Gardening, Books & Dollhouses

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Happy Thursday!

I am sitting in my studio after having spent some time today in the garden! Oh it feels so good to be out in the sunshine! I planted my lettuce seeds and cleared out 2 beds and had a nice long sit, petting the dogs, and thinking about what my plans are for the garden this year.

I am really excited that after 20+ years of wanting we are finally purchasing privacy trees for the back border of our yard. This is something I have always wanted to do but at first our yard was already full of trees that cast it in full shade so growing anything like evergreens wasn’t going to work. Sadly most of those trees died, the upside is that our backyard is now full sun-yay! I have also been able to replace almost all of the trees we have lost and just put them in more appropriate spots.

The other thing I did was had a good swing on the swing set. Last year my husband built one for the kids and I had requested that he build it sturdy enough so that I could also use it as swings were my favorite as a child. I have to ask the last time you were on a swing set? Can I just say that I forgot how amazing it feels! I told my husband that from now on whenever we are grumbly we should just come out and swing for 5 minutes and suddenly all is right with the world. Really it was pretty awesome.

In other, more blog-focused news I will be hosting my first in-person class this June! I am so excited and really can’t wait to get everything pulled together. I already have lists and ideas and I am planning a goody bag-including a brand new art journal-for each participant. It’s going to be so much fun! I will be sure to keep you updated and I do plan on offering an online version of the class so be sure to keep an eye out for that.

With the gorgeous weather today my husband was kind enough to help me transport my dollhouse to the studio. Originally I was excited to work on it at home but other than the very first steps I just haven’t been able to find the time. I spent this past week designing a digital planner so I could plot out my studio time with my current projects. I was able to use it to carve out time each week to work on the dollhouse and the content creation that goes along with it.

If you read this post you know I am dipping my toe into the world of miniatures and I have begun my first project-renovating my childhood dollhouse. I have quite a bit of footage filmed and wanted to see how I was going to do with it before deciding if it was content I was prepared to create and share on a regular basis. I feel ready now and I am going to spend the rest of April filming some videos and then launch a separate YouTube channel just for the dollhouse.

I will keep the same format here which is writing a blog post and sharing the YouTube video. I’ll create a separate link that takes your right to the dollhouse content and all the appropriate videos but I didn’t want the videos on YouTube to be under my art journaling channel. I really thought it would be confusing for subscribers and probably make some algorithm somewhere cranky. I have designated Sundays as my dollhouse day to share all things miniature. Currently I post content here on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday so I thought adding Sundays would help you know what to expect and when here on the blog.

That brings me to another thought-my podcast. I have loved making podcasts in the past but lately I have been struggling to find topics to share about. I have some ideas and things I might do-including taking a step back all-together but I would love to hear your thoughts. Do you listen to the podcasts? If so what would you like me to talk about? For now, I am going to take the rest of April off and see what comes up for May.

Lastly I did want to give you a Book Club update. I finished 1 mini book this week-“A Christmas Tartan” by Paige Shelton (affiliate link). It was really good-her Scottish Bookshop Mysteries (affiliate link) are one of my favorites. I am currently reading the next book, “Lost Books and Old Bones” (affiliate link) along with “Emerald Isle” (affiliate link) Stacy Justice Mysteries Book #5 by Barbara Annino. I started this book last year and then just stopped reading on my kindle for a bit. I am hoping to finish both of these books this week along with the audio book I am currently listening to which is “The Secret Adversary” by Agatha Christie.  I mentioned in the last book club update that I am working on The Agatha Christie Mystery Challenge and I really enjoy listening to them in my studio. They are so well produced. If you are interested in the version I am listening to it’s on Audible here (affiliate link).

So that is the news for me! It’s funny I didn’t know how much I would have to share with you this week but it turns out it’s been quite a bit! I would love to hear what you are up to so please do share a comment below. If you share about your reading adventures on your own blog you can join my link part (see below) and we can all come and see what you have been reading. One day I hope to host a virtual book club-does that sound fun? Let me know!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

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Video: Interactive Journal Page: Create a Door with a Secret Message

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I thought it would be fun to break in my new handmade journal with an interactive page at the back. It’s really a simple process and you can place pretty much anything in your little secret door. I am thinking of writing an inspirational message on the back of my heart but you could put a photo, a focal image-anything!

I kept my image loose but you could glue it in if you want.

I began by cutting out my heart shape twice from a piece of chipboard and gluing them together. Then I began gluing several pages together. I added gesso to the heart since I wasn’t sure if I was going to paint and collage or just collage. Then I added gesso to the journal pages, some paint and some stamped images for a background. I also added a focal image from a book I have on birds and flowers. I glued all my images down with mod podge and then used mod podge to add some dictionary pages and tissue paper to the heart. I then used the heart to get an idea of how big to make the door and cut through all the layers on three sides. I put a cutting mat behind them to protect my journal cover.

I ended up adding a bit of ribbon to the door with a button for decoration. I am so happy with how it turned out and it was really fun to make! I can’t wait to get some more done in this journal.

You can watch the video below and maybe make an interactive page in your own journal.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Music by Julia Pauletti – You Are Mine – https://thmatc.co/?l=63BE6B37
Music by Eli Lev – Dancin’ on the Lawn – https://thmatc.co/?l=9EA04504
Music by Saint Stephen – 50’s Milkshake – https://thmatc.co/?l=352EAE2D

Video: Making Journal Jewelry

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Happy Monday! I hope you had a nice weekend.

We spent time with family on Saturday celebrating a belated Easter. The kids hunted eggs and ate way too much chocolate and the adults sat outside and chatted. It was a relaxing way to spend the day.

I did manage to get to the studio over the weekend and had a play with making some journal jewelry. I just recently heard the term although I have added embellishments and dangles my journals for years. I wanted to find a way to use some of the charms we made together as well as my stash of ribbons. If you would like to add some embellishments to your journals but don’t have a lot of found items to add then you might like to give this a try.

I started by picking out some ribbons I like and tying them together. Then I added a bulb safety pin (Amazon Affiliate Link) so that I could clip it through the top of the spine of my journal. I then added some of our handmade charms by tying them on to the individual ribbons. You could really go crazy and add so many things! You could add old charms from necklaces that are broken, beads, bells-you name it! I liked the idea of using elements I could make but I am definitely going to be making a lot more of these.

I hope you enjoy the video and try making these charms for yourself. If you do please let me know how you make out!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

 

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not cost you any more money but helps support my site and my work.

Music by Julia Pauletti – You Are Mine – https://thmatc.co/?l=63BE6B37

The Case of the Two Agathas aka Book Club Thursday

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This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase using one of my affiliate links I earn a small commission but you do not pay anything more.

Welcome to another Book Club Thursday. I hope you have been enjoying some quality reading time the past 2 weeks. I have finished two books since my last update and have really been enjoying the extra time spent with a book in my hand. I thought it would be fun to share what I have read and some of the books I hope to dig into reading the next few weeks. So let’s get started!

I finished “The Quiche of Death” by M.C. Beaton (affiliate link) the first book in the Agatha Raisin series. I picked up a used copy of the first 3 books combined in one volume a while back. I really love the the Agatha Raisin movies and television series so I thought it would be fun to read the books as well. If I am being honest, I like the shows better. The novel in and of itself is a good one and if I wasn’t comparing it the television series I am sure I would have enjoyed it more. I found the characters of Agatha and Roy to not be nearly as likeable as they are on TV but I am going to keep on and at least finish the volume and see how the characters develop from there. The story itself, a cozy-mystery (my favorites) is a really great “who-dun-it” set in a cozy English village.

The next book I finished was Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind by Joyce Meyer (affiliate link). This book is by a Christian author and while some of the, shall we say gender specific roles are not something I personally agree with I did find the overall message extremely helpful. More so than “think positive” the book goes into Biblical examples of how we are to focus our mind on the good, the loving and the true. It offers some really solid examples of training your mind but is definitely a book focused on Biblical Christianity so if that isn’t something you resonate with than this wouldn’t be something I would recommend.

I am going to also add a separate category here for audio books that I listened to. I have trouble considering audio books, well, books. I understand they are but I guess for me it’s not about just a story but the act of reading I enjoy. Still, I love audio books as their own category and have started listening to them when working in my studio. This week I listened to “The Mysterious Affair at Styles” by Agatha Christie. I have purchased a used copy of some of her books but decided to go for an audio version of her first book. I am doing this as a part of the challenge with the 52 Book Club’s Agatha Christie Challenge. I am working on all the books in the order of which they were written. I really enjoyed the audio version. The narrator was fabulous and I felt as if I was transported into the story. I am excited to start the next in the series, “The Secret Adversary” and I will be doing this as an audio book as well.

Now as for some of the books I am hoping to read in April. I would like to finish “Emerald Isle a Stacy Justice Mystery” by Barbara Annino. I started this book, I think the beginning of last year on my Kindle and am about half way through. They are fun stories about witches, mysteries and magical lands-some of my favorite reads. I am hoping to finish this one next week if I can.  I would also like to read “Steeping Secrets: The Magical Tea Room Mysteries” by Erin Johnson. This series is so much fun about an American in Bath, England who ends up working at a tea room run by vampires and shape shifters only to find out that she herself is a witch. Add in some sleuthing and murders and it’s a really fun cast of characters and really like and fun read. This is another book I plan to read on my kindle as well as the next book in the series, “Save the Last Dance for Tea.” (You gotta love the puns 🙂

Another Kindle read is “A Christmas Tartan” by Paige Shelton.  I started this series I think last year or 2021 and it’s a lot of fun. Again about an American who is living in Scotland and working at a very unique old book store. As in all cozy mysteries you have a wonderful cast of characters and lots of mysteries thrown in. I have also put a request in at the library for “Lost Books and Old Bones” by Paige Shelton which is the book that follows “A Christmas Tartan.”

If I am able to read all these I will hit my 2 books/week goal. As I mentioned before I have set a goal to read 52 books this year and am currently 7 books behind schedule. In truth, I would love to hit the goal but really the goal is just a reminder to me that I want to spend more time reading each day. I always feel so good when I am making time to read each day and I am trying to keep that at the forefront of my day.

Well that feels like a lot! I would love to hear what you are reading or your favorite types of books to read. Please comment below so we can all find our next TBR.

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Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

 

Making a Mini Journal

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I might be addicted to making mini journals. If you saw my post on teeny mini journals you may know what I am talking about. Today’s journal making fun is larger than the teeny journals but so much fun to make. I used Bristol paper and it only took 3 small sheets. You could use any paper really depending on how you want to create in your journal. I am thinking of using these to house some inspirational quotes but I might be adding some images to the pages as well.

I cut eat piece of Bristol paper to about 4″x6″ and then I added acrylic paint with my finger to create a natural background. I have some ideas for how I am going to add the quotes to the pages and I will add some embellishments but I liked the idea of having the pages prepped for when I have my quotes all gathered.

I am also planning on adding some beads or decorative elements to the strings which is why I bound it so that the strings where on the outside. This is such an easy and fun project and the idea of filling a journal in just one art journal session feels really satisfying.

I hope you enjoy the video and please let me know if you make some I would love to hear how you plan on filling your journal.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Video: Gelli Print Art Journaling

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Today I decided to play with my gelli plate.

I admit to seeing some amazing things done with gelli plates but haven’t quite fallen in love with using them myself. I decided today to have a play in my journal with my small gelli plate and see what came from it.

I started off using a stamp pad that I then sprayed with a bit of water. Then I used acryllic paint and brayer with some stamped images and followed that all up with some Tombow markers. I really love the look the Tombow gave  to the page with the gelli plate.

The fun thing about the size I am using is that it can easily be used like a stamp and it’s the perfect size for my journal. I am going to try and have some more gelli plate journal spreads to share with you soon.

While I worked on this page I was listening to an audio book-“The Mysterious Affair at Styles” by Agatha Christie. The version I am listening to is a free one that was available with my audible subscription and it’s really well narrated. What do you listen to, if anything when you are being creative?

I hope you enjoy today’s video! Until next time!

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Music by Eli Lev – Dancin’ on the Lawn – https://thmatc.co/?l=9EA04504

Music by Little Boots – Silver Balloons – https://thmatc.co/?l=54B37541