Blog

I love books. About a lot of different subjects. I learn through reading, and I enjoy the art books full of tutorials.

I discovered an easy peasy technique in Claudine Hellmuth‘s book “Collage Discovery Workshop“: using plastic wrap to create a fun texture. It’s awesome when doing layers and layers for backgrounds.

I was on Youtube, looking for videos about Glimmer Mists (I just LOVE Glimmer Mists… and am always looking for new ways to use them in my artwork, things that are out of what we usually think). And found a video using the exact same technique found on Claudine’s book, but with the spray.

I tried, and here is what came out:

See how easy and quick it is ?

You have to be quite heavy when spraying the Glimmer Mists.
I used several colors, but you can use just one if you want.
It’s handy to already have the plastic wrap cut and ready to use before you start.
It can take time to dry, don’t be too impatient (yes, it’s hard. I know). But it also depends on the surface used; if it absorbs the Glimmer Mists fast or not.

If, as I do, you plan to add more layers OVER it, you have two options to avoid any smudging:

1. Heat dry (with your embossing gun) and then coat it with a hair spray (thank you so much Scrapacat for the tip).
2. Coat it with the Workable Fixative spray (by Krylon).

If you give it a try, I’d LOVE to see how it turns out. You’ll never get the same result twice (that’s part of the fun too).

I started to write my Morning Pages again, even if I usually don’t write them first thing in the morning (so how should I call these ? I should find it another name…) These 3 pages of free writing, without taking care of the meaning, of the form, of the potential mistakes helps me a lot to pull out thoughts off my head. And sometimes I cheat a little because I re-read despite the fact that Julia Cameron advises not to do so before a certain amount of time (7 weeks ? I have to check). I really do huge discoveries about myself, it brings stuff into focus; this exercice is really what I need currently and I’m glad I started it again (and don’t blame myself anymore when I miss a day).

My Morning Pages paired with today’s Connie‘s blogpost just made KABOOOOOOOOOOM in my mind.

Indeed, this week I noticed a pattern of thinking: why do I not share more my Art Journal pages ? And I finally understood why ! Here is partly what I wrote earlier this morning (it was in French so I translate):

My style is special because I am someone peculiar. I have my paradoxes. I am made of Darkness and of Light. Today, light predominates but it was not like this a few years ago; and sometimes Darkness takes over again. I drown into it, I’m like in a bubble filled with water, I move over the course of its flow but I stay grounded in the bottom.  Until the day the bubble bursts as if nothing happened, and so I see the Light again. It’s how I work. For a long time I fought and wanted to go against cuntercurrent of my life, chasing the Spleen and wanting absolutely to be somebody else. But it was vain because it’s not the best. It was like I was fighting against windmill during a major tempest…  I am affraid to let people see this dark side of  me, whereas it now coexist nearly perfectly with my luminous side; they’re in me side by side.

I longly hesitated before sharing these words with you but felt like it was something I had to do.

A lot of my pages are… weird. I love them mucho but because of the fear of being judged, of people thinking “she should be in a mental institute, she’s totally depressed”, I kept them all for myself and my very close circle. It’s now time for me to share who I am with the World, and not who I think people would like me to be. I don’t deny my paradoxes and my past anymore.

So I’ll try to overcome this fear and to share more of who I am via my art journal pages 🙂

Again. Okay I know, it should have been blogged last Monday but…. better late than never !

1. Zen Charm bracelet, by The Zen Muse, 2. DSCF0180, 3. THINE and THOU, TOGETHER, 4. 09_03_10, 5. The Art collector , 6. Tree Owl Necklace, by The Zen Muse, 7. you can fly, 8. Awake, 9. IMG_2120_Frm3-10J_Love_Web

Colourful Softness. Trees, Zen, Love.

Looking for these deep emotions living in me, I sort of everything, I enjoy every moment and every experience. Center myself to discover me and share better.

I also feel the strange urge to adorn my body with what vibrate in me. I’m currently working on my next tattoo; the ideas are getting more precise. I don’t know if I’ll get it for my birthday (September 20th) or after, the date is not that important even if turning 25 is kind of huge for me; I have some jewelery cravings too.

I know myself more and more better and it does not feel as bad as what I thought…

Good news Lovelies !!

For today (September 9th) only, Kelly Rae Roberts allows us to buy her Whole Shabang ebook (I talked about it there) for a reduced price: $99 instead of $140. It’s a really great deal so I thought I would share with you.

It’s 205 pages to help you understand and learn all you need to know to launch your creative business. Because it feels overwhelming, and stressful, it is much helpful to have access to all these informations in one place.

Click on the image to know more:

The one that is on sale is the last one. She also said : don’t worry you’ll see the normal price but you’ll pay $99.

Today, Jamie is also asking us (aka Wishcasters) what does wishcasting brings in our life. So I’ll begin by answering this week’s prompt, and then I’ll answer about what do I wishcast the more often I can.

Today’s question is What do you wish for less of ?
And my answer was instantaneous: I wish for less clutter in my life (and by consequence, in my mind).

I was really sad when I talked to my husband about Bindu Wiles’ new project that will begin next week, called “the Shed project“. The goal is to get rid of about 1/4 of your stuff, and shed 10 pounds, in two months. To build a community around this will to let go, and to clear our space and our mind.
My husband disagreed in me trying to do so. I understand completely is point of view “It makes me sick to throw away 1/4 of things we bought, for what we gave money for. Why did we bought this if it’s to throw it away afterwards ?!!!?”. BUT he’s the first person to qualify my stuff as “your mess” (which upsets me… a lot). So what’s the point ?! It’s cluttering the house but because I paid for it, I can’t get rid of it ? It makes me sad too, to think that it costes money and that it’s just sitting there in a corner or whatever.

When we moved from France, we sold lots of our things, and we gave some, and of course, a lot goes directly to the trash. Clothes, cooking stuff, toys, books, decorations… people were happy to get them for less than what it would have costed “new”, and we were happy not to have to bring them in Canada. Sometimes it was painful, because we attach importance to these material things. But it’s only material, physical. We shouldn’t care that much.

I am a compulsive art supply buyer. But i’m healing myself. yes I do. And it’s the same with food: I am always affraid we don’t have enough. I’m planning to sort all my supply, make some piles “use it a lot” “use it sometimes” “bought because it was trendy but I never use it”. I may sell some, and giveaway the rest. Maybe people will have some use of it and it will make them happy (I love happy peoples).
Last week-end, we sorted our daughters’ dresser, and have a big bag to give to the nearest thrift store. It feels good.
I wanted to get rid of some of my cookbooks (cooking is my first passion, then painting/creating came in my life) but Cheridoo is not that okay with it so I keep them all (about… 150 books only about cooking).

I feel the urge to clear my space. It’s calling me for weeks now, but everytime i want to do so, an obstacle comes on my way…

On another note, I wish for less pounds in my body, less food intake. I don’t want to talk much about it, but here too it’s time to make some changes in my alimentation, and I’m beginning soon to work out again.

Sooooo in honour of her new big project (a 52-prompt Wishcasting Journal !!!!!!!!!), Jamie is asking to whom want to answer “What Wishcasting has meant to you“.
For me, Wishcasting allows me to take time to think on a particular subject/area of my life. And to introspect, listening inside for answers. Some are very easy to find and comes as soon as I read the prompt, some are very difficult and need some time to dig deeper in me. Most of the time, Jamie’s week prompt is in perfect timing with what i experience, and it’s an amazement each time, as if she was in my Soul without knowing it.
Putting concrete words on feelings makes SUCH a difference. It’s like an open letter to the Universe. And I experienced several time the love and support we all put in others’ wishes is also something that makes a different, like a huge worldwide tribe of dreamers and wishers, united to change their life. The sentence “as X wishes for himself/herself, so I wish for himself/herself also” may sound cheesy, but trust me: it DOES make a difference.
I feel very thankful to know Jamie, and she makes me wanna jump on a plane to Toronto and hug her “for real”. She inspires me, pushes me to go deeper and deeper, she’s a positive bomb. And so are her projects such as Wishcasting Wednesday.