michelle my belle

art journal pages & getting warmed up

it's been so long since i've painted on canvas i feel like i'm having to learn to paint all over again.
the art journal is my perfect place to work out the cobwebs and loosen up.


my mom said i needed to check out this guys blog on leadership etc. (michael hyatt).
isn't this vintage lady super cute, i got her off a pattern of some sort.


the contrast of these two pages is making me laugh.
i didn't even realize it while in the throes of creating.
the "make me sick" part is my own battle with letting yummy food WIN. once again.
ugh. ugh. ugh.

hey, don't call me crazy!

i guess, better crazy than boring right?
that's what i tell myself when my kids give me "that look".

can't wait to make more of these!

both my girls are totally into cute headbands right now.
so, for this little batch of stitched felt, that's what i decided to make.

from start to finish this project probably took me a little over an hour.

(my youngest & her friend)

i'll try to take a few more pictures of the next one i make so i can write a little tutorial to go along with it. :)

happy saturday friends! xo-m

crafty time with felt & thread

i absolutely love the simplicity of crafting with felt.
not to mention the affordability of it.
some felt, embroidery thread and a few buttons/beads and you're set to go.

i'll show you tomorrow what this actually turns into... 

btw. the weather currently sucks here!

my only real collection...

since returning from the atlanta gift show all i've been doing is working on boring paperwork.
which doesn't make for very fun pictures.

a loooonnng, LONG time ago i collected cows... yikes!
i'm sure you can imagine just how bad that got.
i've learned you have to be very careful about what you choose to collect.

besides all kinds of art, the only thing i now collect is the letter A.
this pic is heading downstairs to our basement/tv area.
still in the process of settling in, i have yet to hang/display them.

if this fun book can't make you a collector of something, then nothing could!
how bout you, collect anything?

oh, and guess what! apartment therapy featured my xmas card book!!!
it was so funny to read the cynical comments people left.
basically calling me a hoarder! ha!
people... the only thing i could be considered a hoarder with would be art supplies! :)

owl lover 2012 calendar!

i am super thrilled to be part of Shivani's 2012 owl lover calendar!
pick from 45 amazing artists.
easy to download and print out... and it's FREE!

my owl is the one on the bottom right.

perfect for an early year gift. and did i say FREE! :)

if you like owls you JUST MUST check out her fun owl filled blog!!

what to do with picture christmas cards?

remember my picture christmas card post from last year?
well, just in case you missed it... and are wondering what to do with all those awesome picture christmas cards.
i've got the most simple, cheap and quick way to organize and keep them.

all you need is a hole punch and some rings.
punch some holes (the same width apart), and put them together!

this year i took the pretty top off another christmas card and used it as my cover.

adding the year with this handy dandy thing of which i don't know the name of.

i bring them out every year and they're always getting looked at by us and by our guests.
this whole thing literally took me about 10 minutes.
ahhhhh.
i LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. quick accomplishments!

 

new year - new goals...

one of our new allen designs 2012 designs - pencil cups!

yes, i am one of those people who enjoys setting new years resolutions.

here are a few of mine:

•start running again & possibly do another marathon.

•lose weight--- isn't that every ones? i'm using lose it, if you want to by my buddy i'd love it! [email protected]. there's also an app for your phone to make it super easy.

•get back to writing a daily list of to-do's. i get a lot more done with this process and somehow this past year i got out of the habit.

•organize my days into paperwork/business & creative times.


if you never try, you'll never know what you're capable of. -john barrow