mt washi tape in the store!!

I have some new products in the online store and I am very excited about it!
mt brand washi tape from Japan - these are the people that first introduced the world to the magic of decorated masking tape.

http://www.shop.motherrubber.com/Washi-Tape-EX-Map-mt-brand-mt-EX-map.htm


Here a few of the tapes I have in stock:

They are all in the Glues, Tapes Stickers and Sticky things department.

I am also getting closer to offering the online class I told you about in the previous post. I will be sure to post as soon as that's ready!

Enjoy your day!

real life cover

here's the cover of the actual book I am going to teach you how to make.....

what do you think?  :)

remember this?

I showed you this a few months ago in this post...

do you remember ?

then I decided it would be cool to teach you how to do this



and this...



online




it's in the works....I am really excited anticipating this; it is my first online workshop.

what do you think?

watercoloring

so I decided that I would dedicate 2013 to finding my artistic voice and/or style.

this means I wouldn't be going to art retreats or gatherings, and not signing up for any swaps or collaborative projects; I am honoring the ones I am already signed up for but told myself no more sign-ups for this year.

since I still have a full-time day job and am away from home for 12 hours each day, I have very limited "awake" hours after we get home.

I decided that all of my art friends would understand this decision and support it.

I was right. now the expectation is all on me.

I love to draw and tried out this wonderful Pentel Pocket brush pen for this owl sketch.

I don't like it as much as the previous owl drawing, but it's all in the name of science.

experimentation. that's the name of the game.

these are some new watercolors I bought with part of the bonus we got at work.

there are a few perks from "working for the man". they do come at a price.

but, then again, everything is temporary...

save some clams!

I am still clearing out some products from my web store - good stuff such as Distress, Staz-On, and VersaFine ink pads-to name only a few....

Stop on by and load up - quantities limited to stock on hand - no restocking so grab them while they are still available!
http://shop.motherrubber.com/CLEARANCE_c6.htm

owl drawing

did this the other night in my everyday journal just before going to sleep...

there's my reference picture on the right...it's a Long-Eared Owl

a close-up.

what do you think?

on the re-bound

no, it's not THAT.

I overstuffed my Ticket to Venice - Honeymoon in Australia travel journal.

So. I decided to re-bind it....take out the original binding thread, remove the existing spine, make a new wider one, then rebind it. 
Easier said than done.
Here's the final result though....

I started binding and discovered I would need to reinforce the spine so took that out and added a layer of manila folder material, then covered it with book cloth tape. Then re-punched the holes and started again.

then, as I was tightening the thread I broke it. :(

But, thanks to the fantabulous Mary Ann Moss, I know how to fix it.

you may be able to tell that last signature still needs some stuffin'. 

I'm diving back into it now.

Ticket to Venice - Journal -video flip-through

I have completed construction of my first Ticket To Venice travel journal and have created my first flip through video of it.
Your gentle comments are desired....

real quick

Office supply stores sort of entrance me.
I feel compelled to wander through the pen aisle and the paper section and soak in all the colors and stuff. and I have to check out the clearance section too. of course.

I am physically unable to run in and out of them or "stop in for one thing".


can't do it.

here's why:

all made in the USA!

colored scotch tape and decorator masking tape from scotch too....finally cute tape made here.

so please don't ever use the phrase "real quick" and office supply store in the same sentence.

at least not when I'm around, OK?

just as a favor to me.

happy new year! goals & new journal & stamp carving

I had the most wonderful holiday with my family. 2 weeks+ off from my day job and lots of shopping and relaxing with my husband....

Rocketman and I enjoyed a special Winter Solstice day in Seattle which included a trip to the Great Seattle Wheel - the new jumbo ferris wheel down on the waterfront.
so. awesome.



















I have also been contemplating what my goals will be for this new year. I don't care what people say about starting them any time - it's fun to start with a clean slate - at least with a clean calender :) helps my noodle feel organized and in control.

speaking of calenders....look at the awesome planner my sister gave me for Christmas...she loves planners - and I do too! I am easy to please - pretty much any office supplies will get me twinkling but this planner? it's HOT PINK...I mean real, genuine Flourescent PINK! It seems more orange in this picture but trust me...it is P.I.N.K.!!!

and  AND - it's made in the U.S.A.!! sweeet!

check it out:


the cover is very smooth and the edges are gilded in gold....it has maps in the back too...for adventure planning I am sure.



ok so where was I?
2013 goals....
oh yes....

swear less - I'm already working on this one. a challenge for this daughter of an ex-Navy tree trimmer. plus sometimes swearing is fun....

do more yoga - I have a couple of DVDs and a mat and always feel better when I get done. I plan to work this into my workout schedule - starting goal is once a week :)  ooohhhhhmmmmmm I am on tap for tomorrow for session 1 of 2013. check in with me this weekend to see how it went, OK?

pay off 1/3 of my existing debt (not including the mortgage) I have been working on paying off my debt for a few years already and have decided to solidify my goals into something specific this year. Although I will keep the dollar amounts to myself I am pretty sure I can exceed this goal.

become a better person...this is one I started several years ago (ok...it was more like 12 years ago) and have made this resolution with myself every year since.  This is easily my favorite goal because it has become a sort of personal growth challenge for me and I cannot conceivably reach the finish line, can I?  I like that fact and that I am consciously working on the things I want to make better about myself....constantly. It's not so much a list of things as it is a state of mind...a consciousness level...an awareness of my effect on myself and those around me....a recognition of those around me that are better people than I am. something to strive for.
Improve my posture -I started this one last year or the year before and really want to keep working on this. it;s one of those "body habits" that make a big positive difference as soon as I tune into it and work on it.

this is my list so far. I will probably tack on one of my husband's goals of travel more since that will be a really fun one to work on  :)

New Journal
Did I tell you I made a new journal?
I liked my last one so much (read about it here) that I went ahead and made another one just like it- but the fold over flap is shorter....I may sew something on because I really liked having the long flap to close the journal without having to tie, button, zip, or latch anything.


outside covers are this neat gray patterned fabric I got in a fat quarter at Joann's for a different gray project and I ended up not using it. wonder how that happened  :D

 
the inside is a nice heavy canvas harlequin fabric in taupe and cream colors...nice.

 

a couple journal pages about our wonderful first day of winter. yes, I misspelled Solstice but I know what I meant  :P

I found a cool sketch I made of a flower and wrote a command to myself next to it: "carve."

so I did.

and then I did some more.
I have a crush on this tree design I saw on some paper from Echo Park Paper company and decided to carve one into a stamp.
that stamp was lonely so I made it a tree stamp friend...and another.

this is something I saw in a Gevalia coffe commercial on TV - on a coffee mug! I am pretty sure it looked better on the mug but I captured the essence of the design - whihc was the point. that, and to carve some more. it's pretty addicting.

thanks for stopping by and Happy New Year to you!!

I love comments so will you let me know you were here?

Namaste

-Dawn