The creative buzz is such a curious thing. Keeping it alive and nurturing it are crucial factors, that sometimes get forgotten in daily life. I think that whether you create for a living, for fun, for sanity & fulfillment, or for all three (and more), it is important for the creative vibe to branch out, and keep sprouting new baby leaves.
Some of my most favorite things to do, which keep my creative vibes flowing (not limited to clay and paint) are, cooking, crafting, gardening, crocheting, doodling, piano playing & decorating (to name a few).
Doodling, to me, is one of the most important aspects of keeping creativity flowing. No matter how silly or lacking in finesse, a doodle has the ability to simply keep the light, cute and sweet thoughts skipping about. With the chance of sparking something grand.
Does doodling seem childish? I for one, know it kept me from falling off the edge in the classroom. But now, as as adult, I find vast importance in it.
In keeping a light heart.
In losing yourself in it, and taking your mind off heavy things.
Little faces and buckets of hearts keep the soul young, taking us away from the easy to spiral into hum-drum of responsibilities and stacks of chores.
It's silly, it's simple. It doesn't have to be good.
It just keeps us holding on to a thread of sweet simplicity.
And, for me, it just keeps one foot in the door to the vast and most magical world I carry deep in my heart, soul and mind.
Reminders, that they are there. Always there, waiting for me.
Life is complicated. Sometimes hard. Sometimes easy. Sometimes wonderfully amazing, sometimes heart-wrenching.
A doodle a day...
I say ;)
One of my most favorite things, that also keeps my creative buzz alive, is to invent crafts from things I find outside.
I'll see a twig, a stick, a seed pod, and I think, what could I do with this?
Just this weekend I found one of my giant candles melted into the dirt, and I thought, PRESTO! This is just what I needed....
You see, I looove to save flowers.
I press them into books. Fill glass jars with them.
I collect seeds, petals...
Which, from time to time, leads to experiments...
I had this vague memory, of melting crayons and flower findings in kindergarten.
It was so vague.
Did it happen, maybe not ;)
But it lead me to a plan.
I wanted to make a page of memories, of this year's flowers.
Last year I pressed a bunch of my flowers into books, and have done some of that this year too. But, to create a page a year, of petals, how grand would that be?
I took a piece of scrapbook paper, and scribbled on it with wax crayons (not a necessary step), and I shaved (with a cheese tool) a bunch of wax off of my ruined candle.
Then I put a towel on my metal counter.
On top of the towel, I placed a brown paper bag.
Then I put down my scrap book paper, sprinkled with fresh petals.
Then I placed hearty bits of shaved wax all over the petals and paper.
I placed a sheet of wax paper over this, and then covered the wax paper with a paper bag.
Phew ;)
Then I pressed down on the top layer of brown paper with my hot everyday iron.
(To clean your iron when you are done, keep ironing on brown paper bags, until there is no residue left from the wax. Although, I might not iron my favorite frock with the same iron I craft with)
When I felt that I had ironed enough, as I could see lots of wax coming through my brown paper bag, I lifted the bag.
This piece still has the wax paper covering it, but you can see your paper below quite clearly.
I then took the piece, still covered with wax paper over to my a/c, and held it in front of the vents until it was thoroughly cooled.
Then I slowly peeled the wax paper away...
Slowly pulling it back, to reveal the entire piece...
I then cut my fave section out of the entire piece.
It is so much prettier in person than any photo can convey.
And, holding it up to the light is dreamy.
Mister Lovee wanted me to share his gushing about how much he adored this, like really really really. But, I told him that made him sound biased and obnoxious.
:)
The page is totally flat, with no lumps and bumps, and bonus, I can smell the beautiful scent of my lime candle. Mmmmm.
The wax page looks really great behind glass, or framed...
I definitely want to make a couple of these to use in my garden journal. I wish I had made one every year, for the last 17 years. From city garden to country garden.
Alas, one must begin somewhere.
I will date it, and sew a tiny gold thread through the edges.
So, there you have it, who knew your old heat ruined candles could be saved?
For now, I am hanging my flower wax page on the inside of my cupboard because it smells sooo good!
I have so many fun things in the works. And I am anxiously waiting for a shipment of delicious autumnal cards (chomping at the bit!) for the shop.
I have also devoured the fall 2011 issue of Victoria several times over.
It is 105'F today, but somewhere out there, a feather of fall tickles the soul, I'm sure.
Off I go for now...
See you sooooon!
Love, V
ps: Weekend Garden Snapshot. Crazy little Vines.
