On the worktable: mini canvas love

mailart: love your destination

It has been so absolutely crazy busy around here - but the good kind. The good kind of busy where you have to build posts for your blog ahead of time just so your three readers don't leave town and forget about you. In the middle of all that busy though, I had to have a few moments of creative time and this is what happened. LOVE YOUR DESTINATION  mailart.

Of course, like all things,  I had to use some cool recyclables on this pretty piece. I started with a simple print of my latest canvas, adding paint chips, fabric scraps, cupcake papers, washi tape circles, painted tissue paper and more....oh and lots and lots of stitching! Enjoy your Summer, wherever your destination may be!

on the worktable: bold color and stitched stacks

No matter how many times I sit and stitch these colorful hand dyed signatures, I never get tired of looking at them all stacked up like this.

Loving how my mini art journal is coming along! Almost finished and ready to share! Happy Summertime Creating!

on the worktable: mini art journal peek

Here are a few more peeks of my mini art journal. So happy with how this coming along and I can't wait to share the finished project with you all! This journal might be mini in size, but it rocks big color!

Happy Summertime Creating!

on the worktable: favorite upcycled stencil

Every once in awhile do you find yourself going back to one tool over and over again? Well this is my favorite go to stencil right now. It is an upcycled piece of I don't know what from an ancient bin of scrapbook stuff I purged a few months ago...

It is started life as a  heavy duty papery sort of material. Once it was inked, stained and gessoed a dozen times it built a tougher outer shell. Now it is the perfect tiny circle stencil. I love it so much that I only allow myself to use a tiny piece at a time - at least until I stumble upon some more!

on the worktable: mini art journal peek

With Summer in full swing my once huge blocks of art time are gone, soon to return with fall and the start of school. Until then I have mini amounts of time - so a mini journal is on the worktable.

 - more peeks soon!

art journaling: journaling backgrounds

A little bit of creating going on here tonight ...

Art journal backgrounds in progress. Gelli Arts, doodling, water color pencils and book paper.

sneak peek: art journal page

Combining a little book paper, some sketching and inks, upcycled stencils and a white out pen.

art stuff: a new stencil & chevron pattern love

The Chevron Pattern is hot right now! I love this fresh and funky motif and gravitate to it over and over again. No shock then, when I saw this Heidi Swapp stencil, and I had to have it! This pattern is modern and chic and just plain yummy when added to an art journal page.

I have spotted this pattern all over this week. A few of my favorites are these colorful bouncy balls, I found here, and these delicious folding step stools that caught my eye here!

I think I will explore how I can incorporate this new favorite pattern into my home decor. Stay tuned!

my style: sparkle mod podge

I just have to start by saying what hundreds of other artists are saying out there - "mod podge rocks." Seriously. There is even an entire blog devoted to mod podge called just that - MOD PODGE ROCKS. It is filled with ideas for crafters of all levels using mod podge as a medium. I know that here in Florida it gets a bad name because of the humidity - but trying it on a different base may be all it takes to change your mind.

I admit - I have struggled with using it on chipboard and paper at times - but the more I work with it, the better I get a feel for it. I am really in love with it lately and have learned that I can use it on anything. Like this beautiful art journal I created for a friends birthday.

I created the base out of canvas. In the process I began painting on the canvas. I really liked the way it was looking, but it was lacking something. It needed a pop of something, that in this case, color wasn't giving me. I decided to try smearing on a coat of SPARKLE MOD PODGE. The recipient of this gift likes bling and so I knew she would love the glittery look. You could use matte or gloss finish as well.

When I was creating the cover of this journal I did all of my painting and stitching first, then I added a single coat of SPARKLE MOD PODGE over the top of all the exposed canvas areas, covering the paint and stitching alike.

I love the feel of this journal now. And it is not sticky. NOT. ONE. BIT. -and I love the pliable stability it gave to the canvas. The added sparkle gave it a pretty zing too! So - if you haven't played around with mod podge lately, I would give it another go. The perk for me? The price tag!

I created this project on my own and the makers of MOD PODGE, PLAID CRAFTS are not paying me to advertise their product. I just love it, so I thought I would give them a shout out!