4G's Blog Hop Day 2 Project: Tip-in's

Welcome to day two of our three day blog hop that will end tomorrow. Please visit each blog listed below. Each blogger will post a different project during all three days of the blog hop for you to comment on. Each comment gains you one entry for prizes being drawn Monday from each blog.

Also, for additional entries, please "follow" each blog and "like" each blog. Each member can have up to 5 entries on each blog by the end of the hop.

On Monday, August 17, each blogger will randomly select a winner from all entries for a prize. If you are a winner, the blogger will contact you directly. 

Here is a list of bloggers participating... Check each one out, follow and like each blog... give their project a try and leave a comment for a chance to win... It's that easy! 

Stephanie Collins: http://mamascrapper69.blogspot.com/

Amanda Rhodes: http://salnclts76.blogspot.com/

 
Paula Driver: http://scrapyourworld1.blogspot.com/

Norma Gomez: http://normagomezart.blogspot.com/

Kyla Schrake: www.fwast.blogspot.com

Michele Quam: www.Chelmariescreativecorner.blogspot.com

Steff Munnings: www.EmbellishItAll.blogspot.com

Peg Rounds: www.pegscraftingcorner.blogspot.com

Stephanie Bargelski: http://stephaniebscreativedesigns.blogspot.com/

My 2nd Project is a play off of Yesterday's Project called:

Tip-in's

What To Do With All Those Decorated Envelopes and Happy Mail 

You've Been Collecting

I don't know about you, but I've been collecting envelopes, cards, letters, and 

postcards since I was young. Most sat in a box until about 10 years ago when

I decided that my collection was to important to just be shoved into

a shoe-box and hidden in my closet or stacked in a corner.

I decided that from now on I would do something creative with every card, postcard,

or letter I've received. I went through all my boxes...

Put them into categories... some I couldn't even remember who they came from.

Some brought back many memories of family members, friends or events.

It was actually quite an adventure down memory lane.

Some of the cards needed to be re-purposed, by that I mean cut up to 

be used as ephemera in collages and different art pieces.  

Some I absolutely fell in love with and

went into my special pile. That pile is what ended up in my journals.

Some people refer to it as a smash book... a new term that was brought into the 

mix a few years ago in art journaling.

But for me it's called tip-ins. 

A tip-in is something you add to your journal to make an additional page, 

like this....

 How do you add these pages or tip-ins?

I like to use Washi tape, staples,  duck tape or regular scotch tape.

It all depends on what you want showing...

Decorative tape adds a creative element to your journal 

making it colorful and exciting. You can match your tape

to what's going on in your life, holidays, or just your favorite style.

Here are a few of mine. I string them on a ribbon so I can keep

them visible and quickly accessible.  Some people like to store them in

large jars so they look like the old fashion candy store jars.

I hang my ribbon from my lamp... 

Washi tape has so many uses to be addressed in a future blog of it's own.

Washi Tape

You can also make your own Decorative tape using double sided tape 

 like I did above using tissue paper

 Adding pages and your cards is easy

 Your journal becomes a part of you and what you love

Creating a beautiful book filled with memories, cards, letters, postage stamps,

addresses from envelopes, pieces of wrapping paper from special gifts or events...etc.

... the list is endless of what you can collect and 

store in your journals... 

You can even do themed journals like all birthdays, Christmas or holidays.

I love to do special event journals like when my kids came to visit, 

I created a Victorian themed journal to add pictures to.

I collected napkins, coasters, brochures of things we did

like from the Wooden Boat festival as you'll see in my

Victorian Seaport Journal below...

  You can view the entire journal on my YouTube Channel

I hope you enjoyed my project of Tip-ins...

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a one of a kind prize made by me
See you tomorrow!!!
 

Famous Woman In History Featuring Maya Angelou

January 2013 Post Card Swap Featuring 

Maya Angelou

I belong to a wonderful Ning group called 

There's A Little Goddess In All Of Us

It's an inspiring group of ladies from around the world,

 a place to find goddesses, art, poetry, friendships and discussion.

I joined the monthly postcard swap a couple years ago to discover myself and as a way to heal through art. It was during a time in my life when I was home-bound due to my illness. 

Spending many hours at home and in bed left me longing for a sense of community and purpose.

I was very depressed, sad, and lonely; I'd spend most of my sleepless nights scavenging the net

for inspiration, friendship and a sense of belonging. I found it in an art chat room.

I had met Carol and a few of the other ladies in an on line art class called Art Heart and Healing

It was a free on line class which I used as a form of therapy.

There I was inspired to dig deep into my creative self and learn new techniques I never knew existed,

all the while of healing through the process of art.

 

The woman I've met in both of these Ning groups are filled with love, compassion and inspiration. 

Carol, our fearless hostess of the postcard swap shakes our world with a new topic every month.

We are encouraged to interpret each artist as we like, utilizing any medium to express our take on each topic.

I view each month as challenges to help me find my creative style and grow as an artist.

Each challenge teaches me new techniques as I learn about the featured artist.

Last year, the theme was famous artist. Each having a wide array of styles, most were new to me,

like: Di Grazia, Basquiat, Amedeo Modiglian and Freda.

Carol has opened my eyes and creative world. 

inspiring me to learned more about myself as an artist and refined my techniques as a result.

Each month a new topic is announced, I research and learn everything I can about it. It helps me to learn how they created their particular technique, form and style.

Some are more challenging then others, some take me several days to complete, some I whip off in no time; Each push my boundaries and are unique in their own way, becoming near and dear to my heart. 

Joining There's A Little Goddess In All Of Us  has been a true blessing.

Every month I receive little treasures in the mail from all walks of life, I call these fun mail. 

Is there anything more exciting  then receiving a handmade postcard from other artistes around the world... 

I think not! It makes opening the mail fun again...

Here is my take on our January's  "Famous Woman" postcard swap, 

I hope you'll find as much inspirations in my creations as I did in Maya's life's work.

 I decided to do a multimedia collage for 3 of my cards and a drawing for the last one.

For the 3 collage cards, I used magazines cuttings, watercolor paints, 

markers, napkins, and quotes from Maya Angelou.

I always like to draw the featured artist as my tribute to them. 

I used an ultra-fine Sharpe pen and markers.

Come check us out, I'm sure you'll enjoy our group as much as I do...

Until next time....love, hugs and many blessings to each of you!

XOXOXOXOX

Mail Art ~Postcards ~ ATC's & Current Projects

I've had a lot of down time these past few weeks which has been great for making art. I use my art as a form of mental, spiritual and physical therapy. Even when I'm feeling my worst, I try to do something that makes my heart sing and others smile. Some days all I can do is cut...I've found that having a pair of scissors in every room (bathrooms) helps me to keep my mind off less pleasant things...ie: pain.

I cut up old magazines, broken discarded books, brochures, or other interesting items I find around town or given to me for my many collage projects. I have friends sending me old magazines from the late 1800's from around the world.  Currently I'm looking for anything Victorian, so if you have any to spare, please send them my way... especially anything with flowers.

 I believe that by bringing art into your life whether it's something your doing with your hands, listening to music, playing music, baking, putting your hands in the soil of your garden, or maybe even looking at others art,  seeing art in person, or in a magazine, out at a park or garden, museums, or art gallery's is very healing. It helps us connect to each other, helps us see life outside our self.

On days when I can't go any where, or don't feel much like doing anything...if I pick up one of my artistic magazines or books, I drift off to another place, sort of a mini artist date with myself. A sense of peace washes over me and I get lost in the art either by the act of doing or by the visual of seeing or listening. Cutting for my collages brings me up close and personal with each piece I cut. I've learned so many new things about the art of our world just by cutting up old discarded magazines...  All of which help ease my pain, make my day much brighter, and bring sunshine and warmth into my soul. It helps me to forget about my illness, my aches and pains and see the beauty of our world in a different light. There are even several different forms of therapy utilizing art as their source of healing world wide.

I challenge you to give it a try. spend one hour a day or even a week doing something artistic, something that you love, or something that brings a smile to your face and peace to your heart. Tell me how it makes you feel. Maybe there's something that you've always wanted to try, or something that you use to do in your old life... the one before marriage, kids, mortgages and bills... Maybe it's just allowing yourself to get lost in a CD, or hot bath or with a book that you've always wanted to read but have never found the time.  You can even get in an artist date by looking at someone's blog that gives you inspiration... like mine :)

My point is... do something, anything, as long as it makes your heart sing. Let yourself become a beginner again... let your spirit feel like a child filled with wonder and curiosity. You will be amazed at how it makes you feel. Share your story with me of your artistic adventure/artist date and I will send you one of my post cards...Give art a try!

Sharing my art with you brings happiness to my heart, mind and soul.  

Until next time, happy creating!

~Enjoy~

~♥~

ATC's I've created for my healing art group  here in Port Townsend

Flower Series

Postcards I've created for my Mail Art group 

from around the world

yes... they are going out tomorrow ladies...lol

 

Journal pages