Yes, I chose...

 ...my phrase for 2025.

To say 2024 has been a challenging year understates the reality by a gazillion squared, so I knew that my phrase for 2025 would need to really pack a punch.

I studied for years with a spiritual mentor who was one of the most loving people I’ve known, and taught me about the real meaning of love.  It’s definitely not always about being kind; she was hard-core, and a proponent of tough love.  She spoke the truth, as she saw it, to others in all circumstances. She made a habit of practicing love in all its forms – love for others, love for self (although she did admit that loving oneself was a difficult thing and sometimes the most one could do there was a grudging acceptance), and love for the situation one found oneself in (another tough one).  The thing she spoke most to, though, was the fact that our responses to others, ourselves and situations was a matter of choice. 

My phrase for 2025 is, then, 'Choose Love'.

As usual, I've got reminders in every corner of the house,

in every size, from business card in my wallet,

to smaller ones for little corners,

and from the wildly coloured,

to the somewhat less so.

Regardless of colour or size, they all impact me, and should help me stay on track for the year.

I'm looking forward to hearing about your word or phrase for 2025.  What have you chosen?

And the beat goes on...

 ...in the mini quote journal.

And given that I'm waaaaaaay behind on Christmas prep, I'll just leave this right here, along with wishes for the best holiday season ever for you and yours.  May you find all the love, laughter and joy you could possibly hold.  💗

I'm still playing...

 ...in the small quote book, mixing quotes ranging from art to spirit to outright silliness.  It's going to be fun to see them all in and catch a sense of where my mind was in this particular month - or maybe months, depending.

As with most of my books, the initial stages are all about being 'in progress'.  It's impossible to tell at this stage what the final look of each page will be.

Reviewing this post, I'm amused by the amount of brown in it; it's obvious that my ennui with that colour meant I was chopping scraps with abandon to fill the signatures.  🤔

May your pre-holiday creative time be as much fun for you as has mine...and here's to a possibility of Christmas baking in the next few days!!  

Stripes?

Maybe!  I was playing with some friends this past week, and got obsessed (again) with the strips of paper in one of my 'files.'  I was so absorbed that I didn't even remember to get photos of my friends, or the lovely play they were engaged in.  I'll do better next time, I swear.  😵‍💫

I really tore into the quote book that's been rattling around in my brain for ages.  The book form was already in place (a travel-type journal with removable signatures), so I finally printed the quotes I love, 

and started adding them to the first signature.

Naturally I got to use some of the paper strips, since they were staring me in the eye from the table.

The book size itself is 5" in height and 3" wide, so the quotes themselves are 3" high by 2" .  While it doesn't leave much room for embellishment, there's certainly enough for a pop of contrast.

And, squirrel!  We were sitting in the living room having our morning coffee, and noticed the 

pattern on the ceiling made by the china cabinet lights.  

That led to John opening the cabinet doors, leading to more patterns on the floor,

and a variation of the ceiling geometry.  

If you're like we are, you will undoubtedly notice the strangest things in the world around you, and occasionally follow them awry, too.  😉  Happy exploration - may your week be one of a wandering artist's eye.  

It's beginning...

...in our house.  The Christmas feeling has hit the main floor, and the large 'Christmas Tree' has been decorated.

Our condo has only room for one large tree, and this 40-year-old croton is it.

Things have been apace in the studio, as more ornaments were completed.

And as always, the little extra decor projects sneak up, and John decided our tiny 2-foot tree needed a tree skirt (I'm glad he didn't feel that way about the large tree!!), so I hacked a circle of fabric out of a sheet I use for alcohol ink protection when I'm playing with them.

While I thought it was a wee bit colourful to start with, you know how that goes!  I got playing with markers and Golden High Flow Acrylics,

and it got a whole lot wilder.  Have I told you recently that I am the Colour Pig to end all colour pigs?

At the end of it all, the mini tree is dancing in a new skirt, and I had a blast with markers and paint.

What could possibly be more fun?  🎄🎉🌟🎨💖 

Snow? Yes!

 It has arrived, and it's a winter wonderland out here.  Our  across-the-fence neighbour's home looks like a cozy place to be.

The advantage of winter is that I spend more time in the studio, and have managed to finish the ornaments that will enhance the grandchildrens' Christmas presents.

They look pretty spiffy all in a row, right?

Of course, I had so much fun with them, that I kept on tearing paper and creating more 'landscapes' with it.

Goodness knows where these will wind up.

Hope you've had a great week, and are well into high gear for Christmas creativity...can you believe it's just over a month away?

Yay! The cards...

 ...are finally completed, and thank goodness for that.  The out-of-country ones left last week, but the Canadian ones may be delivered sometime in 2025, given that Canada Post has just gone on strike, bless them.

Having finished with the cards, I'm now in process as I create the grandchildrens' yearly Christmas ornaments, and that's a great change of pace.  This part of the table is so messy I'm not even sure you can pick them out.

There's more to come on them, of course, but there's time enough for that.  I was desperate for some colour play, so I hauled out some unfinished pieces

and turned them into a glaze party with ochre fluid acrylic, olive green ink and quinacridone burnt orange heavy body.  I've not made up my mind whether I like any of the glazes, but it was certainly fun to do.

With leftover paints on the table, I plopped some wet dryer sheets on top, and left them to dry, I thought.

Then it occured to me that I didn't have to stop there, so I smooshed the top half of an unfinished canvas piece into the very wet dark green dryer sheet

and then the bottom half into the burnt orange sheet.  It could easily be left as is for further work, or cut in half to pursue two smaller pieces.  I'm really liking the top green smooshed part.

And now I present you with the world's most Boring Blog Photo - this is the culmination of those weeks of Christmas card making, now complete, and hallelujah!  It's such a wonderful feeling to finish a project, even if the postal service presents it from going anywhere.

Hope your week was both productive and fun, and may your postal service support you in every way.  😉

You'll never guess...

...what I've been up to this week.  🤣  Having discovered there is a postal strike in the offing, I've been working like a demon on my Christmas cards.   I'm at the stage now where I can start signing them, and addressing the envelopes.  

It seems to have taken twice as long this year to get to the final stages, so I suspect my 'quick and easy' design wasn't necessarily what I thought it would be.

As the pile grew deeper,

the variety grew, and I thought I'd utilized a whole TON of scraps.

Judging from the exploding box (thanks for the descriptor, Angela), though, that is not the case.

And having played with so many types of paper, I've a massive yen to make more.  Are you up for a gifted pile of scraps?  They are great for all sorts of creative play.  Let me know, if so! 

Oh, and if you're expecting a Christmas card, and you hear that Canada Post is on strike, that'll be the reason it hasn't arrived.  Bless their hearts.  💖