Hello Crafty friends!

I have been absent here on my blog for awhile, have been concentrating more on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube lately as those social media platforms seem to bring me better results.

But, I am wanting to get back to blogging on a regular basis and hope to do that soon!

One new craft adventure I have been on lately, is learning about Art Journaling (aka: Junk Journaling), Mixed Media and Altered Art.

I am so inspired by some of the artists I have discovered on YouTube and Facebook!

I am still learning, so I do not have any completed projects to blog about yet, but I'm hoping that will come soon!

In the meantime, thought you might like to check out my Pinterest Boards on these subjects and get some inspiration yourself!

Also, if you'd like to watch the replay of my Coffee, Crafts & Chat that I did on this subject, just click on the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/stuffnsuch/videos/2117208774995193/

Thank-you for stopping by!

The Lil Journal Project - Inspiring Creativity One Day at a Time!

I'm always looking for new ways to get inspired and recently one of my favorite blogs "Lil Blue Boo" began a series on journaling called "The Lil Journal Project". 

I used to keep a journal as a young girl, so I was immediately intrigued and was excited to get started after reading her post! 

Ashley provides daily prompts to help you along in your journaling adventure.

This is something I need desperately.

I've always wanted to start keeping a journal again and in the past have attempted to.
Mostly these journals were very boring and certainly not fun for anyone to read or look at!

The type of journal featured on Ashley's blog is a more creative type journal, in the sense that it not only contains writings and musings, but artistic things as well...such as drawing, painting, epherma, photos etc.

The thing I love most about it is...ANYTHING GOES!

It's your journal, your way.

I haven't been great about keeping up with every prompt every day, but I've done as much as I can and am enjoying it thoroughly!

It's such a great idea to get your creativity flowing especially if you're like me and you have trouble in that area.

Here is a peek inside my journal so far:

I am a very embarrassed to show you some of my artwork...for example...this big FAIL from yesterday's prompt:

I debated heavily with myself on whether to even include it in this post...but decided I should, since it is the point of the whole thing...just be yourself and let your creativity flow, even if it's not perfect (or even NEAR it! LOL!)

Here is another drawing "fail" that was from the prompt on day #7 "My Life in Cars":

I did this drawing on my iPad using an app called "Doodle Buddy".
I LOVE using that app and "pretending" I can draw! 

Obviously, I did not "complete" the "My Life in Cars" section yet...I've had WAY more than 3 cars in my 50+ years of life, but since it's such a struggle for me to draw...It might take me awhile to get to all of them. 

As you can see...I certainly am not very good at drawing or painting but as the first journal prompt and entry shows, I am imperfect and perfect at the same time...just as my journal is!

I need to let go of the idea of perfection...it is something that has held me back for years, especially when it comes to being creative.  

So many times I have begun a project just to be disillusioned because I feel like it's not good and no one will like it. 

I am my own worst critic! 

I know what everyone says about negativity and I have fought my whole life with it but it's always been part of me as I was raised with a father who demanded perfection of those around him. 

I never quite felt like I measured up to his standards but that's a post for a whole other blog!

(I just thought it might help to give a bit of the background on my history and why I'm so negative sometimes about my own creative abilities.)

In addition to that almost impossible standard...my Grandmother (my Father's Mother) was a very accomplished artist and I sometimes felt like I fell so short of her talents, even though I admired her and always hoped that I had inherited some of her artistic abilities.

She was mostly a painter and her favorite mediums were watercolor and oils.

Here are a few examples of her artwork:

I'm hoping by doing this journal, I will be more open to just "create" and not worry if it's wrong or right or if anyone will like it. 

I think it will help me a lot...it's great therapy!

If your like me and struggle to know where to start or what to journal about, then Ashley's "The Lil Journal Project" would be perfect for you to follow!

Check it out and join me on a new creative journey!

Grandchildren Autumn Layouts

I am still working on my most recent project and have not finished so I can't post about it yet, but i thought I'd post some layouts I did in November last year while at a crop with my friend Melissa.

Hubby and I had just taken two of our Grandchildren to the local Pumpkin Farm/Patch (Bishop's Pumpkin Farm, Wheatland, California) as we try to do every year.

I just love that time of year...all the beautiful colors of Autumn are my favorite and the weather here is usually fairly mild.

Here are the layouts I made:

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch!

My Precious Pumpkins!

Autumn Fun with Poppy & Gigi!

Since I did these months ago, I can't remember all the specifics of the materials I used, but I know that I used the following Cricut Cartridges for the Lettering:

Ashlyn's Alphabet (Top Layout)
Old West (Bottom Layout)

The 12x12 paper was purchased at Green Tangerine's where we were at the crop.
It is an awesome scrapbooking store in Rocklin, California with all kinds of neat goodies and two HUGE scrapbooking rooms for crops.

I have not added any journaling to these yet, as journaling is always hard for me for some reason...I just never know where to put it and I feel like I don't write my feelings down well, like that it would sound corny or not proper.

I have to get over that and just let my creative thoughts and emotions flow!

I guess for me...the photos are the big part.
I've always been a big fan of photos and have been carrying a camera with me since about the 6th grade!
I know the emotions I feel when I look at the photos, I just have a hard time writing it down for some reason.

Maybe some of you out there in scrapbook land can help me with this...what do you do to help move your thoughts along while journaling?

Thanks for looking and if you like what you see...will you please follow me?

This post/project is linked-up to the following sites: