Strawberry Moon Art Magazine...

 

I'm so proud of my little sister, Jan. Strawberry Moon Art Magazine landed in my mailbox yesterday and as I recently told you, she's officially a published, contributing artist!

The magazine is filled with submissions from many talented artists, but of course, I'm partial to one in particular.

This is the two-page layout of her article in an issue dedicated to how creating art is a form of self-care. We all know it is, whether it's in the kitchen or a studio. Jan writes about how it fulfills her, personally, and it was an interesting read. They also showcased all the artwork she submitted, along with her pretty face at the bottom of the page.

If you are interested in a magazine dedicated to paper crafts, art journaling, and other creative outlets for mixed media, you can order your own copy HERE. 

I originally had plans to spend today with the Sewcial Sisters, but many of the ladies have been participating in a mini-retreat for our group since Sunday, and Kathy D. let me know they're all heading home around noon, and decided to cancel our date. I'll have to wait to see them until next month. I think I'm going to do a little pressure canning today instead. I found a deal on chicken, so I need to get it processed into jars. Morning coffee, deal with the critters and then I'll be in the kitchen if you're looking for me.

Sissy's Studio...

 

I promised I share photos from my visit with my youngest sister with you, so here goes. She's an artist in mixed media, which definitely shines through in a tour of her studio. Jan's business is on Facebook and Instagram as Handmade Treasures by Jan, which you can find HERE.

 

Entering into her studio is a bit like mine...a trip down the rabbit hole, but you can definitely tell the difference in the types of treasures you'll find inside. I love all her antique and reclaimed furniture pieces, too!

Work tables are placed back to back in the center of the room, and the perimeter is brimming with ephemera. paints, pens and other media onto which she plies her craft. It may look overwhelming to some, but to her, everything has a place and everything is in its place.

You'll find pullouts holding a wide variety (but not all) of her paints and sprays, drawers with packaging and inspiration, and notes of things on her To Do list.

 

This is her Unity shelf containing most of her stamps, and cutters from Unity Stamp Company. She's one of their creators, as she does weekly mini classes using their products. Most classes are free, with the option to purchase supplies from her, or her larger projects are held in private, online groups accessible after paying your class and/or kit fee.

 

This area of her studio is the table where she usually sets up for her demos. She has places for her cameras, lamps and pens. She brings all her class materials here to have conveniently at hand as she teaches.

There was so much more to see. She creates handcrafted journals, and has regular drawings to give away her artwork to group members, so if you'd like to check her out, click on the link in my first paragraph. She also has a self-improvement/inspiration group called Treasure Trove of Gratitude which offers a daily inspiration via a live video on Facebook every morning. You can check out that group HERE. Seriously, it's a great way to start your day, and I'm frequently there to hear what she has to say.

She is - as of this month - a published contributor to Strawberry Moon magazine, and as soon as my copy arrives, I'll definitely share it with you. Her article shares how art can be a vehicle for self-care. It's not really enough for me to say how proud I am of her. I love that we can share our love of all things handcrafted, and I enjoy the time we can spend together working on our creations. She's just now beginning to teach herself to sew, but she knows I'm here to lend a hand when she needs it. I'm really enjoying watching her grow her business, and sharing her gifts with others. Did I mention she's my sister?

I hope you've enjoyed this quick tour of Jan's studio, and I hope you'll visit (and maybe join) her Facebook groups. On top of all her talent, she's a beautiful soul and I think you'd enjoy the time you spend with her. I sure do!

We've got weather (again) today, so I'm going to have my morning cuppa and get some things done indoors. Happy Friday, friends!