The Inspiration Room

~ Forgetting What Lies Behind ~

June 1, 2018 by Patricia Fisher

Not in the good Biblical way……but in the I haven’t been on my blog in so long I don’t remember how things work, kind of way! In all actuality, I haven’t done much of anything on my computer in months and it all seems like a foreign tongue. An upgrade to Windows 10 from my beloved Windows 7, may have been overdue, but has proven to be a regrettable move! I have decided to come off strike and brave this unwanted new world. Much to my dismay, this new Windows has stopped my old version of Quickbooks (because,of course they want me to upgrade that also), and has kidnapped my files. I’ve spent the last while (or months) ignoring this problem but it hasn’t gone away. So, at tax time I decided to get off the bench and back in the game (reluctantly). Although, instead of getting my numbers together, I decided to write about it instead…..can anyone say “procrastination”? Then to make matters worse I stopped typing altogether, grabbed pencil & paper and did tax season the “old fashion” way…..totally ignoring my laptop. Nothing changed!

So, here I am easing my way back into my little blog, please excuse the long silence. I looked back just to refresh my memory of how long it had been since my last post…..don’t look, it’s embarrassing! Worse is the fact that I wrote about journaling and treating my blog more like my journal (which I don’t ignore for months). Some might say give it up, but I’m too ~~stubborn~~ tenacious for that 😉 Anyway, there is new stuff on the horizon that I just might want to write about,so stick with me!

Do not despise these small beginnings…..Zechariah 4:10 NLT

Filed Under: Fishers Beehive Shoppe, The Inspiration Room

~ My Midori ~

April 21, 2015 by Patricia Fisher

When I was in Florida in February, I discovered an interesting little journal/planner that I just couldn’t stop thinking about. It’s called a Midori.They’re not new, and I have found that there is a Midori obsession out there. Just doing a quick search on Pinterest or YouTube will verify that. There are videos from a guy’s point of view to a scrapbooker’s dream, and everything in between. Intrigued, I had to have one, so I treated myself to this Traveler’s Notebook for my birthday this month. I was so excited when it came. They are just a piece of leather (brown or black), with an elastic band down the center. Each one comes with one blank book. You buy whichever inserts you want, according to what you want to use it for. They are an empty canvas, ready for you to create on. Here is a look at my Midori so far.

This is it, in all it’s chunky goodness!

This is a zipper insert to hold my pen/pencils etc…, the other half is in the back of the midori.

The books are all plain like this. Of course, I couldn’t leave mine that way, that’s part of the fun!

This is a file insert. Then my first book is a by-the-month calendar.

The green tea bag came in my order. The clear pockets were an add on.

The next book is just lined paper, I use it to journal, write notes or lists, keep track of “what I learned”.

The middle book is watercolor paper. I ordered this one and a mixed media paper from this shop on etsy.

Yes, you can find places to order handmade inserts to fit the different Midori sizes, and even buy a”faux” dori.

This is a pocket insert.

Then a blank page insert that I sketch in (this isn’t great paper for sketching on though, but I already decorated the front and back covers, so…I’m using it anyway!).

You can never have to much washi tape on hand.

This is how the inserts come…

and there it is, I actually have four books in there now, but I took out the little leather change pouch. It’s amazing how much you can fit, and for those that know me, you know I “HAVE” to stuff it full!

This is the fountain pen that the Beekeeper made for me…

..and this is an antique pencil sharpener (made in Germany), that I bought at the Marketplace, it fits in my zipper insert with my eraser perfectly.

So, that’s my Midori! I love it, just wanted to share.

Filed Under: Art Journaling, The Inspiration Room, Visual Journal

~ Mixing It Up ~

February 9, 2015 by Patricia Fisher

This is what has been happening outside in New York (P.S. animal lovers, they had just been turned out, and they love to roll in the snow). So, I’ve been tucked inside by the wood stove with my art supplies getting messy. I signed up for Christy Tomlinson’s class, She Art Workshop and it has been great fun, can’t wait to take another one of her classes. Here’s a look at what I’ve been up to….

I ran out of canvas’, so this girl is actually on a block of wood.

I guess I had extra clothes, so why not hang them on a clothes line.

Then I moved up to a big canvas and left the girls and their clothes out!

Here’s a close up look…

….and that’s what you do when it won’t stop snowing! Well, that or take a trip to Florida. Room for two more on the dock?

Filed Under: The Inspiration Room Tagged With: mixed media

~ Visual Journal ~

January 9, 2014 by Patricia Fisher

Creating Every Day….

I’ve been working in the journal that I made from the old children’s book, I talked about it here.

I added watercolor paper mainly in this journal. So it’s ready for whatever type of mixed media techniques I want to play around with. I do love watercolor paper! I have journals with other types of paper and I like the feel or look of it, but the bleed through that results sometimes I find very frustrating. I have just been adding whatever strikes me at the moment in this journal (as you can tell), no rhyme or reason. The previous owner of the children’s book had glued comic strip pages inside. I left them for character marks. You can see them in the background in the first picture.

I made a spot in the living room for my “auction find” paint table. I love my Inspiration Room in the back of the garage, but I really enjoy being a little closer to the wood fire in the winter. Although my stash is getting bigger and bigger inside. I keep going out and bringing more in. Using two spaces can get tricky. Our living room is pretty cozy this time of year though and January is my hunker down month…ahh enjoying!

Filed Under: Art Journaling, The Inspiration Room, Visual Journal Tagged With: auction find, watercolor

~ Watercolor Christmas ~

December 6, 2013 by Patricia Fisher

Some watercolor play and journal pages from the past weeks. Oh, for quiet moments to create.

I found this silk quilt square at an antique store. I love it! I’m thinking it would make a great journal cover, maybe my next one. Hope you are finding some quiet moments this holiday season.

Filed Under: Art Journaling, Creating Every Day, The Inspiration Room Tagged With: christmas, watercolor

~ My Creation Week 6 ~

November 6, 2013 by Patricia Fisher

A little organization was needed this past week. I had at least six, large baskets full of yarn and crocheting supplies. I decided it was time to sort it all out and consolidate. So this is what I came up with….

I had the four vintage suitcases in the store and the two on top are Home Goods finds. So now all my supplies are in one place, easy to get to, and they make an attractive display (at least I think they do). So I’m set, as long as I stay out of the yarn shop for awhile. All the suitcases are packed full, no more room! Unless…I find another suitcase at the auction.

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So with that finished, I decided to move to the “Inspiration Room” and work on some journal pages.

Now I’m thinking the “Inspiration Room” needs a little organizing. Maybe for next week.

Filed Under: Antiques, Creating Every Day, crochet, The Inspiration Room Tagged With: art journaling, vintage

~ Focus ~

February 18, 2013 by Patricia Fisher

Focus: noun-1. a central point, as of attraction, attention, or activity

verb-8. to concentrate: to focus one’s thoughts

garden gate dogwood tree with honeybees

I was looking through some pictures this morning and the thought came to me that some of the things I was looking at seemed nicer, prettier, more colorful, etc. in a picture than how I remembered them in real life. Why is this? They seem to just jump out at me, saying “Hey, look at me, I’m exquisite! Look at my shape, my colors, I stand out in a crowd”. And yes, it was all true, I was noticing their shape, their colors were beautiful, they did stand out. I would love to think it was my “mad skills” at photography, more likely my beloved Nikon! But, No! It’s more than that. I think that zooming in on something, taking it out of all of its surrounding, to focus on just the beauty it holds on its own, magnifies what was there all along. It isn’t that it became more extraordinary in the photo, but by capturing its beauty and viewing it later, out of its element, we can see its “stand alone” delightfulness. Appreciating each asset it holds.

Life is like this. We can tend to get so caught up in the big picture of every day life and where we’re going, what we’re doing , that we miss the beauty of the here and now. We look at the whole garden and its beauty altogether, or we see the weeds and miss the overall charm. But regardless, we rarely take notice of the individual uniqueness of each flower. Each moment. Each person in our lives. What they add, what they give, how they add to our bigger picture, our garden.

I pray for the ability to remember to savor each moment, each relationship and not gulp my way through life missing the small but most precious gifts of life.

If beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, let us not forget to “behold”!

Filed Under: My Potager, The Inspiration Room Tagged With: Beekeeping, garden

~Shine~

February 4, 2013 by pafisher

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us…. and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

~Marianne Williamson~

Filed Under: The Inspiration Room

~Collections~

January 29, 2013 by Patricia Fisher

I love a collection! Truth….It’s a weakness my sister-in-law first pointed out to me. Looking through a group of pictures she can always pick out the one I’ll be drawn to. Whatever picture is of a gathering of similar items, that’s where my eye will go.

This collection is a work- in- progress. Vintage cameras, not all vintage cameras, just the ones that pop out, I can’t seem to resist these little cuties.

china tea cups with feet

…..and my newest collection, in the beginning stages….china tea cups with feet..who knew they existed? Well, not me, at least not until a bridal shower last fall. That’s when I first got a glimpse of one of these sweeties, and now I have to admit, I’m quite taken with them. So the quest is on! I found the pink one on the right (which by the way is just like the one I first saw at the bridal shower) at a lovely shop near Palmyra, NY, called The Gingerbread House. And the other two are from this shop on etsy.

True confessions time ….although I really enjoy looking at these tea cups, I always, (and I do mean always, like every day) drink my tea from this mug…..

and I believe it was given to me by my loving sister who purchased it from Starbucks! Go figure!!!

Filed Under: The Inspiration Room Tagged With: collections, tea cups, vintage camera