merry christmas & happy new year

Wishing you a wonderful holiday and peace and joy in the new year!

house doodling class

In just over a week, my friend Eileen Hull and I will be teaching a class combining her cleverly-designed Sizzix matboard dies with my techniques for doodling and writing on the die cuts.  In other words, she has the serious crafty design gene and I just doodle around for fun.   For the class, Eileen has chosen her large House die as the sample (teal house on left).  In addition to decorating the houses for the holidays, we'll then personalize them with my version of doodle writing (mossy house on right).

The two class samples

Sample with my doodling and handwriting

If you are close enough to attend, please join us

at Angela's Happy Stamper on Saturday, December 1st, at 1 pm. 

Details on Angela's class list.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving with all the people and blessings you are grateful for.

goodbye summer days

Are you, like me, sad to say goodbye to those warm, sunny, lazy summer days?  On my calendar, they definitely sped by too fast!!  I made this light-hearted art journal spread at the beginning of summer for a round robin book swap, adding some paint, collage, tape, doodling and lettering.  I guess it's already time for a new palette of colors. :)

doodling on the go

It's been such a busy lovely summer!  A couple trips to Europe, a long weekend in CA, family visits, some house repairs, lots of fun and adventure.  So, in order to have any creating time, it's pretty much been doodling-on-the-go.  And I learned how to use Instagram, with the help of some much younger friends (thanks, Molly of 8mm Ideas and Brea!)  Here are a few Instagram photos to share some of my recent doodle lettering.  Hope your summer has been a fun adventure, too!

under the toulouse sun

Although I've enjoyed my stay in Brussels, this morning I happily left its cool, grey and often rainy days in June to fly to Toulouse and the sunny warmth of southern France.  This evening I'm cosseted in my hotel room after a wonderful dinner of duck breast in honey glaze, contemplating whether I have enough energy to work a little in my mostly-neglected journal.  Tomorrow is another day for adventure (maybe Carcasonne) before joining up with Kaari Meng's 3rd week at Chateau Dumas on Saturday.  Besides all the wonderful day trips she has planned, we'll be working on a new journal guided by Wendy Addison!  Can't wait!

(pages still in progress)

brussels to toulouse

espresso bar in Brussels via here 

Happily packing for a Sunday departure for my summer vacation, heading to Brussels again and then, at the beginning of July, to Kaari Meng's third-week session at the Chateau Dumas near Toulouse. On my last visit to Brussels, we had exceptional weather toward the end of March, including sunny days in the 70s that had everyone out walking in the parks and sitting outdoors at the cafes. I hope we are lucky again and it warms up from the current rainy 60s.

 

view from my balcony at the Marriott hotel towards the Grand Place,
just a short walk away past lots of little shops

walking through a public park toward Embassy Row in Brussels

Immediately on my return home, I'm zipping out to CA for a weekend in Pam Garrison's journaling class at Jenny Doh's studio.  And then I'm going to putter around in my garden for the rest of the summer and get back to doodling for some classes I'm teaching in the fall.  Sounds like a plan, right?

Hope you have a wonderful summer with special pleasures tucked in!
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brave new journal

          

(Pitt pens, watercolor pencils, vintage pattern & labels, dotted masking tape)

Late this afternoon I had just enough time to do a quick intro page in my new moleskine journal.  Sitting in the sun on the front porch with Bogie, my sweet puppy, I tried to hurry and finish before the approaching rain.  But Bogie needed a short walk before the rain, too, and before we could run back to the porch, the rain pounded down on us in sudden drenching sheets. Some of the water splats blown in on my journal left open on the porch became opportunities for a little creative cover-up.  :)

Hope you like the message to "brave something" and "find your heart."
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have faith in yourself

In my Doodling Ink class at Rachel's Handmade U in Omaha this past weekend, we played a card game that acted as a doodling prompt.  So I thought I'd pick one of the words as a prompt, too, and doodle-write a page to go with it.  Today I chose the word "faith" as my prompt.  (This was the word you picked, Paige. :)

Although I'll still be adding color and more doodles, here it is in its first stage.  I'm thinking I'll make this Strathmore notebook into a series of reminders to myself -- for whenever I need them.  Like today, when I'm working toward another deadline (not complaining; I'm super happy to have these deadlines).

Have faith in yourself and your ability to be your best you!

off to doodle in omaha

Time to finish packing for my "Doodle Ink" class at Handmade U in Omaha this weekend. I'm excited and more than a little nervous to be teaching my first doodling class. Even after all the other project classes I've taught, it's a whole different ball game trying to translate something you do kind of naturally into a technique you lay out in thoughtful steps. Wish me luck, please!


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getting in the island mood

This island pace here on St Maarten may be slower, but our days have been full and I've barely had time for photos. Of course, I'm spending lots of time with this little lovely, my 5-month-old granddaughter Eliää, and her daddy.


Today was spa day for my daughter-in-law at the Christian Dior spa in the lobby of their apartment building. Afterwards, she enjoyed sunning with her spa partner Jackie while Eliää and I waved down at them from our balcony.


Some more views from the apartment's balcony overlooking the glorious ocean:








And here's the balcony chair where I'll sit doodling for my April class and other projects while listening to the waves tumbling in. Can I really call this a working vacation? Well, tomorrow morning at 6 am, Eliää and I will watch from the sidelines while her parents run, swim and bike in the island's triathlon. That's work, right?


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sending off some journal pages

Down to last-minute packing for my winter visit with my middle son's family in St Maarten. While there, I hope to share more photos of beautiful island scenery again this year. Meanwhile, we're having odd winter weather here in Virginia, with temperatures today in the 60's. But that can't last, can it?

Before heading off, I mailed both my book and my first guest pages for a round robin book swap that includes 11 talented ladies. My super-organized first swap buddy obligingly mailed me her book early so I could finish her pages in time.


For my book, my "Tales of a Creative Life" covers are made of fun upholstery fabric swatches picked up at JournalFest buddy Michelle Geller's favorite Good Will shop during my visit with her in Portland. She knows where all the best places are to find vintage goodies. I'm hoping the heavier brown textured leather, leftover from another of my book projects, will help protect the softer fabric as my book travels the country. I think the book feels so nice to hold.

Sign-in pages inside my journal, with doodles and watercolor.

My first guest pages were asked to be in a soft neutral and pink palette,

so I opted to draw these two delicate sketches for her theme,

using faces I found on Pinterest for my reference.
I drew and lightly shaded the two faces with pencil,
then added just a bit of watercolor for contour and warmth.

Off to finish packing! Mustn't forget my camera and doodling supplies!
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doodling class in april

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I know, it's a tough life ...

lately I've been spending more and more time just doodling!

But really, I do have a good reason.

In April, Rachel Velder McGough will host her Second Semester of Handmade U near Omaha, and I'm so excited

to be teaching a fun doodling class during the weekend!

This intimate retreat held April 19-22 will take place

in Minglewood Lodge, where classes and meals will be held

and the majority of those attending will stay.

So cozy!

Registration for the event has just opened on

Rachel's blog.

On the Friday, my journaling buddy Michelle Geller will be teaching

a full-day bookmaking class called Stitched and Stashed.

In the morning we'll stitch our journals together,

using Michelle's fresh take on the Coptic binding technique.

During the afternoon, we'll add to our journals

with papers and ephemera from her wonderful stash and our own.

The next morning, in my doodling class called Doodle Ink,

we'll make a small sampler book and then practice the fine art of doodling!

More than just a mindless gesture, doodling in art journaling

can be a joyful form of stylistic drawing.

Starting with my tips about tools and process,

we'll approach doodling as a a serious but playful addition to one's pages,

including lettering, borders and frames, and stylized birds and flowers.

It will be all hands on!

In the afternoon, Rachel will teach her prize-ribbon class,

using her fantastic ribbons brought back from France!

I hope you're coming!

Please say yes!

p.s. By the way, I doodled this "Yes!" in response to another invitation

to participate in more doodle fun!

Hope to be able to tell you more soon.