Create with Me Art Journaling

Video: Making a Word of the Year Art Journal

January 8, 2023 Leave a Comment

I am sitting cozy under a blanket watching one of my favorite movies of late, “Jungle Cruise.” I absolutely love Emily Blunt and how she portrays such a confident woman in Lilly. This is the second time I am watching this when struggling with feelings of anxiety and there is something about this movie that just makes me feel cozy and calm.

That and writing to you.

I hope your year is off to a wonderful start and that you are moving at exactly the right pace for you.

I had planned to get more work done last week but it looks like this week will be the start for my new creative schedule. I am excited to share more creative inspiration with you and on a bit more of a regular schedule.

I am kicking off with the Making an Art Journal for our Word of the Year video I promised in last week’s video. If you would like to watch me make a colorful, textured art journal then you may enjoy the video below.

I am committing this year to a regular check-in with my word of the year. I created enough pages in the journal to do a double page spread each week but I have also created the grace inside the journal that if I don’t check in as often as I would like-that’s alright too.

Our journals are meant to be places where we can show up as we are when we need. I am not looking at this as a”have-to” item but rather a “get-to.” Something that deeply nourishes me and the dreams I have for 2023.

And they are some big ones!

I would love for you to join me. Whatever you are feeling for this year. Whatever you are hoping to experience or achieve this year I would love for you to join me. You can subscribe to my weekly newsletter-where I will share all the latest videos and content by clicking the link here. I cannot wait to hear what some of your big dreams are for this year. Please share them in the comments below.

If you would like to purchase my Word of the Year Workbook you click here to go to my shop.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Video: Playing with Watercolors-Create with Me!

September 19, 2022 Leave a Comment

You can watch the video by scrolling to the bottom of the blog post.

Today I wanted to play with my watercolors.

I thought it would be fun to create some images on smaller sheets of paper but really just play with the supplies and see what came about.

Over the weekend I was sketching outside by my marigolds. I was inspired by Anne Butera’s sketchbook class where she showed a snippet of her creating in her garden. The whole family was outside playing over the weekend so I set up a picnic style blanket and plopped on the ground beside my marigolds (dogs clamoring for snuggles).

Initially I started out swatching colors while thinking about the marigolds. Then I tried to create some similar to how I had done in my sketchbook. I learned quickly that my tendency to overwork things lead to more of a circle rather than a flower shape.

Still, I had fun. I was a little bummed that the marigolds lost their shape so I popped over to my favorite color while thinking for flowers. Not any flower in particular I just held the idea in my head and moved my brush around to see what happened.

I used this same technique for some lavender and purple shapes as well.

Lastly I decided to swatch some fall colors and then I made some marks while thinking about leaves-and stopping myself before I could overwork them too much!

Then it seemed fitting to try a pile of fallen leaves. It wasn’t looking like what I imagined but when I let go and just started playing again the colors started to blend and I was very happy with my abstract pile of fallen leaves.

And the tree they fell off of.

I hope you will give your favorite media a try. Perhaps without trying to create anything you just let your media and movements dance and see what they create.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Video: Making Our Popcorn Journals: No Sew/No Special Tools

September 12, 2022 Leave a Comment

Happy Monday!

As you read that we are officially back to home school. Right now I am probably picking up pencils off the floor and trying to keep my now 4 year-old occupied without going through all the special homeschool items I purchased for this purpose. With any luck I was able to get some nice photos of the first day and the kids are excited about some new surprise goodies that the moaning and groaning is at a minimum.

The Michele who writes this is full of hope 🙂

If you remember a few weeks back I shared the idea of a “popcorn journal.” (If not you can read and watch the video here).

The idea was that on those nights when we want to crash on the couch and binge watch our favorite show that we could make a tiny bit of art in the 2 minutes it takes to pop our popcorn.

At the time I had planned to use an actual popcorn box for this purpose but I seemed to misplace it when it came to make the video.

I also realized that I had brought all my book binding tools back home to the Creative Corner and had very limited items here at the studio.

My first instinct was to just do it another time but I had no idea what to film for today. So I took a moment and was guided to just make what I could make with what I had on hand.

Years ago I used to make some “Use What You’ve Got” videos on my YT channel. As much as I love an art supply and I love it even more when creators share links to what they are using I really want to be mindful of what I share. I never want anyone to think you need a specific tool or a specific paint color to create. I think it’s so important to encourage everyone to create where they are at with what they have.

And that’s just what I did in this video.

The journal is no sew, uses a box from the recycling bin and printer paper to construct the cover. You just need some PVA glue or Mod Podge, printer paper and then whatever you want to create with to decorate the cover.

It’s that easy.

You can add a little reinforcement with some painters tape or masking tape but it’s definitely not necessary. You could do the same with some paper bag, magazine pages or more printer paper. You could even leave it as is.

As I was making (and figuring out) this journal what really stood out what how much fun I was having making it. I wasn’t worried about it looking perfect but rather I was just enjoying making a journal.

This isn’t the best way to make an art journal. It’s not going to give you a polished look but it will be an expression of your creativity. It will give you some time with your materials to have fun. I also think that when the journal isn’t picture perfect and pristine, it’s easier to just dig in and start putting some color on the pages. It doesn’t feel so precious this way.

I really hope you have fun and even make yourself a “popcorn journal.” If you do please comment below or on the video I would love to hear!

I am thinking that my journal is going to hold pages for the zines that are bouncing around in my head. I have really wanted to make a zine for a long time now and I just seem to get blocked each time. I am hoping this journal will spark the creative spirit and get me going.

Are you ready to make your journal? You can watch the video below.

I also plan to share some quick videos of my 2 minute art making both here on the blog and my YT channel so you can do the whole subscribe to the newsletter channel thing if you want. Or just stop in and look around from time to time.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Video: Creating without a Plan

September 5, 2022 Leave a Comment

I sat down to create without a plan.

Don’t you just love doing that?

I wasn’t sure what to create so I picked a journal I hadn’t worked in for a while and one of my most fun materials-Tempura Paint Sticks. The paper is black and it was fun to see how the paint sticks showed up. Initially I was just putting color on the paper and deciding to try and blend it a bit. From there a whole magical scene emerged.

Would you like to play? Even if you don’t know what to make-you can always make a mark. Let me be your studio buddy as we play in our journals and listen to what the muses are guiding us to make. You can watch the full video below.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Art Journal Page: Letting the Cranky Out

August 29, 2022 2 Comments

Today I am creating in an old Happy Planner I found. It was a dated planner and I hadn’t done all that much in it so I decided to turn it into an art journal.

I love using items like this to create in because they don’t feel precious and it also feels good to be using something I might not have otherwise.

I had a little fun looking through the beginning of the planner as it was when I was pregnant (and had just found out) with my youngest. I took those pages out to be used elsewhere and began thinking about what I wanted to do in the journal.

I started off with a coat of gesso, some paint and some tissue paper and that was as far as I got the first day. You can see the little video I made about the planner below.

When I sat down to work in the planner for the first time I wasn’t feeling great. My thoughts kept running negative, cranky and no matter what I did it just felt like I couldn’t shake out the negative. So while I was painting, and feeling cranky, I decided to just let all the thoughts that kept coming up in my mind out onto the paper.

I did a lot of illegible writing which I love. It let’s all the emotion out but there is no need to go back and read it again so it’s perfect for use in an art journal.

Especially when it’s cranky thoughts.

I wrote everything out using a Tombow marker which was great because it reactivates when it gets wet and I was able to blur the words out completely.

I stopped on Friday with the page just started but I felt so much better! It was a release of that energy and went into the weekend feeling great.

When I came back in to work on Monday I really didn’t know what I was going to do. I felt so different so I decided to just have a play and see where it went. As you can see in the video below, it went all over!

That’s my process though. I need to feel my way into most things and eventually the screaming girl that was going to look like me turned into a completely different, happy person with blue glasses.

Who knew?

I had so many moments during this process when the negative voice was jumping in telling me to turn off the camera and stop pretending to be an artist. I decided to keep making art anyway and I am so glad I did because I just love how the pages turned out!

I was inspired to add a house and I am not really sure why but I love how it came out-even though it’s not where I thought it would go. I think my favorite part of creating is to set out on a wave and ride it in never really knowing where I’ll land.

I hope you enjoy the videos and that perhaps you can set aside a few minutes to create along side me. Wishing you a lovely day!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Video: Creative Company-Let’s Make Painted Papers

August 15, 2022 Leave a Comment

Sometimes I don’t know what to do when I am sitting down to creative time. Other times I am so full of ideas but I just can’t seem to get them from my head into tangible form. Other times I am not even sure I want to be creative at all but I’m making time for it anyway.

In these moments, usually the best thing I can do is to not try and make anything specific and to stick with what I always love and find fun-putting paper on paper or gluing pieces of paper to other pieces of paper. I know my heart lies with collage and I have been focusing on creating my own collage papers. It’s been a fun process and something that I can always go to when I feel stuck with my creativity.

Today I am sharing another Create With Me video and it’s all about making painted papers. I am using inexpensive paper whatever supplies I had to hand and having a play covering paper with paint.

I also chat a bit and share some of my favorite artists with you. If it sounds interesting or you would like some company in your creative space today why not join me?

I would love to hear about what you end up creating so please comment below.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante