doesn’t like a good cup of coffee? In the United States it’s the number 1 beverage we consume. On average, a person drinks 3 cups of coffee per day or 1,095 cups a year. That’s a lot of coffee! Most think that coffee is safe and somewhat healthy to drink. But there’s so much more you don’t know even know about. After you read this, you may not look at your morning cup of Joe the same way.
Coffee used to be grown in the shade where the plants thrived. However, because of it’s popularity it’s now grown for mass production and as a result it’s the most intensively sprayed crop in the world. The crops require large amounts of fertilizer, pesticide and fungicide which make coffee toxic for consumers and also those who work and live in areas where coffee is produced.
Endosulfan is a pesticide that’s commonly used to combat a coffee consuming bug called a cherry borer. This pesticide is toxic to most animals and can affect the central nervous system, kidneys, liver and reproductive organs. Plus it’ has even been responsible for human death. That in itself is scary but wait there’s more…
Triadimefon is a copper based fungicide that’s only slightly toxic to birds and little is known of the toxicity to humans. But it’s suspected it may cause reproductive problems and even hyperactivity.
Chlorpyrifos is yet another chemical that can be found in your morning coffee. This is a pesticide that affects the central nervous system, can cause birth defects and even in some cases has caused death in humans. The EPA has been working on getting this highly toxic chemical out of our food supply but some things still have it.
With every cup of coffee you drink, you’re ingesting these chemicals. So if you can’t start your day with a cup of coffee, opt for organic. It may not be completely free of chemicals but it is far better than conventionally grown coffee.
Hope this didn’t scare you too much but it should be an eye opener so you can make better decisions about your health.
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“A healthy outside starts from the inside.” ~Robert Urich
This past week I joined Laly Mille a very talented artist from France for a free online workshop. It was absolutely wonderful as we created this journal spread together. I find Laly’s art mesmerizing with the lovely colors and dreamy romantic layers that pull you into each painting.
This butterfly spread took several layers but it was worth the wait. Originally I wanted the angels to be fully visible but then I thought angels are rarely seen but you know that they’re there. So I covered them a little, making them much softer and I liked how they turned out. I love pretty much the entire spread but my favorite part I think is the twinkling fairy lights, they look magical ✨ What’s your favorite part?
I highly recommend you hop over to Laly Mille’s site and revel in the beauty of her art at LalyMille.com. She also offers online courses which are available on her site.
Hope this inspires you to create some art!
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“I dream of the painting and then I paint my dream.” ~Vincent Van Gogh
I’m really enjoying filling the pages of my Simplest Things Journal which I started as part of Amy Maricle’s Simplest Things Challenge at Mindful Art Studios.
I made the 3 inch square flower painting last week and wanted to find it a home. I was drawing a blank on what to do next in the journal and then I read a comment on Instagram by an admirer about the flower and butterfly:
“The little butterfly with the trail just makes it, I love how the daisy is reaching out for it.”
So I thought lots of swirly, crisscrossing butterfly trails would make the perfect background, and there simple too which fits with the theme of this journal. It was pure luck that the trail of the butterfly on the painting lined up with the trail in the background. I mean honestly, what are the odds? 😂
But it’s a happy colorful creation. What do you think?
Hope this inspires you to create some art!
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“Color is the place where our brain and the universe meet.” ~Paul Klee
I added another painting to my Simplest Things Journal. I’m really loving the slow drawing process. It quiets the mind and soothes the soul 😊 This was a design I made in a smaller version and thought it would make an interesting big design. But instead of painting another circle, I wanted to try a freeform design.
What I love most about this design is how the lines overlap in some areas making thicker lines that look like folds and creases. What do you think?
Hope this inspires you to create this weekend!
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“Art is a natural as sunshine and as vital as nourishment.” ~MaryAnn F Kohl
This was my inspiration for the the painting above 😊
Journaling is a great way to have fun and unwind from a long week. This was actually a warm up exercise which is part of an online class I’m working on by the very talented Katrina Koltes.
Art journaling is anything you want it to be. It can be an abstract or a more serious painting or anything in between. You can write your thoughts in your journal and then cover them up or don’t. But the choice is yours. The main goal is to simply do whatever your heart desires and makes you happy😊 So what are your waiting for? Grab your journal and have some fun this weekend!
Hope this inspires you in some way, thanks for stopping by!!!
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“What keeps my heart awake is colorful silence.” ~Claude Monet
Last week I participated in Amy Maricle’s Simplest Things Challenge. On day 5 I created a few simple circles with different designs. I thought they looked pretty cool and wanted to make them much BIGGER! So I did full sized drawings of these two. What do you think?
I love watching the watercolor paints mingle and mix. You never know what they’re going to do and that’s the fun part 😊
Hope this inspires you to create this weekend!
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“We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.” ~Bob Ross quote on creating art
This was my inspiration for the the 2 paintings above 😊
“Act as if it were impossible to fail.” is a quote by Dorothea Brande from her book Wake Up and Live! It’s a simple quote that is so very powerful. When you think about it, what would you do differently if you knew it were impossible to fail? Personally, I can think of lots of things I would have done differently in my life and I’m sure you can to.
It’s not a far fetched idea, but something that’s pretty basic if we’d only believe. We have a tendency to create so many obstacles in our minds that stop us dead in our tracks from reaching our goals and creating our dream life. But why?
The reasons can vary drastically from one person to next. But I think the first step is to look at ourselves in the mirror and be accountable for our actions, thoughts and attitudes. Because these are the things that brought us to where we are today.
The next step which is easier said than done is to dig deeper and look at where some of these beliefs and thoughts started and what started them. Is it something our parents taught us? Or is it a result of something that happened to us? Is it combination of both of these things or something else? But you must be completely honest with yourself if you are to move forward.
Once we have a better understanding of why we react a certain way to certain situations we stand a better chance of conquering the obstacles we created for ourselves. And as a result we can move on to bigger and better things.
I hope these words of wisdom by Dorothea Brande inspire you in some way today! Thanks for stopping by!!
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“All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail. That is the talisman, the formula, the command of right-about-face which turns us from failure towards success.” ~Dorothea Brande
Flowing Waters Art 