Videos

We are Moving!

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Not the best way to build suspense with a title like that I suppose but I really just wanted to get in to sharing the news!

A bit of back story-I have lived in the same town my entire life and the past 10 years or so I have wanted to move. It was a bit of longing, bit of a calling to set down roots somewhere new, maybe have more land and a slower pace of life. The trouble was I wasn’t quite sure where I was supposed to move to. How do you just pick a place?

So I have talked and prayed and looked and each time it felt like God was saying, “not yet.” So, I (not so) patiently waited.

I am grateful for the waiting. In that waiting I fell in love with our home and neighborhood again. Connected with people, found my church again and most importantly my faith and I just decided that if we were meant to move we would move.

Then my husband was suddenly looking for a new job and that new job is leading us to move to the middle of the country. It’s been a roller coaster of a summer and I am so grateful for the break he had before starting his new job so we could spend time as a family, clear out 25 years of stuff we had accumulated in attics, out buildings and basements and most of all-dream a little.

Nothing is finalized. His work involves travel so for now we are looking searching and trying to figure out our next plan while he settles into the job. It would seem like we would have mapped out the entire move but there is so much to consider that we are just taking things one step at a time and enjoying our time in our home while gradually preparing the next steps.

It’s in this time of change that I have found my creativity again. At the end of July I cleared out of my studio space that I have had for the past 4 years and rearranged my creative corner in our home to be better situated for the crafts I’m working on and most importantly writing. My goal is to have my first cozy mystery finished by the end of this year so having a nice clear space ready for me to write in feels so lovely.

I have reconnected with my dollhouse and have been finding my time working on this project to be so meditative and therapeutic. My kids will sit and chat with me while I putter away and it’s been such a nice way to get back into the creativity that has been taking a back seat most of the year.

I also decided to get back into making and sharing content. I am not the best at consistency so I decided to start creating content that is ready to upload and when I have 6 videos and blog posts ready to go I will start uploading. I love knowing that my favorite blogs and videos are there each week so my plan is to share all my creativity here on the blog and my Substack and then my Dreaming Dilettante YT channel will have studio vlogs and creative projects and then my Dilettante’s Dollhouse YT will focus on my dollhouse projects.

It might seem silly to start more projects with a major move looming but I really love the idea of documenting and sharing that journey here on my blog and the projects themselves are really grounding me during this time.

I also thought that having a back log of content ready to go will make it easier during busier times when I may not be able to create as much.

So that has been my summer. Lots of change coming on the horizon but for now I am in a bit of a holding pattern not quite sure what’s next but I will keep you all updated. I appreciate you visiting as always and wish you an amazing week!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Click Below to Watch this Week’s Studio Vlog

 

Relaxing Color with Me

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Today I am sharing a short video with you. I recently purchased a very simple coloring book and some new crayons so I could take a few minutes to relax and de-stress without worrying about what I would create or do.

I wanted to share this with you in the hope that you would be inspired to take a few minutes with your creativity today. To not worry about doing anything challenging or worrying about results but to just relax, have fun and be creative.

Wishing you a beautiful day!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

This Week in the Studio: Frustrations with Starting a New Business

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Happy Monday!

Today I am sharing my weekly studio vlog and it was a bit of a challenge. Most of the week went well as I was able to get some studio clean up done and I also set up my new writing binder for a new story I am working on. I have signed up for a Self-Publishing course and I am really excited for it. To prepare I began with getting my current work in progress. I write all new stories by hand first in a notebook. My first edit comes when I type it into my computer. There is something about writing hand to paper that just connects me to the story in a way the keys don’t. It’s a fun way to get to know my characters and their world.

I set up a binder which is a new system for me, that is going to hold all my story information. Characters, worlds, plot, chapters that sort of thing. In addition to the one I am writing there are several others waiting to be edited so they can be self-published. I would love to have a book ready by the end of the year to publish-even it’s just all the editing is done.

When I first saw the class I was really excited and signed up for the waiting list. I have been following the author for a while and I really love her approach to career and this course feels in alignment with my own career goals. I’ll be sure to keep you posted as to how it’s all going.

The other goal I had this week was to print the sticker sheets I have been creating and add them to my shop. Theoretically this was going to be easy. The hard part of conception and creating the art was over right? I was so wrong.

I have been wanting to turn my art into stickers forever and I have tried over the years and basically ended up really, really unhappy with my cutting machines.

I finally thought I had it all worked out and then the machine (my newest one) was giving me issues. I managed to solve those issues only to have my printer give me problems. In the end, I have re-designed my stickers and I have one sheet available for purchase-woohoo!!! I am very hopeful that I will have the rest of the stickers done and ready for purchase by the end of the week.

To celebrate the sticker sheets are shipping for free so yay! You can purchase a sheet here if, like me, you love your coffee too 🙂

I will also share a secret little item that, for now, only you my faithful blog readers will know about. I have a new journal for sale in my shop too! If you have been following along in my Make a Journal Series this is the journal I make and this Friday the last of the videos will go live. I will also promote this journal for sale so if you would like to pick it up before then you can find it here.

So that was what was going on this week in the studio. I have lots of new projects in the works and I am hoping to have some new dollhouse content up if I could just decide on the upstairs flooring. I still think I want full carpeting but I am really not sure. I will keep you posted.

I hope your summer is going well. My oldest two have been enjoying camp for the past few weeks and I have been playing chauffeur. Looking forward to next week when the schedule quiets down for a few before another week of camp.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

 

 

 

 

 

How to Make a Junk Journal: Part 1 The Cover

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Hi everyone! Welcome to my new series where we are going to learn to make a junk journal from start to finish. If you have have never made a junk journal before this series is going to walk you through step-by-step. I will over lots of examples for different materials you can use as well so you don’t need to run out and buy a lot of materials. I want this to be a fun, easy and expressive way for you to make your own journal without having to break the bank-after all we are just using junk right?

So let’s get started!

Today we are going to begin work on our cover and here are the supplies you will need:

Cereal box or other chipboard packaging. Think the back of a notepad, brownie and cake mix boxes (they are actually my favorite boxes because they are the perfect size! Whatever you have to hand will work.

Brown paper bag, kraft paper or wrapping paper

Glue/Double Sided Tape: PVA glue will work but my favorite is double sided tape but you can also use a permanent glue stick.

Scissors

Paint if you want to paint your cover. Regular old craft paint is perfectly fine but you can decorate your cover is so many ways. Stickers, markers, stamps-use what you have to hand!

That’s it!

Let’s get started:

Step 1.

Cut your cereal box/chipboard.
I cut my to 9″x6″ I like this size because I really like using regular letter size paper and this size cover allows me to use a full sheet of letter paper folded in half. You can cut yours to whatever size you like-the process is the same.

You can also double up your chipboard to make a really sturdy cover if you want.

You also need to cut chipboard for the spine. It will be the same height as your cover and whatever width you want. I cut mine to 2″. I also glued 2 pieces together for the spine.

Next you want to attach the covers to your spine. In the video I am using book binding tape but you can use regular masking tape. I only used this because I have it and I never use it-because I generally use masking tape! It’s much cheaper and works just as well. You may have to use a few more layers of it to get the sturdiness you want for your cover but it’s a great option that’s readily available in most stores.

I lay a piece of the tape down, sticky side up and then place the spine in the middle of the tape and the covers on either side leaving a small space so the covers can open and close. If you want to measure you can leave a space the thickness of your chipboard between the spine and the cover.

Step 2.

Next you will ned your paper shopping bag, kraft paper or wrapping paper.  If you are using double sided tape I like to add it to the 3 edges of the cover. Then you want to lay your book cover on top of your paper. If you are using wrapping paper make sure that the pretty side is facing your work surface. Then you want to fold over the sides of your paper and “wrap” the cover.  You can cut the corner (see below) so you can a nice corner. Just don’t cut too closely.

If you are using a liquid glue the paper may warp and bubble a little just keep that in mind. I would then put glue on the full cover and spine and glue it down to my paper folding and wrapping the edges adhering them down with more glue.

Step 3.

This step is optional but I like my journals to feel like a book and to not have any “wobble” with the cover and spine. To help with this, I take masking tape or in my case book binding tape and I place some on the inside of my cover (the part without paper) and overlap the cover and the spine. I put down a few pieces until I am happy with the sturdiness.

Step 4.

If you are using wrapping paper or want to keep your cover brown like you kraft paper you can skip this step but I love to make colorful journals so I take my favorite color and paint the entire cover including the inside flaps. You can let this dry and then apply additional coats as needed. This is where you can really be creative. You can add fabric, stickers, magazine images-you name it! Have fun!

Once your cover is completely dry you are done!

I hope you found this helpful. If you are more of a visual learner I have a video below where you can watch me follow these steps and make your cover along with me, pausing as you need to.

In next week’s post I am going to share how to make your signatures and decorate them several different ways.

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

My First Ever Art Journal Kit! Unboxing Video

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I am so excited to share with you my first ever art journaling kit! I have wanted to curate my own art kit for years and I am so excited to have one for this holiday season.

This kit has everything you need to take part in December Daily, memory keep those holiday plans, decorate your planner-you name it. You can check out the video below for all that’s included. I only have a few of these kits available but you can buy them on my shop here.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante