Simplicity and balance

2013 intentions

It’s been almost 6 months since I last posted on this little blog of mine. Wow. Six months. That’s long.

The hiatus was unintentional, of course. I simply had no energy to create much and to write about it. While looking through my photo files in my computer, I realized that the only year I took less photos than in 2012 was the first year I got a digital camera (2006.) Sad really. So, this year, hopefully, that will change.

I’m not making promises of blogging on a schedule but I do promise to post at least once a month. If only to let you all know that I am still alive.

For a few years now, it’s been a custom to choose a word to begin the new year. This time, I couldn’t pick just one word. “Simplicity” and “Balance” kept coming back to me so I decided to keep both words. Last year, I had made a page like this for my word (move) and I liked it so much that I made a new page this year for my words.

Have you chosen a word for the year? Do you make resolutions?

>Imperfections

>For a couple of weeks now, I’ve been struggling. Struggling with my art (my muse is playing hide and seek most days.) Struggling with my weight. Struggling with my thoughts and beliefs. Struggling with my choices.

Today, I give myself permission to accept that I am not perfect. And my imperfections make me who I am. I am imperfectly human.

I chose this photograph today because it is NOT perfect. My settings on my camera weren’t right and I just couldn’t work them out that day. But I love this photo anyway, for all its imperfections. Diesel looks like she is surrounded by light, by a presence bigger than us all. And, well, truthfully, it had been quite a while since I had posted a photo of my baby! (I just checked and the last photo of Diesel was in January!)

Work is starting next Monday. We have a meeting this Friday, in the morning, to get our group list and other important infos to start the school year. Even though I have done a lot of stuff this summer, I feel like I barely made a dent in my to-do list. But that’s ok. Tomorrow is another day. ( I did do more sorting/cleaning than I thought I would though!)

Last thing: I’m planning a giveaway for Labour Day weekend which should be when I reach 200 posts.

>Art Journal Love

>Remember a few posts ago when I said I didn’t like my art journal? Well, after a few weeks of leaving it on the side to gather dust, I decided to pick it up again and force myself to work in it. Last week I was browsing on a few of my favourite blogs and got inspired by one of my favourites: Emily Falconbridge. This girl has so much talent and I like the way she uses and reuses stuff from everyday life even in her scrapbooking. I read through all of her articles at Today’s Mama and I just had to try one of her projects. I didn’t want to do it 12X12 so I thought my art journal would be the perfect place for it. I found a bunch of photos my mom had printed for me after I got my head shaved last year so I took one of them for this page. You can see that I also started adding things to the other page but I haven’t done anything else yet.

I’m still on my quest to get rid of stuff. Last week, I spent a good portion of a day sorting through all the papers I had accumulated in the past 5 years (since I’ve been living here.) About 3/4 of the pile went to the recycling bin. The rest I plan to use to make messy journals (again inspired by Emily… I think this girl is my new muse! ha!) and collages. I still have a lot of stuff to get rid of but I’m slowly getting there. And I’ve learned to say NO to saving some things. I find that it’s actually OK to throw away some stuff and recycle some other. Really, it’s OK! Of course, I still buy things but I try to limit packaging as much as possible. For one thing, I always have my cloth bags with me and use them all the time.

On another subject… It took me one year to complete my first 100 posts. Well, I’m now closing in on 200 and it hasn’t been one year since #100. So there might be a small giveaway before I go back to work (late August.) I’m thinking maybe 2 prizes this time. I’ll have to see what I can come up with… Stay tuned!

>Keeping Busy

>It’s been a while since I updated my blog. Well, I’m keeping busy most of the time. Creating ATCs and Chunky Pages for swaps. Cleaning my brother’s apartment (doing it for one year to pay him back for the Nikon camera he sold me.) Helping my mother getting settled in her art room. And creating cards in said art room! This is one of those cards. I wanted to use more masculine colours and used new stamps that mom bought this week. (Bird is from Sandylion and sentiment is from Magenta.)

Alberta and Ava have nominated me for an award. Thanks!

>Getting your name out there

>This Mixed media Owl ATC has been published in Art Trader. Page 33.

You too can get published. Just submit your artwork. You never know!

Today, I went to the movies with Anik. We went to see Sex and the City because we’re both fans of the series. It was fun. Too bad she couldn’t go out for coffee after. Maybe another time.

Yesterday, I was very productive. I started and completed 4 cards for a swap (they’re ready to mail.) I also worked on some cards for a round robin and other cards for another swap. I’m really having fun with these swaps.

Alright, that’s all for now. Go check out that zine. There’s a lot of interesting art in there.

>Summer vacation

>It’s official. As of 11:30 today, I’m on vacation for 7 weeks! And I have lots of plans. Which all include having fun! And it starts tonight with free shows by the lake.

I updated my Flickr gallery recently so go look at some of my art.

>Round Robin ATC

>One of the things I’m hooked up on lately is Round Robin ATCs. The way it works is: the 1st person creates the backgrounds, the 2nd player adds approximately the same things to all the cards (one for each player) and the third player finishes the cards. Each player gets one of the cards in the end.

At first, I didn’t know how I would feel about working on a card started by someone else. But now, I like the challenge. In fact I can’t get enough of those Round Robins! I’m even thinking of hosting one myself this summer.

Speaking of summer, lots of plans are bubbling. I’ll probably spend a weekend in Ontario for a live ATC trade + art day + meeting one of the Glitter Power Sisters! Very exciting! I have plans to go to the movies with Anik and to the museum too. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of outings with Catherine too (by the way, for those who don’t know, Catherine and CeeCee are one and the same.) My brother is going to Florida for a few days so I’ll have to go take care of his cats a few times. And then I want to take control of my living room/studio. I need to get organized and to get rid of more stuff.

School finishes next Monday, on the 23rd. The 24th is a provincial holiday. And I’m working the rest of the week (25-26-27th) but only in the mornings (7:00-11:30) and I already have plans for 2 of those afternoons. Busy summer ahead it seems!

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