Watercolor doodles...

I have had an extra child home during the day this week. My Nikki has the flu. With any luck, she will be back at school tomorrow and there won't be anyone else at home sick. Her being home has stranded us to the house, so between taking care of her and Kyle and doing washing and cooking and other household duties, I decided to pick something new to try out to help get the creative juices flowing. Besides, just look at that lonely workspace!

It was just begging to be messed up! 

Here is what I did. I pulled out my long unused opaque watercolors and my watercolor brush. I love that brush. With a toddler, it makes for a quick and easy clean up. Not to mention, it is fun to use! But I digress. I set to painting a page full of rectangles.

Doesn't that table look better being put to good use?

After I had a page full, I used a Micron pen to draw doodles and borders in each rectangle.

I also used a white and silver Gelly Rolls. After a bit, the pens didn't want to cooperate. I don't think they liked the water colored paper. So I ended up using my brush Pitt pens. 

Here is my end result. It makes me smile just looking at it. I had so much fun, I had to do another.

This time, Nikki helped me choose and place multiple colors on the page. And I figured out that a Uniball pen worked better than all the others.  Here is an Instagram pic of my finished page. It's kind of blurry, but you get the idea. Did I mention, you can follow me on Instagram? Just click the button in my sidebar. I'd love to have you!

So, I would love to say this fun and relaxing project was entirely my idea, but I must give link love where link love is due. I found the idea on Pinterest. Here are links to two lovely blog posts that demonstrate this technique...

Here is the post at Living Creatively.

and

Here is the post at Maisa. 

(I love how she used it as a scrapbook page background!)

I hope you will try this fun activity out. It is very relaxing!

Happy creating!

Monday musings.... Courage

Someone once told me that I should keep it real here on the blog. So here I am keeping it real. This is not a pity party post. No, it is merely me acknowledging the fact that I am petrified of failing. 

The Lanie J. and Co. Shop has been open for over a month now. I have not sold an item yet. I am slowly adding more and more too it. So when I posted a giveaway on my facebook fan page on a Saturday morning and all anyone has to do is like my page, comment on and share the post and as of Sunday evening, there are only three shares, it is hard not to throw in the towel. I know for a fact that the post has had over 200 views. Wrong audience? Maybe. It's okay though. It just makes me rethink the way I am going about things and remember that the point of my blog and doing art and having an Etsy shop is to teach my children to chase their dreams and not give up.

 Courage! 

I even confessed to my 10 year old how I am feeling and told her that I will not give up, I will keep doing what I enjoy. So, I am going to list the rest of my note cards that I currently have printed and head back to what I love. I have Christmas gifts to make. I'll share what I am doing here as I go. 

Leaving you with these wonderful words of wisdom...

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
~Steve Jobs 

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.

~Mark Twain 

People who lack the clarity, courage, or determination to follow their own dreams will often find ways to discourage yours. Live your truth and don't EVER stop! 
~Steve Maraboli

Love what you do and do what you love. Don't listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it. You do what you want, what you love. Imagination should be the center of your life.
~Ray Bradbury

Happy Monday!

DIY Hand Painted Polka Dot Marble Magnet Tutorial

Ahem... I accidentally deleted this whole tutorial after the first time I wrote it. Operator error I guess. :)

So, here we are again! Super easy magnets to make!

You will need:

Clear marble magnets that are flat on one side.

Assorted colors of acrylic craft paint.

Small paintbrush

Extremely strong adhesive. (I used E6000)

Magnets

Step 1: Using the handle end of the paintbrush. Dip the brush in the paint color you want your polka dots to be.

Here are marbles painted with pink and white dots.

Step 2: After the painted polka dots are completely dry. Paint your background color over them. 

Once again, allow the paint to dry completely. 

Step 3: Glue the magnets to the back of the painted marbles. Allow the glue to dry completely and you have adorable magnets to keep for yourself to use or give as a cute little gift. Hint: Teachers love them!

They make my heart happy just looking at them!

If you don't want to make your own, I have 4 sets listed in the Lanie J. and Co. Etsy shop ready for purchase. 

Happy Crafting! 

Ahhh, the lovely F word sneaks back in....

Let your dreams be bigger than your fears Framed Decor (InkedBees on Etsy)

FEAR! It sneaks up when you finally take the leap into what your heart calls you to do. Hence begins the battle of the little whispers. The good whisper that says, "You can do this! Go for it! Chase the dream!" The not so great whisper that says, "Why try? What's the point? No one is going to like what you do. Just quit!" 

I did it. I created a whole original alphabet doodled and finished. I've started listing again in the Lanie J. and Co. Shop and it feels good! It feels good to listen to the good whisper. But the not so good one, the one I can only label as fear is still working to hold me back. But I will persevere.

Printable Let Your Faith be Bigger Than Your Fear 8x10 poster (cardvarkdesigns on Etsy) 

I will let my faith be bigger than my fear. Faith that I am meant to keep creating beautiful things. Not just to bring joy to others, but to carry on my mother's artistic legacy. To feed my soul. To teach my children to follow their dreams. Not by my words, but by my actions. 

8x10 Graphic Design Typography Print - "I am not afraid. I was born to do this." (splendidandsound on Etsy) 

I will keep listening to the good whisper that resonates deep in my soul. The whisper I am sure is God calling me to continue. The one that says, "Do not be afraid! You were born to do this!" 

What voice will you choose to listen too today?