Make Mail With Me: Painted Envelopes For Miami Pen Show

I've been getting several requests on my YouTube channel to post more process and DIY style videos. This week was the perfect time to give this a shot as I am hand painting envelopes to give away at the upcoming Miami Pen Show in July. If you are in the Miami area stop by the show and join me on July 16 at 2pm for a free Mail Art class. I'd love to see you there. 

Here's my first step by step process video for painting envelopes. For more information on materials used, please scroll to end of this post. If you like this style of video, please be sure to subscribe to my channel. Thank you. 

Materials Used:

For Layers - White Gesso, inexpensive acrylic paints and brushes, water-based sealer (I'm basically using up materials I have around the house. Honestly, I can't recommend any particular brands of these products at the moment because I'm trying out many things and still learning)

Pens and Ink - I used a combination of black and white pens, but for black I recommend the Sakura Micron pens. For white, I recommend the Uni-Ball Signo Broad Gel pens. I love both of these products and use them for multiple projects. 

Please be advised that some of the links provided are affiliate links and I do receive a small commission if you make a purchase using those links.  This does not cost you any extra when you make a purchase. Thank you for your support. 

Inspiration Hunting: Disney Springs

One of the best things about living in central Florida is access to Disney and the abundance of inspiration it provides. This week we were in Orlando for a baseball tournament at ESPN Wide World of Sports. So of course, we took advantage of the theme parks.

One of my favorite areas is Disney Springs. It's become a great spot for meeting up with family and friends visiting the Disney parks. There is no cost to get in and it's full of fun, food and shopping. Ever changing, there is always something new to spark the imagination. 

The newly constructed area of Disney Springs is basically a very nice outdoor mall which makes it nice for us located west of the parks. Now we don't have to drive very far for nicer shops like Anthropologie and Sephora. Christmas shopping is going to be fun this year. 

Here's a quick peek at the newly constructed area of Disney Springs as well as a couple stationery and craft room items I picked up. Where do you go for inspiration?   

Adventures in Visual Art Journaling

I've been admiring art journals for a while now. I love a good art journal flip through video on Youtube. But, as much as I love the images and creativity, there's been something about art journaling that has overwhelmed me. Fear has kept me from even trying. It all seems too difficult and time consuming. 

But I've decided to take the leap and tackle art journaling as a summer project. A big push came when I recently attended a Midori Traveler's Notebook Meetup in Tampa, FL. Several ladies demonstrated how they were using their notebooks for art. Their pages called to me like a siren. I was intrigued and asked a ton of questions. Everyone was so supportive and shared resources, tools, and websites. 

So I'm diving in and starting with some inexpensive art supplies I have around the house. I'll buy more tools as I progress. My teachers are all online at the moment so let me give credit where credit is due. My inspiration and techniques are a mash up of Jennibellie, Teesha Moore, Sandra van der Geest, and Jane Davenport.

My first journal entry is below. I'm spreading my wings this summer. Let's see where this adventure takes me.