Tag: journal

Always be prepared to play

Play has always been a central part of my life. Because it keeps my curiosity stoked, it is what I am drawn to do. My “play personality” is fired up by discovering new things through research, art and travel. What is your play personality? What activities and tools do you use to have fun? Can you get to these activities and tools easily? Will you spend an hour a day doing one thing that is fun and makes you happy?

In the case of art journaling, having all your tools together for fast action—either to create-on-the-spot or grab-and-go—is a must. Below is a list of what’s in my caddy.

Get your “play station” set up:

A caddy filled with all the tools you need to start playing right away is very helpful. What this affords you is the ability to set up and break down fast and maximize your play time. Also, a caddy makes it easy to travel. I meet friends weekly to paint and catch up and when it’s time to pack for a trip, I transfer all the contents to my suitcase.

This entry into my journal was painted at Coachella 2014. We sat in the shade and took in all the sights and sounds of this amazing art and music festival. Life’s experience is my fuel.

Permission to play

The idea of playing as an adult is important. Without engaging the child we are, we will lose the ability to imagine and invent and create.

When we imagine, we pretend. When we pretend, we go to places we wish to inhabit and in doing so our dreams become real.

Sometimes things don’t go our way. This is the opportunity to see that the universe has other plans. Here’s our time to rest, observe and ponder the new order.

Reflecting on small gifts leads to universal gratitude.

Preparing a travel journal

Four years in the making, our Italy trip is on the horizon. I am most excited about visiting Vernazza (pictured above) in Cinque Terre, since our plans looked dashed last October after rains and mudslides devastated this and other towns in the region. Most restaurants and shops are open according to the website Save Vernazza. The finishing touches to my packing list are building pages to journal on (see below).

CC and I scoured thrift shops for coffee table books with beautiful images of Italy and the countryside/seaside. I found a 50 year old book on Rome with gorgeous black and white images of Roman life, and another book about sea-side living that offered colorful plates of delicate flora and fauna living in the harsh environment. A third book gave me sweeping views of the country. These pages will follow us and be filled with our experiences in Rome, Tuscany, Cinque Terre and Florence.

My kit includes:
• prepared pages
• blunt scissors that I can put in my carry on
• watercolor pencils and small paintbrush
• white pencils to write on uncoated paper
• paint pens to write on glossy paper, and offer contrast in the darker areas on the pages
• glue stick
• poloroid pogo for adding of-the-moment pics to the layouts

Of course, I will be blogging along the way so tune back in September.

xoxSarah

 

Art & Hike Retreat

The ladies and I are treating ourselves to a weekend away in Sedona, Arizona. We are renting a cabin and using this beautiful time of year to be inspired for the upcoming season. My inspiration catcher of choice is loose watercolor paper, watercolor pencils, crayons, pen & ink, and washi tape. I plan to add to this scraps of fabric, paper and plants that I find along the way. I will bind it all together in a YourStory book, but not before I cover that black cover with some pretty handmade paper I bought form Paper Crazy in Phoenix.

The start of the holidays always inspires me. I can’t wait to get started!

Sewn pocket on journal keeps loose pieces together

I am psyched to post this journal/book I made with the Yudu screen printer and the YourStory book binding machine. The cover has a pocket for me to collect things to journal about, or pictures to include. I plan to fill the pages with all the photos of the fun we had this summer on our trip to Colorado.

I added a pocket to the front by simply folding over some fabric and gluing it to the front (and wrapping it to the inside made it a breeze). The clouds and bike are Yudu screen printed. The grass is a paint pen—easy! This makes me so happy, I want to make more!