Two things that I’ve really been searching for lately and hoping to get my hands on are: The Concentric Circle stamp (by Studiowerx) and Amy Butler fabric (and paper) especially the Lotus line.

photo by: Christina Lazar-Schuler

I know the former will be the most difficult to get my hands on as Studiowerx have discontinued their rubber stamp line. Very sad news, indeed, but what makes up for it is that I came across some instructional videos that Christine (the owner) did on image transfers using inkjet transparencies. She makes it look so easy! If she ever does her “Art of Transference” online course again, I am SO signing up. Take a look what she does with fabric:

I bought some canvas, for this very purpose, during my last trip home to Canada, but have hesitated because I thought it would be too difficult. Now, I just need to add Apollo inkjet transparencies to my wish list, and remember to order some Kroma acrylic medium next time I’m home, and I’m all set. I want to try it now! Her videos are excellent! She explains everything so clearly and definitely makes it so much better than reading about transfer techniques.

As for finding the stamp, I think I will have to continue searching. In the meantime, I might have to think about making a digital brush of similar circles. It’s a shame, because I would really like to have that design in a stamp format.

Edited to add: I just realized that registration for the “Art of Transference” course is ongoing and self-paced, just the way I like it! I need to get myself signed up!

The weather has definitely been a topic of conversation lately. Not only in Sweden, but in Canada and the States too. The snow was almost all melted here but it all started back again earlier this week. Well, after a day of sunshine and warm(er) temperature yesterday, we’re once again back in the middle of a storm.

I started thinking about what it was like around this time in previous years. It just doesn’t seem possible that it was this cold all around the world. I went back through my pictures and found that two years ago, we were able to sit outside and enjoy the warmth. Not only that, but it was nice enough for us to want ice cream drinks. I hope that nice weather like that is not too far off. Here is what it looked like on March 30th, 2007:

I also looked at what was happening at this time last year. It doesn’t seem like it’s possible, but I was 26 weeks pregnant. That just doesn’t seem right. Hasn’t Adrienne been around for a few years? It’s also interesting to think that my cousins are almost in the same position this year as I was last year. It won’t be long until they have their babes in their arms, even if it feels like a lifetime of waiting to go.

Sometimes you have to lose perspective to appreciate the things that you have in life. What you are suppose to learn or understand isn’t always clear until you have experienced that particular situation. In my life, I have been smacked in the face with reality too many times to count. I try to prepare myself for the potential problems but I should have learned to expect the unexpected by now. I am also trying to learn to let go, to trust that things can work out. It amazes me when seemingly impossible events come together that create solutions that didn’t exist before. Is is just a coincidence or could there be other forces at work?

I worked with lots of different layers for this page. Layers always bothered me before because if I liked what I had done, I never wanted to cover it up. Now, I realize that it’s a part of the process and to achieve the look that I *really* want, I will have to cover up bits and pieces of the previous layers.

I’m so excited that my Portfolio oil pastels finally arrived. I really like my Caran d’Ache pastels, but they have nothing on Portfolio for what I want to use them. They are oil pastels whearas the Caran d’Ache are more like crayons (because they’re wax, duh). They spread so smoothly and the colours are so clear and bright. Dina Wakley was so right when she said that the Portfolio pastels are the best way to go. I can’t wait to use them again!

This is the first full page that I’ve done for Dina Wakley’s “Art Journaling 102″ class. I’ve done loads of backgrounds because they are addictive, but I have yet to collage, layer or journal anything on those ones. I did this page in my practice art journal since I don’t want to make stupid mistakes in my moleskine journal. I’ve also purchased a 9×9 journal that I will be using for bigger journal entries.

Being creative or crafty didn’t really hit me until after high school. I mean, I did the occasional friendship bracelet or pin here and there, but the need to create something with my hands happened much later for me. I think it all started with hemp necklaces. Just the idea that you could make your own funky jewelry and it would be an only one like it. First I started making necklaces, then I started getting into making my own beads since there weren’t many bead stores around at the time.

I thought I would show a sample of things that I have made during my creative evolution that has occurred over the past 15 years or so.

Handmade Beads/Jewelry * Handmade Figurines, etc. (FIMO) * Altered Clothing/Patchwork * Collage Canvases * Altered Dominos * Altered Books * ATCs * Scrapbooking

The beauty of constantly changing what I’m working on allows me to integrate different mediums into each other. I used to say that I would never be a scrapbooker, but when I saw how that it was growing into a mixture of altered arts and freestyle expression, I jumped in with both feet.

My newest passion is Art Journaling. The more I work with it, the more I realize that I’ve been pretty much working with it since I started working on canvases, ATCs and altered books since a lot of the techniques involve collage and layering of paints, ink, and ephemera. I am also learning that I have a lot to learn. I have never worked with oil pastels (since junior high art class!) and am loving what they can do for a page. I took an online course on it last year that mainly focused on acrylic paint. It was a great class but it didn’t get into any of the new techniques that I’m learning now, so I really didn’t stay motivated for long. All I basically did was create my own art journal binder for my future work that never actualized.

Stay tuned for the newest addition to my newest obsession that will be posted tomorrow. I’m still just practicing, but I’m excited to share what I have been working on. I can’t decide if I’m done with the piece or not, but I think I will leave it as it is, so I can move on with new pages while I’m still so excited about it.

It’s almost 4:00am and this tired mommy needs to get some sleep!

I saw this picture on a friend’s flickr page and knew I needed to post about it. I’m not an LOLer and always use “haha” instead. Does it make a difference? Apparently it does! It’s so funny to realize that I follow these “guidelines” without knowing that it was already so well presented. There have been so many times where I have edited my used of “haha’s” to reflect how funny I think something is. Little did I know that so many others do the same.

Now that I know about this little chart, I will definitely be more observant of other people’s online laughter. hahahahah!