Re-purposements

January 15, 2016 ~ Patty Radish ~ 13 Comments

I have fallen in love with ink stamping on my journal pages! And, I think I may have mentioned my stamping phobia in past posts. So, my way around some of the anxiety is to stamp onto scrap paper beforehand to see if I’m getting the ink right or if the size is really what I’m looking for.

Well, I really liked the way the scrap papers were turning out, so I set about looking for ways to use them. I love page tabs, another one of my office supply obsessions. I think they give pages so much more character.

Like my pages need more characters! If I could rock a shawl like that, I’d wear one every day!

Little handcrafted touches, mixed with store bought goodness, makes the pages so much more balanced.

Yep! She’s rockin’ it!

Page 1/13/15 in my Collage journal. I’m seriously going to town with stamping! Now, when I look at my pages, they seem unfinished If I don’t add some ink. Which is a good thing, because I have been collecting rubber stamps for years and haven’t been using them! Score!

All I needed to do was let go of my persnickety ways and get all Wabi Sabi with it!

So, there you have it, another way to avoid throwing something away. Or “up-cylcing” if you prefer, that sounds a bit more trendy!

Thanks again for the visit,

Have a great weekend

~Patty

When Words Escape

January 13, 2016January 13, 2016 ~ Patty Radish ~ 4 Comments

I’m hopefully on the other side of a very tender time in my life. Luckily, the rest of my life keeps rolling along, taking me with it, and helping me find gratitude for the abundance of love and friendship I’ve been finding along the way.

For those times in my life when words are just not adequate, but I still need to secure memories in some way, collage journals are what I turn to.

I took this journal out of my shoppe a few weeks ago. Sometimes a journal just speaks to me and I have to make it my own.

I have decided to do a collage a day for January.

Just some time to sit quietly and play for a while.

This post is pretty photo intensive, so I’ve decided to keep the narrative to a minimum.

Here is where this journal took on a life of it’s own, when I began to fill the pockets with letters I had begun receiving.

I even revisited some pages I had already worked on and added bits from what I remember happening that day.

So, what started as a project to take me back into my art room, has turned into a place to hold keepsakes and document gratitude. This journal has lots of pockets and envelopes if I decide its time to do a little journaling, but they are also handy to keep bits and pieces in.

Now that I’m over the hump of settling affairs, I’m hoping to get back into the swing of things so to speak, like blogging, and making, and such.

Thanks so much for being here over the last few weeks, I am truly grateful!

Until next time,

Have a great day,

~Patty

Holiday Journal Sharings

January 6, 2016January 6, 2016 ~ Patty Radish ~ 4 Comments

The Holidays are behind us, but I finally finished my Holiday journal, thanks to my new habit of jotting down notes in a small notebook. So, before we get too far into the New Year…

I used up quite a few Christmas related items that I have been hanging onto for many years. The tag at the top left is from Christmas card makings 8 or so years ago.

I now own about 12 classic Christmas movies on dvd, I usually have them playing in the background all through December. “The Man Who Came To Dinner” is a particular favorite!

It just goes to show that if you hold onto something long enough, it will find a home…at least that’s what I tell myself!

I’m afraid my pages became much simpler as time marched on, it became a matter of wanting to get the memories down more than decorating.

That stamped piece at the bottom right is a leftover from the first annual Christmas card making session with my daughter. Something that is now a Christmas ritual, Love! And that sweet angel is from a wonderful package of Happy Mail from a dear friend Judy. Thank you Judy!

Memories upon memories, the best!

Just a few memories here, and a page decorated with the sweet Christmas Happy Mail from Jenny!

As you can see here, not much to say. Sometimes a photo says it all!

I am well and truly happy to say I finished this journal, it was a bit touch and go there for a while. I was contemplating sharing this next Christmas because of time constraints pushing it out so far into the New Year. But then, I’m thinking about starting a Throwback Thursday segment to add a little of my old blog into this one. So, there’s an opportunity to share a couple of past Holiday journals next Christmas! Yay!

Well, I hope this post didn’t push you over the edge to complete Holiday burnout!

Thank you for the visit,

Have a great day,

~Patty

Re-decoratings, Re-aquaintings, and Resolutions…

January 3, 2016 ~ Patty Radish ~ 8 Comments

Now that the hustle bustle of the Holidays is over, it’s time to get back to work, but it shouldn’t be this much fun…or should it? Taking the time to fiddle around with my supplies and decor is a luxury I didn’t afford myself much last year. “Nose to the grindstone”, that was me!

A bit of de-cluttering I did before Christmas, and a perfect example of what I would like the rest of the room to look like. (Pardon if you have already seen this on other social mediums)

Some washi tape that was stuffed in baskets and drawers. “Out of sight out of mind”, therefore “out of use”! It’s not a New Years resolution to cut back on spending, but it should be!

Last night, I was going through some back issues of Flow magazine while working in my Vision Journal, and came across these gorgeous art pages. So, down came the clutter, and up went the pretties!

This rolling rack was a sight! Now, it displays part of my collection of vintage linens. Some of these have plans, but for the most part, I just like looking at them.

I’m not much for New Years resolutions, but I do like to shoot for a new mindset. Last year, it was getting my shoppe in high gear. I think I stripped a few, because I was worn out before Christmas!

This year, it’s reacquainting myself with the things and people that inspire me and have guided me to where I am today.

With a grateful heart,

Thank you once again for visiting,

Have a great week,

~Patty

My End of Year Catch Up…

December 30, 2015January 17, 2016 ~ Patty Radish ~ 7 Comments

My original plan was to write an “End of Year Round Up”, but frankly, I just don’t have it in me to re-cap an entire year. This year has had many highs and lows!

Highs: Becoming a Grandmother, an awesome year for my shoppe, starting this here new blog, and all you wonderful people that follow me! Thank you!

Lows: Losing both my parents within 6 months, most notably my mom just two weeks ago.

That being said, (and out of the way thank you very much), I’m really looking forward to the New Year! So, here’s a bit of the latest doings:

From top left clockwise: A Kiwidori all gussied up and ready for the New Year, an honest-to-goodness Midori (love!), and my mini dori journal. Dori heaven!

The plan for my Kiwidori is to be a Vision Board for 2016. I’ve filled it with inspirational quotes and have already worked on a few pages. I’ll share it in more detail sometime soon.

I’m still working on my Holiday Journal, I usually keep one going until Jan. 1st.

I get to add these awesome goodies to it too! These were sent to me by my sweet friend Jenny P.! Thank you Jenny!Then there is this. The Stitchery journal that I found poked onto a shelf last week. Sewing is on the top of my list of things I must get back to, that and crochet, not to mention gardening…

…which brings to a subject I have pondering a lot about over the last couple of months, I miss my olde blog!

There, I said it!

So, I have decided that I will be working on and talking about many of the projects I used to write about on ye olde blog. For instance decorating, sometimes cooking, definitely sewing, crochet and gardening. I’ll be backing down a bit from my planning adventure, not completely though, it’s still a tool I rely on quite a bit. The decor got to be too time consuming to be realistic.

So, if you haven’t already noticed, I switched up my blog list on the side bar to some old favorites. People I have been following for years, that change really makes this blog seem more homey to me.

I’m hoping that 2016 will be the year of catching up on old projects, making more time for my family, focusing more on art journaling, and sharing a bit more of my personal side on this here blog. Hope you want to tag along!

Until next year,

Thank you stopping by,

Happy New Year!

~Patty

(p.s. I will be taking off over the pass to visit my daughter, so if I don’t get to the comments, please forgive, thanks)