A Letter

Dear U.S. Postal Service,
Recently I placed an order from Dick Blick for my very own set of these.

In case you are unaware, these are Caran D'Ache Neocolor II Watersoluble Artist Crayons and just looking at this picture of them is making my heart rate increase to what quite possibly could be an unhealthy pace.  They have been out of stock and I have been patiently (or not) waiting for them to become mine.  I received an e-mail today from Dick Blick and they are on their way.
I know that money is tight for you right now and special requests are likely not in the budget, but could you please be kind to my crayons until you can place them safely in my hands?  I would appreciate it.  Also, when it comes time to deliver the box to my house, I might suggest sending a mailman who is slightly hard of hearing.  There might (probably) be excited screaming and happy dancing going on.  Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jolene

While I have been "patiently" waiting, I have done some work in my journal.

Don't you just love the image of the orange?  It makes me happy, even when I have a headache.  LOVE it!

Under the Christmas Tree

Recently my friend Kate, posted THIS video on painting faces.  I rarely paint faces but I watched the video and decided to give it a try.  I spread out a plastic tablecloth on my living room floor and painted under the Christmas tree.  (Well, not exactly under the tree but next to it...you know what I mean.)  It reminded me of rocking my babies, in the quiet of night, next to the sparkling lights of the Christmas tree.  Now my babies are getting too big to rock and so I had to settle in with paint instead.
While there is much I could criticize about this face, I think it turned out OK and I certainly enjoyed painting it and isn't that what it's all about?

What Do You Do With Notebook Edges?

Recently while playing around in my art journal, that was the question I asked myself.  I had used a piece of notebook paper and was left with the torn out strip.  "Self," I said, "there has to be something I can use this edge for."  (I often talk to myself while journaling.  Ask my husband.)  And then...lightbulb.  "I wonder what it would look like if I made flowers out of it."  So I watercolored it and this is what I came up with...

Now I know what flowers made from notebook edges look like.  It's why I love art journaling.  I love the experimentation.  I always journal with "you win some, you lose some" running through my head.  Then there is no pressure when an "I wonder what will happen if...?" pops up.  I can just go ahead and find out.  If I hate it, I can just close the book or break out the gesso.  Sometimes I just might like how things turn out.
And speaking of experiments, my awesome friend KATE came over to bring me an ornament for my tree and her collection of Caran D'Ache Neocolor II's to test out.  I have read it all about the Neocolor II's.  I know that so many artists love them.  I know that I am just about the last artist in the world to own them.  I know that everybody raves about them.  So why don't I have them?  Because I have used every available watercolor crayon that I can find around here and NOT been too crazy about them.  They all leave a weird build-up and are really difficult to write on with my pens.  So I thought that I wouldn't like the Neocolor II's and they would become a very expensive paperweight on my desk.  Well, after testing out Kate's, I am here to publicly admit that I was WRONG!  I am crazy in LOVE with those things!  Kate had an duplicate of her Malachite Green and SHE GAVE IT TO ME.  Everything that can be colored on around here is now Malachite Green.  Good thing it's a beautiful color.  I am having dreams about the rainbow of color that awaits in my very own set of Neocolor II's.  I MUST find my lonely Malachite Green some friends.  Fortunately, my parents gave me some art supply money for my birthday (aren't my parents awesome?) so I can place my order ASAP on a beautiful box of Neocolor II's.  Until it arrives, I will just continue to color everything Malachite Green.  Thanks Kate.

Angelia

A few weeks ago, I was on Pinterest and saw a pin of an art journal page that I absolutely, positively, fell in totaly L.O.V.E. with.

Isn't it AMAZING?  I HAD to know who painted this page.  I followed the original pin back as far as I could but could not find the actual artist's name anywhere.  I became obsessed.  I REALLY HAD to know who painted this page.  I spent over an hour googling and searching far and wide for the artist of THIS.  I knew whoever painted this would have to be on my favorites list.  They would have to be inspiring.  They would have to love color!  And guess what?  I finally found her!  Her name is An'Angelia Thompson and I was right...she is all of those things and more.  Of course, I promptly put her BLOG in my favorites and started quietly checking in on it for a week or so, soaking up inspiration.  Then one day she announced it was her "birthday week" (how can you not love someone who has a "birthday WEEK"?) and that she was having a giveaway.  I decided to remain quiet no more and left a comment every. single. day. of her birthday week and guess what???  I won!!!  WAHOO!!!

I won her Sugar Skull!  How cool is that?  (Angelia said I could use her pictures by the way.)  But not only that, she sent along the sweetest card, stuffed full of cool papers from her stash for my daughter and I to use on our "arting endeavors".  (She read about the Brave Girls class that my daugher and I are taking together.)  We are in art heaven over here.  Thank you Angelia.  You are awesome!

If you haven't checked out Angelia's blog...DO IT!  I am betting that you will love her just as much as I do!

Happy Birthday!

Just wanted to send out a little Happy Birthday to one of the kindest, most loyal, strongest, talented, beautiful people I know, who also just happens to be my best pal.  I'm so lucky!  Happy Birthday Jenny!