Monthly Archives: December 2011

New Year’s Resolution

31 Saturday Dec 2011

Posted by in Creating a Character, Finny and Wood, Inspirational Doodles

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I think I’ve come up with my New Year’s resolution.

I’m going to try to take a few minutes every day to perform some sort of meditation. I haven’t decided what form – perhaps mindfulness meditation. This will definitely be a challenge for me, because my work schedule is constantly full – and it’s hard for me to pull myself away from work!

Art and Alchemy

29 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by in Art, Creating Equals Playing

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One of my favorite things to do is experiment with new techniques in creating art.

It can be a bit like alchemy, trying to find the right combinations of substances to create something new. Sometimes all I get is a big mess, and other times it pays off big time with results I couldn’t have imagined.

One of the seeds I will plant in the new year is the seed of experimentation – and I plan to show some of my results in the future on this blog.

Frozen Ground

28 Wednesday Dec 2011

Posted by in Art, Inspirational Doodles, Writing

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I had this idea about planting seeds on frozen ground. I seem to have an abundance of scattered thoughts  today. It made me curious, so I researched to see if there are any seeds that can be planted when the ground is frozen. Apparently some types of grass seed can be planted on frozen ground.

Maybe some of these scattered thoughts will grow into something later.

A New Year A Fresh Start

27 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by in Art, Inspirational Doodles, Writing

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As the new year approaches, I can’t help thinking about those things I’d like to freshen up in life.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could buy “life freshener” in a spray bottle? It’s a challenge to make changes, and this year, I’m finding it a challenge to figure out what needs to be changed. Maybe it comes down to picking one thing and sticking with it – taking one goal and making it the priority for the year. For the past several months, this blog has been the one thing that I’ve tried to stick with every day, making a post no matter what. It’s true that I’ve missed a few days, but for the most part making the blog a priority has been a success. I wonder if it’s possible to add a second priority without affecting the first!

The Real Gifts of the Season

23 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by in Creating a Character, Finny and Wood

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I didn’t buy many Christmas gifts this year. This image is an exaggeration!

I’m trying to focus more on those truly important things – the real gifts of the season.

When I started to add color to this image, I realized I hadn’t settled on what colors Finny and Wood should be! So I cheated and gave color only to the gifts. (That’s supposed to be a bow on the end of Finny’s tail, but it just reads as a blob).

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it!

Kreativ Blogger Award

22 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by in Awards, Blogging, Journal

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Yesterday, I found a really nice comment from Zendictive on my blog. He’s nominated me for the Kreativ Blogger Award. If any of you aren’t familiar with Zentictive’s blog, I highly recommend checking it out. Every day he posts something incredible — fables, folk tales, etegami, drawings, and more.

http://zendictive.wordpress.com/

There are a few awards this blog has received, and I’m really far behind in following through with the requirements. I hope to do that over the holidays. This award requires sharing 10 things about myself you may not know. Then, I need to pass the award on to at least 6 other bloggers. This is going to take some thought, and I hope to accomplish these requirements over the holidays. Zendictive has been so kind to pass on his blog awards to me, and I’m very honored, because he puts out such a great blog!

Zentangles

20 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by in Art, Art Supplies, Craft Project, Creating Equals Playing

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Today’s post comes from Joanne Fink. I know a few of you who have subscribed to this blog have an interest in Zentangles. Yesterday, I received information about this book by Joanne Fink, featuring her drawing and patterning techniques.

The following letter is from Joanne Fink. She gave me permission to post this:

“Dear Friends & Family,

Three years ago, I began a new stage of my creative journey when I was introduced to the wonderful world of Zentangle®. I enjoyed ‘tangling’ for a couple of weeks, then returned to my calligraphic roots and started incorporating patterns into my letterforms and designs. Since I was inspired by Zentangle, I called my new style “Zenspirations™”, and began teaching others how to enhance their work with simple patterns. I had never worked with a mono-line pen before, but quickly became so enamored with all of Sakura’s wonderful pens that I became a ‘Sakura Fanatic’, and filmed a series of videos showing how I use their tools to create my Zenspirations art. You can find them on Sakura’s website, or by clicking on the links below.
In addition to the videos, I’ve designed and licensed lots of Zenspirations products for the craft market, and Inspired Journey items for the stationery and gift market. My new book, Zenspirations Letters & Patterning, was introduced by Design Originals at the Craft & Hobby Show in July. My publisher is offering a “Friends & Family” 20% discount to anyone who wants to order the book between now and January 2, 2012. Just click this link:
BUY NOW    and put in the promo code “zensp” at checkout.
And for those of you who are looking for last minute holiday gifts, please check out my new magnetic jewelry design inserts for Magnabilities at http://www.magnabilities.com/store/design-inserts-licensed-c-3_1213_1109.html. The Christmas designs (see samples below) are available now, and my monogram inserts will be available soon.
Thanks for helping me get the word out about the book, jewelry and videos… I really appreciate it.
Happy Holidays!
Joanne”
ZENSPIRATIONS™ VIDEO LINKS:
 
1.       Zenspirations Patterning Techniques with Joanne Fink
2.       Zenspirations Shape & Edge Patterning with Joanne Fink
3.       Zenspirations Patterned Monograms with Joanne Fink
4.       Zenspirations Borders & Frames with Joanne Fink
5.       Sakura Fanatic with Joanne Fink
6.       Zenspirations Koi Watercolor Painting with Samantha Trattner (Joanne’s daughter)
Hope you enjoy the videos… you can see other great videos on Sakura’s website: www.sakuraofamerica.com.
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