time flies...

I have to apologise. It's been MONTHS since I've been here. Carpal Tunnel release surgery on both wrists caused me to put down the journal for a few months while I healed. Then, you know how it is, you stop doing something and you find something else to fill that time with. So I finally pulled out the journal(s) again and here I am.
Last Christmas my sister made me some vinyls for my kitchen walls to match the ones she made for me at our last house. We finally got around to putting them up and I must say, they are amazing!! (Excuse the mess)

 Before I really jumped back into journalling, I had to make myself a little pouch to carry my coloured pencils and pens in when I take my journal with me. I'm so proud of my little pouch that I designed myself and sewed without experience:

 ...and my love for Joanne Sharpe continues. I'm taking both her Draw Your Awesome Year and Draw Your Awesome Life classes online.

I have to take the time to take pics of what I've been up to. I'll try to do that tonight so I can catch you up on my last couple of weeks back into art journaling!

always time for a little art...

It was a long day, it's 10:30pm and I'm just now finally sitting down at my art desk. Won't be much time for creativity tonight but there sure is time to gesso the next pages in each of my (currently) three art journals so they're ready for tomorrow's creative inspirations. I want to take a moment to give credit where credit is due:

Whimspirations - by Joanne Sharpe

• Letter Love 101
• Letter Love 201
• Artful Alphabets

Homegrown Hospitality - Stephanie Ackerman

• 52 Pickup
• Doodle 101
• Doodle, Too!

The Art Studio - Kate Koch

• Gesso

Creative Workshops - Lori Vliegen

• Letter Lab

Online Card Classes - Tim Holtz

• Creative Chemistry 101

Annie's Crafts

• Stamping 101

Yipes. I think that's it. Can you believe I JUST started Art Journaling in January 2013?!? I've always been known to find a new hobby and really take it by the reins. I will learn it in, out, sideways, and backwards. I will perfect it in my own unique way. I will love it in and out. …and that, I do. Although I'm learning that I'm not only learning the ropes, I'm also meeting fantastic people along the way too. That, in itself, is worth every cent I've spent on classes.

…coffee and an art journal

Well, apparently I picked an appropriate name for this blog. This afternoon we dropped the kids off at their grandma and grandpa's for a sleepover. We just go home after checking out an art store we've never been to and first thing I did when I got home was made myself a coffee and came down to my art room with my new findings at the art store. The words that went through my head were, 'ahhhh, coffee and an art journal'… pure happiness.

Coffee and an Art Journal

I find it very interesting how it seems that as an Art Journaler (is that a real word?) you should have a blog. I started a blog once, back when I was in college, but it didn't last longer than a few months. Something happened to my provider and I've never been able to retrieve its contents. 

So, here I am again, I hope this time to be able to post pics of my creations and eventually have tutorials and resources available for others to join in the fun of art journaling. ...which I must mention, is also interesting to me... "art Journaling" isn't a real term. It should be "art journalising" yet in the community, this is how it's used. I wonder how long until it becomes a recognised word... 'journaling', that is.

Why "Coffee and an Art Journal" you ask? Well, I've always been a coffee fanatic, it's rare when you don't see me with a coffee within hand's reach. My online handle typically is something with the word 'coffee' in it. It seems, just to me, to be a part of who I am online. So 'coffee' had to be part of the name. As far as the rest, I wanted a name that mixed my love of coffee with my love of art journaling and this is what you get. 

I think I will find it interesting how in a few years when I look back at this blog, I hope to see a significant difference in my artistic abilities. Here's a glimpse at my current achievements:

(And in true style of someone who's never used blogger before, here it is on its side. I'll soon figure out how to turn the pics.)