Gift Guide 2014!

If you are still looking for a last minute gift for your crafty loved ones, look no further! I have compiled a list of some of my favorite goodies, designed to inspire and encourage creativity for the new year. Already done shopping? Don't fret, these items are great gifts to give yourself as a way to use holiday cash or ETSY or Amazon gift cards! Enjoy!

First off is this extraordinary new book by Juliana Coles. She is a phenomenal artist as well as an  exceptional teacher, and this book encompasses both her visual journaling as well as prompts to start you on your own journey. This book truly is page after page of inspiration and should be a part of every artist's library. Her book, Ghost Pirate can be ordered on Amazon as well. Juliana also offers how to journaling booklets on her ETSY site as well as offering a variety of online classes.

I am a huge fan of Gina Armfield's No Excuses Journaling technique. Gina has a series of online workshops as well as an inspiring book on the subject of transforming a desk calendar into a place full of daily art experiments, photos and quotes. Some of my work as well as details about my own NME process is in this book. I can not sing the praises of this process enough! I have been at it for 4 years now and while I ebb and flow with it, I am always astounded and grateful for all that I have done by the end of the year. This is a fantastic project to start right now!

Jennifer Joanou is another visual journaling talent not to be missed. Her journals are are both delicate and soulful, earthy and feminine, filled with exquisite lettering, maps and symbols. Jennifer has recently collected her bounty of artwork and turned them into prints for sale, postcard sets and a plethora of sticker styles. I am a sticker junkie, so I can't get enough of them! They are a great for adding into your No Excuses journal for quotes and visual inspiration. Check out Jennifer's blog and be on the lookout for more offerings from her!

More Birthday fun!

Here is a little bit of what made my birthday so special this year! Lots of love and handmade goodness! The jewelry in the photos was all handmade by my mom, what beautiful gifts! Chad and I had a little fun painting pottery and then headed to Dushanbe teahouse for high tea! It was such a treat to be waited on with tea and champagne and a tower of savories and sweets! If you are local and have never tried it, I highly recommend it.

I recently came across this article, and when I read it my whole body responded with a resounding "yes"! My little world has begun feeling overwhelmed the last few years with too much stuff, unfinished projects and a desire for more ease. I often paint the words, "do more with less", but it's a hard mantra to follow. Reading this gives me a new framework for my life. "What would you do if your life was a blank slate? If it were an empty container with limited space, what would you put in it?" Something to ponder.

Happy Birthday!

Today, on my birthday, I thought I'd share this very special piece that I recently created. I have been looking at a lot of work by Alphonse Mucha and this journal page is born out of a combination of that and a visualization exercise that I recently did for the Nu Icon program. It was quite a process of unearthing this vision of myself which is a bit atypical for me. After bringing this image to light, I adore the organic, feminine, and Victorian representation of myself and my creativity.