Nighttime Ritual

Monday Mugshot:

PROMPT: Winter Wonderland

Shoot a mug in a monochromatic white/cream theme

Snow taking on an unusual texture from the falling ice

Pieces of fallen ice littering the walkway. 

Stress plays havoc with my sleep.  Out of sheer exhaustion I will fall asleep on the couch while watching the evening news or shortly thereafter.  My husband wakes me up to go to bed around 9:00.  I will wake up for the day anytime between 12:15 to 1:30 am.  I grade papers, work on lesson plans or get things done on the computer until 5:30 when I start getting ready for work.  I come home from school about 4, change, take Cleo for a walk, cook dinner then stretch out on the couch to watch the evening new and the cycle begins again.  I am exhausted! 

In order to gain control of this exhausting cycle I have created a nighttime ritual.  I must give credit for this idea to Victoria Moran’s book, Younger by the Day; 365 Ways to Rejuvenate Your Body and Revitalize Your Spirit. While is seems very logical, without self-discipline it is difficult to maintain on a nightly basis, and even more so when you are exhausted!

                          Grooming

                          Spiritual Practice

                          Reading

                         Affirming a good night’s sleep

                         (Moran, 121)

I notice a difference when I don’t follow it, only follow some of it, and when I diligently complete the entire ritual.  I am working on my self—discipline to insure I get all the steps done and don’t slip back into the habit of lying out on the couch.

How are you sleeping lately?  Do you have a nightly ritual which helps you sleep better?

Linking up with Monday Mugshot.

Moran, Victoria, Younger by the Day; 365 Ways to Rejuvenate Your Body and Revitalize Your Spirit. New York: HarperCollins, 2004.

Sharing my latest journal.

Mugshot

PROMPT: Mistletoe or Humbug?

Shoot your mug with your most sentimental Christmas Decoration OR with a list of reasons you "HATE CHRISTMAS!!"

The ornaments on the Christmas tree are my most sentimental decorations.  You know the ones; the doily or the cutout tree with their photo of your child glued in the center made by your kids’ kindergarten and 1^st grade teacher.  And one’s handmade by them using empty toilet paper rolls and pipe cleaners, or homemade salt dough formed into some unidentifiable shape.  Those are what I treasure. 

This year, my goal is to take a photo of each one hanging from the tree so if a disaster happens I haven’t lost them for good.  I think we should all do this.  Hurricane Katrina and the latest Illinois tornadoes should have taught us that the stuff we miss most is not that recently acquired 50” flat screen TV; it’s the photos and things that hold a sentimental value.

 If you want to do something nice for someone this Christmas, take photos of their cherished ornaments hanging from their tree then save them somewhere safe online at Shutterfly, Photobucket, Picasa or, Flickr.  Let’s hope they will be unpacking the real ones again next year but if disaster strikes, your gift will be greatly treasured. 

 Magpie Journal:  An Altered Book

Magpie Journal Slideshow

As promised, here is my Magpie Journal.  Magpie Journal?, you ask.  Created for a swap at Swap-bot, the Magpie is a bird who goes around collecting or thieving things.  For this journal we had to have at least 30 entries of things we have collected.  Sounds easy but trust me, it was not!  I ended up sending out an SOS to fellow art journalists and friends in order to get some of the things needed to get all of the pages completed.  After two unsuccessful starts I decided on altering this book.

I tried creating mine as if I, the creator, were the Magpie.  Here is the intro page:

As a Magpie I …

Pilfer things to make my nest

Steal shiny things

Snatch things from the winter’s garden

Pilfer from Michael’s Craft store parking lot

Collect things that are black like my feathers

Thieve odds & ends of board game pieces

As an artist I collect  …

          Dylusion’s Spray Ink

          Sakura Gelly Roll Pens`

          Buttons

          Ribbon

          Washi tape

          Duct tape

Beads

I act like a Magpie when I…

Pilfer paint chips from Home Depot for my art journals

Surround myself with things that make me happy

Take photos of funny signs when I see them

Keep a stash of my favorite books

Hoard bits & pieces of tape

Procure business cards 

Collect :         all things PURPLE

inspiring quotes

all things University of Michigan

German Beer Coasters

Crystals

Tea

Maxine-isms

Weird & fun-to-say words

Calling cards

Small lamps that warm the house with their glow

Michigan post cards

It reached its new owner yesterday and I am relieved to learn she loved it! 

My next project is completing a December daily.  I have everything for it stashed in a tote bag but with work keeping me so busy, I decided to complete it over holiday break.  I promise to share. 

What are you working on over the holidays?  I would love to hear about it or see your photos!  Please, take a moment to share.

Linking up with Monday’s Mugshot and Glue it Tuesday.  

Out of My Head, Onto the Paper

I live too much inside my head.

Thoughts run through my head like the TV news tickers that run across the bottom of the television screen.  They are never-ending and seem to recycle themselves, running over and over through my mind.  I realized that a key to moving on is releasing those thoughts, getting them out of my head and onto the paper. 

Journaling is a struggle for me.  I have always been envious of those girls who kept one of those little diaries with the tiny locket key.  Try as I might (I had MANY failed attempts) I could not tackle the discipline of writing daily in one of those small books.  I struggle now with my morning reading ritual.  When stress hits, out it goes!

I completed one of my books, Choosing Happiness; Life & Soul Essentials by Stephanie Dowrick.  Upon finishing the book I realized I’m not any happier and I’m not any more pleasant to live with.  How can this be?  Because I don’t take action!  I read it, I write out what inspires me, and then I shelve the book on my desk until the next morning when I do my reading.  I don’t take any action towards what inspired me.  The list of things I have to get done pushes out that inspiration and replace them with stress.  So with the starting over from page one I am going to journal differently.  The main goal is to stop living in my head and take action.  I need to get my thoughts out on paper; making myself journal them instead of letting them continuously recycle like that news ticker tape at the bottom of the TV screen.  Every day I need to take one action step in the direction of my life’s purpose.  I need to give up worrying whether it’s in “right” direction and trust that the angels are guiding me towards the right path.

This is what my old journal looks like: 

 Here’s my new journal:

Linking today with Monday Mugshot over at A Year in the Life of an Art Journal:

Struggling with Work Stressors and Remaining Creative

Monday Mugshot Collaboration

 

PROMPT: My Struggle. What is something you struggle with?
SHOOTERS: Shoot your mug all tied up. Use rope, twine, string...

My struggle is STRESS: learning to still be creative while dealing with the stressors of teaching.

As soon as the stress of teaching kicked in, my morning reading ritual got pushed aside in exchange for grading papers and lesson plans.  I stopped working in my journals because the connection with my creativity got short circuited by the thousands of stressful thoughts circling and recycling in my mind. I am startled at how quickly I fell back into my old habits:  not sleeping, getting up in the middle of the night to grade papers or complete some required task that I didn't have time to complete during teaching hours.  When I got home my mind was too frazzled and my body too exhausted from getting up so early to do anything more than lie down on the couch and watch mindless TV.   After dinner I would inevitably fall asleep watching TV.  My husband would wake me up to go to bed but once there my mind would begin racing with thoughts of the next day, things that happened the previous day or week, the papers I promised myself I would grade as soon as I got home but didn't…. I couldn't sleep because I couldn't get my mind to rest.  Then the anxiety over not sleeping yet another night would kick in and I would find myself once again getting out of bed at 1:30, 2:00 a.m. to grade paper or complete one of many of the endless required teaching tasks.  The cycle was broken only by the dawn of the weekend.  I found myself looking forward to Saturday mornings when I could make a pot of coffee and steal away in my office to work on creating ATC’s or a journal for a swap.  This was the one day when my mind allowed the ticker tape to stop recycling and allowed the bottled up creativity to let loose.  

How do you deal with work stressors and still stay connected with your creativity?

Mugshot Monday and Glue it Tuesday

Mugshot.

This week’s prompt is emotion.  What are you feeling right now?

I blogged here about the need to regain my focus.  I feel as though I got too caught up in linking and creating for swaps and was not staying true to my mission; finding my life’s purpose.  Creating is fun but I wasn’t creating for myself.  I have a long list of art journals and altered books I want to create but I allowed my attention to get diverted away from them by creating ATC’s and journals for others.   

My feeling right now is I must regain my focus and stay true to my own journey. 

Glue it Tuesday

There was lots of gluing going on for this project!  I joined a swap that involved creating a themed journal.  We were to fill half of the journal then send it to our partner who would complete the other half and mail it back.  I decided on The Language of Flowers inspired by the book by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  The story spoke to me in a way I just can’t explain and while I was reading it I kept returning to the thought that I had to make a journal on the meaning of flowers.  Ideally, I would have preferred using dried, pressed flowers but time did not allow for it as I had 4 weeks to complete my half of the journal so I went with photos from my garden. 

This is my first journal of this kind and I learned one thing about myself as I went along; I prefer consistency.  I started out writing the names of the flowers in my own handwriting then began using a stencil.  I wish I would have thought to start with the stencil and used it for each flower.  For the background I varied between Dylusions ink spray, tissue paper, and scrapbook paper and for uniformity I wish I had just stuck to one of them.  Where I lacked a photo I used a seed packet or photo from an antique book which I think made the journal interesting.

I have 6 pages yet to complete but I put it aside after learning the swap was cancelled (a whole other story).  I will finish it as I hate unfinished projects hanging around.  I am thinking about adding Gerber daisy, tulip, orchid, and carnation.  That leaves me two flowers short.  Do you have any suggestions as to what I might use?  Do you have a special connection to a flower or a memory of one that makes for an interesting story?  I would love for you to share it with me. 

Note:  I put a slideshow of the journal in its entirety on the right.  Please feel free to view it and give me some feedback as to what I might do differently.

Linking to Monday Mugshots and Glue it Tuesday.

Mugshot Monday & Glue it Tuesday

I am late in posting for a wonderful reason; I interviewed for a temporary position teaching Chemistry and Micro Biology and was given the position yesterday.  I started today and it was a whirlwind of a day!

I love my mugshot this week because this is a new mug I found at Michael’s Crafts.  When I happened upon the adorable bird with the beautiful turquoise handle I knew it would be the perfect fall mug.  My favorite art supplies are my Sakura Gelly Roll pens. I have multiple sets but I tend to use the Metallic and the Stardust sets the most.  I like to use them to color in the rubber stamps on envelopes and in my art journals. 

I have been working on several projects for Swap-bot.  I created this pocket journal from a mini composition book for a One Sentence Journal for the month of September.  I put it together in one afternoon by adding information about each of the days in the month.  To fill it I must write one sentence about my day for each day until the end of the month.  When completed I send it off to my partner who gets to keep it.  I will then receive one from someone else.

These were created for a Color Association ATC’s – Blue swap.  Each month a different color is assigned for this swap.

  

I created these for a different ATC swap.  I am especially fond of how the bird ATC’s came out.

I created this page for a Pocketsize Journal/Sketchbook Swap. I am the third person of 20 who will work in her journal.  Here I blogged about the one I created for this swap.  I have no idea where it is at but I look forward to getting a beautifully filled journal back in 12 months. 

I am halfway done with another journal I am creating for a different swap.  We are to choose a theme for our journal, fill half of it then send it to our partner who will complete the second half then mail it back.  I chose the theme Language of Flowers. For each page I have a photo of a flower, its scientific name and its meaning.   I should have it completed by the weekend and will post photos of it then.

What are you creating these days?  Perhaps what you create is not on paper but rather in the kitchen using spices and produce, filling your home with savory, mouthwatering smells.  Or perhaps you create with fresh flowers or wood and nails.  Whatever it is that you create, please take a moment a share your recent creation. 

Monday Mugshots & Glue it Tuesday

Ugly mug with Fireball Hibiscus

Assignment is to shoot your least favorite mug.  This is one of a set of 4 Christmas mugs that were given to me as a gift.  My first thought upon opening them was UGLY!  I prefer bright, cheerful colors to drink my coffee from; these, well there is simply nothing pretty or cheery about them!  Worst yet, they do not keep my coffee hot (oh, the sin)! 

So how does one go about taking a picture of an ugly mug?  Find the most sensational flower in the garden and put the two together!  This Fireball Hibiscus started blooming over the weekend.  The blooms are the size of a small dinner plate.  I purchased several of them and now each plant is over 3 feet tall.

Glue it Tuesday

Monday arrived after a busy weekend.  It was Blueberry Festival weekend, a good time for a garage sale because of all the visitors.    They have to drive right past out house to get to town so the perfect time to get rid of stuff.  We did not sell everything but a large chunk of it is gone.  It always feels good to get rid of the clutter!  Oh, the Christmas mug set, they didn't sell!

 

Mega ATC Swap 

rows: orange then green

Rows: purple then copper 

Handmade envie using pages from old math book

On Swat-bot I signed up for a mega ATC (Artists Trading Card) swap, 15 for this one swap.  I started working on them yesterday and finished them all today, including a handmade envelope for each one.  I designed them the same but each one came out differently.  I did them in groups of 4, each group assigned a different color ink and banner paper.  Gluing was the most time consuming part but by completing them in groups I was able to streamline the process and get done in a couple of hours.  These will go out in tomorrow’s mail for those 15 lucky folks!

Needless to say, my gluebook did not get opened this week.  My scissors and glue were on overdrive for this swap.  Perhaps later in the week I will be able to sit down with it and get a page or two completed. In today’s mail an envelope of green goodies arrived from a 10 green things envie swap I participated in.  Maybe I will create a green page using some of those goodies.

What do you do with unwanted gifts?  I know some people regift them.   I prefer to either donate or put them in a garage sale box as I am not a regifter.  What are your thoughts on regifting?

Monday Mugshot

The assignment is The Bright Side: Shoot your mug with the sun behind it.  I chose this shot on my front porch with the Marine flag flying in the background.  With the heightened security at US embassies I have been concerned about my son Zachary.  I've asked family and friends to keep him in their prayers.  This mugshot is dedicated to him.

Journey of an Art Journal

I joined Swat-bot, an online service that organizes group swaps, as a way of sharing my art.   This is my biggest undertaking yet.   I will be contributing to 20 other artist’s journals as they arrive via mail from all over the world.  This one is mine and I sent it today on its first leg of a long journey.  It will be at least a year before we meet up again. I thought the Irish Blessing very fitting.  

If you enjoyed this post, I’d be very grateful if you’d help it spread by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you!