Smile And Wave

Scrapbook Sundays over at A Beautiful Mess

I have been regularly sharing Scrapbook Sunday posts over at A Beautiful Mess for the last few weeks and have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to shift my creative gears from designing DIY's, sewing, and weaving. I think one of the secrets to keeping burnout at bay in the creative department is to dabble in more than one medium. It also ensures the third child in this family gets a few scrapbook pages made for him, too!

The images above are from my post about creating bold pages even when you're short on time.

This image is from the post I shared on ways to alter your alpha stickers.

This post shares a few ways to use the new Merino wool felt from the ABM shop.

The images above and below are how I used the August Messy Box.

 

These two images are from the post where I share how to make felt envelopes to add texture and layers to your pages and albums.

I've got a few more lined up to share for September so stay tuned!

In other news, we just sent Brett off to San Francisco for his second grad school residency. Sebastian is starting cub scouts again, Smith is consistently taking one stellar 2-3 hour nap a day, Ruby is enjoying being an all-day kindergartener, and I am patting myself on the back for making it through another few weeks of transitions and full schedules and emotional days. One day at a time. 

There are some fun projects brewing that I am looking forward to sharing when the time comes. My full days have been full of the most creative and exciting kind of work and for that, I am so thankful. Until then, what have you been working on lately? Have you been able to carve out any time to make something just for yourself to scratch that creative itch lately?

-Rachel

Overgramming eCourse is Here!

My latest e-course turns its attention toward our IG obsession! Overgramming is designed to help you get those photos off your phone and into albums that you can save for years and years to come.

If you're anything like me, you have more everyday memories recorded on your phone via your Instagram feed than taken with your DSLR! Maybe those moments feel blog-worthy but it feels overwhelming to organize them. Maybe you don't blog anymore but you don't want your Instagram moments to get buried and forgotten as you continue to add more. Or maybe you want to record more of your regular, everyday moments like what you wore or what you ate because you want an accurate portrayal of what life was like this year to show your family five years from now. These specific and everyday moments are what make up our stories! Let's get these moments printed out so we can enjoy them over and over again.

In this eCourse, I share tips and tricks to easily print out lots and lots of photos from your phone as well as some great supply sources to look to for creating photo albums that feature square images. I then take you through seven different "trends" that many already utilize on IG to help us take note of all the little but important details that make up our lives. I share tips for getting photos surrounding these, and share layout ideas and challenges for using these images in a cohesive album that you can display and save for years to come.

You can read even more details about Overgramming and everything that is taught here. 

What do I get and how much does it cost? 

Early birds get the worm, err...discount, right? So for the first two weeks, you can get this course for just $24. After August 25th, the course will go back to its regular price of $34. 

With your purchase, you get immediate access to all 8 sessions as well as my full albums, access to the course's private Q&A board, a PDF of the entire course (in case you want access even when you're offline), and a bonus download of four different course printable page inserts you can use throughout your albums. 

Check out more images and information about Overgramming and be sure to sign up during the next two weeks to get that $10 off discount. 

Let us know if you have any questions, and be sure to share your layouts with us from the course!

-Rachel and the ABM team

Cultivate Your Creativity eCourse Launch Day!

Cultivate Your Creativity is my newest eCourse. I've designed it as a resource guide to aid you in exploring and developing your creativity and share insights from my own creative journey. It's full of encouragement and advice but also offers plenty of structured steps to show you how to develop your own creativity no matter what season of life you're currently in. 

Who is is it for?

This eCourse is written for anyone who used to paint but hasn't made time for it since their new job or once spent all of their free time sewing but hasn't made it a priority since they had a baby. If your creative spirit has been been set aside while you deal with regular life this course shows you why you're selling yourself short. If you've been feeling the urge to create but get overwhelmed with where to start this course offers steps to make things feel manageable. If you're in the middle of a creative dry spell this course is ready to help you find your way back to fresh inspiration. 

Why should I buy it?

I walk you through all of the reasons your creativity should be valued so there's no excuses for setting it aside any longer. I'll show you the importance of setting up a creative space no matter what resources you have available, walk you through my creative process and the checklists I run through when I'm narrowing down design ideas, point you in a few different directions to continue your creative growth, talk about the value of creative community, discuss ways to avoid and overcome burnout, and share exercises I use for project development. It's also full of encouragement to remind you how important that creative spirit inside of you is and plenty of high fives as you work through the course material!

What do I get?

You get a big push in the right direction in the introduction and can follow along as I share how my creativity has served me since I was a kid and especially how it's seen me through some challenging times as an adult. Then I share five chapters on how to set yourself up for a successful creative journey with posts covering creative space, the creative process, creative growth, creative community, and burnout. Each chapter has reflective homework questions to help you get specific about your own journey. Don't worry, this is the good kind of homework. 

You also get six interviews with creative women that share how their creativity has served them, their families, and in a lot of cases, their budgets. They share how they stay inspired and affirm that YES YOU CAN BE CREATIVE no matter what season of life you're in. On top of that you get 3 free hand-lettered art printables designed by the lovely Jenny Highsmith to hang in your creative space as reminders to make time to make things. Add to that a list of resources gathered to guide you as you grow and creative affirmations I use on a regular basis to keep my thoughts in a good place when insecurities arise. 

Contributors include: Alison Faulkner of The Alison Show, Jahje Ives of BabyJives, Amanda Rydell of Be Crafty, Sarah Rhodes of Arrow and Apple, Jenny Highsmith of Maiedae, and Erin Hisaw of Tweet Potato Pie.

This eCourse is a self-paced course with no start or end date. Work through the material at your own pace and come back to it as often as you need. It never expires. Upon purchase you'll be sent an e-mail automatically with your log-in information to access the private eCourse blog. 

Cultivate Your Creativity will be offered at the price of $42 USD but is currently for sale at the launch price of $32 until June 12th. Yay for sale prices!

Purchase Course Here

Offered at $42/USD 

Launch Sale $32/USD

 

 

I'm so excited to finally share this with you all. I've written over a dozen eCourses in the last five years but this is the first course that aims at the heart of creatives and encourages you as you develop your own specific talents and gifts. It not only gives you permission to make a mess, it reminds you how refreshing and satisfying it is to your spirit to get your hands a little dirty. It is an investment of time and energy that will return to you tenfold. 

Below is an excerpt from the chapter on Creative Process:

The reason I think it's important to finish those projects is because they take up space in our minds and in our homes. It's creative clutter and just like the piles of mail that can become both an eyesore and a forgotten energy sucker, creative projects left unfinished leave us feeling a little undone. If it's something sentimental like a baby quilt made from all of the outfits worn in your little one's first year, that might fit into its own category. However, if it's something you thought you were into but it's been sitting half-finished for six months, either make time to finish it soon or make the hard choice to either reuse the supplies or find it another home. Clearing out crafting clutter feels as good as clearing out your closets and makes space for the fresh ideas to come rolling in. 

I am so thankful for all of the lessons I've learned in making my creativity a priority even more so because I'm a mom. I get to share those lessons with my kids and in turn they remind me what it looks like to take such pleasure in using their imaginations to make something just for fun. Those kids know things! 

I hope you enjoy this course as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Thank you ever so much for your role here as readers and for all the ways you've added meaning to this space and my creative ventures with your support and encouragement along the way. Thanks for being a part of my creative community! 

-Rachel

Purchase Course Here

Offered at $42/USD 

Launch Sale $32/USD

 

 

 Photo Credits: Janae Hardy and Rachel Denbow

My Newest eCourse: Scrapbook In A Week

In Scrapbook in a Week, Elsie Larson and I share our step-by-step guide to finishing an entire scrapbook in just seven days! If you've ever felt overwhelmed about making an entire album, or if you've started multiple scrapbooks but have a hard time finishing anything, this is the course for you. I will guide you through manageably-sized tasks each day and share examples from my album of Smith's first year, and Elsie will share her wedding album. Each of our albums were created in under a week, and we will share our secrets for starting (and finishing!) a scrapbook you will love for years to come. This is a great course to use over and over again as you work through many albums over the years.

You can read more about the course and everything you will learn here. Not only do you get all the course materials, but if you act fast, you will also receive an exclusive 3x4 stamp with your purchase (only while supplies last!). 

Whether you've never made a photo album before or you feel like a seasoned scrapbooker who needs a little extra push to finish projects, this is the perfect course for you. This course costs $34 USD. Shipping for the exclusive course stamp is included. Click here to learn more. 

Also, I must add, I've never finished a whole album so quickly before (and been happy with it) so I'm really thrilled with how this one turned out. I'm also incredibly motivated to make one for poor Ruby who never got any scrapbook pages made for her at all. Poor Ruby.

I hope you love it, too!

-Rachel

52 Weeks of Art Journaling Relaunch Sale!

I'm thrilled to announce that 52 Weeks of Art Journaling is once again available for purchase!

This course originally launched a few days before Smith was born last year and was sold exclusively through A Beautiful Mess through October 2014. I designed my pages for this course while in my third trimester and have thoroughly enjoyed flipping through and rereading tidbits that I'd forgotten and seeing reminders of how I was feeling as that due date crept closer.

It's just another reason I will always love this hobby! When you're documenting your present moments, these journals become enriched with the details that fade over time. They end up becoming little time capsules while also having aided in stretching your creativity or providing an emotional outlet. 

52 Weeks of Art Journaling is an eCourse, not a class. This means that once you purchase it, you gain instant access to a private blog and your access never expires! 

What you get:

-52 art challenges from both myself and talented contributors

-52 journaling prompts designed to capture your present moment

-three binder tutorials for customizing your art journal

-a variety of unique art journaling styles to help you find your own

Why this course is special:

-it encourages you to use your supplies in new ways to achieve a fully customized art journal without spending a ton of money

-it allows you to mix-n-match your art challenges and journaling prompts 

-you can treat this as a place to experiment with new ideas or a fun form of therapy as you work through each lesson

-there is no pressure to share your work so you can get as honest as you want

-if you want to share your work, we've got a hashtag! Check out what everyone else is making for even more inspiration

$32/USD

 

 

 

Thanks so much for all of the support and excitement over the relaunch so far! Happy journaling!

-Rachel

 

 

 

 

Art Journaling: How to Get Unstuck

There's nothing more frustrating that having the urge to make something and then sitting down to work and drawing a blank. These days my creative time is precious and I never know if I'll get a solid hour in while the baby naps and my older kids occupy themselves or if it's just five minutes in between nursing and changing out the next load of laundry. It's important for me to make it count and I usually do. I sat down to think about how I've learned to make the most of my time and realized I usually revert back to a few specific habits. Here are a few ways I get myself unstuck when it comes to art journaling:

1. I Simplify My Supplies

When I'm trying to incorporate too many ideas or too many specific products in a page I end up feeling overwhelmed and my pages feel forced. I like to get back to paper, photos, and a pen and then see where it leads. Sometimes restricting your boundaries requires new things of your creativity and suddenly you're headed in a new direction.

2. I Work When I'm Feeling Things

I tend to save art journaling for times in my life when I need it most. In my twenties it was pretty often because there were so many big things happening and I had a lot of figuring out to do on paper. These days I am mostly trying to keep our household running and my only alone time is when it's dark and everyone else is in bed. It's an ideal time in my day to process feelings or work through an idea because I'm sitting down with a day's worth of thoughts to work with. Maybe your best time for feeling all the things is as soon as you wake up? Maybe it's only on rainy days? Go with it.

3. I Flip Through My Inspiration Rolodex

If you don't know what a Rolodex is, google it. When I'm fresh out of ideas or can't focus I like to scroll through my Art Journal Inspiration board on Pinterest. It's helpful because I'm always paying attention to things that I might be able to use later and pinning them so my page is full of great color stories, fonts, design elements, illustrations, hand cut shapes, etc. While I never want to copy anyone's work, I find that saturating my mind with other people's work usually helps me piece together something I want to try out and make my own.

4. I Start Putting Things on My Page

Take the pressure off yourself and just get to work. Pretend like no one will ever see it. Use supplies you have plenty of to get that first page out of the way without using up something really good. Once you're working those ideas will come and you'll build on what you started with and get to a place you're excited about. 

What techniques do you use to get yourself creatively unstuck?

-Rachel

Need a little more direction or want to try out art journaling for the first time? Check out my e-course, 52 Weeks of Art Journaling.

* Make Something Today print c/o Life.Love.Paper

Why I Love Art Journaling

I was digging through a box of loose journal pages in preparation for this post and stopped to read each and every one. It doesn't feel like it's been as long as it's been since I made these two different journals but it's been seven and five years! The first grouping above was made for an online class that hasn't been available for awhile and documented how I was feeling about our last summer as a family of three back in 2009. Sebastian was about to turn three and I was a few months pregnant with Ruby. I remember feeling much more whimsical of heart and I think it's really special to look back at my thoughts as a mama of one. 

I'm still really drawn to the aesthetic of these pages. I love all the white with black letting and summer colors. I used a lot of found papers and cut out shapes to create fun collages. I had a lot of polaroid film left but must've run out after this because I haven't seen any for years. 

I still love so many things from those lists but had forgotten about some of the things I'd written down, such as my fear of all the garden snakes in our backyard. There were always (harmless) snakes in our big, beautiful backyard and I almost let it keep me from getting out there to enjoy it. I also often worried that someone would call Child Protective Services or at least really judge me for letting Sebastian run around naked outside at age two. It's so funny to think about how I'm not going to care one bit when Smith pulls off his diaper to run through the sprinklers. I guess some worries fade with each new addition.

This round of pages is from 2007. Brett, Sebastian, and I had just moved back in with my family after our apartment complex in Seattle was being sold to turn into condos. We were apartment managers on the weekends and got free housing plus pay and both worked part time through the week but the new owners didn't need us and we weren't going to be able to find anything else to work out with our schedules and budget so we had our stuff put in storage and moved in with my parents.

They were so generous to let us stay with them for so long but I remember feeling a little defeated moving home and running into high school friends and being in a hard place financially. It's reflected in one of my pages below. I remember one afternoon I was out to lunch with my dad when he spotted someone I used to know from school and I desperately hoped I could avoid eye contact so they didn't ask me what I'd been up to the last six years.

I can look back now with the confidence and humility that comes with age - knowing that we all have different stories, unmet expectations, plans that may not have gone accordingly, or experiences that have been greater than we could've imagined. I'm not sure I would've remembered some of the raw emotion and insecurities from my twenties had I not put them on paper in such a way. 

As I mentioned in the trailer for my 52 Weeks of Art Journaling E-Course, I hope these journals I've made over the last twelve plus years will give my kids as much as they gave me. They were a creative outlet, a chance to experiment with new techniques, a reason to take pictures of myself and the kids, a place to vent and question, a record of likes and dislikes through the years, but most of all they allowed me to get to know myself better. When my kids are walking through a frustrating time in their life they'll be able to see where I struggled and be encouraged. I hope they see all the simple joys we knew as well. 

They say children learn valuable lessons through play. I think the same is true when you have a medium that you love. I'll always love art journaling for the safe place it's been to make pages that are meaningful to me without the pressure of keeping up with trends or creating with others in mind. Some pages I'm really proud of and others I just needed to get out of my system but they're all for me. 

If you've purchased my latest Art Journaling E-Course and have completed any pages you feel excited about sharing you can add the hashtag #52weeksofartjournaling to your pages on Instagram or via Twitter. I'd love to see what you've done with the prompts and challenges!

Your turn. What do you love about art journaling? How'd you get started? If you've never tried it before have you ever wanted to? I'm all ears!

-Rachel

52 Weeks of Art Journaling (Giveaway and FAQ)

I've had a few of the same questions about my newest E-Course, 52 Weeks of Art Journaling, so I'm sharing FAQ and answers and offering the first round of giveaways on my blog today. 

Q: What kind of projects are you offering in each post?

A: Each post (one per week or tackled at your own pace) offers a jumping off point for your page. Often times you'll sit down to create something and not know where to start. These jumping off points are sometimes very specific and other times have a little more room for you to figure out how to incorporate it.

For example, I have one week labeled 'CORK!' that was included to get you thinking outside of the box in regards to materials you use when you journal. I showed (see above) how to use cork roll and an x-acto knife to make a bold statement on your page. Each post offers written directions on how the technique was achieved and step-by-step photos on the more challenging pages. At the end of most posts I also share an alternative option for that technique to help you see how else you can use it in future pages. 

Q: What supplies will I need for this course and where can I get them?

A: One thing I love about art journaling is using basic supplies in creative ways so I'm not spending a lot of money on specialized items that I won't use up or that will be dated in six months to a year. Many of the supplies used for this course were purchased from big box craft and hobby stores such as Michael's, Hobby Lobby, or JoAnns. You can also find supplies on Amazon, etsy, office supply stores, hardware stores, garage sales, thrift stores, flea markets, or your crafty stash. 

You'll need a binder or album to store your pages as well as chipboard, card stock (think solid colored scrapbook paper), a paper cutter, photo splits or glu-dots to adhere photos and papers, acrylic paint, writing utensils, photos or scans of photos, alpha stickers in your favorite fonts, balsa wood, a cork roll, pages from your favorite catalogs or magazines, found papers such as wallpaper or ledger paper, and any other items you may want to include. You can spend as little or as much on supplies as you want depending on your personal style. 

Q: What kind of prompts are included and do I have to pair the same prompts and techniques that you do?

A: I've included 52 techniques as well as a list of 52 prompts. A few examples of the prompts are 'The Honest Truth', 'Wish List', 'Three Things', 'Craving', 'Growth', 'My Happy Place', and '#WIDN'. Think of it as the theme for your journaling. You can use it as a literal title on your page somewhere or just as the theme for what you want to share. Most of my pages are lighter on the journaling because I was going for a more graphic look. However, you can get as real and personal as you'd like! 

I paired my prompts and techniques up as I felt inspired while I was creating each post and my contributors were able to choose from a few combinations in order to share something they were excited about. However, you don't have to use the same exact combinations. You don't even have to do the technique posts in the same order listed in the course. As stated before, each post is a starting point for your creativity. It offers an example of something you can copy down to the last detail but is also meant to give you inspiration for making it your own. 

Q: Is there a place where we can see the work of other students in the class?

A: I've created the hashtag #52weeksofartjournaling for those who wish to share their work on Instagram or Twitter. I think it's a great idea to be able to connect with others taking the class to get an idea of how many different directions each post can be taken and to be inspired by their work. That said, I always appreciate links back to the course and trust that course information will only be used for personal enjoyment. 

Q: I'm really busy right now but want to take the course. Is there an expiration date? 

A: You're in luck! Once you purchase the e-course you have access to it through our private blog and can also download the pdf version. It won't expire so you can take it at your convenience. It's also a great gift idea or something you can purchase with a close friend and work on together.

Q: Is this e-course different than the other art journaling e-courses you've done in the last few years?

A: All of the posts in this course are new and fresh. Even if you've taken every single art journaling e-course I've ever offered you're getting new techniques and an evolved style, and as always, more opportunities to strengthen your own style and creativity!

I'm offering five lucky readers the chance to win their own copy of 52 Weeks of Art Journaling! 

All you need to do is leave a comment below for your chance to win one of five copies. Easy! Just remember to be sure there is a way for me to contact you if there isn't a link back to your own blog. GIVEAWAY WILL CLOSE MARCH 28th.

I'll be sharing a bit more about how I got into art journaling and some examples of my pages throughout the last twelve years (gasp!) in the coming week so stay tuned. Also, if you just can't wait to see if you'll be one of five winners you can purchase my e-course here. 

-Rachel

52 Weeks of Art Journaling is Here!!!

My first e-course of 2014 is here!

52 Weeks of Art Journaling has had a lot of love and emotion put into it these last few months as it started out as another idea and developed into something special. I've designed this course to offer 52 different challenges and 52 journal prompts to be mixed and matched to give your creativity a jump start.

This course is for anyone who loves the idea of documenting life with plenty of room to explore not only their day-to-day but reflect on specific seasons. Thoughtful prompts allow for rambling ideas, expressing all the emotions, noting the hard things, and looking to the future. There are step-by-step tips on how to get the look shared in each challenge but there are also ideas on how to take things in different directions and ways to customize your own pages. 

I'm joined by a team of talented contributors, including: Tina Aszmus, Kara Haupt, Mandi Johnson, Elsie Larson, Marcy Penner and Amy Tan. All of these women have been developing their own unique styles and have had their influence on the scrapbooking and art journaling world for the last seven plus years. They each bring their own unique blend to the table to share how they've interpreted their journal challenges.

This is a ‘work at your own pace’ course. There are no due dates and the course never expires. The sessions are broken into 52 weeks (plus maybe a few bonus weeks!), so you can enjoy a full year of art journaling inspiration. Of course, if you’re feeling more ambitious you can do one challenge each day and complete the course in about two months. Either way, it’s an incredible way to kickstart creativity!

Are you ready to make something you'll treasure forever? Head over to the new A Beautiful Mess Shop to find out more and get started with 52 Weeks of Art Journaling.

-Rachel

P.S. Thanks so much for sharing in my excitement over the last few weeks as I've mentioned this e-course on Instagram. These e-courses are always great to work on because I learn so much myself as I'm developing them and I'm thrilled that I finally get to share it with you!

P.P.S. If you're having trouble getting the shop to load keep hitting refresh. Elsie's just shared that the response to the shop has been so great it has bogged the site down and they're working to fix it ASAP. Thanks!

 

It's Almost Here! 52 Weeks of Art Journaling

After weeks of making and then a few weeks of polishing things up, my first e-course of the year is almost ready for you to enjoy! 52 Weeks of Art Journaling is exactly that, 52 challenges and prompts created by myself and a handful of some of my favorite contributors, designed to give you the opportunity to learn more about yourself and the creative options available to you as you document your journey over the course of a year. It's less about keeping an account of weekly activities and more about experimenting with paper, color, feelings, and reflecting on what season of life you're in. 

It will be exclusively available on the brand new A Beautiful Mess Shop which is launching very, very soon! I'm so excited to share more about this first creative project of the year! Stay tuned.

-Rachel

P.S. For any past art journaling students: we added a special discount code to our previous two art journaling e-courses. Right at the beginning of the course-you can't miss it. Just log into your past course to get that special discount. :) If you need help logging in email support at: support AT redvelvetart DOT com