The Artistic Journey of Linda Kay's Art ~ Chapter 552

I am delighted to be a member of the Cre8ive Klatch.  It is a wonderful place where we share our cr8ivity and inspirations. Today I want to share with you a part of my artistic journey.

Ever since I can remember, art and craft making has been a big part of me. So, I guess I have been on my artistic journey my entire life. I have a unique way of looking at all the things around me and find creative ways to use and beautify my surroundings. It is a passion of mine to find new ways to use gently used items and give them a new and beautiful purpose.

I have been building my art business over the last 8 years. Most of what I do is on the small scale, sold locally and has given me a lot of enjoyment. I have learned a lot and feel confident in what I do. Now I have the opportunity to expand and grow my business and this is where you will be joining me on my journey, part 552.

I have been working in my home "studio" which consists of a 9 foot work bench in my laundry room. As you can imagine, it gets pretty crowded in there, especially if my kids are doing their laundry while I am working. At times I have spilled over into the living room, but working at the coffee table is not that comfortable. Recently I tried using the dinning room as a place to work and teach classes. It was a nice big space, but not quite convenient should we want to all eat dinner together. I was having growing pains!

As luck would have it, an opportunity to rent studio space from my local arts council, Arts in Bartlett, materialized just at the right time. My friend Jenny and I are now new tenants in a small studio together. Jenny is a pastel artist and does wonderful bird and nature art work. I am a mixed media artist and working on refining my work. Since we both need a place to put some serious effort into our work, this seems a perfect solution for us both.

The space we are moving into was formerly a beauty spa and salon. There has been a lot of work put into changing it over for arts council needs. Cleaning, patching, painting, trim work, plumbing, and more! It is exhausting but with all the volunteers, along with our contractor, we are pulling it all together nicely.

 Our studio space is smallish, but has a nice feel to it. We only have 3 walls as one has some gentle curves in it. I think it adds charm and movement to the space. We had a sink installed after I laid some tiles down. A coat of the lightest shade of lavender paint came next, the carpet was cleaned and now we are moving in!

Jenny has a portable table to work on. She fashioned a kitchen cupboard unit into a tableau with a nice counter top on it. This repurposing warms my heart! I have a folding table that I use for art fairs as my work surface, which will get a new padded table cover. Storage for my supplies will be next. I fell in love with a trendy turquoise cart from Ikea, so I bought 2, one for home and the other will go into the studio. A couple of chairs and we are set to go!

Being part of this group and working in a gallery setting will be a new experience for us both. I am looking forward to the new opportunities it will bring us. I for one welcome having others around me more often. I tend to keep to myself a lot and have missed interacting with others.

And so my journey continues down a freshly painted new path. It's pretty exciting, don't you think? 

Linda Kay Kinnaman of Linda Kay's Art
Website ~ http://lindakaysart.com/Blog ~ http://lindakaysart.com/blog/Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/LindaKaysArtInstagram ~ http://instagram.com/lindakaysart/Pinterest ~ http://www.pinterest.com/lkkinnaman/

Cre8ive Klatch

We can't wait to see all the cre8ive things you come up with!

Gr8full Cre8ives In December

Today I'd like to revisit our Gr8full project with a bit of an addition.

December's theme is 

celebration.

Which is what we all should be doing this month...right?

For me December is the hardest month to stay focused on what I really need to remember..it's busy, you're running aorund like a chicken with your head cut off, the tree, the decorations, the shopping...ugh! 

I'm tired just thinking about it! 

How can I remember all the little things that I'm gr8full for?

All the things worth celebrating?

 I really want to make an effort this year to keep these things

 in the forefront of my thoughts.

Sitting down at the computer the other day I decided to make up a daily list of prompts so I could have a few minutes of reflection. 

A few seconds of inner meditation on the celebration of the season.

Here's what I came up with.

Please feel free to print this up and share by 

clicking on the picture or on the following link.

For you to print and use!

Now you can use these just for your personal and daily routine. No one has to see or know. But also I would love it if you would share your thought or pictures with our FB group. Each day has a word and a thought on a photo idea that would be a great addition into Instagram. 

(Just remember to use our tags so we can see what incredible things you come up with)  

I'm going to try to do each day. 

Maybe some to share and some to keep to myself.

Come by and share with us!

I also put together a blank copy so you 

can fill in your own gratitude list. 

Be cre8ive and fill each day with 

something that means something to you.

(you can click the picture or the link below for a printable)

A blank sheet for you to personalize your December gratitude!

The more gratitude we throw into the universe the better!

Until next time,

Susan

Peace and Calming Perfume Pots by Lori Leissner

This has been one of our most popular posts to date and well worth sharing again.

This is the perfect Christmas gift or stocking stuffer. 

Enjoy!

I have become highly sensitive to scents. It's gotten bad in the last few years.  The laundry aisle at the Walmart can send me into a headachy, nose leaky, sneezy, itchy mess. But I recently discovered therapeutic grade essential oils. I have scent back in my life! Now I'm having some fun with them.

I can't believe how fast and easy this project is!  I don't cook very much, so I'm skeptical of any project that requires a live flame.  This was done, start to finish, in 20 minutes (not including decorating the top of the container), so it's perfect for quick gifts for lots of occasions.  Or you can do what I did and add it to a fun giveaway on your blog (hint...click the link, leave a comment and you might win.)

You'll need:

• Beeswax--Not a giant hunk like this one.  You're only going to use a tablespoon or so.  I used four tablespoons to make three pots of perfume in these 2 inch containers.  I got a block because I tend to overbuy everything and who knows when I might need a pound of beeswax?  I didn't want to buy the kind from the craft store that had a warning label that said, "NOT FOR COSMETIC USE", so I got this at the health food store. There was no warning label. 
• Jojoba oil--Spend a little more and get organic.  If you are going to the trouble to make something, make it good.
• Essential Oil--I use Young Living, but you can use other kinds as well, I'm sure.  Just make sure to get all natural, therapeutic grade essential oils. You'll use less, and there'll be no yucky stuff in it.  This is one is called Peace & Calming and has a nice citrusy scent.  I need a lot of both peace and calming, so I thought it would be a good choice for my first attempt at a solid perfume.
• A container for your solid perfume--It can be any kind of small container that's not made of plastic. You could even reuse your mini Altoid tins.  I got these 2 inch tins from Hobby Lobby.
• A stir stick--You'll need something disposable you can use to mix the oils with the melted wax.
• A small glass jar--To melt the wax in.
• A small saucepan--To heat the water to melt the wax.
• A shot glass or similar--I discovered trying to drip the oil drop by drop into swiftly hardening wax was not going to work. Collect the drops in a separate small container to make adding them to the wax faster.

 Directions:

1.  Place water in the bottom of a shallow saucepan and place on medium heat.
2.  Chip off the equivalent of 1 Tablespoon of beeswax.  (I used 4 T to fill 3 two inch containers, so adjust as you wish).
3.  Add the wax to the small jar and place in the water. 
4. Add 1Tablespoon jojoba oil to the jar with the wax. (Or the same amount of beeswax you used if you used more.) 
5.  While wax is melting, drip 8-15 drops of essential oils into a shot glass or other small container. (Don't forget to add more if you used more than a tablespoon of wax/jojoba.)
6.  When wax and oil are fully melted together, remove from heat.  

7.  Pour essential oil into the wax mixture and stir well with stir stick.
8.  Pour your lovely smelling liquid wax into your perfume containers.
9.  Let stand until hardened.  It doesn't take very long.  You'll be tempted to poke the wax before it dries.
10. Don't poke it.

I didn't take any pictures while I was trying to cut a print of my artwork to fit in the top. Trying to get a perfect circle in the perfect size is not that easy.   You are probably better at math than I am, though.  It'll be a snap. So...

11.  Decorate the top of your lid. 

12.  Be blessed.

Follow this blog.  There are lots of talented ladies that are going to share fun and fast projects over the course of the Fall and Winter.  Don't miss them.

And join our FB group so you don't miss anything! Cre8iveKlatch

Have a great time, cre8ive friends!

<3 Lori

My Places:
My website--LeissnerArt 
My Etsy Shop 
My Facebook Page 

My Instagram 

Cre8ive Klatch Gr8full Project: Friday Thoughts

As we approach the holidays I wanted to take a moment to revisit our Gr8full project.

 The gr8full theme for this month is "Small Things." 

Seems to be it's all the small things we lose track of during the busiest times...all of those tiny details...those truly are the meaning of our daily lives. We start to get frantic at this time of year with all the things we need to get done...shopping, gift buying, food preparation, card sending, cookie baking, tree trimming...to name just a few. 

We miss the things that make this life so special. 

Too many small things go by...and you miss the glory of being in the moment.

We here at the Cre8ive Klatch wish to empower you to take notice around you. Give yourself a second to take in all the small things that make up your life and be gr8full for each tiny thing. 

Be truly aware. What catches your attention when you give yourself a minute to see?

It could be your smiling children as they realize you're decorating for their favorite holiday. The family gathering that has a favorite recipe made for each and every member. Delighted glances from store clerks because you're the only one that was patient in their line. Things you might pass off if you aren't looking.

For the next week as we head into Thanksgiving try to capture a moment that is a small, tiny thing. A glimpse into something you may have missed if not for really taking that extra second to see. Allow yourself to be gr8full for a piece of your life that may have initially passed you by.

See what you can seize and snap a quick photo to share with us. Use the tags below, either together or separately...we will be looking to see just how much gratitude we can stir before this holiday that is all about giving thanks.

#Cre8iveKlatch #Gr8fullCre8ives #Cre8Gratitude  

Happy Halloween From The Cre8ive Klatch

From all of us to all of you...

have the spookiest Halloween ever!!

Come join the spooktacular conversation in our Facebook group:

Cre8ive Klatch

Thanks to Itkupilli for the clip art graphics that I used to put this together.

Ideas For Bringing Back Your Muse

Do you ever find yourself in a creative slump? A day or more of fleeting ideas and a lack of creativity? It feels like you just can’t come up with an idea or figure out what or how to tackle your creative tasks?

What do you do? How do you bring back your muse? What ideas do you use to coax your art back?

I took a poll from our fantastically artistic group..who just like you…has those same moments and this is what they said...

I have a great network of creatives from a variety of backgrounds that I lean on. Artists, musicians, dancers, writers....I could go on.... I brainstorm with them, swap ideas, explore my project, and before I know it, the creative juices start to flow. I truly believe that we create more than we could alone when we allow another into our play world!

Scribble Swarm

Also the Scribble Swarm.  Another thing I do is just start scribbling. Doodling has become an art form, so if I think of it that way, it is about being creative. But scribbling can be messy and energetic. 
Rachél Payne of Creativity Tribe

Do something non-art related
Like dishes, laundry, purge a closet. Also just painting super freely/abstractly in my art journal that no one has to see. That gets me in the mood!
Jill Lambert of Jill’s Dream

Get up and dance to a great song. Pull out some great books and/or magazines and look for color, texture & shapes. Go for a walk. Do something boring.        Linda Kinnaman of Linda Kay’s Art

I go for a walk in nature … Or my favourite way is to visit a store in town that I find inspiring and makes me feel like I am "Refilling the Well" {a little artist's date a'la Julia Cameron} then I go home, put some music on, get my art supplies out and get onto it.          
Cat Athena Louise of Bohemian Dream

I go for a drive or read.     
Ursula Smith of Ursula-Smith.com

Drag out some of my 843678986 Stampington magazines.
Lori Leissner of LeissnerArt

Start a non-creative project that I don't want to do! That almost always works!
Janet Forrest of Tattered N' Worn

I go to nature or meditate... Clear my mind of the local traffic.... Daily crainess...
Kim Hyer of A Paper Addict

I do something unrelated to art. Dishes, start something in the crockpot, chop firewood or something else physical. Works everytime.
Sally Rose of Hidden Talents

Pinterest, I just get on and do something creative - I usually start by finding something I like on Pinterest and copying it then I make another one and modify it and another making it more my own.
Michelle Reynolds of Shells in the Bush

As for me…well...my first inclination is to clean the studio. But you can read my top 6 fixes for my creative slump over at my blog...Susan’s Art Circus

In between posts you can always join the conversation on our FaceBook page: 

The Cre8ive Klatch

C’mon over and tell us what you do when your muse leaves you!

Until next time,

Susan

Gr8full For All Of You...and Moving Forward.

Well...we have been here for almost two months. All our bio posts have run and you, our reader, have stuck with us through our experimental soft launch. I truly want to tell you how gr8full I am that you've shared your precious time here. 

This has been an idea on the back burner for quite some time and its a thrill to have it come to life.

If you missed any of our fabulous artists you can look them up on our biography page.

Moving forward we are going to start with some fabulous ways to make gifts for Christmas...which if you've looked at a calendar is coming up fast! Too fast...

The girls also have some tips for your studio. Moving it from your home to an outside space, how to fit one into your house, and if you have a studio why its okay that its never tidy.

Business tips, show season foibles, quick cre8ive things for the holidays, and lots, lots more.

Our hope is you will continue to come back for more...continue to find something here to connect with...discover cre8ive ways that resonate with you.

In the meantime come join the conversation on our Facebook page: Cre8ive Klatch 

Gr8Full Cre8ives Project: Signs of Gratitude

Signs of Gratitude

Gratitude helps lift the Cre8ive Spirit, so the crew here at Cre8ive Klatch is sharing what brings us joy and peace through the Gr8Full Cre8ives Project.  Here are our Signs of Gratitude!

We would love to know what you are gr8full for.  Let us know in the comments or join the conversation in the Cre8ive Klatch Facebook Group!

Getting To Know The Cre8ive Crew: Rachél Payne

 Meet the wonderful Rachél Payne (sounds like Rah-shel) from just off the coast in South Texas.

When asked, “What kind of art is your passion?” She said, “ That is a big question for me.  I do lots of different kinds of art, including mixed media, assemblage and wire work, but my passion is for art that is about healing or exploring something of the self and of life.”

Describe your personality in three words.  

Quirky, Spiritual, Nurturing

When/how did you realize your life had to have art in it?  

In college, I started journaling with pictures, not just words.  Somehow what I was drawing was helping me heal my heart, but so was the permission I was giving myself to create in this new medium.  For some people art is risky at first. It was for me, until I decided life was better with it than without!

Would you say your entire way of life is creative?  

Yes, I even married an artist! We live in a little cottage with another artist, have art parties, and look at our desires in life as opportunities to craft the way we wish to live.

Whats your superpower?  

I am a great space holder.  When another person needs to explore some aspect of their own life, to grow, to stretch, to dive deep, or spread their wings and fly, I love to have their back and stand in support of them.

How did you get started...who inspired you?  

My journey as a creativity enthusiast started with my mom.  She was an artist and approached life with a spirit to always make something beautiful out of what she touched. She passed away just as I was becoming a young woman, and I inherited her art supplies.  I used them to get to know her better and in the process discovered something beautiful about myself….. my own creative spirit.

If you could hang out with any artist dead or alive who would it be and why?

My mom!  Just before she passed, we sat on the couch I was about to buy and talked about spending afternoons drinking tea and visiting.  I would love to show her the art she has inspired in my life.  Although, sometimes I feel like she has been on the front row cheering me on all these years!

Do you believe that only some are creative or that everyone is creative in some way? Why?  

I believe we are all creative but that our culture gives us messages that creating is for a limited few.  I learned to draw and paint in my 20’s without any prior background.  I discovered that those are just skills….like learning the ABC’s or 123’s.  We used to tell some people that they could not read or right….or should not.  Don’t let anyone take that away! You are creative!

If you could change your name what would it be?  

Well, I did change my name.  (giggle) When I was 24, I had a name changing ceremony as part of my birthday and chose to go by my middle name Rachél (which sounds like Rah-shel) instead of my first name, Dawn.  

What’s your least favorite food? ...most favorite? 

Least: organ meat  Most: Italian and chocolate, not necessarily in that order and not necessarily together.

Are you an introvert or extrovert? How do you feel about that?  

I think I am an introvert who is very comfortable with her extroverted self.  They say introverts recharge when alone.  I think that is the case for me.  But I also love to be a bit outrageous!

Choose an imaginary friend who would it be and why? 

Oh, this is sad, but true.  Our bestest cat, Schatzie (which means Sweetheart in German) passed away recently.  It would have to be her.  We would stay up late, cuddle, and eat watermelon together.

What’s your most embarrassing moment? (Please keep it clean)  

During a performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream, I fell on stage as part of a chase scene and forgot the next line.  I covered by shouting, “I’m gunna git you!”  Not very Shakespearean! 

For more of Rachél’s art and spiritual journey please click the links below:

Rachél's Website

Rachél's Blog

Instagram

Twitter

Pinterest

Getting To Know The Cre8ive Crew: Cat Athena Louise

Please give a warm welcome to Cat Athena Louise!

She is from Auckland, New Zealand originally, and has been living in England for the past 13 years.... yes, she is a dual citizen! 

How exciting!

What kind of art is your passion?

I’m very eclectic (continually restless and love to change things up often) -- I have noticed that Photography lights me up, as does the fluid and bright marks only watercolor can make, and I’m crazy about collage and mixed media too!

How does it make you feel when you're creating something?

I feel alive and connected to something far greater than myself. I also experience a sense of peace and timelessness (transcendence) as I go into the ‘zone’

Describe your personality in three words.

Sensitive, Instinctual, Passionate

When/how did you realize your life had to have art in it?

I realised it very early on as a child, and when I was spending all my lunch

 breaks in college in the art room creating fervently, it became very apparent!

Has being artistic changed your life or outlook in any way?

Yes, I notice the tiny little details, textures and subtle nuances around me and I often smile at how things play themselves out, the irony of how life truly does imitate art. Artists often think they are creating something outside of themselves, but it’s all self-portraits. All of it. They are expressing what is inside of themselves. I find it very intimate and revealing.

Would you say your entire way of life is creative?

Yes, it feeds into every area of my life. I feel it when I pick up a camera, arrange items on an altar, strike a stick of incense alight... the kinds of meals I cook, the bicycle I ride, the crazy way I stack dishes in Dr.Suess-like piles for washing up, the kind of jewellery I wear.

Whats your superpower?

Intuition is my superpower. I’ve been told that by too many people now to ignore.

If you could hang out with any artist dead or alive who would it be and why?

Oh my goodness, that would be incredible and naturally I’m struggling to name just one... Pablo Picasso would be a total firecracker to spend time with -- he has such a wildly eclectic range of styles I could never be bored. He seemed very self-assured and confident in his approach. I’d also love to hang out with Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and his Die Brücke German Expressionist friends...I love their wild frenetic mark-making and fauvist colors. I’s be equally happy hanging with Annie Leibovitz in her studio and learning about her hyper-honest style of portraiture photography... Or navigating Andy Warhol’s ‘Factory’ amid the film-making, stencil cutting and screen printing. Bliss!

Which side of the bed do you sleep on? Can you sleep if forced to change sides?

The Left side and yes I do struggle to fall to sleep (at least for a few nights till I adjust) if I ever have to change sides.

Are you an introvert or extrovert? How do you feel about that?

I’m a perfect hybrid. I land right down the centre of the intro/extro spectrum...and that’s very true. I can be extremely zany and wildly expressive in how I communicate and also incredibly quiet, private and observant and need to be left alone...it all depends on my mood at the time and the company I am in as to which way that coin will fall.

 Whats your most embarrassing moment?

Oh there have been so many! One that immediately comes to mind was turning up for a job interview to find the front reception desk completely unattended, and only a sign on the wall, placed near a switch, saying ‘ring for attention’. Well I could see no bell to ring so clicked the switch (placed beside the sign) and suddenly..... all the lights in the building went off! Blimey, talk about instantly getting everyone’s attention...you should have seen them running out to find out what had happened!

Pick two celebrities to be your parents...who and why.

I think my inner-artist child would be in perfect company with Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter as my celebrity parents....I think creativity and self-expression would be encouraged in every possible way and from every angle in that household! Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer I reckon would also be awesome.

If we all came to your house for dinner what would you make for us?

Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese followed by an Indian rice pudding flavoured with cardamon pods and rose-water... It’s the rice pudding equivalent of turkish delight! Incredible. 

Those are great answers!

For more of Cat and her artwork please click on the links below:

Website:     http://www.catathenalouise.com
Blog:          http://www.catathenalouise.com
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/catathenalouisestudio
Instagram:  http://instagram.com/catathenalouise
Shop:         http://www.catathenalouise.comPinterest:   http://pinterest.com/catathenalouise/
Flickr:        http://www.flickr.com/photos/catathenalouise
Google+    https://plus.google.com/+CatAthenaLouise/posts
LinkedIn:   http://uk.linkedin.com/in/catathenalouise/