Sunday 19 May 2013

Art Journaling: Adventures of a work-at-home crafter ...

Hello.

Did you reach me through Suzy of Sea Glass & Sand

No, this isn't a séance ... it's a blog-hop organised by Suzy who wanted to mark her newly spruced-up blog with a get together. So - welcome!

And ... because I don't have to look you in the eye when I say this ... I'll brazenly tell you that Suzy has been very kind in letting me know that my Push-Up Bra Blogging series gave her a little nudge toward falling back in love with her blog. So - if you haven't read it yet, and you want some inspiration ... you can browse the whole series [for free] here.

Right then ... let's get on with things shall we?

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Today's project is a spot of art journaling from the journal in which I don't actually do a lot of journaling! It's just more a mix of colours and snippets so maybe it's more of a 'collage with a meaning'?

I don't know ... see what you think:
As you can tell from the date stamp [above right] this is a page I made almost 18 months ago but ... unless you've been poking around on the book shelves of my work room ... it should all still be new to you.

It's like I mentioned in The Doctor Who Approach in Push-Up Bra Blogging, as long as you've never shared something on your blog before  ... it's all new to your audience!

Anyway ... I thought it was appropriate to share it today as now that term's finished on campus, my part-time 'outside-the-house' job is over until October and I'm back at my crafting work desk full time now.

And being in a freelance / self-employed / find your own work / make your own opportunities type occupation is pretty much what this page is about:
The other day I tweeted about having had an offer to write an article drop into my inbox and someone kindly said I had an exciting life! Now then ... I'm not sure I'm in a position to comment on that ... I know I'm fortunate to do the work I do. Undoubtedly. But I also think that what might look exciting from the outside can also sometimes feel quite different from the inside looking out!

A lot of the time I'm looking out for where the next job will come from, the next idea I can develop to keep the work coming in, the next publication which might find room for me, the next kit to put together to sell in the shop. And so on ...
And as I replied to the original tweeter ... the offer of an article to write came as a response to a proposal I originally sent off which was then accepted so ... I  guess I made my own excitement this time round.
And I think maybe that's something which I [we?] need to remember to remember more often ...
  • that we don't have to wait for editors; bloggers; creative-collaborators; customers; employers etc etc to come and find us.
  • It's not like at school when we had to stand there, embarrassed, while we were the last to be picked to join teams.
  • No ... we can pick ourselves and go and find our own team!
  • [Read more on this idea from the great Seth Godin here].
  • And we can ask them politely; or tempt them; or persuade them; impress them; level with them; entertain them; be useful to them; help them out; or, ever so gently, tug at their sleeves brandishing our best smile while tap-dancing and juggling all our newly polished bells and whistles in front of their eyes! 
And while it won't always end in success ...
 
... when it does ... it is indeed an exciting life!
 
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THIS OFFER IS NOW CLOSED - THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO TOOK ADVANTAGE OF IT!
  • Right then ... now I've found you ... I'm offering you 25% off any order placed in my Etsy shop today and tomorrow when you use the following code at the checkout:
  • SUZYBLOGHOP25
Maybe there's something you've been planning to buy for a while? If so ... now's your chance to grab a bargain!
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OK, that's all from me today ... as for you .... you need to limber up those knees and then hop on to see Dee over at her Paper Mischief blog.
 
See you soon.
 
Julie :-)
 

31 comments:

  1. I love this page Julie and I.love the idea of.having an adventure at my craft desk.

    Thank you so much for re.kindling my love of.blogging and for joining in my blog hop

    Suzy x

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  2. Love your art journaling pages! That yellow really makes it pop! Hugs Frea

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  3. Love your journaling and your blog. I'm trying to make my "making" become my day job. It's a hard, hard road.........but maybe one day.

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  4. I just love this - I am new to art journalling and love seeing what everyone does.

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  5. What a great page. I love the text snippet and the binding edge.
    Rinda

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  6. A no journaling journal... Sounds like my kind of thing..... I never have anything to say!

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  7. I often receive comments on my Normandy Life blog about how wonderful my life is but as they say the grass is always greener! Your ideas have got me thinking today and that's what I so enjoy about finding interesting bloggers, hope you'll hop over to my scrap blog and maybe pop over to see me at home, too.

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  8. Yes - opportunities don't often come barging in - they need to be invited! Love the title - that backwards "n" really catches the eye!

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  9. What a fab blog post and what a fab art journal page, too. Off to look at your Etsy shop then the Push up Bra series. Thanks for the nudge.
    Sue x

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  10. Super page! The thought that Adventures are there waiting at my desk is a very uplifting one! And a very pertinent message about going for things - you are an example to us all!

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  11. What a lovely interesting post - I'd love to have a go at art journalling

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  12. I love the colors you used in your pages and my daughter wants to be a writer so I can relate to alot of your page. I feel your strength having to go get your work and to have the freedom to write. Bravo for that.
    Hugs Kelly

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  13. You're a girl who's always prepared so are you ready for that recky to TK Max? We need to find some bargains crafty or not.

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  14. More food for thought. Hmmm.

    I never considered what you did when term ended - it' an interesting insight.

    I'm up to the Austin Kleon bit of Push up-bra.

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  15. Love the thought behind this and it is a stunning page. There is nothing that is not great about it. Thank you.

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  16. Fabulous page Julie. Im new to art journaling (Suzy persuaded me to have a go) and am loving all the different styles and techniques out there.

    I have book marked the Push Up Bra series to read at a later date!

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  17. Hiya loving your page, I'm just starting to suss out the adventures that can be had a craft desk :D
    C xx

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  18. great journal pages... hopping on to the next one! jenx

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  19. Love your pages - yellow is a colour I should use more often!

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  20. I love your style of art journal. On my to do list to have a play too.

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  21. Lovely page, I am slightly hooked on art journaling, but have a few confidence issues... thanks for sharing

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  22. I'm not into Art Journalling, but I do like that page .. its honest, not overbearing and it says something we can all understand! Thanks.

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  23. Last to be picked for sports teams? Now, why does that sound familiar! To me, that picture says "yes, I'm standing on the chair to get away from the ball.."

    Make your own luck, eh?

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  24. Great journal pages!!

    I hope lots of opportunities come your way over the summer break x

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  25. Great blog and love the colour combo of your journaling pages

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  26. Really like the colours as well as the theme

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  27. Your art is so inventive and beautiful. I love it.

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  28. Your art is so inventive and beautiful. I love it.

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  29. When i read ....and I'm back at my crafting work desk full time now...i thought how lucky you are to have the best of both worlds! You are journal explains it all.

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  30. When i read ....and I'm back at my crafting work desk full time now...i thought how lucky you are to have the best of both worlds! You are journal explains it all.

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