Helloww from Kingsman Arizona (of Route 66 fame!)...
Google Arizona weather right now and you will see what I am in the thick of out here. A little hairy weather wise. In fact I'm holed up in a hotel hoping flooding will have cleared some for the trip to Phoenix tomorrow. Apparently 60-70% of the total YEAR'S average rainfall has fallen in the last two days. Today's trip we just took it easy, visibility was very poor, some side roads were unpassable, we saw a power transformer explode, a off road vehicle taken out by a flooded road, power cut while we took a starbucks break and apparently everything east of our immediate area is being hit by snow. So rather wild! Safe sound and warm so all good.

In brief, I've been keeping up with my journal - will have lots to show when I get home! So far done SanFrancisco including Alcatraz, caught up with sis and BIL, then here in Arizona been to a couple of concerts and yesterday Las Vegas!

Must go, just thought I would check in and say hi. Fingers crossed for me that the airport is open again and on schedule for my trip to LA.

ttfn!
Kathleen
PS: Today I had served to me a 'hotcake' that was so big it hung over the edges of the large dinner plate and was at least an inch (yes you read right) thick... and it was a half serve! Apparently I ordered not realising it was a kinda speciality - a full serve, if you eat it all you get it free. I made it not quite through half (of the half serve) ..lolol

Labels: Great Places International, Updates

oooh I must be organized if I have time for a quick blog post before running off to the airport!

I know I'm always interested in peoples art materials and kits. So I thought I would show you what I'm taking with me on my trip.

From left - down then right down:

• Selection of journalling pens. I prob should streamline more but what if I need a particular colour? hehe
• 3 Sharpie Markers. Mainly for the edges of cut items. Black, Maroon, Turquiose.
• Small portable watercolour set. I love the antique tin its in.
• Eraser. I never use it but I like having it
• A small bulldog clip or two
• Tiny scissors. Not in carryon luggage... I forgot one time..
• Thin tape. Handy if I journal on the plane.
• Scotch Quick Dry Tacky adhesive. My fav.
• Pitt Brush markers. For sketching in 3 shades of grey.
• 3 Sketching pens Black. In case 2 (!) die.
• 2 sketching pens red and sepia and two sketching brush markers also in red and sepia.
• Regular pencil H. Would normally have a mechanical pencil but they appear to have walked.
• Funny cutting tool. For carry on purposes.

• Plastic Bags. Enough for one a day.
• Dates. Ready for journal entries.
• Tape reappeared in this photo.
• Post it notes. Why? cos they're cool.
• Journalling notebook. Handy for quick notes.
• A sampler pack of cardstock from a older product release.
• My current journal/s
• A few prepared cut out images I think I may use.
• Printed gaffer tape. To tape hinges and extentions.
• A few pieces of black ribbon and twine.
• A rubber band
• Small selection of appropriate rub-ons and stickers.

All fits in a plastic bag and pencil case!

Oh and of course my camera, awareness and sense of adventure :)

Now I really must fly... for reals!
ttfn!
Kathleen

Labels: Art, Journal Tips, Materials, organization, Product-favs

There is so much to love about 7Gypsies products. From the subtle colours to their original products. 7Gypsies love to do something different. So it makes sense for this Product Preview event that we do something different too.

Introducing the 7Gypsies printers tray. With 12 ATC sized compartments it makes the perfect, wall hangable Birthday Reminder board.

At this Product Preview event you will be making this useful and lovely project, get to see the new 7Gypsies Venice collection, enjoy a light supper and be in to win some 7Gypsies prizes!

Cost to attend this event is the special price of $49 (kits may be available after the event for $59) which includes the materials/project pack to make this special keepsake.

Product Preview: 7Gypsies Venice Collection
Date: Wednesday 20th January
Time: 7pm
Event fee: $49
Please Bring:

• Basic kit (Paper trimmer, pencil, fine tip scissors, ruler)
• Adhesives (I used Scotch Quick Dry Tacky Adhesive and Selley's Glue dots)
• Tiny photos of friends and family members.
• Brown stamping ink and sponge.
• Black felt tip pen.

Phone 09 912 0665 to book. Limited spaces available so book in quick!

~Kathleen, Linda and the team at NZ Scrapbook

Labels: Art, Classes-and-Workshops, Inspiration, NZ-Scrapbook

Three sleeps till trip... want to do blog posts! Starting the day with a theme song. By the way, I'm not familiar with snowboarding as such but check out the air that dude gets!!




ttfn!
~Kathleen

Labels: Music

Had a good night at Altered Book Club last night. Pretty much no topic of conversation is safe and once we get talking journals there is no stopping! Tidbits that came out of it:

• The question of what wordy content to include in your journal. Obviously a journal can be a thought dumping ground however from the group last night it seems many of us like to avoid to much of the 'woe is me' entries (unless you really need it!). Looking back on pages show growth, challenges, illness, frustration but also equally or overly balanced by achievements, productivity, outings, people we love (including ourselves) and experiences.
• How the journal pages and entries evolve. This is where journals easily fall into the Unique As Your Personality category. Preferences included planning pages, a page a day style or what I like to call an organic development of a page. Main thing to remember is there is no right or wrong way - just what works for you.

We also discussed how we decide when a page is finished, sketching in our journals and covering text.

If you don't have an Altered Book Club, Journal Club or something similar in your area grab a friend, and start working on your projects on a regular basis. Talking and sharing your art with people (who become friends!) is very enriching.

Thanks girls!!

EDIT: Oh I meant to add - Next Altered Book Club at NZ Scrapbook is Thursday 11th February at 6.30pm. All welcome, FREE, bring something crafty to work on - I bring cake! :)

Labels: Altered-Book-Club, Journal-Notes

Happy New Year arty friends!

Technology doesn't seem to want to work with me lately but looks like I can upload pics again to my blog and fingers crossed the problems with our work website will be resolved soon!

Quote from today's journal page:

"Currently at Eastern Beach, an incredibly stunning day. I don't think the sky could be bluer or the sun brighter."

This weather has been amazing. I love that I get to record it all in my journal. While laying about on the beach I did a wee watercolour of a broken shell in front of me. Bliss.

And on my desk tonight I'm working on a class that I hope to sneak in at NZ Scrapbook before my trip away next week. This is a Product Preview event by the way - so uses all new product from 7Gypsies. Boy I am digging the tray! Stay tuned for more info on that event.


So many things on my mind for 2010. Lots of hopes and personal goals as usual. 2009's focus was travel and happily that is overlapping into 2010. I find having an intention/focus really helps me stay on track with where I want to be. That's not to say I don't wander from time to time but it does help me regroup when needed. 2010 is art. So many of my art goals are unrealised, recent times some of the art I love to do has been pushed aside by other things. Having art as a focus for the year for me doesn't mean pushing it as a top priority but instead being conscious of making time to create, learn, experiment and record.

Exciting art includes sketching more (pure joy!), journal art (lurrrve), art while I travel (which I do anyways but yum!), art with my kids (both spend a lot of time creating so good to do together), art supports my business (I get to teach more), art to give away (I love making personalised gifts/cards for my friends) .. even just organizing my studio is fun. I have bigger art goals too but more on that at another time :)


If you haven't set a focus for the year I would whole heart-idly recommend it. 2009's travel year included: lots of short trips within New Zealand - Thames, Coromandle, Taupo, Rotorua, Waihi and Wellington, trip to Melbourne and 5 1/2 weeks in San Fransisco, Florida, England, Scotland and Wales! Next week is 3 1/2 weeks - San Fransisco, Arizona, Vegas, LA and Chicago. The focus carries over ... I hope to add Melbourne, Bali, Adeliade and New York also for 2010... how will I pay for this all? Perhaps by doing lots of art!


Create your life :)

Labels: Art, Create-your-life, Goal-setting, Great Places International, Journal-Pages, Sketching

Hi all!
In my last post I was showing how simple it is to build a journal page by working piece by piece and filling it up.
I meant to take more progress pics but got carried away and next thing my page was complete!

I missed writing on Wed & Thur so they were written in on Friday. Friday was done in two parts - some in the afternoon and some at the end of the evening. So as you can see if you don't let too many days pass it is easy to keep up to date.

The page:

• Photo added that I had allowed space for with very thin cardstock mat
• A note I wrote myself and attached so I could lift it up and read both sides.
• Photos of my workdesk.
• A quote I cut out of a scrapbook catalog
  
• Business card from restaurant
  
• Photo of daughter
• Journaling! with colour changes each time I write.

Today's Tip:

For a cohesive (settled feeling) to your page try to limit and be thoughtful with your colour selections. My background wash always jump starts the way the page colours are going to go. From there I often will choose a image I have on hand such as a picture I like from a magazine, or a rub-on that works with those background colours. I like to then use that image as a colour swatch for the rest of the page.

The fun thing about this technique is it often gets you out of your comfort zone of favourite colour combinations and because its a image you like it is not so drastically removed from your preferences.

In short, a pleasing picture that you like often has a great colour scheme. Stick to that scheme and your golden!

~Kathleen

Labels: Journal Tips, Journal-Ideas, Journal-Pages