Soul Journal Misfits & Self Portrait

I've been a bad blogger..... I have no excuses. I'm just simply not motivated.

Here are the beginning stages of Sarah's Misfit prompt. I'm not finished with these. I don't know what else I'm going to do yet, I just know they aren't done.




And here is my journal pages of Sarah's self portrait. She asked to begin with writing beginning "Today I feel" and also so a self portrait strictly by finger painting. The picture of these is poor, but it's kind of cool looking at the left page. Some of the highlighted words that stand out are strong, unafraid, define, learned, suffer, grow, God's child, stumble, survive and accomplish.





I wish I felt some of those things today.....



I'll post the finished misfits when they are done.

Thank you Suze~!

Yay~!! I won. I won. Woo Hoo~! Woo Hoo~!
Suze at Pink Crayon Studio is celebrating her one year blog anniversary by sharing her beautiful art work, in the form of an artbook.
I can't wait to admire it in my own home!
Thank you Sharon for your kindness, for the commitment you've made to your blog, and for your artistic inspiration!

I need some guidance....

I work with a girl who, she and her boyfriend, have just had a garage sale this past weekend. Her boyfriend has a lot of really really old vintage items. Apart from old guns, and swords and cabinets, books dated in the 1920's, etc.... and he has a lot of ephemera.

Knowing I'm interested in things like that, she brought in the vintage ephemera and I'm drooling over it!! A lot of it is dated in the 1920's. Some post marked post cards, greeting cards, old score cards from board games, etc. She plans on putting the remaining items on "craigslist", so I mentioned to her, "Let me know what you are asking before you post that."

This girl I work with..... she is.... "that girl" that every office has, that is sort of quirky and easily "miffed" and often makes a "tense" office atmosphere.

She keeps insinuating that at the garage sale this past weekend, no one wants to pay and keeps trying to bargain with her and she has let things go for way too cheap. This followed by, "how much would i say something like this goes for?" I told her I've never bought anything like that before, and I'm really not sure. (The sticker from the family garage sale is still on each of the zip lock baggies, with $1.00 marked on them, each bag containing between 5 and 20 items). She says she thinks they meant $1.00 per piece of paper.

I by NO means want to rip her off, but I also know her personality and the constant "victim" role that she plays. I want to be fair with her but I don't want to be taken advantage of either.

Can anyone give me a guideline or some sort of base as to what vintage ephemera goes for?

No brush Required

This is a video I found on youtube that I thought to be amazing! Who am I to "not try" because of insecurities of not knowing techniques. What an inspiration!

My son is getting married~!

The oldest is getting married~! Wow, I never thought I would see the day that Nolan would be married! He was the one that either picked the girls that Mom and Dad would never approve of, or just plainly had no interest in "settling down". Maybe nearing 27 in November, he has decided "it's time". Thank God we like Jessica. She is beautiful, intelligent, low key and yet can whip Nolan into responsibility mode in 2.7 seconds. They balance each other well, when Nolan can get her to relax a little and enter his goofy mode. We're happy to have Jess join our family. By the way....NO! He doesn't normally wear a cowboy hat! Did I mention he has a goofy side? This picture is taken at Michigan International Speedway, at a Nascar race the two of them treated my hubby to.... V.I.P. passes and all! Aren't they cute!?



It's so strange. My husband and I have a son of our own, but when my husband and I met, Nolan was younger than the age our son is, now. He (and his two siblings) have always lived with us and, yes, I claim them as my own. Donny has been married three years now and has two children, now Nolan is getting married and Marie is discussing marriage as well. I'm so proud of all of them. Of course as a parent, you always want the very best for them and believe the plan that WE have mapped out for them is the very best plan, but they have each found their own way. They have grown. They will continue to grow, and I am blessed to be a part of that process.
It's amazing how time flies!

Congratulations Suze~!

Please visit one of my regular blog reads: Pink Crayon Studios as she is giving away a beautiful art book in celebration of her one year blog anniversary!

On the other hand, don't bother! Because I am going to bribe her with money and gifts and compliments and general sugary sweetness so that I win it myself! :)

Good Luck.

Soul Journal - Collage Potpourri

I've been working hard at Sarah's collage potpourri journal prompts. This was actually three different assignments all with prompts given to be completed in our own random order. I had a lot of fun with these!

Page 1 & 2

Page 3 & 4

Page 5 & 6

Soul Journal Tape Pages

Sarah Whitmire had us try a technique using all kinds of different tapes, which I really enjoyed. It's amazing how much texture a simple household item gave to my pages, as you can see here. Sarah asked us to set the pages aside while we moved on to some other pages. When we came back to our "tape page" Sarah said there were no rules, just go page to the pages and complete them and here are my results. It's hard to tell in the picture, but the pages have a much more orange, brown and green hue to them. I really like it. I think it might be missing something, but I will once again, let it sit....and may add something later.

Back to the Bricks

We had a great day today. Downtown Flint, (which is paved in bricks on the main strip) had a "Back to the Bricks" car show today. My husband suggested we go down there and check it out as our son really enjoys looking at old cars, too. Wow! Were we surprised! The entire downtown area was packed! The entire strip of Saginaw street was filled and all the little side streets off it, too.

There were vendors, live music and all the little cafes were bustling with people. My son and his friend even had the opportunity to sit in a drag strip car, which they loved! They really enjoyed seeing the 69 Chevelle's that Dad has always wanted and of course were enamoured with all the cars loaded with extras.

We had lunch in a cafe' ......

And I of course found my favorite car, too! How cool is this?! I just HAD to take a picture.

Then, one of our older sons called, and unbeknown to us, they were at the car show, too (and of course is always a good day when we get to see our grandson, too!) So we finished off our day strolling down town together.

If anyone knows anything about Flint, Michigan, it's a city in dire straights. I think the city is #2 on the nations list for worst crime, as result of the most home foreclosures and an unemployment rate that is also in the top five in the nation. The city really is neat if it would just come back to "life". The business are fleeing and the buildings are falling apart. As the city makes it slow and monotonous attempts to revive it, it was nice seeing the huge turn out of people for the event.

I'm working on my soul journal this evening as we have a late dinner in front of the T.V. and will post my accomplishments in it tomorrow.

Beautiful Art Giveaway

I love it when bloggers are generous with their art work and celebrate their own milestones with giving away the artwork they have worked so hard at! I can only hope that one day I will be as confidant in my creations to give something away, too!
Anne is giving away a beautiful piece. Visit her at and leave her a comment for a chance to win, too!

Soul Journal - My House

Sarah's "my house" prompt asked us to build our childhood homes by drawing them first, making a pocket in our home and draw some of it's surroundings. This is simply symbolic and although kind of similar, really doesn't look like our house.

My father used to (and still does) constantly sing. The music notes above the house symbolizes his singing. My childhood home was only three houses from the high school where the marching band always practiced in a large field and my Mom loved it that she could sit on the porch and listen the music each school year. I never realized how much music surrounded our house.

My brother and I had a dog. Piper. Our first and only childhood pet. Of course emigrating from Scotland, my Mom kept a lot of "tartan" things around the house and Piper used to have a tartan blanket that she slept on.





"The Yeglic's" were our neighbors. I used to sneak next door and ask Mrs. Yeglic for a cookie (since my mean Mom would NEVER buy anything WE liked!). Mrs. Yeglic would invite me in and we would have casual conversation. After asking again for a cookie, she would ask me what the magic word was. After completely avoiding the fact that I was asked to say please and in my own way refusing to do so, I would sometimes sit for an hour, and talking about nothing until I finally gave in and said, please.

At the grand old age of eight, I had decided that I was "too big" to call Mrs. Yeglic.... "Mrs. Yeglic" and yet too young to call her Julie. We had all happily agreed she should be called "Mrs. Julie." My parents became pretty close with the Yeglic's and they even traveled back to Scotland with us at which time "Mrs. Julie" held me during my panic, as we teetered on the side of a mountain, as a semi truck tried to pass us on the narrow road. Mrs. Julie has since passed away and I still have the dishes she passed along to me when I was only...probably 16 yrs. old.

I really enjoyed doing these pages and here is where I am at, now.

~Tomorrow I will work on my paper dolls to go inside the pocket of the house.~

Soul Journal - Tape Pages

I had a lot of fun following Sarah's instructions for the "tape pages". I gathered up some painter's, duct, silver, electrical, masking, and decrotive tapes first.



After writing over the pages, I covered the writing randomly, with the different tapes.


+

And finally, distressed the edges of the pages and wash them with an orange and yellow acrylic paint mixture, wiping off some of the wet pain, giving it an even more distressed look. I'm not sure how I will use these pages, but the texture on them are great! I really enjoyed doing these.

Fall is here~!

I love watching my son play football~! I was never really "into" football, but since he has started playing, I just love it!

The selfish part is that the two hour practice, 5 days a week, gives me "down-time" to lay on my blanket, in what little sun is left and read, or journal. I love the time to unwind from work.

But seriously, I love watching him play. I'm they psycho Mom in the stands screaming like I want someone in China to hear me.

He loves sports of pretty much any kind and I'm glad. I wasn't sports oriented AT ALL! I was on the swim team, but more out of curiosity I guess. Wanted to experience the "team comradery" in high school. It really didn't work for me. I was too shy and insecure, but I'm glad I did it.

It keeps him active and fit and he's made some great friends!

Go Hornets~!

Fall is my favorite time of year and I love when football (or as he calls it..... "hell week") starts because I know fall is around the corner!

Soul Journal Inchies

I just finished my inchies layout from Sarah Whitmire's soul journal page. Yesterday I gesso'd the pages and distressed them with a wash of "toast" acrylic paint. I finished the night off with sitting in my over sized chair, watching TV, drinking tea, and choosing my 24 images. We actually rented the movie, "There will be blood". I was a good movie, but with all the academy awards it had received, I was sort of disappointed.
Anywhooo....

Today, I glued the images to the pages. Then I choose two colors to mix that I don't normally use. I used parakeet blue and Irish mint. I'm really happy with how it turned out and had a ton of fun doing it. I'm not sure why, but I think my favorite image is the yellow flower.

I hope my fellow soul journal-ers are having as much fun as I am! I've even shared my excitement and the process with my sister-in-law who hasn't dabbled with art very much, and I think she's going to give it a shot! I may even go shopping tonight (if I can convince the hubby to allow me to drag him shopping while we are out tonight, that is..) for some basic supplies for her!

Oh~! By the way.... I've passed one pesky stone...and have one more to go! I'm not sure if that's good or bad yet. :)

Soul Journal - Creative Armour

I worked on Sarah's "creative armor" page. Ok, I think I screwed up... I made my page #1, on the very first page when you open my journal, making page #2 and #3, laying next to each other. Reading ahead in Sarah's prompts, I see that wont work, as I will need two page layouts next to each other.

All is good, though. I just made my "Protective armor" entry as two pages. I'm not done yet, but I like how it's turning out so far. First.... ME! In my beautiful armor dress and the second page, a traditional suit of armor. Here is what I have so far.

Soul Journal Day - This book belongs to!

I've just recently found Sarah Whitmire's soul journaling challenge and was immediatley interested. When I saw it, I thought of my brand new 5x8 Moleskine that's been sitting patiently on my craft table, yelling out my name to be put to use.

The first prompt was "claiming our journal".

I began last night and here are my first few pages. I was extremly motivated last night, going to bed with thoughts swarming my head of the next few pages since of course I couldn't help but "read ahead". I planned to come home from work today and get a t least two pages done.


Now the bad part.... I woke up at 4AM with this horrible, God awful back pain that brought me to tears. What in the world could this be? My back hurt, my belly hurt, MY BACK HURT! I toughed it out in the bath tub till morning and after today's Dr. visit... apparently I have a 3x5 mm kidney stone. Boo~! I've never had one before and I guess it's a big enough one that the Dr. is worried I won't be able to pass it, and I have an appt on Monday to have it removed. (If I make it that long w/out needing the E.R. room!)


So anyway.... in my.... "not so painful" moments, I am still going to work away on my new Soul Journal. Hopefully it will keep my mind off the pain. Hope you enjoy the pages so far.

I want to live

Just a quick post.... I love this song....and love the video. Besides, how can you NOT love Josh Gracin's little baby face?

Coupon organizer

I wasn't feeling real creative tonight, but still wanted to stay occupied and "make something". I decided to try and make a coupon organizer. I was fun and quick~! I made both of these within about 30-45 minutes. Maybe now I will be a little more disciplined with clipping coupons now that I have a beautiful organizer to keep them in!

I wish I would have enforced the flap with card stock to make it more sturdy when tying it shut, and I also thought, of course after I was all done with them, that I should have used an elasticized closure, so that it could be connected to the cart, while shopping. Oh well.... it was my first attempt and very on the whim.

Let me know what you think.




(front) (back) (back side of coupon envelope)




(front) (back) (back side of coupon envelopes)



(and finally, the inside of the coupon envelopes)

Back from Vacation....

Well, we made it back safe, sound and relaxed. A whole week of sleeping in late, playing in the lake water, taking naps when we felt like it, reading and journaling. I deffinatetly feel decompressed.
I finished up a few journal pages that I have been working on (yeah....sad to say for a month now!), but I got them done!

In a post last month, Pancake Saturday, Anitra made a commented that prompted me to make a journal page of my story, focusing on my "Medusa hair" in the morning and here is that page.




Next... I finished a page that I titled "1967 Riots". The page is about the 1967 Detroit riots and how it coincided with my parents emigration from Scotland. The idea of riots breaking out in both South Bend IN where they were headed to, and in Detroit, where they eventually settled in the suburbs, really scared my Mom. She kept asking my Dad, "What are you bringing me to!?"



Next... I did a page about all the different things... "I am"
It's sort of a simple and silly one, but nonetheless, it's what I was thinking.




Next... a sketch I did of the lake we visited all week. I sketched it first, then finished it with water color paints, and some acrylic washes. It's my first "real" sketch...and in my opinion, doesn't look very good. I'm sure in time, after lots of practice, when I look at again years from now, I will look upon it fondly.





Now....all that being said... I feel pretty crappy today. I've always avoided the subject of any sort of depression as my family all have access to my blog. But....those close enough to me know, and those who don't are still my family... and who else can you depend on, right? So... here it goes...

Between on ongoing issue at home, a weight that goes up and down like a swing, the big 40 creeping up, and a general unsettled feeling about the future (as far as where we will live/work after my husband's upcoming retirement...) I just feel CRAPPY! I thoroughly enjoyed my vacation but I think the aftermath of everything slowing down, gave me way too much idle time to think. Unfortunately, when I ponder thought, I tend to think on the negative things, instead of the positive.

Why do I do that? That's such.... CRAP. I am blessed is so many ways.

Even when I look at my journaling and scrapbooking projects, I feel like I'm a "want to be"... I have no education in art. I have no real "talent"..... I'm just striving to do the things that interest me, and get me mind out of the gutter, but I can't even draw! I'm self taught and not excelling very well!

No...I'm not ready to go.... nutty... or drink myself silly or any of the other extremes people tend to think of when they hear depression.....and no.... I don't want any...."pick me ups"... It's just one of those days of seeing the reality of things....and knowing they suck.

Wow!! That post when down hill! Anyway....tomorrow is a new day. God will, with no doubt in my mind, bestow more blessings upon me. I hope I wake up with eyes wide open and enjoy them! In the mean time....I hope you enjoy my pages.