I was poking around the internet looking for information on creating fine art collograph prints without a press. During that research, I stumbled across a video that has me **obsessed** and looking around my studio for stray pieces of mat board. Watch the video and see if you're not keen to give this technique a try: Isn't that so cool?! It combines so many things I like: monoprinting, carving/hand cutting, and drawing. Definitely on my to do list! Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

I went to a conservation event at the Museum of Fine Arts here in Boston (MFA Boston). Professional conservators were in one of the exhibits sharing how they restore and preserve the art on display. Do you see what I see?! I spy art supplies that I use all the time! Golden Fluid Acrylics: Aves Apoxie Sculpt: And Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylics: I thought it was super duper cool to know that professional conservators are fixing up ancient art with the same supplies I use to create my art! I chatted with some of the conservators and they said that... Read more →

In case you don't know what #CarveDecember is, here's the gist: WHAT: Every day in December we carve a stamp and post it online. WHO: Everyone is welcome to join. New stamp carvers will develop their skills quickly and experienced stamp carvers will sharpen those skills. Everyone will connect with new friends! HOW: Post a photo of the stamp you've carved to your instagram account. Use the hashtag #CarveDecember so that everyone in the group can find what you've done. In my experience, the #CarveDecember crew is warm and generous. Here's a quick list of things you can do to... Read more →

Hello, friends! Here's a little bit about life right now: What are you wearing? Maternity leggings plus anything in my closet that will still fit me. The good news is that I've always liked flowy clothing and empire waists, so I have a surprising amount of non-maternity tops that work for maternity! On a side note, this pregnancy has brought about a surprising body image depression. Considering the fact that I was much heavier in my 20s than I am now, nine months pregnant, you'd think I'd be fine with the weight gain and the body changes. But it has... Read more →

If you're new to Art Journal Every Day, there is a short introduction here. All of the previous posts can be found archived here. Remember, it's just ten minutes of nourishing your creative self every day! No need to finish anything or even like it. If you've done some art journaling this week, use the hashtag #artjournaleveryday so that we can all take a peek. Even if you're not on social media, you can see everything (from twitter, pinterest, instagram, and facebook) that uses that hashtag here. I decided to put together a video of an art journal/junque journal page... Read more →

I made Steve a pop-up birthday card! It's better in video because you really get to see how it works: And here are some photos: I used hand carved stamps to decorate the inside of my card. This is a "Twist and Pop Up" card. I found a tutorial on YouTube that was comprehensive and super easy to follow: If you enjoy papercrafting, this is a fun one! I hope you'll give it a try! Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

You may recall that I posted about my improv curves quilt at the beginning of November. This is as far as I had gotten: Well, I stared at it on my design wall for the last few weeks and decided I needed to rearrange some of the blocks: I used the black and white filter on my phone to double check the balance: I liked it, but I still felt it was too chaotic. The piece needed a bit of organization. After much thought, I decided to add some plus signs to the intersections of the blocks. But should I... Read more →

Knowing that we were moving into a new house this year, Steve and I originally invited lots of friends and family to come to our house for the holiday. However, with baby boy due right around Thanksgiving, our plans have changed and we are going to my Mom's house for a small family Thanksgiving. But, I still wanted to contribute something to the festivities. Place cards are a fun and easy way to add something special to the table, and so that's what I'm bringing with me! These place cards are particularly fun because they're shiny! Two layers of foiling... Read more →

Each month I host a one-hour livestream for members of my YouTube channel. I put together lots of art tips and tricks and tutorials based on questions that members post both before and during the livestream. Replays of all livestreams are available to members at any time they wish! Membership is just $4.99/month. It's a super fun hour of art and conversation. In October, we kicked off the livestream with a face painting demo, at the request of several members. Here's the demo face I painted: We also covered how deColourant works, organizing paper scraps and ephemera, Gelli Printing with... Read more →

If you're new to Art Journal Every Day, there is a short introduction here. All of the previous posts can be found archived here. Remember, it's just ten minutes of nourishing your creative self every day! No need to finish anything or even like it. If you've done some art journaling this week, use the hashtag #artjournaleveryday so that we can all take a peek. Even if you're not on social media, you can see everything (from twitter, pinterest, instagram, and facebook) that uses that hashtag here. It has been a while since I've shared an art journal page-in-progress. So,... Read more →