Hello, friends! I’m so excited to announce that my new book, Journal Sparks, is now available in stores everywhere! I’m currently hosting a virtual book tour on Instagram and Facebook, so join me there to celebrate the release with inspiration and reviews from some lovely artists, authors, and educators. Here is a little interview where…
Art Scraps and Tiny Poems
This is my favorite re-purposed art project. Use your beautiful scraps to turn your journal page into a captivating display of color, words, and texture. Each time you (or the children in your home or classroom) make art, there are always little piles of scraps left over. Learn to love your mess! Paper used for color…
The Deep Breath Collage (for when everyone needs a break)
I call these my Deep Breath Collages because they require focus, but not too much, which allows my brain to gently sink into a peaceful artistic place without feeling any kind of pressure. They really are perfect for the moment when things feel off, and you need something to make things more calm, peaceful, and…
Creative Spark :: Lines
L I N E S Draw imperfect pencil lines on a journal page. Fill them with color, color, color! I used a mix of Sharpie markers, watercolor, and oil pastels. Use anything you can get your hands on. Draw little patterns, use metallic markers, layer colors, use black and brown and regular pencil. Stream of…
Craft Foam Printing Blocks
DIY craft foam printing blocks are one of my favorite ways to print. Because it is a simple, no fuss way to print, I can spend hours making blocks, playing with color, and experimenting with shapes. The one limitation with craft foam relief printing is that it doesn’t capture fine lines and small details well. …
Potato Stamping project for Playing with Food
Oh, I love printing with vegetables. I really do. It is a perfect way to play with color and experiment with form and shape. And, potato printing is one of my favorite kinds of vegetable printing. There is something so magical about turning a brown lump into a bright, colorful bit of art. I am…
DIY Garden Homes
Here in the northeast, it is finally time for bellies in the grass and fingers in the dirt. It is the season where my children come home from school, but never actually make it into the house. They wander around, finally sinking into the grass with a book or the toys that were played with…
Hand printing with celery
Celery printing is a simple and satisfying art project for children. When you find yourself at the end of a bunch of celery, slice it and store it in the refrigerator until you have a some time to make art. The worst case scenario is that you never get to it and there is a…
Journal peeps
Community Paper Garden — Teaching Notes
During my April workshop at the Worcester Family Partnership, the children and their loved ones gathered together to plant a community art garden. I brought the garden plot, which was a large piece of kraft paper, as well as the materials to plant paper flowers. We used circle objects to trace and cut circle shapes,…
DIY Travel Journal
Last August, my mother-in-law and father-in-law took our entire family (including all of my husband’s siblings and their partners and children) on a grand Hawaiian adventure. During the days before we left, I made a travel journal to give to them as a thank-you for the spectacular gift. As we creep towards the summer season…
Mother’s Day Cards
Lately, I’ve been fascinated with lumpy, curvy, misshapen, colorful blobs. I plop them in my journal and then use an art pen to turn each one into a little independent design. It is relaxing. Almost meditative, actually, in an art therapy kind of way. Sometimes, while I’m painting and drawing, I post process photos on…
Watercolor People
These people have been filling up my journal pages. Most of them have resting faces. Maybe a bit frowny? They are not sad! Just pensive. Make watercolor blobs in your sketchbook. Use an art pen to create people. More blobs, more people, and repeat. This is fun!
DIY Nest with Eggs
I posted this Nest & Eggs building tutorial in March of 2011, and I thought I would share it with you again today. Wouldn’t be fun to make gold eggs, hot pink eggs, and maybe even spotted eggs? And, isn’t this the perfect way to encourage garden clean-up? You can make nests and wreaths with…
On My Page — Journal Doodle
Doodling over watercolor blobs is always a good plan if I am feeling stressed or worried about something. The think-as-you-go, free style technique is simply a nice way to give my brain a break. My brain was calling for a creative escape, so I painted some blobs in my journal. The following morning, I doodled…
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