Happy Birthday Leya!...

I came up with the perfect gift idea for my neice...a fabric journal cover with an image of her dog Sadie on the front cover. I used the techniques from Teesha Moore's fabric journal video (just like the little bag I made earlier). Once again I flubbed up on the measurements and it shrank in size (after all the sewing and stuffing)....so the original journal was too large and wouldn't fit...I had to find a smaller one. Luckily everything worked out! It took me a few days to make and a lot of love....hope she likes it.

the fabric peices drying in the sun

the panels sewn and stuffed.......

the inside panel....

the completed journal cover....

creating borders.....

After painting the pages of my "16 Page Amazing Journal"...I have been busy collaging borders on each page....I have loved doing this...and it is teaching me how to get out of my "head" and be more intuitive (sometimes it is challenging because I get way ahead of myself & try to control the outcome)....need to stay in the moment and just "slap things down" (as Teesha Moore would say)
Here are a few pics:
The first image is of the front and back covers

The next step is to finish collaging the centre of each page........

life in a bubble....

I was first made aware of my empathic ability about 6 and a half years ago. I happened to be out of town and out of the blue I became very ill...I didn't know it at the time, but a family member (many miles away) was going through some turmoil and I was told that I (my body) was processing their "stuff".

Since then I have had some similiar experiences, which has brought the subject "empathy" more on my radar, although it wasn't until a few years ago that I could name it. As the universe would provide, I met someone who identified their ability as being "EMPATHIC". They described similar experiences that I have had and I now had a name / label for these experiences. Thank goodness.
I wanted to explore this further and find out HOW TO TURN IT OFF...because I felt like it was becoming harmful to me. But that pursuit was put on the back burner, and then I got sick with kidney failure. I find it interesting that my body knew instinctively to COCOON myself during the time I was really sick. Living in a bubble so to speak.
I haven't fully ventured too far from my bubble after my kidney transplant...and I feel like I need to learn some skills to deal with this emapthic gift before something else happens.....
Welcome to "Empathy 101"....
I have enrolled myself in some home schooling. First class is to read the book "EMPOWERED by EMPATHY" by Rose Rosetree. I started it today.....excellent read so far! I am so happy to get some tools in my belt. (I like that she calls it 25 ways to FLY in spirit.....I like flying)

I also watched a few videos by Judith Orloff: (here is a link to one of them)
http://www.drjudithorloff.com/CustomContentRetrieve.aspx?ID=273953

She has a check list for empaths:
- have you ever been labelled "oversensitive"
- do you get emotionally drained by crowds and need alone time to revive yourself (emotional emaths always want to go home!)
- are you very sensitive to smells, excessive talking or loud noises
- do you overeat or binge on carbs to relieve stress
- do you like to take your own car places so that you can get out quickly

I am so grateful for things like the internet that can provide information like this and that their are people that are willing to share their knowledge to help people like me....

THANK YOU

I would love to take one of Michael Demeng's classes on "Cold Blooded Journals"....using a new product called Kroma Crackle....
http://michaeldemeng.blogspot.com/2011/04/cold-blooded-journals-with-kroma.html

...but I am unable to travel just yet.....so I thought I would get together with a friend and we would have our own makeshift class.....This is what I created so far:

I was trying to create a little buddha type face....unfortunately the Kroma Crackle slid down over the face and pooled at the sides....


I'm not finished with this yet....perhaps I will do a few color washes over top.....

mucking around....

while I wait for things on my wish list...like a new computer....and Photo shop...I am making due with what I have and that is Paint shop pro.....I am trying to teach myself this program by trial and error.....here are some images I created using one of my paintings called "The Navigator"

16 page amazing journal.....

I had a hard time finding a supplier for the "Fabriano Artistico" watercolor paper....but my intuition told me to go to Swinton's (which I hadn't been to in years). They not only had the Fabriano paper (that Teesha Moore suggests for making this journal), but they had a nice handmade paper from India. I bought a sheet of each and will experiment with both to see which one I like better.
I had fun painting the pages......here they are:

I think I like how the Fabriano one turned out better (shown on the left). The pages are a little stiffer. Now....on to the collage part.....

Here is the link to Teesha Moore's video on how to paint the journal: http://youtu.be/VqrcB49uS9M

fabric fun....

Thanks to Teesha Moore and her YouTube videos, for getting me back into some creativity. The fabric journal video in particular was exciting to me because of the fabric and thread. I was having some uninspired days, so working with the fabric & thread (an old love of mine) brought me back to life!
Here is the link to her fabric journal video: http://youtu.be/2Cm4RoEsgl0

Here are the little pillows / panels I made......(one of them has a fabric transfer of my artwork)

I decided to sew my panels together to form a bag (instead of a journal)

Thank You Teesha Moore......I loved doing this.....


....now I am off to get paper to make the Amazing 16 Page Journal
Here is the link to the video: http://youtu.be/1z6qmXGRrsE