If you're new to Art Journal Every Day, all the posts can be found here. Please read this post first. There is a flickr group for sharing right here. Remember, it's just ten minutes of nourishing your creative self every day! No need to finish anything or even like it. Just play! You can join the linky list for July right here. The August linky list will go up on August 1. Today we have a fantastic guest post from Joanne Sharpe about artful lettering. I had the chance to meet Joanne at the CREATE retreat in Costa Mesa, CA... Read more →

Today I thought I'd share some tips about navigating this blog. What you can find where. I hope it's a helpful guide to make your experience here even more pleasurable! :) I gathered these tips from some of the most frequent questions I get via e-mail and comment. First, let me define some terms: Now that we're clear, let's rock and roll with some "Didja knows." 1. Did you know that this blog is searchable? There is a search box, powered by Google, towards the bottom of the Middle Right Column. It looks like the screenshot on the left. (Don't... Read more →

On July 4th I went to a party by the ocean. And I met a lovely artist there named Marianne Perlak. Marianne very kindly invited me to her home the next day to see her fabulous custom built studio and her gorgeous artwork! Here are some photos of her fantastic wall sculptures: And here's a video of Marianne talking about her art and me peeking around her lovely studio! Here's a link to a written interview with Marianne. Here's a link to a gallery selling her book art and a few sculptures. You can contact Marianne by email. Thanks for... Read more →

In January 2009, I went to my very first Craft and Hobby Association show (CHA), and I chronicled the journey on my blog. Read the wrap-up post here. I have continued to chronicle each CHA experience since then. In many ways I use the twice-a-year event as a benchmark for my own progress, in this industry and as an artist. Reflecting on this summer's CHA (my first where product I had designed was being sold) I found myself dwelling less on the actual event and more on the progress I've made in the last two-and-a-half years. And then I started... Read more →

Today I wanted to share an album I made for a publication opportunity that didn't pan out. (As a side note, I don't talk a lot about rejection, but be assured that I get rejected constantly. And this project represents one of those many many many rejections.) It's a Prima canvas purse album turned into a year-in-review album. I love, love, love this album! I love this album because of the journaling. Simple lists that tell the story of my year. I had a lot of fun putting together these little photo/journaling cards: I typed up my journaling, added a... Read more →

I am back from CHA with much to share. And will update you as soon as I can (if I owe you an e-mail I plan to spend the weekend dealing with my 1,130 unread messages). Until then... If you're new to Art Journal Every Day, all the posts can be found here. Please read this post first. There is a flickr group for sharing right here. Remember, it's just ten minutes of nourishing your creative self every day! No need to finish anything or even like it. Just play! You can join the linky list for July right here.... Read more →

The CHA report on day 3: Tired, tired, tired. I don't know what it is about trade shows? But I am always tired at this point in the game. Nonetheless, I had a great day! Lots more make & takes at The Crafter's Workshop booth. I love getting people who never get artsy and messy excited about inks and mists and stencils! Once you play with paint, you never go back! Was super excited to take a 7gypsies class this afternoon because I adore their products, but it was just not my thing. Ah, well. Got to spend some quality... Read more →

Quick CHA report: Make & Takes in the booth were tons of fun! Met some great people and loved seeing what people were doing with my stencils! Good to see what they liked and what they didn't. Very surprised by some of the choices. iphone photos of the make & take table littered with supplies! I want to thank all the generous supporters of our make & takes: Tim Holtz & Ranger, Jacquard, PanPastel, and Golden. Thank you so much! Mom and I walked about one-third of the show floor today. Stopped in a number of booths to leave a... Read more →

The report from CHA in brief: I had such a crazy and fun first day of CHA! Running, running, limping a little too! Adventures included: For the Crafty Couture contest we were each provided the measurements of the mannequins the mixed media dresses would be going on. Today we discovered that the mannequins are *four* inches bigger than the measurements given! Eeep! Sweet Niki Meiners was kind enough to help me wrestle my dress onto the mannequin (which involved cutting the dress open - urgh). (Quick iphone photo of me and the dress - the back is even better -... Read more →

In case you don't know, it's time for the Craft and Hobby Association's summer trade show, otherwise known as CHA Summer! I'm here in my hotel room in Chicago with my foot elevated, being iced down with a cold can of Diet Coke. My Mother is here too, sharing in the crafty adventures. And together we are the disaster twins. I have pulled a muscle in my foot and am now limping around pathetically. She got a bloody nose on the airplane that just wouldn't stop the whole flight. I fear for anyone who might rub up against our klutzy-ness.... Read more →