What is Good for Us

I had to laugh the other day when Sheri McConnell

posted this as her Twitter update:

Before you diagnose yourself w/depression or low self-esteem, 

first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes.

Clearly this post resonated with many others too,

because I saw it re-tweeted several times through the day.

And I think that we all laugh because we see

how we have done this to ourselves.

I know I have driven myself into therapy

because I wasn't careful enough about choosing

who I had around me.

I am a highly sensitive person,

as I think most artists are.

I am also very empathic,

and have a great desire to prove my own worth

by taking care of others.

This is not a healthy combination.

I have learned to recognize this pattern in myself.

After reading the Happiness Project,

one of my personal 12 Commandments became

"When you feel the urge to do more, STOP."

Because I know that I often over-extend myself.

I am trying to 

"pick out what is good"

for me.

Some of the things I have learned in this process:

*if you want to have a good marriage,

spend time with couples who treat each

other with love and respect

*if you want to make more art,

surround yourself with artists

*if you want to have more fun,

surround yourself with people 

who make you laugh

I could go on, but you get the idea.

What about you?

What do you want more of? Less of?

What can you pick out that is good for you?

Rainbows

What is it about rainbows?

I think it's more than just

a girly thing.

Rainbows are a 

symbol of hope. 

Of beauty from chaos.

Of the many gifts mother earth

blesses us with.

Are you obsessed with rainbows

as much as I am?

Hope you are having

a beautiful day!

P.S.

I'm feeling much better now :)

So grateful for antibiotics!

P.P.S.

But there's nothing wrong

with a bit of girly

rainbow fun too :)

Just for Today

Last week an article that I wrote called

Light My Fire

was posted over at Studio Mothers.

And the response seemed to be

in general, that we, as mothers,

struggle to value ourselves

enough to take the time to re-charge.

And so I thought, maybe what we all need

is a permission slip.

We need someone to tell us that it is ok.

That the world will not fall apart

if for one day of the week

we stop.

We just stop.

Stop doing anything but the essentials,

and take the time to do

what truly makes us happy.

Read a book.

Go for a walk.

Watch a movie.

Nap.

Play with paints.

Stop being a grown-up and just

play with our kids.

So here it is.

Your permission slip.

Print it out,

post it on the fridge,

and tell everyone that

JUST FOR TODAY

you are off duty

for all but essential services.

No car pooling.

No bill paying.

No playdate arranging.

No chores that can be done tomorrow

(the laundry isn't going anywhere).

And if you need more inspiration,

listen to yesterday's post

of Paul Clifford

singing his beautiful original song

SLOW DOWN.

Try it.

And let me know how it goes :)

Hermione, Ron and Friendship

I'm on a Harry Potter kick right now,

re-watching all the movies in anticipation

of the big finale this summer.

And while I was sitting on the couch with Rob

watching the movie, I was doodling in my sketchbook

and this came out.

She kind of reminds me of Hermione.

I was thinking about the movie, and what has made

both the books and movies so successful.

And it occurred to me that Harry

is an outcast.

He doesn't really belong anywhere.

He doesn't have a family,

he doesn't really fit in with his peers.

In fact, he is an oddity

to be oggled and whispered about.

But he finds two good friends.

Two good friends who stand by him

no matter what.

I was an outcast for most of my youth.

A social pariah.

I know very acutely the pain of being alone.

But I have some really good friends now.

And I am so grateful.

So grateful that I have a place to belong.

So today I want to say thank you to the

Rons and Hermiones in my life.

The loyal friends who have stood by me

through the good and the bad.

To Sam and Mandy, Rick and Aly.

I love you and am so

grateful

to have you in my life.

And to the one who has been there for me

even in my darkest hours.

My amazing husband Robert.

I am a very lucky woman.

And you?

Who are you grateful for today?

Think Big!

What if, just for today,

you let yourself think BIG?

What if you let yourself dream BIG?

What would that look like?

I'm not talking about lottery dreams.

I talking about allowing yourself

to imagine a perfect day.

What would that look like?

For me, it looks like a day filled with

music and art,

of time alone

and time with friends.

(And a massage and some

good dark chocolate

wouldn't hurt either)

What about you?

Enjoy Life! (artful living, lesson two)

Welcome to another mixed media Monday!

Another spread in my happiness journal.

Consider it your invitation to fill

the blank pages of this day with joy.

Take a big, juicy bite of something sweet.

Whatever the day throws at you,

hold on to that sweetness.

Mixed Media Monday: Happiness Image Transfer

Today I am excited to share an image transfer technique that I learned about from this Vimeo Video. I have played with this technique before using black and white images, but hadn't known that it can also be used with colour inkjet prints. I was so excited to try this technique, and it turned out really well! I did a simple watercolour wash as the background, let it dry, applied the image transfer using Matte Medium, then added the word happiness using a rub-on. This is a detail from my current happiness journal:

And since we are on the topic of happiness, please do leave me a comment letting me know what is making you happy today!

Have a beautiful day:)

Mixed Media Monday:The Key to Happiness!

In preparation for Strathmore's final visual journalling workshop, I finally actually bought one of their visual journals. I got the watercolour paper version, because I like the heavier weight paper. While trying to decide the theme of the journal, I found a magazine clipping that I had cut out years ago and filed in my quotations folder. It said "I've decided I want more joy in my life." In keeping with my commitment to pursue my own happiness project, this seemed like the perfect nudge to create a Keys to Happiness journal. I plan to record my thoughts and observations and what does and does not make me happier throughout my days, in order to figure out how to have more of the happy stuff and less of the other.

I created a simple watercolour background and added some photos of flowers. Looking back through my quotations stash, I found a collection of cards that I had pulled out of O Magazine. On one side they have a great quote, and on the other side it says "I will make time for..." And it is so easy to let the days slip away, caught up in our to-do lists that we forget to make time for the things that are truly important to us.

I am looking forward to filling these pages, and to seeing what comes out of my happiness investigation. Today I am going to make time for some yoga, and look through some pictures I took last week. I will also take time to slowly let a piece of dark chocolate melt on my tongue. What will you take time for today? Take a moment to commit to find a little bit of happiness in your day, and think about one thing you are dreading, and ask yourself if you can let that go, or re-frame it for yourself.

Please share your thoughts on happiness in the comments section. I love to your your thoughts!

Have a beautiful day!

Mixed Media Monday: Kids Art Journal

Welcome to the third and final instalment of mixed media for kids! Today we will be creating a simple book which can be used as an art journal, sticker album, or portfolio.

Step one: grab 2-3 colours of finger paints and let your kid go nuts on 4 large sheets of paper, trying to cover the entire sheet.  Let dry. If you so desire, flip them over and repeat. 

Step 2: Once sheets are dry, stack them, fold them in half, and staple to create a booklet.

Step 3: Let your child fill the book by stamping, painting, adding stickers, or gluing in previously completed artwork. With older children, you could help them create an illustrated storybook or poetry collection.

I hope you have enjoyed the mixed media for and with kids series. Next week I am excited to start Strathmore's final visual journal workshop series.

Have a beautiful day!

Mixed Media Monday: Ocean Collage

I still haven't found the art journal that Gabe and I made. I'm sure it will turn up eventually...

In the meantime, here's another fun and easy project that you can do with your 2-5 year old. Again, this is designed as a project to be done over a few days.

Supplies:

-One large piece of blue poster paper

-print-outs of a few ocean animals (download from free colouring page sites)

-coloured tissue paper, cut into one inch squares

-scissors

-glue stick

Take your colouring page print outs and let your toddler smear glue all over and stick squares of coloured tissue paper onto it. When complete, you cut out the animal and help your toddler glue it onto the "ocean" background. To make this even easier, do what I did for the octopus, and use one big solid piece of tissue paper instead of the small squares. Then you could get it all made in one quick session.

And here is what it looks like:

You could make this for any theme: think birds, farm animals, flowers, etc. And here is a fun twist: add an Ikea frame, and you have some great instant artwork for a child's bedroom!

Please let me know if you give this a try how it works out for you.

Have a beautiful day!

P.S. Found the art journal! I'll feature that next week :)



Mixed Media Monday: Easter Story

I was going to share another kid's multimedia art project this morning, but the thing about life with kids is that often where you put something is not where it stays. So when I went to find the art journal that Gabe and I had made together, it had disappeared. So instead, I am sharing a little book that I made for Gabe last year using scrapbooking supplies and photos.

I think the album I used was made by Bo Bunny, but don't quote me on that. What I liked about the design was that it had slider windows built into the book that I could hide photos behind.

Here is the front cover:

Here is the first layout with the slider windows closed:

and opened:

I made stencils for some images, like the tree, which I used twice in the book. I also used my Paisley die cuts quite a bit. I cut off the tips to make the raindrops in the above layout, and left them intact to create the leaves and bird below. The bunny, raindrops and rain slicker below are stickers, with the added cuteness of a cut-out of Gabe's face to complete the image.

This was a pretty elaborate project which took me several weeks to complete, but I love pulling it out again to read to him in the spring. I have a dream to eventually create a whole collection of books like this for him around different holidays, but right now it is just one of many things on my list of projects that I would like to complete. I always seem to have more ideas than time. Next time I might speed up the whole process by creating the book using digital scrapbooking elements, which would make the whole thing much less work.

I'm looking for ideas for this week's Inspiration Wednesday post, so if you have any suggestions, please send them my way. 

Have a beautiful day!

Mixed Media Monday: Collage with Kids

Over the next few Mondays I will be sharing some fun collage and mixed media projects to do with kids. Each of these projects can be done with items that you already have lying around the house, and is easy enough that it can be done with a toddler. As well, each project is designed to be completed in 2-3 art sessions. I think having a multi-stage art project is a fun way to teach kids about persistence.

Today's project is a simple collage. To start, grab any paper you have. I used a large sheet of the paper roll that you can get at Ikea. Grab a few colours of tissue paper leftover from present wrapping and cut into rough squares. Using a glue stick or Mod Podge, let your child cover as much of the paper with random tissue paper squares as he/she feels like. Leave to dry.

Come back the next day with a few stickers. I used office label stickers. Let your child add the stickers wherever he/she desires. Then get out your cheepo water-colour paints and let your child paint over the whole thing. Let dry. If the paper warps excessively, Lay it under some heavy books once dry to flatten it out.

Final step: Chop up your large piece into smaller rectangles and glue onto card stock to make a birthday card for dad. Or make several cards, tie them and some envelopes together with a pretty ribbon and you have custom notecards, which make a great Mother's Day gift for grandma.

Have a beautiful day!

Mixed Media Monday: Digital Style

I haven't shared any digital collages for a while, so I figured I would change it up this week. This is just a little something I was playing with recently. It's a work in progress. I'm planning to get back into some Photoshop tutorials and get creating some more pieces soon. I have been really inspired by some of the amazing artists in the newest edition of Digital Studio magazine, so I'll be sharing some of their work with you in this Wednesday's inspiration post. And coming up Friday, I'll be sharing photos from this weekend's lovely getaway to Rockwater Secret Cove Resort.

Mixed Media Monday: Gratitude

I have started round two of the Strathmore Visual Journal workshops. Linda Blinn is teaching some really easy techniques to start your journal pages. Here are a few background papers I made up using her techniques. These are part of a 4 x 5.5 mini-journal that I am making called With A Grateful Heart. I'll be filling the journal with favourite moments from my life over the next few weeks. This is a practice which I started a few years ago. At the end of the day I write down my three favourite moments, and the things I am grateful for. I have been slacking off of late, but as part of my Happiness Project, I am getting back to it.

On the first page I wrote that I was grateful for an amazing yoga class, a trip to the art store, and a great concert (it was a good day!) I challenge you today, as you go through the day, to stop and pay attention to a moment. Really soak it in. It is amazing how paying more attention to that moment brings you so much joy. When your child laughs, or a stream of sunlight comes in through a window, take a deep breath and notice. Say to yourself "this is me, feeling happy." Be present in your joy, and it will increase tenfold. 

We have only one life. Live every moment.

Mixed Media Monday: Motherhood Is...

As one of our final assignments for Mothering Authentically, we were asked to do some journalling by completing the statement Motherhood Is... I haven't finished work yet, but here is my page in progress:

The text reads:

-A mirror, reflecting back your best and worst selves

-Big Love (scary, exciting, exhausting, challenging, overwhelming, worry, freedom, boredom)

-An excuse to dress up like a princess whenever the mood hits

-A key which unlocks a flood-gate of tears

What does motherhood mean to you?

Mixed Media Monday - Mothering Authentically Week 3

This week in Mothering Authentically, we were asked to make a list of what we would like to do with 24 free hours of time. For a mom, that's like fantasizing about what you would do with a million dollars. I started making a list and found that 24 hours was really a small period of time when I looked at all the things I would like to do with it ;)

Next up it was time to focus in on one or two of the things from that list to see what we would like to incorporate into our lives on a daily or weekly basis. Last week I went for a walk by myself. On my way out the door, my husband asked if I was going to take my camera, and I did. I wandered around the neighbourhood, stopping to snap a photo when I felt like it. And the freedom of this open time, of being able to walk at my own pace and think whatever thoughts wanted to float through my mind, was such a beautiful thing. It made me realize that what I want most of all, is time not to DO but just to BE. I always have a million projects with which I could fill 24 hours. But what I need to remember is to slow down and just BREATHE. So my commitment to myself is that at least once a week I want to go for a nice, leisurely walk by myself.

Coming up on Inspiration Wednesday, I will have a video of my Pecha Kucha presentation, and tell you a bit about some of the other speakers who presented. It was a fantastic night, full of interesting people and some great art!

Have a beautiful day!

Mixed Media Monday - Mothering Authentically Week 2

Our household has been under the evil spell of the never-ending cold for more than a week now, so I will keep it brief today.

In Week 2 of Mothering Authentically, we have been exploring our individual personality types as they apply to mothering, and examining the roles we play as mothers. Here are my journal pages on the topic:



Mommy Roles

No Roles

Congrats to Grig on winning the 100th blog post prize of a set of 4 fairy magnets, and to Kelli, winner of the OWOH door prize notecards! Your presents will be sent out this week. Thanks to everyone who left comments for both giveaways.

Have a beautiful day!