Recently I was working on a journal page when my husband walked in and asked me what I was up to.  I replied, “Fixing a mistaek…<grin>… because that’s what I do.”  He smiled and quoting my tagline said, “Well…mistaeks are mandatory.”

This page began with a little gesso and acrylic paint.  More gesso and the end of a paint brush scribbling the words, “because I love myself enough I release all criticism and fear.”  The lettering was then traced with black marker and covered with more gesso and paint.  I proceeded to add some stamping from rubber stamps I had carved out myself.  It was beginning to come together.

I never have a plan; particularly when I art journal.  Still relatively new to the process and idea of art journaling I spent some time looking at a few videos on YouTube.  I found one that sprayed color wash onto the page and then splattered alcohol (your basic rubbing alcohol) onto the color wash creating this marbling effect.  I loved it.

I didn’t love the writing.  I liked the words I chose, I just didn’t like the black pen I’d chosen to use.  Hmm.

Cover it up with some tissue paper and Mod Podge.  Write it again with a different pen.

I thought I liked it until I photographed it; never mind that it’s an iPhone snap in bad lighting.  Okay, cover it up again with more tissue paper and Mod Podge. 

Do you think I’m a perfectionist?  I am.  But I also think that I needed these words to sink in, to resonate, to root themselves into my thought process.

Somewhere between who I was

and who I am meant to be

Learning to love

every part of me.

I have been playing a bit.  Making a lot of mistaeks while Ms. F. Quibbler whispered in m’ ear.  Perhaps there is someone out there who is interested in my mistaeks.  I don’t know.  I am willing to share them, however, and leap [back] out into the world of Etsy.

Mistaeks are mandatory and I insist that you make lots of ‘em!  I know I do.  How else might we learn and grow and change and live better?  I’m learning from my mistaeks so the finished works I now share are only going to get better and better and bigger and brighter.

Shut. up.

Sorry.  I wasn’t talking to you.  Ms. F. Quibbler just walked in. 

21 items just went live on Etsy.  I really struggle with shipping costs, etc. even though I have an app for that.  I like to use Priority Mail, but for some things it’s just not cost effective so we’re going with first class rates for the most part.  I’ve also added Canada to the list.  Yay!  So without further ado here is a slideshow to play with.  Some of the photos do not do the item justice….I really need to gather up some props and textures for my photo sessions.

Thanksgiving Gratitude Tree

This is a fabulous project for the family to do together and a fantastic way to see how the kids view the world through their thoughts of gratitude.

A few years ago, in a long-forgotten-magazine-article, I read about the making of a Gratitude Tree.  Thinking back to magazines I subscribed to, I’m guessing it was most likely a nugget of inspiration in Family Fun.  I was so excited about making this a Thanksgiving Tradition in our home that I jumped right in and made one.  My daughter, now a teenager, still loves to help cut out and prepare new leaves.  Our guests find them scattered about the dining table at Thanksgiving, pens in waiting and tied with twine ready to receive their blessings and be hung to gather and multiply.

So…let’s get to it.  How did I craft this blossoming tree of gratitude?

It’s really easy and fun to do and there’s lots of room for improvising and making it your own.  The first thing I did was scout around the back yard and find a suitable branch.  Mine is approximately 20″ tall.  I painted it brown and glued some die-cut leaves here and there.

For the base, I purchased some clay at the craft store that I fashioned into a sort of rock formation.  Before baking the glob of clay, I stuck the end of the branch down the middle to create a hole for it to rest in.  When the time came to assemble the two pieces, I poured a generous amount of glue down the hole to secure the branch in place.  To decorate the base, I cut leaves out of tissue and handmade paper with a leaf punch and glued them to the clay base in layers.  I was shooting for a “pile of leaves” look, but settled for a simple “fall colors” look.

The final step was to print up sheets of leaves on colored card stock in various sizes, cut them out, punch a hole near the stem and tie some twine on each of them for hanging by our guests. You could easily draw and cut them out as well, or use a die-cut if you have one.  I typically prepare two to three leaves per guest. 

But…shouldn’t we be grateful year-round?

I so love the idea of this and having it on our table; to remember to be grateful during the upcoming holiday season.  It’s also loads of fun to go back and see what my daughter, step kids and their significant others were grateful for in years past.

This year I’ve chosen a different shaped leaf and printed them on red and orange card stock.  I love that my daughter still enjoys helping and it offers up a few cherished moments talking about gratitude and sharing our gratitude.

This tree fills me with so much joy and gratitude that I’m beginning to plan my next one; a brighter, more colorful, year-round gratitude tree.  Perhaps I’ll paint it blue, or orange, or yellow?  Hmm.

Happy Fall!

joy & gratitude

~Syda

If you’re a new visitor to Kreative Notions, you can still bless my day and bring a sweet, sweet smile to my face by signing up now.  :)

My daughter offered up her pink cap and with all the names written on slips of paper, we folded them up and placed them inside.

Sweets took the honor of giving it a little shake while I did a happy dance before drawing the lucky winner from her hat.

And the recipient of the hand-painted-one-of-a-kind-Journal-Jar is…

LYN!!!!

Congratulations!  I will be contacting you shortly and packaging your Journal Jar for shipment early this week.  Yay!