Making a Gratitude Journal with Watercolor Florals

We're having a wonderful time in Watercolor Leaves and Florals for Beginners class at the Community College of Beaver County.  

We've been creating loose watercolor florals on a variety of papers.

I put together a sample gratitude journal to show my students the possibilities for using their artwork.

Here's a flip-through!

I used gesso to partially cover the type of an old book page to make it easier for the journaler to write on the page.

I found a variety of old papers, like this accounting ledger, at the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.  Check them out here:

https://pccr.org/

You may recognize some of the materials I used for this project from this haul:

https://betsyblissart.blogspot.com/2026/03/upcycling-finds-from-pittsburgh-center.html

This blank music sheeting gives the perfect space for a short entry.

The cover is made from a wallpaper sample that I folded over and glued to make it extra sturdy before sewing the binding.

I used a simple pamphlet stitch on a single signature.   

I love that you can invent your own flowers and leaves using this watercolor floral technique.

I learned the technique from Wendy Solganik of Willa Wanders in her Loose Watercolor Florals class on Teachable.  You can find her course here:

https://www.willawanders.com/watercolor-leaves-and-florals?_gl=1*1uj0ask*_gcl_au*MTIzMjgzMTQ2MC4xNzc1NTg0NDc3 

Happy Creating!

Upcycling Finds from Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse!

A recent trip to the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse turned up all of these great finds!  

The interior pages of an old book, a 1979 street map of Orange County, CA, wallpaper samples, embroidery floss and several types of old paper.

I set out to get creative with these items and upcycle them into art!

The wallpaper was fun to paint on with watercolors. I created a postcard and several fancy bookmarks.  I plan to use another wallpaper sample as a cover for a small book I'm making. 

I used Prismacolor colored pencils to add a little definition to the watercolor paint, then glued a piece of cardstock to the back of the wallpaper sample to make an even place to write a message.

I painted loose watercolor florals on some of the book pages.  I learned this technique from artist Wendy Solganik.  You can find her wonderful course here:

https://willa-workshops.teachable.com/p/watercolor-leaves-and-florals  

Once the watercolor flowers were dry, I glued the pages to pieces of fancy wallpaper and added lace.

I love to read, and these bookmarks add a fun touch of whimsy to my reading habit!

I plan to make more items with the materials I bought.  

I've noticed that when I get "new" secondhand art supplies, I often get a surge of inspiration and fresh ideas.  I've learned not to wait, but to strike while the iron is hot and get creating right away!

Are you spring cleaning?  Maybe you'll come across some things that could be turned into art. Have you been out to a thrift shop and found funky artsy stuff?  I hope you make use of the inspiration to get swept away into creating!

Happy Creating!

Weekly Planner in Spring Colors

A recent visit to the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse turned up some pages from a vintage book of children's fables. I love the black & white images, and have felt a hunger for spring.  I tore out a few images and laid them out on the weekly planner spread.

After gluing the images down, I added splashes of watercolor in spring colors.

Finally, I added the days, dates and events of the week.

Limiting my collage & paint project to a smaller size made it easy to jump into and begin.  

Do you have any printed material destined for the trash can that you could turn into collage art? I hope you give this technique a try!

Happy Creating!

Designing a Hand-Sewn Patch

I've been inspired by the book, The Wander Society by Keri Smith.  The society's purpose is to promote aimless wandering as a creative pursuit and its motto is "Solvitur ambulando," or "It is solved through walking."

Have you ever noticed how taking a walk in nature helps you to unwind and sort out your troubles?  I walk for exercise, but also for peace of mind and creative inspiration.  I wanted to create a patch that celebrates how walking in nature inspires, heals, and strengthens me.

I started with a sketch on paper, then made a copy of the final design and covered the back of the copy with graphite.  I pinned the paper to a piece of denim cut from a retired pair of jeans and traced the design, pressing hard to transfer the graphite onto the fabric.

It was a little hard to see the graphite marks on the denim, so I darkened the design guidelines with a Sharpee.

I watched a video on making your own decorative patches.  It helped me to figure out how to fill in the boot with color and how to bind the edges of the denim.  Other than that, I have no real training in embroidery.  I just made up stitches, doing the best I could.

I stitched while watching videos with my husband or having conversations with my family. It was a pleasant way to keep my hands busy while listening.

My embroidery thread came from the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse (25 cents per skein!).

I like the wobbly wonkiness of the patch.  It looks handmade and organic. Human.

As a foil to the rise of AI art, I enjoy celebrating human-made art.  I find it makes creating more relaxed when I celebrate my wobbles and imperfections.

I hope this inspires you to design your own patch and create expressive, wearable art!

Happy Creating! 

Thrift Haul: Faber Castell Pitt Graphic Pencils

On a recent trip to the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, I found this little kit of pencils and snatched them up for $1.25!  What an amazing find!

The kit included a 2B, 4B, 10B and 12B Pitt Graphite pencil, and a soft white pastel pencil, all by Faber Castell.  The graphite pencils cover a wide range of values, from black through light grays.

I tested out the kit by making this sketch of my potted indoor fig tree in my nature journal.  The tree has just begun to unfurl new leaves in the winter sunshine.

I love the dark shadows I can create with these pencils, and the way they stand up to hard pressure.  The graphite didn't break as soft pencils often do.  

I was also surprised at how I could erase marks cleanly with a gum eraser.  Most of my other 9B and softer pencils leave behind residual marks when erased.

If you're in the Pittsburgh area, I hope you'll stop by the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.  It's my favorite thrift shop by far.  The staff are kind & happy to help, the supplies are of good quality and ever changing, and the vibe is creative & friendly.

 Happy Creating!

Organizing Your Art Supplies

I like to think of my art studio as organized chaos.  

Art supplies are gathered with similar materials, stuffed in baskets, drawers & boxes. Sometimes, the papers and brushes spill over their containers, but mostly, I have space to store items and space to work, and I can lay my hands on what I need.

I love this way of working -- letting things spill over a bit, but mostly having room to create.  My trick is to gather collage papers in one basket, watercolor brushes in a mug or two.  I gather similar things together, and find inexpensive storage supplies to hold them.

David built me this wooden bookshelf from lumber we picked up at the side of the road.  I love the old, funky nature of the wood and the memory of scoring it on a morning walk.

I bought an Ikea drawer set and decorated it with some old scrap wood I had.  You can read the post about that transformation here: https://betsyblissart.blogspot.com/2024/06/an-upcycled-drawer-refresh.html

I like to keep certain often-used supplies near at hand. All sorts of useful things --from inspiring quotes to treats for the kitties -- live in these drawers.

I found this small metal drawer unit at a thrift store and labeled each drawer with white chalk.

Pens, erasers and pencil sharpeners are tucked into the drawers.

You may have seen the pegboard paint tube storage idea online. I got the idea of hanging up my acrylic paints from The Unexpected Gypsy.  It makes finding the right color easy!  And I love seeing my paints ready to help me create.

This old, wooden chest was $20 at Goodwill Industries.  I filled it with my watercolor tube paints and pastels (some of which were bought secondhand at the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse (PCCR), a wonderful thrift store for art supplies.

I made the drawer organizer from cardboard boxes and hot glue.

Sketchbooks, class files and a wealth of papers end up in this Ikea cabinet:

Labels remind me what's stuffed in each basket and box.

We used to grow produce and haul it to farmer's markets to sell.  When we retired from farming, I turned our wooden bushel boxes, like the one below, into storage.

I bought the various boxes inside this bushel at PCCR secondhand.

A dear friend found this old wooden tool box at an auction and bought it for me.  It stores my colored pencils, ink dip pens and a variety of brushes, organized by medium.  Displaying your brushes & pencils  alongside nature's feathers, crystals & twigs turns your art supplies into a funky still life.

Though I have bought a few things from Ikea, most of my art studio organization comes from secondhand sources -- thrift shops, the side of the road, etc.  I go through my art supplies every few months to pull out items I no longer use so I can donate them at the PCCR.  

I consider cleaning up my space to be great self care.  I always feel more relaxed and inspired to create when I'm done cleaning up!

What can you find around your home to artfully hold your creative supplies?  Which of your art supplies would you like to put on display?

Setting up a beautiful, organized space to draw and paint in is a form of creativity.

Happy Creating! 

Weekly Planner in Gouache & Marker

I was painting with gouache this weekend and decided to use up the extra blobs of paint in my weekly planner.  I love this planner because it gives me a reason each week to play with random art supplies.

I had a fistful of beautiful Faber Castell markers with dual tips -- a fine point at one end and a brush at the other -- found on a recent visit to the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.  

The gorgeous markers added a lovely detailed element to this week's planner page.

I enjoyed the slow process of layering one medium on top of the next.  The clouds at the top of the page and the white lettering on the right side of the page were done with acrylic ink, and I used my Lamy fountain pen with permanent black ink to label the days of the week.

This quiet process of slowly making art based on your intuition and whims can be very relaxing and playful.  You don't have to make anything "important;" just play.  The beauty of the process is that you often develop ideas that you would never have thought of if you'd been "serious" about your art always.

 Art goals are fantastic to pursue.  Just remember to leave yourself some open time to play, too.

Happy Creating!

Watercolor Sketching with Arches Hot Press Paper

A recent visit to the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse turned up a block of 140# Arches hot press watercolor paper.  What a find! I had been curious to play with the smooth surface of hot press paper, and Arches is a high-quality, 100% cotton paper. 

I brought it home and began sketching with my watercolors.  One of the most freeing things about finding secondhand art supplies at the PCCR is the sense that you're giving these materials a second life.  Rather than getting tossed into a landfill, they have found their way into your hands. 

I combined this high quality, new-to-me watercolor paper with the beauty of the flowers blooming right outside my kitchen door.

I like the smooth surface of the paper, but most of all, I liked the way the paper accepted the paint.  High quality watercolor paper is easier to paint on than inexpensive paper.  If you've been struggling with inexpensive paper and have the opportunity to splurge on an art supply, this would be a helpful gift to yourself.

Happy Creating!

Weekly Planner: Stenciled Feathers

A recent visit to the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse (https://pccr.org/) turned up a wonderful selection of used stencils for 25 cents each.  I decided to test some out in my weekly planner.  Because I wanted to be able to write with a ballpoint pen on the page, I used watercolors.  I dabbed on the paint first with a brush, but found that it spread too much, so I tried a makeup sponge.

After the paint dried, I added in some definition and design with a few Posca paint markers.

When I looked at the finished results, I liked the design, but realized that the paint was too dark for the details of the week to be legible.  

I turned the page & started fresh with the Posca markers.

Adding a few feathers in lighter colors with Posca pens worked out well, decorating the page but not being so dark or detailed that I couldn't see what I wrote on each date.

If you create something that doesn't turn out as you like, turn the page and start fresh! You now have valuable information about what doesn't work, and probably have lots of ideas on how you could do it better.

Happy Creating!