Inside My Journal...

I have been doodling a lot in my journal this summer so I thought I would share with you what's inside... 

I have seen some really beautiful journal pages in magazines and books lately.  I love them but my journal is pretty much doodles and colored markers... 

I love the idea of a journal filled with mixed media pages but that's just not for me right now.  Most of my doodling comes in very small increments of time; like ten minutes here or six or seven minutes there... 

 During the summer months when the girls are not in school and there's lots of activities going on I just don't have large blocks of time (even an hour is considered a large block of time!).  So I keep the creative juices flowing by constantly doodling and coloring...

This is very portable too - I can shove this in my purse with three or four markers and a fine point black Sharpie and I'm good to go!   

It's starting to rub off on the girls too, the last time we went to the park, Fiona grabbed her journal and two colored pencils.  What is your grab and go method of creativity?

Letter Love 101 Class 2012

The online class I am taking (taught by Joanne Sharpe here's her blog http://joannezsharpe.blogspot.com/)

started this past Wednesday and I am so excited!  This class is a lettering and journaling class and we will be  working with different kinds of pens, markers, and journals...

I have always been told that I have very neat handwriting.  Some people have even told me that I write

the same way I was taught in the second grade.  That's not to say that I write like a second grader but

that I haven't changed it - I still add the little loop at the top of the letter "C" and I still write an "F" the

way I was taught...

I use a lot of words in my art, and all of the words I print out on vintage paper via the computer.

I would like to be able to use some of my own handwriting, I think it's another level of

expressing myself.  I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend - I am going to spend mine

practicing lots of new letters!

Getting Ready for Some Doodle Fun...

I am so excited for February 1st!  I signed up for Joanne Sharpe's "Letter Love 101" online class.  And it starts this Wednesday:)  Check out her blog for more details http://joannezsharpe.blogspot.com/

I have been so excited about this class that I have already started playing around with my markers and my drawing/doodling.  I took watercolor paper and cut it into 3.5 x 3.5 inch squares.  I am going through the alphabet, and, using each letter creating an inspirational phrase.  The small format allows me to finish a drawing in a very short amount of time.

When I am finished with the alphabet I would like to incorporate them into a piece of wall art for Fiona and Alexa's room.  I want them to think about the phrases and know that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to! I am currently up to the letter "M" so I will post more of these later in the week.  In the mean time I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Blessings, Cassie

Finally Starting My New Year!

I'm so sorry I've neglected everyone!  We had a busy start to the year here in Norwalk.  My daughter, Fiona had eye surgery on the 16th and now that she is recovering beautifully I feel like I can finally start my New Year. Amazing how a relatively routine outpatient procedure can consume your whole world when it's someone you love. 

Now for a little bit of exciting news.  On Thursday January 26th I will be teaching a class in making this "Remember You Are" collage at Gabby Road Studios.  This is the new art gallery/studio that opened up right before Christmas and have sold several picture frames there.  The owner, Sharon, asked me if I would be interested in teaching a class in collage - I told her that I did not consider myself a master craftsman but I would be more than happy to show other people how much fun, and 

how inspiring collage can be.

I have also been busy making more coffee cozies. I thought hearts with reds and pinks was a pretty good idea being that Valentine"s Day is coming up soon.  I forget how therapeutic it is to embroider, there is just something about pulling a needle and thread... 

I wrote this Haiku sometime last year but was reminded of it yesterday - enjoy and have a great weekend.

"Calmly, quietly,

Steadiness in pulling thread

Peace in Needlework"

A Joyful Christmas and a Blessed New Year...

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all!  I decided just to post some pictures of the holiday tidings around our house.  Life has been so busy here - I am sure most of you can relate... 

We did not have a white Christmas here this year - just lots of rain.  So the girls took it upon themselves to cover the wall going upstairs in homemade snowflakes...

Most of the ornaments on our tree are either hand made or very old.  They range from home made Girl Scout ornaments (circa 1981) to embroidered ones that I made a few years ago, to bulbs that the girls helped out with just last year.

Finally I would like to introduce you to Red Girl, the newest member of our family (she was a little embarrassed about the sweater, so we only make her wear it once in a while).  She is a five month old half German Short Haired Pointer and half English Setter.  She is VERY energetic and is already pointing birds.  You can just imagine how crazy our Christmas has been!  I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and a Blessed New Year! 

Putting Myself Out There...

Talk about a sign from above, the day before Thanksgiving my husband showed me an article in our local paper (The Norwalk Reflector) about an art gallery/retail shop opening up just off Main Street...

Gabby Road Studios is an eclectic little shop that promotes and sells hand crafted items made by local artists.  Here is the link to their website http://www.gabbyroadstudio.com/index.html

So on Thanksgiving Day I took the plunge and emailed the owners about my interest in selling some of my picture frames.  

The owners responded right away and within a few days I had some picture frames for sale in the shop.  Gabby Road Studios has been wonderful to work with and they graciously allowed me to photograph their wonderful space.

I believe this is a sign from God that this is what I was meant to do.  Friends and family (blogger friends included!) have been telling me for a couple of years to put myself out there and take a chance.   Gabby Road Studios was the Lord's way of saying "here I am now doing everything but selling it for you  take the chance!"  On that note I will say this - for all of you out there thinking about doing what you love - take the chance!  I hope everyone has a Blessed week:)

Trying to live in the moment...

Life here in northern Ohio continues to be very busy.  I always feel, around this time of year, like I'm on a wheel.  As the end of the year draws closer, that wheel just seems to go faster and faster.  Time is such an elusive thing!

I've been quite busy with the girls and school and all the extras - like ballet and Girl Scouts.  Kudos to those moms who have several kids all in different activities at the same time!  So far I only have one night a week where I truly feel like a limo driver.  I am continuing to work on my picture frames, my deadline date is fast approaching.  My attitude is "whatever I get finished, is what I am going with". No sense in getting myself stressed out, 

I want to enjoy this first experience.

I have been very conscience lately of trying to slow down and enjoy just being in the moment.  Like watching the fall leaves change colors - it only happens once a year!  The tree in our backyard turns a brilliant shade of yellow...

Before we know it the holidays will be upon us and another year will have gone by.  As the girls are starting to grow up I am realizing that I don't want to miss any part of it. Making sure that I'm actually engaged in the moment is the only way I can think of to not miss something.  What sort of things do you do to "be in the moment"?

Inspiration...

Wow! Has it really been two weeks since my last post?  How dare life get in the way of my blogging. I think whoever said that things get easier as your children get older was not being entirely honest.  Life in general is easier (everyone sleeps through the night without needing a bottle or a diaper change) but boy are we busier.  During the quiet moments I like to look for inspiration, and I always seem to find it right in front of me... 

Partially finished picture frames drying on the dining room table... 

A pretend campfire made of paper streamers 

(thanks to one of Fiona's Girl Scout projects)...

My never ending stash of tissue paper;  I can't help myself, the colors are so varied and rich and it's so inexpensive! 

During our fast paced lives, what inspires you during the quiet moments?

Committing to an Art/Craft Show...

Well I have finally made a commitment.  A friend of mine asked if I would sell my picture frames at a craft show/fundraiser that her daughter's school is hosting.  I took the plunge and signed a vendor agreement form.  Now I just have to start making lots of frames by November 19th...  

I have three frames completed - looks like I have my work cut out for me!  I am still not as familiar with copyright laws as I would like to be, so for this show I am sticking to biblical quotes and my own verses. (Not sure but would quoting someone like Henry David Thoreau violate copyright law?)

It is very wet and rainy here in Ohio this week, so it's a good time for me to just kind of hibernate at home and start creating.  I just have to remember to keep a balance and I'll be okay.  How do all of you creative types keep balance in your lives?

Staying very busy...

It seems like the month of July has literally flown by. Please forgive my late blog posts - there just has not been enough time in the day this month to keep up with everything...

I have several projects on the table; this embroidered photo is finally complete and I have just about completed the collaged background for it.

I start my collages with a base coat of acrylic paint and usually some old book pages.

Then I move on to adding lots of layers; wrapping paper, ledger paper, tissue paper, sometimes even my girl's school works gets added in.

Once the collaged papers are all dry I start layering with paint and ink; a little paint, some stenciling, stamping, or both, then usually some distressing and inking. My process is not exact and it varies depending on things like size, subject matter, and color. Once this layer dries I will add the embroidered photo and any other embelishments I find. I'll post the completed project on Friday. In the mean time I really hope everyone is staying cool and hydrated during these nasty heat waves. Blessings:)

Off to the Farm!

We are off to the Farm in Michigan for a long weekend of bug hunting, deer spotting, long lazy walks, and lots of frolicking in the sunshine! I'll be back next week to post pictures of my little water color journal that I'm starting while we are up there:) I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Getting Caught Up...

I completed this embroidered photo of my grandparents (on the right) back in February. I haven't really known what I have wanted to do with it. I have had lots of ideas but none that have really sparked my motivation. I received some lace and antique white buttons recently and now I am ready to move forward. Isn't it funny how sometimes the simplest of things are what inspires us? What inspires you?

Happy Fourth of July!

I hope everyone has a save and happy Fourth of July! Summer-time business has gotten a little out of control the last couple of weeks around here but things are starting to calm down. I will be back to posting more projects and Photographic Friday this week. Blessings:)

An Engagement Frame...

My cousin Annie got engaged this past winter. She and her fiance, Ron, are coming to visit my parents this weekend. I made this collaged picture frame for them. Annie's engagement ring is a blue saphire surrounded by diamonds, so I wanted to do the frame in hues of blues and purples.

A high school aquaintance had posted this verse on Facebook a couple of weeks ago and I just fell in love with it. It had been a very long time since I had read anything from the Old Testament but this verse really says it all...

I painted the frame black then collaged old book pages on to it. I layered colored tissue paper for the majority of the intense color and then used acrylic paint thinned out with water to wash over it. Then of course I had to glitter, stamp, ink and embellish. The fabric flowers were given to me by my sister. She had gotten them from her husband's grandfather's house. I thought they added a nice contrast to all of the blues. I hope everyone has a great day!

Being Inspired- Journal Frames

Last week the girls and I spent a day in Chagrin Falls, Ohio visiting my cousin Colleen.



Chagrin Falls is a unique east side town (east of Cleveland) with a beautiful waterfall running right through it. We had a lot of fun seeing the waterfalls, feeding the geese, and exploring the many gift shops that line the streets of the downtown area.




One of the shops had a number of hand painted wooden picture frames for sale. The colors were splendid and very inspiring. For days after our visit I thought about those frames. Finally I decided I needed to try my hand at making my own...




Here is my completed version of a collaged picture frame. I used a wooden frame and painted it black. Then I got down to the fun stuff of collaging; old ledger paper, tissue paper, paint, inks, stamps, etc. I then drew the flowers on watercolor paper, cut them out and adhered them to the frame. I have to say I am quite pleased with the way it turned out and I have already started work on another one. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend:)