It's New Year's Eve! And the last day of the Top 2000 Countdown!

Hi friends!  Yeehaw!  It's almost my favorite holiday - New Year's Day!  I get so excited this time of year!  The anticipation of a fresh start, plus all of the new classes starting up!  Inspiration truly is everywhere right now!!!

Before we get to that tho, I want to pay tribute to this year, and celebrate one more day of the Top 2000 Party!  Today, we are counting down #258 - #1!

You know that feeling you get when you are listening to a song, and you think "wow, this is the most beautiful song ever written?"  That's how I feel when I hear this song.  The fact that it's #68 and it's only 1 year old, tells me I am not alone...

THINKING OUT LOUD

by Ed Sheeran

#68

I couldn't decide between two versions of this song to share with you, so I'll give you both!

First - my favorite - an acoustic gem...


and here's the official video - also lovely...


I want to thank Marit Barentsen, for hosting this awesome party again this year!  It's always a hilight of the year for me, and I appreciate all of the hard work she does to coordinate it.  Thank you Marit!  Don't forget to hop on over to her blog and see the final creations from everyone!

Thank you so much for visiting, and I will see you in 2016!!! 

Day Six of the Top 2000 Party...

Hi friends! I can't believe it's already the second to last day of the countdown!  I have somehow strained my left wrist, so I'm typing this post with one hand.  Ack!  You might know I would injure myself right before New Years Day, when all my new journaling classes start - LOL.  Oh well. Maybe I will miraculously recover overnite! I hope so, cuz tomorrow's page isn't finished yet!

Anyhoo, today we are counting down songs #567 - #259. I have two pages to share...

WAKE ME UP

by Avicii

#276

I was really inspired by the video for this song!

Check it out...




Here's my second page for today...

IT'S MY LIFE

by Bon Jovi

#466

I love these old scrapbook pages. They bring back such good memories of Scrapping The Music!

Here's the video. Enjoy!


Head on over to Marit's blog to see all of the artist's creations!

Thanks so much for visiting, and I will see you tomorrow for the last day of the countdown!

Day Five of the Top 2000

Hi friends!  It's time for Day Five of the Top 2000 party!  Today we are counting down from #872 to #568, and I've got two pages to share with you...

When Michael and I were in Las Vegas last year, we saw the show "Rock of Ages," and it was awesome!  It was a story built around all the big 80's rock songs - SO MUCH FUN!  When I saw "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake on the list, it made me think of Rock of Ages immediately; so I did a little tribute...

HERE I GO AGAIN

by Whitesnake

#655

The photo is scanned from the program that we got at the show.  I did the background with Dylusions Spray Ink, and added lots of stickles glitter.

Here's the video for Here I Go Again.  Classic 80's stuff here!



And here is a scrapbook page from the days of old.  I loved making this one...

I'M YOURS

by Jason Mraz

#862

This video really makes me miss summertime!  Check it out...


Don't forget to check out Marit's blog to see all the artwork submitted for today's songs!

Thanks for visiting and I will see you again tomorrow!

Day Four of the Top 2000 - singing along with Justin Timberlake and Jason Mraz...

Hi friends!  We are moving right along with day 4 of the Top 2000 party, where we countdown songs #1180 - #873!

Again, I have two pages to share; the main one that I made for my Top 2000 journal, and another older scrapbook layout....

MIRRORS

by Justin Timberlake

#944

This song has ALOT of lyrics, so I filled the whole background with them; and everything else went on top.  I made a mask from a photo I found online and sprayed some dark dylusions and adirondack mists over it.  There are so many good lines in this song, it was hard to choose one to highlight!

Here's Justin performing Mirrors on the Ellen show...




I am having fun throwing a few of my old scrapbook layouts into the mix this year.  Here's one that pays tribute to #962...

FEELING GOOD

by Nina Simone

#962

Enjoy the video...


I hope you are enjoying counting down the Top 2000 songs with me!  Click here to go to Marit's blog and see what everyone is creating!

Thanks for visiting and I will see you tomorrow for Day Five!

Day Three: For What It's Worth and Love Shack...!

Hey friends!  I've got two pages to share for today's portion of the Top 2000 party, which is counting down from #1487 - #1181 of the Top 2000 songs of all time!

This first song was written by Stephen Stills, and is actually about the Sunset Strip riots of 1966/67; but is also considered a vietnam war anthem.  I feel the lyrics still apply today. In my collage, I merged photos of protests from the 1960's through now...

#1460

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH

by Buffalo Springfield

Enjoy this classic video!




Moving along to the second page...

When I saw Love Shack on the list, I immediately thought of a layout I did years ago for the Scrapping the Music challenge blog.  I had so much fun with this one, I wanted to include it here. It stars my two buddies Johnny and Willie...

#1399

LOVE SHACK

by the B-52's

Check out this live version of the song...

Thanks so much for visiting, and don't forget to head over to Marit's Blog to check out all the other artists work!

See you tomorrow for Day Four of the Top 2000 party!

Day Two of the Top 2000...

Hi friends! We are moving on to day two of the Top 2000 party!

The song I picked for today goes in a bit of a different direction than yesterday...

Coming in at #1806, it's "No Rain," by Blind Melon

I used watercolors for this one. I wanted to create a completely different feeling - more light and whimsical.


This is seriously one of my favorite videos of all time!  I just love the little bee girl and her search for appreciation. I can certainly relate to this message...


I hope you are enjoying the Top 2000 party!  Click here to go to Marit's blog and see what songs everyone created art for on day two!

It's Time for The Top 2000 Party!!!

Hi friends!  I'm so excited!  It's finally time to start the Top 2000 Countdown Blog Party!!!

Every year, a radio station in the Netherlands (Radio 2), hosts an international vote to determine the Top 2000 songs of all time.  They publish the results mid-December, and then on Christmas Day they start playing all 2000 songs; in ascending order - ending with the #1 song of all time on New Year's Eve.

My friend Marit Barentsen, has been hosting a blog party to honor this tradition, for the past seven years!  Artists all over the world are invited to create art inspired by songs on the list, and submit them to her. She publishes them all week long on her blog - each one on the day that the song plays on the radio.  Every year there is more and more art - It's loads of fun!

I have been playing along since the very beginning, and I'm so excited to start the party again this year!  I will be publishing one (or possibly two) journal pages each day for the next week; each one inspired by a song on that days portion of the Top 2000 list.

Are we ready?  I am!

The song I picked for today is from 1992 - a classic song that speaks to me -  especially with everything that's going on in the world right now...

KEEP THE FAITH

by Bon Jovi

#1997 out of #2000

Plus, who doesn't love Bon Jovi???
Enjoy the video!



Head on over to Marit's blog to see everyone's pages/song choices for day one! 

Thanks so much for visiting, and I will see you again tomorrow!

Personal Symbology...

Hi friends!  I have a new journal page to share with you today.  It is one I did from a lesson in the Radiant II: Art Journals workshop with Effy Wild.  This one is about personal symbols, or symbology.

Have you ever thought about what your personal symbols are?  Things that show up in your art, over and over?  I had, but I'd never taken the time to really delve into it, so it was a super-fascinating lesson for me.  I knew I had a fondness for clouds and ravens, for example; but once I got going I realized there are a lot of things that show up time and again in my artwork.  Here's how my journal spread turned out...

The cards pull out.  Here's what they look like on the front.  The back lists what they mean to me...

One thing I found interesting is that I repeated the word "connection" on quite a few of these lists.  :)

If you are interested in learning alot of different styles of art journaling, I highly recommend Effy's Radiant II: Art Journaling class!  It's so much fun! Plus, you get forever access, so you can start anytime!

Thanks so much for visiting!  I will see you again soon!

Workspace Wednesday - Creating my Top 2000 Journal...

Hi friends!  It's time for Workspace Wednesday again, and I'm excited to bring you into the studio and show you what's going on...

Today is the day that the list of Radio 2's Top 2000 songs of all time goes live.  I'm excited to be able to peruse through the list; and select the songs that I want to use as inspiration for journal pages for Marit's Top 2000 blog party!  For me, this process is a big part of the fun!

I'm doing something new this year - I'm creating a special journal, just for the party!  I was so inspired by this blogpost by Marit, that I've decided to follow suit and create my own version of a Top 2000 journal! Thanks for the inspiration Marit!

This is what my workspace looked like earlier today, as I was in the midst of the project...

I decided to make the book 6" x 9," with a cardboard cover that I collaged with sheet music, and painted with Dylusions paints and Stencil Girl Stencils.  The spine is painted canvas.  I didn't have a big enough piece, so I sewed two pieces together and glued it on with lots of gel medium!


Here's my mixed media table with my tools and stencils drying...

and here's how the journal turned out.  The flower is done with gesso, and markers; and I used the dyed muslin as a finishing touch.  I can't wait to use it!

 Here's the inside front cover.  The first page will be used as a Table of Contents...

and here's the back cover...

Check out Marit's blog for more info on the Top 2000 Blog party!  It's going to be tons of fun!  I hope you decide to play along!

Lean on Me...

Just a quick post to share my page for the current Documented Life challenge.  The challenge is to use quotes or lyrics, so I chose lyrics from a favorite classic song by Bill Withers...

The page is done with pitt pen, watercolor pencil and tombow markers.

Just for fun, here's a great version of the song by Playing for Change.  It seems especially poignant with all that's going on in the world right now...


Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!  I will see you again soon!

Workspace Wednesday - Collage Ephemera Organizing in its Infancy...

Hi friends!  I promised an update this week on my studio organization progress, and here it is.  I've been working on setting up a table in my studio just for keeping all kinds of ephemera out and organized.  I love collecting interesting containers, and I'm having fun putting them to use for this purpose.  There's not alot in them yet - ha, but they are ready to fill!  Here's what I've got so far.

(click on images to enlarge)

Here's the whole table...

 This is a vintage drawer I recently picked up.  It's going to be great for diecuts, tags and other bits...

 A cheesebox holds Artist Trading Cards, and other cards.  Next to it is a drawer from an old sewing machine stand.  Not sure what's going in that yet...

This crock used to hold peanuts at the Haberdashery Restaurant in Minneapolis.  My mom and I used to go there alot for lunch.  When it closed, I got to buy one of the crocks; and now it holds good memories and postage stamps! 

The top box is a faux vintage cigar box made by Jenni Bowlin.  The bottom two are actual cigar boxes bought at a thrift store.  They don't have much in them yet, but they will...

Behind the cigar boxes is an old metal lunchbox for notepads and stuff...

In front is another old metal lunchbox with the lid taken off.  This is for misc scraps.  Behind it is a box for index and old library card catalog cards...

This is one of my favorite things.  It's a box I decorated for a challenge during the old "SiStv" days.  It's a tribute to one of my childhood heroes - Pippi Longstocking.  I call it my thingfinding box...

Right now it holds playing cards and an ATC stamp.  Not sure if it will stay that way or not...

One of my favorite Pippi quotes adorns the sides of the box...

I will keep you posted as I progress with getting this table organized and the containers filled in a way that makes sense.

Thanks so much for visiting today!  I wish you a wonderful day!

Planner Memory-Keeping...

Hi friends!  Thanks for your comments on my last post. It helps to know I'm not alone in the world of being overwhelmed by choices! I'm still mulling over my options, and I will keep you posted on how it goes!

Today I've got my latest page in this year's memory-keeping planner to share with you, complete with a tip-in...

The Documented Life challenge this week is to focus on words; so that's what I did on the front of my tip-in...

 

 Here's how it looks in my planner...

 

When you open the flap, you can see the whole calendar spread.  These pages are so much fun to do! I used my little PoPo pocket printer to do the photos.  That thing is so super handy! We originally bought it for travelling, but it's perfect for printing photos for my planner too!  They come out on 2" x 3" sticker paper!  I must say tho, that the color on the inside of the Kiwano (the orange and green fruit) is way off.  It really is more of a pretty lime green.  If you've ever cut one open, you know what I mean...

On the inside of the tip-in, are my No Excuses "card peeks"...

Here's a closeup of the card peeks. They are fun to do cuz their small size makes them relatively quick and easy...

Thanks so much for visiting!  I wish you a wonderful day!

Too Many Options - I'm Overwhelmed!!!

Does anyone else get overwhelmed with all of the planning options, programs and challenges out there? I am feeling that way right now, as I'm trying to figure out my plan for 2016. In 2014 I was very focused. I had one memory-keeping planner, and I had so much fun with it.

 2014 - No Excuses/Documented Life Project in a Moleskine Weekly Planner

This year has been the exact opposite. I changed my mind about how to plan/memory-keep every month or so. Which resulted in a whole bunch of different half-filled planners (these photos are actually missing a couple of planners I forgot to include). It feels very disjointed. 

I want to come up with a good focused plan for 2016, but I'm having a hard time. These are all of the planners I have purchased and ready for 2016. 

The bottom one is planned to be a catch-all graph paper notebook.  Fauxbonichi, Bullet Journal, and Notebook in one.  

The Kraft Ring-Binder is the new kit for the Documented Life Program for 2016.  Not sure if I should combine this with my No Excuses stuff or not?

The Blue one is a Blue Sky Agenda.  Cheap but also beautiful and well laid out.  My original idea for this one was to do my actual daily planning in it.  (What?  Actual planning???)

The top one is the beautiful and beloved Inkwell Press Planner.  My original idea for this one was to use it for No Excuses Art.  The paper is thick and luxurious.  But now I'm not sure???  Maybe I want this one for actual planning???

All of this is not to mention any art journaling - ha.  That's for another post.

I don't want to be redundant, but I want to use them all.  Do any of you have this problem?  And if so, how are you solving it???  Do tell - I need help!!!  :)

Combining the Fauxbonichi with the bullet journal...

Just a quick post to share my Fauxbonichi/Bullet Journal pages from this week with you...

 I'm LOVING filling up these pages lately!  I wanted to dress up my bullet journal a little; and combining it with my Fauxbonichi has been a good solution. I don't do these pages every day, but I try to do at least a couple each week.  I like practicing different styles of drop caps.  Sometimes they are inspired by fonts I find on pinterest (like the "I" above); and sometimes I make them up (like the "f" below).  The three patterned squares on the right are from the Tangle Tuesday challenge in the Fauxbonichi Journalers Facebook Community.

On this page the present, monogram, and List of Things that Make Our Home Cozy, are all my take on prompts from the Fauxbonichi Journalers.

I've wanted to do an illustrated journal for quite awhile, but my efforts to do a formal one have never gotten going; and I think that's because, well, because it felt too formal!  HA.  The fauxbonichi doesn't feel that way and that's why I'm loving it!  I can do a quick drawing, or no drawing, or stick stickers in or WHATEVER.  It's fun to make each page different, with no pressure.

Thanks for visiting!  I really appreciate you! 

Workspace Wednesday: Studio Photos - Before the Cleanup...

Hey there friends!  This time of year is all about getting organized for me; and one thing that needs some work in that department is my studio!  Awhile ago I rearranged some of the furniture; and everything ended up in piles, so it's time to get to organizing it all!

I thought it might be fun to share the mess with you before-hand, so that you can see my progress as I go.  Here are some pics of my room in it's current state...

 This is one area that is fairly organized already.  It's my mixed media table.  I've got both my acrylic and watercolor paints, distress stains, pens, crayons and markers, various mediums and brushes on this table.

 Here's another view of the same table, where you can see my Raskog carts that sit at the end.  The one on the right is fairly organized with paints and other mixed media stuff.  The one on the left is a mess.  It has some planner stuff and some collage stuff in it now, but that will change as soon as I figure out a better plan for it.

Here's a shot where you can see the mixed media table in relation to where I sit to work on the computer.  As you can see out the windows, we just had our first snowfall of the season.  It looks pretty, but makes it hard to get good pictures cuz it's so bright out there.

 This is the area in the middle of the room.  It has no rhyme or reason right now - but it will when I'm done with it. 

 This is the other side of the room.  It's got my sewing machine, easel, bookshelves, and a bunch of other unorganized stuff.  I can't wait to get that blue table organized with collage fodder!

Here's another view of the right side of the room in all it's messy glory.

 This is the mixed media side of the room from the opposite angle.  The pink table that you can see beyond the mixed media table is where I do my spraying and splattering.  The cardboard in the window is intended to catch oversprays.  It works really well.  Right now the table is unusable tho, cuz there's so much stuff piled on it.  aargh.

 Here's what my computer desk looks like right now.  It's the first thing I'm going to clean up.

The other side of my computer desk.

 Here are my two beloved studio companions - Willie and Johnny. They love my chair and I don't have the heart to move them so I can sit down.  LOL.

Underneath my desk you can see a box with a pillow on top.  That is a combination embellie storage/footstool.  It works great.  :)

That is an overview of my messy studio.  I hope you enjoyed it!  Sorry about the bad picture quality.  The snow made it really difficult to control the lighting.  I will check in here next Wednesday and let you know what progress I am making.  If you have any questions about anything you see here, please feel free to leave them in the comments and I will answer them as best I can.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!  Thanks so much for visiting!