Weekly Challenge: Planning for a Peaceful Holiday

The Holidays are just around the corner. Take some time to plan your holidays. Not just what you will be doing with others but what you will be doing for yourself. I love New Year's and every year we plan what to do after everything else and find ourselves calling B&Bs and hotels for hours trying to find the perfect spot. This week we started planning New Year's. Those reservations will be made this week and that will be one stresser off the list.  Look this week to see what you can do to set up a wonderful holiday season.  Maybe its planning to have a cleaning crew come to clean the house, planning your holiday menue, shopping for holiday attire. What ever will bring you peace during the holidays is worth your time now.

Share your discoveries on our facebook page. We could all use some great ideas.

Enjoy!
Julie

Happy Halloween!

Have a Happy Halloween!

My Handmade Harvest Creations

The Handmade Harvest Gift Boutique is just around the corner and I have been enjoying the process of creating items to offer for sale. A year ago the teachers of A Work of Heart had the idea to have an event to challenge our own creative vision and inspire us. Ultimately it would inspire the creation of new classes or a new approach to classes we already teach. We created the boutique to challenge ourselves and give us a chance to celebrate with the community. 

I have been inspired to create for the boutique for some time, but I had no idea what I would create until Labor Day weekend.  Over the Labor Day holiday I went back east to visit family. During one of my layovers I went into a little gift shop to browse. I was inspired by an image in a magazine of a bag made from newspaper.  That gave me a great idea...What if I created bags from my journal pages? I was so excited by the idea I dreamed up a plan on the plane ride home.

I few days later I was in my home studio with big sheets of paper, paints, stamps, inks, markers, tape, and images. I had a blast listening to my favorite tunes and making big sheets of collage pages for my bags. 

So far I have 2 completed bags and I'm working on 3 more for the boutique. I'm in the "zone" and I love it.  I'm not sure what I'm charging for these beauties but they are soo cute I want them to all find a good home with someone who will love them and use them.

~ Julie

Meet and Greet: Handmade Harvest Gift Boutique - September 25 - 26

 

Saturday, September 25 - Sunday, September 26th

Join me and all the art teachers at A Work of Heart  for a Handmade Harvest gift boutique. We have all been so inspired by the classes we offer and our students that once a year we offer our creations for purchase at A Work of Heart studio. This is a great time to stop by and meet everyone, visit the studio, learn about our classes and buy a few items before the holiday rush.

I'll be creating some items to support you in your creative journaling process. I'm still dreaming up ideas but the process has been really fun.

For more information visit

A Work of Heart: Handmade Harvest

Project 365

To spark my fall creative spirit I started a project called "Project 365". The goal is to take a photo a day and see what images show up over time. I've been working on it a few months secretly so just in case I wanted to quit nobody would know. I was chicken :) But I've been at it long enough and have learned so much in the process I can declare myself in the project now.   I carry my camera every where I go already so its been easy to get photos on a regular basis. The trick for me has been posting them and organizing them. I also notice I've been struggling to take photos that are both beautiful and tell a story. I'm still working at it. Thats the beauty of a project. It pushes you to learn and grow in new areas.


So I'm learning how I view the world through my photography. Now that I have listed them on flickr I can start to see patterns and themes. Its kind of nice to see what shows up after everything is organized.

If you want to start your own 365 Project here are the details.

Project 365

If you want to follow my progress (maybe we can inspire each other), here is my link on flickr:

The Red Dragonfly Project 365 on Flickr

Sweet Celebration!

Weekly Challenge: Celebrate!

 

 

 

 

 

This week's challenge is to Celebrate! 

This weekend is my birthday. I love to celebrate my birthday. I have always enjoyed a good party. From the moment my sweet great aunt "Auntie" gave me my first taste of champagne on my 16th birthday, My dad serenaded me on his harmonica  and my great uncle Buster gave me my first string of pearls...I have loved the celebration associated with my birthday. There is something magical about marking a new year and celebrating with friends and family. In recent years retailers have gotten in the spirit, so a month before my birthday I get cards and coupons from my favorite stores. It's turning into a national holiday for MEEEEE! 

In recent years I have made my birthday a weekend event.  I enjoy every minute with as many  friends as possible. I accept invitations to celebrate and let my birthday unfold. Its always fun that way.

This week I invite you to celebrate with me.  You guys have no idea how much I enjoy hearing how you are including creative play in your lives and how that is impacting your lives. It keeps me going and inspires me in so many ways. So thank you for sharing your journey and joining me from time to time in our creative journaling workshops. Thanks most of all for keeping me up to date on what is happening in your lives and how creativity is shaping your experience. 

Lets celebrate this week together...share your photos, stories and other goodies in the comments below or on our Facebook page. Celebrate and share the JOY!

Flea Market Finds

I've taught all the classes I will teach for the year and its time for me to dream up next years group of classes and revamp some of the one's I taught this year adding a bit more flare and expanding the size of my classes. To get inspiration I love taking little trips to search for items that I can use in my journals. Its amazing what you can find at a flea market.


Last weekend I went with a group of ladies from A Work of Heart to a local flea market. I found some great items...vintage stamps, music paper, canvas bags, letters and really old books. It was so much fun to get up early in the morning and search through so many wonderful things.

At the flea market, we ran in to serveral people who have attended our classes.in the past. Its so wonderful to meet and re-meet people out and about who have changed aspects of their lives just by connecting more with their creativity. I love seeing the transformational power of creative expression.

So in the next few months you should start to see some of the items in my journals in next years classes and on the site. I'll spend some time playing and allowing the creative process to guide me.

If you are working on something fun please share in your comments or drop me an email. I love hearing what you all are creating.