Soul Care and Giving

Sometimes our creating isn’t just for our own soul care, but to also bring joy to others. “With the same comfort you’ve received, comfort others.” The thing with creating not exclusively for our own joy/ soul care/ therapy is that we can then get pulled back into overthinking, over-functioning, overwhelm and stress. The opposite of the reasons we are creating. But we want things to be “nice” and “perfect” for others. What to do? What to do? One solution is to keep your creativity for your own expression, not for giving nice handcrafted gifts. But many of us want to… Continue reading

Bank Envelope Double Pocket

I see a lot of different envelope pockets made for Junk /Eclectic Journals and Traveler’s Notebooks. But I’ve never seen any made from bank envelopes. That’s the type of envelope we seem to get the most of around here, so I wanted to have a play and see what I can do with them. I’ve come up with a few designs, and today’s post and video introduce you to the first. A Double Pocket, that can become a Triple Pocket when added to a journal page. These pockets are super easy to make, fast, and require very few supplies. If… Continue reading

Cards from Printables

It’s rare that I make cards with print-outs. I’ve got too big of a stash of patterned papers; and I love inking, stenciling, stamping and die-cutting. But occasionally I have a design in mind and printables are the perfect option. It’s still a satisfying creative endeavor, but usually quite simple to actually make. Find, size and print the images. Cut them out. Yeah, that’s the tricky part. There’s a reason I hate fussy cutting. I can’t do it. No matter how much I try and practice, I can’t get a smooth cut. Therefore, my Brother Scan ‘n Cut is a… Continue reading

Woven Tag Pockets

I’m still working on pockets (in between other creative projects). I’ve had so much fun with these Woven Tag Pockets; I’ve made many! They are quick and easy, and require very few supplies. But they’re also unique and just plain cute! You can make them in any style you like. These pockets can also be used in a journal or as a stand alone for gifting to others. watch for my upcoming post with Birthday cards made from them. I was inspired by Gayle Agnostinelli’s video on YouTube. Gayle sewed hers and made them a different size. Grab your supplies… Continue reading

93 Year Old Therapy

Soul care is a vital part of healing—in all areas of healing. Our souls—mind, emotions, will—must be nurtured for them to be healthy. There are many ways that people, everyone—whether they are abuse survivors or not, nurture their souls. One that I highly endorse for everyone, as well as greatly enjoy myself, is Creativity! Making creative things truly does wonders in our brains, from relaxing the nervous system, to healing trauma, to aiding right thinking and clarity, to increasing brain function and brain power itself. Creativity is my happy place. But I wasn’t expecting treadle sewing itself to be therapeutic…. Continue reading

V-Day Blues? Nope!

For many women, who are survivors of DV, Valentine’s Day is a triggering day. This may be your first year alone, or maybe you feel all alone while still in the same house. You may be wondering what you can do on February 14th. Ignore the day? Fat chance. Wallow in your sorrow? Not generally helpful. (If you are at the beginning of your grief, that may be what you choose. Then move on beyond that.) But there are a lot of other options. First, realize that Valentine’s Day is at its roots not about romantic love. Read the real… Continue reading