• Art,  Artsy Adventures (Outings, Flea Marketing and More),  Creative,  Life,  Mixed Media,  Thoughts,  Uncategorized

    The Gift of Presence

    Around the holidays we can get caught up in getting and giving the perfect or enough gifts. The reality is that often we can’t remember what gifts we’ve gotten in years past but we do remember the memories of being together. The most important gift is, the gift of presence. A few friends and I celebrated just that on Monday. We met when I was a lead Fiskateer and we met through the lovely fun wide world of crafting. What a blessing these ladies have been in my life. Through paper and scissors, I have gained a group of lifelong friends. While crafting brought us together, and I’m so grateful…

  • Artsy Adventures (Outings, Flea Marketing and More),  Creative,  Food,  Life

    Open Market OC

    A relative shared with mom and I about Open Market OC located in the former Macy’s space of Laguna Hills Mall. I had the day off so Mom and I decided to check it out. Bonus, there was a Farmer’s Market as well in the parking lot. Fresh produce, a hat vendor (score), fresh flowers, food, cheese, pasta, avocado oil and more. Oh the cheese! We split a Berry Something Crepe. It was an infusion of berries, a little lemon topped with graham crackers. It was amazing! The vendors were really nice. The Farmer’s Market is there every Friday. Check out some photos below. We went into Open Market OC.…

  • Art,  Art Journaling,  Creative,  Mixed Media,  Sketching,  Tutorials and How to's

    Eileen Hull’s Pocket Notebook Release Party

    Welcome to the Pocket Notebook Release Party! I’m so thrilled to be a part of this exciting release. This is Eileen Hull’s newest book die with Sizzix. On the die, you get all the pieces you need to make an entire book; the cover, pages, latch and pen loop! The Pocket Notebook measures 6 3/4″ x 4 1/2″ with a spine that can adjust from 3/8″ to almost 2″. String it with elastic, hemp, ribbon, or twine. This die is so versatile. Eileen’s Inspiration and Educator teams have joined together to show you amazing Pocket Notebook ideas. Feel free to join in on the Blog Hop to see all the…

  • Faith,  Life,  My Breast Cancer Journey,  Thoughts

    Breast Cancer Awareness

    As a survivor of Breast Cancer, I want to thank you each for the role you’ve played in my life. Thank you for the way you supported me when I was in the thick of fighting. Thank you for the love and support you’ve shown me. I always hold you close to my heart, and as I think back at all the ways then and now that you’ve touched my life, my heart explodes with gratitude. Because I care, I want to encourage you to please take steps to detecting cancer early. Do those self-exams and make those mammogram appointments. Don’t delay. Do it for those that love you, and…

  • Art,  Creative,  Sketching

    Printinktober . . . Day One

    It’s the first day of October and the first day of Inktober and Printintober. Find out more HERE for details, and if you’re up for an art challenge. The funny thing is, I posted the 2019 Inktober prompts, however when I was blog hopping, I saw a former prompt list from 2018 and it must have stuck in my brain. I accidentally used the incorrect prompt and drew inspiration from the word Swift (October 1, 2018). Oh well, the most important thing is that I created. I first sketched in pencil and then went over it with ink that didn’t dry right away. This allowed me time to add shadow…

  • Art,  Creative,  Sketching

    Inktober or Printinktober- A Creative Challenge

    Have you ever heard of Inktober? It’s a wonderful movement that was started by an illustrator named Jake Parker. He wanted to challenge himself to improve his inking skills, shared it with others and it’s taken off. Find out more HERE. Developing a daily habit of doing something creative each day can have amazing benefits at home, work and play. It can improve self-discipline, self-discovery, organizational skills, personal success, time management, help develop your own style, spark new ideas and lower stress. This coming month of October, I plan on participating in a spin off of Inktober, called Printinktober. Julie Fei Fan Balzer encourages others to create daily using ink…

  • Art,  Art Journaling,  Bible Journaling,  Creative,  Faith,  Life,  Mixed Media

    Heart Layers

    The Illustrated Faith Heart Layers Kit had so many beautiful hearts in it. The word stamps and washi tape were absolutely precious and I’ve only begun to scratch the surface on using the kits contents. The study is rich and really personal so I’m taking my time to soak it in. It’s a great one if you’re looking for a devotional. I won’t be sharing my actual devotion/study book (as that’s between my King and I), but I hope to encourage through scripture and the journaling I do in my Bible. The below flips up to reveal a heart layer and the title of ‘The Wound.” We all have them…