Courage doesn't always roar

Courage doesn't always roar is a book title by author Mary Anne Radmacher.  The title inspired me to put Stampotique's Cowardly Lion to use.
At any given moment, be it ourselves, loved ones, friends, or co-workers that need that encouragement to get out of bed in the morning. Right now I can think of a few special people in my life who encompass tremendous courage, face the day without complaint and show tremendous determination and strength.  Like the Cowardly Lion, our courage is internal -- it's always there, sometimes we need a little help finding it.

I had some sheet of Arches 140lb watercolor paper that I had used for some art journals.  I took the remaining scraps and bound and 8 x 8" pamphlet stitch journal.  The pages are more random in size, just used what I had left. 
The backgrounds are sprayed with some Dylusions as well as home-made alcohol inks.  For the tag, Cowardly Lion was stamped twice.  Fibers were glued around the inside of the lion's head and a second head cutout was mounted on top. I keep paper scraps in a colored coded file on my studio counter so it allows me to do a little quick art using what I have on hand.

What's cooking on Vera Lane

I am still trying to settle into retirement life. I am missing the structure that my teaching position demanded of me as my ADHD personality has been having a free for all.  Was it the gym first thing this morning or studio time?  Or do I bake?
I baked.
So I thought I would share the result of research and tweaking; my healthy, nutty, Janet's (Vera Lane) homemade chunky granola. 
My measurements are never exact, but this will get you there, then you tweak to make it your own.  I always add more nuts, and the liquid may be less.  Dried fruit add in is your choice, I actually prefer this with no fruit.
Since I make this all the time, all the dry ingredients are on the same pull-out pantry shelf, so it goes by quickly and I dump everything into a large stainless steel bowl.

Preheat oven to 300 (I don't know where that little degree thingy is on my keyboard) 
Spray two cookie sheets with vegetable or coconut oil.

Ingredients:

4 heaping cups of organic whole oats ( you can use Quaker too --NOT INSTANT)
2 TBS Organic milled flax (heaping)*
1/4 C flax seed
1/2 C Raw Sunflower seeds
1/2 C Raw Pumpkin seeds
1/2 C Pecans, raw cashews or both
1/2 C Shredded Coconut
1/2 C Dried Cherries (or fruit add in of your choice)
2 - 3 turns of Sea Salt (grinder)
Combine the above ingredients and mix with large spoon

In a medium bowl combine:
1/4 C Pure Maple Syrup
1/4 Honey
1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
1/2 C Organic extra virgin coconut oil ( if it is solid liquefy in micro on low setting)
1 TBS EVOO
2 egg whites
Splash of Cinnamon powder

*I like adding ground flax to anything I bake so this is an option
** I have added a tad brown sugar time to time but it's not necessary
Sometimes I'll add Chia seeds. 

Whisk the above ingredients and pour into the dry ingredients.  Mix well.

Divide the mixture in half.  Spread on two cookie sheets, leaving a hole in the center of the sheet for even baking. (Granola looks like a ring around the pan)  Pack it down as you are arranging the mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes.  If your oven can only accommodate one sheet at a time, place one on a lower shelf and rotate trays at 15 minutes.
Allow to cool.
Break apart and store in air tight container.  I like to keep the granola in the fridge, it tastes much better cold.
I warn you, this is addicting.  When you need a little sweet and crunchy snack it's a healthy choice.  My husband loves this for breakfast with some vanilla rice milk. 
Once you make it play with the ingredients the next go round and experiment.  It's the egg white that makes the chunks, leave it out and it will be more cereal like.
If you buy boxed cereal you will never buy another box again.
Enjoy!
 

A way with washi

I love using scraps of scrapbook paper. You know, those little 1/2 inch slices that fall on the side of your paper cutter?  So while I've seen washi tape, I didn't think it was something I'd add to my crowded studio of supplies.  Use what you have, right?

However, the Stampotique designer's Challenge inspired me to pick some up to see if it was something I couldn't live without. 

The nature of the adhesive backed tape brought be back to my early days of graphic design.  Before computers.  Anyone with me?  We had an adhesive film product by Letraset.  It was used to create halftones -- there were also fonts  that cut with an X-acto blade and placed, but the sheets of semi clear adhesive film is what I'm referring to.  After the film was placed over an image, I would use a sharp X-acto knife to cut the film inside the contour of the desired shape. The transparent nature allowed the edge of the shape to show though, so one could see where to cut. 

In this doodle art I used the washi tape in that very way.  The inside of some of the petals are accented with washi tape.  I pulled out some "vintage" Stampotique ribbon border 2 and 3 to create my stems.  I used and old book and children's crayons and watercolors to create my circles -- then took a Pitt pen and doodled.  I added more washi to the border of the card.

Unfortunately I finished the card after a long day and a couple of glasses of wine, hence, my quote got a little crowded.  The quote, "I must have flowers, always, always, always" is from Claude Monet. 

Love the quote.  I'm still wishy about washi.

Everything you imagine is real

This is certainly one of my favorite artist quotes by Pablo Picasso.

Stampotique's Jill Penney seemed to be a perfect fit to sit on top of the Mushroom Forest with Caterpillar and Rabbit in the foreground. Of course I had to bend her little legs. 

With all the color inks and pigments I own I always seem to reach for black.  Maybe it's the (retired) elementary art teacher in me that is always drawn to black on white paper -- it's that "pop" I would train the kids to say in kindergarten on. When they got to second grade they had to use the term "contrast" -- but "pop" we all liked so much better.

Color balance, and texture variety, and always text (inspired by Paul Klee). So many years working with kids I realized I work the way I teach.

And a little humor doesn't hurt.

My card is simple, but I go for the pop.  Hope you enjoy it.

Happy Birthday

Kim of the Stampotique design Team is having a special birthday.  Since TODAY is her birthday I had to crank out a card in-between dismantling my studio space for my young student this afternoon.   

My littles, Fiddle, Corrie (little witch in disguise) Skullboy, Laura, Bella, Titus, and Grace without her wings are dressed with France Papillion's banner -- inverted and cut for party hats.  Simple, yet festive. No doubt it is obvious I've worked with little kids for so many years. :-)

Happy Birthday Kim! 

Need to dash!

New York state of mind

It's a stunning sunny morning here in Arizona.  Before I get to my projects for today I thought I would create a simple little card to wish New Yorkers a beautiful peaceful day.
Again I blend old an new images.  Buildings from my Stampotique mini city cube are cut and repeated on a background of linear watercolor washes to emphasize all is bright and beautiful.  Taxi! and Beep Beep is a new two-sided stamp from the recent release.

I hope the sun is shining wherever you are.
 

Layers!

Sue Davies is hostess of this week's Stampotique Designer's Challenge and the topic is layers!  What a great time to integrate some new and older Stampotique images and layer away.

This little square format card layers cardstock, scrapbook paper and a square of white bristol cardstock.  My flower block (9182) is stamped with Versamark Watermark ink, heat set, with Pebble Pearlescent chalks applied as a dry wash.  Dog Family (9250), Carol's Flower, small (9166) and Roc Nicholas's bgrateful is stamped on a piece of bristol and colored with Copic markers.  Images are fixed with glue dots.  An XS Pitt pen is used to create a delicate border.