Create with Me Art Journaling

Memory Keeping and A Weekly Update

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Happy Monday!

This weekend went by very quickly and I am finding myself, as I write this post on Sunday evening, wondering where the whole of the year has gone!

I love fall I do but I still cannot quite believe we are here already. I know it something we say all the time but I am still convinced time is speeding up.

If you read last week’s post you know my husband has a new job and we are gearing up for a move. We have decided to hold off our move until next year. Winter moves aren’t ideal especially with where we are and with all the job travel that’s happening we can take things a bit more slowly and for that I’m grateful.

As a result of all the travel we decided to celebrate my birthday this past weekend, a few days early. I was blessed with some lovely gifts including some miniature related items that I will be sharing in an upcoming blog post and video. I am also very excited to decorate for Halloween as I was gifted a cute comforter set that I cannot wait to put up!

I am also really excited to share that I am make some real headway in what I am hoping will be the final edit for my cozy mystery before sending it an editor. The best part is how much I have been enjoying the editing process! I have never much loved editing work but I am really have a nice time and I think I might even be finished come the weekend.

I also have a new video going up on my YouTube channel and you can click below to see it. In it I am finally using a lovely journal that was made for me a long time ago to document our recent trip to Knoebles. I am so happy with how it turned out and I hope you join me with a cup of something cozy and maybe work on your own creative project. If you do please comment below and let me know what you are working on-I would love to hear!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

 

 

Setting up My December Journal: Video

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Today I am easing my way into the holidays.

The Christmas spirit is just settling into my heart and I thought it would be the perfect time to set up my art journal for December. The idea here is for me to have a creative space to come to and create and relax in during the month of December.

I am using my kit and plan to keep everything in the box so I can carry it around with me and make art in little snippets of time.

It’s not just going to be just for art either. I might make lists of some of my favorite things, books I have read, movies I have watched. The idea is for this to be a creative space for me to rest and recharge in during the holiday season.

I also made a list for you of ideas and prompts for what you may like to do in your own journal. You can download it by clicking on the image below.

I hope you are having a wonderful start to your week. Much love!

 

 

Until next time…

 

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Video: Character Creation: Decorating a Blank Art Wall Episode #1

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Please note this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links I earn a small commission but it doesn’t cost you and more money.

Hello everyone and a very happy Monday to you! I am writing this in my kitchen while the sun shines outside and the wind blows through the trees. They are calling for a rain storm tonight which my garden very much could use so I welcome it. I was able to spend a few hours in the studio this morning working on my content plans, recording today’s video and the first video in my brand new online class! If you would like to learn more about it you can check it out here.

If I am honest, I was thinking that maybe I shouldn’t share this video. The artist critic was awake and speaking out as I sat down to edit it. I thought, “who am I to share art videos?” I was judging my final piece and thought I could just skip this week’s video.

Then I remembered why I share my work. I don’t share it to teach people how to create fabulous art. I don’t share it as an exposition of my master pieces. Instead, I share my creative work here in the hope that it inspires someone to try something creative today. That it reminds someone of what it is they love about being creative. That someone can look at my art and think, “well I can do that.”

And the truth is-you can! Art is about the process of creation. Sure, you can fine tune and work at it and all that is wonderful but while you are fine tuning and working at things-you play. And after you fine tune things, my hope is-you play. So if you are wondering when the last time you picked up some art materials are maybe get yourself a favorite beverage, a few little supplies and let’s have a creative play date!

I started out trying to sketch a little girl and then realized that I have been loving these sketchy type characters I was creating. The look best in pencil and as I kept trying to make this poor little character something it clearly did not want to be I realized that I needed to just let go. So I did.

I added water-soluable pencils, acrylics and just tried to have fun. I mention in the video that I have a blank wall in my studio that I want to start making pieces for and I admit that I kept judging this piece to see if it was “wall worthy.” Silly right? And when I finally let the judgements go and I looked at my final piece I was absolutely delighted. Not out of artistic perfection. Simply because my little character made me happy.

And I think that’s a pretty awesome gift!

Please do share what you make along side me! I would love to hear!

Resources:

Blank Invitation Cards (Affiliate Link)

Until next time…

Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Music by Angela Predhomme – Unstoppable Me – https://thmatc.co/?l=E65CF842
Music by Angela Predhomme – Hey Mr. Sunshine – https://thmatc.co/?l=A91D246D

Video: Making Focal Images

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Please note this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links I earn a small commission but it doesn’t cost you and more money.

I am always looking for something new to share with you. When I am working in my journal I tend to start my pages the same way-except in Monday’s video where I changed it up and worked backwards to front. I also find myself searching for focal images. Things I can place front and center of some colorful background.

Magazine images are always fun for this. You can alter them and change them up completely but today I thought it would be fun to make some simple focal images from scratch.

I wanted the images to be interesting on their own but neutral enough that they would work with a lot of pages and also allow for alterations to fit the page I am working on.

I started out with a house. I still draw houses like I did when I was 6. I have tried to change it up but for some reason-this is a house to me. So I just went with it and added some collage for the windows and doors.

Next up was a heart. I love hearts. Whenever I don’t know what to add to a spread-I add a heart and it never goes wrong. I drew out a quick heart and then filled it up with some of the gelli prints I made and some of the pages from one of my digital kits.

Then I sketched out a tree. Did I mention I draw trees the same as I did when I was 6? They used to stand next to the houses. Now I have stopped adding a straight out stick with a swing hanging from it but you know, it just might come back when added to a journal page.

I collaged the trunk with my trusty old dictionary paper and the leaves were using the same digital kit. I attached this all down with gel matte medium (affiliate link to a similar one I used. Mine is a heavy body).

Next up I drew a star and filled it in with collage. I loved the texture and variation the collage added to these very simple images. This star was filled in with a page from this digital kit of mine.

I then went back and added some water to activate the watercolor pencils and the NeoColor II’s (affiliate link) I used on the house. Lastly I sketched out a simple flower using my Stabilo pencil (affiliate link). I filled the flower in with the pink paper from the same kit before I dried everything with my heat gun and cut them out.

I just want to say how much fun these were to make. I am already thinking of other ideas and things I can make in this same style and I have already used one of them in a project. I hope you have fun and give these a try. If you do please let me know!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Video: Drawing Faces-An Art Journaling Challenge

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I wasn’t sure if I was going to get today’s post and video up. I was experiencing some computer issues but thankfully I sorted that all out and am sharing with you my latest journal page.

I really enjoyed making today’s spread. Normally I start with the background but today I started with the focal image and then worked out. I have been wanting to draw more faces in an effort to not only better my skills but also to find my own style. I was very aware as I was drawing this lady about the thoughts in my head. I was trying so hard to make her look happy, then I was doubting my abilities at all, and finally I remembered some unicorns I drew when I was young.

I was so proud of them and immediately felt I had a talent for drawing. I don’t remember what happened but I let go of drawing then and when I tried to start up again, I just felt as if I wasn’t able to because I wasn’t an artist like other people.

It had me wondering how many things in life I stopped doing or kept doing because of what other people thought about it. I am always amazed at the revelations that can come about when we make a little space for our creative expression.

I hope you enjoy today’s video. What is something you love to do but never felt you could claim it for yourself? Maybe today you can.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Music by myk – Reflections – https://thmatc.co/?l=321D4BE6

Video: Making a Spring Bucket List Journal

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The weather has been gorgeous!

I have been digging in the dirt, planting seedlings and plotting out the vegetable & flower garden. I am so excited to be back outside and I really can see how much better I feel with the longer days and warmer weather.

I have a fun new project to share with you. Today I am making a spring bucket list journal. I thought it would be fun to have a place to document the things I would like to do this spring along with mementos. A photo of a picnic, a receipt from the garden center or some pressed flowers. I don’t plant to have anything stressful on my list, just a reminder of all the lovely things spring has to offer and a way to document one of my favorite season.

I began by following this tutorial from Treasure Books. It shows how to make pockets for your journals and I just thought it would be fun to make a few and turn them into a journal. You have lots of fun places to tuck tags, notes and more.

Once I had the folds done and before I glued anything down I decorated the pages. I used my Lollipop Box Club Kits to decorate the pages.  Then I took a strip of paper the height of my pages by 3/4″ wide and used that to attach two pages together. Then I stitched 2 groups of pages together using a basic pamphlet stitch and you have have a journal!

It was so much fun and a nice way to make a quick book for a present. I hope you had fun! Let me know if you have any spring bucket list plans.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dielttante