Hi friends! I had a very productive day, I finally filmed the acrylic mediums video I have been promising and with any luck it will finishing uploading to you tube sometime in the near future LOL! It has been stuck in limbo for hours and I am so excited to share it with you! But for now I will share with you my secret for coming up with good ideas for projects.
Video!
So, how do YOU come up with new ideas? Let me know in the comments below and til next time happy crafting!
The Frugal Crafter Blog 
Loved this video of finding ideas, sort of s walking meditation.
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Thanks Lindsay! When I have a creative block, I start by looking through my supplies. As soon as I see something and think “that is interesting” I pull it out. This could be pretty paper, or an embellishment-just anything that catches my eye. The next thing I see that is interesting, I think, “now how can I use that with the first supply?” Typically, it takes about 5 items for me to come up with a complete project. Hope that helps someone. 🙂
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If the block is a lesson plan one I will head to google! I try to assign “themes” for each of my projects (Like floral, birds, cats etc.) While the project might be more about using pattern I like to give the students an idea to jump off from so they don’t have the same creative block! Usually, google or pinteret will get my creative juices flowing and I can come up with something that fits the objective, the theme and looks fun 🙂 I always allow and encourage the students ideas – so, my example is just a place to jump off from. I use google / pinterest for my jumping off point 🙂 I generally have too many ideas and not enough time for what *I* want to create! If I am trying to work with a specific material I usually just sit down and play – pull out stuff and make a mess. But, I have a lot to pull out and work with (Like you I teach and create art – and my studio is packed with great supplies)
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I have a “catch all” drawer which is just odd bits of this and that. It is a piece of paper, a photo, maybe a lone embellishment, or a simple sketched idea. When I am stuck I go to that drawer and start to get inspiration. Everything was put there because of a spark of inspiration so then I just have to pull something out and rekindle the idea. It is usually one or two things and that gets the ideas flowing.
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I look back through the pictures I have taken in the past. I can usually find something I want to paint.
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I find good ideas on Pinterest and old cardmaking magazines. In order to save space I’ve gone through my old magazines and pulled out pages I want to keep. Then I set up a loose leaf notebook by categories and filed them. My categories of interest are: Oriental, Michael Strong Stamps, ATC’s, religious art, Inchies.
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Great idea, Peg! I was just thinking I need to go through all my old Stampin’ Up catalogs and only keep the pages I want.
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Hi Lindsey, I bought the three colors of watercolors, yellow and turquoise and magenta. I then bought plastic spray bottles and mix them with a little bit of water and all I get is a big glob that comes out, I tried adding more water it makes the paper too wet. What am I doing wrong? Help. Thx.
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Joanne, Oh what brand of liquid watercolors did you get? I just got hold of a different brand to the one Lindsay used in the DIY_glimmer_spray_ink_and_daubers video, I got ‘Sergeant’ brand as the DickBlick was more expensive, me being in the UK with vast shipping to add on top, plus customs duties.
I haven’t tried them yet though, been busy with Swellegant. What did you use for the ‘Shimmer’ part? I can’t get hold of loose eyeshadows anywhere, they seem to be rarer than hens teeth here.
Maybe it’s the binder if you are using Pearl-Ex for the shimmer?
I hope you get it sorted.
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Looking forward to the “mediums” video🎨
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I generally don’t have that problem b/c I am really just exploring my creative play side! After a lifetime of thinking I had zero ability, I just now discovered that “art” is really about playing. I am so inspired by other peoples ideas (YouTube!) that I want to try everything. After years of avoiding papercrafting b/c I knew I would be addicted to it, I gave in and tried it. I bought one pack of cardstock and one pack of die-cuts at Christmas. Then, every time I walked by the kitchen table, would look at them and go “oh! oh! I can put This one on That paper This way.” Ended up donating cards to a retirement home b/c I made more cards than the number of people I knew. I did it again yesterday. Found some die cut flower parts, glued them, then had to embellish them, then had to make a card with one of them…on a day which was totally set aside for something else! Some days I want to turn it off! (Not really–I am having way too much fun!)
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Hallo.
I love your work. I am so thank full you share your art work. You are my inspiration don’t be shy and do it. I am learnig so much from you.
Thank you.
Ieva
>
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Good Morning!
When I am at a loss I do one simple thing…I watch one of your videos and then I am off and creating! Something I see, even if I have watched the video a number of times, strikes a new pose in my head and I see how to use/do it and a different way. Thanks for all the inspiration! BTW, what ever happened to the Sea Monkeys?
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I go to bed and think about crafting every night!! So when I have a Stampin’ Up Club coming up I think specifically of that and go to sleep with that twirling around and without fail I wake up in the morning thinking of it again and within a few minutes- problem solved!!! I also watch videos to help inspire 🙂
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Such a good idea. I get those blocks too. Because we have had a horrible winter here too, I drive more than I walk. I keep a Sticky note pad clipped to my visor with a pen in the car. So when an idea hits me I pull over or at a red light when I am in the city, I jot down my idea. My point is never go anywhere without at lat a pen to write any idea down, if I have to use my own hand or arm, so be it! LOL.
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Cleaning and organizing my studio usually works. Additionally, thumbing through old art books, surfing the web, looking at such sites as The Frugal Crafter, or getting lost in YouTube videos is also very helpful. When needing a new perspective, I take the dogs for a walk or head to the beach to stick my toes in the sand while feeling the roar of the waves rhythmically crashing against the shore.
Mindy Griffith
Riverside, CA
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I am lucky at the moment in that I don’t need to search for inspiration, I have some ideas already in my “things to do/try” notebook, and I have those by writing the idea down when it occured to me.
I seem to get inspiration/ideas from lots of places, including YouTube videos, keeping an eye open when walking the dog, and taking a pic if camera is in pocket, going to the local zoo, the beach, talking to friends, sitting in Costa Coffee doodling, keeping the notepad by me when watching TV – even if that’s Winnie the Pooh followed by The Chronicles of Riddick, it might even be something glimpsed while out shopping, wandering around one of the local art galleries, a nature program, TimeTeam, or or one of the space and stars type science progs.
So long as you never close your mind, something will come from somewhere.
Fran-OnTheEdge of something marvelous.
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Some of my best inspiration comes from you, Lindsay. I usually find myself learning new things to do with old art mediums and that is always good. Your asides and extra tidbits get my creative juices flowing.
Someone above said that she looks through photos and someone else mentioned going through her supplies for inspiration. I do both. It usually happens that I plan to tidy up my stamping station and while I sort and put away materials, the inspiration arrives!
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