I just finished making my cards for the July swap at Roses On My Table.

This set represents the word cat in Spanish, French, English, German, Russian, Dutch. I so enjoy these swaps. Creating art that you know you will give away is a very rewarding experience. Whenever I receive my cards in return, I am just overjoyed because I know that someone whom I have never met in person has put their whole heart into what they have created as well. This type of art exchange also offers an opportunity to enjoy works from all over the world! I have made so many new friendships, and I dearly love the experience!

The Big Three's Journal Prompt: Three positive qualities I like most about myself.
I hope you like my video!


This prompt was really fun to do. I wanted to continue to work in my handmade journal because, I don't know, I just like working on smaller pages sometimes. I was able to squeeze in enough time do three pages.

It is really so enjoyable to keep an art journal. You don't have to plan too much in advance, you can let yourself go with the flow, and because you are not focused on perfection, new ideas can come in. For example, I just thought it would be fun to use my quilting iron to melt oil pastels! I have never seen that done with pastels before, but it turned out to be a neat and interesting new technqiue that I plan to use a lot in the future.

The point is to try something new whenever you can!

A fun little video of some previous works over the years, my ATC's and ACEO's, and some tag art too. I enjoy looking at these because I only make originals and never create copies. I don't know why, but once I make one of them, I want to let it go. It is sort of like they grow wings and fly away to new homes, new destinations, new friends.

The Artist's Trading Card Cafe is a new location I've added to my list of favorite places. I hope you will come and visit when you get an opportunity.
I decided it was time to make a place for ATC and ACEO artists. A place that is for and about this wonderful community. We blog and we visit each other with such great enthusiasm, but who are we, what are we doing, and why do we do what we do as artists? I love the sense of community at Roses, and it will spill out onto this wonderful new location too! If you want to be featured, please let me know as I am compiling a list of wonderful artists now!

My son is out of elementary school! Here he is, with my daughter who is now in college! Both of them are a gift to me. I have never loved anything more than being a mom. It is the hardest unpaid job that exists, but it's worth all those sleepless nights, especially when you capture moments like these.

My first go at Conte Crayons. Well...I wished I had used a smoother paper while experimenting with these, but I did give it a ago anyway! Lot's of fun. I love getting messy with them!

This journal entry is called "the strands of time." I think that if I could turn back the strands of time, I think I should have let my hair down more often. A fun play on words! I enjoyed the exercise in patience that it took to create all those strands. lol!

Zinnia's Art Journal

My daily art journal entry:



In addition to my Journal Journey Journal, I have started a daily journal. I thought that the subject of "wings" is a great place to start. This is not a halo behind the figure...it is the sun.