Monday, December 26, 2016

affirmations in the shop!

you guys!  i'm so thrilled with this idea of affirmations!  i'm going to continue making bookmarks to give away and to sell, and i'm going to bring them all into the shop for other items as well (heh, i'm a poet!).  it's so exciting for me to think of these positive words and phrases bringing joy and light into the world at this time.  oh, is it needed!

today my hero hubby put 8 of my affirmations into the shop.  the bookmarks are strangely shaped, so they work on only few items.  i'm going to have to think of a way to get the bookmarks i want while also getting the full effect on the shop merchandise.

here are a few items to drool over.


"affirmation #1;
i allow myself to be happy" 
as a print


loving how it came out as a notebook



"affirmation #2;
i choose to see the light i am in this world"


how the tote worked out.  it's on my wish list!


"affirmation #4;
i fill my day with joy and share it with the universe"

the card came out nice

and this notebook makes me so happy!

"affirmation #6;
i matter"
 as a print
this fits nicely on most merchandise



"affirmation #8;
i am brave and strong"

this tote is also on my wish list

and how's this for a strong mug?


these items and more are all in the heavenspirit creations shop!  i have a total of 8 new prints up today, some with multiple items for the affirmation.  i have more waiting to be uploaded, and a brain full of ideas.  i'd love to hear your ideas for affirmations you'd like to see as a print!

i'll keep you posted!

until later,
jenny

Sunday, December 25, 2016

happy christmas, 2016!

my big craft for christmas gifts this year was bookmarks tailored to the recipient.  i chose affirmations that i wished my people would know or had more of in their life.

i started with sheets of watercolor paper and had fun with inks, acrylics and stamping a texture.  lots of layers, as thats how i like my art.


pretty!


i cut them into random sized bookmarks, cause thats how i roll.  i don't need no stinking measuring device!  organic, baby.

i knew i wanted to use book pages in the bookmarks, so tried different ideas for the affirmation phrases.  i wasn't happy until i stamped the words onto the blank areas of the book pages.  it
took a little time for me to find the look i wanted, but i am pleased with the clean look it created.

after stamping, i went over with pen to darken the ink






i added several layers of gloss medium to seal and protect the bookmarks, learning as i went along.



some in the drying phase



i added ribbon to the bookmarks, and pixel kitty helped




my book loving friends and family loved their affirmation bookmarks, and i enjoyed sending them loving energies!



from my home to yours, heres to a happy, healthy, prosperous and blessed 2017





until later,
jenny

Monday, December 5, 2016

i'm elf-ing

hi there!

i've been stalling and procrastinating about the christmas shenanigans that need to happen each year in order for ME to be happy.  the crafting to my loved ones that i like to do because i enjoy giving handmade items to those who enjoy my craftiness.  i've been in a weepy, bah-humbug-ish mood that has deepened further into a scary feeling situation for me the last few weeks.  knowing that my son and his family, with my grandtwins, won't be joining us this year from across the country wasn't helping my spirits.

i had a bit of inspiration with some secret stuff the other day, and that helped.  slapping color down is always therapeutic for me.   i was also looking for affirmations for these gifts, so the act of using google in such a positive way, and writing down some wise words for myself, helped break the cloud a bit more.

then, while shopping for gifts yesterday, i came across an advent calendar that made me smile so big!  my sweetie got it for me in hopes that my smile would continue as i moved the candy cane from pocket to pocket.


i did a lot of smiling yesterday, because sweet man must have touched something with glitter, and he sparkled in the sunlight for the rest of the day.  i called him "sparkles" and he glared good naturedly.

i can't show what i'm making, but i can show you this...

oh, the disaster that precedes the holidays



it stinks to not be able to share what i'm working on, cause i'm so proud and happy with how it's coming together.  soon the gifts will be opened and i will be able to share here.  for now, mum's the word.

until later,
jenny

Monday, November 28, 2016

class work and a new print up in the shop

hi there.

this is my 100th post!!!

i've been silent here but doing internal work as well as working on my journal from Facing Forward II with the lovely effy wild.

effy seems to have a certain style of art as well as teaching that i really connect with.  she teaches as a friend would.  with a human to human connection.  she keeps it real and shows you the whole process.  she fixes issues on camera, shows you where she has a dilemma and brings you thru her aha moments.  it's like creating with my best friend or sister when i watch her class videos.

facing forward II is an 8 week class called "the things i need to hear".  in it she guides you thru some journalling to get to the meat of the matter, to turn your problems around so that your journal is filled with beautiful words you might hear from a loved one.  i've decided to follow effys' lessons as closely as i can with the materials i have, and then to do each lesson my own way, giving me a larger journal with twice as many wonderful things i need to hear, and twice as many beautiful journal spreads.

 today i finished my take on week number 1, so thought i'd share my journal so far;


my cover


page with space for affirmation cards
and following effys week 1 lesson


words that heal my heart
"it takes energy to heal"

beginning with the journalling for this spread my critic complained that i didn't do enough, that i was 'lazy'.  i countered that horrible voice knowing that i need to rest when my body says to rest.  i need to listen to my body instead of the critic voice.  frida kahlo came to make sure i listened to this spread, and i'm so glad she did.  this is a very layered page, and that hints to not seeing others' pain by what they show.  frida was a very strong woman who suffered greatly and still found it in her to paint.  paint must have been in her blood, because i think i might have wallowed in a ball of goo and pity if i had lived her life.  

i loved this spread so took some good photos before adding the text in order to put her in the shop.  

prints here



and more in the shop!


i'm seriously thinking about adding her with the text "it takes energy to heal" as well, because i think it's a very powerful statement for many with chronic illness.  a lot of us need to let go of guilt when we become sick.  of course, now that i think about it, the way things crop the words wouldn't show on most of the merchandise anyway.  too bad!  gonna have to think...

until later,
jenny

Monday, November 7, 2016

new items in the shop

we finally got the last of my september challenge photos off the camera and into the shop, including the final painting.

i present to you, "lady of the lilies, unfolding"

find her print, here


her tote


makes a beautiful throw pillow

and a pretty appropriate shower curtain

more items with this print are in the shop as well





here is "challenge 6"
the print


all over print shirt

and more!



and finally, "challenge 7"




find these and much more in my shop!

until later,
jenny

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

the end is near!

i can see the finish line to this painting, and it's coming in exciting ways.  today i was inspired to cover a lot of the background with a transparent yellow.  that was scary, but i knew if i didn't like the result i could spray it with water and wipe it away.

i also worked her hair again, making this girl one of the most changed paintings, hair-wise, as i am!

here she was yesterday...



and after some good changes...



i have included a large drop at the top, symbolizing many things in my life.   i knew this symbol would be included somewhere in this painting, but had no clue it would be so prominent.  i like how it helps move the eye around the canvas.

i can see where i will work tomorrow, a small change, and i will soon bring her upstairs to sit with me a while.  she may give me more whispers, or she may silently speak of her completion.

i'm so happy with her!  hopefully i can get a bright, calm day to get good photos of her to put her in the shop in the near future.

until later,
jenny


Thursday, October 20, 2016

a slowing down

fall is underway.




we've had a few days of indian summer and a few biting chills that foretell the coming bitter months.  but it is here, and with it comes a slowing of my creative blood.

i ask to play with my muse daily, i wish to dabble and throw glitter in the air so to speak.  and i'm so close to finishing my latest painting i can taste it.  but my muse apparently has attention deficit disorder and doesn't want to linger in the details of finish work.  she wants to splash and drip again.  we have too many unfinished paintings to complete, can't we just finish this one?  just the one, and then we can go play with a new canvas as a reward...

so, today i begged again, and she said if i make it another challenge to the end of the month she may play a bit more with this canvas.  i won't bore you daily with this small challenge, because the tiny differences won't be apparent to anyone but myself.

except today.  i'm gonna bore you with the minute details today.

here she was last time i blogged about her;


i have dabbled here and there on the girl and the focal flower without blogging for the same reason. small changes are boring.  i'm trying to get more depth to the girls features and make the lily sparkle a bit more.  i've changed her hair and eye color a couple of times and have been working on both again today.  the eyes still need more for me to be happy with them.


i think i'm finally happy with the depth of her hair color.  several layers of several colors and a glaze over it all.

the main focal point



before;


after;

a few days ago i added an iridescent pearl over each petal to see if i liked the sparkle.  i did, but it wasn't what i had expected of the color, so i added a glaze of the quinacridone magenta i used to begin with, and that did the trick.  this lily is a beautiful rich sparkling color that i am thrilled with!


i know that getting to the finish line with this painting is going to take some work.  i'm not only battling my own 'junk' getting to the studio, i have my almost 16 year old pup, pita, who must be by my side but hates being in the studio for some reason.  when i bring him down, he runs around, trying to get my attention, tap dancing like he has to go outside.  we have done this routine so many times.  he goes crazy, i bring him upstairs in order to go thru the house to the dog area outside, only to have him run to the living room instead.  as soon as i let my guard down and ignore his tap dancing, he will go pee on my studio floor.  i am always on edge with him, and he refuses to settle down.  if i leave him in the living area of the house he will run around barking and i worry about his heart issues.  it's just a frustrating situation right now with him in his old age.

i have been very busy while the pups and i form a cuddle-puddle on the couch.  it's getting close to the end of the year for my yearlong Life Book workshop, and i need to make sure all video content and pdf's are downloaded before the beginning of next years workshop!


i have a couple of other art workshops i'm taking, and each class has it's own download page to make sure i'm up to date.  it's good to be organized, and it's something i can do while pita stays happily by my side on the couch.

until later,
jenny


Sunday, October 9, 2016

new products in the shop!

we finally stopped life long enough to catch up on the photos from my september challenge and put them in my store!

there are five challenge prints total so far, with a few more still in the camera.  and, of course, when i'm finished with the canvas that will be going up as well.

back to the goodies;

"challenge 2" as a card



"challenge 3" gets cropped as a colorful shirt

heres the print of "challenge 3"



 "challenge 4" looks like a nice halloween card!

 some items we liked the crop without the 'moons'


and a favorite crop, "challenge 5", as a print


and a tote


we must have uploaded these to society6 at *just* the right time on *just* the right day with the stars in alignment *just* the right way, because people were promoting a few of them like hotcakes.  when you get enough promoters quickly enough, you get your work in the actual society6 shop, where there is a better chance for others to see your work.  i got word last night that two of these, challenge 4 and challenge 5, were selected to be included in this elusive shop!  i was dancing in my seat, let me tell you!!!

until later,
jenny