Light My Path

I started a brand new art journal today! I did a few backgrounds last night so it made it so easy to get started today. Its always kind of scary to stare at a blank page! Here is an art journal page I did today. I read something in a book like "Light my path" or "Light my way" so that is what I did my page on today-it has stuck out to me today.

I have been organizing supplies today-Unfortunately space is a BIG problem in my tiny house. I looked up and saw my tower of plastic drawers (big ones) tilting and so I knew I had to do something. Those drawers housed alot of my handmade papers. Today I sorted them all by color and put them in Space Bags. So Now I can slide them under the bed, or whatever. I wanted a way to have easy access to them, or else I really would never use them. It was fun sorting and seeing what all I had. I had been a skeptic about those bags but they worked great!

An ATC

I have had a very full day today! We just got 22lbs of fresh Idaho Peaches and for the first time ever we canned them. Wow-what a lot of work, but gratifying in the end! In between housework and also baking a batch of cookies I had no idea if I would have any time to be able to do something creative today. I managed to get an ATC done, amazing!

Bird collage and speckle images are from I Brake For Stamps

Art Journal Page

I had ONE hour today to do something creative! This is what I did :)

This page uses:

Acrylic Paints, collage, pitt pen, and stencils. Oh, and dollar store stars :)

Pears ATC

Well so much for my being "Creative every day!" Yesterday I had something happen that was upsetting so I was not able to do anything-I was in a somber mood and was in shock all day.

I have had a Guinea Pig, Rosie, for about 2 and 1/2 years and I was doing lots of purging and organizing in my home and I went out to empty the trash and found her cage in disarray (it was outside on our porch) and she was nowhere to be found. I looked out to see her in the middle of the street-Later I saw a few stray dogs so we think they are the ones who got her. I was shocked, sad.......and had to tell my kids, and that is hard. I am still in shock-I was the one who pretty much took care of her, and I miss her. Each time I went in and out of the door I always talked to her and she always "Squeaked" back at me. Its hard not hearing that or seeing her by the front door anymore :( I am still a bit heartbroken.

Anyway, I was able to do an ATC today at least. I used one of the new pear stamps from the Stampinback line over at I Brake For Stamps. I used Radiant Rain daubers for the background.

Don't follow your dreams, chase them

Isn't this quote so true? I had run across this quote and had to use it for one of my art journal pages. I just went with serendipity today and included it on this page. I was thinking today as I looked through my art journal-there are so many positive things there. I know as I keep doing these and fill my pages up that hopefully someday when they get passed down (if my kids don't just throw them out!LOL) of if someone gets ahold of them that they will gain some inspiration from them. Its great to take your emotions and put them down and make them into something beautiful, even if that particular day you may not be feeling particularly positive (Not that it is my case today, I was just thinking).

Here I am on day two of "Baby Steps" and like I had hoped , it was even better than yesterday.

Looking forward to playing again tomorrow!

Here I have used Acrylics, caran d'ache crayons, collage, stencils, graphite, charcoal and alphabet rub ons

In a Creative Funk.........

Okay please stand and raise your hand if you have ever gone through this!!! I feel like I have been in a creative funk for quite a while now. I know the past several weeks I have had my hands full-just when I think I am on the up and up I get hit with a bad sinus infection-and if you have had one before you know how it makes you not want to do anything at all! Anyway, I am back now!LOL I knew I wanted to do something today. But when I sit down and start my mind drew a blank. Thinking.......I knew I have been wanting to do some assemblages again-so I excitedly grabbed all my great "junk" I have accumulated, thinking maybe something in there would "grab" me. Nope, not a chance. I kept going back and forth, thinking......well maybe I just won't do anything at all. But I also realize, when you have not done anything for a while, you kinda lose it, you know? In order to get back to doing anything , you need to just "Show up" even when your muse doesn't.

That reminds me of a conversation my dear friend Cindy and I had one day, on our art supply excursion some months ago. We talked about just what I mentioned, and how we have "done our part" if we just show up and try. So that is what I have done today-I tried. I started. Fingers crossed that tomorrow is better. I don't think what I did today was bad at all. Its a start! And I think about ole Bill Murray in "What about Bob?" where he says "Baby Steps!" I guess that is what I am doing, baby steps. I have done a little stamping lately, but honestly I think I was sort of taking a break from blogging-feeling lazy too, so I didn't post anything here. But I am resolved to be back , and NOW. I need to put a fire under myself to just try, no matter what I am feeling, to do something. After all, if ya just do something every day, your creativity will keep going. At least that was my motto before I went into this creative funk!

I got my inks and stamps out today-these are new ones from the Stampinback collection over at I Brake For Stamps. I have a real affinity for pears, so I thought this may just help me. I got messy with my beloved drips on the background on this too :)

So I leave you with an excerpt of "What about Bob" where he takes Baby Steps :)

the past 2 weeks

I am still alive! The past two weeks have not been all that easy. Here I was SO excited to have the kids back to school so I could get back to my art-unfortunately that really hasn't happened. Hopefully now this week I can get back in the swing of things.

I don't normally go into too much personal junk, but today I just need to vent, so here goes.

A couple weeks ago we had some trouble with my little girl-she never adjusts well to change. School started-so she has the new teacher, new classroom, new kids in class, and first grade has a different teaching style, you get the idea. Sigh. I had my hopes up way to high, thinking she was going to be just fine. Boy was I wrong! The teacher was overwhelmed and I was trying to just fix everything so that everyone was happy-changing Gillian's meds, etc. Now things seem to be better. But for about a week there I had several meltdowns and had no energy other than what it took to get my daughter straightened out.

Then there is our neighbor across the street. Sigh. They have lived there 2 years and we have called the cops at least 4-5 times (which honestly we should have called more than that). Domestic Violence, Loud Motorcyle and many cars going in and out all hours. Lots of fighting-very VERY foul language and everytime I have talked to the guy he is intoxicated. Lots of late night parties and creepy people .Their dog will run around unrestrained and when other people walk their dogs this dog runs out and attacks them. I have seen the guy who lives there (literally) attack a woman in his driveway!! Just bad all around. Anyway-we have had it. Just over a week ago he was screaming profanities and threats at his girlfriend who lives there. Sometimes this goes on for a looooooooong time. I called the cops-after the third time they finally got the guy . He ran away the other two times they had come by. He was in jail a few days (for criminal threats/domestic abuse) but now he is back. Our friend is a local policeman and he was at 2 of the 3 calls to this house that night. I have contacted the property management company (anonymously of course) and let them know what has gone on there the past couple of years and apparently they have had a talking to. Today our friend at the P.D. is meeting with property owners/managers to keep our community "Crime Free" and he is going to talk to the property manager of their property about getting these people evicted. He said they can do a 3 day eviction on these folks. These people scare me. Seriously! I feel like a prisoner in my own home and I fear retaliation. I have seen what this guy is capable of. But, I had to do these things to get our peace back-I think everyone else in the neighborhood was afraid to do anything. So here I sit today, on pins and needles, wondering if the police will be there today to tell them to get out. Or tomorrow. I carry my phone with me everywhere I go should I need it. I won't even let my kids play outside-they need to stay in or play in the back yard. I think I am afraid because A) we are right across the Street ,B) because I KNOW I am the one that called and I fear that may leak out and C) I am pretty much the responsible one for everything that is going on with getting them out of here. But a part of me feels very guilty too. There are several little girls that live at that house that belong to the girlfriend of the guy who lives there. I feel horrible at the thought that they may not have anywhere to go. They are cute little girls who just don't deserve to be in that situation. I know its the right thing I have done, and its taken me alot of courage, and someone had to do it. I took this chance for not only ourselves, but my dear neighbors. The good ones, that is :)

But one thing I am grateful for, is my dog. My beautiful German Shepherd that stays in our backyard and protects us. I know if I should need her, I just need to let her in, and she will scare whoever comes to our door!LOL So that is what my journal page is about today, my Protector, my dog Xena.

I really have not done much in the way of art the past two weeks. I feel so "rusty." But I need to make a pact within myself this week that no matter how figgity I am , I need to do something. I have a pile of really great junk that is calling out for me to do some assemblages. I need to get back into the groove!

Thanks for letting me vent :) I am hoping to hear from my favorite Police Officer soon on the status of our hopefully soon-to-be ex-neighbors.