Martha Monday - inspiration journal

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Do you love to invent recipes, scrapbook,
photography, gardening, etc?
Do you love to just TRY and be inspired?
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Martha Monday

I have been paroosing through the donna downey inspiration wednesday history posts, practicing with the techniques and materials that I learned in her classes.

A couple of weeks ago, I broke down and purchased an inspirational journal.

I was craving painting and using something messy.
Acrylic paint?
Yes please.
Crackle paste?
Oh yeah!

Donna is correct. In North Carolina, crackle paste takes 24-48 hours to dry. Here? Takes less than 2 hours, but I gave it 4 hours for all the good crackling.

Post, crackle paint, I did not like the green.
So I painted over it.
With pink.
And then added a thin ribbon attached to a thick jean ribbon.

And then stamped a quote (one of her stamps)
with orange stazon and green distressing pad onto a tag.

I like it better and it was fun.

Page 1; inspiration journal.



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What has inspired you this week?

elegant garden

When Donna Downey was here this past weekend, I took two of her three classes. The one I didn't take, I was able to purchase her kit to do later. After committing to myself to "play" at least one day a week whether it be a full on scrapbook page, a little 4x6 watercolor or what. It doesn't matter as long as I do something creative and enjoy it. No stress. No worry about what it looks like or what it will look like.

Today, mom came over and we played. I am really excited that my new place is so space friendly. I have more than enough room to put us in my craft room or at the dinning room table. Since I have yet to catch up on some of my weekly shows like Bachelorette and Castle, I decided we would be better at the dinning room table. Better access to tv (hulu.com). smirk


I set us up so that we were on the same side of the table. I find this easier for sharing tools and supplies. I had recently picked up Gesso, Molding and crackle paste as well as one of the cool H2O pens for watercolors.


Waiting for my mom to arrive (I was up a bit early this morning), I decided to start on the elegant garden kit. It had great colors and I wasn't sure what was all involved.



I love the kit came with color picture and instructions PLUS I went to donna's website and found in more detail how to do the fabric flower petals. She is such a great resource for learning new techniques. I really love that she is so great about taking something someone else did and making it my own. She says, "there is no such thing as a unique idea." I have been watching her back episodes of "inspiration Wednesday." It is very cool to watch her create something so original and fresh in just 10 minutes. I feel inspired and ready to play too.

I am struggling a little bit with the watercolors/pen. There is always a residual dark spot where I initially lay down the paint and then using water spread it around. I can't seem to figure out how to get rid of that. It doesn't end up blending in so well.

I hadn't planned on using a photo of myself in this, but since my grove lately seems to be around centering myself and getting back to what makes me; it just worked. I am very happy with the results. While I was waiting for mom to finish up so we could grab some lunch, I realized that I wanted to hang it on the wall. I was thinking ribbon of some sort, but it ended up on a wire hanger with some of the tags out of a different kit.

I'd really like to get some wire things so I can mold the wire hanger into either a heart or some other cool design, rather than just the hook and I am thinking about cutting and curly-q-ing the sides of the hanger. I think molding the wire hanger will also help that it hangs a bit crooked because of more weigh on one side. Not sure, but for now I like it.

hey donna downey

Honestly I am not sure how long I have been following donna downey, but it has been at least three years. I know I have been waiting and conspiring how I could attend INSPIRED for that long. This year, I was ready to purchase tickets, but then saw donna would be coming to my state and I dropped everything and called my mom. I screamed in the phone so excited. And INSPIRED kinda got forgotten. (next year)

If I could say a few things about meeting donna, she is SO down to earth and very funny. You know how you meet people for the first time, but it feels like you've known them forever? That's how she is. Just like family. She cracks jokes, she made fun, she was inspiring and just wonderful to learn from.

It was like a couple of days regressing back to kindergarten. I had paint flying. My hands were dyed different colors. We played with all kinds of different mediums from watercolor to gees and acrylics. I learned so many incredible tips and came away with infinite possibilities. I love classes like these. They are few and far between, but I always END UP CENTERED and ready to go back to real life. Anything that has been plaguing me seems minute. And I have the coolest projects to continue working on.

Thanks DONNA!!!

Here are videos of her explaining techniques:
(i don't know why the videos are sideways)

A few other bloggers who took the class as well -

the bricela blog
tina wish art

tainted with a positive view

If I missed your donna downey link, just leave me a comment and I'll add you.

Prologue-

VERY VERY EXCITED!! I have been following Donna Downey for at least six years by email and her blog. I have tried to take classes with her, but alas the scrapbook conventions and events I have been too, she hasn't been able to make. NOW FINALLY, she has come close enough to me for a class - or two.

Dear Heidi,

Summertime and the living's easy... Isn't summer time the best time of the year? The kid's are out of school. It's warm and breezy outside. The BBQ and pool are calling your name. But the best part is that lifetime memories are being made!

Join me this summer at one of the stores I'll be teaching at and make those gorgeous summer memories last forever. I'll be traveling from north to south and coast to coast to bring you some of my favorite workshops ever. Be sure to carve some inside time out and join me. I'd love to see you!

Paper Vineyard

May 28th - 29th

Don't you think that Memorial Day weekend is really the start of summer? And what better way to start the summer than with a weekend full of scrapping fun? The first stop on my summer adventure will be Paper Vineyard in Chandler, Arizona. Come join me for 2 art filled days filled with technique as we create three different projects - Fabric Scrapbooking, Simply IrRESISTible, and Elegant Garden. The classes are almost full, so be sure to reserve your spot today. Contact the store at 480-656-2058 or visit their website for more information.