Introducing...

After much thought I have decided to open an Etsy shop. My passion {obsession} for making altered book art journals and collecting old books and paper ephemera has overflowed beyond what I can use for personal use. Two things also helped me in this decision: the altered book art journal I made for my sister and the vintage paper pack I put together to giveaway on my blog back in July. I really had a blast making those items for other people!

So I have launched my shop: {found on brighton}! It was so hard selecting a name. I love vintage things and I especially love re-purposing them in my art - altering books into art journals, using book pages (especially from dictionaries!) and other paper ephemera on my pages and taking everyday "found" things and suing them in my art or as a tool to make art. Nothing is safe -  bubble wrap, my husband's drywall tape and our plastic paper plate holders have all been used as stencils or masks. Envelopes, book pages, receipts, clothing retail tags, and junk mail have all made their way into my collage and mixed media art. I use "found" items all the time! Brighton is simply the name of my street. So I just pulled this random name out of the hat and it stuck.

In addition to carrying altered book art journals and vintage paper packs I will also sell vintage items. Some books I run across at book sales are simply in too good condition for me to allow myself to rip them apart for art. I also run across and have collected a lot of vintage items over the years that I will be adding. A girl can only collect and keep so much! I will also be offering themed vintage paper packs, themed around items, interests, initials, names, locations, etc..

So I invite you to stop in and visit my Etsy shop! There's a little Etsy link over on the right side of my blog. Open the door, hear the little tinkling bell as you do, smell the old books and paper and glue as you explore the shelves of my "found" things. :)

Altered book art journal:

Vintage paper packs:

1 John ~ The Journey

Way back in April our church started a journey on Sunday mornings through the book of 1 John. This Sunday we will complete the journey.  I was impacted a great deal by my time studying through the book for our Creative Team meetings each week. As we journeyed I made art journal pages as different things stood out to me. John really focuses on our love for each other being our distinguishing mark as Christ-folllowers.

The last three are my most recent pages:

One theme I noticed throughout the book was John reminding his readers of the gifts God has given His children: His love, the Spirit, eternal life through His Son, insight to know Jesus.

Throughout this journey I have felt a deep conviction to look at how I love others; to examine my heart when my thoughts and actions are unloving, and most importantly, to embrace God's love for me and let His love be the driving force behind my love for others. Our love for each other must be expressed in practical ways ~ in action. In John's perspective, loving God and loving others are inseparable, for when we love others God is seen in us. May this journey through 1 John continue to impact me, and our church, to love others with the love I have received from God through Christ. Today may you know in your heart the great love God has for you.

30 Days of Lists

For the past year or so I have participated in 30 Days of Lists offered twice a year. I love making lists and participating in this challenge enables me to be creative with them, as well as make lists about topics I may not think of on my own. In the past I have altered a book or made a journal to put my lists in. Last September I just used a section of an altered book art journal binder to put my list pages in:

This past March I altered a small book to hold my list pages:

This month I chose to go simple as I am participating in quite a few classes right now. So I took a thin lined journal from the Martha Stewart line at Staples (love her blue!), and I am simply gluing 2 pages together for some stability, mainly using washi tape and a bit of collage. My progress to so far:

Plus an art journal page I managed to squeeze in.

End of Summer

The past few weeks I've been busy working on some projects for family members. My niece is getting married in October and I made her invitation.

I made an altered book art journal for my sister for her birthday.

We had a great weekend with family at the lake.

A great way to end the summer.

Liminal Space

I ran across a phrase in"Strengthening the Soul of your Leadership"by Ruth Haley Barton, the book we are reading for our staff book study. The phrase is "liminal space". This was not the first time I saw it. I don't remember the source but I read it recently. In the book we are studying it said:

"Most of us have not had much training in waiting...Richard Rohr calls this waiting place "liminal space"; liminal comes from the Latin word limina, which means threshhold."

The author than quotes Richard Rohr:
"Liminal space, the place of waiting, is a unique spiritual position where human beings hate to be but where the Biblical God is always leading them. It is when you have left the tried and true, but have not yet been able to replace it with anything else. It is when you are finally out of the way. It is when you are between your old comfort zone and any possible new answer..."

For me, this new phrase required some digging; a need to know more about this thing that sounds vaguely familiar; this place that sounds like the place I am in again. This place of transition and transformation. This place doesn't seem quite so scary as it did earlier in my life. After 20+ years of walking with the Lord I've learned that if one keeps themselves open to God's transforming work in their life, then one will walk over many thresholds! When we stay open to God's transforming presence in our life He tends not to let us stay in comfort zones for long. We get too comfortable! When we are comfortable we don't grow much.

So, as is my fashion in recent years, I dig and research and read and ponder through art journaling:

Liminal space:

• space between the "old" which may no longer work and the "new" which is not yet clear.
• the space or place between states of existence or experience.
• "betwixt and between"
• a doorway; the small space you occupy when leaving one room yet not quite entering another.
• liminality - the ambiguity or disorientation that occurs when you are in the middle of transforming.

Transformation is not easy. It stretches us out of our comfort zones. And it seems that our human nature is to be comfortable, thus it becomes a battle to keep ourselves open to God's transforming presence. Every fiber of our being fights to stay comfortable, but our soul, our spirit,  yearns to be transformed into all that God calls us to be. For me, once again, I see the great benefits of staying dedicated to practicing spiritual disciplines in order to stay connected to God and hear His voice.

The daughter is here. :) 

And we are off for a fun weekend of family time. 

Enjoy your long weekend!