explore. dream. discover.

When I saw the theme for The Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap, I couldn't wait to get started. 
This time around the theme is DISCOVER, and right away I thought of one of my favorite quotes:


“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

- Mark Twain 

This quote has inspired me often to abandon my fear and go discover.

I sketched out simple shapes of worldwide iconic travel buildings, added acrylic paint, and quick sketchy lines in pen.

Then, even though I'm not very good, and I was worried I was going to mess the whole thing up, I got out my free motion foot, and added sketchy outline's in black thread. 

And I'm pretty happy with it. And extra happy because I'm done early, instead of leaving it to the last minute, and it is so much more enjoyable that way. And I got to practice my free motion stitching.

Now I'm just waiting to see where I will be sending my little postcard.

#5

#5 Run through a sprinkler

We get like 7 days a year nice enough to run through the sprinkler, and this past weekend happened to be one of them.
So there, first item crossed off my list of 24.

And in other, extremely exciting news. I've just signed up for The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design online class with Rachael Taylor.

Looks like an amazing class, just a bit nervous for such a big time and $$ commitment!

Leaving it unfinished

Well I'm off for 4 nights in San Francisco with one of my most favorite people to travel with. And it looks like I'm going to be leaving this little project unfinished, waiting for me to return.

a dino doodle

I'd been stressing all night about how to draw a dinosaur for this little card I needed, and a few minutes of sketching later, this little dude had evolved. He makes me very happy. Very very happy. 

He will be back in future creations. I am sure of that. 

a mixed media painting

I was inspired to do a little mixed media painting. I layed down a variety of papers, and painted it white. Then I got out all my stuff; pan pastels, dried tea bags, reinkers, carved stamps, acrylic paints and got busy. 

I'm not sure if its done yet, or if I will add some words. 

The Windy City

I finally sat down and just did it. Made the little Chicago mini album. I'm trying to do more, just stop thinking about how I'm going to do it, and just get stuff happening.

I started out with a little tin accordion album I've had for years.

I designed the main pages on the computer, sizing the photos, adding titles and text.

I had a few ticket stubs and extra things to add, but I couldn't figure out how to incorporate them with the limited accordion pages.

Last night, lying in bed, I had my genius moment. I used clear tape to add ticket stubs by laying the ticket stub on an inside fold, and adding a piece of each tape to either side, so that this new page/stub, could flip just like a regular page.

I attached my main pages overtop, to hide some of the joining tape. A bit hard to explain, but it was exactly what I needed to incorporate my extra items.

 

unplanned

Sometimes the unplanned things are the very best things in life.

I had an absolutely fabulous long birthday weekend. Crepes and mimosas. An old friend. A super rich ice cream cake. A cheesecake party. A day with my sister. Bacon wrapped scallops. A balloon animal party. Pounce. A napkin party. Some of my favorite people I do not see often enough. Laughter. Magic Mike. Inspiration. A walk in gumboots. Sparklers. Waffles for breakfast.

It was freaking awesome. And I never even saw it coming. Love that.

Today I've been working hard getting a little minibook finished. Pictures tomorrow!