Life Book 2016 - ALREADY AMAZING ...

Thought this year I would start with a 2016 Life Book post instead of waiting till almost the end of the year ha ha ... I am still working on some of my 2015 sessions as well (which is one of the main reasons that I love this course because all the sessions are downloadable during the year so you have them FOREVER!!  ha ha love that!
This last weekend I finally took some time to dive in and do some of the first courses offered .. oh my what a smorgasboard of GOODNESS already!!!  Seriously so in love with this whole course and how much JOY it brings into my creative life - you have no idea ... it is worth every penny and anyone who is the slightest bit creative should check it out!  LIFEBOOK 2016

 

 Already the sessions I have finished have been amazing - not only are they creative and full of life and colour, they have also been reflecting, soul searching and discovering in nature - Again you get so much more than just an artsy, painterly, creative time - So so much more.  Looking forward to finding some more time to do some more soon, love that you really never get behind because the courses are yours to have so you choose YOUR OWN CREATIVE PATH.

I was thankful for that in 2015 - for we had a few dear family members pass away and I felt knocked off course creatively, but yet never felt that my year of LIFE BOOK was a waste of money as I am still going back and doing lessons from that year now, and still loving all that it is bringing into my life.  Tamara Laporte is one of the most generous, lovely and talented artists and the fact that she has put together such an amazing group of lovely same spirited talented women to share with us all year - IS SIMPLY AWESOME AND AMAZING!!! Seriously I was so glad when I saw a friend's work from the year before and I decided to try Lifebook last year ... I have not regretted one minute of that decision and hope it goes on year after year for a long long time!!!

Here are just a few of the lessons from this year that I have completed:  Looking forward to continuing to fill my life with colour and honest to goodness soul rejuvenating art and lessons.

Teacher - Tamara Laporte

Teacher - Tamara Laporte

Teacher - Ivy Newport

Cheers - Check out Life Book 2016!!! 

 

First PAINT NITE

So have you ever heard about PAINT NITE ? They are two hour painting events held in local bars and similar establishments - you can go on their site and there are many options in painting choices and levels, and areas in and around the city.  

And they provide everything you need, you only need to bring some money for drinks, food and tips if you want ~ they provide aprons, canvas, paint, water, and brushes - you just bring YOU and your friends and have an awesome time. 

The Establishment that hosted 

I attended my first PAINT NITE with my sister Belinda ... and we had a great time painting with the ARTIST Tegan Little in the Sherlock Holmes Pub for the evening. 

The Artist's (TEGAN) Rendition of what we were painting

It was a fun evening and went by quickly ... it was interesting to see everyone's different takes and styles on the picture we were painting - I honestly have to fix my Eiffel Tower on my painting - ha ha I got a little too thick and ran out of canvas - but I will do that - otherwise I love my finished painting and can't wait to do my little fix and then hang it on the wall!  Where good art belongs ha ha ;) 

Here are a few pictures of our awesome evening! 

Getting ready to Paint!

Quite the group - Tegan said there were 50 of us, it was full for sure!!!

 We had an awesome time - can't wait to schedule another PAINT NITE soon! 

Cheers
Sherri  :)






Took some time and re-painted my Eiffel Tower on my painting - so at this moment my painting looks like this:

Now I thought I was done ... but as it hasn't left my creative studio yet I am thinking I may not be ha ha - this is what I love love about painting and mixed media art ... you can take a project and continue to work on it until it becomes exactly what you want!  Looking forward to see if there is work yet to be done on this piece. ;-)  

LifeBook 2015 ... with Tamara Laporte and so many other amazing artists!

 I can't believe it is October 1st already - and that I have gone through 9 months of this amazing e-course called LIFEBOOK and not a single blog on it, I have been way too busy with life's curve balls - both good and bad - and spending time creating!!!  

Tamara Laporte

I don't even know where to start to talk about what an amazing course this has been - and unique in a way that makes it one of the best online courses I have spent my money on.  Not only is Tamara Laporte - Willowing - one of the most generous teachers with her talent, giving us constant content not only artistically but in her soft life healing real kind of soul way - she also lines up a series of artists with all sorts of unique talents and we get amazing lessons from them.  

Tamara Laporte

AND after ALL THAT she allows us to download all the content so we have it forever!!!  For me, and so like so many others, whose life goes up and down constantly with responsibilities and commitments - we can work on our art when we have the time to work on our ART!  So valuable, so while I am behind in keeping up the lessons every week ... I have no stress - NO STRESS!!!  because I download the content every week and it will be there when I get the time, and I have such an amazing smorgasbord of amazing talent and different content to choose from - from in depth more time and technique sessions to the bonus sessions which are lighter but yet still so creative!  LOVE THIS!  And that is what makes this course different - and one that I have no problem saying I am going to purchase for next year (goes on sale NEXT week!) because the value is amazing. 

Violette Clark

And if you love to create, love colour and happy art you must follow Tamara - Willowing -  for she also posts up some amazing free videos (YouTube) to share her work, it is even better when taking an in depth lesson from her - (WHY you should sign up to LIFEBOOK right away!  

Tamara Laporte

 You can still get the full years downloads and lessons now before the end of the year!) but even watching her do a lesson in fast forward is a learning experience, and inspiring.  

Patti Ballard

Lynne Whipple

Inspired by Tamara Laporte's "Luna in the Sky"

 Seriously if you feel it is too much to jump into this year - check out Tamara's post on LIFEBOOK 2016 - which opens up for registration next week!  Amazing course!

SPARK your SPRING - with Margie Romney-Aslett

I just signed up for Margie Romney-Aslett's "Spark Your Spring" online workshop!  So excited to start decorating and thinking about warmer weather and spring not that far away! 

Margie and Meg always put out a workshop that is filled with awesome easy to accomplish projects that just add that "homemade and lovely" touch to each season.  What I love about spring is the return of colour and warmth in the days ... and looking forward to this kick start decorating course to CELEBRATE the return of spring!!!  :)

Cheers
Sherri 

Looking Back at 2014 ... Creative Journey

Wow ... I look back to last year at this time and I feel such a change in my atmosphere, my thinking, my goals, my accomplishments, and most of all my creativity.  

I was introduced in an online way to Christy Tomlinson in 2013 but it was once I went to one of Christy's "She Matters Retreats" that my world changed and my need to stay creative and to grow in my creativity really took off.  And THEN I also found Dawn Pritchard from The Inked Stampers and her wonderful mixed media classes keep me inspired to continue to learn.  
I became addicted to Instagram - thanks to the awesome quick tutorials from Christy, Chrissy Gardner and Margie at the retreat.  And I opened up my creative world by diving into the world of mixed media artists, and art forms of all kinds.  I started to figuratively really stretch my inspired creative wings. 

 I have take some awesome online courses from Christy, Margie Romney-Aslett, Danielle Donaldson, Junelle Jacobsen, and wonderful Jeanne Oliver - who opened my world up to many more artists both of this time and those long gone - with her wonderful "Studying Under the Masters" course.  I have participated in the Documented Life Project with The Art of the 5th gals - Robin-Marie Smith, Sandi Keene, Barbara Moore, Rae Missigman and Lorraine Bell .  
I participated in a in-person class this fall from the talented Christy Riopel - fun to go to a class like that and learn tips and tricks of doing something you love to do, which for me is Art Journaling.

I have taken many courses with Dawn from The Inked Stampers - she introduced me to the Dylusions journal, and all sorts of new and lovely products I have never tried before and I love her mixed media classes ~ Some inspired by the amazing Dyan Reavely - also through Dawn's store I have also taken in person classes from the amazing Dina Wakley and Donna Downey.  So MUCH Fun - and learned so much! 

We as a small group at Inked Stampers are working through the lovely Jamie Dougherty's online workshop "Blooming through the Seasons" - looking forward to finishing up the second half of these classes monthly with my Blooming group ha ha, and have fallen in love with my Blooming girls stamps and stencils.  A lot of the online workshops I have signed up for I still have a lot of delicious information and projects to get through - which I so appreciate when the Artists give us 1-3 years or sometimes forever class times- and at reasonable prices too.

 
It has been a busy creative year - I have filled my hurting seeking soul with Art and have come out of it feeling stronger, clearer, more at peace with my world and hungry to continue to learn and grow.   I have pictures and pages that I want to share from all these experiences - but working full time, trying to have a family life and friends, AND digging into my creative side leaves me with little time and I find blogging is where I drop the ball.  I don't usually make resolutions for a new year (as I find resolutions really should mean - plans made that never come to be ha ha) - but I really want to try and blog more regularly.  Maybe shorter blogs - more snapshots of my creative life will be something I can handle?

I started this post as a looking forward to what already I have planned creativity wise in store for 2015 ... but as I was writing realizing all that I have touched in 2014 has been amazing and had to write about that first.  Through Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Online classes, I have learned so much and have followed and sampled so much amazing art work in all forms - from not only established artists but so many other creative souls that are doing amazing and cool forms of art.  I have just "touched" on it all. 

I have sampled and tried out new art mediums (to me) - such as metal stamping and bracelet making from Christy to pan pastels from Donna and Jamie - to learning how to use mediums I have in new ways - stamping and paints from Dina to watercolour works from Danielle.  I have been introduced to many different techniques different styles and through learning and watching I am starting to feel my own creative voice starting to squeak ha ha - and it is exciting to listen to and know there is just so much more out there I want to try. 

 I sincerely thank all the amazing artists above for inspiring me through their talents and to start a healing in my soul.   And through your works and collaboration with others have opened up my creative world to following and inspiring me to seek out more artists ... Now I just need a fairy godmother to give me about 2 or 3 extra days to the weekends lmao.  ;)

A creative world is a great world to be in.
Thank you - hugs and kisses
Cheers
Sherri 

*****Oh and I should add as a postscript that the reason I first started to write this blog was because of looking forward to all the upcoming artists I have yet to get to know and projects I am exploring - such as Life Book 2015 with Tamara Laporte - Willowing Arts and Effy Wild - Love & Glitter - and tonnes of other artists, The Journal - with the Art to the 5th gals, Journaling with Suzi Blu on "Paint and Chronicle" and more ... BUT that's another blog post for another day.  :) 

Jamie Dougherty's "Blooming through the Seasons" and The Inked Stamper Boutique

I signed up for Jamie's Dougherty's "Blooming through the Seasons" online workshop (there is still time to get in on the last 6 months of this awesome fun Bloom Girls experience) ...  

 Myself and a bunch of ladies are graciously (by Dawn's invitation) getting together at The Inked Stampers to do the class together.  It has been so much fun, and definitely a huge perk to be going each month to the store and doing the class together!

Every month Jamie has introduced me to a product I have never used before or in using a product I have in a different way, it has been inspiring! 

A little taste of what we have been up to!

Month 1 - this one I was too excited to wait to do it with the girls ha ha and forged ahead and created this two page layout after watching Jamie's class ...

 Still Month 1 - the evening with the ladies at The Inked Stamper I started this two page layout - using the same technique and flowers. 

 Month two - We created this lovely lady with the beautiful turquoise flowing hair.  

 Month three - We used Jamie's "Sharon" Bloom Girl stencil and did this two page layout ... this is now my favourite stencil I just love her.  :)

Month Four - Jamie class lead us to create this lovely - with special lovely flowers full of texture and colour ... I learned about a product I have never used before .... Prima Elements Powder ... Awesome. 

Month Five - this was my first experience working this intensively with Pan pastels - I struggled with my girl at first but I have come to love how she is turning out ... I haven't decided where and if I am going to add the lovely bloom for this month, and I turned my girl into a pixie.  :) 

 Every month Jamie is bringing something new to the table and we end up with these delightful two page spread in our journals - it has been so much fun not only learning how to draw the girls but also the blooms every month.  

And so blessed to be sharing the process with the girls down at The Inked Stampers  I get to be inspired by the others doing the pages and we encourage and help each other along.  

Looking forward to the last 7 months of this course - 
Thank you Jamie  :) 

Cheers
Sherri :) 
 

Jamie Dougherty "Bloom Girls Creative Group"

Jamie Dougherty has a Bloom Girls Creative Group - which she has recently appointed a design team made up of very talented ladies - they have posted an August Challenge with an amazing colour palette.   Click on the link to see all the amazing talented designer takes on this challenge.  :)

I was working on my second month of her awesome course "Blooming through the Seasons"  and finishing that I was inspired to work with this palette also and draw a "Bloom Girl" that I have been thinking of trying, one with blowing hair.

So using the colours I have on hand in my Lycra Aqua Colours and my Derwent Inktense and Watercolour pencils I spent a lovely day drawing and then adding colour to my "Bloom Girl".

My Bloom Girl for the August Challenge 1 -

I really enjoyed this - to me it is amazing what I have learned in the last year - I have watched and learned from more than one teacher - all these amazing talented women have their own styles and techniques and it is a pleasure to learn and grow in my own style while watching them. 

I am loving this amazing "YEAR of Creativity"
Thanks for looking
Cheers :)