Art Junk Girl~

Creative Goals and dreams for 2008~

I have been SO inspired by SARK as of late. I mean, of course I would love an author who has published most of her books in the shape of a square...lol....but anyhoo, during my blog break, I had been "filling my creative well" by reading books and generally nurturing my creative soul. Her books certainly hit the mark. AFter devouring the few books I had around here, I decided to purchase her new book entitled, "Make Your Creative Dreams Real" and I've been devouring it for the last two months. She inspires me SO much. In fact, when I first picked up one of her books after being particularly burnt out and weary, I turned right to one of her colorful handwritten quotes reading, "You are enough. You have enough. You do enough." Gulp. Like, how did she know what I was thinking? I was definitely at a place where I was feeling guilty about indulging in my creative passions, wondering if I was giving enough to other areas in my life, wondering if I was a "good enough" everything: mom, wife, etc. Why oh Why am I so hard on myself. I do not know, but I will tell you, when I read that quote, I felt as if an old friend took my hand and gently and lovingly reassured me, leaving my doubtful voices to bite the dust.
So, as per usual, I am babbling on in artjunk style (which must mean I am back to my old self). But, what I wanted to write about today is that after reading a few chapters over coffee this morning, I was inspired to make creative goal charts for 2008. I worked on them all morning. I then made some and copied them on cardstock for my daughters.

(you are more than welcome to print this out).

I got the idea from a chart SARK has in the book on Creative Goals. So here they are. What are your Creative Goals for 2008? I hope you are inspired to follow them. We all need to support each other and follow our dreams. One of my very favorite and most reassuring quotes from this book reads, " Your creative dreams need YOU to make them real."
So true.
xo Lia

on my creative docket...

workspace: multi-tasking..., originally uploaded by artjunkgrl.

Ok, so, where was I? Hmmmm....Oh, yeah, I finished my 1000 squares project!! You can go see them all on my square blog. The thing is...I can't stop making them...and I don't intend to. LOL. But, I am making up some charms again with copies of inchies made this year. I'm workin' on a charm bracelet for my daughter. I know that everyone is loving the charms right now. I kind of have to make myself get them out and work on them as they are not my fave thing to do...(see previous post...re: injuries, ocd issues. lol). Anyhooo...I know they are the one useful thing I can do with all the inchies, and my daughter looooves jewelry, so I've promised her a marilyn charm bracelet. As far as other things in the works, well, I've had a few "what project will you do now?" inquiries. Well, I have no idea. I don't even know if I will have a "project" this coming year, but I will continue to follow my creative bliss, that I know for sure. I'm kinda liking circles lately too...shh...don't tell anyone...he he.. I'll be back with more creative chit-chat soon. Gotta go get the place in a bit of order today. Oh, I've summoned Bruno to paint the cement floor in my basement studio. More on my year long studio move soon. Thanks for visiting me my friends and following my silly adventures. I hope you all have lots of fun things planned and in store for you in the new year. Be happy! xo Lia

pom-pom's anyone?

pom-pom garland for itty-bitty tree, originally uploaded by artjunkgrl.

Ok, so I made my first pom-pom garland for a little tree I put in my daughter's room before she arrived home for winter break. Oh...she loved it. Sometimes the simplest things bring some joy, color and fun into your day! Anyhoo...I art "junked" it up a bit with leftover beads from the girls "bead bin"...you know the one....it's the bin you immediately grab to house the 10,000 piece bead kits they get for birthday presents from people who have not a clue what this means to a mother of 4 trying to keep her house in some semblance of order....I literally hear the sounds of beads tinkling across the floor even when I say, "wait, don't open that yet, let me get 'the bin'"....Oops, too late, tinkle, tinkle, down they go into the vents and what not. Oh, what to do, what to do...it's all good right? Ok, well, I certainly got off on a tangent this morning. Anyhoo, I already have a "special order" from my daughter's best friend whom wants one for her room too. tee hee. So, in between shopping and decorating...I will be making pom-pom garlands and whatever else I can think of. The simplest things amuse me. Yes. But that is what life is all about if you ask me. Off I go now. Be back soon! xo Lia

Christmas '07

Christmas '07, originally uploaded by artjunkgrl.

Dear Friends...

My taskmaster side, aka Order-lia has emerged & had me workin' on the house cleaning this last week. I have almost officially moved my art junk down to the basement and we are breathing easier on the first floor. My big kids are comin' home, so you know what that means...FOOD FEST. Yes, I need to get to the grocery store as well.... Anyhoo, I've been fitting in artin' and craftin' here and there and I will post more photos soon. I'm working on a set of Christmas Inchies. Hope you all are doing well and I'll be back with more as soon as Orderlia let's up on me a bit...xoxo lia

I'm dreaming of a crafty christmas...

I'm dreaming of a crafty christmas..., originally uploaded by artjunkgrl.

...Please note: I'm only a " little" obsessed with pom-pom's right now (Im just sayin'...) and will be making some garlands for the girls smaller tree's..and anything else I can think of...I love all the colors! I need to finish getting the house tidied and then I'm gonna craft my little heart out.
I'll share more soon...hmmm...now what did I do with the upholstery thread...it's here somewhere...
Hope you are having a fun holiday season. xo

Organizing squares for the final count and a day in the life...

1000 square project: inchies album, originally uploaded by artjunkgrl.

A day in the life of artjunk~

1. Make a list of all the things you have to do.

2. Set aside.

3. Count inchies for square project instead.

4. Get OCD and put them all in panels of 20 and then arrange them in photo album.

5. Take pictures of them.

6. Sit down with cup of coffee and look through them all...relishing in the good thoughts and moments and pictures and remnants of the past year.

7. Get out list again. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 6.

JJ counting squares for me...lol

JJ counting squares for me...lol, originally uploaded by artjunkgrl.

We are busy counting squares...yes, the holidays are coming, I have shopping to do, but I'm home counting squares. I've almost completed this year long project! I am looking at different ideas for framing them. I'm thinking either a series of smaller frames or one huge one...(my hubby is suggesting one large one). Anyhoo, I'm excited about finishing this up and I've been bouncing around ideas for my next "project" in the new year. I've really enjoyed having something like this to built toward. Many of these squares are like a diary of different things I did this year as I used some recycled materials and images from leftovers of the day. I will share more on that later. Talk soon friends. ~L.

Studio Update #362

OK, so, where were we? This is studio update #362 I think. I can't remember where I left off...I know the re-do or studio move started this past summer when I decided that the upstairs "mudroom" could no longer contain me and my artjunk and that it was spilling over to allll the other rooms in the house. SO, I decided to banish myself to the unfinished portion of our basement (aka the dungeon/laundry room).
I really felt like I wasn't getting anywhere with it until this week. I finally gave myself a "deadline" to get the space in order. With the holidays coming, that kind of gave me the kick I needed. I normally like getting things organized before the new year. Have I ever told you about my "Nutcracker Christmas" fantasy...let's just save that for another post...it suffices to say that I always have this magical kind of idea of what it will be like on Christmas...and boxes of art supplies and junk all over the house isn't part of it...So I digress, as per usual. But, anyhoo...this project has dragged on, and then I know I took my blog and crafty break, and the boxes were left "unattended". But, I am back in the saddle and getting things in order in my new space. I'm happy to report that I've actually made some noticable progress!!
Yes, I had Bruno (you know, my dutiful and patient husband) help me move a large cabinet we used to keep other "junk" in over to my studio area yesterday. I cleaned it out, reworked some stuff and put lots of my ephemera and stuff in there. This is where I will bring the rest of the stuff that is contained upstairs. I am the queen of "use what you have decorating". I like to just re-work what I have. Unfortunately, that means I make Bruno move stuff...and he always says, "this is the last time..." but he's good to me, what can I say?
So, without further ado, here are a few pictures.....I will have more as I get the space done. I have some before pics also, which I hope to share in one album on my flickr page.
Ok, well, I best get back to work. I've been getting "squared away" with my 1000 square project as well. Oh, and I have tons of cut out squares from my square project. I found even more when I was "digging out".
I went kind of square punch crazy a while back. I love cutting squares out of the anthropologie catalog because the colors are so fabulous. I made a postcard quilt here with some of them, as well as other squares in my bin.

So the long and the short of it is, that art junk girl is getting her stuff together a bit here. I will update you more soon. Thanks so much for your comments during my break and for giving me support during that time. I love this creative community. You all are wonderful and mean alot to me! xoxo lia

counting squares~934

counting squares~934, originally uploaded by artjunkgrl.

Quote for the Day~

collage on canvas, "G.", originally uploaded by artjunkgrl.

"The purpose of life is to fight maturity."
-Dick Werthimer

any questions?

:) LK