The Scary Blank Page

Hi there lovely people!

Sometimes, in the course of doing creative work, we get stuck and experience writer's block, artist's block or creator's block. 

Many times, we experience it at the very start of the project, just as we open our notebooks or sketchpads and face the very scary blank page. 

So what are we to do? Instead of lounging on the sofa flipping TV channels or walking away "to find inspiration," let's face that blank page head on and just make something.

Here are a few ideas that I hope will help:

1. Use Prompts

"Doodle-a-Day" is hosted by Rhianna Wurman, also known as @ellolovey on Instagram and Etsy. Every month, she comes up with a list of one word prompts -- one prompt for each day of the month -- to be used as inspiration for daily drawings as an art exercise. 

She suggests a color palette and she even has a version of the prompts in Spanish, French, and German. What a fun way to learn a new language!

I tried it out and my version is on a 5.5 inch x 8.5 inch sheet of watercolor paper. I made postage stamp-sized boxes for each day of the month. I made a teeny-tiny painting each day which was less intimidating than filling a full page but at the end of the month, this is what happened:

It was low commitment on a daily basis but I felt very accomplished for taking baby steps...TADA!  

2. Sketch the Mundane

Whether we doodle or create full artworks, we can always find our muse in our every day surroundings. On a rainy or frigid winter day, when going out isn't a possibility, I look for images on my computer. 

I love to paint flowers and I found this in the website of a pretty shop. 

I made a few more, fitting five little paintings in a page. It felt good after because I was able to practice light and shadow, suggestion and details.

Next time I'll try painting these subjects, too: food, tea and coffee, and people I meet everyday. 

3. Work on a limited palette

I got this idea from Lisa Congdon and Peggy Dean. There are times when too many options (ex. colors, art supplies) can be overwhelming so if we work on our limitations, it's easier to focus. 

For this painting and the one after it, I used just the color blue:

 

This is a single color but you're welcome to use up to three and see what story you can tell.

These are just a few ways I turned the blank page from blah to TADA! Let me know how YOU overcome writer's/artist's block (you may write them in the comments section).

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Petite Paintings with Faux Gold Leaf

I'm delighted to see you today!

Whether you are a new visitor or old-time friend to this blog, you know my mantra: I turn blah to TADA! I do my best to rescue things meant for the trash and give them new life so that they're useful again.

Take for example this gold foil used to wrap chocolate bars. Instinct tells us to toss it after use, but I didn't. I wiped it down with a damp towel to get rid of any chocolate residue and I let it dry.

It has so much potential for crafts, no need to buy gold paint, gold leaf, or gold paper. Don't believe me? Here's how I've used it:

I made this illuminated bookmark that is traditionally gilded with gold leaf. Instead, I cut small pieces of the gold foil and glued it in place...TADA!

I also used the gold foil to create these collage-style greeting cards and envelope. Doesn't the sheen make the cards look expensive?

Well, I thought of another way to use this gold foil chocolate wrapper.

I took out my paints, paintbrush and small canvas panel. 

I made this abstract painting which I named, "Optimism."

I glued on some pieces of gold foil which you'll see better when the painting is on an angle.

Here is another abstract painting on a small square canvas. I call it, "Clarity."

It also has flecks of gold foil. A little went a long way!

I used the blank canvas to paint my feelings: optimism and clarity. Perhaps the the gold fold acts as an exclamation point to live these feelings out loud. That's how I'm turning "blah" to "TADA!"    

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A Field Trip to Yoseka Stationery

How is it September already?

To ease into the new season (back to school, autumn, and eventually the start of the holidays), let's go on a field trip to Greenpoint, Brooklyn! There's a cute little shop there that I've visited a few times this year.

It's called Yoseka Stationery, the US branch of Yoseka originally founded in Taoyuan, Taiwan. A young, kind-hearted, stationery-obsessed couple (Neil and Daisy) opened it in 2017, "As a way of introducing Asian stationery to the US."

Just as the sign outside announces, Yoseka Stationery promises everything a stationery lover desires! 

Look! Shelves and surfaces filled with notebooks, pens, stickers, washi tape, writing paper, and really lovely office supplies. 

They also have the highly coveted Traveler's Company notebooks and accessories, as well as the Hobonichi Planners (they even celebrated Hobonichi Day recently). 

I just love the shop decor -- a nod to the analog and old school way of life.

At the center is a long table where you can test all kinds of pens and notebooks to help you narrow down your choices (or encourage the attitude, "I'll buy it all!"). If there's one form of relaxation for me, it's testing out pens and pencils! 

Just by the entrance is a table where you can try out stamps and ink pads, as well as special self-inking stamps if you're into collecting them in a notebook (like they do in Japan).

Every so often, they offer special events like a stationery swap and classes (I'll tell you about the one I attended in a future post). 

This is one of my purchases, a Leuchtturm1917, which I'm using as my bullet journal for the last quarter of 2023...TADA!

If you are ever in New York City, make Yoseka Stationery one of your stops. It will turn your day from blah to TADA! You can also check out their on-line shop and fun YouTube Channel where they talk about stationery!

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A Handmade Thank You Card

Howdy everyone!

I came across a thoughtful quote: "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."

Isn't it true? We should say thank you on a regular basis, verbally or in simple gestures like gifts and thank you cards. 

Today, I'm making a thank you card using this chocolate packaging. It was a gift from a friend living in North Carolina. The chocolate was yum-yum-yummy (I'm sorry I didn't leave any to share...ooops)! 

The packaging is pretty and the paper is textured, of high quality and with a graceful die-cut. Of course I had to save it for crafting purposes.

I painted it with a soothing shade called "Pool Blue."

I painted the front and back side using two coats.  

When the paint was dry, I took out a sponge and a darker shade of blue paint.

I applied the new paint color with the sponge to come up with these cloud-like patterns.

I did the same on the other side.

As an added flourish, I stamped on some little stars (using a craft stamp and blue ink pad) and applied some glitter glue in the shape of little dots. 

Using the same technique, I decorated a plain piece of cardstock (cut to fit the envelope) and added the word "Thanks."

All I need to do is to personalize the card and send it on its way to a kind friend.

And that is how I turned an empty chocolate box from blah to TADA!

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Crafting with Tea

Hey guys!

Tea is a favorite drink of mine and it's no surprise that I include it in my crafty projects. Let me show you some of them: 

I love to bake and this recipe for Earl Grey Yogurt Cake is infused with tea flavor...TADA! I've experimented with different teas like a fruity ginger peach and this warm Christmas Tea.

I painted an empty cardboard tea box and made it into a purse for a little girl...TADA! She can store her treasures here like dolls and hair clips and found seashells.

I turned empty tea envelopes into tiny gift bags...TADA! They can be used as tags, to wrap tiny presents or to use as seating cards.

I transformed a tea tin into a recipe box...TADA! It's where I store recipe cards that are either handwritten or free at the supermarket.

I even used spent tea bags to dye lace and other fabrics to give it a sepia tone...TADA! This piece of lace became a headband.

Influenced by an artist I follow on Instagram, I tried her method of painting on tea bags. 

Here's how I did it: Save a used tea bag after you've made your tea. Let this dry overnight. Once dry, cut open one end of the bag and empty the contents (add this to the compost pile). Lay the tea bag on paper (to absorb any paint) and make a sketch (I made these pansies). Then slowly color the sketch with watercolor paint. The tea bag resembles a very thin version of watercolor paper.   

I tried painting this pair of koi fish, too. I thought it's a cool idea to repurpose used tea bags this way. I do need to practice more control with the paint (or use less water) since the paper isn't as absorbent as what I'm used to.

You should see what the artist, Ruby Silvious, can make:

via Ruby Silvious

via Ruby Silvious

via Ruby Silvious

Aren't they beautiful? She creates effortlessly arresting art out of tea bags! You can see more of Ruby Silvious' work here and I even wrote an article about her here.

These are just some ways we can transform tea and its packaging from blah to TADA! 

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Bible Journaling and Hand Lettering

So lovely that you are here!

For me, making art is meditation. Making art is also a way to pray and to record God's messages for me. In a previous post, I wrote about Bible Journaling. It's where you write down your reflections with drawings and scrapbooking on an actual Bible. That felt a little too rebellious for me. That's why I came up with this:

These are just cards on a string but it works like a scrapbook, sketchbook, and journal.

The cards are made from recycled cardboard. I turned food boxes, tissue boxes and other cardboard packaging from blah to TADA!

These are quotes that pop out from my daily Bible readings and devotional reflections. Surprisingly, these appear when I need assurance or when I ask for a sign. I collect them here and flip through them regularly so that I may be reminded of God's wisdom and power. 

I typically use mixed media like scrapbook paper, stickers, rubber stamps and an ink pad to turn the blank page from blah to TADA!

But I wanted to use some hand lettering -- an excuse to practice and to play with these pens a dear friend sent me.

I start by cutting a piece of cardboard into this tag shape and punch a hole on top.

Then I make some lines with a ruler and a pencil. These will keep my letters straight.

I first write the quote in pencil, taking note of spacing and where to add flourishes. Then I trace over the letters with ink. I darken the downstrokes and make sure each letter is legible. Then I let the ink dry for several minutes and erase all the pencil lines and marks. I use a clean paintbrush to dust off the eraser residue straight into the trash bin.

To add more life, I use watercolor.

Here are some of the other ones I made:

That's how I turned plain cardboard from blah to TADA! using materials that I already had on hand.

I included the pages to my Bible Journal and will continue to add more pages in the years to come.

I hope this has encouraged you to make something nice for yourself and remember:“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

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