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... She did it anyway!

Today, I am choosing to do it anyway!

Part of the online art journal course I am taking talks about "doing it anyway". The lesson was about the excuses we make, both real and imagined that get in the way of what we really want. "She did it anyway!" is a Brave Girls mantra. 

I had no idea how many excuses I make everyday that keep me from doing what I really want to every single day until I really sat down and examined how I spent my time. Amazing the things that hold us back. Tired, not enough time, don't feel well, fear, disorganization, facebook, words with friends, t.v., kids,

a little laziness and the mother of them all... procrastination! 

Another thing I have learned from the class is that I have a choice, every single day, every single minute, how I am going to feel, act and react and what I am going to do with each moment. I am the only one who has control of me. It's refreshing to realize that with a little faith in God and myself I can change my situation to be more joyful. I choose to find time for creativity, working out, taking care of myself so I can be a happier human being, mom and wife. 

What will you choose to do anyway today?

 

M and S doodles to match Pottery Barn Kids bedding...

I finished the M and S that I was working on. I am so excited about these!

M is for Madden. It was requested that this match Pottery Barn Madras bedding.

and

S is for Sutton. This one was requested to match Pottery Barn Lahaina Surf bedding.

As I mentioned before, these were a new challenge for me. I am really glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried something different. They were a lot of fun to do!

On to the next doodle! :)

Linking here:

  

Two new doodled letters for little boys in progress.

Can you tell I got a new phone? It is an HTC 1X. I love it and now, I am on Instagram. I'm not so keen on these two photos. I think my regular camera will work much better for pictures of my artwork. But, since I haven't added color to these two tropical letters, I think this will do today.

I received a request to do an S and an M to match some bedding. I will be showing the black and white uncolored artwork today and going over what colors to use with the "client". We will also be discussing what name or saying should be hidden in the letter as well.

I am pretty excited about these. This was a challenge as I am used to doing girly flowers and butterflies in my doodles. But as I got going, I had a really good time. I hope she likes them. I'll be sure to post the finished doodles when they are colored.

I'll keep you posted.

"N" is for.... Doodle

Copic RV09 Fuschia, Copic YG07 Acid Green, Copic B04 Tahitian BlueFaber Castell Pitt Pens (shades of gray) and Marvy Zig Writer in Black

"N" is for my sweet little Nikki girl! She chose 3 colors. I wasn't sure about that, but as I got going, I was pretty pleased with the outcome.

Monday Musings... Acceptance

I've been given a very special gift. This gift will change my life and my family forever. I'll share soon!

You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Always fall in with what you're asked to accept. Take what is given, and make it over your way. My aim in life has always been to hold my own with whatever's going. Not against: with.

~ Robert Lee Frost

I’m unable to ignore the gift that God gave me, so I’m going to sing.

~Author Unknown

Each day offers us the gift of being a special occasion if we can simply learn that as well as giving,it is blessed to receive with grace and a grateful heart.

~Sarah Ban Breathnach

Everything in life is most fundamentally a gift. And you receive it best and you live it best by holding it with very open hands.

~Leo O'Donovan