Custom Banners Now Available!

Wheee! New layout!

I'm REALLY happy with this banner; it's a completely digital collage using my artwork, photos, and some scans. I haven't really toyed like this in Photoshop for awhile, but man, is it fun!

Now, if only my journal pages came out this well!

And in news: I am now available to design blog banners/headers!

Feel free to visit my gallery of past headers to get an idea of what I can do. I'll have a more professional site up soon, but wanted to give my darling visitors the news first -- email me or comment and I'll give you all the details. I'll even install your banner -- better yet, I can make you a layout, if you'd like. So, if you're in need of a new header/banner, let me know! Price is dependent on what you'd like done, but it won't break the bank -- promise.

Ta! Am off to sew. And write the 'zine~~~!

black ink mistakes * fun fun! * retrofitted journal

One of the first cards I saw by the amazing Anahata Katkin was this one (no longer as a card, but it was awhile ago!); I loved the horizontal layers that served as the backdrop for the collage, and immediately went home to try my hand at it.

It didn't turn out nearly as well as I'd hoped.

A few days ago, I discovered the art of Michael Cutlip (via Dear Ada) and felt that love of horizontal layers come back.

My journal's thick and big, and I recently treated myself to a cute new purse...but carrying and using the journal wouldn't work with it....and hasn't been working with my life recently. I've been carrying a Moleskine sketchbook, but long ago I outgrew the size of the larger ones, and...yeah.

Now, I promised I wouldn't BUY any new journals....so I re-fitted an old one....and I mean OLD, as in a few years ago. Some new paper and a pretty new cover and WHAM! New journal.

I played with the vertical layers and WHEEE, I'm having too much fun. This one's a combination of the girl's T-Shirt in "Dan in Real Life" (the clouds), a bit of the paintings that inspired it, and a collage I've been working on in my journal.

I had a long quote on the bottom, but when I went to "seal" the cover with some gel medium (all I have!), the ink totally smeared and I had to quickly rub it off to get rid of the big black blob. BUT! It helped with the first page in the journal and another layers painting!

So see, you can take something that was originally a mistake and add it in and BAM, completely new style and love and fun!

I'm planning on doing another book binding video (I have everything ready, I just need to sit down and do it!), but is there something else? I was thinking of a tutorial on watercolor crayons (and their awesome multitude of usages), and hrmmm....I don't know! Let me know! I want to make y'all new videos! Heeee!

Well, I'm now SO running late in getting ready for work, so I'll just give you a pick of my inside cover and run off to get dressed. See ya all on the flip side!

The Easy-Peasy Journal

Here's a video I've wanted to make for a long time! It's an easy journal to bind that doesn't cost much and takes less than an hour.

Man, though, is it a lot of work! Hours to film, then edit, then upload all over the place -- there's a ton of effort that goes in to making these vids for you all! :) This is the first one I used my new camera for. Also, the volume issues are resolved...no more blasting you out of your seats!

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Prompt 3.1: I Should...

Our lives are filled with tasks we must do, have to do, should do. They rule our minds and cause us pain. Think about it -- when was the last time you felt guilty or bad because of something you didn't do but felt obligated to? And how about parties you go to that you didn't want to go to but did, and then spent the whole time miserable?

Life is a series of choices. Today, I want you to think about this: what about YOUR choice? Have you considered your OWN feelings before? Journals open us to ourselves, reveal our own feelings to us that we've been ignoring -- dive deep; your soul will be your guide and protect you from harm.

Think of all the things you should do. You should get a good job. You shouldn't "waste" your time with hobbies or play. You should take care of your family. These are all things "they" have told you to do -- but who are "they?" Why do you allow them to have such power over you?

In your journal, tell "them" that you're NOT going to listen to their rules anymore! List all the things you feel you "should" do and, with each one, release that external expectation of yourself.

Get creative. Today, I started working with markers in my journal. Since I started painting and using watercolor crayons, I felt like I couldn't use markers. But who said that? I did! And we can't truly express ourselves if we're always putting restrictions on ourselves! Let them go! You are only expected to BE TRUE. That's it.

This entry was a LOT of fun to do! After doing a layer of watercolor crayons, I took a sheet of that new die-cut scrapbooking  paper and used it as a stencil for gesso....it came out SO COOL and I so want to do that again; I'll have to find some new patterns. The heads are German stamps from Teri. And then, I was like, yeah, I usually don't use cut out letters, so let's do that! And big blocks of color! And everything different and new and that I hadn't done in a long time -- or ever. Because I can do ANYTHING I WANT in my journal.

Art & Magic

What is magic?

I think it's taking a blank piece of paper and some mixed paints and creating amazing art. It's turning thoughts into images into journal entries. It's how we amazing creatures can express, share, and relate without saying a word.

{ hiatus }

Well, the power cord for my laptop's officially kicked the bucket.

It started giving me problems about a week ago, and I've survived by using various tape methods to keep the cord together. The cord split a bit near where it attaches to the block/adapter/big thingy and I was able to coax a charge out of it. When I got home this afternoon, nothing I did made the little light go on.

What sucks more than not having a computer to go online with (I'm borrowing one ATM) is that there were 2 vids on there, one ready to be uploaded, the other I was planning on finishing tonight. That, and all my contacts, emails, etc.

This totally sucks.

So, until I can figure out a solution to this problem, I'm going to be very scarce. I'll be checking my email maybe twice a day and not keeping up with blogs, etc. Sorry! My birthday's in less than two weeks, so I'm hoping I'll get some cash to buy a new power cord.

In the meantime, keep journaling! I've tons of pages to share with y'all when I get my laptop workin'. I even pulled out the tripod to take nice ones!

<3
Kira

snow daaaaaay!

Yes, another snow day! This storm was a bit bigger than the last; that's my car out there covered in about 8 inches of snow. Suffice to say, I haven't left the house all day. See that snow on the driveway? Yeah...it was cleared about 20 minutes ago and whatever you see has accumulated in that time. It's been going since last night, which means I don't plan on leavin' until tomorrow. I was lucky in that Day Job had me off today and tomorrow, or else I'd still be digging myself out!

Spent most of the day snuggled in bed, reading. Had a sandwich and ice cream for lunch. And since the only thing I want to watch tonight's on at 9pm (central time!), I've come back upstairs to have some paintin' and journalin' fun!

Here are some pics from my day thus far (I've added notes over on Flickr; just click on the image to be brought over there to read them):

My desk, messy, no matter how hard I try to keep it clean!

New storage for inspiration.

"princess rapunzel cuts her hair" -- a new fairy-tale painting. Can you tell I'm a feminist? *laughs*


I don't have a name for this one yet, but I DO know I'm totally IN LOVE with it. I can't believe something like this came from ME. *grins* Came out after chatting with new journal buddy Kathy last week.

I've a new prompt for you this week; I'm posting them weekly on my mailing list, but wonder -- are there non-mailing list people who read my little essays? Just wondering. ;)

See ya in a bit!

<3 kira!

A fractured reality / grace under pain

Well, you asked for it! *G* Here's a bit of my "darker" side; a page that isn't collage or pretty illustration. I worked on it yesterday, starting with a sketch, and painted it later. At first, I was working as I usually do, "coloring" with paint while jiving with the music I had playing, but near the end, I threw caution to the wind and started working instinctively. Each dash of red came from inside. My Inner Critic was shouting at me in the beginning, yelling, "Stop! That doesn't look right! You painted a pretty girl and now you're ruining everything."

But I pushed past it. Started making strokes that weren't even or straight or "right." They came from someplace inside that rose up inside me and took over. I was no longer fully in control of my hands; I watched them make marks and paint and express what I keep simmering inside. There is so much anger there, so much sadness. It is the place that hates God and had me turn away from Him at the beginning of high school (around the time my pain started and I got my diagnosis). At Church, I feel that small ember of faith burn and tears come to my eyes when I watch others living in deep faith, but I can't go there, I can't do that. I am so angry at God, it brings tears to my eyes. Everything I believed about life, about the good and faithful succeeding. I feel so limited and TRAPPED. Trapped in this body that can do so little while so much goes on in my head. I wish I could do half the things I come up with -- half the things Spirit has bestowed to me. Wasted gifts?

I've had yesterday and today off from work. Yesterday, I watched a America's Next Top Model marathon. Today, I want to sit and curl up and pour my heart out onto paper. It won't be "artful," but I need it. I need to write things down and sort things out and be by myself.

I am so confused and lost when it comes to faith that it's coming out everywhere in my life. Woe!

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I'm participating in Creative EveryDay; seven days' worth of creativity are up on my flickr page.

The second part of Word Soup will be posted tomorrow! *G*