Planner Prints part 1 (Monthly Planner)

So, last week I showed you guys a lot of picture from my printmaking craziness at my friend Erika's house.  I was asked to show it more detail what it is I am doing with those prints, so that is what I am going to do!!

First, I wanted to make some monthly planners.  Erika and I talk about this way back in July and I just now had time to make the prints.  So, these monthly planners actually have 4 prints per page and have four pages and are hand sewn together!  So, here are some photos!!

I left the cover blank so the person who gets the planner can decorate it as desired.  The first spread is a customizable calendar and looks like this:

 Next you open the pages and get a weekly lay-out with a notes page.

 There are 5 of those weeks so that if the month is one of those funny ones where the weeks are off you have enough to cover it!  The last pages are just notes pages:

And that is it.  I actually am trading this pink one with an artist that I communicate with via Instagram.  Her blog is http://www.rainbowgeckogal.blogspot.com.au and her Etsy shop is
https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainbowGeckoGallerysdfsd .

I made a few other planners but I donated them to my student group, the FSU Art Therapy Association.  We are trying to raise money to pay for our spring workshop and to help students attend the national conference.  If you are interested in helping us you can donate via http://www.youcaring.com/other/spread-healing-through-the-arts/80224#fundraiserShare  - that site also shows you a video about us and what we want to do with art therapy!!

I was considering making some of these to sell in my Etsy shop but they are A LOT of work and I don't think I could sell them for enough to make it worth my time and effort.  Perhaps I will figure something else out though!

I also made some other planner prints that I will tell you about in my next post!!

DIY Postcards part 2

Here are some more postcards that I made for the DIY Postcard Swap!!

I am kind of attached to that ice cream one and not sure I really want to send it away!

I really like this one too but I am ok with letting it go to someone else!  I hope you guys have enjoyed the peek and are inspired to make some mail art!! Thanks for stopping by.  "See" you soon!!

Grad School Barbie

For a comedic look at grad school life - and a shockingly similar portray of my life - go check out this blog post http://joannarenteria.com/2011/12/13/i-was-considering-grad-school-and-then-i-saw-this-hilarious/   About Graduate School Barbie!

DIY Postcards part 1

I have started making postcards for the DIY Postcard Swap.  I LOVE making postcards.  Art journaling is my favorite type of art and mail art is basically art journaling that gets sent through the mail!  LOVE it!!  So, I wanted to share with you some of my newly made postcards!!

I had a lot of fun making these cards.  I always enjoy the times when I can take a moment away from school and spend time making art.

If you want to sign up to participate in the swap visit the DIY Postcard Swap Info Page and check it out!  I highly encourage you to sign up - you won't regret it!!

Self-Care Printmaking

This past weekend I finally made planner prints!!  We had a self-care event where we all made art!!  It was really fun.  I completely took over Erika's kitchen and prints were everywhere:

 I made a few Angel Soldier prints as well.  I had a little bit of ink left and decided to decorate my newly purchased moleskin journal with it:

It was great to spend a whole day away from grad school worries.  I did absolutely no homework and did not feel guilty once!!  It was awesome.  I hope you are able to find time to make art too!!

Symbols Mask

One of the art projects we are doing for Symbols class this semester is an archetype mask.  We picked an archetype that we wanted to learn more about and made a mask to represent it.  I missed the first class, so I started my mask at home.  It was quite messy (I still have plaster all of that sink and its been a few weeks!):

We decorated the masks in class that next week:

And here is the finished product:

My mask is of the mother figure archetype.  I chose to represent her as mother nature - appearing as a sunflower.  The mother figure can represent both positive or negative things... she can create, encourage growth, and aid - or she can suppress, stifle and destroy.  I think since I made mine as a lovely flower she is positive in this instance.  As a symbol, flowers often represent the soul, youth, spring and the dawn.

Halloween Mail Art

Last week I was SUPER Stressed.  So, one night I said "screw it!" and instead of doing homework I made halloween mail art! So, for your viewing pleasure, here it is:

I also prepped a halloween art journal page..

Its all ready for the actual journaling part now!

Hope you are enjoying the halloween spirit as well!! 

Journal Cover

My best friend, Hillary, and I are doing a journal swap with each other.  We got journals and decorated the covers and then traded.  I wanted to share the cover of my journal with you!!

Here is the front:

And Hillary's journal's front:

And the back:

Both the front and back  cover of Hillary's journal are decorated with things that I gave to her!
I am really excited about this swap.  We will probably be swapping back and forth until we graduate because our schedules are quite packed and therefore we cannot create as much as we desire.  I will share some of our creations once we get it going!!

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Post Card Swap Time!!

Its time - to swap some post cards!!   iHanna is doing her DIY Postcard Swap!

Here is the link to find out information: http://www.ihanna.nu/postcard-swap/

I highly encourage you to do this swap because you will get 10 awesome postcards in the mail!!  You might get some like this:

I made it for another swap, but it is an example of mail art!!  Here is another one:

So, you can do this!  You can make cards and spread some art love!!

Go, my friends, and sign up!  Have some crafty fun and send it across the globe!

Creative Arts Workshop

The FSU College of Visual Arts Theater and Dance did a write up on the Creative Arts Workshop that I helped put together.  Here is the link if you would like to read it.

http://info.cvatd.fsu.edu/2013/09/8485/#.Ul_0B5ZuSUk.facebook

Mustache

I have a classmate who likes mustaches... so, I made this in her journal:

I hope she loves it!

Life's Ups and Downs

Sometimes it amazes me how fast things can go from GREAT to HORRIBLE.

For instance...

Yesterday I would have told you how super happy I was that I had submitted my thesis IRB proposal Monday night (around 10pm) and finished my last mid-term test.  I also finished a paper for one of my classes last night.  Awesomeness, right?

And then...

Today, I spent all day at the prison.  Not a bad thing, but being there all day is hard.  I come home pretty much exhausted.  I was so excited leaving the prison because I thought "all I have to do tonight is finish reading for tomorrow's class!!" - what a light load - until I checked my email and had gotten the dreaded email from my advisor indicating that my thesis IRB application might not get to the next step of the process by tomorrow which is this month's deadline.

After diving back from the prison to Tallahassee and dropping Annie off, I smelt something funny but she insisted it was her neighbor.  I still smelled it when I got home though and looked under my hood to investigate  I found oil all over places it should not be.  I immediately took it to the car place, but since I get home so late it was too late for the mechanics to start on it.  I have to bring it back tomorrow.  On the plus side the manager told me what is likely the problem: bad gaskets, and probably need new spark plugs and an oil change (that last one was me!).

So... feeling great to feeling bad enough to be consistently reminding myself to not be negative and that "I can handle this" and "I can do this."

Apologies for the grip, but if I never tell you anything that is not positive then I am not being real, so I decided to share the craziness.

On the plus side I wanted to show you guys these monsters:

Annie and I made them on Saturday so we would have examples for the kids.  We worked a special event put on by Sesame Street for the moms at the prison and their kids.  We had all the miscellaneous pieces and the kids got to create their own monsters.  We had paper bags to make them into puppets but then just did faces once we ran out of bags.  It was VERY VERY fun.  We might be doing it again too!  If so we are definitely make more random pieces for the monsters to made from!!

October Mail Art

Today I wanted to share a few mail art photos with you!!  First I got this lovely card from my mom:

On the back she reminded me that when I go do things that are supposed to be fun I should actually have fun and not feel guilty that I am not working on homework.  I certainly need to do that.  She suspected that my trip to the Women Veteran Leadership Conference would leave me feeling guilty and she was right.  Hopefully I can take this to heart.

I also wanted to show you some mail art that I made for this month's Happy Art Swap.

I was feeling the Seminole Pride this day!!

Let your beautiful inner light shine!!

That is all for now!  I've got a busy day ahead of me.  I wish you all a wonderful Monday!!

When Clients Don't Show Up

Sometimes clients do not show up for their scheduled therapy session.  Usually when this happens I write notes or file notes or some other administrative thing.  Yesterday a client did not show up and the note writing was a bit out of control so I took a quick break and did the art that I was going to have my client do!  We were going to do coffee filter mandalas!!  I love this project - I've probably told you about it before.  Anyways... you decorate a coffee filter with watercolors or with water soluble markers and then add water to it.  They turn out something like this (at least mine did):

And if you put a paper under it, you get two pieces of art:

Isn't that AWESOME?

It was only a short 10 minute break but I REALLY enjoyed it.  I encourage you to try this!!  If you have kids or art crafty you probably already have both materials that you need.  Have fun!!

I may have a problem...

So, I might just have a bit of an addiction...

Yes, that is right - decorating and writing/art journaling in moleskin journals!  From left to right in the above photo: "Notes & Ideas," my food journal (for my doctor), thesis notebook, "Vet Stuff" note book, and my workout planner/log.  Missing from that photo is the one I am using for my dream journal for this semester.  I am currently refraining from purchasing more of these notebooks because I could just be doing all this in one single place - a all encompassing art journal.  I do, however want to start doing more affirmation writing and that is what spurred my desire for another notebook.

So... here is a short example from my "notes & ideas" notebook:

Its a to-do list.  At Hillary's instance I added "Smile" because I get busy and she says I forget to do this. She is right... I do get busy and forget that I should be having fun too.  She balances me out well.


Another few examples from the same book:

Yep... mandala doodles.  I do them in class when I am bored or not feeling well.

I love these books - they are the perfect size and for some reason I LOVE the grid paper.

Well friends, its going to be a long busy day so I have to go, but I wish you a lovely day!!  Thanks for stopping by!