Butterflies in the Wind

 We just completed a fun swap in Artful Mail Groupies for an art swap with a Butterfly theme. I love butterflies, and flowers and all that spring represents.  A rebirth from sleep. Spring makes me feel alive and I always anticipate the blooms of spring before the heat of  our summer burns them all up. I bring home new "victims" as my husband calls them, only to repeat each spring.  But, for a while, they are glorious, full, lush and beautiful.  If my flowers survive past June 1st, it is a miracle indeed.

These two cards were made on watercolor paper with Dylusions spray inks.  The top one was sprayed dry and "dripped", while the one on the right, I used a lacy placemat as a stencil that I got in a happy mail.  Ink and doodling were made elements with Faber Castell Pitt Pen, Sakura Gelly pens, Sharpie markers and a black china marker.  When I look at these they make me happy.  Just like spring.

Happy Mail Journaling Fun

This has been an outstanding mail week.  Any day that happy mail is in my mailbox is an awesome day, and today was no exception. Not to discount other great and wonderful happy mail I have received lately, a package came today that struck a cord and contained so many things that I loved.  These things screamed to create "right now" and not put it off until later.  So, out came the supplies!  I have great friends, and I am blessed.

This page is primarily collaged from pieces of the envelope and paper ephemera contained therein.  I shaded the paper with burnt sienna from my watercolor crayons and the lettering was done with a brown Sharpie marker.  The lady at the sewing machine is a digital stamp and it is colored with Prismacolor pencils.  The whole thing came together in just less than 30 minutes.  Isn't it wonderful when a plan comes together so quickly?  Must have been the right thing to do for this particular day.

Some days we struggle, and others go smooth as silk.  This was a silk day in my journaling world.

DIY: GLIMMER MIST SPRAY

This is a great, and simple technique using acrylic paint and alcohol to save $$$ and make your own.  From A Crafty island Girl blog.  http://islandgirlstudio.blogspot.com/2013/03/diy-glimmer-mists_7.html

MINI DRESS CHALLENGE

The mini-dresses I prepared for our mini-dress Mail Art Challenge in Artful Mail Groupies .  I love pink, so of course I wanted to use this lovely card stock that had embossed glitter on it.  What could be more girly than that?  Embellished with organza ribbons, silk flowers, Swavorski elements and metallic paint.

My World: Filled with Art

My world is filled with art.  Mail Art. Art Journaling. The art of Cooking.  The Art of Housekeeping. The Art of Sarcasm.  The art of dealing with life. All kinds of art.  Last year in the spring, I dived in headlong into the world of Art Journaling, thanks to discovering #Daisy Yellow on Facebook.  And since that time, my lifelong love of creativity, art and all things artsy has evolved to this.  I need a place to store my art, publish my art, share tips and tutorials with my friends and fellow art junkies. It might not always be paper art. I love to craft and make fused glass and jewelry. If it involves being creative, I'm there.  An expert at anything artistic I am not, but I read. I study. I practice. Ideas come naturally to me, and I am certainly not afraid to experiment and explore.  Let's continue to explore, play and have fun  So with this, I shall begin to share my adventure with you.

"S" is for Spring

This is a postcard prepared for a swap.  A 4x6 index card that I gessoed, then applied Derwent Inktense blocks in blue, teal and yellow.  I drew the sunflower on a vintage book page and colored with Inktense and cut out. It was collaged to the card with gel medium. Stamping was added and additional detail applied with Faber Castell Pitt pen and Bic Wite Out.