Daydream Retreat

Music For Your Eyes

2012-02-09T23:45:00.000-08:00

Back on this post, I shared the first in what was intended to be a Valentines series. I spent time cutting the fabric and stabilizer for the front and sides of six more pieces, cut out all the spray cans, began stitching them and then proceeded to ditch the assembly line (and the hearts) and go with the flow.

Here's where I ended up...

I really love the process of creating one of a kind artwork. Formulating the idea, selecting the colors, laying everything out and pinning it just so before sewing. When I set out to create this collection, I thought it might be a good idea to try creating an original design and then making a series of them each slightly unique. It started feeling forced, glad I went with my intuition. Interested to see where I go with the next 5 pieces in the series. Clearly I'll be moving away from Valentines Day, and I'm okay with that as long as I keep getting in the studio and making things. I'm such a happier person when I do!

Does the assembly line method work for you to create collections or do you prefer to finish one piece all the way through and then move on? Curious.

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Kaci

Creating a Vision

2012-02-07T23:48:00.000-08:00

I spent this evening gathering post it notes, various notebooks, stacks of papers and magazine pages that I've been collecting forever in an attempt to get them organized into categories and neatly tucked away all in the same easily accessible place. Of course, as usual, I got halfway through the task at hand when inspiration hit and I started laying out images to create a vision board.

I would like to climb right inside of it, put on Aurel's feathery coat and combat boots and live there! (Aurel Schmidt is an artist I like very much ♥)

This board is a vision of my own dream home, the eclectic style of the people I dream will want to collect my art someday, textures, colors and combinations that inspire the way I dress, the way I decorate my real life home and the art I create.

I love how after it was done I could search for themes that kept popping up...like gold, a mix of antique and modern, bold colors softened by airy white and muted neutrals, graphic black and white accents.

I added something to my list of things to do: Design a chandelier

...and borrow that pose and frame for a photoshoot of myself!

I'll be going to sleep tonight with this quote on my mind. I don't believe art should made for the sole purpose of making money but put like this, it really speaks to me right now. Making money doing what you love and living passionately is definitely an art.

I gotta say, as much as I'm learning to love Pinterest, actually sitting down and cutting up magazine pictures and laying them all out on a board was way fun...and so reminiscent of slumber parties with my bff in high school :) Now, time to clean up the art explosion.

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Kaci

About Me ~ Page Update

2012-02-04T23:42:00.000-08:00

My About Me page has been 'Coming Soon' for a while and I finally updated it today with a few photo's of my family and a studio tour. I still have more in store (like a hoop dance photo shoot!) but I think it's a pretty good start. Click the pic to see the full tour ♥

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Kaci

Searching for my Peeps

2012-01-31T20:03:00.000-08:00

I'm just gonna throw this out there...I feel a little silly posting this, but gosh darn it, I'm here to share my creative journey and I'm just so super excited about this that I must ♥

I decided to sponsor Create*Loves for February in hopes that it'll connect me with more of "my peeps." I'm excited to see what this little leap will bring!

Here's my little button I made. I'm quite pleased considering I know how to use about 10 out of a million functions in photoshop. I get by...and then I get back to work with needle and thread where I belong :)

That's me on New Year's Eve. My cocktail is hidden just outside the frame!

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Kaci

Betsey Johnson

2012-01-30T22:24:00.000-08:00

Just wondering...is there any way you can NOT like Betsey Johnson?!

Along with growing up obsessed with playing fashion designer with paper dolls, Betsey Johnson was my inspiration to go to fashion school and to this day I just adore her collections, the design of her stores, her funky hair and red lipstick and her cartwheels on the runway! Talk about living out loud ♥

This is my dream kitchen floor and refrigerator, wouldn't dinner parties be SO much fun?!

Whose your favorite fashion designer?

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Kaci

Serendipity Sunday (Weeks 3 & 4)

2012-01-29T16:57:00.000-08:00

Ah, Sunday afternoon, reserved for art journalling, blogging, sewing, photoshoots, okay - maybe a little laundry, but pretty much all out creative bliss. Here's the floor in my studio right now...

Last weekend was much busier than I'd prefer, some fun things sprinkled in there, but I was back to work without a creative escape which tends to make me a teeny bit grumpy. Last weeks journal prompt was to make a love list...anything big or small. My e-courses are converging, I'm traveling to my core, and finding great inspiration documenting it all. I love how the images I collected tell that story ♥

ser·en·dip·i·ty

[ser-uhn-dip-i-tee]

noun

an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.

I think this describes the art journalling process so well, pages and entries aren't planned. It's all about going with the flow without over thinking the end result but through doing so the images and text end up being such a perfect reflection of where you're at in that moment.

This weeks prompt to explore something sent my mind straight to my stirring feelings about being a new wife, planning to buy a home, have children and how to balance that with being an artist and my desire to start and run my own business. I walked through my house looking for a non-traditional base for the page and found our wedding planner and a 2005 calendar with sewing pattern images from the 50's. Cut up and combined I think they're perfect! I'm sitting with my thoughts a while before I fill the space with them.

For now, I'll be clearing the paper and glue and getting out the fabric and thread to finish up the Valentine series I've been working on. I thought maybe making a series of the same image would bore me but I'm actually finding it's a fun creative challenge to make each piece unique!

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Kaci

Enough With The Snooze Button Already!

2012-01-25T20:17:00.000-08:00

I mentioned last week that I'd begun the Hello Soul. Hello Business. e-course with Kelly Rae Roberts and Beth Nicholls. I was excited and I could feel that this was going to be huge in my creative journey but I wasn't prepared for just how much I would change in such a short period of time. I no longer feel like I'm trying to do something in my free time. I feel like I'm going to make my dream come true.

My thoughts are consumed with brainstorming and dreaming, finding my soul mission and purpose. This video my husband shared with me is so where my head is right now. I'm finding it nearly impossible to focus at work. I will find my way out of the confines of my office and live life on my own terms no matter what it takes.

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Kaci

Finally Joined Pinterest

2012-01-23T22:35:00.000-08:00

So excited!!! I finally joined Pinterest and yes, it's true, very addicting and so much fun ♥

Here's the beginning of my first board.

I want one for my Dream Wardrobe.

I want one for my Dream Art Collection.

I want one for my Dream Home.

Oh boy, this could be bad or AWESOME!

Join me? I'm here

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Kaci

Nesting

2012-01-20T18:55:00.000-08:00

My knitted birds nest arrived in the mail today! What a pleasant surprise for a Friday afternoon! Isn't it just gorgeous and don't you just love that tag?! Thank you Victoria Boster ♥

Now I'm off to to Soho in Santa Barbara to enjoy a White Buffalo show and a cocktail with my husband!

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Kaci

Believing in Me

2012-01-19T23:36:00.000-08:00

I joined Kelly Rae Roberts and Beth Nicholls in Hello Business Hello Soul today and I'm already so excited having only read the welcome post and many of the introduction comments from participants from all over the world. I've been meandering down this creative path for many years now and as my style becomes more defined and I continue to educate myself about how the creative entrepreneurs I admire so much have found their way, I find my confidence growing past the point of daydreaming into a place of knowing I'm heading in the right direction.

Lots of people talk about fear in this journey and I didn't think I could relate to that...until, of course, I started to get past that fear only to realize that's what it had been all along. It's true what they say, that success can be just as scary as failure. I held back when it came to certain things because I thought, what if it works out and I realize I'm not ready for that yet?!

I think getting married really changed something in me. I've thought that I was ready before, but now more than ever I feel the undeniable urge to take this passion and make something of it. I'm ready to put myself out there, push past my comfort zones, take risks and run with whatever happens. Good or Bad. Without giving up. It's time to make a real investment in myself and my art to finally know just what I'm capable of.

I think it's gonna be quite an adventure!

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Kaci

Artful Abode ~ Childhood Reminiscence

2012-01-16T22:10:00.000-08:00

Since getting married, I've been trying to add new little creative touches around our house. I scored this adorable frame for five bucks last week and decided to display this little lamb which used to be tacked up on the wall at my grandmas house when I was a kid. It's kind of tattered but hey, it's over 25 years old and that's part of the charm, right? ♥

And while I'm reminiscing about childhood fun, how about a grown up tea set in rainbow colors? Dropped in to check out the new location for the hubby's gym and happened upon this set for half price. Talk about being in the right place at the right time

Tea and art journalling anyone? I have room for 5 more :)

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Kaci

Serendipity Sunday. (Week 2)

2012-01-16T00:02:00.000-08:00

Serendipity Sunday ~ Art Journalling every week in 2012

That's me when I was just a wee one. I was always a dreamer in my own little world.

This is an old sketch I found in my stash, re-created with free motion sewing.
Very inspired by this little experiment! Can't wait to incorporate this idea into a canvas!

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Kaci

Sharing The Love

2012-01-14T22:04:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but I've always been intrigued with graffiti art. Especially some of the work done by females like Fafi and Miss Van, incredible artists who's imagery is even more enticing when set against the backdrop of urban decay. I've never attempted working with spray paint and have much respect for those who can do such amazing things with it. At night. Quickly. Me, I'm more of a stitch something fun in my studio with a glass of wine and my kitty on my lap kind of girl. This 12x12" fabric collage on canvas is inspired by the artists who take their love of art to the streets to be shared with the world. It's the first in a series that will soon be available. I'd ♥ to hear what you think!

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Kaci

Fun with Fashion

2012-01-12T23:46:00.000-08:00

I don't normally talk about fashion here, but once upon a time I did study fashion design and like many other creative souls I love, love, LOVE treasure hunting at thrift stores on weekends. This of course leads to a closet packed with adorable bargains that I have nothing to go with!

Yesterday, I spent the evening picking out an outfit in an attempt to be on time to work today. Yeah, it's that bad. Then as luck would have it, I came across The No Brainer Wardrobe while I got my daily dose of blog reading with a glass of wine before bed.

Ummm...fun weekend project...Thank You ♥

Great tips, great value, can't wait to go through this process!
(And maybe even do some more shopping. With more intention, of course)

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Kaci

Feeling Inspired...

2012-01-10T23:03:00.000-08:00

"I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels.
Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass."
- Maya Angelou

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Kaci

2012 Art Journal - The Beginning

2012-01-09T22:21:00.000-08:00

I've been all goal this and productivity that and on Sunday while reading blogs over coffee bright and early I discovered the perfect compliment to the weekly schedule I have set up for myself. The Art Journal All Year e-course from A Beautiful Mess which you can check out here. I love making collages and have found papers and such I've had in my stash for 15 years that I have yet to commit to a page with glue! My gosh, these prompts are exactly what I needed!!

I pulled out my blank art journal with cover art by Sabrina Ward Harrison that I couldn't live without but hadn't used (*blush*), added an Art Journal column to the chart from my last post, did a little happy dance around my room and got started.

So, as a break from my other main projects, I'll be making my art journal page each week and sharing them here for a new feature:

Serendipity Sunday.

My biggest challenge right now is stopping after one page!

But I have much to focus on, so until next week...

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Kaci

Earning Gold Stars: A Tutorial

2012-01-08T15:43:00.000-08:00

I've been on a mission, for what seems like forever, searching for the perfect planner / calendar to keep track of my productivity and goals. Since I didn't find one, the obvious next step was to make it myself!

I made some very specific goals for this year (in my last post) and really want to keep myself accountable so as the freshness of the New Year fades away I don't slide back into old habits.

You're never too old to earn gold stars!

The process was really fun and I know lots of you out there have your own goals, so here's a simple tutorial for making your own custom 2012 calendar to help you stay focused and motivated for the whole year.

What You'll Need:
sheet of poster board
clear / gridded ruler
pen of your choice

To Get Started:
Start at one end of the posterboard and use the ruler to draw lines 1/2" apart until you have 52 rows. This will leave you a larger space at the top where you can create your own column headers.

Next Step:
Add columns for numbering weeks 1 - 52 and recording the dates (Note: week 1 & 52 each have 8 days to achieve a perfect fit). Then begin adding columns for each category. I used decorative papers on the headers and colored the columns to brighten it up ♥

My custom chart includes these commitments to myself:

✩ Creating 3 times a week

✩ Consistently sharing my creative journey on my blog

✩ Making time for Hoop Dance once a week

✩ Weight Training 3 times a week

✩ Completing my Art Journal prompt for the week

(I still have plenty of room to add notes or new commitments too!)

Now:
Hang in a place you'll see it each day and get busy! Mine is by my studio door...which happens to be next to my closet and above my jewelry tree where I'll see it in all it's colorful glory each morning when I start my day. Take the time to add some other fun elements that inspire you...

Enjoy and please share in the comments if you

try this or have a favorite way to keep yourself motivated!

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Kaci

New Year Resolutions

2011-12-31T16:51:00.000-08:00

2011 was marked with my marriage to my best friend and the most supportive person in my life

♥ It was a fantastic year ♥

In 2012, I plan to fully immerse myself in my art and creative business, find real direction in my work, accomplish concrete goals, and create the life I dream about day and night. I've put a lot of thought into my list over this last month and am happy to share it here in this space.

To make goal planning, scheduling and recording ideas more fun,
collage a composition notebook to keep in your bag!

My goals for 2012, personally and creatively:

❉ Spend time in my studio creating 3 times per week

❉ Self publish a Daydream Retreat portfolio

❉ Attend an art retreat or creative workshop

❉ Stick to my budget so we can buy our first home

❉ Make time for hoop dance once a week

❉ Consistently share my creative journey in this space

❉ Submit my work to a local art gallery

❉ Physically I would like to be able to dead-lift my body weight and do 3 pull ups.
(Being married to a fitness professional with a private training studio ought to help)

❉ Design a Logo for Daydream Retreat

❉ Design business cards and have them printed

❉ Design labels to attach to my work and have them made

❉ Buy sponsor space on one of my favorite blogs

I'm sure I'll add plenty other To Do's as the days go on but these are the things I definitely want to make happen. It feels great to take full advantage of the mark of a new year to focus positive energy on my dreams. It's gonna be another good year, I can feel it.

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Kaci

Holiday Highlight

2011-12-28T22:19:00.000-08:00

Any lover of vintage and handmade items will appreciate the collection of fabric, lace and trims my husbands grandma gave me on Christmas. It means so much to me since the stash from my own grandma is quickly dwindling.

♥ This is just a small sample of the two boxes I have to unpack ♥

Best...Gift...EVER!

What was the most inspiring thing you received this holiday season?

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Kaci

Handmade Cards Using Remnants

2011-12-28T21:19:00.000-08:00

I love making a fresh batch of Christmas cards each year with a new design.

♥ This year I used only items I already had in my stash ♥

The blank cards were a clearance purchase during wedding planning that I never ended up using and each one was covered with a piece of decorative paper from my collage drawer to create a background.

Then using small pieces of fabrics from my hatbox o' scraps and hem tape, trims and rick-rack from my dearly loved stash of items from my grandma's sewing box I created a bunch of different packages.

All the pieces were pinned in place on a muslin grid which made it super easy to run them all through the sewing machine in one long continuous stitch. It still took some time but not nearly as much as it would have if I'd sewn each one individually.

Then while watching a movie I spread them all out on the living room floor to select which packages went best with which backgrounds, glued them all down and added a big felt bow!

Last step, sign with love, envelope, address, stamp, mail

I intended to post this sooner, but hey, the holiday season is best when spent with family and friends and that's exactly what I've been up to.

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Kaci

New Look In Process

2011-12-05T22:23:00.001-08:00

Oh HTML and CSS...why do you treat me this way?!

I will win.

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Kaci

Our Home for the Holiday's

2011-12-04T18:25:00.001-08:00

For the first time, I got our house decorated on Thanksgiving weekend!

We've been building our collection for a few years, and it's already so fun unwrapping each little memory and putting it out.

♥ There's the little felt bulbs from a few years ago ♥

♥ A wood & sock snowman and the santa from last year's doll swap ♥

♥ Here's my cute little dining area that I just spruced up for Thanksgiving ♥

♥ And coming soon, our new his and hers reverse applique stockings! ♥

Happy Holiday's!

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Kaci

Sunset Stitching

2011-11-20T11:23:00.001-08:00

I've been developing this idea of covering little box canvases with fabric collages to make richly textured fabric paintings. After a small pile of failed attempts, I completed my first successful piece yesterday.

LOVE IT!

I can't stop picking it up and admiring it.

Don't you love when idea's that have been marinating for a while finally become tangible??

I couldn't resist shooting it from all angles to get the edges

I started with a hat box filled with lace and scraps...

then followed my inspiration until a sunset was formed.

I'm seeing the influence of nature in my work more and more.

What will the rainy day today bring?

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Kaci

Thrifted Frame (Before & After)

2011-11-13T15:21:00.001-08:00

BEFORE

Thrift shop. $2. Plastic & Cardboard.

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AFTER

Cotton Print Fabric. Lace. Gauze. Moss. Embroidery. Simple Machine Quilting.

♥ Hello Fall ♥

I'm happy spending cooler days inside, creating colorful things.

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Kaci

Pre-holiday Craft Sesh

2011-11-10T19:04:00.001-08:00

A group of lovely ladies at my office and I plan an annual craft day between Halloween and Thanksgiving and each of us bring a craft idea, the supplies and a beverage or dish to share. Then we spend the whole day creating one of each craft, snacking and chatting.

With all the creative juices flowing and a room filled with supplies, we always leave with a handful of gift and decorating ideas for the holidays.

Here's a few of the projects (you'll see I remembered to set the white balance for the last photo, of course)

This craft could be for the holidays or any day. Wooden letters or Christmas shapes were decorated and ribbons were hung from the bottom where you can clip barrettes or attach notes, photos or Christmas cards with clothespins. We used the tiny adorable ones you can find in the craft shop. I did an F to celebrate my new last name...which I technically haven't changed yet!

I love this one and it's so simple and basically free if you just take a nature walk to find the sticks. The idea is to cover it with lights for decorating and would look super cute with a series of them along a wall. I'll be back in another post to share what this is turning into for non-holiday decorating in my home ♥

This is the idea I brought for the group, which I was stoked to find shared over on Polli's blog. I've had a stack of those paint sample cards in my craft stash for years because I would occasionally use them to play around with color combinations for projects but they were so covered in dust I almost threw them in the recycle bin...luckily I saw this in time because it's super cute!

And of course, holiday crafting wouldn't be complete without an ornament idea...here's my precious little lightbulb reindeer. I've only been building my Christmas decorating collection for a few years so it's really special to add new handmade ornaments each year!

Hope you're inspired by these fun ideas for your own holiday creating!

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Kaci