cien

Well, would you look at that?  This happens to be my 100th post!  I've decided to return to blogging (some thanks to the encouragement of my husband) now that my daughter, Quinn, is 1 and I have regained some of my time to use as I wish  Have you noticed that maintaining a blog necessitates having enough free time to have ideas, follow through with them, and then write about it? 

This'll continue to be a hodgepodge mix of observation, art, food, and experience and hopefully a good motivator to keep me on track collecting new creative projects, recipes, contests, media, and more - to share with you.

A comfortable, organized environment with plenty of supplies is key if I want to get anything done, so I spent some time yesterday getting things in order and discovering items that had been tucked away and nearly forgotten.  A ton of art paper that I'd rolled up in heavy duty cardboard tubes (stored in the back of the closet) now live in a clear rolling paper tub under the bed.  I was pleased to find a variety of brand new sheets that will make great book covers.  (Though my tastes have apparently changed a bit.)

Our craft room (i.e. our walk in closet that still needs to function as a closet) is overrun with my supplies, but I managed to clear some more room and make everything more accessible.  Those tubs need some labels!

I also took some time to reorganize the small bookcase I use for all our art, craft, and design books.  An unfortunate Christmas day incident resulted in Christmas tree water pouring onto some of them, but I managed to salvage them all with fairly minimal water damage.

Here are some of my favorite titles (click to view on Powells.com):

Real Life Journals

500 Handmade Books

The Handy Book of Artistic Printing

1000 Fonts: An Illustrated Guide to Finding the Right Typeface

Simple Sewing

Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones

Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts

Stencil 101

So what's in store this year?  Hopefully lots of book making and paper craft, refurbished furniture (?!), photography, typography, crock pot recipes as well as those that take me 4 hours to make, prizes, outings, craft nights, vacations, and everything in between.  

Thanks for sticking with me!

elysium

Big things are in the works. A custom blog graphics redesign (really this time), a new computer for blogging on the go, and a refreshed dedication to getting my thoughts onto the screen. New projects, challenges, and a more focused approach to crafting and living in the wonderful world of Portland.

What prompts this rejuvenation and what makes it success possible? The start of a new year almost always infuses some motivation into the dreary winter psyche, but too often it is short lived. I’m hoping that the other component of this impulse – my noticeably improved and utterly comfortable new living environment – will more than prevent against the inevitable creativity depression that will try to take hold in a few weeks or months.

The narrowed focus of my blog will align closely with what I’ve been exploring over the past year: seeking creativity and contentedness in Portland. My plan now is to conceptualize and executive specific art projects – often experimenting with techniques and/or media that are new to me. I’ll blog about my successes and failures, and include instructions on how to begin the project yourself at home. Here are some ideas I intend on trying:

Knit & felted bowls

Glass etching

Hand-lettered broadside posters

Assignment-specific book arts exhibit submissions

Stenciling

Reversible painted headboard

Handmade rub-ons

Sewing

Gold leaf

Paper making

I will also spend more time exploring the many exciting places Portland has to offer. I’ll be more consistent in terms of toting my camera with me and checking out new places. This week offers up two new experiences: an adults-only night of coffee, food and bouncing fun at the World Forestry Museum and a weekend stroll through the newly-renamed Lan Su Chinese Garden.

So here’s to a New Year full of courage and innovation, pleasure and challenge.

Share what changes you plan to implement during the next month in honor of this rousing holiday!