KISSing the Finish

I've weathered the grey showers.  Sunshine and flowers are just ahead.

The grand kiddies art journals/planners are as done as an ongoing project can be.

The smash books are up to date except for one omission from Elaina's book.  Actually she is most excited by the zippered blank binder.  note to self- KISS!

I resisted bringing child #3 home because it would have meant scooping up all my half sorted piles and dumping them into baskets and onto chairs, tables, floor corners , etc.    PHEW!  Narrow escape but now I just have to deal with the scraps on the floor!

The unfortunate thing is that the first week of the month's art 101 class deals with these books.  eek!  But actually it is fresh in my mind to limit options and keep things simple.

Now to figure out the next thing.  hmmmm.   I do not feel that I wasted my money on the Unplanner class.  Lots of inspiration and tons of tutorials.  I like hard copies so I am printing out my favourites and putting them into an old binder which has all the old page protectors I saved when I 'edited' the magazine pages I had saved from all my old hobbies.  :)  When I need a project for those first of the month art 101  journal techniques I won't get sucked into the world wide web but let my fingers do the walking!  :)  I can also have the grand kiddies pick projects.  I may just need to round up some Gelli plate techniques and make another binder.  ;^)  I do luv the gelli plate and have small ones for the kiddies as they like them, too!

The yard is ready for its spring spruce up.  We did lots last fall but now it needs a bit of fine tuning to see what is what.  I'm beginning to sense the grey spring may have really passed.

But the wisdom of old age is to vary any activity so I do need inside studio projects.  ???  Shall I mess about with paints, stitching or...    Hopefully May 1st will have me gathering a bouquet of ideas that will have bloomed.

Would you happen to know...

I have been delighted at discovering things about myself through blogland.  Identifying the good stuff and then tackling changes on the not so good makes for a happier and more productive art gal.   Keeping it simple, limiting my choices and sticking with a theme have been huge helps.   But an important key is alluding me.

I get that life is busy and while the viewing seems to be pretty consistent, comments are fewer.  That's okay.  I'm doing less commenting myself.  But I was wondering if any of my 'regular' visitors are seeing something that I am missing.  You know, the elephant in the room that no one talks about!  ;^)

The  grand kids were here for a short visit.   We talked about their books and making them simpler.  Then I spent a good ten days working on their school journals and their personal journals.  Absolutely enjoying myself and making big messes.

Josh just turned 8.  He is a techy/detail kind of guy and has a world view.  His travel method of choice is boats at this point.  Here he is making cabin doors.  :) H is more into pen drawings, cutting and gluing.  I'm keeping the list of ten for favourites.  (and their handwriting)

I hope his planner/journal reflects all that he likes. There will be less photos and more art. The circle punches, maps, and green will tie his binder together.

Eliana is 6 and is a girly girl who is comfortable with rough competitive sports.  She documents her interests with free wheeling art techniques.  She is no planner- 'let me at it'! LOL

Her drawing of a house helped confirm that houses could be her theme.  She likes turquoise, dimensional embellishments and all the messy art supplies.   .

I have concluded her art journal will fill with pages all too quickly so I gessoed all the pages of a zippered  thrift shop binder for her extras.  I hope she can release her creativity in her books.

Jolina's fourth birthday is coming up.  She likes pictures and stories.   She is also a quick study and is already grasping the concepts that I have been teaching her brother and sister in art 101.  She'll be ready to do her own thing in the near future.

I have a great theme/plan for her binder.  A nursery rhyme scrapbook packet.  I'll supplement with some colouring pages and she can make stories about all her favourite animals. 

I have solid colours, the theme papers and lots of animal stickers.   I can always add blank pages.

I, myself, am not doing the unplanner  but I will use the weekly videos and tutorials for ideas.  Once a month we will learn a technique to use in these art journals though.

I LUVED doing all the sorting, planning, gluing.  I felt like I was in the creative zone and didn't want to stop.   So why can I not translate that momentum, that commitment, that  joy into my own finished products???  I try to do as good work in these binders as I do in my own.   Is mine work and theirs fun? :\

oh, dear.  If you can see the elephant that I am dancing around please do tell! 

How do I feel on Wednesday

The Wanderlust challenge prompt was one word to describe me today.   I did this up last night and I am a bit hesitant about my abilities as I begin this project.  Hopeful, too.

This is in my new journal I made and these two pages are very similar in colour.  I plan on doing two page spreads and influenced by winter winds I felt to do a mysterious sky with birds soaring.  They are dark and a few make it to the top left and they are white.   I shouldn't hesitate but start flying and see where the winds carry me!  :)