The end of summer . . . no more lazy days at the pool.  I will miss the relaxed schedule of sleeping in and enjoying extra time with my girls.  Here is one of my favorite summer pics.  Flip-flops, swimsuits, towels and pool toys  . . . aah!!

 So now . . . . where should I go in my freetime??  Yup, some new art supplies at Dick Blick!! Yeah!! I need some more gesso, some new water pens, a couple of canvases, new inks, new pens!! This pic just makes my day!!

And two of my layouts from this summer.  The tennis layout I made while watching Wimbeldon.  I just loved the colors of the grass!!  Strange, I know!  But the green was just so bold on the tv!!  And the other colors I just adored this summer were from new paper by Allison Kreft called Everyday Ecclectic. Love it!!  I used the packaging list on the back, but I loved the small scale of the papers and it fit so well into my journal!!

I made this journal page for My Living Canvas workshop.  The challenges for me are following my passions, keeping my purpose in focus and still being present for family.  There are so many branches that I keep balanced while they continue to grow.

And here is the dragonfly that was out on the deck yesterday.  He perched on the marigold in the deck planter for a second.  His head looked like a blueberry and his wings were worn.  I kinda felt like that yesterday . . .

Just a little inspiration from the yard!

 These are two inspiration pictures from the yard this summer . . . our blueberry bushes went wilder than usual. ( Meaning, we actually got berries!!)  And this rose plant was exceptionally bright at the farm this summer  ... loved the color and shapes!  Plus a journal page inspired from a stencil idea from Christy Tomlinson! Enjoy!

So I just found the art journal love . . .

I found love in gesso, acrylics, watercolor crayons, pastels, modpodge, inks, paper, pens . . . it goes on.   Mixed media canvases and art journaling have become my new passion.  I just adore the rush of creating a picture and the feeling of inspiration as it flows into the pictures. I might not have any art training and I might be breaking a thousand different art rules but I love what I do.

Recently,  I have spent some time taking online mixed media classes with mixed media artists, Christy Tomlinson, Juenelle Jacobson and Donna Downey.  This entry in my journal was based on class called Your Living Canvas.  I really enjoyed creating the layers, using modeling paste, inks, sprays, rub-ons and paint.

Farm Boots!