Musings on Realities

"Framing" Complete!

2012-02-24T05:43:00.000-08:00

On this week's WIWO Wednesday, I showed you two postcards that I've received. I've been trying to figure out how to display them in my home. Since they are textiles, I want to be able to touch them, so putting them behind glass was not an option.

I decieded to flip over a couple of canvasses that I had one hand and paint the BACKS of them black.

I then put a block into the recess in the middle and put on a few dabs of glue (glue gun glue is fairly easy to remove in case I change my mind)

The result is a 3D "frame" which sets off the pieces, allows me (and visitors!) to touch them, and cost me nothing since I had the canvasses and paint on hand!

I LOVE how they turned out!

Paying it Forward, Part Two

2012-02-23T05:19:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my finished works from what I started on the weekend.

Hop on back to Monday's post to see what these pieces are all about :)

I'm hoping that I can send these without having to spend an arm and a leg. The larger ones are 8x10 stretched canvases.

I didn't do much to this one after the initial stages. I thought that it was quite lovely as it was.
I particularly like the mixed colours behind the brown stencil.

I love red, aqua and brown together, and this piece is inspired by that colour combination.
I think that after studying Teesha Moore's style in January,
I have realized how much depth a border can add to a piece of art.

I am constantly reminding myself to take a breath and slow down. This piece is an ode to that mantra.
Again, the black dry-brushed border gives the piece the depth that I was looking to achieve.

This and the next one are inspired by a stamp that a friend of mine had at a recent art club meeting. I did use the stamp on these pieces, but it did't work very well on my backgrounds. I went over where I thought the shapes would be.

Perhaps one of my favourites, I touched this up with some white highlights
and did a light black dry-brush around the border.

WIWO Wednesday - It's What I'm Working On

2012-02-22T05:32:00.000-08:00

I received some incredible cards in the mail this week. They are made completely out of fabric, felt, threads and yarns.

Today I'm trying to figure out the best way to show them in my home. I had to photograph them though, to show you.

I am so in love with them both.

"Enchantment" by Kathy McElroy

A close-up of "Enchantment." I love fiber arts.

This one appears to be hand-stitched (aside from the edges) by Joan Flynn in Australia.

The details here are amazing! It must have taken her hours to make this. I feel so fortunate to have received this.

It's Primed!

2012-02-21T05:40:00.000-08:00

My Duracell box is now primed and ready for action.

For some reason I'm hesitating to really dig in to this.

Maybe I will feel better once I become more comfortable with a clear idea of how I will decorate it.

Anyhow, here it is with a fresh coat of primer!

Paying it Forward

2012-02-20T05:13:00.000-08:00

Today I began to make some headway on my pieces for Pay it Forward 2012.

I have 5 people on my list, and so I decided to make little pieces of art for them. Some of the pieces are a bit large - I'll have to figure out how to send them without paying a fortune in postage.

Other wise, this has been a fun experience so far. I love making art for other people.

Since I really don't know the recipients at all, I am creating freely without trying to customize my work.

Here is a sneak peek from day two. Tomorrow I should be able to make the finishing touches.

Here is a shot of all six pieces (I'm going to keep my favourite for myself.) Can you tell that I just bought a new stencil? :)

A New Pink Poof

2012-02-17T05:58:00.000-08:00

I've put a pink streak in my hair. Right at the front. I thought I'd play around a bit and I'm really liking it.

Happy Friday :)

What to Do?

2012-02-16T05:52:00.000-08:00

My friend and fellow blogger Cheryl Ford gave me this Duracell Battery display box.

I looked at it and imagined there could be many different uses for it.

What do you think I should do with it? All suggestions welcomed! :)

WIWO Wednesday - It's What I'm Working On

2012-02-15T05:07:00.001-08:00

Today I'm getting together some envelopes and postage stamps to send out the two prizes from last week's Mixed Media Giveaway.

This giveaway was so much fun, I want to do one every week! ( If only I could afford it! )

Thanks to all who entered - there were over forty entries once all of the Facebook "likes," blog shares, and comments were counted up.

I REALLY enjoyed reading about your mixed media habits. It's amazing how one genre of art can be so diverse! I love it!

If you haven't had a chance to be inspired by the mixed media combinations of some fellow artists, hop on over to last Monday's post to see what their comments say.

In the meantime,

THE WINNERS FROM LAST WEEK'S MIXED MEDIA GIVEAWAY ARE

Grand Prize: Cheryl F. (WA)
Runner-Up: Angie N. (VA)

YAY! Congratulations!

Postcards Are Rolling In!

2012-02-14T05:54:00.000-08:00

Are you getting some great postcards? I can't beLIEVE some of the art that I'm getting.

In honour of Valentine's Day, I'm sharing some "link love" with all of you.

I've taken some photos of my favourites so far... have a look.

This card is from Carlene Taylor Simmons.
I was so tickled to get this because of the texture that she has created using fabric and her sewing machine along with the paper and paint...
I LOVE your work, Carlene!

This one is from the talented Pippa Gore. Have you checked out Pippa's blog?
She updates it about three times a day - you wouldn't believe how much art this woman makes.
She is truly an inspiration!

This is another card that really blew me away. It's from Pam Parker in Australia.
Get this: the leaves on her tree are made from APPLE STICKERS! Cute and clever.
Pam is just starting out her journey into mixed media and I'd say she's doing a splendid job!

Mark Montano has to be my number one idol in so many ways. I love what he pulls together.
He is like the MacGyver of Art, craft, and DIY.
Who else would put Mary, skulls, butterflies and glitter all in the same place?

I've never seen my name look so beautiful. I dream about being able to write in such a pretty way.
This is how Mark Montano addressed his (butterfly) envelope to me.

Journal Flip-Through

2012-02-13T05:49:00.000-08:00

My 16-page journal - inspired by teesha moore - is complete!!

I made a little video to show you all of my favourite parts.

I'm pretty happy with this one, overall. There are some pages that I like more than others, but all in all, it's a great piece of work that I'm very proud of :)

My 16-Page "Teesha Moore" Book is DONE!

2012-02-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

... but you'll have to wait until next week to see the page-through video! :)

In the meantime, have you entered the First Ever Musings On Realities Mixed Media Giveaway?

There are TWO prizes to be won.

Hop on over to Monday's post and enter to win! :)

And remember:

Art Should Be Made Everywhere!

2012-02-09T05:13:00.000-08:00

I've recently made a lap desk so that I can do my art while watching movies and TV with my monkey.

I am SO SO SO excited about it. It has just the right amount of kitsch, femininity and usefulness!

Here it is in all its glory. The tray has sentimental value for me, so I thought that using it for my lap desk would mean that i could see it every day! Much better than hiding it away for just once-in-a-while use.

I chose to use a tray so that I could have my pens on it while I'm working. The tray edges prevent my pens from rolling away and getting lost in the chair cushions!

I added some nice conservative fabric to the base. This is the part that will rest on my lap. I wanted it to be cushy, so I filled it with a full bag of polyester filling, the same stuff you would use for a cushion.

I tucked the corner edges in neatly to give the whole project a clean, more professional appearance.

Materials (all on hand):
- a full sized serving tray (mine is a vintage metal one)
- a yard of scrap fabric
- a good amount of polyester filling
- a glue gun

Although I didn't take photos of the stages of this project, I can tell you that it's truly easy as pie:

1. Glue one edge of your fabric onto one of the longer edges on the underside of your tray. I glued right side down so that I wouldn't have any fraying or unfinished edges.
2. With your tray upside down on a flat surface, place the poly filling "flat" onto the middle ridge of your tray.
3. Wrap the fabric around it, pulling fairly tightly so that the end result is a nice, clean cushion.
4. Glue each of the sides, again, right side to the metal so that you get a little lip - it looks nice this way.
5. You should have three sides glued now, and you should be able to see your stuffing from the fourth side. This is the last side that you will glue, and it's the trickiest since you will have to glue and then fasten your fabric down quickly before the glue cools.
6. Pull the fabric tightly and fold under so that the "seam" (between the tray and the fabric) is neat and tidy. Once you are sure you know where to glue, go ahead and put down a few inches of glue. Hold the fabric while the glue cools. Do the same thing until the whole side is finished.
7. For the corners, you'll have some tidying up to do. Again, use your glue gun to make a nice fold. Think about wrapping a gift - fold, glue, hold.

Voila! Stand back and admire your fancywork!

Since these instructions don't have photos to go with them, please feel free to email me or comment for clarification. :)

Enjoy your new lap desk!

WIWO Wednesday - It's What I'm Working On

2012-02-08T05:42:00.000-08:00

Today I want to show you the finishing touches that I put on my postcards for the International Mixed Media Postcard Swap.

They went in the mail on Friday of last week... you may already have one in your mailbox! :)

My materials:
- watercolour paper
- watercolour paints
- tissue paper and acrylic medium for texture in the background
- magazine clippings for the hearts
- fabric for the flowers
- alphabet stamps and black Stazon ink
- sewing machine stitching for the embellishments and border
- black Micron marker for doodles

I also printed out a cute vintage postcard back to fasten onto the backs of my cards. You can see it in the picture here:

Here is a close-up of the stamping, stitching and magazine heart. I doodled around the heart with a black Micron marker.

Although all of the cards are different, each one has the same elements and follows the same theme of finding "bliss"

How did your postcards turn out?
Post a link to your postcards in the comments of this blog post so that we can see them! :)

Did You Know...?

2012-02-07T05:34:00.000-08:00

Did you know that I am doing my first EVER giveaway?

That's right - the first ever Musings On Realities Mixed Media Giveaway is ON!

And there are TWO prizes!

All you need to do to enter is hop on over to yesterday's post and read about the prizes and rules! Follow the directions there and enter as many as three times!

Simple, right? :)

See you there!

The Grand Prize

The Runner-up Prize

Mixed Media Giveaway - TWO Prizes to be Won!

2012-02-06T05:18:00.000-08:00

Isn't it about time for a giveaway?

Here it is lovelies - the first ever Musings On Realities Mixed Media Giveaway.

The prizes:

The Grand Prize - Mixed Media - includes:
- a postcard-sized book of Acquarello 140 lb. watercolour paper
- a bottle of Adriondack spray ink in Espresso
- a silver doily to use as a stencil
- a rubber stamp in a "crest" sort of image

Runner Up - Paper Love - includes:
- eight pages of somerset studio and other assorted special addition paper in 8.5" x 11" size
- a full sheet of word and plaque stickers

What to Do to Enter:
You can do as many of these things as you like - each action equals one entry, so enter away! :)

- leave a comment on this post that tells me what your favourite mixed media combination is
- blog about this giveaway and then comment on this post with a link to your blog
- "Like" Musings On Realities on Facebook and comment on this post to tell me that you've done so

The deadline to enter is THIS SATURDAY, February 11 at midnight, PST.

The winner will be selected randomly and revealed in Monday's blog post.

Revisiting My Mandala

2012-02-03T05:11:00.000-08:00

On WIWO Wednesday this week I showed you a mandala that I've been working on in my mini journal.

I got a lot of feedback from you Lovelies about whether or not to outline each section in black. Some of you were on the fence just like I was, and most of you said to give it a try.

I did it! And I'm REALLY happy with the result.

What do you think?

I think it's much crisper now, and I'm a lot happier with it. Thanks so much for your suggestions!

I LOVE Texture!

2012-02-02T05:57:00.000-08:00

I think that one of the things that drew me to Mixed Media in the beginning was the texture. It's hard for me NOT to touch something that has a texture. Maybe I'm a touchy-feely kind of person, but when I see an artpiece that has raised areas or patterns, I immediately feel the need to run my fingers along it.

I went though one of the free fashion magazines that come to my house with the mail and found a bazillion textures. Think about it - fashion magazines have so many different fabrics on their models, creative backgrounds in their photo shoots, jewelry and wallpaper advertisements. In fact, I am currently of the opinion that fashion magazines are a GREAT source for textural inspiration.

Case in point, today's journal page. I went through a magazine and cut out a bunch of squares of some textures that I was drawn to. Then I pasted them onto a background of teal acrylic and stamped "I love textures" around them.

I wish they were 3D! Still, they serve as great inspiration for upcoming art! :)

WIWO Wednesday - It's What I'm Working On.

2012-02-01T05:31:00.000-08:00

So if you've been reading my recent posts, I've been working hard on a 16-page book inspired by Teesha Moore.

It's been fun and challenging coming up with that many different way of expressing myself. As always, I'm in a major rush to get it done. I'm more of a "finished product" person than a "process" person. Sometimes this can be good if you're working on a deadline, but most of the time I feel like I miss out on some things as I whip by them in my process...

Anyway, I decided to do a big mandala for the front cover. I am still working on it, so this really is an in-progress post. I've designed it so that it is not centered and so that it flows over to the inside flap and back cover of the book as well.

Here is a sneak peek:

I'm trying to decide if I should outline each different element in black to really define it. I think that the colours look a bit yucky like this and that a black outline would crisp them up and make the entire design pop.

What do you think?

How's the Weather Where YOU Are?

2012-01-31T05:47:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post this a few days ago. It is a video that I took while I was at the beach feeling the absolutely relentless power of thrashing winds and crashing waves. Here are some photos to get you in the mood:

Even the seagulls were timid as they gazed into the sea.

As you can see, it was a completely moody and intense day. I had to shoot a short video to really capture the sounds of the wind gusting and the waves crashing. These sounds alone make this one-minute clip worth watching!

(oh, and I made the mistake of filming part of it "sideways" to show more of the ocean. I quickly realized my error in terms of the final result, and righted the camera back to its optimal viewing angle.)

Destiny

2012-01-30T05:37:00.000-08:00

This weekend I've been thinking a lot about Destiny.

For those of you who don't know, I teach French and beginner art to secondary students.

But.

Am I destined to be a school teacher?

I do love my students so much. The reason I became a teacher in the first place was to inspire youth and help them learn values and attitudes that would guide them into their adult years.

I do feel that I accomplish that to a fairly considerable degree, but I find that my own growth and progression has been stalling lately.

I can't help thinking:

Is this it? Is this to be my existence, my routine for the next 25 years?

I decided to turn to my art journal to try and express myself creatively. I still haven't found an answer; I suppose it will come to me over time.

In the meantime, here is my creative result. I think the right-hand fish's outfit makes me feel the ultra satisfied with this page. That, and the pink crown on the left-hand fish.

"Bigger Fish"
Materials: Acrylic background, ink markers, paint markers, chalk pastels, magazine collage.

Day 3 of 3 - My New 16-Page Handmade Journal Inspired by Teesha Moore

2012-01-27T05:34:00.000-08:00

These past three days, I've been sharing some of my new art pieces that I've been creating in my new, handmade 16-page book after watching Teesha Moore's series of videos here.

Hopefully you're inspired to make your own personalized book and step into a fun and interesting form of creation!

My favourite girl so far.
Materials: Acrylic background, magazine collage, chalk pastels, ink markers, paint markers, stamps & Stayzon Ink pad.

16-Page Book Inspired by Teesha Moore - Day 2 of 3

2012-01-26T05:29:00.000-08:00

As I said yesterday, I am sharing some of my new art pieces that I've been creating in my new, handmade 16-page book after watching Teesha Moore's series of videos here.

Are you inspired?

Materials: Acrylic paint background, magazine collage, black ink markers

WIWO Wednesday - It's What I'm Working On

2012-01-25T05:21:00.000-08:00

Last Friday I showed you some designs and a video from one of my artist idols, Teesha Moore.

What I DIDN'T tell you is that I've been watching her videos (which are pretty much the same as free online courses) and following her steps to create my own beautifully bizarre images.

I've enjoyed exploring Teesha's style of art so much that I decided to make a 16-page book inspired by one of her videos and create every page in this style. It's only about half finished so far, but I wanted to give you a look at what I've been working on.

Today, tomorrow and Friday I will be showing the pages that are "done."

I'm SO SO SO in love with these works! I really hope that you like them too and that they inspire you to watch Teesha's videos and create your own pieces of art.

This quote from Eleanor Roosevelt is one that I think of often. Isn't it inspiring?
Materials: acrylic paint background, chalk pastels, ink markers, paint markers, magazine collage.

Coptic Binding Tutorial (How to Stitch Your Own Book!)

2012-01-24T06:10:00.000-08:00

I love love LOVE making my own books. I use everything from recycled hardcovers to cardboard and cardstock for the covers, and then customize my inside papers by either journalling on them, sewing on them, assembling pretty or funky papers together, or making them more "useful" like in my 2012 planner.

I've been asked so many times how to stitch a book together.

It's actually really easy!

I've made a tutorial for you to learn from :) Let me know if you have questions or comments!

Enjoy the show !

What to Put On The BACK of Your Postcards

2012-01-23T04:35:00.000-08:00

So we've all been busy making beautiful mixed media postcards.

Any ideas what you're going to put on the BACKS of them?

Fear not, lovelies. I have some suggestions for you!

Aren't these vintage postcards beautiful?

This one was made when postage only cost a penny!

Of course the first thing on the the list will be the recipient's mailing address. This should be the easiest thing to see on the back since a lot of the postal services now have scanners that read the address instead of having an actual person read it. Keep this in mind when you are decorating the backs...

Here are some other ideas for what you might want to put on the BACKS of your postcards:
1. The recipient's mailing address
2. Your own name
3. Where you're from
4. Your blog/website address (if you have one!)
5. Your email address (if you want encourage further contact)
6. A little message (similar to what you would write on any "vacation-style" postcard)
7. A favourite quote or saying
8. A description of how you created your art postcard and/or what materials you used
9. Paste on a moo card or your artsy business card
10. Words of encouragement - remember, another real live artist will be receiving this, so what would YOU want to read on a card?
11. Leave room for stamps!

Most importantly of all, perhaps, is to leave room for postage. Remember that if you are sending internationally, you might have to put more than one stamp on the card. Make sure the stamp(s) won't cover over any of your message!

My Fake Romance With Teesha Moore

2012-01-20T05:54:00.000-08:00

*Just a reminder that today is the

LAST DAY to sign up for the

International Mixed Media Postcard Swap!

In the meantime, here's a little eye candy for you.

By Teesha Moore

Have you been wondering where to start when working on your postcards?

I have recently watched the entire series from Teesha Moore on how she assembles her amazing journal pages and I thought that a lot of the ideas are so postcard-friendly

I decided to post the video below on here since she is a major inspiration for my own work. All of her videos can be found at http://www.teeshamoore.com/.

She takes these two pages from start to finish in her overall series, so they're really interesting to watch. I really thought that watching her go step-by-step was great, since I am in awe of some of her other pages.

I love how she fills her pages right up and makes them look energetic without being overcrowded.

Sit back and enjoy the process, Lovelies :)

Imitation Fosters Creation

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Simple, stylised tree. I don't know who made it.
If it is your work, please let me know!

I came across an amazing watercolour tree a couple of years ago.

I loved its simplicity.

I loved how the "leaves" were perfectly round.

I loved the little birds.

I printed it off the computer and I pasted it into one of my art journals for future inspiration.

Last year I decided to dabble in watercolours (now one of my favourite media!) My first attempt was to copy the tree.

I really liked how the watercolours allowed the leaves to take on different hues and shades. They definitely came to life more than I had imagined. I was definitely hooked on watercolours from then on!

My imitation of the perfect tree. It definitely pales in comparison, yet when viewed on its own it has a voice.

This afternoon I decided to re-create the image again using crayons. I had a lightly coloured background and took different shades of green and brown to create my tree.

My tree in using crayons.

When I look at my own trees in my art journal, I like them a lot! In fact, I think they look pretty awesome for their own reasons.

It's only when I put them up against the inspiration piece that I get grumbly and discouraged.

What do you think about art imitation?

WIWO Wednesday - It's What I'm Working On.

2012-01-18T06:06:00.000-08:00

Zombie Girl

Materials: Magazine clippings, acrylic paint background, felt pen, alphabet stamps + Stayson black inkpad

A Woman's Heart

2012-01-17T06:01:00.000-08:00

I did a simple spread around a quote that I thought was quite moving: "A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets."

I thought that the typical heart symbol was a little too stylised for this quote, so I printed out a medical diagram of a heart and worked it into the opposite page.

I might add more to it, but right now I really like the simplicity of this spread.

Napkin Art!

2012-01-16T06:42:00.000-08:00

I joined a lovely group of girls called the Sisters In Art Society (SAS) this past weekend. They meet once a month about 45 minutes south of where I live, just south of the Canada/US border in Bellingham, WA.

I can't believe how inspiring it was to sit and chat with other people who share my love of art. Not only that, but we all love the same STYLE of art - mixed media!

In case you didn't know, I live in British Coloumbia, Canada.
My hometown of White Rock is about 5 minutes from the
Canada/US bordering state of Washington.

Once you open your mind to mixed media as an art form, the posibilities of creation are endless. Truly! There are so many ways to create art.

Off the top of my head:

- painting

- photography

- collage

- stencils

- drawing

- sketching

- sewing

- knitting

- crochet

- embroidery

- origami

- doodles

- zentagle

- sculpture

and on and on and on!

So at my first (of many to come!) SAS meeting, I managed to get my hands on a few nifty napkins.

Paper napkins are AWESOME for mixed media and collage because of their tissue-paper-like thickness. The ModPodge or acrylic mediaum seeps right into the napkin.

Here is a spread that I started at the meeting and then finished off at home.

I LOVE the black background in these napkins on the left. I used two different napkins here: one with the floral pattern and the other torn into smaller pieces of the butterflies. I then pasted on the doily heart and used my Sakura White Jellyrool Pen to highlight some of the flowers and forms that I liked the most :)

Here is a close-up of the red doily and blue flower outlined with my white jellyroll pen. AWESOME!

To the left of the Eiffel Twoer image, I did some zentangling of a brick wall. I like the structured images together.

Here is the whole spread again. I LOVE LOVE LOVE how it turned out!

Zentangle-rific!

2012-01-13T06:47:00.000-08:00

I've really been enjoying my zentangle exploration. I came across http://www.tanglepatterns.com/ and now it seems like my love affair with doodles is limitless!

Here is my latest page, "Be Love." It started with a plump, upside-down heart.

Spring? But it's still January!

2012-01-12T06:28:00.000-08:00

I rode my bike to work yesterday.

Sure it was chilly (three degrees Celsius), but Judith Winchester III needs exercise now and then.

And alas, so do I.

As I breezed my way to work, I came across a magical sight.

Blossoms.

Pink blossoms.

On January 11th.

I pulled over and snapped a shot to share with you...

the beauty of January.

WIWO Wednesday - Postcard Swap Prep - MY Postcards

2012-01-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

I'm getting my groove on to make 10 postcards!

This is my inspiration - blue, green, white and purple fabric.

I love watching watercolours move and bleed as they dry... Isn't this pretty?

Even though I used watercolour paper, the cards still curled up when I applied the paint to them.

I've decided to make 12 cards so that I can send the two extras to some special international friends :)

How's your process going?? Post links to your postcards in the comments section so that we can all see!

Orange is Overrated

2012-01-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

I know some MEGA orange-lovers.

One of my favourite bloggers is Tula Jeng over at Whorange. She can't get enough orange.

I can't get far enough AWAY from orange.

To humour the orange-lovers of the world, I decided to try a page in my art journal completely dedicated to orange. I found some orange origami paper and got out all of my orange crayons and felts. And then I created.

I couldn't finish fast enough. It wasn't therapeutic or calming like art journalling usually is for me, it was painful, stressful and I felt anxious....

After this experience, I looked up the meaning of the colour orange. Emily Gems says that orange can be used to increase creativity. Hmph. Orange also increases the craving for food, which is a bit bizarre. I don't have any orange around my house yet I'm always feeling snacky...

Anyhow, here it is, my simple, couldn't-finish-fast-enough orange page.

The Philosphy of Love

2012-01-09T06:24:00.000-08:00

Angels have no philosophy but love.

Materials: Acrylic paint, white Sakura Jelly Roll pen, paper towel, magazine cut-out, sharpie fineliner.

Materials: Acrylic paint, white Sakura Jelly Roll pen.

Materials: Acrylic paint, foil stars in silver and gold.

DIY Bathroom Decor

2012-01-06T06:33:00.000-08:00

Bathrooms. Not the prettiest room in the house.

I don't know about you, but on the back of our toilet there is a spray can of room deodorizer for those "less fresh" moments. How UGLY is that? The toilet is ugly enough, but then we have to keep a can of room spray on the tank. Yech!!

My mother-in-law showed me a way to pretty up your bathroom by hiding that ghastly can of spray for FREE!

Supplies (all on hand):
- empty Pringles chips can
- tissue paper in a colour that matches your bathroom
- mod podge
- trinket, fake flower or figurine (optional)

When I saw the full-sized Pringles chips at my local dollar store for a buck apiece, I snapped up two cans!

Once you've emptied the can and given the inside a wipe with a dry paper towel, give the outside a coat of ModPodge.
Oh, and you can put the plastic lid aside - we won't need it for this project.

Our 1950s house came with a blue toilet, so I'm using a royal blue for the tissue paper.
I put a full layer of plain tissue paper down first so that I could be sure that none of the can showed through.
You can see my pretty tissue paper on the table.
Make sure that you cover the whole can, including the bottom, with this first layer.

Once you've covered the can and bottom completely with one layer of tissue paper, apply another nice coat of ModPodge for the pretty paper.
I placed the pretty paper upside-down on the table and just rolled my can onto it.

Make sure that you completely cover the solid bottom of the can, and tuck your loose ends into the opening with more ModPodge to stick it down.

Here is what my can looked like with a full layer of the pretty paper.
(This is the bottom, but it will be the top when we put it to use in our bathroom!)

You can use your can as seen in the previous photo, or add a little something to make it even more awesome. I chose this little porcelain bird, but you can add anything from fake flowers to Scrabble tiles to river rocks - whatever you'd like!
I glued my bird on with carpenter's glue, but depending on your trinket, you could probably use a glue gun.

The finished product with the can bottom as the decorative top.
The spray can of room deodorizer will be underneath it. Just lift up your new decorative cover when you need to access it!

And here it stands on our throne. A little bit of pretty in a bathroom can't hurt :)
("Frog Girl" original art by Laurel Swenson http://www.laurelswenson.com/ )

Breaking Into a New Journal

2012-01-05T06:52:00.000-08:00

I started a new Art Journal (insert giddy giggle here). Some people are afraid of a big empty book. It's too daunting, a big commitment, or just too blank. Not me.

I have one thought when I start a new journal:

I get to create ART in this journal. ART!

I was at a loss for how to customise the cover of the book until I went over to my friend Violette's house. (If you haven't visited Violette online, shame on you!)

While I was there, I met the Colour Goddess. One look into her crystal green eyes and I KNEW that we were destined to be together - in art.

My new Art Journal cover!

I etched out a square in the middle of the cover in order to make room for her.
Pretty big commitment, huh?

But alas, isn't she gorgeous?

WIWO Wednesday - It's What I'm Working On.

2012-01-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

The last couple of days I've been really engaged in creating my first zentangle. Similar to mandalas, zentangles are supposed to be really therapeutic because they take FOREVER to complete.

This is pretty helpful to me, since I focus a lot on the final product and have a hard time slowing down to enjoy the process.

I've taken photos of my first zentangle step by step. I used two pens: a Sharpie fineliner and a Sakura Pigma 1.

This page is a pretty important one to me since it is the inside cover of my new journal ie: it had to be PERFECT.

Is it? You be the judge!

The lighting is a bit wonky in these photos, despite my attempts at brightening them. I hope you'll get the general idea...

I started out by drawing a big S and then drawing stripes through it to break up the page a little.

Coming up with different patterns for each section was the hardest part of this...

Little by little it started to take form. I obviously tend toward organic shapes!

Since this is the inside cover of my new journal, I wanted to include a little blurb for inspiration.

Really taking shape now!
You can still see the general shape of the S although I made a point to not outline it directly.

Et Voila! The finished product! My favourite pattern is the brick.
I also like the face on the left, and the tree, and the rose.. and the... just kidding.
I'm really happy with how this turned out!

The International Mixed Media Postcard Swap - In Full Swing!

2012-01-03T06:01:00.000-08:00

Have you signed up? Well what are you waiting for???

Send me an email (address on the upper left of my blog) and get creating!

The basic idea:

- You will make 10 postcards in a mixed media format (don't be afraid - mixed media is a cinch! Keep reading...)
- You will receive 10 mailing address from me for other creative people just like you from around the world!
- You will send each of those ten people one of your handmade postcards.
- Then you will receive a handmade postcard from 10 other people from around the world!
Sound like fun? Then join us!

The rules:

The rules are easy, but make sure that you read through them and follow them! Remember, you have to follow through if you sign up! A real live person will be waiting for each of your postcards!!

1. Join the swap by sending me your information (full name, home address (including country!), email, and blog or website address if you have one). If you are missing ANY of this information or if I cannot contact you using the email address that you provided, I will consider you as not participating.

2. Last day to sign up day is January 20th, 2012!

3. Make 10 handmade postcards in a mixed-media style. Remember, "Mixed media, in visual art, refers to an artwork in the making of which more than one medium has been employed." That means that you can combine ANY types of art into your postcards! (Oh what fun!!!!! :D)

Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Photography and Ink
- Fabric and Watercolours
- Paint and Crayons (I *love* crayons!)
- Pencil Crayons and Ink
- Fabric and Photography
- Collage and Paint
- Scrapbook Style and Paint
- Embroidery and Ink
Use any or ALL of these combinations, or think of your own! The possibilities truly are endless!!!

4. After January 20th, I will email you 10 mailing addresses to send your cards to. They might be from across the city, across the country, or on the other side of the world because this swap is open for everyone!

5. Make sure that you fix the appropriate amount of postage, write a nice message, and then send your postcards "plain" or "hidden" in an envelope for protection depending on what you've made. (It’s up to you)! The deadline for sending your postcards is February 20th, 2012.

6. Tell your friends or grab this badge to put onto your blog, linking to this post! The more people we have participating, the more fun it will be! Spread the word; share a link to this page on Facebook or Twitter, write about the swap in your next blog post. Thanks for helping make this swap AWESOME!

7. Wait patiently for the snail mail to do its thing! You will be getting postcards from 10 different people around the world! How exciting!

Art Journal 2011 is Complete!

2012-01-02T06:23:00.000-08:00

This journal has a bit of a history in that it was my first art journal EVER!

I rarely did art in it for the first while - just pasted in artsy things that I liked and admired.

I started the journal in 2005 and then put it aside for an entire 6 years! I found it this summer and got right into it! I had completed other journals this year and last (this one, for example), but this was the first larger one that I had tackled.

I loved working in it and I'm going to choose the same size (9x12) for my next journal (which I have already started!!)

Without further ado, here it is - Art Journal 2011.

Happy New Beginnings, Lovelies!

2012-01-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

For me, a New Year is an opportunity to

embrace the past and

welcome the future.

What does the New Year mean for you?

Happy New Year - may it be full of happiness and splendor!

Organization for 2012

2011-12-31T06:34:00.000-08:00

Just want to give you a peek into my studio and my organization system.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a total STICKLER for organization. I love little cases and drawers and labels.

I've yet to find an old library card catalogue cabinet, but when I do, I'll be giddy with glee!

Here is one corner of my art studio. The gray filing cabinet on the right is from Ikea and holds mostly tools that I use including different glues, scissors, scrapers, etc.

It's the white plastic drawer cabinet in the middle that I want to tell you about today...

I bought it from Target for somewhere around $50. The drawers are individual cases which have their own locking covers.
They are about 13"x13", so they hold even my larger papers...

I labelled them all with my fancy Dymo labeller.
Of course they are labelled according to the rainbow, in order: ROY G BIV, then brown and black/white at the bottom.

Here is my brown case - you can see that each case contains scraps of all different media in differing shades of brown.
In this photo: fabric, wallpaper, numbers, scrapbook paper...

...tissue paper, photo negatives, thin cardboard...

...magazine tear-outs, more scrapbook paper and wallpaper swatches...

...film negatives, more fabric, and a marvelous slice of agate.
All the brown tones are in this case.
And I have one drawer/container for each colour :)

This way, when something new comes into my hot little hands, I can file it right away in the right colour group to use later.

Neat huh? And organized, too! Hop on over to Target and look for one for yourself!

In Honour of Winter...

2011-12-28T06:42:00.000-08:00

I read this quote on Creative Every Day and I couldn't resist sharing it.

It makes me feel snuggly and dozy... *yawn*

"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently?

And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt.

And perhaps it says, "go to sleep, darlings,`til the summer comes again."

- Lewis Carroll

Can you just imagine the soft pillows?

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-23T13:21:00.000-08:00

As I depart for a much-needed 12 days off, I'll leave you with a nudge and a a sigh.

Nudge: Have you signed up for the International Mixed Media Postcard Swap yet?

Sigh: Look at this CRAZY CLEARANCE-PRICED Mandala duvet cover. Buy it. Now.

Happy Holidays, Lovelies.

WIWO Wednesday (on Thursday) - preparing my cards for the postcard swap

2011-12-22T06:07:00.000-08:00

Have you registered for the International Mixed Media Postcard Swap yet? So far there are 6 countries participating. Is your country represented? Send me an email to enquire!

Here is a sneak peek of some experimenting that I'm doing in preparation for my cards. By using watercolor paints, black pen and my sewing machine, I'm pushing the term mixed media over the edge!

Journal Love

2011-12-21T13:06:00.000-08:00

I'm absolutely salivating over the two new journals from Debra Cooper over at A Little Imagination and a Pile Of Junk.

Feast your eyes: http://www.debracooperart.com/a_little_imagination_and_/2011/12/a-tale-of-two-journals.html

Click on over to her etsy page for more details. :)

The Postcard Swap - It's As Easy As Eggnog Ice Cream!

2011-12-19T05:59:00.000-08:00

Have you signed up for the International Mixed Media Postcard Swap yet?

What are you waiting for? You won't get your addresses until the end of January, so you'll have PILES of time to dream up and create some nifty postcards in your own style.

Email me (address is to the left!) with your name, mailing address and email address and you're in!

In the meantime, here is something to keep you warm, cool or just right over the holidays.

Check out this recipe for eggnog ice cream from Tom over at Tall Clover Farm.

I'm going to try it with light eggnog. Since the creaminess might not be there, it might work as well. But hey, for low-fat ice cream, I'll try anything!!

Also, you just HAVE to love instructions that consist only of "pour, turn machine on, eat."

Eggnog Ice Cream = YUM!

International Mixed Media Postcard Swap

2011-12-16T03:04:00.000-08:00

Hello all you fine creative folk!

Today marks the launch for the 2012 International Mixed Media Postcard Swap!!!!

The basic idea:
- You will make 10 postcards in a mixed media format (don't be afraid - mixed media is a cinch! Keep reading...)
- You will receive 10 mailing address from me for other creative people just like you from around the world!
- You will send each of those ten people one of your handmade postcards.
- Then you will receive a handmade postcard from 10 other people from around the world!

Sound like fun? Then join us!

The rules:
The rules are easy, but make sure that you read through them and follow them! Remember, you have to follow through if you sign up! A real live person will be waiting for each of your postcards!!

1. Join the swap by sending me your information (full name, home address (including country!), email, and blog or website address if you have one). If you are missing ANY of this information or if I cannot contact you using the email address that you provided, I will consider you as not participating.

2. Last day to sign up day is January 20th, 2012!

3. Make 10 handmade postcards in a mixed-media style. Remember, "Mixed media, in visual art, refers to an artwork in the making of which more than one medium has been employed." That means that you can combine ANY types of art into your postcards! (Oh what fun!!!!! :D)

Here are some ideas to get you started:

- Photography and Ink
- Fabric and Watercolours
- Paint and Crayons (I *love* crayons!)
- Pencil Crayons and Ink
- Fabric and Photography
- Collage and Paint
- Scrapbook Style and Paint
- Embroidery and Ink
Use any or ALL of these combinations, or think of your own! The possibilities truly are endless!!!

4. After January 20th, I will email you 10 mailing addresses to send your cards to. They might be from across the city, across the country, or on the other side of the world because this swap is open for everyone!

5. Make sure that you fix the appropriate amount of postage, write a nice message, and then send your postcards "plain" or "hidden" in an envelope for protection depending on what you've made. (It’s up to you)! The deadline for sending your postcards is February 20th, 2012.

6. Tell your friends or grab this badge to put onto your blog, linking to this post! The more people we have participating, the more fun it will be! Spread the word; share a link to this page on Facebook or Twitter, write about the swap in your next blog post. Thanks for helping make this swap AWESOME!

7. Wait patiently for the snail mail to do its thing! You will be getting postcards from 10 different people around the world! How exciting!

Inspired yet? I sure am! I'm going to go start making my postcards right now!

*I'm taking a short break from blogging for Christmas, but I will still be glued to my email!

Send me your full name, mailing address, and email address to participate in the swap!

Our Big International Mixed Media Postcard Swap Starts TOMORROW!!

2011-12-15T05:50:00.000-08:00

Wanna get a head start? Start making postcards using mixed media!

Wait a minute...what is mixed media? Simply put: any combination of art supplies used on the same piece of art.

Mixed Media: "A technique involving the use of two or more artistic media, such as ink and pastel or painting and collage, that are combined in a single composition."

Ink and Pastel. Painting and Collage. Photography and Ink. Crochet and Ink. Embroidery and Watercolour. Pastel and Felt Markers. Or get crazy and mix 3, 4, 5 of these together! The possibilites are endless!

Here is an example that I made today in my art journal using crayons and origami paper.

I absolutely love my Crayola Twistable Crayons!!

And here is another example using paint, old book pages (collaged together in the background), a felt marker and a feather:

Get the idea? If you have ANY questions, let me know in the comments section or email me!

Celebrating International Monkey Day (A Break From WIWO Wednesday)

2011-12-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

It's true. Today is Monkey Day. And in order to celebrate Monkey Day, I'd like to share the following from the Monkey Day Official Website.

How do I celebrate Monkey Day?

In whatever monkey themed manner you deem appropriate. Dress in your favorite simian attire, talk like a monkey all day long, throw a monkey themed party, send some monkey greeting cards, draw a monkey comic, or perhaps give a monkey themed gift, or maybe even give to your favorite simian charity. (Do)whatever you find most appropriate without being arrested.

In honour of Monkey Day, I'd like to recognize monkeys around the world for their cuteness, their thumbs and for their unfortunate involuntary contributions to science.

Did you know that many monkey species are endangered? Have a look at this website to find out more about how man's closest living relative is on its way to extinction.

Did you know...

- a group of monkeys is referred to as a mission or a tribe?

- monkeys are sometimes used as service animals for the disabled (similar to seeing eye dogs)?

- the first monkey in space was Albert II who flew in the US-launched V-2 rocket on June 14, 1949?

- monkey brains are eaten as a delicacy in South East Asia, China, and Africa?

- the three monkeys in the proverbial "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" are named Mizaru, covering his eyes, Kikazaru, covering his ears, and Iwazaru, covering his mouth?

Long Hair Envy

2011-12-13T06:47:00.000-08:00

There are some girls in my school who are re-inventing 80s hair. They're growing their hair out really long and then shaving one side. The result is long hair on one side, and 1/2" hair on the other side.

I'm not sure that I would do this, but man-oh-man it looks so awesome!!!

I'm having long hair envy lately.

I sometimes have dreams that I have long hair.

That I put my long hair into ponytails or buns or braids.

That I style my hair in a French twist for special events.

Growing my hair out would be a huge commitment. My hair is currently about 1.5" long and platinum blond.

The colour is fake - my natural colour is a homely, plain, mousy light brown.

If I were to grow my hair long, I would have to stop bleaching my hair out once a month (which damages it pretty badly). I would have to have darker hair, or at least darker than my natural hair colour.

I think that it would take me about 2.5 years to get my hair to a length that I would deem "long." If my hair grows 1/2" per month, that is 21" over 2.5 years.

With healthy trims in between, I would have an overall length of about 18".

It would flow down my back.

It would wave in the wind.

I could use a brush and make it shiny.

"Long Hair Envy"

Would I love it? Absolutely!

Would it be a huge pain in the bum while it grows? Yup!

But most importantly, would I be able to run my fingers through it and twirl it?

*sigh*

Oh yes.

What's at the End of YOUR Rainbow?

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rainbows. *sigh* I loooooooove rainbows!

To me, rainbows have always been a mystical discovery. A rainbow is just like a sale at my favourite local art supply store: I never know when I'll see one, and when I do, it takes my breath away.

Watercolours in my art journal.

For all you science-types: A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on to droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere. It takes the form of a multicoloured arc. Rainbows caused by sunlight always appear in the section of sky directly opposite the sun.

And about that. I STILL remember Mr. Devereaux's grade eight science class and memorizing ROY G. BIV for a test...

In honour of hosting Rainbow Day on Daisy Yellow's "Building a Rainbow" project, I've decided to not only explore rainbows, but also the "just out of reach-ed-ness" theory of the pot of gold.

Have you ever tried chasing a rainbow to find the pot of gold?

I have found that by the time I find what appears to be the end of the rainbow, it has relocated to a few more blocks away. Or the magical moment has gone and rainbow has disappeared altogether. No matter how fast I drive and how carefully I track a rainbow, I have NEVER found the end of the rainbow.

Determined to find my own "pot of gold," I've been pondering what a pot of gold really is:

joy, excitement, wealth, surprise, magic

The most exciting realisation of all is that I have all of these things. I live in a lovely house with an completely adorable man and a cute-as-can-be kitten. I have a secure job that pays me a moderate wage. I keep myself excited by creating art every day with my sewing machine, in my art journal, or by designing new jewelry creations. And as for surprise, my romantic love keeps me on my toes with flowers for no reason, special messages and notes throughout the day, and new adventures for us to embark upon. I live the pot of gold.

This rainbow was fun; I cut squares of colour out of magazines and then arranged them into a cascading rainbow. The background was made using pencil crayons with a mossy green wash over top. Nice!

A new rainbow mandala in my art journal. I started with yellows in the centre graduating to the darker remaining colours of the swpectrum. Materials: finetip Sharpie and pencil crayons.

Coming Soon - Mixed Media Postcard Swap.

Contact me with your email and mailing address to be included or for more information.

Details will be posted this Friday!!!!!

Grey = Moody Melancholy

2011-12-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

For today's instalment of Building a Rainbow, the colour is grey.

I found an awesome quote about a mirror, and I thought I would use it for grey since
a) mirrors are greyish and
b) mirrors rarely show us either the black or white of ourselves - there is always an analysis being done when we look into the mirror...

"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it" - Edith Wharton

I studied Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth in university, so when I saw her name I paid a lot more attention to this quote. I won't go into my interpretation of its meaning. You can interpret it for yourself...

Materials: Acrylic paint, watercolour, white Sakura gel pen, punched lettering, foil photos

Coming Soon - Mixed Media Postcard Swap.

Contact me with your email and mailing address to be included or for more information.

Details will be posted this Friday!!

Just in Time for Morning Frost!

2011-12-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

This post is a little late today, but I wanted to capture this and show you what we've been experiencing the past few days up here in White Rock, BC, Canada.

So beautiful that it's worth getting up early for! :)

I Believe in Pink

2011-12-08T06:07:00.000-08:00

This quote from Audrey Hepburn really inspired me today.

I believe in pink.
I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner.
I believe in kissing, kissing a lot.
I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong.
I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls.
I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.

- Audrey Hepburn

I took my favourite parts and pasted them into my art journal. Because of this quote, today is a pink day.

And yes, happy girls ARE the prettiest girls.

WIWO Wednesday - It's What I'm Working On.

2011-12-07T06:56:00.000-08:00

These past few days I've been working a lot in my art journal.

Here is what I've been working on: just something fun inspired by a magazine ad that I saw for some brand of brassiere.

Materials: watercolour paints, coloured markers, envelope (background w/elephant motifs), black crayon, magazine cut-out.

More Black and White

2011-12-06T06:23:00.000-08:00

I know I know.... today is Tuesday and the Building A Rainbow project over at Daisy Yellow is over, but I wanted to share with you something that I had prepared for the Black and White day.

This is something that I do often for backgrounds in my art journals. I LOVE old books. I use the covers to re-purpose them into journals. The best part is looking around at the local thrift stores for interesting titles...

Once I tear all of the pages out of the books in order to reuse the covers, I am left with pages of type.

On this page, I used some book pages that I had ripped up into smaller pieces. I collaged them together using and acrylic medium. I placed them all randomly so that the type was not always the right way up. The result is a great-looking background.

Here is a link to see an example of this type of page used as a starting point.

And here is what I made over the weekend for Black and White:

I circled some of the text that stood out to me and then re-wrote it larger in my own handwriting.

It could be a poem:

"Closed off from air

But somehow

sure

Not all that interesting

It follows

and

Makes you wonder."

Black and White

2011-12-05T13:04:00.000-08:00

Over at Daisy Yellow, there are a number of artists who are Building A Rainbow.

Today is Black and White day!

I've cheated a bit - this is an art display that I did a couple of days ago on Saturday.

I've been wanting to do a gallery wall for a few months. The wall in our dining room is pretty much perfect for it, since we're always in there and it gets a great amount of northern light.

It took me about two weeks to collect everything and decide how it was going to look. I had all of the family photos printed in Sepia and matched everything else to be in black and white or sepia tones.

I think it looks AWESOME!!! :)

December Calendar is Ready to Fill!!!

2011-12-05T06:43:00.000-08:00

I finished adding my doodles to December's calendar.

I think it's pretty awesome. What do you think?

I used my new White Sakura Jelly Roll pen - SO AWESOME!!

A close-up of some of the detail...

2011-12-04T21:58:00.001-08:00

Check out this journal page sharing concept - I love seeing other people's journal pages and now they can see mine too!

Blue is MY Colour

2011-12-04T08:49:00.000-08:00

I am building a rainbow with Daisy Yellow.

Here is a page that I did last night in my art journal. I started with book pages which I collaged with an acrylic medium. Then I coloured the circle in the middle with two different blue crayons and painted around it with blue acrylic paint. The lettering was done using an old-fashioned alphabet stencil and the feather was glued down using plain ol' white glue.

Neat!

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Go Green!

2011-12-03T14:52:00.000-08:00

All day I've been thinking, "green, green, green...what can I make that's green....?"

You see, over at Daisy Yellow, there is a rainbow being built and I'm part of it! Yesterday was Orange. Today is Green.

I thought about doing something in my art journal. in fact, I prepped some pages for tomorrow's Blue and Monday's Black and White.

But today. Green.

Christmas is right around the corner, right? How about a Christmas-y wreath for the front door?

Aromatic cedar, Douglas fir and holly make my front door welcoming and Christmas-y!

I got so excited about wreaths that I made FIVE of them this morning. FIVE! So much fun :)

Let's Build a Rainbow!

2011-12-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

Tammy at Daisy Yellow is running a GREAT creative activity this week! We're building a rainbow one day at a time. Today's colours are Orange and Yellow and I've taken a couple of photos of some of my orange pages.

It's interesting - I'm noticing that I tend not to work in Orange and Yellow; I lean more towards Greens and Blues....

Anyhow, here are my Orange pages:

This was all crayon circles before I decided to give it an orange wash.
I love the ways that the orange made the circles into more of a muted background than a focal point.
Now I can use this page to journal on!

After reading Violette Clark's Journal Bliss, I've been playing around with creating my own font. Here are some letters that I like. I painted the background in orange and yellow watercolour paint, then pasted on some magazine letters. The letters that I couldn't find are the ones that I attempted to do by hand. Not my best work, by any means, but fun for the exploration!

December Calendar

2011-12-02T06:32:00.000-08:00

I came upon an awesome artist/art journaller/blogger yesterday: The Kathryn Wheel. She uses a lot of stamps and stencils in her art which is something that I stay away from, but I really like the overall look and feel of her pieces.

One thing that caught my eye in particular are her calendar pages. I've seen them before from other art journallers and I LOVE them - just a little space to put what to do or what you have done on that day. No need to keep a long winded journal with this, just jot down a note of what happened on that day and file each month away!

Here are some examples that got me going:

I LOVE the crows in this one bny Kathryn Wheel

I couldn't see who created this one, but I LOVE the date stamping that they did... (if it is YOURS, please let me know!)

I decided to make one for December in my own art journal, since today is the first. No time like the present, right?

Here is how it's looking so far:

I used watercolour paint on the squares and acrylic for the background. The month title was done with a Sharpie fineliner.

Not bad, I think! I still have to add the dates in, and maybe some embellishments, but I'm REALLY liking the look of it so far!

Thanks for the inspiration, The Kathryn Wheel!

WIWO Wednesday - It's What I'm Working On.

2011-11-30T06:52:00.000-08:00

Today I want to show you what I've been doing with my new Crayola Twistable Crayons.

I love using crayons in my journalling, and these ones are great since they have plastic covers. My hands never get that sticky,waxy feeling and I don't have to worry about peeling the paper off when I want to expose new wax.

Here are a couple of pages from my art journal.

A collage to embrace Winter.
I coloured around a lot of my magazine clippings with different crayon colours.

A Crayon mandala - I love how you can vary the brightness with crayons by pressing hard or lightly.

Remember, crayons are CHEAP and they can be found pretty much everywhere from dollar stores to gas stations. They're a great tool to have in your art journalling toolbox. I bought mine at Toys R Us when we were in Oregon.

I'm Famous! (Well, sort of...)

2011-11-28T06:03:00.000-08:00

One of my Art Journal Idols mentioned me in a post last week! Thanks, Samantha Kira!

View my mention here!

http://www.journalgirl.com/blog/2011/11/22/all-packed-up-ready-to-journal.html#disqus_thread

And honestly, how can I NOT be inspired by this amazing woman. Here are a couple of my favourite pieces that she has done.

I can feel her strength oozing from this page...

*love* the blues and greens in the background on this one.

Getting down to business!

2011-11-26T06:20:00.000-08:00

While I'm hard at work this weekend at A Real Gem, I wanted to give you some pretty things to look at.

Have you visited any of my favourite sites yet?

Here are some things that inspire me.

Dyed fabrics in gorgeous colours.
From iHanna: http://tinyurl.com/7w4ugx7

A collaboration with an amazing result.
From A Little Imagination and A PIle of Junk: http://littleblackkitty.typepad.com/a_little_imagination_and_/

Dramatic Decor.
From WHORANGE: http://www.whorange.net/whorange/2011/11/floor-to-ceiling.html

A page from a most amazing art journal.
From Dispatch from L.A. : http://dispatchfromla.typepad.com/dispatch_from_la/

A Sneak Peek!

2011-11-25T06:48:00.000-08:00

Just got some pendants back from the pottery studio - wow!

They're so smooth and shiny.
They're just itching to be worn on a silver chain.

And they're available at A Real Gem this weekend in Ocean Park.

A Real Gem - This Coming Weekend

2011-11-23T06:47:00.000-08:00

The sister show to A Real Piece of Work is A Real Gem.

A Real Gem showcases only Jewelry and Accessories.

In other words, it's Paradise on Earth.

Come and indulge...

Add a Bit of Colour, and Voila!

2011-11-21T06:01:00.000-08:00

I've been playing around with Mandalas lately. Apparently it is considered therapeutic to do a Mandala every day. I don't know about therapeutic, but I really love working on them.

Each one is different, and each time I start one, a new adventure begins.

Adding colour just makes the adventure that much more exciting!

Here is a before and after colour comparison. I *love* how the watercolours create the effects of puffy clouds...

Materials: Watercolour and Sakura Pigma #1 black pen.

My Monkey

2011-11-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

If you've been following my blog, I often refer to a Monkey that I spend a lot of time with. I'll let you in on a little secret. My Monkey is actually my husband, but he's such a big monkey that I can't help identifying him by his true form. He has asked, in his monkey-est voice, that all references to my Monkey contain a link to show him in a different pose. Always up for a challenge, I am now going to do my best to include photos of him linked to every mention. I may be linking to businesses or websites that I have absolutely no relation to or affinity for, but I'll be doing so with only love on my mind. :D

Psst: today's my Monkey's birthday, so if you're sitting next to him on the bus, poke him in the arm.

A Real Piece of Work - This Weekend!

2011-11-18T06:21:00.000-08:00

Don't forget that A Real Piece of Work is this weekend - Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.

Come and do ALL your Christmas Shopping!

Musings on Oregon

2011-11-17T06:43:00.000-08:00

This past weekend the Monkey and I went on a road trip down to Oregon.

We stayed at the Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove = R&R at its finest.

The trip was just plain great, really. Lots of great things to see and do.

The Main Street "downtown" had some really amazing old signs like this one.

We spent a bit of time exploring Cottage Grove - the covered bridge capital of Oregon (heh!). Some of the bridges we saw were actually pretty neat. Some of them were blocked off to traffic,

but we did get to drive on one of them.

This is the first one that we stopped at. Photo-worthy.

This bridge was built in 1925. Still stronger than ever, according to our feet!

This is the view from inside the bridge looking out.

We drove up to Eugene on the Saturday and came across a huge outdoor market. There were so many great smells and sights. The Monkey bought some roasted hazelnuts and I indulged in a new hat.

Apparently this is my "Oh, I *love* it!" expression.

One cannot have too many hats.

New Business Cards!!!!

2011-11-15T06:20:00.000-08:00

EEEEEEEE! I got my new business cards in the mail today! I am SO excited about them and SUPER proud of the design. I LOVE the look of them - the fonts, the colours, the design - everything! (Did you know that I used to do graphic design as a side-job waaaayyyy back in the early 00s?)

I got them printed at Vistaprint, which is the black sheep of the printing industry, but I'm on a budget, so they definitely work for me. Plus, for only a few dollars more, I got them glossy and on thicker stock. In all, 1000 cards cost me only $68 delivered. Pretty cheap, I think.

Great timing, since A Real Piece of Work is right around the corner!

Opening the package can you stand the suspense?!?

So perfect, right? I LOVE LOVE LOVE them!

Here is a copy of the file that I designed and sent in.
Since the photograph shows the super glossy finish, the blue background looks a bit darker.
Here you can get the real idea :)

November 14 - National Pickle Day

2011-11-14T06:05:00.000-08:00

In commemoration of all of the pickles that have fallen in the line of duty, I'd like to take this opportunity to salute you. You've been been salted, brined, boiled, pressurized and packed tightly into your jars. You've played an outstanding primary role in many sandwiches and burgers worldwide, and you've always been a loyal and trustworthy friend to Mustard.

Pickles of the world, I thank you for unsurpassed salty and dill flavours, and will continue to rely on your garlicky juiciness for the rest of my life.

Sincerely,

Shannon Ganshorn

Winter Trees

2011-11-11T06:30:00.000-08:00

I know it's not quite winter, but I really think about the cold and the change of seasons when I see bare tree branches.

I've been pretty snap-happy with trees silhouetting on skies lately. Here are a couple of my favourites...

Special Delivery!

2011-11-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

Have I told you about my adorable and very talented friend Miss K at The Rockabilly Girl Next Door ?

Miss K lives in NORWAY! How cool is that? Norway is approximately 7211 km or 4480 miles from me in White Rock, BC, Canada. That's pretty far, right? Too far to walk, that's for sure! ;)

Luckily, Miss K and I can keep in touch whenever we want with email. She's a bit of a superstar when it comes to style and cool things. You really should check out her blog and her videos.

Anyhow, my adorable and very talented friend Miss K sent me a cute little care package! She had told me that there would be a package arriving, and voila! I'm going to share it with you!

Super cute envelope and vintage image. Notice the stamp is from Norway!

Cute little gift! Again with the vintage image - love it!

Looked like matches, right? It's actually little emery boards...SWEET!

A PERFECT little package the mail. It's so refreshing to get REAL mail! Thanks, Miss K!

Art in French Class

2011-11-07T11:53:00.000-08:00

Did you know that I teach high school French?

My little Frenchies are so much fun. They're really not so little - most of them are getting their drivers' licenses and first boyfriends and girlfriends. Honestly, it's so much fun to watch their emotional strife as they learn about themselves and discover who they are...

We just finished a unit where they had to explore their childhoods and then write a 400-word autobiography in French. This was a pretty big task for them, so once it was finished, I rewarded their hard work with a day of portrait painting.

The only criteria were that the images had to represent themselves in some way, and they had to be somewhat recognizable in the pictures. I encouraged them to think outside the box and use symbols and motifs to help represent who they are as people.

Here are some of my favourites. Can you guess which one is mine?

Sorry about the formatting! I am having trouble figuring out image placement :P

A Real Piece of Work

2011-11-07T11:20:00.000-08:00

A Real Piece of Work is the invention of my great friend Kerry and myself.

This TENTH annual Art and Fine Craft Sale is right around the corner: November 19th and 20th, 2011.

It takes place at the Ocean Park Hall in South Surrey (White Rock).

There are TONS of fantastic artisans participating this year, making it pretty much your best bet for one-stop Christmas Shopping. I do all my Christmas shopping there - the variety and quality is always amazing!

I will be there as an artist, too, with a plethora of handmade awesomeness, including my journals and my stuffed creatures.

Stop by my table and say hello!

Coptic Wha....?

2011-11-05T06:30:00.000-07:00

When I was researching different methods of bookbinding, I did a double-take when I came across Coptic stitching for binding books. Having taught grade seven for a couple of years (before venturing into high school), I learned a lot about Ancient Egypt. Did you know that Coptic Egyptian is a language that goes back hundreds of years? Coptic is also a type of bookbinding stitch.

After some research and a couple of videos, I am now the Coptic Master. I definitely don't speak Coptic Egyptian, but I can sew a great Coptic stitch!

Check out what I did tonight! In particular, I'm not only proud of my Coptic Artistry, but of my great cover designs. Totally unique and definitely one-of-a-kind!

Psssst! They'll be for sale at A Real Piece of Work on the 19th! Come and get 'em!

Here's my cheesy proud video - I'm so stoked about these journals that I don't even mind showing my face on camera. Now THAT'S excitement!

Finished Art Journal!

2011-11-01T16:36:00.001-07:00

I finished this art journal last month, and since I had so much fun making my FIRST video that I thought I would make another one!

Let me know if you have any questions about my techniques or materials!

Tandem Painting, Anyone?

2011-10-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

I have kept an eye on Debra Cooper's blog A Little Imagination and a Pile of Junk for at least 2 years now. I love her creative style and she often inspires me with her work. I've even tried copying some of her techniques, but my work never turn out as nicely as hers does.

Yesterday she posted a bunch of photos about working with her BFF (who I think should be ME) on a piece of art. She's done this a few times, and the end product is always SO INTERESTING. There is something to be said for combining two differing styles of art, borne of two different personal backgrounds, into one cohesive piece.

Have a look at this post to see what I mean about awesomeness.

Wanna make art with me?

Please?

The Finished Product!!!

2011-10-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

My most EXCITING POST YET!

I got my sewing machine back from the repair shop on Saturday and closed myself in my studio the entire evening. My poor husband was completely abandoned on a Saturday night, replaced by my burning desire to finish an art journal!

So I've taken a bunch of photos to show you my process with this journal. I made up all of the pages this past week while my machine was in the shop. You can look at this post to see what pages I included.

Once I sat down to sew the signatures together, I realised that I had been WAY too ambitious planning my pages. The cover that I had made last weekend was too small by about an inch and a half on the outer edges. After a couple of chuckles at my overzealousness, I decided that I would DEFINITELY make a new cover that would be even MORE awesome than the one I made last weekend! Since making the cover was the most creative and fun part for me, I was definitely A-OK with making another one.

I used orange embroidery thread to sew my signatures together.
Since this is the colour that I use the least in my sewing,
I thought that I would use it for this job since once the book is done,
these stitches are hardly seen.

Definitely too many pages for the cover I made last weekend!

Back to the drawing board to create a NEW, larger cover... a SUPER fun "problem"!

Assembling the art pages was a really fun part of the project. I have stacks and stacks of neat papers that I store away for a rainy day. For this project, I took out all of my favourite papers and put them into this book. Since it's my own art day timer for ME, I figured that I might as well use my favourite papers and fabrics!

Some of my pages were stitched together to include different layers of papers.

My Contacts section was created using a set of alphabet tabs that I trimmed down, then sewed onto trimmed cardstock using a zigzag stitch. Very cool looking and just as strong (or stronger?) than glue!

Now for the Piece de Resistance! I've made a VIDEO to show you how the finished product looks. It's about 4 minutes long, and I am so proud of myself that I actually made a video and did the voice-over. In this video I share a lot of my techniques, how I store my papers, my thought process for putting the journal together, and a general tour of all of the things I've included.

I would LOVE to read your comments, questions and suggestions on my new art Day Timer! Thanks for looking!

October 22 - National Color Day!

2011-10-22T06:05:00.000-07:00

Did you know that in Canada we make the word "color" even more special by giving it an extra letter? That's right. When you play Scrabble in Canada, "colour" is worth more points.

The Monkey at White Rock Beach

Today is a day to celebrate colour. That means that pretty much every visual artist everywhere should sleep in and drink extra coffee (or tea!) until they are good and ready to start their day.

You see, I have a secret love affair with colour. I get so excited poring over paint chips at Home Depot that my grubby little hands grab them by the fistful! When I see the blues, oranges and pinks of a sunset over White Rock Beach, my heart skips a beat or two and my breath is whisked away with the ocean wind.

To celebrate Colour Day, I've taken some snapshots of some colour pages that I've designed. Enjoy!

Orange - Gratitude

Brown - Includes a quote from George Sand

Red - I'm loving Mandalas lately...

Green

Pink - Amour (love)

Hair-do? Hair-don't!

2011-10-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is an account of my "hair-don't." I can honestly say that the colour is too bright for me. I was hoping for a little more of a Barbie pink colour; instead I got what you see in the "after" photo below.

I used Jerome Russell's Punky hair dye in Flamingo Pink. Even though the colour looked a little on the magenta side, I kept envisioning flamingos. Nice, soft, pink flamingos.

So here are my before, during and after photos. I'm washing my hair 2-3 times a day now, trying to get the colour to fade. I really do admire the vivacity of the colour - it's SO bright and the product itself is pretty awesome. It was easy to use, smelled nice, and is sticking to my hair like crazy! :)

After. Tadaaaa!

Super awesome hair colour -

just a little darker than I had wanted.

Before - a blondie.

During - a bag lady.

Like I said, the product really rocks, and the colour is vibrant, even, and ultra solid. It's just darker than I wanted. I would definijnltey use Punky brand colour again, just not in the same dark colour. With my skin tone, I like to have things a little lighter...

Unfortunately, Jerome Russell's Punky doesn't come in a light pink so I have to go elsewhere...

Next time I'm going to consider trying this one that I found at Walgreens online.

Update - New Journal is ALMOST DONE!!!

2011-10-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

Alright, so I've been going CRAZY working on pages for my new journal.

A list of my pages to include:
- week at a glance
- grocery list and meal-planning
- actions list
- project planning guide
- daily activity record
- daily BBT record/graph (for baby-making!)
- calendars for 2012-2013-2014
- pockets to stuff cards and notes
- art journal pages
- inspiring quotes including one that I had my mother write out so that I would have it in her hand-writing!
- contacts a-z
- a page for my contact information and useful phone numbers (services, emergency numbers, doctors, etc.)

A lot of stuff, right? Well I didn't realise how much stuff I actually wanted in there until I went with all of my pages back to my journal cover. Yep. WAY too much stuff. In fact, my journal would be over twice as thick if I included all of the pages that I want. Of course I want to have a journal that I can use day in and day out, but to what end, right? Do I really want to carry around a suitcase just so that I can bring my journal with me everywhere?

My solution? include everything, but pare down the quantity of each section. For example, I had about 75 week-at-a-glance pages printed out. This takes up over half of my journal once they're folded in half to make the 5.5"x8.5" size that I want. I also went from 20 sheets (40 pages) of project planning, activity, action list and grocery list sheets down to 10. I figure that once they're folded in half, I will still have 20 sheets double-sided, which is a total of forty pages for each of these things. Definitely enough, right?

The cool thing about paring down the size of my journal is that I have almost enough pages for a SECOND journal! This means that I can be working on numero dos while I'm working IN numero uno! Love it! :)

I am DEFINITELY going to show you the different pages that I've put into this journal in a future post because I've customized ALL of them to suit my own needs and I'm pretty darn proud of them. Stay tuned!

Oh wait! The reason why I wanted to talk to you in the FIRST place is to tell you that in the midst of all this creativity making my new journal, my SEWING MACHINE BROKE DOWN!!!! How inconvenient! I'm going to drop it off today at a local repair shop with the hopes of getting it back tomorrow (fingers crossed!)

A New Journal is in the Works!

2011-10-17T13:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, as I was dying my hair flamingo pink, I decided to do some sewing on a new art journal/daytimer. Inspired by iHanna's blog post from earlier this year, I began planning out how I wanted it to look.

I started by determining the size of planner that I wanted. I used some templates from DIY Planner to decide that I wanted a standard 8.5" x 5.5" journal. That's the same as a standard sheet of paper folded in half. I figured that I could include templates of pages and my own creative pages more easily if they were all a standard size. More on the pages themselves later.

For the cover, I got two pieces of heavy cardstock (heavier than a cereal box but not as heavy as corrugated cardboard) that measured just OVER 8.5" x 5.5". I figured that I wanted the cover to be slightly larger than the pages so that the pages themselves would be protected. That's what a cover is for, right?

My Monkey and I went to a yard sale yesterday and I picked up a scarf featureing "Flowers of Barbados" in vibrant colours and beautiful images. This is what I used for the front cover. For the back cover, I went into my fabric storage wardrobe and picked out a nice blue striped bolt. I sewed these to the carboard with my machine, then sewed them to each other, leaving a space in the middle for the book's spine. So in the end, I had a piece of fabric that was made up of two bits of fabric sewn together with two pieces of cardstock at the ends. Here is what it looked like from the back:

You can see by the stitching that I had already embellished the front at this point,
but you can get the general idea, I hope!

After sewing the basic form, I then had a TON of fun embellishing the covers with ribbon, motifs and felt. I must say, my sewing machine was going at full speed for a good hour or so! It was super fun trying out different stitches and using different coloured thread.

Here is what the good side of my journal cover looks like now:

Pretty awesome, right? I think so too! I used a piece of felt to make the circle on the back and just sewed it on with a minty green zigzag stitch. I also went through my remnatns and scraps and found some cool designs like the swirly flowers on the top left. The heart is also done in felt and outlined with a zigzag stitch, and the bottom right wavy thing is where I played around with my machine's different stitches.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

See the cute leaf stitch at the bottom of the felt? Neat!

I *love* the light blue ribbon with the roses...

So NOW I have a front cover and back cover for my journal. All I need to do this week is get my pages together into signatures. Hopefully next weekend I can stitch it all together into a solid binding!

Front Cover

Back Cover

How did the hair turn out, you ask? Wait 'til later this week for some before, during and after photos!

Stuffed Awesomeness

2011-10-15T06:30:00.000-07:00

Last night I put the finishing touches on the last two of my Gremlins for this Christmas season. I'm calling them Gremlins for lack of a better name. They aren't REALLY Gremlins; they're cute stuffed animal-like beings designed purely for snuggling. I think these two new ones are my favourites so far - I LOVE their colourful "clothing." All of my Gremlins are button-free so that even the littlest of us humans can snuggle them.

The new ones that I finished last night.

One of my other favourites, featuring a faux-pearl zig-zag "necklace."

I LOVE this "quadropus" too!

I won't show you the rest of this year's collection - you'll have to wait for the show (A Real Piece of Work November 19-20) or find them on my soon-to-be-revamped etsy store, riggoo.

Sushi Excursion - We Save Trees!

2011-10-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

"Metal!"

My Monkey and I went to Richmond Sushi last night for All You Can Eat (AYCE). Uhmmmm YUM! The best part about AYCE is that you can try so many different items in small portions! Of course portion control isn't really the focus here, since you can order 14 of the same thing if you want to!

Ever thought about how many trees get cut down to make chopsticks? When you think that pretty much every sushi diner uses chopsticks - usually the wooden ones that the restaurants give you for free - that's a lot of chopsticks!

Monkey and I got some metal ones (metal as in the material and "metal!!" as in how cool they are) as a gift. Now we bring our chopsticks with us when we go for sushi.

It feels GOOD to save trees! And using metal chopsticks is so chic - other diners and even serving staff ask us where we got them.

Metal is "Metal!"

Paradise Lost? (or, Why I Don't Mind the Rain)

2011-10-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

An inspiring shot from °°k°°'s photostream on Flickr. Thanks!

Today's breath of fresh air is fresher than it's been for the past 5 months. After the overcast doldrums of June and July (rare for us here in B.C.), the stagnance of muggy August days, and the long-awaited (and wildly welcomed) heat wave in September, October's rainy windstorms are not only a lesson in seasons, but an under-appreciated gift.

While the rest of the city grumbles in their wellingtons, scarves, inside-out umbrellas and overcoats, I, for one, am welcoming the change into Fall. The grass becomes greener and lusher with every raindrop. The leaves are reminding us of our mortality. The wilting trees and crispy brown lawns are again renewed with the nourishment that only nature can truly provide. We are entering the realms of rebirth, yet we must endure patterns of decay and sleep in the meantime.

So for today, I ask you this:

Is there anything better than lying in bed in the dark beside a warm body, listening to the wind whistling, the trees moaning and the rain pelting down on the roof? For me, that is Paradise Found.

aaaaaaand exhale!

2011-10-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

Last night's Turkey Dinner was a HUGE success!

New stuffing recipe: awesome.
Gravy: rich and so tasty!
Turkey: moist and flavourful.
Whipped yams: smooth and creamy.
Potatoes with bacon and green onions: a total hit!
Brussels sprouts: Roasted in the oven but a little underdone...

If the only complaint was the Brussels sprouts (which only half of the guests like anyway) I think the dinner can be called a success.

If you'd like to know more about my recipes and techniques for this dinner, comment below! I'll be happy to include some of my secrets in this week's posts!

The juiciest and most flavourful turkey I've ever tasted.
Our own adaptation of this recipe. Thanks, Monkey!

The rest of today entails a little bit of the following: deep breaths, sweatpants and slippers, blankets, pillows, a good book, my Monkey, and the kittens. I'm loving the fact that I don't have to cook for a few days! Life couldn't be better.

It's Time for Dinner! (Last-Minute Thanksgiving Centerpieces)

2011-10-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

I MUST show you some other ideas for Thanksgiving centerpieces. Of course my centerpiece for this year is the awesomest, but I have to say that there are some pretty cool ideas out there for cheap!

I was doing a little search for what to do for place cards and I came across this post from Laurie aka the Tip Junkie. While I tend to shy away from using other people's ideas and prefer to create my own, I got a little giddy about these upside down wine glasses turned into candle holders/pumpkin protectors. Pretty much awesome. Call me a domestic nerd, but I LOVE double-duty kitchenware.

Twigs in a jar. So smart!!

Then there's the old "throw some stuff into a bowl and call it art" centerpiece. For example, I see a lot of jars of cranberries, nuts, stones, leaves, etc. This creates a shot of colour in the middle of the table which I like and it can also make your house smell nice. Imagine stuffing some fresh cedar cuttings in a clear vase for your table. Instant art and incredible scent! Just make sure that you don't overpower your guests with different odours. They're there to taste your food, so don't distract them too much with other scents.

Rachel Ray's really good at the whole "things in jars" idea. (I know, I also cringe when I think of her, but you can't blame her for being a smarty!) She has some good ideas for centerpieces from the backyard. This post is AWESOME! Not only are these options cheap or free, but they're quick and they really give you that earthy, country look that makes for a cozy evening. I've already included a tree branch on my table (thank you, wind storm!) along with some mini pumpkins, dried corn, red leaves, and this really impressive pedestal serving dish that we bought at Home Sense. You can see my centerpiece here.

Getting Ready for a Long Weekend

2011-10-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

In addition to TWO turkey dinners this Thanksgiving weekend (one hosted by yours truly and the Monkey), I'm hoping to get some time to do some art. I have two art shows coming up, so a lot of my creativity has been going into getting stuff prepared for them in November. In other words, I haven't had time to just sit and CREATE.

In preparation for this weekend, I've made some simple backgrounds in my 8x11 journal. I really like this journal because it is spiral bound and the page size is perfect for a good solid entry. Have a look and let me know what you think.

Origami paper and watercolor

Watercolor and pencil crayon

Close-up of double-face pencil crayon

Washi tape and watercolor

I wanted to show this one close up so that you can share my excitement about my awesome new Washi tape.
That, and I'm really digging the moody watercolor effects that I've been getting on some of these pages...

Thanksgiving This Weekend...

2011-10-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

A page from my current art journal

Canadian Thanksgiving is on October 11th - over a month before the American Thanksgiving. Instead of giving thanks to pilgrims, we give thanks to our fall harvest:

"On Thursday, January 31, 1957, the Canadian Parliament proclaimed:

A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October." (Wikipedia)

Not that all of us are farmers - far from it! But Canada's agriculture industry is pretty huge and so when the harvest is done, we all reap the rewards - and fabulous produce!

In honour of Canadian Thanksgiving, the Monkey and I are having 13 people over on Sunday for a traditional turkey dinner. On the guest list: both sets of parents, siblings and spouses from both sides, two nieces and a nephew.

On the menu: Turkey on the Traeger, stuffing in the crockpot, roasted brussels sprouts, potatoes, yams, carrots, corn, and cranberry sauce...ahhhhhhhhhh! For dessert? Cookies for the little ones and lemon meringue pie. Both the Monkey and I aren't huge fans of pumpkin pie, so we decided to switch it up a little.

To make sure that all 15 of us would fit in the dining room, I set the table last weekend. I'm using a mishmash of cloth napkins and a dark gray flat bedsheet for a tablecloth. The cork placemats in the photo are from Ikea - they'll serve as trivets for warm dishes, and they add a neat aesthetic with their tree images. I've been cultivating my centrepiece ever since I started setting the table. What do you think?

It's TACO DAY!

2011-10-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

It's taco day in North America. Funny - it's vodka day, too, but let's get down to business here. TACOs!

From Wikipedia: A taco ( /ˈtɑːkoʊ/) is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety. A taco is generally eaten without utensils and is often accompanied by garnishes such as salsa, avocado or guacamole, cilantro, tomatoes, onions and lettuce.

At the Old Country Buffet on Sunday, the Monkey and I enjoyed a Taco Bar! Ahhhhh... A buffet without a taco bar is like soda without bubbles: you can still consume it, but it's really nothing to get excited about.

What's for dinner on YOUR table tonight? We're having...tacos.