Just a little red for Valentine's Day. As in red paintings. The books and heels are my fav. Yours?

Happy New Year! Hope all of your celebrations were enjoyable. Mine was and here's a little of it.

We did a little fondue - chocolate and cheese. Chocolate fondue with pound cake, cookies, strawberries and cheese fondue with bread, vegetables, and meats. It was very good. But, my favorite-

Hot chocolate milk bar. White and Milk chocolates with all the add ons - shaved chocolates, cocoa powder, cinnamon pumpkin spice. Then, raspberry, caramel, and peppermint syrups. With the last additions of marshmallows, peppermint and chocolate chips. Oh, and there was eggnog as well. If you need any ideas, this is the type bar to do again. 

Okay, I have this little secret obsession that the Boyfriend doesn't even know about. Not yet. But now I'm going to let  you in on it. I want a celebration wagon. I want a party on wheels. I want a caravan. Caravan as in "a large covered vehicle for conveying passengers, goods". Of course not just any caravan. But one that looks like this one. 

Or this one. 

Or this one.

Or this one.

Or even this one.

Yeah, this works too.

A celebration wagon. I've wanted one for a while but I haven't had the nerve to break it to the Boyfriend because it's a project that would involve him. I've gotten him into tons of my if-a-things-worth-doing-it's-worth-over-doing activities and I was trying to see how I could manage it without him. But I can't. So he has to know.

You have to see some of the interiors. Singular. Sensational. Spectacular. Play the slide show.

Okay, just a few more.

One day I might be able to say, "Welcome to my caravan porch."

 If these don't scream CELEBRATE to you, I don't know what will.

PS - If anyone's sitting on a little trailer that they want to get rid of, let me know.

Here are a few homes that celebrate art. One on one. Consider bringing in just one piece of original art into your home. Have you ever thought about it? I know I never really did. I thought it was out of my reach. Now I realize that it isn't.

Long ago it used to be that even the poorest of homes had an original painting. It was thought that the art would inspire and elevate those in the home. It does. There's an energy that a painting brings with it. Look at the images of art in homes below.

What feelings to you feel from the images? Does it inspire you? Do you think it would inspire your family to have art in your home? Tell us.

The Boyfriend and my 29th anniversary was a month or so ago. This invitation from Mod Memento, was the inspiration for my gift to him. 

I decided to write our relationship in this storybook pattern. It's written third person and actually was quite easy to write. We have 29 years, with a lot of history, so it turned into 2 boards.  I loved doing it. Here is a copy of it.

I also wanted to try this transfer method so I put the two together. It was a lot of work and wouldn't suggest it for a first timer. But, I do love the result. And he did too. Here it is hung in our home.

 Here is a slide show with a few instructions. The play button is in the top left hand corner.

Celebrate Me • Art Journaling Week #4 

For the My Art Journaling Questions and Applications click here

INSPIRATION:
My Voice

INTROSPECTION:Questions
Q. How do I describe my voice? How would I never describe my voice as?
Q. How do others describe my voice? 
Q. Was there ever a time that I couldn't use my voice?
Q. What can or can't my voice do?
Q. What remedies have you used to soothe your voice?


IMAGE MAKING:
Applications
A. Put your lip prints on the page and write words coming out of them.
A. Stamp one word/phrase 3 - 4 times without re-inking, so that it fades like an echo.
A. Record your voice talking on your smart phone, use watercolor to make the background, painting how you feel listening to your own voice.
A. Use curved lines, starting in one corner, make wave lengths and add text on each line
A. Make left side background darker & the right side lighter, the image fades off like a soft voice

Here are a few art journal pages of others. 
They aren't about voices, per se, but can be influential in your image making.

I also post this info and more about art journaling over here.On Friday morning, upload a photo of your celebrate me • art journal page on Shannon's Studio Facebook page

Saw this website, Closet Visit, (via DesignMom.com) this morning and took a quick look-see. It's about seeing the clothing closets of the fashionably put-together. After looking at a few I noticed something. I noticed the art. 
Of course it was the art. 

This isn't a site about art, just celebrating style. But, in showing off the unique dressing choices of the women 
you catch a glimpse of their art choices. Oriental hangings, mobiles, handkerchiefs, skeletal prints, and paintings. Interestingly, most of these women had art, fine art, in their surroundings. 
Even though this wasn't about photographing their personal artistic galleries it still came through. 

It makes me think that often times the spirit of the soul illustrates itself in the chosen style of our surroundings. 
Our walls, floors, furnishings, closets, clothing, accessories and yes, art, expose us. 
Then I look around and ask what is the spirit of my soul saying in my surroundings?

This weekend was about getting your BOOK • BOX • BELONGINGS. (If not, read this post.)
Since this is the first day, I'll let you know how we'll proceed. You won't have to go this alone. 
Every Monday will be Q & A, as in QUESTIONS & APPLICATIONS Monday. 
Questions for introspection and application ideas to help with image making. 
There will also be a word, phrase, or quote meant to inspire the whole thought process. 
Use any or all of the ideas.

INSPIRATION:a single focus word (or maybe a phrase)
INTROSPECTION:questions to explore your thoughts and life
IMAGE MAKING: applications to experiment with

There's a few ways to go about this.
1) Do the images first and think about the inspiration word. Then record your most important thoughts around or on top of the images. 2) Or, write your thoughts and let images come to your mind and recreate you mental images after you've recorded your ideas. 3) Or, a combination of back and forth with words and images. Images and words.Anyway works.One last thought. 

Don't stress yourself over the image making. This might be the most uncomfortable process. If at first you're nervous, look at other's art journals for inspiration. Mimic their layout. Use their color palette. Incorporate their use of text. It will get easier and you'll become more uniquely expressive as time goes on. Don't worry. Start somewhere. Just begin.

OUR FIRST ENTRY

INSPIRATION: MY NAME

INTROSPECTION:
Q. Who inspired my name most?
Q. What other name were my parents considering?
Q. Have I always liked my name?
Q. Does my name have any significant meaning?
Q. Do I have any memories related to my name?

IMAGE MAKING:
A. Create a background of markers and ink stamp your name over the top
A. Put the title "Celebrate Me" along with your name and text
A. Take a photo of yourself, glue it into your book & repeatedly write your name over the top of it
A. Do an ink character self portrait and use watercolors or pastels to add color & add your name
A. Print name in a font you love, put your page over the top of it, use a light table and trace


For the next few weeks, I'll add other people's images to get your image making going. 
This will hopefully give you ideas and ease you into making your own images.
REMEMBER, this is about you, for you, to celebrate you.

Ohhhhhhhh! I almost forgot.
On Friday morning, everyone can upload a photo of their celebrate me • art journal page on
 Shannon's Studio Facebook page. 
You can't not share with us. It's not a critique of your expressions, it's a celebration of each of us. 
Let go. Do it. Friday.