BackPorchCrafting

 I have been learning about Hygge (pronounced Hoo-ga) over the last few years.  Initially I learned about this Scandinavian concept through a magazine subscription that I adore - Stampington’s Bella Grace, then through the Bella Grace Field Guide.  The concept is now transferring to my everyday life and journaling. Hygge describes a send of coziness, togetherness, and wellness.  Hygge cannot be bought, it is more an experience and giving yourself permission to be more mindful of what coziness means to you.   When I think of coziness, I think of the cabin where I am now privileged to live full-time in my retirement.  Moving here has made me appreciate the simpler things of life.  Hygge to me can be simply being in my PJs, wrapping up in a soft blanket outside by a fire pit, reading a good book on a rainy day, snuggling with my boxers on the couch, a cup of tea while I journal, watching the birds at the feeder when I drink my coffee in the morning……. The...

 I have not been able to post in a very long time.  I really worked hard through COVID and after.  In fact, work and family issues took over my life the last few years and I wasn’t able to craft much at all.  Crafting  has always been my stress-relief so I have really missed it.   May 1st I retired from my job and we moved to our mountain cabin in Western North Carolina.  I spent the month of May unpacking, organizing, etc.  Now I am ready to craft and blog again.  Retirement is going to be great!  I love living in Western NC - love the wildlife, slower pace, and the friends I am making.  However, I miss being close to my daughter.  I will see her about once a month though so happy about that.   The other morning and I was thinking how blessed I am to be able to do this, while I was sitting on the front porch with a cup of coffee, a book and the birds eating at the feeder.  I will let you know about the books I read a...

POLAROIDS I am back to work this week but still want to post some art that I made last week when I was on vacation.  I made some card fronts that look like Polaroids.  This was done with painters tape marking of all sides of the watercolor paper, with the largest at the bottom, causing the paper to look like a Polaroid.  I love using painters tape because it does not damage your paper, it holds your artwork stationary, and it makes perfectly straight lines. One of the Polaroids I did was of a field of purple flowers on a beautiful day! I loved putting a positive message on this artwork.  This can be used as a card front and then sent to a special person to brighten their day. The next Polaroid that I painted was a take on the first but with multi-colored flowers of pink and purples.  I loved the saying. The next Polaroid that I painted was my absolute favorite.  I need to remind myself, especially at these uncertain times, to Inhale and Exhale.  I love...

COLOR BLOCKS AND DOODLES It is the 4th of July!  I hope everyone is having a safe and happy holiday!  It is a beautiful day in North Carolina!  Yesterday I started a color block art project using sage green, gray, and a gray/blue.  I loved the way the colors complimented each other.  I used a wet technique so that I wet the square, dropped the color into the top and then spread into the wet so that the box gets lighter towards the bottom.   Today, when the watercolor was dry, I doodled into the squares.  I tried not to make the same doodle in any of the squares.  I used a micron 05 black fine liner to make the doodles.  Then I used a silver paint to paint either dots on the stems or fill in the leaves.  This is a beautiful, sparkly silver that is so much better in person than on the photo.  I also used a white, bleed proof paint to fill in some of the other leaves.  I love how this turned out.  Even though this isn’t a 4th...

WORLD WATERCOLOR MONTH and a Bookmark Card World Watercolor month is observed annually in July.  This month we celebrate are and creativity through the use of watercolors.  I encourage you to try your hand at watercolor.  I have been working with it for a little over two years.  I started with the  Let’s Make Art  subscription box and have been addicted ever since.  I have just started going off on my own projects but still love to sit down and work on the items they are creating.  I have learned to not wash my pallet after I finish a project and just re-wet the paints and try something new.  Therefore, I have to have more than one pallet now in order to do that.  It is a fun journey.   I started making watercolor bookmarks with leftover paints and have enjoyed giving them as gifts. I have been a card maker for many years and have even been on design teams and won state fair ribbons for my cards.  I saw a bookmark/card idea and...

HERE I AM AGAIN I have been away for a while!  I guess life just takes over and so many other things take precedence.  It isn’t like I haven’t been crafting because I have.  I have been making items for weddings, especially my daughter’s, which was last October, among other items.  I also have made so many candles in all different scents and have totally enjoyed doing that. Lately I have been trying my hand at watercolors, getting back to making cards, making my own products with essential oils, among many other things.  With the pandemic, I have been working from home and working way more than I was in the office.  That has cut down on my crafting time a bit but I have taken a week off to jumpstart myself and am back to what I enjoy doing.  I can sit hours at my crafting desk and lose myself in art!  It is amazing! Stay tuned for some exciting new items that I will post here.  I will start posting more regularly from now on.  At...