TGIF

The assignment for this art journal page was to incorporate sewing and/or stitching onto the page. I planned to have more sewing than actually is on the page, but the thread on the bobbin ran out and I was too lazy to refill it. Of course if you could see the space surrounding the sewing machine you might know why. It's a miracle that I could even find the on/off switch with all the piles of stuff on my desk. Yep, it's a mess again. So "what else is new" you are probably saying ~ and of course you would be 100% correct. My desktop never stays clean and tidy for long, no matter how hard I try. It actually has turned into a dumping ground and I have recently realized that this is an integral part of my creative process ~ how's that for rationalizing? But it truly is, because I cut out snips of this paper with decorative edged scissors, or cut a picture out of that magazine or text from an old book, or a bit from a roll of wallpaper or a length of ribbon and the unused remnants end up all over my desk and eventually get incorporated into a journal page or another collage. And I love that....it's serendipity at it's finest!
Yesterday I was at Michael's for an artist's date {isn't that what author Julia Cameron calls an outing to the art and craft store?} and I ventured over to the Martha Stewart Craft aisle because they were having a sale on all her tools, glitters and adhesives. As I picked up a bottle of my favorite glittering glue {which never clogs, buy the way}, I saw this border punch hanging from the display and thought how pretty it was. I've seen it there before, but somehow it just called out to me this time in an Alice in Wonderland voice and said, "Buy Me, Buy Me." So of course I obeyed and immediately took it right to the check out counter. But it does make a pretty edge, doesn't it? And it is very easy to line up the paper so you can make {as Martha would say} a perfect continuous line of punches all the way across the edge of the paper. You can see my first attempt at this on the blue post-it note above....it turned out so pretty that now I want to punch all my post-it papers.

I decided that my blog needed a new spring look, so yesterday I played around in Photoshop and created a new banner and while doing that I figured out how to get it to appear bigger across the top of the page. It was so simple, but it took a lot of hit and misses until I got it right. See Donna, you aren't the only one who struggles with her blog.

So does anyone have any plans for the Memorial Day weekend? With gas prices at $4.07 around here, we are staying close to home this year. We're getting together with my DH's side of the family tomorrow and Sunday we'll be with some other family members. I think we'll have a cookout at our house on Monday and let everyone else drive out our house for a change. Have a great weekend and don't forget to fly your flag!