4Square

That's what I'm calling these little cards I had printed, and I have to tell you that I was practically dancing around the house when I saw that package on the counter. Thirty-six cards all 4"x4" in size.... complete with little Kraft envelopes. And all for my Etsy shop! 

I still have some work to do before the grand opening, but it's close. It's really, really close.

I have a thing for ribbon. If I even see a glimpse of ribbon in a store, I tend to make a beeline straight to it, which is exactly how this pretty green thing made its way into my buggy not too long ago. I don't always have anything in particular in mind to do with ribbon that I buy. I can just rest assured that there will be some reason to use it at some point before I die. Luckily, the ribbon didn't have to be placed in cold storage to protect it from the natural process of aging. I came up with a way to use the ribbon to create a little bit of joy.

My mentor at the school where I work retired this past year and handed down to me a beautiful 'school' wreath for my classroom door. My room is committed to a blue and green color scheme, so the ribbon is about to be put to work as I give the wreath a little bit of a blue/green makeover. I'll post a picture soon to show you how it turns out.

In the meantime, how are you creating your own joy?

 

Mixing it up, again....

Do you have to be in a creative frame of mind to create, or do you begin the process hoping inspiration will follow?

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a couple of 8x10 canvases. My goal was to practice creating layered backgrounds of paint, text, and images. After settling on one color of stamping ink (the others were hiding in a very logical place but remained elusive for the duration of my project), I got busy. I painted the background blue, then added some white and yellow using bubble wrap. I then used Stampin' Up's "Close to Cocoa" ink pad to stamp some images on the background.

Little by little my creative spirit had other ideas. Instead of practicing backgrounds, I created another girl. This one sparkles (thanks to a few embellishments I used).

8x10 mixed-media art
All images are the property of Roban Johnson.
High quality, archival prints should be available soon!



I've been trying to decide whether to post my artwork here or on another Web site. I'm still waffling a bit, but if you want to see "sparkle" girl in more detail, click here for my art-only Can-Do Girl Web page.

Blooming...

Just saying...

Maybe it IS your time to bloom!

I just finished reading one of those books that are just perfect for the beach.

You know the kind... Not a heavy read, something a little more fun and frivolous.

But it did get me thinking.... (shouldn't all books do that?).

The book, Jude Deveraux's "The Summerhouse," features three women

who all live different lives.

And then they get to choose a time in their lives to relive

and can even change the choices they made.

Rewind and start over.

We don't get to do that of course, you and I,

and I'm guessing that even if we could, we wouldn't change things.

But maybe, just maybe, we get too caught up in what has to be done each day,

and we forget what really brings us joy.

Our passions.

For art,

writing,

photography,

cooking,

or even moving

our furniture around.

Believe me, I DO make time for a lot of the fun things in life.
But there have been times in my life when I didn't do those things.
I wasn't writing, or drawing, or taking pictures of things that make me smile.

So, words of advice gleaned from Jude Deveraux's summer read:

Don't forget who you are.
Remember to enjoy what makes you, you.
and Bloom!

 

Paper + Paint + Canvas =

Joy! The newest addition to my gallery of "girls."

My daughter and her friend, A, got into the paints the other day, so I couldn't resist.

I didn't have a plan, but after I sifted through my papers, my "vision" began to form.

The colors just came together, and I tried new techniques.

Well, mainly with her hair.

I painted her hair a yellow first, then began layering various shades of brown.

I typed the wording on the computer, which gives it a more finished look.

Then drew in the stitches and "connected" the text pieces together.

I linked up with Mary for Mosaic Monday today.
She's actually sharing some photographs from the Monet exhibit
at the New York Botanical Garden.
Hmmmm. That definitely puts me in good company!

I escaped...

to Barnes and Noble for a little while yesterday. I've always found that I belong amid racks of books and magazines.... As I wander along, I touch a few book covers and hold some volumes in my hands, reading the back and skimming through a few paragraphs before placing them back on the shelf. I admit that I do judge a book by its cover. I love the texture and the feel and the images that were chosen.

I always find myself in the same areas of the store.... I browse the tables where 75% off makes it hard to resist buying something new. I scan the titles in the education aisle hoping for something new and inspiring. I take a peek into religious books, memoirs, and children's picture books, never sure what will capture my attention.

As a child, I had my own library system and would let friends check out my books. Each book had a carefully crafted check-out card in the back, and an index box sat close by cradling the cards that awaited reunions. I imagined owning my own book store one day. I imagined a seating area with coffee and cocoa close by. I imagined tables and racks of books and magazines, storytime.... I imagined The Shop Around the Corner from "You've Got Mail." I imagined a smaller version of Barnes and Noble.

When I was growing up, there were no independently-owned bookstores in my town. There were no Barnes and Nobles or Books A Million. Trips to a neighboring K-Mart helped me build my library.

Just now as I peeked into the green plastic bag, I smiled.... Good reading is ahead, although I will probably have to save it for spring break. I bought Sue Monk Kidd's collaboration with her daughter, Traveling with Pomegranates. As a mother nearing the 50-year mark, with a daughter soon to be entering high school, I'm sure it will make me stop and reflect on and savor the time I have with my daughter before college and work and a new family sidle in. I also bought a CD set of The Chronicles of Narnia. I've looked at this marked-down version for six months probably and finally tucked the last set safely under my arm.... It's a "just in case" purchase.... You know the kind; you don't really need it now, but you might one day. And the new issue of Somerset Digital Studio. It definitely inspires me to play with pictures and create.

But now, before Pomegranates, Narnia, or digital design, I have papers to grade and lessons to plan for next week. But the promise of what's inside the green bag lingers in my mind, the whisper of a favorite melody.

Creating and the Art of Perfection

Perfection can really stand in the way of creativity. At least it has for me.

I've always enjoyed looking at the wonderful creations featured in scrapbook and stamping magazines, but instead of feeling inspired, I felt too much in awe of the creativity splashed across the pages to try a new technique on my own. Oh, I've dabbled here and there, but I never felt that I could really create something unique on my own.

That changed a bit when my daughter led me to the wonderful site of Scrapblog.com. On this digital scrapbooking site, I can try different backgrounds, stickers, and color combinations... and if I don't like them, I can start over and choose other elements to create a page. I've particularly enjoyed layering different elements, which has been much easier to do digitally than with paper.

Now, I have to admit that I'm still intimidated a bit by the oodles of talent on that site. As I am here when I visit places like Small Creations, where the talented Audrey shares her unique cards and projects, some of which I've seen in magazines such as Inspiration and Artful Blogging.

But I'm trying to be realistic, rather than perfect. And to enjoy the process of creating as much as the final creation.

So, instead of hiding in the background, I'm sharing one of my creations.... It's a page from my "The Secret Life of Bees" scrapblog, on which I mixed a stamped/tinted image with the goodies on Scrapblog.com. While I believe my creativity is still in its infancy, I will put perfection to the side, continue to marvel at the creativity I find, and do my best to enjoy the process as much as the final product.

Scrapblog

I have had the best time on Scrapblog! This digital design Web site makes me feel like a graphic designer! It has all of the papers, fonts, embellishments, and tools to create professional-looking pages. And I do it all right here in my home office, or at the beach, or wherever life takes me! Warning though... it's addictive! But free. If you haven't experienced the life of a graphic designer, do it now! Visit Scrapblog and create art.