Friday, May 4, 2018

Celebrating Sisters Single layout

Hi there lovelies,

A quick share of a single layout with the Finesse Collection. I had such fun designing this paper collection. Both of us worked on elements of this collection but it was my brainchild. I am so glad we got this launched. I intended to launch it in August 2017 but ended up launching much later. It was suppose to be for Women's Day. I fell ill and could finish it in time. There is so much that goes into getting a paper collection launched, but in the end I was a great success. I am still playing with it. I have made a tone of layouts and TN's and cards with it and because it also has a Devotional kit, I am able to use it in my Dreambook Journal too. It is such a versatile collection. The Simply Pretty pattern papers as just sooooooooooo pretty.

In this layout I wanted to celebrate my sister and used a photo taken last year when we celebrated Ivytree Studio's first birthday.  We haven't celebrated the second one yet, but hopefully will get around to that later in the year.

Currently this collection is temporarily disabled in the store...but only for a short while while we update our new catalog. Some changes will be made to some of the elements in this collection, but you will just have to wait patiently for the big reveal later in the year. We are working consistently behind the scenes on all new product and a whole new catalog and some other surprises too.




In this layout you will see me using mostly paper. The only art elements I aded was a little 
 Green  Daler Rowney Acrylic Artists Ink and Magenta Drawing ink from Dala and my water brush pen. I added some flair buttons from the Finesse Collection and some flower blingies. 







 Check out the bunting and the washi paper strips from the Simply Pretty pack. I just love it. It adds a wonderful dimension to the page without it being too much of an effort. 

I hope you try this layout. 




Visit Ivytree Studio to see more of what we are up to www.ivytreestudio.co.za
Buy some of our pretty paper here
Connect with the team on our Facebook page here.
Share your Ivytree Studio layouts with us here


My handmade Midori Travel Notebook cover

Hi there lovelies,

I wanted to give you a quick show of one of my handmade Midori covers. 

I am a frugal creative girl and I find it more rewarding to make my own stuff. It is probably the designer in me that have this drive and need to figure things out for myself.  I also love all things shiny and gold, so I added some gold foiling to my dori. I don't think that this in total cost me more than $5 to make. Most of it I had in my stash or studio already, so I can't say exactly how much it would cost me to make one of these, but it's not a lot. 





I added a simple Daily Planner to it that hubby bought for me at our local PNA bookstore. I added some paper clips I made and a bull clip, as well as a couple of handmade travel notebook inserts made with Ivytree Studio paper. 


I hope you try to make your own. It was such fun doing it. 



Visit Ivytree Studio to see more of what we are up to www.ivytreestudio.co.za
Buy some of our pretty paper here
Connect with the team on our Facebook page here.
Share your Ivytree Studio layouts with us here

What is a Dreambook?

Hello lovelies,

Thanks for popping in. I have been really busy over at Ivytree Studio again, so just a quick share here. Will hopefully be catching up on a couple of projects I have been working on thus far in 2018 and posting here about them. I will try to keep the posts short and sweet. 

Hope you enjoy your stay while here in my little corner of the internet. ;) Leave me a comment or two and let's connect. 

Dreambooking


So, are you interested in what exactly "Dreambooking" is?  Well, I have been doing it for nearly two decades and it has helped me so much in my faith journey and relationship with God but also as a Highly Sensitive and Creative person, it has kept me sane and emotionally healthy. I can really recommend it. 

One of my many creative projects is the GraceLilly Faith Art , the Bible and Prayer Journaling branch of Ivytree Studio.  I love God's Word and I love expressing it in creative ways. My Dreambooks are one such way. I am not so big on creating art IN my Bible but I do love to decorate parts of it at times. I am not big also on products and technique but more on journaling in a Travel Notebook or Journal about my journey with God or shall I rather say His journey with me.  

Something that is near to my heart is how God's Word is treated. It is not an art surface. It is meant to be studied and read and it is a "Place", a garden to sit still in and hear Him speak to your spirit. Being creative with it should always be the last step. 

READ - STUDY - LISTEN - PRAY - THEN ART


I want to make a difference in this world for my King and so I will be the voice in the desert that calls:  Don't use God's Word as just another of your hobby experiments just because you are bored with cardmaking, scrapbooking, planner layouts, general journaling and whatever else tickles your creative fancy AND because the creative industries are now promoting their products and want you to get caught up in tons of art products and stuff that you actually don't really need.  Remember that God's Word is still God's Word and His purpose for it is to reach your heart and for it to live their. If you need to express it creatively to help you memorize and make it part of your life, go ahead. Just treat it with the respect it deserves. 

I also create devotional kits, because I am a teacher and creating content is what I do best and if I can create content that spreads the Word and encourage fellow believers, I will do it. But I want to be clear that this is my ministry heart that makes me want to step forward and put something out into the world that honours God. I believe you can use what you have and still be creative. I believe that a little pretty paper, some glue and scissors and maybe some paint or pencils/pens and a journal is actually what you need. 

I use magazine cutouts form Christian magazines and I use the stash that I have.

My devotionals (and I have only created a couple of printables and two devotional kits) are my way of encouraging other women like me, to keep moving forward in their faith. 

You can go to my GraceLilly Faith Art blog to read more about my process. I just thought I would share on my personal blog a little bit about it. This blog here is where everything I do, all my projects, comes together for me. 

I use to work in an A4 journal. Just a normal school exercise book is fine to use. As a teacher that was what I had available two decades ago, when I started on this Dreambook journey.  Keeping things simple and affordable is what will give you the most joy and freedom. Don't think that you need a ton of expensive journals or products to enjoy journaling about God's Word or to create your prayer journals.

This past year I have started using Travel Notebooks. I made my own cover (Midori) and I love making my own little insert Notebooks. I love that I can have several going all at the same time and do different things in them. My process is evolving and growing as I grow and I love that. The smaller version means I am more mobile and can take it with me wherever I go. That is a real plus for your Faith journey and especially for your prayer journey. 

As creatives, we tend to hop from one project to the next and work on many creative projects at once. Between work, play, rest and our time with God, things can get blurry. So, for me streamlining my personal process to the TN's has helped me be more organized and I have been able to be a lot more creative and purposeful in my journaling. 

When it comes to journaling, it is such a healthy habbit, no matter what you journal about. Especially for Highly Sensitive Artistic types like myself. It keeps us grounded and focussed on possitive and healthy thoughts. It keeps us moving forward also in a productive way.

I can really suggest "Dreambooking" to you. 

Leave me a comment on this post if you are interested in knowing more or drop me a line by completing my contact form to the left in the sidebar. 






The kit









Visit Ivytree Studio to see more of what we are up to www.ivytreestudio.co.za
Buy some of our pretty paper here
Connect with the team on our Facebook page here.
Share your Ivytree Studio layouts with us here

Common place book and Creative Journaling

Hi there lovelies,

You might think that I am just another scrapbooker or cardmaker, but I am actually more of a journaler. I make lists since forever and I love writing things down. Combining that with my memory keeping and cardmaking skills, just makes more sense to me. Since starting to use Travel Notebooks, my whole outlook on memory keeping has changed and grown. 

This process is so liberating and very therapeutic. For me as an artist, it is important to have an outlet for my emotions, my ideas and my art. Travel Notebooks and notebooks, in general, can give that to me. For any creative temperament, having a system is important to make sense of all the creativity bouncing about in your brain. It can help you direct it all and channel it in the right direction. 

Some ideas:
1. Painting your own covers instead of decorating with paper. 









2. The commonplace book idea:

2.1 What is the "Commonplace book"?


Commonplace books (or commonplaces) are a way to compile knowledge, usually by writing information into books. Such books are essentially scrapbooks filled with items of every kind: recipes, quotes, letters, poems, tables of weights and measures, proverbs, prayers, legal formulas. Commonplaces are used by readers, writers, students, and scholars as an aid for remembering useful concepts or facts they have learned. Each commonplace book is unique to its creator's particular interests.  Read what Wikipedia says here. 

More info here on benefits to the commonplace book - Accidental Creative 

2.2 Why keep a Commonplace book"? I found this post insightful 

2.3 How to set up and manage your "commonplace book"? This is a practical article. 



Here is an example of my creative commonplace book. 










Keeping this type of notebook is a highly personal experience and will be different for everybody. How you keep this book, what you put in it and develop it over time, needs to be a choice and a commitment if you want something real come from it.

Let this article be an encouragement and motivation to you. I hope it sparks something new in your life as it did in mine. It can really mean a lot to your personal growth and your creative development.

'Till next time!