What Brings Me Joy

So today’s art journal spread is a three/four page spread about what brings me joy. I created an extra page, here with a hand list of things that bring me joy.

I realize now though, that I need alphabet stamps. Anyone feeling generous?

This little dragon was cut out from a magazine and caused quite the ruckus in my apartment, since my daughter has the same yen that I have for all things asian. I really do. I love china town so much. It makes me happy, walking along the side streets, browsing through all the little shops. I love it. And yes I love hello kitty. I try to say that it’s my kid that likes Hello Kitty, but I like it too.

That’s the list on the right. I just used a sheet of paper from an old sketch book, and wrote on it. Then I used PAN pastels, since I love them so.

This is what it looks like when you fold out the third page:

I love this! And I was SO excited when I saw those words, “MAKING STUFF”. I almost did a dance.

I really like this a lot.

What brings me joy?

My art. My creativity. My poems. Apple picking in the fall. Road trips in the summer. The stories my husband tells me of all the crazy people he meets.

Swaps. New art supplies. Baking.

My daughter’s laugh. My husband’s laugh. His stories about life in Puerto Rico. Good chocolate. Making stuff that I see in designer shops. Paint on my fingers.

Love.

Spirituality.

The belief in fairies.

My daughter, when she tells me, I’m her best friend.

These things, they make me happy. I realize today that at times, when we’ve gone through a lot of sadness or difficulty, especially as children, as adults we almost….look for the sadness. Ultimitely, I have to live with me.  And no matter what happened in the past, it will never help, to constantly look back, lest we turn into pillars of salt, like the woman in the old testament.

I should warn you that I’m not sure I’ll be blogging tomorrow, since my lovely shiny friend from Pennsylvania is driving in today, and we are going to the mermaid parade. Although, I’m kind a short, so I’m not promising any amazing shots. Just a warning. But yes, no blog post tomorow. I think. I get a little addicted to blogging. It’s fun.

AND, my hubby and I are going to launch a new and improved etsy shop. We are so excited! It’s going to be a culmination of my work and his, and will have all sorts of vintage inspired handmade goods and supplies.

We are so excited.

Next week, you’ll hear more about it.

PS. –> Help FUND my CAUSE!

The Craftaholic

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Collaging About Myself

Today, I decided to do something a bit different than what was in the book. I just wanted to do some collage work about all the things that kind of describe me.

So, here goes:

I like this spread a lot.

So I collect Lucky Cats. And the lady pictured there, was a women’s rights activists. I’m into that sort of thing. The pile of cheese wheels is because well, I love cheese. Seriously, I’m like Wallace from Wallace and Gromit. Those of you across the pond know what I mean.

That’s Odetta, at the guitar there. She was a folk singer and activist. Frida, you know. The gentleman laughing there is (I think) the first african american to record music on record. And I love old music, hence the banjo and guitar.

Life is about experiences. Revolution is what we all should create within our world.

Tough, is what I had to be growing up in an abusive home.

Be heard, is what we all should long to be: to be heard, and to listen.

 

And of course, now I have to go to the art supply store because I ran out of gesso. Normally, I just use cheap folk art paint in white, but I also ran out of that.

 

So that’s that.

 

PS. –> Help FUND my DREAM!

The Craftaholic

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New Year’s Resolutions & Some Collage Work

Today, I finished up a few collage spreads in a notebook of mine. I thought I’d share them with you, and some of my New Year’s Resolutions.

First, the collage work:

Sorry the pictures are crappy.

And here’s my resolutions:

1. No more red meat.

Well, this is because I’m just….not wanting to eat meat anymore. It’s cheaper to be a vegetarian, actually.

2.  And start juicing and drinking healthy smoothies. More often.

I have a really good juicer. I want to start juicing more. I mostly don’t some days because I run out of fruits and vegetables, LOL.

3. Yoga. Every day, dammit!

I love yoga. It is challenging to do with a little one, but my daughter does love doing yoga with me. So I want to do this every day. I try, and then I forget.

4. Incorporate my poetry with my art.

This has always been my goal, since I started getting serious about my art. I love collage work, and did it back before I met my husband. Then I neglected it for other things. I just recently got back into it, so I’m excited to see where this path takes me. I really want to meld my art with my poems.

5. Be happy, no matter what.

That last one is pretty self explanatory. I want to always see the good in life. Too many people, they see the negative, the bad things in life. They focus on the negative. But I’ll end my list, with a quote by Groucho Marx:

“Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.”
-Groucho Marx

Be happy, every day. In this new year, choose to find the good in life, and you will always have good to find. It’s the law of the universe. I’m going to make the above quote my motto: to choose to wake up happy every day.

The Craftaholic

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