This is my girlfriend, Tarah’s blog: newcreativeliving.Wordpress.com.
Her crab stuffed mushroom recipe sounds really good, although I am allergic to mushrooms and can’t confirm this for myself!! LOL!!! So, I thought I would share here post with you, and you can let us know what you think!!!
I hope you love it!! Ta-tah for now!!
– Chrissie 😉
Good morning!
As promised yesterday, here is some close up pics and details about my first ever weekly art journal video!
That video can be found here.
As with all of my art journal pages, I always go into the project with no real idea on what it is I want to create. I sometimes have a vague idea about maybe what colors I want to use, or maybe an inspirational thought, but for this spread, I was essentially going in with no expectations of any kind.
I was having a hard time getting quiet, or spending time in any kind of quiet, which meant I had been constantly surrounding myself with random noise; the television, music, the background noise at a coffee shop, etc, etc. I also am a firm believer in signs from my Truth teller, and I kept seeing the message,
Well, in all honesty, I had been blatantly ignoring it. You see, I was afraid that if I were to get quiet I would make the realization that I had completely ruined my life by walking away from my career a few months ago, and that by spending my time doing everything and anything that I wanted to do, maybe somehow I was being absolutely and completely selfish – HOW DARE I???
So, I had started this journal page, with my camera set to record, not knowing what my page was going to turn out looking like, but knowing that it was going to be my very first video to post on YouTube. I had NO IDEA how to do that! I have had no experience recording videos, editing them, how to upload them, or anything! I was pretty scared. However, I wanted to make sure that when I recorded that there wasn’t any background noises that I would have to fight with. (I didn’t know that I could mute all of those out!) So this forced me to spend a few hours in absolute silence, just focusing on arting.
Well, the message of getting quiet so I can hear my voice kept popping up again, over and over. I wasn’t sure why, but by the time I got to the part of my journal page where I needed to wrap it up with a thought – I KNEW that was the thought that I had to get down on to paper!
When I had finished this page, I was so happy with it! It really made me happy, and it said something to me that I knew, from the bottom of my soul, was a truth that I needed to hear right now!
Now getting it ready for uploading was another story all together! I had no idea how I was going to edit it, get music behind it, upload it, or anything. So, I started Googling for help like a crazy person!! 🙂 Little did I know I had everything I needed to do this already in my possession!!
It took me longer than I had expected – about three days longer, to be exact, but I did it!! I did a great big ol’ happy dance, and told all of my peeps to go check it out!!! WHEW!!! 😉
Anyway, I look at this page now, almost a week and half after actually creating it and I realize that it is the exact perfect message that I needed to hear in that moment. Silence is something to anticipate and to fully be present to yourself and your Truth teller whenever you have the opportunity to embrace the silence!!
I hope you like this spread, and if you have any questions or comments, please let me know in the comments section! I would love to hear your thoughts!!
Much love to you!! Here is to a FABULOUS day! 😉
Good afternoon!
I have been “retired” since the 4th of July of this year. These past 3 1/2 months have practically flown by.
I have been spending my time taking care of myself, catching up on some much needed sleep, getting back in touch with friends that I hadn’t had time to spend time with before, watching copious amounts of artist’s videos on YouTube, arting with friends in town, and playing up in my art studio. Yes, I know I am a very VERY lucky girl!!!
Those of you who have been reading my blog might know that I really love arting, but in the past 3 /2 months I have discovered that all things mixed media and art journaling have become quite essential to my sense of happiness. That really shouldn’t be surprising to me, but it really has been! Because of my newfound love affair, (hee! hee!) I have been trying all sorts of new products, mixed media techniques, and all sorts of new art ideas and projects to help me explore this new creative outlet!
Although I wouldn’t change a thing about the past 3 1/2 months, I think that it is time that I stop frittering away my time, and put all of this arty goodness to use, at least in some small way! So, as my first act of artsy bravery, I have decided to start sharing my artwork with the world…er…well, at least anyone in the world who might be interesting in seeing it! 🙂 To do this, I thought it would be fun to start my very own YouTube channel!!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm4Of6Y-cX-foVyd-upZKbQ
I am so excited to also announce that I have started a weekly Art Journal Page video series, and I am very happy to share that I have already uploaded my first two videos! Last week’s video took such a long learning curve, that I couldn’t seem to muster the strength to have a blog post accompany that video, however I will get it together enough to post today’s video details now! and, I will work on getting last week’s video info up tomorrow!
I went into this spread with no idea on what was going to come out on the pages. I just picked a few colors I thought might look good together and went for it! The background stamp that I chose is one of my favorite stamps! I find that I use it often in my journaling projects!
I also thought some drips would be nice, I have seen a lot of my favorite artists do this and thought it would be easy to do, which I am sure it really should have been, but as you might’ve seen…it was a little trickier, and messier than I had expected!! At least I didn’t get any of the red paint on my beige carpet!! WHEW!!! Can I also mention how much I love my new fineline bottles??? I just love how easy they are to use. I have one bottle for my white paint, and one for black! I highly recommend them!
The green that I added to this page was purely a gut reaction to wanting to go in the absolute opposite direction from where the page had gone at the get go. After putting the red drips down the page, it just looked like the scene of a bloody massacre!! LOL! I think the green turned out rather well, and felt the need to make sure to spread the green all throughout the design.
By the time that this spread was completed, I was a very happy girl!!
Not only because I was able to salvage this design and turn it into something that looks like I had planned it that way on purpose, but because I got some much needed guidance on some questions that I had been mulling over.
While I am arting, I do so in silence. I do that so I can hear my soul tell me what I need to hear, or teach my what I need to be taught. This page caused me to reflect on how amazing this past 3 1/2 months has been. It has been amazing, but it has also been a dream that is not maintainable…at least not yet. Even though my sweetie has given me a free and clear to continue on like this for as long as I want, I want more. I want to be earning my keep, making a living.
I really don’t know what all of that will look like, but I know right now, this first step of sharing my art with you is my first start! I keep hearing, “You don’t have to see all of the steps in the staircase, just see the first step, and all subsequent steps will appear at the exact right time!” That is what this is. My first step!! I can’t wait to see how my staircase unfolds!! 🙂
As for my YouTube channel and videos, I would LOVE it if you would watch, thumbs up, subscribe, and share any comments or feedback you might have! That would be EXCELLENT!!
So here is to putting on my big girl panties and taking that first step!! 🙂
~Chrissie B.
Good morning!
I just wanted to pop in this morning, and let you know that my aunt and I are having such a FUN time on our road trip!! YEAH!!
We made it to the hotel…er…I mean…resort! The Resort at Port Ludlow, YES! It is an actual resort!! It is so beautiful, and the building, although we have discovered, much to our chagrin, that it is not an old, old building, it is actually a new building that is about to celebrate it’s 20th anniversary!!
We got here and discovered that we only have two events scheduled for the entire time we are here, which means we have a lot of much needed downtime!! 🙂
My auntie has come down with a bit of a cold, which has been kind of a bummer, but because we have so much downtime, she has been able to take care of herself, which I am thankful for! Actually this morning, we have been having fun lounging around the hotel room, sharing stories, being extremely and luxuriously lazy, and just really having the best kind of day!!
We have a big shindig at noon today, which I am guessing will last a few hours, and then we will be back to hanging out!
The weather here, could not be more perfect!! It is sunny, with a lovely breeze. From our room, we have the best view. We can see the marina and the bay from our windows. We have a corner room on the uppermost floor, and it is sooooo spacious! My auntie and I are both in agreement, that if they threw a sofa in here, we could turn this into our little apartment! I am not sure how our sweeties would feel about that, but there is also the ability to have an adjoined room, so I am sure there would be room for all of us! 🙂 One can dream, can’t one??
Anyway, I want to finish getting ready to head out, the outdoors is calling to me, which means I think it is time for a much needed walk on the beach! Oh yeah, I could TOTALLY get used to this life!! 🙂
Here is to a FABULOUS day!!
I you want to have a different life, live differently!
Good evening!
Now that I have been not working for the past few weeks, I have been looking at my art supplies in a new way. You see in the past, whenever I wanted any new fancy-schmancy arts or crafts do-dad, I would just run over to whichever art store I wanted and picked it up! It would then proceed to be taken up to the art studio, put it in its new proper location, and then nothing. That’s it! Nothing! I wouldn’t do anything with it.
Now that I see that money is not coming in, like it had been, I realized that I have to start being more economical with my art supplies, and that got me to thinking about all of the miscellaneous stuff that has been lying around. What could I recycle into my art play???
Soooo…this morning, I spent some time taking an old box and turning it into two different art journals!!
I think they turned out rather cute, and they were so easy to create!
I was so excited by how they turned out that I decided I would look around and see what other household things I could turn into some interesting art journaling backgrounds.
This was a napkin that I happened to have in my copious amounts of supplies. Note to those who use napkins in your work: if you use a two-ply napkin, you will have an easier time using it if you carefully peel the two layers apart, and just use the layer with the pattern on it! I discovered that the hard way!! 🙂
This background was created using a bunch of old checks that I was waiting to take down to the shredder! I tore them up myself and then randomly glued them down to my page using gel medium. Using three colors of acrylic paint and a palette knife, this technique turned out looking a bit like dyed leather. I rather like it!
I am not sure what I am going to do next on these backgrounds, but using unexpected materials in new ways is something that I am going to have to try more in my future projects!
What kinds of recycled materials do you like to use in your art journaling/mixed media art projects???
Here is to a FABULOUS evening!!! 🙂
If you want to have a different life, live differently!!
Good morning!
I just finished reading Danielle Laporte‘s awesome book called, “The Fire Starter Sessions“, which I have thoroughly enjoyed, and highly encourage anyone who feels like their is more to life than the life that they are currently living, to pick it up and give it a read. You will not be disappointed!! 🙂
There is an excellent message on the very last page, which made me tear up, with positivity, when reading it, and just new that I needed to share this message with you. I now, in my soul, that there is someone out there who needs to hear this as much as I did! 🙂
So without further ado, here is the message called Now Works by Danielle Laporte:
Now Works
You’re here for a reason.
And that reason is yours to define.
Make it something amazing and really full of love and things that feel hot.
Be unreasonable.
Be scared if you need be.
Just keep moving.
Feeling.
Asking.
Don’t take any shit, and for the love of God, please don’t settle.
Just keep choosing.
Make lots and lots and lots of choices.
You are writing the movie script of your life.
Desires. Lights. Action! (Some tears.)
You’re a hero on an adventure.
This is it. This is the adventure.
Creativity. Change. Livelihood. Art. People. Leadership. Legacy.
Score. Money. Gain. Failure. Pride. Industry. Simple. Love.
LOVE.
Oh, love.
It’s all about love in the end.
And in the beginning.
So start now, today, here.
Let it be simple, easy, electric.
Be surprised, be new, be true be you.
Now.
Here is to living NOW!! 🙂
If you want to have a different life, live differently!!
Good morning!
What is your morning routine? It is one of the questions that Oprah Winfrey asks on her Steep Your Soul interview series. It is something that I have been thinking about a lot, so I thought I would share with you my morning routine!
5:30 am
6 am
6:30 am
7:30 am
8 am
Now, that I see this Morning Routine written down in black and white, it seems pretty opulent, but in all honesty I am really enjoying it. I can feel myself falling into a morning of gratitude, and peace, which is something that I had been lacking lately, but have been sorely been needing!
Do you have a morning, routine?
What is it???
Please share in the comments section! 🙂
Here is to a PEACEFUL day! 🙂
If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!
Good morning!
It has been a while since I have posted, and I thought now would be a good time to catch you up with what has been going on with me!
I am officially unemployed!!
YEAH!!
No, seriously, YEAH!!! 🙂
I am consciously taking a sabbatical from work!
It is time for me to focus on taking care of my health and doing things that feed my soul – whatever that may be; this is a learning process for me! When was the last time I really, REALLY let myself do what I wanted to do? No, I don’t mean be lazy, sitting around watching the tele, eating cheetos (yeah, that happens), I mean, what do I really, really, REALLY want to do?
The things I know for sure right now are:
This is what I am now consciously working on. I have made the decision to take myself off of autopilot and live my life on purpose!! Who knows where I will be in six months, let alone a year, or two, or five, or ten years from now, but this morning, I am in a really, really peaceful, joyful place. It has been a long time since I could honestly say that, but I am happy to report, that today it is my truth!
Here is to a FABULOUS day!
If you want to have a different life, live differently!!
Good evening!
Some days, this little mantra, from Melody Ross, “She did it anyway”, keeps me moving forward! This morning, I had made the decision to get back into my art studio and after doing a little bit of cleaning, and organizing, I would finally actually do a little bit of rating too!
Well, before I got going full swing, something hit me mid-stride, and I ended up back in bed, with my doggies, having nestled back down under my covers, ready to spend my entire day hanging out in bed, enjoying some time on the new tele my sweetie has recently installed, and having all of my meals delivered to me in bed.
That is when Melody’s voice started repeating in my head. Yes, melody and I do have that kind of relationship, although I am sure she is not aware of it! 😉 I kept hearing her say, “She did it anyway”.
My inner critic came up with every kind of comeback that I was sure would give my subconscious, a non-guilt inducing confirmation that my day-in-bed plan was a good idea!
Here is the how the imaginary conversation kind of went…
Me: “I don’t feel like arting!”
My imaginary bestie AKA Melody Ross: “She did it anyway.”
Me: “I am too tired!”
Melody: “She did it anyway.”
Me: “I’m too sad to art!”
Melody: “She did it anyway.”
Me: “Who would even know or care if I didn’t art today?”
Melody: “She did it anyway.”
Me: “The mood has left the building.”
Melody: “She did it anyway.”
Me: “I am already snuggled in, and have my day planned to watch this movie.” (SIDE NOTE: you should, know that this was the point I really started whining!)
Melody: “She did it anyway.”
Me: “Dangit! I really don’t wanna!” (yes, I know, I know, insert highest mature self here!)
Melody: “She did it anyway.”
You must know that Melody kept her graceful cool the entire debate, I must say I was quite impressed!! 😉
Well, I knew when I was beat!! I put on my, figurative, big girl panties, drug my bootie out of the bed, much to the chagrin of my four-legged girls, and made my way directly to my art studio. Before I realized what was happening the momentum of what I was doing anyways had, not only gotten my organizing/cleaning finished, I really was in the mood for arting!
I decided to do some art journaling. I had a few new art techniques that I had been mulling over the past week, and thought that giving them a try in one of my smaller practice journals would be the way to go, since I had no idea if they were going to be successful or if they would turn out into a muddy mess (yes, I am speaking from experience!!!)
When all was said and done, I could honestly say that I really LOVED the way this finished spread turned out! I was also really happy that I was able to use some new techniques that, not only the ones I found on YouTube, but a couple that I had made up, worked out really, REALLY well. The overall spread turned out much better than I could have anticipated when I had first made the decision to spend some time arting this morning!
I decided to use Melody’s message of “She did it anyway” as this spread’s main message so that, in the future, maybe it won’t take me quite so much whining, moping, and complaining to remember to just get out there and do what I know I should/want to be doing!!! Just think, if Melody’s inspirational message hadn’t been running around in my head nothing would have gotten done today!!
Thank you, Melody!! Call me, bestie…we’ll do lunch!! 😉
Here is to a FABULOUS evening! 😉
If you want to have a different life, live differently!!
Good morning!
I am so tired this morning! I feel a little like I am just spinning my wheels and not really getting very far. Actually, now that I’ve said that out loud, that may not be so very true. I am almost out of debt, I can feel myself getting physically fitter little by little every day – even though I am not losing weight consistently, I have less than a month to go before I get to go to Brave Girls’ Camp, something I have been dreaming about for the past few years! So, maybe I should start over!!
Good morning!
Life is good! I could still afford to go to bed a little earlier tonight! 🙂
I am taking a new Brave Girls’ class called The Walk. I am currently busy in the middle of doing week one’s homework, and watching week two’s lessons!! It is a little overwhelming, but taking every portion one step at a time has really seemed to help! I have just got to work on staying focused. With so many other things going on, and so many other responsibilities calling on my time, it has been a little tricky to manage, but I am a firm believer that you get to decide what you spend your time and focus on! Right now, for me, that focus is about taking time to put myself at the top of my to-do list, and figure out who, what, where, and how I want to be. It is all good stuff! 🙂
It has been nice spending time in the art studio doing my class homework, but I am really wanting to carve out some time, somewhere, to get back to my own arting! I haven’t made a piece in a while, and I can feel my inner Chrissie started to fidget, as if she is just on the verge of throwing a hissy fit because she hasn’t taken any stress free, non-thinking time to play! I will have to make sure that I make that a priority!
You may have noticed a little bit, that I am struggling with my blogging. I am over thinking it.
What will people like?
What do they want to read?
What will draw readers?
etc. etc.
I’ve decided to knock all of that craziness off, and just use Beautiful Creatives as an outlet for my voice. Plain and simple. No agenda. An online journal of my journey to get from where I am to where I want to be. Day by day. If I end up being the only reader of my words, then that is ok. I have done my best. I am constantly learning, and I know that there is always room for improvement, but the only person that I should be competing with is myself.
Is today’s Christina doing better than yesterday’s Christina?
Even if the answer is “Yes” by only a hair, then I am going to count that as a success!
If you do happen to stumble upon my blog, and you like what you see, I would be so honored to have you follow my, and share your comments! I think we could ALL use a few more cheerleaders in this life! 😉
Anyway, I am off to go get ready for my day job! I have a meeting first thing this morning, and I need to make sure my freshly washed gym clothes make it back into my gym bag so that I am ready to work out at lunch today! That has been a great addition to my schedule within the past two weeks, but since time is running short, this morning, I will have to tell you about that another day!
Here is to an AUTHENTIC VOICE kind of morning!
If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!