Wow! I had a fantastic time at the June 2016 Etsy Craft Party hosted by Ugly Baby and La Ru in Seattle.  It was so much fun, I actually stayed for 6.5 hours.  

And what kept me so long?

Washi tape...I couldn't get enough of this stuff.  I embellished cards, coasters, and envelopes.  I couldn't stop.  Just as I finished one card, I had to do another and then another--doing both the inside and outside of the cards and doing an envelope to go with the card.  Check out my creations in the above photo and the photo slideshow below.

And then there was the drawings for prizes.

Each hour, I eagerly waited to hear my ticket number called--as I wanted to win a fabulous prize.  Several times I was off only by one digit.  I'm sad to report, I didn't win that day.

However, I got a wonderful swag bag. And because I stayed to the end and helped with clean up, I got another one!  YIPPEE!

So thanks to Ugly Baby and La Rue for a cool event and all the sponsors who gave great prizes and provided craft supplies for our creations.  It was one fun day--even when it poured rain!

And as you can see, I'm particularly grateful to Scotch 3M for their Washi tape and Strathmore for supplying cards to embellish.

I'm already looking forward to a 2017 Etsy Craft Party!

This, plus adhering the pieces without getting adhesive all over the place, is also what makes collage such a challenging art form!

For those who love collage, art, or just want to see something beautiful, stop by the second floor of the public area of the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, WA from January 16 to March 28, 2016 to see a wonderful exhibit of 86 collage works that have juried into the Northwest Collage Society’s 2016 Open Winter Show.

I’m grateful that my work, “The Joyful Workings of the Faithfully Busy Mind” is one of the works on display.  

​The photo I've included in this blog  shows some of the beautiful pieces in the show (my piece is the colorful collage of circles on the far right of the photo).

It’s a diverse exhibit that you won’t want to miss!

*​Want to receive or give a gift of creativity?  

*Is your mailbox hungry for real mail?

*Like surprises?

If you said YES to any of the above, read on!

For the past six years, Kat Eye Studio's has hosted art postcard swaps--and is doing it again for 2016.

According to Kat, this swap "encourages you to create, share, and liberate your art out into the world, where it can do its greatest good." 

if you are interested, then visit Kat's site and join the "Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap" this week (otherwise you'll miss out on the fun!).

The postcard swap receipt deadline is March 12, 2016.

I tremendously enjoyed doing Kat's postcard swap in 2015 and I'm joining the fun again in 2016.  Read my blog on my experience here.

​Find out more about the 2016 postcard swap by clicking here.

For inspiration, see the YouTube video of artists' postcards from 2015 by clicking here or on the below.

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Author and artist, Kathryn V. White's most recent book, Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness, is a finalist in the 2014 Wishing Shelf Book Awards.  Her art is available as fine art prints.  Find out more at: www.kathrynVwhite.com

It's been a great year for expressing myself, including creating a dream catcher, magic mojo hands, a free-form beaded wire basket, paintings, collage, and other art.

I’ve shared my experience of getting through an extended challenging period in my life and how by focusing on joy during that time, more joy did come into to my life, building bit by bit and blossoming in some very unexpected and powerful ways.

​This sharing was videotaped and now people across the world have access to my story as well as the stories of many others.  To hear more, please click here or on the below image.

​My book, Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness and my children-of-all-ages ebook, Odin the Ferret were both Wishing Shelf Book award finalists this year.  Click on the covers below to learn more.
​

​In addition, my art has begun to reach more people by being juried into exhibits and through prints being sold on Imagekind.com. Approximately ten years ago, I fought the impulse to paint (which is a story itself) and then later gave into its unyielding call.  Now, it's wonderful to see the fruition of the seeds planted and nurtured over the long-term.  I’m curious to see where this growth will lead me.

As I say goodbye to 2015 and hello to 2016, I’m excited about what the future brings—through my own volition as well as through synchronicity.

As part of my explorations, I’ve been talking with people about possible opportunities and researching and signing up for classes for the coming year.  

I’ll be studying Buddhism, using writing to continue to awaken to the wisdom contained in my spiritual journey, doing process painting, delving more deeply into collage, and expanding my capacity to live a happier and more fulfilling life.

Life is a journey—made all the more rich by awareness, intention, releasing that which no longer serves one well, and continual acceptance of a greater divine harmony working behind the scenes.  This acceptance can be hard and often requires faith—a muscle my life has been giving me plenty of opportunities to build!

May 2016 be an expansive year of all that is divinely good for you, our planet, and other beings.  Walk towards that good, embrace it, and share it.
​
Namaste.

                                  ***
Author and artist, Kathryn V. White's most recent book, Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness, is a finalist in the 2014 Wishing Shelf Book Awards.  Find out more at: www.kathrynVwhite.com

The exhibit continues through the end of December 2015.  If you have the chance, please stop by to enjoy it Monday through Friday, 7:30AM to 5:30PM, at the UW Tower at 4333 Brooklyn Avenue NE in the University District.  It's located between the elevators and the pedestrian bridge to the parking garage. 

Just sign in at the front desk at either entrance and tell them you'd like to see the art on the lobby floor.

To find out more about my art, click here.

To find out more about Rumble Tumble Joy, click here.

To own a fine art print of my art, click here.  These make a great gift for birthdays, anniversaries, and the holidays!

Two of Rosie's books, The Golden Sword and Time Smugglers were finalists for the 2014 Wishing Shelf Book Awards.  

Check out our discussion by clicking here.

Click on the book covers to learn more about each book.

                                     ***
Author and artist, Kathryn V. White's most recent book, Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness, is a finalist in the 2014 Wishing Shelf Book Awards.  Find out more at: www.kathrynVwhite.com

In 2015, Mutual of Omaha staff traveled the USA in a 34-foot long, super-cool, silver bullet Airstream trailer to talk with folks across the nation about their “aha” moments.

I was fortunate to be able to meet up with this talented crew.

Please click here to find out about mine or on the photo below…

                                  ***
Author and artist, Kathryn V. White's most recent book, Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness, is a finalist in the 2014 Wishing Shelf Book Awards.  Find out more at: www.kathrynVwhite.com

Art is a great way to release stress, have fun, feel creative, and access insights and messages from your inner self!  

You also have something tangible to reflect upon, look back at, and share with others!

So here is an easy project that you may become addicted to creating...a mini-doodle book.  You don't need to be an artist to create one and it's an easy project for all ages.  

You can do this project alone or with others.  You could even trade the mini-doodle book back and forth to see what evolves from more than one person working on the same book.

Supplies:

• A black fine point and a black ultra fine point Sharpie permanent pens.
  
• A pair of scissors.  
• Coloring tools such as crayons, colored pencils and pens, and markers.  
• Other items you may want to use include magazines, glue sticks, and even stickers and glitter.  

Steps:

1) Take a piece of paper--you can work with any size.  I have used 8.5 inches x 11 inches as well as larger pieces. A 12 inches x 18 inches works very well and is what I used for the example I'm including here.

2) Draw lines over the page with a fine point Sharpie pen.  

Here's an example of what your page could look like:

3) There are a variety of ways to make mini-doodle books.

I'm including here a quick and easy way to make an 8-page mini book by just folding a single piece of paper and making one cut.

Click here for a short YouTube video on how to do this or click on the below image.

4) Choose which page you want to be the first page or "cover" of your mini-book.  

5) Use your chosen supplies to decorate your mini doodle book.  

As you flip through the pages, you may find that your lines look like an animal or a person's face or an object like a lamp.   

You may want to include words, phrases, or even write a short story. 

You can also keep everything abstract and create your book as a meditation on color, line, and/or shape.

Also sign and date your mini doodle book--it's always interesting to go back and see what you've created at different points of your life.

Looking for an example? Here's my mini-doodle book you can flip through.  It's titled, Teddy's DreamTime Adventure.

I'd love to see what you create!  

And a special thank you to Wendy Wahman for providing the idea of starting off with creating lines across the page before folding the paper to create the mini-doodle book!   The book I include here I made at her "Insight Book" workshop.

Also, YouTube has a variety of videos on making mini-books, including a circle flip up book and a Roald Dahl mini book! 

So go make your mini-doodle book now and have fun!  

                               ***
Author and artist, Kathryn V. White's most recent book, Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness, is a finalist in the 2014 Wishing Shelf Book Awards.  Find out more at: www.kathrynVwhite.com

Love beautiful art? Interested in different media? Enjoy supporting artists? 

If you answer "YES!", then stop by North Seattle College's Art Gallery to enjoy a smorgasbord that includes watercolors, acrylics, jewelry, ceramics, prints, sculpture, and photography.

Happy News! Two of Kathryn V. White's watercolors were juried into the exhibit.

The exhibit continues until August 20, 2015. Hours: M-Thu from 12-2PM and 5-7PM.  Click here to find out more.

                                ***
Author and artist, Kathryn V. White's most recent book is Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness.  Find out more at: www.kathrynVwhite.com

Click on the cover to find the book on Amazon (USA).  It's also available internationally via Amazon.

Click here to read more endorsements and testimonials.

Click here for an e-flyer on Rumble Tumble Joy.

Click here to learn about Kathryn's stories and here to learn about her art.

                                ***
Author and artist, Kathryn V. White's most recent book is Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness.  Find out more at: www.kathrynVwhite.com

Grab a Hunk of Lightning is Dyanna Taylor’s documentary of the life of her grandmother and famous photojournalist, Dorothea Lange.  

It reveals Lange’s challenging childhood (abandonment of her family by her father and contracting polio at age seven); her dream as a young woman (to leave her hometown of Hoboken, NJ and travel the world); and her unconquerable willpower to never give up.  

For example, her dream was sundered when she and her friend were robbed of all their money in San Francisco, CA.

To get out of the situation, Lange got a job at a photography studio in San Francisco and not long after, opened her own portrait studio in the same city.  

Her first marriage in 1920 was to western painter Maynard Dixon.  He had a daughter and together they had two sons.  A major challenge of this marriage was Dixon leaving the three of them for months at a time to paint in the southwest.  In 1935, Lange divorced Dixon and married economist Paul Taylor.  

And it is with the deep love of Taylor and her own adventuresome spirit that Lange matures into the photojournalist we know today.   
Her iconic “Migrant Mother” (shown above) is one of her many heart-wrenching photographs that documented the struggles of migrant workers during the Great Depression.  

Other work that is just as moving and which only became known later in her life are her photographs of the relocation and internment of Japanese-Americans.  At the time, the US military impounded these photographs as they were considered too critical and disparaging of the US government’s decision.  

Throughout her life, Lange struggled with the demands of being a wife and mother; her passion to be a photographer; and health issues such as bleeding ulcers and post-polio syndrome. 

Yet, through it all, her indomitable spirit is palatable—from her choice of husbands; to her critical eye and gifted hand that takes us to the depths of injustice and also reveals the hidden beauty and power of individuals; to her courage and unwillingness to let her ill health stop her from her passion of photography; to her love of huge, bold jewelry.

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Author and artist, Kathryn V. White loves well-conceived documentaries and life-affirming films.  Her most recent book, Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness, is a finalist in the 2014 Wishing Shelf Book Awards.  Find out more at: www.kathrynVwhite.com.

Here's an excerpt of the review:

"Using poetry and prose, White takes readers inside her personal journey of transformation, acceptance, and wholeness. Through the passages, White wrestles with and finds contentment with her weight, her face, her skin, and her body,particularly her thighs...

White's journey is filled with moments of joy, pain, sorrow, anger, and love, and readers--women of all ages--can use Rumble Tumble Joy to embark on their own journey of appreciation and acceptance of themselves and others..."
                 --Africa Hands, San Francisco Book Review

Read the entire review here.

                                ***

Author and artist, Kathryn V. White's most recent book, Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness, is a finalist in the 2014 Wishing Shelf Book Awards.  Find out more at: www.kathrynVwhite.com

Each week in March and the last postcard arriving in April, a little gift of joy and connection arrived in my mailbox.

Receiving these postcards, plus participating in Kat's scavenger hunt before the postcards were mailed and a blog hop for participants over the weekend of April 18, 2015 (after the post cards were received) has been a fun way to share my art and writing as well as see the cool stuff other folks are creating.  

I received art-filled postcards from artists in Connecticut, Colorado, Oregon, Florida, and the United Kingdom. I also won a beautiful calendar of Patricia Lyon-Surrey's art!

If offered again (say it will be so Kat!), I highly recommend that you take Kat's postcard swap excursion in 2016 to meet others through tangible postcards and social media. 

Connecting with others in this way makes the world smaller and bigger at the same time--and a great reminder of human kindness!

So thank you Kat and all the 2015 participants for making this an event worth remembering, sharing, and celebrating with others!

Click here to see a video of some of the art shared through the 2015 Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap. 

                                  ***

Author and artist, Kathryn V. White is now a "Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap" enthusiast. Her most recent book, Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness  was recently voted a finalist for the 2014 Wishing Shelf Book Award.  Find out more at: www.kathrynVwhite.com

Yes, my wish is that both Odin the Ferret and Rumble Tumble Joy move from finalists to winners!  Now that would make for a fantastic year. 

Will the Wishing Shelf grant my wish?

Winners are to be announced in April 2015.  Tune in to hear more...

Find out more about author and artist, Kathryn V. White at: www.kathrynVwhite.com

Run, don't walk to see the art of 39 northwest woodworking artists at the Bellevue Art Museum's Biennial (on display until March 29, 2015) as well as the haunting, exquisite ceramic works of Jason Walker (on display until March 1, 2015).

As to be expected with 39 woodworking artists—there is a broad range of themes and creations on display. For example, an immense wooden mask by Michael De Forest got me thinking of the Wizard of Oz mixed with Easter Island and allowed for a perfect photo opportunity.      

Through their eyes, a couple of Shawn Nordfors' wooden heads invite the viewer into an inner world (if you find the secret button).

William J. Whipple's whimsical, moving sculpture provides fun and play. Helga Winter's large-wooden, not-quite-spheres are painted with an Australian-aboriginal-feeling design and are also rattles. There is even a wooden piece of furniture by Aaron Levin that actually breathes in and out!

And you won't want to miss Taiji Miyasaka's and David Drake's outdoor sculpture that you can enter into and feel like you're viewing a star-filled sky. 

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Author and artist, Kathryn V. White's most recent book is Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness. Find out more at: www.kathrynVwhite.com