Getting Caught Up

I just realized that when I am operating on Craft Overload, I need to download somehow.  So many ideas, thoughts, things to share, pictures, how to's.  Until I take the time to dispense, I'll continue to become even more bogged down--like a snow ball rolling down a hill gathering, running over everything in it's way until it reaches the bottom.  So I'm thinking that posting on the blog will relieve this creative tension.

My intention is that this blog will be my place to gather pictures of things I've made or in the process of making, instructions, links to other blogs, videos.  For all the different things that I do, I'm still a bit unorganized about it all.  Hopefully this will be my new way of getting it all together & be able to refer people to a post for a recipe, technique.  I've spent who-knows-how-many hours hopping around cardmaker/stamper/watercolor/paper crafting/sewing/lettering/cooking/... blogs that have contributed to my OVERLOAD!  So I'll see how I do.

Let's start with a quote:
IF WE DO NOT FEEL GRATEFUL FOR WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE,
WHAT MAKES US THINK WE'D BE HAPPY WITH MORE?

Grateful is a state of mind, a way of living, of being.  It changes one's perspective.  One of my goals is to be in a constant state of grateful.

Watercolor

I've been very involved with watercolor.paper.colored pencils.paints lately.  It started when I found five very old (from the 80's) coloring books that I bought from a Christian bookstore that had: Words of Jesus, Psalms to Color, Proverbs to Color, The Ten Commandments & Bible Verses to Color.  About 15 years ago when I was in to shrink plastic, we made little wall hangings using sharpies to outline & color with colored pencils.  I still have several that I made & see the one made for Phyllis in her Las Vegas home guest bath when we go to visit.  It makes me smile every time.

I've also loved watercolor anything--that's why I love batik.  It is free form, unassuming, subtle, simple.  It's okay to go outside the line.  I know that I am not an artist that can draw with pen or paint but watercolor-for me-is doable--no wrong way--letting colors do what they will.  It's magical.  So, before Easter, I found the 9x12 inch water color paper, transfer paper & proceeded to do full-size word pictures:first transferring images with tracing paper; outlining with fine sharpies; coloring with water color pencils & lastly using a water brush awakening the color.  Did a bunch of them, scanned them into the computer, printed them smaller for card fronts.  Even had the grandkids do it as an activity~~printed at Costco.  The Greig girls used their 4x6's on the front of their 6x6 books that they made at a sleepover.  I'm a firm believer that the more opportunity that they have to be exposed to making things with their hands, making things for others will help them to have confidence & build their self worth.

Along those lines, watched a YouTube video by GirlGeekLovesStampin' and she used distress inks on her embossing folders to make beautiful wonderful cards.  I love the randomness= #you#don't#know#what#you'll#get#but#you'll#love#it# kind of art.

Wrapping us this post.  Hubby wants to watch Korean.  We're watching Dandelion Family on ep.16.