Spread the Love

Happy Valentine's Day! Although today is a day designated to celebrate love, lately I've been on a mission to spread the love every day. I keep this bowl of handmade hearts on my desk at work. Anytime someone notices, asks, or comments about them I let them know that they are welcome to have one. I explain that it's my way of spreading the love. It's delightful to watch people glow with happiness at such a simple gesture. One person even jumped up and down like a small child upon hearing that she could take one. Most people spend a moment or two to choose just the right one and often tell me who they plan to give it to. Just this week I heard that someone had gifted her heart to a friend who was having a difficult day. I told her to take another for the next time she needed to spread the love. The hearts have gone to people that I see regularly and to complete strangers as well. I keep refilling the bowl. It makes me so happy to spread a little love in the world. It doesn't take much. Really. Everyone can spread a little love. Give it a try and see what happens.

Spread the love.

xoxo

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing all the moms a happy mother's day! Enjoy!

A Little of This and a Bit of That

I spent the week hopping around from project to project and working on a little of this and a bit of that. Here are a few more pages from Pilgrim, the altered book that I'm working in for The Sketchbook Challenge.

I recently went to see the musical, South Pacific, and couldn't help but feel the irony in going during what feels like one of the longest winters in history. This tied right in with the February theme of Opposites.

It also tied into the Illustration Friday theme of SWEATER, so I was able to achieve a trifecta of journaling! I used gouache on this page and really like how it looks--not quite like acrylic paint and not quite like watercolor. It's opaque and translucent at the same time. I think I'll have to play around with it a bit more.

I couldn't stop myself from making another batch of hearts from felt and sweaters. Sometimes my fingers just itch to sew. I think this has become a warm up exercise to other sewing projects.

I started making mini monsters from the same materials.

 You gotta love a monster!

I also decided to experiment with paper and fabric collage post cards inspired by an article in the last issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors. Just before Christmas, I splurged and bought myself a free motion attachment for my sewing machine, something I've been wanting for years. I'm still trying to get the hang of it, but I just love what it adds to a collage like this.

I also love the way a project like this uses up some of the small bits of paper and fabric that have been hanging around. I just can't let either of those things go to waste. These aren't finished yet. I plan to use a zig zag stitch to attach them to watercolor paper.

And last but not least, I started a new class this week! Here are a few supplies I needed to buy. I'll give you a hint about the class...power tools will be involved! Stay tuned to find out more.

heART Therapy

I must be in need of some serious heART therapy. Ever since I stitched up that first little wool and felt heart a few weeks ago, I haven't been able to stop. They just keep coming! My couch looks like an explosion of felt, sweaters, floss, and beads. I know it's therapy because I have no purpose for stitching them. Nada. Zilch. I just thoroughly enjoy the act of pulling a needle through fabric again and again and again.

But as the pile of hearts grows, ideas for other projects has grown along with it. (Not that I'm in need of more ideas--far from it!) I suppose I'll have to let the hearts run their course and wait until they tell me what they want to be. Or maybe they don't want to be anything. Maybe they're just a little pause in the creative process. The calm before the storm. I do feel a torrent brewing somewhere close by. What creative thing do you do when you need a little therapy?

IF - Burning

What is your burning desire? Have you focused all your power on achieving that thing?

I Heart The World

It's the time of year when just about every weekend you can find a place where artists gather to present and sell their work to the public just in time for holiday gift giving. I have a whole list of local shows I plan to attend and yesterday marked the first. There's just something about seeing so much creativity and hand made goodness in one place that makes me happy and gives me hope. It happens whenever I visit a gallery, museum, art show, or inspirational blog. I feel energized. I feel alive. I feel like I heart the whole dang world!

I saw some adorable little hand sewn felted heart pins that totally rekindled my desire to do more hand sewing. I've been itching to get out my needles and floss and do something with all those thrift stores sweaters I felted a while back. So last night, (when I should have been finishing up my map art for the last class this week) I gathered up a few supplies, found a cozy spot on the couch, and sewed to my heart's content. Sometimes you just have to create when inspiration strikes.