Spinning Journal Page and Sharing the Link Love

My favorite places to link up artwork and share are Paint Party Friday and Art Journal Every Day.

Hi all!  Here is a journal page that made using watercolor paints, an Easter doily, black pens, photocopies, ephemera and lots of white paint.  White paint on top of watercolor paints gives it that ethereal, hazy look.  The words were "found poetry".. snippets of text from the same children's book where I got those images of the children.

Spinning.. that about sums up the month of April.  I'm working on a lot of really "meaty" projects (can't think of a better word).  Projects that I am enjoying, but also there are so many parts to pull together for each of them.  The big project is completing our school yearbook.  The deadline is coming up at the end of April so I am trying to get all the loose ends tied up.  Then, we are also making artwork for the school auction at the end of the year... group pieces that will be framed.  They are turning out awesome!  I will post pics when those are all done.  We're also finishing up Student Council things and one of those big events is the end-of-the-year school dance.  Did you think it would be very difficult for a group of 12 middle school kids to decide on a theme that half of them don't hate?  We had a very long and humorous discussion about the theme.  I thought the neon colors theme would be fantastic but some of the kids vehemently opposed it.

Tammy, at Daisy Yellow, is having a Share the Link Love feature on her blog.

I do enjoy linking up to other blogs and articles I am loving.  Sporadically I will post 5 Fabulous Things I am Loving Right Now.  I include products, articles, books and artwork I enjoy.  For this post of 5 Fabulous Things I will include only blog articles to share with you.  Here is my entry for her challenge:

1.   To Parents of Small Children:  Let Me Be the One Who Says it Out Loud:  Yes yes yes!  I really needed to hear this!

2.  How To DIY Your Own Photoshop Brush:  This tutorial by Linda is very clear and seems easy to do.  I have not tried it yet, but this is on my to-do list for fun things to try this summer.

3.  You've seen the Cain's Arcade video right?  Well, a whole school decided to make their own cardboard arcade and here are the results.  Pretty fun!

4.  Tim Jarosz's beautiful city landscape altered and colored photos

5.  Blacksburg Belle's secret photo editing tool. 
I went ahead and bought some of the photoshop actions after seeing her blog post.  They make some really nice effects.  I'm still trying to figure out what looks best.

5 Fabulous Things I am Loving Right Now

1.  On Writing Craft Tutorials and Creating "Original DIYs".

2.  Creative Lettering book.. I just ordered this and it is chock-full of fun lettering ideas.  I recommend this one if you like hand lettering.

3.  These gorgeous artworks by Andrea Juan.

4.   I'm continually amazed by Marie Gosselin's drawings.

5.  52 Things to Post About When You Don't Know What to Post About

5 Fabulous Things I am Loving Right Now and 1 That I am NOT!

1.  How to Make Trillions of Dollars... or why American all tired and unhealthy and vaguely dissatisfied with their lives.  It explains a lot!

2.  Fingerprint Artist Judith Braun

3.  Crayon Engraving with Oil Pastels-- Great lesson plan for kids.. so beautiful!

4.  You just never know...
      or why you should try to be compassionate in all your interactions...

5.  Best Art Journaling picture I have seen lately!   LOVE.

And the one thing I am not loving right now...

1.  Anthropologie's racist candlesticks...  I saw this and have been following this story.  Thankfully they decided to pull the candlesticks off their website.  But, really?  Do they not have a design/editorial team that would have realized this could be perceived as racist?   What do you think?  The story interested me in particular because after my grandpa died we sold thousands of his "collectibles" on Ebay.  He was a flea market dealer hoarder and had rooms and rooms of fun stuff.  We came across a collection of mammy dolls.  I think I actually still have them in a box somewhere because I did not want to sell them if they were considered a racial stereotype. 

5 Fabulous Things

I found a few more fabulous things for you to enjoy.


1.  Are you a NO-REPLY BLOGGER?  You might be and not even know it!  If you are a no-reply blogger it is very very difficult for people to send you an email after you leave a comment.  Look at this tutorial to see how. Check to make sure that "show my email address" is checked in your profile settings, otherwise people can't reply to you.  I really want to respond to comments and this makes it possible!

2.  Help Everyday is a Holiday who were affected by Hurricane Sandy.  Jenny and Aaron make and sell the cutest paintings.  They were hit hard by the hurricane and are trying to rebuild.  They are having a sale in their shop to help raise money.  The pictures on their post about the hurricane are very telling.. very intense. At the bottom of that post is where you will find the link to their shop.

3.  Free Printable Journaling Tags from Creativity Prompt.

4.  I really like Sarah Giannobile's abstract paintings!

5.  Cassie Stephens awesome turkey outfit.  She is an elementary art teacher with the best handmade outfits.  Check out her blog.  amazing!

5 Fabulous Things

1.  Wow!!  I'm so happy.  Jessica Sporn used the mosaic tutorial I posted to teach a group of kids.  This totally made my day!

2. This video by Jennibellie

3.  This great reminder about needing to have the last word.

4.  This installation of hanging rattles at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts.

5.  Process vs. Product when teaching art to kids

5 Fabulous Things

1.  This Pinterest board of STRANGE EYES

2.  Let's All Compare Our Perfect Lives and Then Try to Enjoy Our Day

3.  This video:

4. This video by Ken Robinson about schools and creativity.

5. Stencils!

5 Fabulous Things I am Loving Now

1.  Suralert's Quirky Illustrations and Collages

2.  The Honest Toddler:  What your little child is actually thinking!

3.  Tamar Cohen's Fun Collages.... a love of polka dots and comic strips.

4.  Bic Pens...  for HER!

Really?   Really?  One of the teachers at my school had a pack and gave one to me.  The kids got a big laugh out of it.   (So, I guess this isn't a "fabulous" thing, but a humorous thing!)




5.  Trader Joe's Dried Fruit Bars... yum!  low calorie, 100% dried fruit.  Love them!