What I'm Working on Wednesday

Making Space for Me

December 2, 2021 Leave a Comment

Do you ever feel as if there isn’t space for you?

Often times I feel that I am so generous giving of my time and energy and physical space to others that it can appear there isn’t much left for me. I remember I went to a seminar one time and a woman arrived late and was looking around for a seat so I made room so she could sit next to me. Later she continual asked that I move my chair over so she had more room. So much so that if I moved any more I would be out in the aisle and I finally had to very firmly tell her no.

I often feel I have to hold boundaries. That my generosity is often met by others with a grab it before it’s gone type mentality until I feel I have been plucked clean of any space I had. What’s interesting is when I realize how much time and energy I spend making sure everyone has what they need-but me.

I mentioned in Monday’s post how I am recovering and resting. I have been longing to paint and it just felt like something I couldn’t do. Tonight I was watching an art class and I so wanted to take part but when I looked over I saw my desk was covered with all sorts of odds and ends.

I had no space to create.

And while I didn’t think I would paint I realized that as long as the desk was covered I wasn’t going to paint so I got up and cleared away the mess. It took maybe 15 minutes and my desk was clean and ready to use whenever I felt the urge to paint. I also found a scrap of paper that inspired me to make a random collage journal and a journal I had made a few months back that would be perfect for it!

Then I decided to sit down and paint. It was a short session while the kids got ready for bed but it was time for me. It was spaciousness that I gave myself as a gift. Just before I wrote this post I sat down for some more art time and I can already feel myself restoring from the gift of making space for myself. I am still working on the piece but I will share a photo here when it’s all done.

What can you do to make space for yourself? Is there something you can do to make things easier so when you are inspired to create you can just get down to the fun part? I would love to hear.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Painting & Homemade Fall Decor

September 8, 2021 Leave a Comment

My hands are covered in paint.

This isn’t unusual however today they are covered with wall paint as we are working to finish my 3 year-olds bedroom by Friday.

So far we have filled the holes with the first coat of filler and I have started painting up to the trim on almost all of the walls and rolled 2 of them with color. They will need a second coat as the yellow isn’t fully covering the light green underneath but otherwise it’s moving along. We have a bookshelf left to empty but I think the painting should all be done tomorrow.

We are planning a trip to pick up some more paint tonight and I’m hoping to find a few storage containers to organize her toys.

On the crafting desk I am working on a fall garland for the kitchen. It’s a pattern I purchased last year but never got around to making. It’s really sweet and I’m enjoying working on it. I have 2 of the 4 houses completed and they really come together quickly.

I also completed another garland but this one was for my mobile art studio. Originally I was going to make one for the studio and one for my daughters room so I will have to see how it looks once I put it into the van. The garlands are really fun and my first time working with wool felt shapes. I really like them and think I will be learning a new hobby once my 30 day Creative Detox is over.

Another item I purchased and I have on my list of things to make this week are some clothespin dolls for our first day of home school. I have only made peg dolls before but I think these are going to be fun and I will be sure to share finished photos when they are done.

I have been picking up my journal more as well which is always a good thing. I have been needing that connection and the release of the words on paper has been very healing for me.

So that’s what is on my desk this week. I would love to hear what you are making so please do share your links below. If the link party has closed, feel free to comment below so I can stop by and say hello.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Hermione, Journal Making, Moving Rooms and What I’m Working on Wednesday

August 25, 2021 Leave a Comment

Welcome to another WIWOW! I have really been enjoying this series. It’s nice to look back and be reminded of some of the projects I am working on.

You may remember my little felt Harry Potter doll I made for my daughter’s friend. Well, I had an idea on how to improve him a bit so I thought I would make a second doll for the gift. In the end we all decided the original was the best one and so he is still going off to his new home this weekend. The second Harry went to my son who had been admiring it. He was quite happy when I offered it to him.

I also started Hermione and finished her up today. she really came out cute and I am so happy I was able to get her all done and I have Mr. Ron Weasel all cut out waiting to be stitched. So these 3 cuties will be off to their new home soon and I will definitely be making another set one of these days for my own collection. And I imagine for my kids as well.

I finished the anniversary journal for my husband’s parents that I mentioned in an earlier post. I am really happy with how the cover turned out and I did something different with the inside. I covered 2 pieces of cardboard in coordinating fabric to match the spine and then adhered them on the inside. I love how it looks and it adds some nice weight to the book. I also tried out a new binding technique I found on The Paper Outpost’s channel. It worked great and I think it’s going to be my new go-to binding technique.

If you remember we decided that instead of filling the album with photos from the last 50 years we are going to make it a bit of a challenge journal. My husband came up with the idea inspired by my daughter’s love for her Wreck this Journal by Kerri Smith. His idea was to add challenges for his parents to complete such as taking a photo in front of a mountain or a photo with a stranger.

I love the idea since any of the photos we would be adding to the album they already have and have seen a million times. We are going to include some photos of them and the family but only about 6 or so and then let them enjoy filling it up. They love to travel so I think it will be fun for them. Plus I thought we could have all the guests at their anniversary party add a photo prompt for them. So now it’s a photo album but also a memory book.

Another project I am working on is a cardinal sculpture. I have made it out of Paper Clay and I love the shape and the color but I am not as in love with the eyes. I am may try some dimensional eyes instead of painting them on to give it a bit more interest. I was able to sculpt some feet and I decided I really wanted him to be whimsical like my Self-Care doll so I added some decoupaged old book pages. I am also on the hunt for some fallen branch that I can use to attach him to. I am enjoying sculptures specifically whimsical mixed media type pieces and they give me a lot of joy when I see them in my home.

Last week I finished painting our bedroom and we moved in over the weekend. We have quite a bit of stuff moved in (my creative corner is almost completely set up and I am already using it) but still have some things to move down or decide to let go of completely. I like how contained everything feels now and I am finding having my creative space on the first floor is working so well. I can come in and work for little snippets of time throughout the day. It’s also turned into everyone’s favorite hangout which makes getting in some creative time that much easier. With any luck we will be completely moved out of the old room and ready to paint it for my youngest daughter next week.

I did have a play on Monday with my acrylic inks-the first project I worked on in my new creative corner. It was for last week’s challenge (you can see it here) and I had so much fun! Initially I didn’t think much of the piece-just something fun I made that had a nice childlike quality but the more I see it the more I really like it and I think I will be working more with black and white inks.

The last little item on my desk is a mixed media piece I started Thursday during my Artist Date in My Mobile Art Studio. I have been doing and re-doing this piece a lot over the past week and a half. I just can’t seem to get the face right and I am thinking of leaving it off completely. I originally was thinking of her as a bit of a self-portrait so I made her blonde but I decided today to change her hair color and it seems to work better. For now I’m going to call her done and make her the first piece for my new cardboard journal.

If you are interested in learning more about My Mobile Art Studio and my cardboard journal I am going to be blogging about them over on my other site The Creative Spiritualist. That site is also going to hold all my art journaling, journal making and energy art so if you are interested please stop by and say hello.

Well that’s about everything I have going on now. I hope this post finds you well and able to get in some creative time. I will see you all again on Monday with our weekly challenge. Are you taking part? You can join in all the challenge fun here.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Resource Section

The Paper Outpost: This is where I learned the hidden spine binding technique for the journal.

Baul de la Malinka: This is the Etsy shop where I purchased my Harry Potter felt doll patterns. There is a 3 pack that includes Harry, Ron & Hermione that I opted for.

*Note: All of the items listed above are being shared for your convenience. I purchased any and all materials with my own money and have not be paid or sponsored in any way for sharing these items. I share them because I like them and I love supporting small business. I hope you find them useful!

What I’m Working on Wednesday Updates #1

August 11, 2021 Leave a Comment

I hope this post finds you well. This week had me getting back into my handmade felt dolls and I managed to finish 2 for this week’s challenge along with one that I shared with you in last week’s What I’m Working on Wednesday.

If you saw last week’s post you know that I was making a little felt Harry Potter doll. My daughter was invited to a birthday party that is Harry Potter themed and I thought it might be fun to make a little add-on present. I purchased this digital pattern as part of a 3 pack that includes Ron & Hermione. If I have time I’ll try and make Ron & Hermione for the party and I also plan to make a complete set for my own collection and I’ll be sure to share them when they are done.

As of the writing of this post I haven’t shared much about my love for felt doll making. It started about 2 years ago when I made a really sweet doll for my oldest daughter. She had been reading about Sacagawea and really loved her story so I found this sweet pattern on Etsy (my favorite and really only source for these amazing patterns). I was so happy with how she came out (so was my daughter when she received it at Christmas). And from there the love grew! I have made quite a few of these little felt dolls along with 3 larger ones and a large felt monkey for my youngest daughter for this past Christmas.

I am planning a little video to share all my collection with you. With any luck I will get that up this month.

I am still working on finishing my crystal box from last week although I did finish up my cardboard buttons. I am still working on editing my video process for how I made these. I modified this video from Jennibellie where she makes the coolest cardboard buttons. I wasn’t as happy with mine when I made them this way so I adjusted a bit and I love how they come out and how much fun they are. My oldest has even started making them-they really are fun and a great way to use up scraps.

I am really happy that I finished up my self-care angel doll too! She was sitting very patiently waiting for me to finally see her face and clothes and I am so happy with how she turned out! Right now I have her on my decorative shelf in the kitchen and I just love the brightness and color she brings to the room. If you are interested in making one of these beautiful creations be sure to check out Tam’s course over on Willowing it’s so much fun!

Outside of the crafting world as I mentioned Monday we are working on re-arranging rooms in our home. I am in the process of painting what was our homeschool room. The trim desperately needed touching up and the walls a nice refresh although we are keeping the same color. It’s a really pretty yellow and since we still have some of the paint left I plan to keep it. This room is going from homeschool room to my and my husband’s bedroom/offices. I am really excited about this change. Initially when this room became our homeschool room everyone had a desk and I thought it would give us some really useful creative space but in many ways it became a catch all and the kids still used the kitchen table. So moving our homeschool supplies to a counter and cabinet in the kitchen wasn’t that hard and now we can make better use of this space as our bedroom/offices.

Right now I have a little creative corner in our current bedroom that I am going to give you a little tour of. It’s a great space and super cozy and I really do love it. I am excited however to be going back to my old spot in the homeschool room which is a little bit larger and more separated from the sleeping space.

So that’s my little update. I am happy I made time to play with all my creative supplies and get my hands covered in paint. I have tons of projects left so no worries about me running out. For each one I complete I find 10 more to start but this series is a really fun way for me to share my projects and to keep the ones I’m working on in the foreground of my mind.

Maybe you would like to join in?

Are you someone who has lots of creative projects going at the same time?

Do you work on one thing until it’s done and the go to the next?

Do you like to share your work on your blog?

I would love to visit your space and see the fun projects you are working on so I created a What I’m Working on Wednesday link party. Pop by on Wednesdays, share what you are working on and have a look at what your fellow creatives are doing. It’s a great way to find blogs to follow and inspiration for your next endeavor. Simply visit the link below and be sure to grab a graphic from my side bar to display on your site. Let’s spread the inspiration!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

What I’m Working on Wednesday: Felt Dolls, Paper Tiles, Cardboard Buttons & Journals

July 28, 2021 Leave a Comment

It’s been a little bit since I shared a What I’m Working On. I often wonder why I start writing blog series as I very often forget about them. I have been having lots of wonderful time in my little creative corner and getting so many projects done and completed so it reminded me how much fun it is to share them with you. I also will do my best to provide updates for these projects and share once they are completed and for some I will have some process videos where you can watch me make them start to finish. Once those posts are up they will be linked within this post for you.

So what have I been working on? Well, lots of things. I am really enjoying having several projects in various stages going at once. While one coat of paint is drying I work on something else and while that coat of Triple Thick dries I paint this piece. It’s a lot of fun and keeps me from getting board or getting too precious with any one project because they all just feel like play time.

I had a wonderful afternoon this past Sunday with the house to myself, a cup of tea, a little chocolate and my paints. I started painting this box I bought online. It has a special purpose that I will share in my process video to come out next week where you can see the ins and outs of how I made it and what it will be holding. It was a fun and easy project. I painted it, added some tourn paper scraps from a gelli print I did and added some Tim Holtz grout and paper tile. I have never used the paper tile before and the glaze seems to have a bit of a yellow tint to it. Not sure if it’s because it’s a little older (I got it back at Christmas) or if it still isn’t totally dry. Either way it was so much fun to make! Of course I realized after that I could remove the hardware so as not to get paint on it. Something I remedied when painting the second box.

These boxes came in a 3 pack of varying sizes and I am going to use the smallest one to house my crystals. I started painting it blue then decided I would rather pink and as I tried out the pink and saw the two colors together I fell in love. It looks like cotton candy and is so happy and fun. I also am going to sew a little cushion to go in the bottom of the box that all the crystals can sit on.

I have also been addicted, uh, having fun making cardboard buttons. This idea didn’t originate with me. I first saw this on Jennibellie’s YouTube channel (link in the reference section below) and thought I had to try it! I make mine differently than she did in the video but no matter how you make them they are really fun and simple. The best part is it’s a great way to use the off-cuts of cardboard when you have left behind when making a journal as well as small paper scraps. You can also use those 6×6 paper pads we tend to end up with stacks of. I am working on a little process video to share with you but they really are super simple and fun to make. I love using recycled/repurposed materials in my art. The photo here is of the buttons just about done-I only need to punch out the 2 holes in the center and seal the edges.

Another item I have been working on is my clay doll. This is a project from a class I am taking at Willowing. It’s a really fun class and I have been letting my little angel doll emerge slowly. Right now she is sitting on my table waiting to be painted. I am still trying to decide if I am going to use yarn for her hair or paint it on. I think I might start with painting and if I’m not happy with how it turns out cover it up with yarn 🙂 I don’t have a process video for her since she was part of a paid class but I will share a blog update once she’s all completed so you can see her.

I am also making a photo album that’s going to be a gift. We have some ideas here in our family about what we may or may not do with it as it’s an anniversary gift for my kids grandparents. My oldest 2 have been having a lot of fun with The Wreck this Journals I bought them and my husband had the idea to make this album a “wreck this photo album” and to put all sorts of prompts for the grandparents to complete. Like “take a photo in front of the world’s largest ball of yarn” and things like that. I haven’t included a photo-namely because I forgot to include it when I was taking photos and also it doesn’t look like much yet since it’s just a cover but once we decide on how we are going to make it and I have it all done I will be sure to share it with you all.

And lastly I am working on another felt doll. I really love making these! They are so nice because you can sit in a chair and hand sew them together-something I love to do. I might do a whole post on just my felt doll set up because I have really made it all very easy and contained-let me know if you would be interested in a post on that. For this doll I am making Harry Potter. My oldest daughter was invited to a birthday party and the theme is Harry Potter. My kids hadn’t shown much interest in the books or movies before and this past weekend we had a family movie night and watched the first movie-they really seemed to like it! Now we are reading the book together and of course, making felt Harry Potter dolls. Well, I’m making the dolls. I am going to try and make a complete set of Harry, Ron & Hermione for my daughter’s friend as a present and I am also thinking I need one to add to my felt doll collection.

If you would like to see the pattern I am using I have linked it in the resource section below. I would love to hear what’s your working on. Please comment below and if you have a blog share a link so we can all stop by and see what you are working on this Wednesday.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Resource Section

Jennibellie YouTube Channel: She has a wonderful channel with TONS of tutorials and amazing inspiration for your art journals. She also is great at using recycled materials and making do with what you have on hand. She’s where I learned to make the cardboard buttons I mentioned. You can also join her free community site here.

Willowing: Tam’s site has some AMAZING classes! This is where I am taking the self-placed Sacred Self Care Art Doll Class.

Baul de la Malinka: This is the Etsy shop where I purchased my Harry Potter felt doll patterns. There is a 3 pack that includes Harry, Ron & Hermione that I opted for.

What I’m Working on Wednesday

April 21, 2021 Leave a Comment

It was a challenging weekend my creative friends. I am not sure what energy was flowing in and around but I struggled a lot with finding ground. Fortunately I was able to rest, reconnect and read which seems to be my magical potion when I feel overwhelmed, exhausted and just not myself. I didn’t have it in me to create anything until Sunday yet Sunday proved to be a really great day and I worked on lots of fun projects.

The best part was that I reconnected with truth and I’m very grateful for that.

So what did I work on? I am in the process of creating a Collage Journal. This journal is so much fun already I can’t wait until it has pages in it. It’s also something I have been filming and I am hoping to start sharing some of my process videos with you all really soon.

In addition to the Collage Journal I am making a tutorial on how I make my journals-or as I call them “Dilettante Diaries.” Sometimes we get caught up in the name of something. “Is this an junk journal or an art journal? Is this a glue book or scrapbook?” I just like to make things and I don’t really care much for falling into a recognizable camp. That’s never been my think. Calling it a Dilettante Diary says it’s just like me-whatever it wants to be and whatever I choose to use it for in any given moment. Freedom right?

I also am filming this process and I am going to be offering it as a tutorial here on the site. I’m hoping to have both journals finished this week and then with any luck I can share them with you next week which is really exciting.

One of the reasons I am making these journals is because I am teaching an online Patreon class for the lovely Lisa at The Lollipop Box Club. I have been a subscriber of Lisa’s boxes for years-they are the only creative subscription boxes I get and I absolutely love them! When Lisa launched her Patreon page this year I signed up right away as a supporter and it’s been so much fun. I love the community that’s there so when Lisa asked if I would teach out to make a journal I said yes! In preparation for the class I wanted to make a few journals to show as demos but also to fine tune my process to make it easier for everyone joining in. I really excited (and a little nervous) but I think it’s going to be great. The class is this Thursday and if you are interested in joining. The best part is even if you join after the classes has happened you receive access to all past posts-isn’t that awesome?

I also made a storage box to hold my memory keeping goodies. All the die cuts, stickers etc. that I use when I document photos. Amazon had been using these super cute boxes for a few of my orders and I knew I had to reuse them for storage and it’s come out really sweet-plus it works! If you would like me to share a video on how I made it just comment below and I would be happy to make one.

I finished 2 small embroidery patterns and they came out so cute. I just love buying full kits where it comes with everything you need to make an embroidery. All I have to do is sit down and start.

I also have been working on my air dry clay creations. I made a paint palette (inspired by Pink and Inko on YouTube) along with a pinch vase, a little well to hold water for water coloring, a paint brush rest and finally a pin. I am still painting them up and then I will have to coat them so they can hold water but I’ll be sure to let you know how they come out. And of course if you would like me to make a video on it just comment below!

The last project in the works is a puppet for my son. He loves puppets and with his birthday coming up next month I want to make him this puppet we found online a while back. He loved it and wanted me to make it the same as the sample so I ordered the fleece, the eyes and now I am waiting for one item for the armature but otherwise I can get started. I’m hoping to maybe cut the pattern pieces out this weekend and start stitching it up soon.

So that’s what’s going on with me. It seems like a lot but I assure you I work in bits and pieces as and when the mood arises. I do try to make time daily for creativity as it’s really important to me. I love the act of creating and I often find myself at the craft table.

Wishing you a creative week.

Until Next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Resources:

Embroidery Kits (great for beginners!): I get mine from Penguin & Fish

Pin and Ink YouTube

Puppet Pattern: I purchased this puppet pattern from While She Naps. I made her felt doll pattern a few years ago (A Liam for my son and 2 Emmas for my daughters for Xmas) and they are so cute and a definite favorite!

A note about my resource section: If you have questions about any of my blog posts and you post them in the comments I will do my best to answer your comment as well update the Resource section for everyone.

What I'm Working on Wednesday

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