Art journal made from a manila folder.

I have a fun tutorial to share today on how to make an art journal with a manila folder cover.

The pictures are not the greatest, but I had only artificial light when I took them. I wanted to show the step by step process.

Now for the tutorial…

I started with a used manila folder and blacked out the text on the tab. I used a liberal amount of Mod-Podge to glue the folder together, being careful that the edges stuck well. I still ended up with some air bubbles once it dried. Grrr.

I used a strip of washi tape over the uneven edges and glued down some white cardboard to reinforce the tab. I made sure to lay down a strip of glue to hold down the washi tape forever, lol.

I folded the manila folder in half, using a bone folder to really press down the crease hard once the Mod-Podge had dried. This was before the washi tape obviously…

I cut the white cardboard to the shape of the tab and now had a very sturdy tab.

I now laid the folder flat on my table and spread out a layer of paint…

I spread some paint on the back of the folder. I like the shabby uneven look.

I used several layers of paint, mostly spread with an old gift card. Both sides are similar, just a slight difference in the colors.

I painted the tab purple and wrote the words “Good Dreams” on it. I stamped the front cover with the word Imagine, and there is plenty of space for embellishment. The back cover has only paint on it, so there is plenty of room for creativity.

I cut out some paper stars to cover the air bubbles on the inside cover and stamped some inspirational words.

I used card stock paper for the signature. There are 24 empty pages to embellish when all is said and done. They are a bit narrow, but that’s the shape of the folder. Card stock is not as durable as watercolor paper, but you can certainly use wet medium and paints on it. I used card stock in various colors.

I tried to get a picture of the various papers, but it didn’t turn out great. There are two sheets of green, two yellow, and two manila colored. I thought it was fun to add varied colors.

The inside front cover adjoins a green paper…

And another close up of the back inside cover. The picture is pinkish, and I blame my camera for that.

What do you think? I really enjoyed the project and I can’t wait to embellish the pages. It’s a good size for traveling too.

What are you working on now?

Maria

P.S. I have some journals for sale in my etsy shop. CLICK HERE.

Andrea Schroeder on self love.

I have never met Andrea Schroeder in “real” life but maybe I have met her in my dreams. She is the creator of the Creative Dream Incubator and the Creative Dream Circle. A Canadian with a vision that goes beyond the usual “fluff” we so often see on social media.

She’s an artist but also someone who delves deeply into the problems of being human. She helps you expand the possibilities of being a life artist. I was intrigued by her unique take on common problems / solutions so I promptly joined her Creative Dream Circle.

And I have had fun with it ever since! It’s full of creative courses and other awesome offerings. The yearly membership will not be enough to go through all the material, but I look forward to a long exploration on her site.

I will offer you links to her offerings at the end of this post. This excerpt is from her free guided journal + free coloring book.

What it is: 15 pages of journal prompts and hand-drawn mandala coloring pages to explore and color.

She writes:

It’s a beam of creativity & love, from my heart to yours.

This book is designed for people who want to lead creatively abundant lives — and do ‘impossible’ things, with ease & joy, every day.

Filled with journaling prompts, unique energy alchemy processes and hand-drawn healing mandala coloring pages, this book will lead you through the process of learning more about your (amazing!) self.

There is magic in this book.

You activate that magic by playing with it.

Play in whatever way you want to play. Use whatever art supplies are fun for you: glitter pens, crayons, collage, etc. There are no rules here.

The journaling prompts are tiny little diving boards, for you to dive off of into your own adventure – go off on tangents and explore whatever thoughts come up in the process. They will lead you to amazing places.

The healing power of the mandala coloring pages is activated when you color them in, lighting them up with your unique creative expression and ideas. (If you want to explore mandalas further and draw your own, I’ve got an easy-peasy anyone-can-do.

My hope is that this book helps you to fall more deeply in love with your amazing self.

To download this free inspirational how-to go HERE.

You don’t have to be an artist to create these mandalas.

To find a full length course of painting mandalas or to find out about the Creative Dream Circle go HERE.

All artists and LIFE artists need a shot of inspiration so I have added the link below. It’s really worth looking into.

To give Your Dream Wings, check out this full length e-course that is FREE!!! Click HERE.

You can also find Andrea on Facebook HERE.

We all need inspiration sometimes, and she’s great at offering new views and possibilities, and I like her laid back style.

I wish you a happy, creative weekend!

Maria

P.S. If you’re looking for a unique gift please check my etsy shop HERE.

Too little time

Yes, there is too little time to attend to all the art e-courses I signed up for this spring. Some of them run weekly for a long time, and others are short-term courses. How do you manage those classes?

I love them all, but I don’t feel good when I fall behind and let some of the classes slip because other things, like “life” get in the way of my fun.

What makes it so fun is that I can explore other artists’ visions of what they practice and how they see life. It’s a great ongoing exploration.

Some of courses are waaay too long and then I have to figure out which classes to pursue of the offering. As with anything else, we have preferences.

Art is never a BAD practice even if the subject does not thrill you. It is always a learning experience and a new way of looking at things.

If time is short, make a decision to paint X amount of minutes every day and stick with it. That is the answer to “too little time.” It’s amazing how much you can accomplish in as little as 15 minutes a day.

I enjoy that there are e-courses available about all styles of art, and artists. I don’t even have to leave my house.

This was inspired by some abstract tutorial I found online.

I had seen flower mandalas online, and also classes on painting mandalas, so I wanted to try my own. My backyard does not have an abundance of flowers but these came from there. It was fun to make.

DSCN1971 — Awful still lives I painted in one course.

I definitely don’t like painting still lives…

I had never tried a self-portrait. I don’t care much for the exercise, but it was challenging. The things in the background are paint tubes. I think I mostly used colored pencils for this portrait. My hair is short now.

We were supposed to paint something upside down so I used a picture of my cat with his head upside down, and then collaged a couple of hands below with a fish.

My mom used to say that when cats sleep with their heads upside down it’s going to rain… I haven’t seen any evidence of that, but she lived closer to nature.

What new things are you trying? Are you involved in any art e-courses this spring? I think it’s worth the effort.

Have a great, creative weekend!!

Maria

P.S. You can always try my art journaling tutorial for free if you sign up for my newsletter. 🙂 Click image in the top right hand corner of this page.

Art versus craft

Art versus craft, what is the difference?

What part of us needs to know?

I was making some polymer clay mosaic picture frames today and was struck by the thought that I feel the same when I’m doing crafts as I feel when painting.

In the past I have labeled painting as “art” and anything else that I enjoy to do with my hands as “craft.” Craft ought to be more lowly than art, but there is NO difference since I’m the same creator.

Doesn’t it all come from the same inner source? Yes, of course it does. Craft may be more mechanical in that you make more of the same items, but not one is exactly the same. With my mosaics it’s hard to even make two that look alike, but if you put them all side by side, there is a definite similarity of style and a preferred choice of colors.

When I paint I also prefer certain colors to others. I don’t prefer a particular motif, but if I did, I might find painting easier than facing a blank canvas to start something completely new. I can’t seem to focus on a particular subject. My color choices do carry “my” signature. The mosaics all look similar because I have only so many tools in my toolbox for imprints and only so many rubber stamps. No matter. It won’t stop me from creating.

The me sitting in my studio is the one who creates, not necessarily the ego me who likes to think I’m The Great Artist. It doesn’t change what appears on the canvas or on my mosaic frames. If I’m having a good time, that’s good enough for me.

Feeling alive is what I enjoy, no matter what I do. In other words, doing what I love.

It is a choice and sometimes a compulsion to create, but no matter how things transpire in the studio, I spent the day in a good way.

This one will end up with an altered Christmas ornament in the shape of a heart in the middle. I adhere some text to the surface and glue inspirational words on it. Then I attach it to the background that I alter with awesome paper.

DSCN2162 — small frame with polymer clay mosaic tiles.

A 5×5″ picture frame. Fun and fast to make since it’s so small.

What are you working on today? I wish you all kinds of creativity.

This concludes day 10 of the blogging challenge …

Maria

P.S. Check out some of my stuff for sale in my etsy shop HERE.

Life is fleeting.

I had a reminder yesterday that life is fleeting. We tend to forget and think we are eternal. I believe we are, but this particular 3D existence can end at ANY time.

I lost a friend to sudden death yesterday and my own ignorance slapped me in the face. She was in her prime, happy and healthy, and bam! Gone.

It is shocking. Sometimes it takes a shock to shake me out of everyday complacency. It got me thinking and re-evaluating what is important.

Appreciate life every day, or every moment if possible.
Don’t hold on to grudges or petty grievances.
Forgive those who have wronged you. Not speaking to people or having to be right only prolongs suffering (usually for the one holding the grudge.) FORGIVE and move on! It doesn’t mean you have to be friends with those who hurt you.
Pray every day even if you don’t believe in a higher power.
Do what you love or life is wasted.
Don’t stay at a job you hate.
Find beauty around you and appreciate it.
Love yourself and be at peace with the whole of who you are, warts and all.
Finish things once started.
Allow yourself to be the best you can be.
You CAN’T take your junk with you. De-clutter and donate. Don’t leave a mess for others.
Honor nature and as you do, you honor yourself since every molecule of you is part of nature. Spend some time in nature every day and breathe.
Laugh and pet animals as often as possible. Dance with children.
Don’t put off until tomorrow. Do that thing now.
Listen to others, truly listen.
Make art.
Grow things.
Go with the flow. Change is good, and change is the only constant. Don’t fight it.
Excuses begone!
Take charge of your happiness and don’t play the BLAME GAME with others. You will always lose when you do that.
Be responsible for your shit and be truthful to yourself about your shortcomings. When you are, they seem to disappear.
Last but not least: Listen to your intuition. If you don’t know how, find out how to do it.

A friendly reminder to myself… if it fits, apply some of these. Forgiveness is maybe the biggest one.

I made an art journal page about transition. It was a sad day yesterday and I had weird dreams. Today, the sun is shining again (as if nothing ever happened.) In a sense, that is eternity.

Maria

P.S. If you haven’t signed up for my free newsletter you can do so at the top right hand corner of this page. Lots of good stuff!

Art as energy work.

Have you noticed how art can be energy work? It brings healing, contemplation, and speaks to our inner self. Sometimes it comes across as something repulsive, but maybe that is because it triggers something repulsive within. Art is a mirror of our own state and that shifts all the time.

Great art is timeless. It speaks to the universal truth of self and has a much larger scope than, say, a whimsical picture of a cat. Not that I have anything against cute cats, but to feel the greatness of my own life, I can go to any art museum and immerse myself in the great art of the world.

I remember when I went to the Met in New You and saw the Impressionists. I have never seen a “real” painting by Renoir before and the light that he had captured with paint took my breath away.

Renoir_-_The_Two_Sisters,_On_the_Terrace — The two sisters on the terrace. Renoir.

How do you paint light? It’s not all in the technique obviously. Somehow he pulled it out of himself and the vision of light and shadow he had was superior.

I admire different aspects of different painters, but they all have one thing in common; they never strayed far from their original style (except Picasso maybe, haha.)

My favorites are the painters of the Impressionistic style. There is an innocence and joy about the art. They captured an era when people took pleasure in the simpler things. Much of the modern art has such hard edges that speak of our harsher more stressful times.

I like to go up to art at a museum and feel entranced, not disturbed. Yet, honest art speaks the truth about the times we live in and it’s not all milk and roses. Far from it.

One time when I was an art student a friend and I got a wild hair and spread open an umbrella at a museum of modern art. We stuck it on the floor with a tag that said “Umbrella.” People stopped and looked at it, walked all around it, pondering. We thought we were very clever.

Then a guard discovered the abnormality and the game ended abruptly. It was fun though. That brings up the question: what is art? That is a discussion that can go on forever.

Personally, I like to be blown away when I go to view art.

I can only aspire to have people like my own art, and some really do. I guess my mission is accomplished if one person likes my art. All is good!

This concludes Day 8 of the 30 day blog challenge.

What are you working on today? What beauty are you bringing out to the world?

Maria

P.S. I have some beautiful art for sale in my etsy shop. 😉 HERE.

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It’s a beam of creativity & love, from my heart to yours.

There is magic in this book.

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