More Art from D.L.P.

My latest pages from The Documented Life Planner for 2015.  I'm staying current with this one and it's fun to do the weekly challenges.  I've also started Bible journaling with a group on FB.  It took me a little while to be able to actually journal on the pages of my Bible I bought for this purpose but now I love it.  I'm also taking Kelly Kilmer's Making your Mark.  It's a month to month class and I'm hoping to catch up as I can.

The Documented Life Planner Project 2015

I had so much fun with this project last year that I'm doing it again this year.  This year we are using the Dylusions Creative Journal instead of the Moleskine.  I do believe the pages will be studier.  I did get another Moleskine for 2015 for a daily journal because I just liked the process of it.  Below is a photo of what my journal last year looked like after adding all the art to it.  The black Moleskine on the right is what it looked like when I first purchased it.  Quite a bit of difference.

Below I'm going to share my pages from the past 6 weeks challenges.  Hope you enjoy them.

Thanks for stopping by and I'll try to update more often this year.

Where did Summer go?

This summer has flown by so fast.  This year has gone very fast.  I remember my Mom saying the older you get the faster time goes.  I believe her now.  I think we have to experience it for ourselves.  It's been a busy few months. 

I made the page above in my Documented Life Planner because I had 2 neck surgeries this summer.  The be brave today came from a calender I got with a bracelet purchase last year from Lisa Leonard Designs.  I made a little folder and included a wonderful photo of me in the lovely little blue hair net before I went into surgery and my id bracelets and such.

This was a collage page which fell after my birthday.  This is all things from our weekend celebration in New Orleans. 

My husband took this photo of us.  My son and his girlfriend, my Mom and my Daughter who's birthday is the day after mine.  We celebrate together every year.  It's a lot of fun.

A photo of us on my actual birthday.  We had cake at our house and all of our children came, after we took the photo and then I forgot to take another one.  We were having too much fun to remember.

I started a new Bible Study 3 weeks ago call The 7 Experiment by Jen Hatmaker.  It's very intense but oh so good.  It's about all the "stuff" we collect and why do we need it all.  It's a lot deeper than that.  I've been working through each week and I will admit that I've experienced a lot of anxiety at getting rid of the "stuff" that I felt comfortable keeping around.  It did make me stop and think about the reasons I had been holding on to certain things, mainly clothes.  Lots of clothes.  I got rid of 10 bags of clothes.  I feel embarrassed to say that even in print.  I donated those 10 bags.  The 3 sections I've done are Food, Clothes and this week Possessions.  It's amazing at what will keep us from God and a relationship with him.

I'm also reading Jen's book Interrupted.  It's so great.  She has so much enthusiasm that you can feel it coming off the pages while you're reading her words.  She amazes me with what she has to say.  I can relate to so many things she's saying in this book.  I hope you'll take a look at it.

At the same time I started a Bible study with She Reads Truth which is an online group of woman who are just awesome.  I started their studies awhile ago through the Bible app on the IPhone.  They now have their app and a store with these helpful study plans which help me to keep it all organized plus they're pretty to look at.  The study plan came with 2 nice 8x10 prints that go with this study of Hosea and 2 scripture cards.  I'm thinking I'm going to do The Sermon on the Mount next.

My 20 yr. old started his Jr. year of college last month.  He comes home some weekends since he's had to live in his fraternity house for the past year.  He's looking forward to getting back to an apt. in January for sure.  Not a lot of space in those little dorm rooms.

He left 2 of his 4 English books on the table and I was leafing through them.  How I miss college English.  I would love to sit and read these.  He, however isn't too excited about all of these books about literature.  This is his last English for his degree and I know when Dec. arrives he will be more than happy.  Time is really flying fast.  I think I already mentioned that didn't I?

Of course this little man, Beaux has kept me busy this summer.  Excuse the blurry photo.  He doesn't sit still for long.  He had just come home from the groomer and I think he thought he was top dog that day.  All 5 lbs. of him.  Such a great personality.

I hope you're summer has been wonderful and fun.  I'm looking ready to fall.  No sign of any yellow leaves here yet but we do have ragweed and allergies.  Here's hoping I can make more art as soon as I finish getting my house in order. 

For the LOVE of Paper

I've been in love with paper since I was young.  I started scrapbooking in the early 90's while pregnant with my son before it was "cool".  There were no supplies so I used page protectors and colored paper.  I still have those books and I wouldn't change them for anything.

When I was in elementary school we made paper beads out of the color comics in the newspaper or magazines for fun in art.  I'm not sure what sparked this again but I thought why can't I make them with all of this scrapbook paper I have around?  And then I started researching how to do it easier than with bamboo sticks or toothpicks.  I would roll them while we watched tv or movies and it was meditative.  I soon had a large gallon size bag of rolled colorful beads.  So then I started looking for ideas on what to do with all these beads.  And I found loads of them.

I found this necklace on Etsy for $80.  I loved it but wasn't going to pay that much money for a necklace made with paper.  So I started searching.  Most people call me the google queen because I can find just about anything with google.  I made this in 2 hours.  I needed smaller jump rings which I got later.  Everyone loved it.

I got some memory wire and beads and made these types of bracelets and this one for me.  I love how it turned out, so simple and easy.  I've made several for friends.  I use a product to coat the beads that makes them waterproof and sturdy.

I made my Mom this set for Mother's Day.  She loves these colors.  Sadly I forgot to take photos of the others before I mailed them off.

I've also started making cards.  When I finished April and all of the National Letter Writing Month I was still in card mode.  It was so much fun and I had joined Random Acts of Mail so I kept on.  I made 2 graduation cards for friends and one for a local policeman who lost his son.  I make gelli plate cards too just not as often as I'd like.  I love to do flowers the most.

Thanks for visiting.

New Adventures

Last year Randy made me a homemade simple loom out of a piece of wood with nails at the top and bottom. It was really heavy and I made 2 tapestries on it and went on to something else.  I think I tend to have A.D.D. when it comes to crafts because I've tried just about everything there is out there now.

I love Instagram and had been seeing people posting all of these weaving photos.  I found Maryanne Moodie's feed through Elise Cripe.  She posted a cute little kit with a beginner loom and all you needed to start on your weaving adventures.  I mentioned this to Randy and guess what I got for Mother's Day?  He's so great with surprises.  I immediately sat down and started warping and weaving or is that wefting?  I've watched multiple YouTube videos, learned some new information and ordered used books.  I've called about classes, found one local that will be in August that I can take and drove to a yarn store in Baton Rouge, LA.  I guess you could say when I get interested in something I dive right in and go all out.  I investigate it fully then see what I can do.  I even researched rigid heddle looms and so did Randy but just the warping on those gave me anxiety and a headache so I'm going to stick to the frame loom for right now and maybe when I get enough courage and some instruction behind me I'll venture out and learn more.

To say this year has been all about learning is an understatement.  I've broadened my horizons and just went for it.  I've taught myself new things, tried new types of art and figured it out as I went along.  Last year I wouldn't have even tried.  I'm very proud of myself.

The beginner loom and my first try with the kit yarn.

2nd tapestry

My 3rd is on the left.  I did all the new things I learned while watching youtube videos.  The 4th I tried to make a heart and added very long rya to the end.  I love how it turned out.

And my 5th one which I'm super proud of because I did a pattern all on my own.  I used all cotton thread for this one and just a regular stick from the yard because I couldn't find any dowel rods the right size.  It looks very southwestern to me.

I'm currently knitting a scarf for this fall with some yummy wool I bought at the yarn store but I got the greatest yarn to weave with and most was on sale so I'll be back at it soon.

Thanks for visiting.

Ihanna's DIY Post Card Swap

I received 7 postcards in the swap.  All are beautiful.  It was so much fun and I hope to do it again next year.

Documented Life Planner

Summer is in full swing and it just keeps getting busier it seems.  I'm going to share my pages from the last post to current.

I'm so glad I've been able to keep up with each week this year.  I also keep up with the weekly days and decorate those too but I'm not going to share those here.  It's been like writing in a journal for me.  It's going to be great to be able to go back and see what I did through the year in December.  I plan to do this same thing for next year as well.

Thanks for visiting.