Documented Life Project - Weeks 4-6

Documented Life Project - More pictures of some of the weeks I have finished the Challenges - 

Week 4 - Write a secret message then paint over all but one key word.

For this week I decided I wanted to write a message but I did not want it to be hidden from me - so the tip in is a big tag that I purchased from Scarlet Lime and I wrote a bunch of things about family - friends family and family family ... then I cut a hole in the tip in so that the word FAMILY was my One key word that showed through.

Busy busy pages ... I think coming off all the Collaging on Week 3 I was on a roll ... I added tonnes of pictures that I had just printed out on paper ... and did a lot of doodling and adding fun elements.  I am also working through an amazing on-line course called "Studying Under the Masters" hosted by Jeanne Oliver -  and this week we were studying Antonio Gaudi with Junelle Jacobsen and I seriously fell in LOVE with both of them.  Gaudi's work has me putting a trip to Barcelona on my Bucket List!  

 My little niece Cora holds a special place in my heart ... and every visit with her I so cherish ... she has me thinking it is time for Auntie to dust off the scrapbooking stuff and do up some layouts!

 This is my little family - My son Alex means the world to me - and we now share our crazy and sometimes chaotic life with my man Kevin.

Week 5 - Add a Doodled Border
Well once you start doodling it is sometimes really hard to stop ha ha ... this week was fun and colourful ... lots of doodling.  Coincidentally I was at this time reading a book by Traci Bautista - called "Doodles Unleashed" - and fell in love with her "Girlie Glam Face Girls" and her use of colour colour colour!!!!  So I decided to do my own doodly Glam girl and put her in my planner.  Fun fun.

  
Week 6 - Open your Pinterest Board and Be inspired

I love love Owls - and all things Hooter :)  So when I saw some cute little owl pictures done by Bernadette Deming on Pinterest I was inspired to paint this little hooter ... I have done owl pictures in all forms - paper collage, watercolour, paint I seem to stick to the same theme a cute little pudgy guy on a branch ... they are all similar and yet not.  Love it. 

Still at this point I find I am journalling and documenting still quite a bit ... A lot of this comes from when I sit down I sometimes then do two or three weeks at a time because I have fallen behind in the Challenges.  So enjoying the process ... and so excited to see others work and get tips and techniques every day!  Oh to have endless time to play ... darn work gets in the way ha ha ...

Have a lovely day!
Cheers
Sherri

Documented Life Project - Art to the 5th - Weeks 1-3

I need to start documenting my journey on an exciting year long project hosted by the amazing talents of 5 women  - The "Art to the 5th" FAB five :)

The "Documented Life Project" is a year long challenge done in a Weekly Planner - it is kind of a planner art journal where weekly challenges are posted every week on the blog ... ALL Details of the Project can be found HERE.  :)

As of today there are over 7,000 members from all over the world participating in the challenge ... there is an awesome FACEBOOK group where members share inspiration, advice and guidance ~ seems you ask a question and tonnes of awesome advice and thoughts come back.  It has been awesome - people of all levels of artist talent coming together to share and learn from each other.  And it is for a full YEAR!!  I have to admit I am a bit behind ... I let one of the weeks kind of stumble me - Week 10 - What makes you YOU? ... and have been a bit stuck, but I did part of that week and have now moved past and will come back and finish when I get my head around it ha ha ;)

So going to start post a few pictures of what I have done for some of the challenges each week ... starting with:

WEEK ONE - Photograph, sketch, paint or incorporate your front door :)

On my tip in page I did the Challenge - a soft rendition of our actual Front Door at that time. :) 

ON the inside of the pages I did my ONE word (ACTION - 2014) I picked for this year and a list of  goals I would like to work on this year - great reference to have at the beginning of my planner.  I drew a quote that I saw about JOY ... I did end up coming back and recoloring this page from the original colouring because there was not enough colour for me. 

WEEK TWO - Selfie
Found another cool quote I wanted to put on these pages - I had a piece from an advertisement for something the card at the bottom of the page that I wanted to use, again I went back and added more colour and some add in after ... Now this week we were also prompted to add our ONE WORD if we had one, as I did this the week before I just added the word again. 

Week Three - Add an envelope from your mailbox.
This was an awesome challenge ... I had received mail from a couple of my far away "She Matters Art retreat" gals - from Laura in Kansas and Shirly in Israel that I so wanted to highlight and put in my planner as it was a huge highlight when I came home from work to find this "Happy Mail" in the mail box.  :)   I also had some lovely ATC cards sent to me by my friends Melanni and Lynne that I wanted to incorporate.  

Postmarks from Israel and Kansas added :)  Also some of the Art on the envelops - lovely ATC from my friend Melanni.

More Art from the envelops and its and bits sent - including an awesome ATC from Lynne

Love love how this week came together - in honesty took me a good long long while to get it started.  I used almost every lovely piece of the envelop my friend Laura painted for me - she coloured the whole thing so beautifully, so love that it is forever in my planner now! 

First three weeks ... I have a lot more to post ha ha as we are on Week 16? 17? now ha ha ... and I have gotten a little behind but oh my so much fun and I will have to get caught up in sharing all the fun ...

Have a lovely day ...
I shall be back with more soon!!
Cheers
Sherri :)

Addicted to ARTSY Online Workshops ;)

Hhhhmmmm so what am I up to now???  ... about 6 online Artsy courses that I am in the midst of ... been really trying not to put another on my plate BUT COULD NOT PASS UP THIS ONE!

Jeanne Oliver is hosting an amazing new workshop by Danielle Donaldson - "CREATIVE GIRL - THE LAND OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS"   I love the watercolour effect she has on her girls and I am so pumped about taking this course at the end of April.

Am I addicted to Online Workshops? Yes, in fact I know I am ... it's crazy because I sit at a computer for over 9 hours a day at work ... and I can't really watch my workshops there very well ... and I really don't like to sit on the computer at night ~ if I do anything creative in the evenings I just want to splash colour down on something ~ lately though I have been to tired to do much after the working day and find I try and spend most of my creative studio time on the weekends ... so so many projects and so little time ... and yet I just signed up for another online workshop ... why why why do I do it???!!!

Well simply because I love love love watching these women teach ... especially Christy Tomlinson and her lovely personality and down to earth teaching style ... love love love her.  :)  I have 4 online workshops sitting in my cache to do of Christy's alone ... and I love watching her teach and she explains so much ... I have learned tonnes since started watching her last year.  So much ...And her workshops are always filled with many many videos of awesome detailed information on all the things I love about mixed media.
  
I am still working on Workshops that I signed up for last year - And so appreciate the time we are given to complete them ... usually need all that time and more.  ;)

Christy also has an exciting lovely workshop starting now:  Her 3 week BOOT SERIES WORKSHOP!!!  I will definitely be keeping this one in mind for my next run of workshops to do ;)

 
Christy is hosting an older Junelle Jacobson's Workshop  "THE ART OF WILD ABANDONMENT"  on her blog - which I signed up for last year and I am also really excited to get started!!!

And Junelle has posted this amazing online course:

Junelle has NEWLY RELEASED for SPRING 2014 her THE ART OF SPRING Workshop up on her blog that just looks delightful - full of colour and fresh all things spring goodness - will have to keep this in mind as I finish some of the others ~ I love the art of spring all times of year!  (This is also a 2 year accessible online course)

My first teaching experience with Junelle has actually been just recently when I signed up for Jeanne Oliver's 2014 "STUDYING UNDER THE MASTERS' online course - which though I have only gone through a few weeks of it is such an amazing experience.  There are many many of us that are taking the time with this workshop - the information and all the different teachers are amazing, and through their learning we get a double boost of talented inspiration!  So even though the weekly live talks are over with our teachers ~ the class is still available on a 2 year basis once you sign up and believe me worth the amazing experience.  And there are still many that connect on the Facebook page and show their work everyday.  :)  Jeanne herself is just an amazing soulful and thoughtful personality ... I have loved every minute of not only learning from her (she does the first Master - Henri Matisse in her online "Studying Under the Masters" workshop, and her beautiful videos and thoughtful guidance and advice are part of each week as she introduces a new Teacher and gives encouragement and her thoughts on this amazing learning process.  She has an amazing BLOG that has links to all sorts of good for the soul goodness. 

ALSO Margie Romney-Aslett and her daughter Meg are now doing their next awesome SPARK EVENT - SPARK YOUR SPRING !!!!!!! A 3 day workshop that is plumb full of ways to decorate your home for the spring season!  I took her awesome "Spark you Love and Home" workshop and fell in love with Margie's easy and fun teaching style and love love her cute ideas to being colour and pop into our seasons!  Awesome :)

So no shortage of creative inspiration - I just need to either win a lottery so I can stay home and create or figure out a way to clone myself ha ha.  I am going to try hard not to sign up for any more online workshops until I get at least hhhhhmmmmmm 70 percent done with the ones I have ha ha ... I think that is setting a goal that I may be able to attain.

Though don't hold me to it lmao ... so so much inspiration and so little time ... BUT having such an amazing awesome creative year!    SO ALL WORTH IT!

Cheers
Sherri  :)

How I "Sparked it UP!"

Just a few photos of how I "Sparked up" my mantle at home for the Season in between ... I wanted to use the Spark Classes of Margie's workshop to have something on my mantle between taking down the decorations of Christmas and before the decorating for Spring.  Here is what I finished up with and I love it!
 

 This was the first time for me to make garlands like these and I really loved how they turned out - I also took some inspiration from Christy Tomlinson for the cupcake garlands with the doilies - I love how this just added a crafty touch to our mantle for the in between season ... love love love :)

close up!

Filled my birdcage with cup cake pom pom flowers - Margie Style

Kevin made me a wire heart from a wire hanger and I wrapped it with burlap.

Sparking it up with Margie Romney-Aslett

Do you like to decorate for different holidays?  Do you like fun crafty and simple to do projects that you can whip up in an afternoon?  Do you love to use up pieces you may have from other crafting projects, simple supplies you normally carry in your house, dollar store and chain store supplies and create something totally new?

Well then Margie Romney-Aslett has a very cool quick workshop on line right now.  It is called the "Spark your Love and Home"  - consists of three awesome videos packed with all sorts of lovely projects - to decorate your home for the Valentine season and to add some creative decor to your home.  I know I will be hanging some of the banners I am making in our bedroom afterwards as well as a couple in my creative space.  And the best is she makes lovely decor out of very affordable and inexpensive supplies ... shows you how to re-think items you may not have considered before and give them that special Margie "Spark".

So I went and did a little shopping:

And then I watched the videos and took her awesome ideas, tips and know how ... and put my own touch on it, still working on some of my ideas - I have more than a few projects on the go right now so I work on this and then work on that - but I am so pleased with how my "Spark" projects are going!

I will have to post what my final mantle looks like once I finish up the last few banners - so far I am so happy with the little extra touch the "Spark" course has added.  Thanks Margie!  

A little creative chaos happening!

So seriously ... Go and Spark it up!

Postcard Art ...

When I returned from the "She Matters Art Retreat" last September - I was feeling pretty inspired, I just wanted to quit my job and stay home and create - play with paints, inks, papers, mediums ... all day, everyday.  Well of course the reality is I have to work to live ha ha ... but I had a huge need to create in my down time ... but where to start???  My talented friend Melanni told me to start small, fill my time with creative projects that did not require the hours of time I did not have anymore ~ but something to fill that creative urge to play with colour every day!  She suggested the ever popular art form of ATC's - which are small cards that are decorated and often traded with other artists.  

At the retreat Christy had given us a postcard of watercolour paper for us to decorate - the idea was to send home or to a friend from the retreat - but as we had so many lovely projects to do there and visiting to do - our little postcard art really never got off the ground, I had - when we were there, started painting a "She Art" girl on my card, but was not thrilled with my background so stuck it in my case to look at when I got home.  So this is what I started on, I decided that the "postcard" size was perfect - I could get some 9x12 watercolour paper and cut four to a sheet - I also have bought a pack of the postcard watercolour size that Christy sells on her "Scarlet Lime" site since them, which is an awesome weight and works very well.  And I dove in to this idea ... I decided that I would do up some special ones for my "She Matters" Family first and it gave me a drive to get the project started ... these are some of the cards I have done using various techniques ... different stamps such as Dylusion Stamps and Christy Tomlinson Stamps, and various layering techniques using paper, paint, inks, stamps and stencils - which I learned from taking a couple online workshops from Christy as well as of course attending the retreat.  :)

So some of the first postcard art cards that I did:

Card made for my bestie ... using some further techniques I learned at The Inked Stamper - and incorporating my Christy Tomlinson stamp as well into the design.  :)

SOME MY SHE MATTERS ART RETREAT FAMILY - SEPT 2013

Art is a part of my life ...

It has been quite the time since I last blogged ... I seriously want to become a better and more frequent blogger in 2014 and beyond :)  I was thinking this morning I know I put too much on myself, I figure I need to write these long detailed blog posts to show off what I am doing, or share art or thoughts ... both my blogs suffer from this thinking as I constantly take pictures of what I am doing or loving in life ~ now I have instagram to feed the addiction of posting pictures here and there, but I have a need to write as part of my creativity ... ssssssssooooooo ....

going to try to have shorter blog posts but more often ... full of pictures and tidbits of what I am loving and experiencing in life ... It is one of my goals for the year - be a better blogger and just do it!

I have actually picked a "One Little Word" this year - ACTION - never have done so before but seriously have been inspired by amazing women such as Christy Tomlinson and Margie Romney-Aslett - who I was blessed to spend some time with last year and who are awesome INSTAGRAM-ers and share their lives and creative voice with us everyday, constant inspiration!
Christy also has some amazing e-courses, retreats, and monthly inspiration going on - check all of this out at her workshop page and follow her blog for all the updates.  Margie has awesome "Spark your Life" e-courses that she does - so affordable and fun and delightful ways to brighten up your home and add that creative touch!  Amazing women - hugs

Also I have some new amazing women to follow such as Jeanne Oliver and Roben-Marie Smith - who both this year have helped jump start my creativity with courses and projects such as "Studying Under the Masters" and the "Documented Life Project" - and appreciation of so so many talented and amazing ARTISTS out there ... and yes that means "Masters" but also Teachers and all the amazing people who have a voice in someway about ART!  All of YOU!!! 

So I have lots going on creatively and will definitely work on that goal of blogging regularly ... and sharing a little of what I have been doing and will be working on.

Till then ...
CREATE!

She Matters Art Retreat - Christy Tomlinson Sept 2013

So sad to leave this lovely creative place - amazing memories forever!

First I have to say thank you to a wonderful and talented warm hearted woman - Christy Tomlinson ~ she amazes me - not only because of her awesome creativity but her generous and loving way of sharing this with us.

Christy with Margie and Chrissy - She Matters Art Retreat 2013

It hasn't been very many days since I have returned home from this amazing experience - the "She Matters Art Retreat" - so while I have a need to blog about it while everything is fresh in mind I am also overwhelmed by missing all that this retreat brought into my life ... amazing people, new art experience, and a jump start that was needed in my creativity ... Right now I feel like I can take on whatever I choose to - in the vast art world, the projects in my home I have been leaving, even maybe jump start myself in a few things I need to do personally - health, weight, happiness.

I also want to do a couple posts ... as I am a gluten free blogger as well (another blog I need to get working on) so I want to also blog to my "gluten-free-eating-is-their-way-of life" peeps about how the food and meals went ... once that one is also done I will link to it here.  ;)  I can only touch lightly on all that was learned and shared and I am sure little "heart-felt" pieces of this retreat will show up in my works and life for a long time to come.  :)

Chalkboard Art Class - by Chrissy Gardner (she rocks!)

I have hundreds of pictures, of course ;), about the whole experience so I am working in the PicStitch program to make some photo collages so I can post these into the blogs, there were so many "good soul" moments right from walking in the door ~ so many "aaaahhhhaaaa learning" moments ... not only watching Christy Tomlinson guide us through her process, but also having the blessing of having a Chalkboard Art Class with Chrissy Gardner - she rocks both in her sweet engaging personality and her love of art and passion for Chalk.  :)

Ben and Margie took care of us so well ... delightful

We were also blessed to be taken well care of by Margie Romney-Aslett  (@justagirl on instagram) who spent each day not only helping our awesome Chef Ben Tomlinson put out some amazing good for your soul comfort meals, but adding her lovely thoughtful sweet touches to our table, to make us feel so special.  We were blessed to spend time with these amazingly thoughtful people and I hope make some new friendships I will cherish, and time with Christy and Ben's awesome family - they have 6 wonderful children - 5 fabulous guys and 1 beautiful young lady.  It was a treat ~ truly all the love and good feelings in this home made me homesick for my own lovely little family.  :)

And this is not even getting me started on the all the beautiful new women friends that I was so pleased to meet and spend an awesome week creating and learning beside.  I (Edmonton - Canada) traveled down to the retreat with my friend Melanni (Airdrie, Canada) ~ but all the other women well we were all meeting for the first time and we were from all over - Michelle (Las Vegas), Laurie (Kansas), Fay (Nashville), Iris (Atlantic City) and lovely Shirly came all the way from (Isreal).  All walks of life and experiences.  We all did have one lovely fact in common - we were all inspired by Christy Tomlinson - her amazing sweet nature, her "just try it - there are no mistakes" attitude, her real approach to life, art and love.  Everyone that was in our little mixed group - women, men, kids ~ all had stories to tell and parts of themselves to share - I keep using the words amazing, wonderful, awesome but in truth that is exactly what this experience was ~ everyday from morning to bed time, full of these soul lifting moments.

Right side: Christy, Michelle & Shirly-Fay, Iris, Melanni-Sherri & Laurie :)

Abstract Painting outside, She Art - Paper and Paint, Chalkboard Art

I have people asking me oh I want to see all that you "did" - I think expecting that we cranked out art piece after art piece but this retreat was so so so much more than learning "art techniques" or even "how the artist does it" - it was a learning and sharing of some very personal journeys and how this is translated into how one "creates" art.  She wanted us to really learn that we are all artists, we all create beautiful - sometimes pretty messy ha ha - pieces and that we need to do this from our own soul ... sure Christy is amazing at showing us her process, and guiding us through this - but she wants us to take that "kick start" that "motivation" that "inspiration" we feel when we watch her and then make it our own.  These beautiful women ... these amazing people taught me a lot about "resparking" my love of LIFE - the Retreat was named "She Matters" and honestly the entire experience was so encompassing, so uplifting and touchingly awakening of my ... well LIFE.

In my household - my family - we have had a tough time, the hardest is my dear son losing his dad this July to a horribly fast acting cancer - I think the shock could have been enough to just stop us in our tracks, but you can't can you?  You have to continue on don't you?  I have felt at times that things should just stop, that the world should not keep spinning so fast ... it had left me fighting to keep myself looking ahead to what must be easier moments, trying to keep myself "whole" to be strong for my son and all he is going through.  I was trying to keep my art "washing away the dust of my soul" but I was struggling.  This retreat meant so much to me.  Not only did it feel like a healing of the creative spirit it gave me an inner boost of the strength that I need to fuel my motivation - for everything.

Christy truly made us feel that the "She" (WE) mattered ... I will forever be thankful and yes feel pretty darn blessed (my son has been saying I have been using this word often since I returned home) that I was able to attend and partake in this lovely experience with all these amazing people.

Truly if you have the opportunity to either join Christy in one of the retreats she is a part of ... or even take an online class or two from her or ones she hosts with or for her talented friends ~ take the "leap" - it can be life changing, it certainly was for me.

Biggest hugs out to all of you,
Sherri :)

So thankful for these special people who made this experience magical.  Hugs :)

Christy showing us how to paint "Abstract Paintings" outside  on the beautiful sunny Saturday

Amazing women - old and new friends ~ great memories made - always in my heart now. :)