What begins as a mistake can really turn out
quite lovely

Welcome 2014! 

January has arrived, and I have decided that this is the year of no resolutions.  I make the same ones every year and every year they address exercise, health, organization, and art.  I'm not being that specific this year.  Instead, I have decided to celebrate my "little wins."  A little win might be as simple as walking around the block, saying "no" to a tempting taste treat, or organizing my strands and strands of ribbons and lace.  I know a little win when I live one!  I'm happy to report that I've had several little reasons to celebrate already in these first few weeks of 2014.  Starting on such a positive note makes me look forward to all the coming months. 

I have been very productive on my two-week break from teaching my fourth graders.  I was able to spend a good deal of time on my art - not only doing it but organizing my room as well.  (I'm trying to convince myself that my room is actually my studio, but it seems a bit pretentious to say that!  I'll work on it . . . )

My First Little Win…

I have figured out how to get photos from my phone to my computer and into this blog!  That may actually be a big, big win!

These are photos of a journal I'm currently working on.  I purchased a Heidi Swapp 3-ring binder and after totally messing up the cover with sprays that just didn't do it for me, I covered it in papers and ribbons and some beautiful  jeweled embellishments.  I'm very pleased with the outcome.  I also had some Heidi Swapp small file folders and incorporated those into the notebook.  The plastic "photo album-type" inserts are so much fun to put my little odds and ends and miscellaneous art pieces into.

The journal isn't quite completed, but work on it has temporarily stopped as the binder itself is currently sitting on a shelf at Paper Tales, one of my very favorite art shops in San Diego.  I'll be teaching a class there sometime in late February on how to make this vintage journal.  The date has yet to be scheduled, but be sure to check out Paper Tales schedule of classes.

 These are some of the inside pages.  It was great fun going through my stash of old papers and embellishments to find what would work.  Yes, that's a Julie Nutting stamp on the page to the left.

 The brown  stripy paper bag and the wonderful pink doilies are from Paper Tales.  Again, the plastic photo inserts are fabulous for holding little pieces of art that you thought you might never use!




Had an enjoyable time using some translucent papers that I was almost thinking of tossing.  The envelope to the left is one of my original creations.  It seemed like there were several months that I spent making these out of waxed paper.  I still have quite a collection and I think some are just too pretty to actually gift-away!

           My First Little Win of the new year!!!