Welcome to My New Studio!

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I am so excited to be saying that I have finally rented my own studio space! This has been a dream of mine for years and last Friday-it finally came true!

I am going to share a bit of the before and then the journey but if you are interested at the end of the post I also have a vlog where I chat and give you a tour of the space.

The past few years I have really struggled to find balance. Taking care of my family and taking care of myself wasn’t something I was doing very well. I think sometimes we can go through periods in life where it feels like all we are doing is hanging on and that’s where I was. This year however I have been finding my way back to myself. My spirituality, my creativity have both played parts and I am just now starting to feel like myself again.

Of course you don’t need studio space to be creative. You don’t need anything to be creative. For me however it was about claiming my creativity. It was finally taking all the dreams, goals, plans I had in my head and giving them form. I have literally made space for my art, my writing, my spiritual work and in doing so I have also made the commitment of time to these parts of myself.

Parts that, in all honesty, were really being neglected for a while.

So the journey has been going on for years with me looking a bit here and a bit there. Thinking about building a small studio on our property or maybe converting an old barn into some creative space. I looked for places to rent that were really out of my price range and I also told myself that I had space in the house to use so I didn’t need anything else.

It would go round and round that way until I changed. (You can read more about that on my other blog if you are interested in things metaphysical and spiritual 🙂

Two weeks ago I called a place not far from me to inquire on available spaces. Turned out they had one small space that was within my price range. They weren’t able to show it that day but I was told to give a call back Monday to set things up-which I did. Tuesday had me strolling around a new space-in my dream building and knowing instantly that all the planning, dreaming and wishing had fallen into place.

Thursday I had a lease, Friday I had keys and Saturday I had paint splattered clothes and a heart full of gratitude and excitement.

The space is small-just 8’x16’ or somewhere around there but it’s exactly what I need. It’s clean, quiet and I’m able to make my heart, write my stories and blog posts, create my videos-and with any luck-start sharing more of work (and my dreams) with you. I could not be happier!

I have lots of plans for someone who doesn’t plan so perhaps I should call them ideas. I have given them a home to live in (a bullet-kinda-journal-thing) and I plan on tending them regularly.

So that is what I have been up to. I hope you like the photos and the video and I do plan on sharing a lot more videos and chatting with you here so if there is anything you would like to see or questions you have please let me know!

 

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Summer Solitude, Art & Flowers

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I am sitting with freshly painting nails writing to you. It’s late evening-a moment shy of 11pm-and the house is silent.

My family has gone on a little adventure with extended family and I am left home with the furry kids and a silent house.
This is my second time at home alone for several days in just 2 months. Before May I think it was a good 6 or 7 years since I had the house to myself and then it had only been for the day.

I have lots to share of my current creative projects along with some book club updates but I will save that for another day.

Over the 4th of July long weekend I picked some rhubarb from the garden and along with some purchased strawberries made my husband’s favorite rhubarb and strawberry crumble. I halved the sugar recommended and I believe even the butter and it was still absolutely delicious. My oldest was expressing an interest in photography so I asked her to snap a photo for the blog. She agreed as long as I gave her credit 🙂 I am also sharing a few of my favorite photos she took around the garden.

Photo Credit Abbie

I have a fun story about these Day Lillies. When I was young there was a spot in down we used to drive by and these flowers grew in a large number there and I just loved them. I didn’t know their name but anytime I saw them I just knew I wanted to have them someday.

They appeared in my yard-and I don’t remember how-and now they grow everywhere! I have since learned they are known as “Ditch Lillies” and it would seem that I have attracted them in an abundance! Still they are beautiful.

Photo Credit Abbie

And another favorite are the Elderberries. Last year was my first year growing them and they did so well. I made Elderberry syrup from them and am looking forward to doing the same this year. They have taken over their little corner of the garden so they will be pruned back in the fall otherwise I fear they may take over 🙂 They are so pretty (and useful!)

Photo Credit Abbie

I also cut some flowers to bring indoors. It’s one of my favorite things to do in the summer-to cut flowers and place them in repurposed glass jars all over the house. The snapdragons were purchased (although I did start some from seed) and while their flowers are beautiful the purchased ones are short and stocky and didn’t last in the vases at all.

The rest of the garden is starting to come into flower though and I was able to cut my first sunflower of the year today (you can see it in the photo below). This particular sunflower is one of 2 volunteers that somehow grew in the pathway of my flower garden. If I am honest they are in less than an idea spot but I just couldn’t bring myself to uproot them so they will enjoy the summer just where they are.

I also decided to really embrace decorating my home. I have been letting that go a bit and it’s something I love. I decided to start with seasonal decor for my mantel and have 2 more items I am waiting on but they all looked so pretty with the sunflower, bachelor buttons, zinnia and celosia.

And then of course there is art making. It began with a nice clean out of my creative corner. DH moved his desk out and we moved our rabbit Frank in. The best part is Frank’s cage sits under a large desk and with the purchase of shelving I now have a lot more storage for my supplies along with a drying area which was something I really needed.

I cleaned out my rolling carts too. I didn’t have them set up very practically and so I made sure I moved out anything I wasn’t using and put my most used (and loved) items on the top shelves and they are so much more functional-not to mention they look so much better.

I have started sewing a t-shirt but am procrastinating on attempting the v-neck so it’s been sitting aside for me to be in the right frame of mind to learn this new technique. I have been taking part in Carla Sonheim’s collage class and really enjoying it. You can still sign up for the course for lifetime access I believe.

I’m working on embroidering a few pieces of clothing and cannot wait to share them with you. I really want to make more of my own clothes but as I am still working on the sewing skills I felt it would just as fun to make some of my clothing my own. I love embroidery and love that I can sit in the evening with it while we watch a little TV before bed.

I’ve started making some journals and some sticker sheets. I would love to open up a little shop but have been procrastinating there as well. I love making things and I especially love the idea of making stickers since I use them so much but I always seem to determine they aren’t good enough and that’s where it ends. Do you find it hard to make things for others? My eye is always so much more critical that way.

Lastly I have started a collage painting of our home. I am trying out a combination of a class I am taking on Skillshare (this is an affiliate link and you make a purchase using this link I earn a small commission) along with some of my own ideas and of course I will share with you when it’s done.

What have you been working on this summer? I would love to hear! You can always comment down below or message me directly.

Wishing you a lovely day.

Until next time…

-Michele aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Painting Faces

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How are you? I have been working through with the help of some art making. This weekend the weather was a little gray and between puttering in the garden (and bringing in some cut flowers to place in bud vases around the house) I made some art.

I have been working on a theme of small ladies that I would love to turn into stickers. I do love stickers and adding them to journal pages or in memory keeping. I am still fine tuning them. I love how they look as sketches but when I start painting them I feel like they are loosing a little something. Maybe I should try them all in colored pencils?

I am also working on a little paper clay decoration for Father’s Day. I am hoping I can get it done in time-I have been doing a bit here and there as I can. The inspiration came from Sarah Hand’s new book “A Happy Book of Little Gifts to Make” (that’s an affiliate link and if you make a purchase I receive a small commission but it doesn’t cost you any more).
With any luck I can finish it up in time and share some photos with you.

I was also flipping through one of my larger sketchbooks. I don’t know about you but there are certain sketchbooks or art journals I just connect with. It has very little to do with the book itself and I think more to do with how I have created in it so far. If I have been free and having fun just playing with materials I tend to really, really love the book. This is one of those journals. Usually, once I realize that I love the book I suddenly put all this pressure on myself to “keep it going.”
It feels a little like learning to ride a bike-once you realized you are doing it you fall over?

In flipping through this journal I came across I piece I had done a while back that I absolutely loved. I mean, really loved. I just connected with her so much and I am sure it had to do with how I felt creating her. I remember when she was done and I shared her with my family they just smiled and said it was nice. They didn’t quite share my enthusiasm. Art is like that though isn’t it? It can feel like the entire Universe aligned and offered you clarity and then another person can see it and just shrug. Art is so very personal.

I get it-it’s not as if she is a fabulous execution of a face. Still, she meant something to me and flipping back through the journal and seeing her I felt it all over again.

I also felt the call to make another one (and maybe more than one). This time however I felt a little nervous. Afraid I was putting pressure to create the same feeling I had when I made the one above. (I named her “Babette” by the way)
Instead, I picked a background page that had my favorite colors mixed in it and it and just started playing.

Can I say I love her even more?

 

I also love this photo with my messy desk. I took it just to make sure I captured her and instantly knew this would be a part of a post I wanted to share with you.

I am pretty sure this journal is going to be filled with similar girls. I love the two-page spread and there is just something about each of them that speaks something to me.

I hope you like this little peak into what I have been creating over the weekend. I would love to hear what you have been making or creating. Please share in the comments below.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

 

 

 

Taking Care and Flowers

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I am sharing a small little post with you today but what I really wanted to share were some photos I took in the garden. I have really been enjoying photographing my flowers and am using them for some sketches/paintings that I hope to share with you. In the meantime, I hope they bring a smile to your face.

I am slowly moving into my hibernation week taking a bit extra care of myself as-in my haste to clear out some weeds-ignored the poison ivy that was growing amidst the dead nettle at the base of the oak tree. As a very clear reminder of the virtue of moving slowly the left side of my face is now covered in poison ivy. It looks worse than it feels (thanks to calamine lotion) still I believe it’s taking it’s toll in other ways.

I am forever trying to find the meaning in my experiences, the lessons buried deep in the seemingly ordinary. I believe that I am being called more and more to focus on my own way of doing things. Of embracing those parts of myself that perhaps I came to believe were flaws.

Like my lack of “hustle” and the need to meander rather than drive.

I have finished a book and started another (not on the list I shared with you in my last book club update) so I hope to have a few more updates to share with you perhaps next week. In the meantime I will drink tea, make art, snuggle my kiddos and spend as much time in the garden as possible.

I hope this week is starting off well for you. That you are able to move at the pace that feels natural and in a way that feels your own. If, like me, you need to take care of yourself I hope you do.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante.

 

Embracing the Planned and the Unplanned & Turning a Tea Box into an Art Box

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Today was a day for doing the planned and the unplanned.

We went up for the town parade which was planned but my oldest two being invited to walk in the parade was unplanned and something they never did before. It was a wonderful experience for them and something I am sure they will remember.

We ended up chatting with our neighbors as we walked home which is always nice. That lead to them offering us their old pool filter for our pool so Scott and our girls are over now visiting and getting the pool filter.

My brother-in-law stopped by to pick up some tomato plants I had for him. We haven’t seem him since Thanksgiving so it was nice to say hello. I tend to have anxiety when people come in my house so unplanned events are actually better for me. My mind doesn’t have much time to work into a tizzy and since it was just decided yesterday he would stop by on his way to something else it felt very low pressure for me and was a nice time.

Now, I am embracing the air conditioning (I get heat sick very easily) and writing to you. I wonder how your day is? Have you been able to embrace the planned and unplanned?

It’s an interesting perspective for me to have since I spent yesterday working in my planner. I am thinking of it more as a container rather than a planner because, as I have said lots of times, I hate to have plans. I love the idea of a planner and filling in the days ahead of time. I rarely ever like the enacting a plan set in place earlier. I never feel like the same person who made the plans. Instead I like to have containers. Something that works as a reminder of all the things that are important to me so I don’t get swept away by my day but not something that is so rigid that I can’t be present in my day.

I am playing around with a new way to incorporate my creative self and my containers and my planner-I’ll be sure to share some updates with you as I get a feel for it.

One thing I am planning on doing is the ICAD 2022 Challenge over on Daisy Yellow’s blog. It looks like so much fun and a great way to have a play with my mixed media and also giving me a container for creativity when I may not be sure what I want to make one day. I decided when I first read about it on the blog that I was going to take part and I was really excited to find that my tea boxes are the perfect container to hold an index card. I decided I would paint it up and have it prepped and ready for June 1st.

I started off just adding a layer of gesso to the box and then some new pastel blue paint I picked up from the craft store during my mini creative retreat. I then added some decorative paper to cover up the embossing the box has and some stickers I was gifted on Mother’s Day.

I am really happy with how it turned out and it was a lot of fun to do. I  was working on this project in the midst of others so when I was waiting for a layer of paint to dry on this project I moved on to another one. It is really easy and I love using things that would other wise be trash (or recycled) and making it into something new. If you love the 80’s themed washi tape as much as I do it’s from artist Mindy Lacefield‘s shop! Not to be a total enabler but she has stickers too-scratch and sniff ones 😉

I recorded the process of decorating the box so if you would like to watch and maybe make something yourself the video is just below.

Are you taking part in ICAD? If so I would love to hear! I will plan on sharing my postcards here on the blog so even if you aren’t taking part you can get a feel for the challenge.

I hope this post finds you doing well and that you are able to get a little bit of creativity into your day today.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

 

Sharing a New Podcast and Pulling in More Creativity

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Today I managed to have a play with a few different mediums and it felt so nice.

I worked on a new story in a new notebook that is dedicated to a brand new project which feels so fun! I cannot wait to share more of it with you.

I did some research in alignment with this same project and was learning a bit about 1930’s radio programs. I also found a fun behind the scenes video that was made in the 1950’s that was very interesting. You can watch it here.

I recorded a new podcast-something I would love to make a weekly or almost weekly endeavor. It’s about 20 minutes long and I share a bit more about my new project as well as some that will be coming up on the horizon. I also chat a little about pulling in more and more creativity into my days in simple and gentle ways.

I worked in some of my mini art journals as part of a class I am taking with Alisa Burke. While I was reviewing my podcast I had fun just adding some paint to paper and “prepping my pages” as Alisa says.

I also did a little puttering in the garden. Cleaning up and putting away some of the seedling trays that had been littering the yard. I also started putting the fencing around my garden but am going to wait for a second opinion (i.e ask my husband when he gets home) since it looks like it may not be quite as sturdy as I had hoped.

I hope you manage a little creative time today-if only 5 minutes. You totally deserve it and I hope you can find some space for it. Wishing you a lovely day!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante