I'm not dead...

I promise I'm not dead...seriously!

Last weekend I went to Ohio to visit my family.  I had a great time, even though it seemed like I was barely there at all (much too short a visit)!  I am happy for the time I did get to spend there though.  I love to see my brother's and sister's families and catch up a little.  Being with them reminds me of the good parts of my growing up.  We have a fun time doing absolutely nothing but talking.  I wish I could get up there to see them more often.

Since then I've been on MASSIVE overtime at work, which I'll appreciate on payday, but until then, I will grumble about with a serious amount of grumbling.  Urg.  My sincere desire is to one day be independently wealthy instead of exceedingly beautiful.  Then I wouldn't have to work at all and I could go see my family whenever I wanted and stay as long as I liked.  So if the universe could work that out for me, that would be great.  GET ON THE BALL UNIVERSE!!!

In the tiny amount of spare time from the past week or so, I have managed to get some artsy stuff done.  I'm taking Effy Wild's Book of Days (BOD) workshop online, thanks to her generous sale.  Let me just say, the boot camp alone is worth the full price of admission.  I try really hard not to promote anything because I don't want someone coming back to me all 'you said this was great and that is not how I feel', but seriously, I am loving this workshop.  LOVING IT!!!  

The first thing I did was to use her tutorial video to make my BOD journal.  Super fun and pretty easy!  I've made a journal before, but hardbound.  This one is cloth bound.  I used some cheap muslin I had, and coated it in gesso for the cover.  It's what I had lying about, and it actually worked pretty well:

The outside of my BOD journal.  You can see where some of the color from the first page is popping through.  I'm ok with that.  It's why I like to save decorating the cover of the journal for last.  That way my cover won't get ruined if any artistic over-spray happens.

Here's the first spread of my BOD journal, this is where the color on the cover seeped out from:

"There is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique." -Martha Graham
That comes from a larger quote that I think everybody should read:
"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique.  And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost.  The world will not have it.  It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions.  It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.  You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work.  You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you.  Keep the channel open.  No artist is pleased.  There is no satisfaction whatever at any time.  There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others."
I think Martha Graham, who was an influential dancer and choreographer, really hit on the truth with that statement.  Whatever it is that we do, especially creatively but otherwise as well, is singular and special.  We have a unique view and a unique statement to make in the world.  It is our intrinsic right, our privilege, and practically our duty to get it out there.  There has never been, and there will never be, another person exactly like us.  We shouldn't deny ourselves to the world, because they'll never have another chance to appreciate who we really are and what we do and think.  We are singular, special, unique, and wonderful.

This is the second spread in my BOD journal:

This page is full of texture and layers, which is something that's pretty new to me and something I am learning a lot about in BOD for sure.  I am pretty happy with the textured outcome, and I am super excited about the crackle I got going on in areas of this page!  I've never done crackle paint so successfully before!  So huzzah!!!

This page has a little flap that flips open for hidden journaling as well...although I realize as I look at the picture below, it's not really so hidden if I take a picture and don't at least blur the words...  Oh well...it's more hidden for the fact that I didn't want my super messy handwriting to show up on the page instead of it being something I don't want people to read...so you can read it, it's not a super secret or anything...

Flip open flap!  Fun stuff!  The lyrics on this page are from the song "The Wrote and the Writ" by Johnny Flynn, which you can listen to below if you'd like:

This is the third spread I did for BOD:

Without breaking my arm from the back patting, this is one of those rare moments where I love something I did so much that I can't believe I made it.  I love, love, love this spread...LOVE IT!!!   

This is how I feel when I look at this spread: 

*fits of maniacal laughter*

Crossed with this: 

*whispering "I love you" in creepy voice*

This spread also has a flip:

"Cynics do not contribute, skeptics do not create, doubters do not achieve." - Gordon B. Hinckley
LOOK ALWAYS FOR THE GOOD

The point of this (amazing and beautiful and fabulous) spread is to remind myself to quit being so pessimistic...even when I try to cheat and call it realistic...the point is basically the same.  I think it's true that you tend to see what you look for, so I'm going to start looking for the good a little more often.  Even in stinky situations, there's always something good to find, and that's what I want to see.  Anyone can find the bad parts, it takes a unique person to find the good...and I want to be that person again.  

One good thing I've come across is that Michael's is now carrying their store brand's (Artist's Loft) version of Twinkling H2O's!  Yay!  That's a lot of colors for something like $5...and if you have a coupon (ALWAYS HAVE COUPON!!!)  that's like $3 after tax!  I don't know if the shimmery comes across in the picture, but trust me, they are SHIMMERY:

Fabulous faux Twinks!  I used them on the girl in the awesome 'look always for the good' spread above...she's the perfect amount of shimmery.  (Did I mention how much I love that spread?)

One last good thing I've got to share for today:

O.M.G. !!!  I got this SUPER AWESOME Olivetti Underwood Studio 45 typewriter for $10 when I was in Ohio.  I lugged it  (in it's matching case!!!) all over this humongous flea market that they have in Rogers, OH and I would have carried it to Hades and back if I needed to.  (And it is NOT light...)  This thing is in GREAT working condition, it just needs a new ribbon because the one that's in it is almost used up.  I knew $10 dollars was a steal for a working typewriter, but I Googled it and the cheapest I saw this particular model selling at online was $125 + shipping.  So for TEN dollars, (in my eyes) I got the deal of a lifetime!  I love it so!!!  

I have a plan involving the use of my pretty new/old typewriter...but I'm not ready to share it just yet...you will have to wait in terrible anticipation!  In the meantime, just imagine me hunched over my typewriter like Snoopy... "It was a dark and stormy night..."