One of the Creative concerns that came up quite a bit when i posed the question “What is your biggest Creative Challenge”? on my blog was “lack of time”.  I thought i would deal with this dilemma today because seriously – where there is a will there is a way. The above set of Dream bugs were created yesterday while i waited at the Doctor’s office for over 15 minutes.  I added some final touches back at home.

Here’s a close up view.  I plan on using these doodles in my art journal pages but also perhaps give them out to students in my Teen Journal workshops.  As you can see i used similar designs on my Dream journal cover. You can do these up ahead of time while waiting in the Doctor’s or dentist’s office or while at your child’s/grandchild’s soccer practise. You can ALWAYS find time while “waiting” – just bring along a clipboard with some cardstock or your art journal/sketchbook with you and a pencil and pen. At the hairdresser you have 1/2 hour to wait for your “colour” to take – perfect time to sketch don’t you think?

The above tags will be used on the packaging for my Teen’s Dream Journal kits I’ll be giving out to each participant in the class. The Idea for the tag of inspiring words came from Pinterest – my packaging board. I found a tag in a similar shape used for packaging Asparagus of all things and was inspired to create the above tag!  I created the tag while listening to a webinar yesterday – see – i managed to find time oh YES I DID!

The Funky Girl Tag was created while i watched the TV show New Girl last night.  I drew and clipped and glued.  You should see the couch right now – just a wee bit messy with bits and pieces of papers all over it! The coloured bits of paper on the girl’s clothing were created with paint chips and the blue pleats are from the inside of a security envelope (really!). The girl’s heart and headband flower came from one of Mr. G’s  candy wrappers (he has a sweet tooth).

You might wonder why i like the show New Girl?  Well it’s quirky and there always seems to be a nice message at the end.  I loved the message last night about empowering teens and letting them shine!

Now i hope I have inspired you with a few ideas on how to better utilize your free time!

You know how much i love coming up with ideas for everything?  Well i came up with 50 ways to Promote your Crafts and made it into an e-book.  I’m giving it away totally FREE to my newsletter subscribers (I’m sending the newsletter out late tonight).  If you would like to have a copy then please sign up for my newsletter here. I hope you like it – I had fun coming up with the ideas!  Popcorn head – just call me popcorn head .

The Whole Enchilada Contest

If you haven’t already done so please enter to win a prize in my Whole Enchilada – 7 Year Blogiversary Contest. There are 7 prizes, one for each year blogging to be given away to some lucky winners!

Wonderful Online Classes!

My fellow teacher Andrea Schroeder at 21 Secrets Art Journaling Playground is facilitating a new e-Course called Creative Magic: Give Your Inner Critic a New Job.  Check it out!  Judging from some of the responses from my question yesterday – your biggest creative challenge – one of them is dealing with a Nasty Inner Critic. 

Classes offered by two of the Sketchbook Challenge Artists

Diana Trout has a Rescue Book Journals Online Class starting tomorrow!  My friend took Diana’s class at Journalfest last year and really LOVED it – she said Diana is a wonderful teacher. There is nothing like recycling but also creating a book to journal in from scratch.  It’s very gratifying!

Carla Sonheim has a Junk Mail artist’s Book online Class starting on Nov. 28 and boy – does it ever sound like fun!  Carla was a very popular teacher last year at Journalfest. Here’s your chance to experience Carla’s magic while still in your jammies at home .

Oh and after clicking on the Sketchbook Challenge link do check out Carla’s November Challenge – Imaginary Animals!  Too much fun – can’t wait to get to work on that one!

Tomorrow I’ll post a bunch of photos from the photo-shoot i had a couple of weeks ago – it was a fun shoot and I’m very happy with the results.

On Friday night I dressed up as a pirate – my friend Susan sewed us matching scarves and skirts!  Aren’t they cute?  Unfortunately Mr. G was away on business so he missed out on the merriment!  He does have a cool pirate costume though .

Alas poor Yorrick – I knew him well! Susan and i were wearing skull necklaces that lit up and flashed on and off!

Rob and Susan all dressed up for the Halloween party!  They LOVE dressing up!  It’s one of their great pleasures.

Harrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhh……..Rob spent part of the evening talking to his trusty parrot!  He even had a name but i forgot it . When Rob was young he was a puppeteer. I guess it’s in your blood forever!

Yesterday my grandson Sam dressed up as a Panda bear (a cute costume made by his Mummy!) so all of the relatives could have a peek at his cuteness!

We headed out to my daughter-in-law Kathryn’s folks place. They had us carve pumpkins. Here the pumpkin carvers are hanging out behind their creations.  Eric (Kathryn’s Dad), yours truly, son Ryan and Sammy and daughter Jessica.  We had such fun!

Here Sammy is feeding my pumpkin back his innards as his amused Dad looks on.

After the pumpkin carving episode at my side of the family we headed over to Mr. G’s son’s place and carved this bevy of beauties.  The pumpkins patiently sat out on the porch for a photo opportunity while Mr. G’s grandson Leium stands guard behind them.

Check out the tiny pumpkin Mr. G carved with Leium.  He insisted on buying this tiny pumpkin but when we got it home it was partially rotten. So he cut off the rotten side (that’s where the tiny pumpkin rests) and carved a face on the top side.  After it was finished i suggested Mr. G put a carrot nose in the place of the stem so he did.  Isn’t it cute?

Happy Halloween everyone – I know not everyone celebrates but if you do have fun!

I just wanted to give you the heads up on Jill K. Berry’s book Personal Geographies: Explorations in Mixed Media Mapmaking.  Doesn’t it sound awesome?  I’m going to order it for sure.  Jill is one of the Sketchbook Challenge artists.  I remember sitting next to Jill me last year at Journalfest (it just finished) and she was mentioning her book – i was intrigued then and still am! I hope you check it out!

See you all tomorrow!

I sketched and coloured this castle while i was on the plane to N. Carolina.  My Mom was looking over my shoulder watching.  I have difficulty drawing when people watch me .  Back in the old days when i created caricatures i used to refuse to do them in front of others as i found it difficult to concentrate.  I’d never be able to be the caricature artist at parties.

When i pulled out my little Strathmore Sketchbook on the plane i asked myself what i wanted to draw.  It was like consulting my Inner GPS.  As soon as i did so a thought came to me about creating a dreamy castle or set of buildings.  So i came up with this funky combo which was created with micron pens, copic markers and pencil crayons.  As you know working on an airplane is a bit difficult – a tight squeeze.  I had my pens all in a Ziploc baggy so they were easy to access. This illustration reminds me a bit of the work of Tomie dePaola the author and artist of the children’s book Strega Nona.  I used to enjoy reading this story to my kids when they were little. Tomie’s books were populated by fantasy buildings and interesting characters.

Next i created a floating head which i envisioned as a woman dreaming of a possible future. Again i used micron pens, copic markers and water colour pencil crayons.

As you can see i cut out the castle and popped it on top of my dreamy head .

The Sketchbook Challenge Theme for October is “VIEW” – it’s by Carol Sloan.  I know I’m late in posting it but here it is.  I hope many of you are still playing along? I felt my mixed media piece fits perfectly in with this theme.  The woman has a view but the view is not a physical one it’s inside her head.  She is visualizing a future – a magical future that doesn’t yet exist out in the real world.  As I consult with my Inner GPS I know that there are to be clouds in the air and some words about dreaming but how they will show up I don’t quite know.  So I’ll leave this piece lying around until the right and perfect words pop into my head!

Webinar with Quinn McDonald

Next week on Thursday October 20th Quinn McDonald is hosting a free webinar called “So you Say you can’t draw: An art journaling event by Quinn McDonald” I think this is going to be awesome!  Quinn is the author of the book Raw Art Journaling.  If you want to learn more about Quinn you can listen to Rice Freeman Zachary’s podcast interview here.

Well that’s about it for today.  I hope you all or y’all (southerner speak) have a fabulous weekend!

Here’s some wonderfully exciting news for you!  Last week i was busy working on a project ………

Here’s a sneak peek at what i was creating for the Sketchbook Challenge E-zine! And just like that – lickety split the zine is complete thanks to all of the hard work by Sue Bleiweiss the Sketchbook Challenge creator! Thank you Sue!

This zine is jam packed with fabulous ideas to inspire you with creative ideas.

What you’ll find inside…
Learn how to draw a pinecone with Jane LaFazio
Exploring Text Collage with Kelli Nina Perkins
Make a Scrappy House Quilt with Jamie Fingal
Working in series by Jane Davies
Make bad art with Lyric Kinard and become a better artist
Sue Bleiweiss shows you how to make a sketchbook sleeve
Carol Sloan shares her remedies for blank pages
Take 5! with Carla Sonheim
Screenprinting for the Mixed Media Artist by Leslie Tucker-Jenison
Take your sketchbook out to eat with Susan Sorrell
Stacked Journaling with Judi Hurwitt
Learn how to use your inner GPS to create journal pages with Violette
Learn a trio of pamphlet binding stitches from Diana Trout

You can have a sneak peek, buy the zine and find out how you can win a piece of mail art by going here!

At Joyful arts studio Jennifer Hutchins has a wonderful workshop called Wishes and Dreams – if you want to use art, writing and reflection as tools for healing and personal growth then this workshop is for you!  Jennifer is a fellow teacher over at 21 Secrets!  Not only is she a talented teacher but she’s a beautiful soul too! 

Tamara LaPorte – another faboo 21 Secrets instructor is offering a lovely classes called LIFE BOOK – Tam is joined by  14 incredible artists who are sharing their mixed media tips, tricks and techniques to help you celebrate and honour yourself!  How much better can you get – art and personal development together!  Hooray!

Well that’s enough excitement for today!  I’ll chat with you tomorrow!

Oh – and thank you so much to all of you for leaving me messages – i appreciate you and the time you take to let me know what you think!

This is my first portrait for the 30 Day Self-Portrait Challenge.  It took me 1/2 an hour to create – media used: micron pen, copic markers and pencil crayons. I’m sure many of you watch TV – at least one hour a day.  You could bring your journal or as i do your clipboard with cardstock and draw/doodle while watching TV. As you can see i chose to draw myself without glasses this time.

P.S.  Can you see – i have 30 heads in this art journal page – yes – the blobs are stylized heads

For my Canadian friends who were off enjoying the long weekend i thought i would repost this to let you know about the 30 Day Challenge i am giving myself and my readers.  You create a portrait of yourself a day for 30 days – since August has 31 days i decided to start today.  Read yesterday’s blog for more information.  You can read about my motivation to begin this wee project.

I’ve set up a Flickr 30 Day Self-Portrait Challenge if you want to post your images there or you can leave me a link in the comments section here to your blog or you can even mention it on twitter and link to me so we can check out your fab portraits!

The Benefits

The benefits in taking part in a challenge such as this are naturally your art will improve the more you create, you will begin to “know” yourself better, you’ll have more fodder for your journal pages, you will become stronger since you WILL persevere, your creativity will soar as you find innovative ways to interpret the challenge.

Don’t worry if you hit a wall for ideas – I will give you lots of ideas as i create a new portrait a day.  Tomorrow I’ll be making a “crayon self-portrait” – that should be a blast as i haven’t done one in over 10 years! I’ll be doing caricatures, silhouettes with words in them, painted faces, coloured faces, black and white portraits and more!  I’ll be showing you how i will incorporate some of my faces into my journal pages and how to leverage copies of your favourite portraits.  

If you are already involved in taking an online class or doing another challenge such as the Sketchbook Challenge fear not – you can leverage your portraits by fitting them in with your other projects.  I do that all the time!

Thank you so very much to everyone who decided to take up the challenge with me – this is going to be so much fun!  If you like you can pass this 30 Day Challenge along to your friends too – the more the merrier! Just START wherever you are – if you are late in joining simply BEGIN…….and take part in the 30 day challenge from there.

P.S. – don’t go to bed before having your portrait completed – even if it’s just a 10 minute doodle