15 minutes of mixed media

Here you go - this week's take on my 15 minutes of mixed media - a lesson in art and time management!

I like this week's take. It is bright and bold! I am working in this art journal and love it! I started again this week with a blank page, an extra challenge for me. I prefer too, and usually start with a background, making the creative process that much easier. The blank page is teaching me to be bold and to not let the timer scare me!

SUPPLIES THIS WEEK-------> Golden Heavy Body Acrylic in Fluorescent Pink, Golden Fluid Acrylic in Diarylide Yellow  and Golden Fluid Acrylic inUltramarine Blue, Apple Barrel Craft Paints in White Gloss and Key West, Dylusions Spray Ink in Funky Fuchsia, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Ripe Persimmon, Painters Brand Paint Pens in White, Black, Red, Orange, and Hot Pink. I also used stencils, a heat embosser, a pencil, a medium point black Sharpie pen, one of my hand carved stamps, a TUL ultra fine permanent black marker, a paintbrush and an old gift card.

Here are a few other journal pages I created using this technique-------> Click on the images below to see how these journal pages were created using 15 minutes of mixed media.

*as an amazon affiliate, I receive a small incentive if you purchase a product through these links*

newsworthy: where bloggers create 2012

Please CLICK HERE or on the IMAGE BELOW for a closer look at WHERE I CREATE !

{ FEATURED IN THE JULY 2012 ISSUE OF SOMERSET LIFE }

I am so blessed to have such a beautiful space to create in. I try to surround myself with objects and textiles that feel pretty to me, that make me smile. Loving where you work makes all the difference.

Read all about what inspired this room, how I organize and things I love the most, in -

this post {WHERE I CREATE} and in the JULY ISSUE OF SOMERSET LIFE.

To see the studios of other creative bloggers, please join in here, and be inspired!

T H A N K S  TO  K A R E N  AT 

M Y  D E S E R T  C O T T A G E  F O R  H O S T I N G !

in my house: laundry room makeover

I have been wanting to do a "makeover" on my laundry room for a long time now. I live in my laundry room. Well okay, not literally, but sort of... a family of {seven} tends to make a great deal of laundry. I also might have mentioned {once or twice} that I actually {LOVE} to do laundry. I love the calming affect that sorting and folding laundry has on my spirit. I love ironing. A monotonous but gratifying chore for me. I love crisp towels and sheets, miniature piles of soft little kiddo socks and stacks of sweetly scented dyed textiles for the studio...and so I want this room that I spend so much time in to be {beautiful} ...

...  I love walking into this room through a {screen door} ...

... this room was never {ugly} ... just {dark}. Very dark. It is an interior room, so no windows. A great panic room for when the occasional hurricane blows in, but a terrible in terms of available {light}. Among the many things that disturb me as a person who suffers from OCD is a lack of sufficient {light}. I need light. Lots of light. My living room and studio are flooded with light. It is wonderful, but sadly, unless I tear down my garage and the staircase leading to the second floor of my house and add a window or two, this is not going to be the case in my laundry room ...

...so I decided to bring the light in another way. Through paint and fixtures. Artificial light is better than  no light at all. This is what the laundry room looked like before. Don't ask about the paint color. I chose it. I hated it, but had to live with it for the last two years. 

FINALLY I made the time to repaint, rearrange. The result was nothing shy of {amazing}. I could not believe the transformation in such a simple move. Two coats of paint and an added lamp and it was literally like {night and day}.

It was the cheapest room makeover I have ever completed. Two gallons of paint from Home Depot {$55}. One new fluorescent light bulb for the ceiling fixture {$6.93}. One lamp from goodwill {$5.00}. 

Grand Total {$66.93} Wow!

All the other little decorating {details} were found by shopping my own home and closets. Swapping items out of one room to add to another is a biggie for me. I do it all of the time. An easy fix when you feel like you want something new, but don't want to spend a lot of money.

These cool wall stars came home on the roof of car from one of my many visits to Pennsylvania. They didn't even show up on the darker painted wall. Now they are beautiful focal point.

I shopped for this cool over sized frame in Miss Sophia's Bedroom. She has informed me that I will need to replace it ... I shall be thinking of what to put in it's stead.

... this piece from {IKEA} is not my style at all. It is modern and cold, but functional. I have a plan for what it is going in it's place, but have yet to build it. Will keep you posted on that. In the meantime I am going to try a sew this for the top of it...and while I do not like the looks of this piece, it really is a great item to have in the laundry room. The three large bins on the bottom sort laundry into whites, lights and darks. The three large middle bins are for the older children's clean and folded laundry. The three smaller bins sort hangars, school projects and papers that are ready to be filed and miscellaneous things that need a {home}...

... the counter top over the washer and dryer slides out for easy access to the machines ...

... Glass jars hold dye catcher, fabric softener and swiffer sheets ...

... an old lamp was given a coat of white paint. The bamboo shade was covered in shabby linen ruffles ...

... a vintage wire basket from the studio was dumped of its' contents and hung on the wall. A pretty hydrangea was clipped to side ...

... more glass jars were filled with all sort of laundry goodies ...

...an old candle tin was propped up on a pretty frame stand. The glass lamp is from {goodwill} ...

... little paper birds on a tray add some whimsy ...

... a reproduction crate with glass jars ...

...I hate cords. This sweet cord cover was fashioned from a length of linen. Now the cord can lay on the counter top without looking offensive ...

...a faux lavender bouquet. Perfect addition to a laundry room ...

... cork boards covered with burlap, vintage resin letters and shabby flowers spell out a favorite saying in french - {have faith my friend} ...

 ... { this is for petite michell } ...

 ...I keep my giant white enamel pots handy. I use these to dye my fabrics, but they look so pretty sitting out too ...

... a canvas pennant adorns the frame ...

... assorted large baskets for sorting and folding laundry adds warmth to an all white room ...

...the laundry room sink sits on the opposite side of the {IKEA} counter. It is indispensable to me. I use it for everything from rinsing dyed fabric to storing wet pool towels until they are laundered. There is a hanging rack that folds down from the wall behind the sink. It is great for hanging delicate "drip dry" items - they can {drip} right into the sink.

... and my favorite giant wire baskets. I love to use for storing folded sheets and towels ...

...  I love the feeling of walking into a {light filled} room. It is so refreshing and cheerful. I am still amazed at the difference such a small detail as {paint color} can make ...

 

 

{treats for my sweets}

...so today I was able to do {TWO} of my favorite things...

{CREATE FOR MY SWEETS}

I love making things for my sweet, sweet pals. They have been such an inspiration to me as of late - and it gives me great pleasure to offer the smallest of gestures in return.   

{Thank you all.}

    and...

 {MAKE MAIL ART}

 ...making mail art makes me SO happy.

newsworthy: where i create - somerset life

This is where I create...

 ...this room used to be a pretty shade of blue, but I wanted more light,more reflection, more white. This new room is much more {ME}.

I keep almost all of my trinkets and fabric close at hand. I am a collector of containers and {LOVE} them in any shape, size or medium, especially metal. If it can hold something, I will find a use for it. My newest favorite container - that sweet old galvanized {MAILBOX}. I Love it!

I know there are a lot of photographs. It is so difficult to get all the angles of a room, and I tried to take advantage of the wonderful afternoon light. Enjoy!

 The first piece of furniture I had for this room, years ago, was the island. I loved that it was white with a butcher block top. When we decided to add the rest of the built ins, my sweet husband offered to use planks of wood for the counter tops, so that it would mimic the butcher block of the island.

Everything goes with butcher block and white...especially baskets...so many great finds on old ones at the local thrift stores.

 Here is a photograph of my new wreathe. I fell in love with the one here and had to make one. Emily Jones Design and Aunt Peaches have the best tutorials, complete with lots of great images. Of course, mine has ten tons of berries and pears and other goodies added to it...oh yea, and about 125 coffee filter flowers...

 ...I have a few of the vintage metal card holders. I use them for displaying my favorite vintage {NUMBER} playing cards.

The best part of this room is the two {BIG} windows. I can never have enough natural light. It really makes a difference for me when working with the dye lots colors.

 My magnetic board is always loaded with the most recent dye lot...and anything that catches my eye. This week it was the {FRAGILE - HANDLE WITH CARE} impromptu sign that I cut off of a box.

 Several years ago, when I knew I was going to have my very own {creative space} I started hunting for the perfect storage bins. I found them on clearance at a company called {HOLD EVERYTHING}. They have been my tried and true staple pieces. The are most importantly {WHITE} and they are metal. I love them. They have been durable and neutral. I have a several different pieces in the collection and love them all.

 Good 'ole {IKEA} has great hanging storage. I like that it was also neutral and metal...and the best part is that all the pieces are interchangeable. If you are looking for something similar, I found them in the kitchen department of {IKEA}.

 

 Two more of my favorite things on display and ready to use at all times...{FABRIC} AND {NUMBERS}.
 I found this cool file organizer at my church thrift store. It was black. A little white spray paint, a turn on her side, and she makes a sweet fabric organizer. {LOVE}...and numbers are everywhere...can never have enough numbers.

So when my hubbie was finished creating the countertops, he asked me to take some time and figure out where I wanted my lamps, sewing machine, etc. This was so he could drill holes where the cords would go {he knows I hate cords showing}...the best part of all was the local {GLASS MAN} was able to drill the same hole in the glass I had made to cover the wood.

 The white frame is backed with rabbit wire. I love these and have several. I use them for portable design boards...plus they are {PRETTY}...

...and more white storage under the window for paper of all kinds...

 I haven't changed out the hanging lamp yet, but am planning on replacing it in the future. I had a sweet chandelier all picked out for that spot, but it never made it past Sophia's bedroom...now it adorns her ceiling. {NOT} sure how that happened...so I am on the hunt again. I need a pretty tiny one, for the space to look right, so for now I just made a sweet muslin {CORD COVER} for the {IKEA} lamp that resides here now.

 The old metal baskets are so sweet. They are almost like a miniature locker basket. Not sure what they were used for. I put a yard of two of my favorite and most used trims in oversized test tubes and placed them near my sewing area. This way they are always on hand when I need them...and flowers. They are lots of {FLOWERS} in this room. None of them are the same, because I love them all...also some of my favorite dyed wool yarn, in shades of white and pale pinks.

 A {PEONY'S FAVORITE FINISH CUSTOM BASKET} is home to part of my glass jar collection. The larger ones rest on top of the wall cabinet.

 I just love the way a chunk of hand dyed material looks...

 There is something very cheerful about looking at this...

 ...and this. That is why I keep them around at all times.

 The glass counter tops allow for the widest range of freedom when creating. I can use all types of mediums without a mat...dyes and hot glue, which are usually tough to get off of any surface, just wipe right off with a spot of windex or goo gone.

 Look at my sweet smelling lavender scented sachets. The tags are removable and say {INSPIRE} and {LIVE}. These were a lovely gift from Becky at Junk to Joy

...another old office supply basket that got a new coat of shabby white paint. The key was a most treasured gift from Michelle at Petite Michelle Louise. She knows my love of hearts, and in honor my Angel son created this precious key with a heart shaped stone on it...{i love it}

 Everyone has a {behind the door} spot. This is mine. It houses my threads, aprons, dye swatches, needle felting supplies, stickles and glue gun...all of these things hang on one of those awesome heavy duty metal clip style organizers from {HOLD EVERYTHING}.

 My coveted piece of all time. {THE WOOL CABINET}. This is a piece that I collected from the side of the road in my little town. A local mechanic was getting rid of it and it was mine if I hauled it away. It was orange in color it was so rusty and all the parts drawers were missing. It was over {7 feet tall} and almost {4 feet wide} and I had a vision of what is could be. I called {MR.723} and begged him to collect it...little did I know it weighed over a thousand pounds...{6} metal grill brushes and {17} hours later it was just the way I wanted it...{and of course also screwed to the wall}...

...and a shot of the baskets on the bottom shelf of the island...the two tiered metal stand was a not-so-pretty shade of gold when I found her. Some more white paint and she holds all my favorite vintage hankies and  hand made ruffled silk flowers ready to be put together...

 ...another wonderful container from {HOLD EVERYTHING}...it houses all of my vintage papers and images and paper findings...

 ..more shots of the this {YUMMY} wreathe...

 ...at first I was hesitant to cover up this sweet chalkboard...but then when I did it looked so great layered that I had to leave it...

 ...below is a sweet white candle sconce adorning the door to the room. This little sconce was not always so {SWEET}. It was the ugliest fake gold plastic 1970's sconce you ever did see...just goes to show you what some good white spray paint will do for an ugly little object!

 This little storage cubby came straight from the hardware isle at my local Wal-Mart. It is plastic. It was silver. You guessed it -  {MORE WHITE SPRAY PAINT}. I am so glad that they make it just for plastic now. It is so awesome! I have everything from vintage buttons to paper clips in this thing and it cost me about {{$6.00}.

 ...the stool are from {IKEA}. They are not my first choice, but fit the budget and went with the butcher block. Now that I am learning to use my new {SEWING MACHINE} I might try making some sweet ruffled slipcovers...if you have an easy tutorial I would love to hear about it!

 ...I bought all the cabinets and cupboards in boxes at {HOME DEPOT}. My Hero spent lots of hours with those 468 page long direction booklets putting all of these together for me. They are not frilly or even very {PRETTY} but they are white and clean lined and were super cheap. Perfect! Even the island and the beautiful glass doored cabinet came in boxes. They were purchased at {K-MART} a few years ago.

I LOVE WHERE I CREATE !

{there is no medicine like laughter...and a healthy dose of friendship}

You might remember that recently I vowed to {LIVE} a great deal more

and  {BLOG} a great deal less.I have been faithful to this self made

promise and I have reaped the rewards. 

To have a few {GREAT FRIENDS} is to be considered fortunate. 

To be able to leave the door open to your {SOUL}

when you are in their company is a {BLESSING.}

I know this good fortune.

I am this blessed.

I, once again, found myself in the company of not one, not two, but {FOUR} cherished friends last weekend.

I was, once again, {LOVED & UPLIFTED}.

I was, once again, {TREATED WITH KINDNESS & UNDERSTANDING}.

 I was, once again, {RESPECTED & LISTENED TOO}.

I was, once again, {RESTORED}.

{AND WE CREATED}

I consider myself to be {BEHOLDEN UNTO GOD}

for the gift of these women I call {FRIENDS}.

I am blessed beyond measure.

I am loved without condition.

Each woman brought to the table a gift fit for a king.

One brings a gift for creating beauty. A beauty that shines. A beauty that makes the others smile. Creations that bring joy and inspiration world wide.

One brings the gift of compassion. A deep and real love for mankind. A gift for seeing the good in everyone, everything. An ability to make one feel worthy...even when we feel we are not.

One brings the gift of insight. A knack for seeing and knowing who we are, even when we doubt ourselves. A gift of direct and unwavering love. A keen sense worth. She is a steady pipeline that connects us all to one another.

One brings the gift of optimism and laughter. A bounty of charitable thoughts and ideas. A superior mind filled with creative & loving ideas. An all encompassing spirit of good and possibility. 

And when I sat across the table from these women and their gifts I realized something.

While each woman might have placed their own sweet boon on the table, their one ingredient ready to be added to this wondrous and rare recipe of kindred friendship, their was something else...

...I looked around and  I realized that each one of these extraordinary women had taken on the

collective gifts of the others. 

When at first I thought a single woman brought creative beauty to the table -  I now realized that each woman had brought the gift of creative beauty, but in her own dynamic way. The same for compassion and insight and optimism.

These women were indeed kindred spirits ... and I was among them. 

Uplifted and strong. 

 Dedicated and devoted. 

I was the fortunate one; adding to the pot, my own strength of creative beauty. My own cup of compassion. My own pinch of insight. My own dash of optimism.

And in the end? When the weekend was over and the time came, once again, to part ?

Well it was bittersweet. Like any great meal, I left feeling satisfied.

Full, yet hesitant to leave the table.

Sad that our time together was to be suspended....{FOR NOW}.

And so I have the next gathering to look forward too.

My appetite will grow in the interim and I will be ready to partake in the banquet of

love and laughter and creative inspiration. 

I will come to the table hungry with expectation...

...ready to feast on the joys of {REAL FRIENDSHIP}.

God is so good to feed my {SOUL} in such a way.

I am so very {BLESSED}.

I {LOVE} you all.

{week 7. summer in snapshots}

It is time again for Summer in Snapshots, 

a fun and inspiring party hosted by Amber over at The {Starfish} Blog. 

How can the days get any busier?

I am cramming tons of odds and ends into each day...

...school uniform & supplies shopping, work, work working,

the usual chores and of course, creating...

but creating was extra special this past week. Not because of

what I created, but because of who I was creating with.

You can read about it here.

CREATING FEELS SO GOOD...

...and sometimes, just a simple photo of what we are working on

can be just as rewarding....

Enjoy!

 

{friendship, art and deep belly laughs}

REAL friendship . A gift so rare that those in possession of such a thing cling to it with a fierceness likened to that of a Mother to her child.

I have been blessed with such friendships. A tiny gathering of hearts that uplift me. Support me. Love me. 

My time within this circle of companionship leaves me feeling restored, fulfilled, strengthened. I can be my whole self. Good and bad. I will not be judged, only comforted. I will not be chastened, only emboldened...

...and so it is an even rarer treat to get time to CREATE with these women.  Most recently, 72 hours of connected occasion. Stories, {some with tears}. Creations. Plans and promises. Laughter. Not just the proverbial "catching up", but a kinship. A bond strong enough to shun even sleep for fear of losing just one moment of time spent together...

...These are special, special  women. They listen. They cheer me. They listen some more. They steel me. They do not disregard my dreams for rambling wishes. They ignite a desire in me to grab the reins and move forward...not at a trot, but a full gallop. They are along for the ride. The long haul. When I look to my left, to my right, they are there. The wind whipping through their hair, as it is through mine...because we are charging ahead. Full steam. Together.

And at the end of the day? They make MORE TIME STILL.

We pass around the art, swaying with fatigue, and sing each others' praises.

Cohorts in creativity - they raise my spirits, elevate my heart and induce in me, soul reviving deep belly laughs. They COMPLETE ME.

{ you ALL know who you are...and i love each and every one of you.}