Disclosure: I have a creative muse crush.

Blog 30 of 30 ~ Effy Wild's Blogalong ~ Thirty Posts in Thirty Days 

Confession time.

I have a creative muse crush.

True story.

It all started when my mom came to visit back in July.

Mom and I got all crafty in my craft room.

I dug out the few Lifebook 2013 projects I wanted to work on.

One of them caught my eye.

"Artful Shamanism" with Effy Wild. 

She takes you on a meditative journey and then you create your vision as a mixed media project.

Her's was a willow tree.

Some back story - I've never been able to draw.

Or rather - I've never really tried.

I've drawn one thing in my whole life and it was a funky witch 
that I drew in 3rd grade. 
It actually won 3rd place in some contest.

My 3rd Grade Witch Drawing 

I have always carried with me the limiting belief that 

"I can't draw."

I have also been known to say

"Drawing? Oh, no. I can't. My brother, Lucas draws.

He got all of the drawing genes. 

I make jewelry and candles."

Part of the reason I took Lifebook, a year long mixed media course, was to dabble with drawing.

I hadn't drawn shit all year.

So - back to "Artful Shamanism" with Effy Wild -

I looked at her project and I thought,

"I can do that. I'm going to draw a tree."

And sure enough.

I did.

"I am The Abundance Queen" mixed media by me, Amy Riddle 

I drew an abundance tree...

I was so happy that I drew and painted a tree!

I went on to draw another tree for the 

"Artful Shamanism" project.

This is my tree of no shame. 

Lifebook 2013 Artful Shamanism with Effy Wild 

I was delighted. I drew another tree.

Who is this Effy Wild woman
that is inspiring drawing power?

I love to research, so I started looking her up.

I checked out her website, read up on her, and

she led me to an incredible art journaling book called,

"Inner Excavations" by Liz Lamoreux. 

Not only was Effy reading the book, 

but having an entire Excavate-Along.

As you read the book and do the journaling exercises, you can see what Effy has done.

Plus the author also posted a whole Excavate-Along with her.

I love this! 

 I love to work on projects with people.

It's inspiring for me to see what others are doing.

It gets me thinking and even more inspired.

I, of course, bought the book 

and started my very own Inner Excavation. 

The cover of my Inner Excavation Art Journal

While I was inner excavating, I noticed Effy was 
planning a blogalong, 

Thirty Posts in Thirty Days.

Effy Wild's Blogalong 

Well - I signed up.

I used to blog 3-5 times a week until April when I moved.

Everything stops when you move.

It was taking me forever to get back into the blogging habit.

What a perfect opportunity to get me back on the blogging train.

So, through Effy's inspiration -

I can now draw a tree, I am art journaling on a deeper level, I am blogging every single day for the blogalong -

but wait -

there's more!

More? 

Yes. More.

Another Lifebook project with Effy.

Fantastic.

I did this project a bit different than the directions.

The directions called for you to 

find a more emphatic way to talk to yourself.

I spend a lot of time doing that already.

I do morning pages, meditate, recite affirmations - 

I'm always working on me.

I wanted to work on a different aspect of me.

The first thing I did was write a letter to all of the "boyfriends" I've ever been involved with, thanking all of them for joining me on my heart's journey.

Without those experiences, I wouldn't be who I am today.

Without those experiences, I wouldn't have my fantastic relationship with Chris.

It felt so cathartic painting over all of their names, 
letting it all go.

It felt so cathartic drawing a heart, complete and whole.

LifeBook 2013 Heart Sight with Effy Wild

Thank you Effy for inspiring me on many levels.

Thank you for encouraging me to dig deeper into my core being.

Thank you for the continued inspiration of writing, drawing, creating, and being authentic. 

You rock Effy Wild. 

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse

Amy Riddle is an empowerment coach, crafter of sorts, writer,
herbalist, reverend, and all out muse.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs. 

She is a certified professional life coach with the Life Coach Institute of Orange County. 

Amy craves to inspire others to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit. 

She has an affinity for striped socks, stinging nettle, and all things faery.

Making ATCs - Artist Trading Cards

Blog 8 of 30 ~ Effy Wild's Blogalong ~ Thirty Posts in Thirty Days 

Artist Trading Cards are the size of a regular playing card...

2 1/2 by 3 1/2. 

You create art on one side, on the other side you place your information and then you swap with other artists.

I am part of an awesome group that swaps 2 ATCs monthly, 

plus birthdays!

Back in February, I posted the Artist Trading Cards 

I had received for my birthday month.

I absolutely loved getting such creations 

in the mail!

Right now, I'm on a break from making them. Sometimes I have so many passions, I end up with an unrealistic amount of creative outlets. 

However, I hope to get back into ATC creating again soon. 

I have tons of backgrounds, so it actually wouldn't be that difficult to jump back on the ATC wagon.

Earlier in the year, since I had planned on creating tons of ATCs for my group, I decided to mass produce some. 

Well, at least the backgrounds.

Here's what I did.

I took some scrapbooking sheets...

On the blank side I glued regular playing cards.

I could fit 12 per sheet. 

Next the real fun begins -

painting and decorating the backgrounds.

I used white gesso, black gesso, acrylic paints, water, paper towels, bubble wrap, foam brushes, bubble painting, 

and my fingers. 

I loved doing this. 

I just simply created 60 ATCs that are ready for their flair.

Here are some ATCs I've created this year.

Here is the 1st ATC I ever created...

and a few more I've done recently.

I love creating Artist Trading Cards. 

They are simple, fun, and the best part is....

getting them in the mail.

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
~Amy
The Magick Muse

New Book-New Journal-New Inspiration

I got a new book! I got a new book! I got a new book!

Inner Excavation by Liz Lamoreux

I love it. Just holding it in my hands makes my heart leap.

I feel good about this book.

One super cool thing about Inner Excavation is the author, Liz Lamoreux, has an amazing website where you can follow her along with the book. 

She has it broken down by chapter with blog posts and videos where she goes into detail with what she has created. 

I love that! 

How often does one get the opportunity to go through a book with the author? 

I'm in love with this book right now.

Every chapter is designed to guide you to dig deeper 

and really reflect. 

She encourages poetry and photography. 

I'm hoping that I can start writing some poetry. 

Who knows? Anything could happen. 

Here is my Inner Excavation journal.

My Inner Excavation Art Journal

I'm most excited about this journey!

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse

A Room of One's Own

Welcome to my room!

I am so loving my space. 

It is absolutely wonderful. 

It is exactly what my heart was yearning. 

I can craft. I can blog. I can read. I can paint. 

I can do whatever I want. It is my space! YES.

I yearned for it for so very long.

I have all my books, my orange couch, crafting tables...

all I need.

***************************

I drew this witch in 3rd grade. 

my Jasmine Becket-Griffith wall 

my altar

awesome poster from Handmade In America

"be cool buy craft"

my wall of degrees and certificates

"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction."

From 

"A Room of 

One's Own" 

~Virginia Woolf

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
~Amy
The Magick Muse

Kick Start Art Journaling with Sara Naumann

I'm pretty new to art journaling. 

You may recall I got an amazing journal with a crow on the front from Michael Seagle at a local artists craft show.

 It became obvious it would be my 1st art journal.

Since then, I've been having some fun and experimenting.

How perfect that an art journaling class became available to me.

http://www.saranaumann.com/

I'm really singing Sara's praises. 

She is organized and pleasant and easy to understand.

I haven't taken tons of online classes, however I'm part of a year long mixed media course and every single week is a different project presented with a different teacher, 

how-to video, and how- to PDF.

I have to say some of these videos and PDFs are 

completely shitty.

Most of the videos are just downright terrible...

plus they insert their dog or cat to make it look cute. 

Well, I'm wanting to learn techniques, not see your freakin pet.

I don't want to hear your cat meow or see your dog at the pool.

I don't want to hear your child.

If you are going to offer a course, make an attempt to make it PROFESSIONAL.

The PDFs look like a 1st grader did them.

So...anyway...now that is off my chest...

I am blown away with Sara Naumann.

Finally, someone that gets it.

Someone that is professional.

Her PDFs rock. 

I can tell her heart and soul has gone into this course.

The videos are great, her voice is pleasant and elegant.

The lessons are easy to understand.

and they present challenges as well.

Sara gets you thinking!

I love that.

I love to get my brain cells spinning. 

Week #1 was finding your mentor, or 

letting your mentor find you.

Sara gave us this incredibly inspiring website, http://achievement.org,

 chock full of leaders and visionaries. 

 As I was glancing through people I noticed Sheryl Crow...really? 

I went through a big listening phase to Ms. Crow back in 2003. 

I remember The Globe Sessions playing over and over in my condo by the lake that always 

smelled of incense and spirituality. 

I was a listener of her tunes, but I never really knew anything 

about Sheryl Crow.

I started reading about her and couldn't stop.

I was amazed to find out she has a brain tumor, but is fine.

She has fought cancer, and won.

She is creative, fierce, and beautiful.

I just love her.

I found similarities between Sheryl Crow and I.

We are both from the midwest.
We are both of Irish descent.
We are both aquarians.
We are anti-war and speak our minds.

We are both strong, independent, and 

we truly embrace who we are.

Thank you Sara Naumann!

So looking forward to more art journaling exercises.

Peace, Inspiration, & Love, 
 ~Amy 
 The Magick Muse 

Artist Trading Cards

Collection of ATCs from my Birthday Month


Are you familiar with Artist Trading Cards?
They are the size of a regular playing card...2 1/2 by 3 1/2.
You create art on one side, on the other side you place your information and then you swap with other artists.

So...this year...not only am I in "The Artist Way" book club, a mixed media class, and a blog circle...I'm also swapping ATCs with women all over the world. We normally do 2 a month...but when it's your birthday month...WHOA BABY...
we send out birthday ATCs!

After reading Vickie Martin's blog, I decided I also wanted to put together a blog post with all of the
ATCs I received my birthday month.

Here we go...get ready for some fab art
the size of a baseball card!

*********************************

 This lovely witch was created
 by Melissa Humphries
from Lake Heights, New South Wales-Australia. 

Kristen Conley from Fullerton, California

added my word of the year

Transformation.

She even drew my butterfly tat!

Elizabeth McNulty from Frankfort, Kentucky 

chose my favorite flower, the sunflower

and a beautiful butterfly.

I love the vibrant color and her handwriting is so lovely.

I just love butterflies!

This ATC came from Middleton, Wisconsin from

Karen Kohn. I love the message. 

From Teton Village, Wyoming...Carin McConaughy-Munn

created a peaceful watercolor creation.

Handmade by Sandy King from 

Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada.

I love the darker colors with the heart. 

Lovely dress from Vickie Martin in Decatur, GA.

I love the look of it...

the old sewing pattern background and the colors. 

Nice! It makes me wanna throw on a sexy dress. 

Stacey WilkBrooks from Santa Cruz, California created this card

with our theme "Glitz".

The steampunk type bird is pretty awesome.

Happy Happy Girl from 

Jean Wagner of Everett, Washington. 

I dig her pigtails and rosy cheeks. 

This awesome creation is from Janine Whitling, Highgate Hill, Queensland, Australia. I always love everything she does.

Sue Grilli from Monroe, Georgia created this 

beautiful watercolor piece. 

The pink flowers make me happy. 

LaDonna Davis, Los Angeles, California 

had a special present in the flowered envelope. 

I pulled out a heart!

These two arrived on the same day and 

looked so similar to one another. 

The one on the left is from Ciarrai Samson

 from Leeds, United Kingdom. The blue is so relaxing. 

The beauty on the right is from Lynn Sweeney Bedwell 

of Salisbury, New Hampshire. 

"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do." ~Rumi

Okay, so this is not an actual ATC from my group. 

Chris drew it and hid it in a book I was reading for me to find. 

I think it's pretty freakin' cool and it's the same size as an ATC!

ATCs are fun to make and are super addicting. I feel they are challenging as well, because you are so limited in the amount of space you have to create. 

I now love going to the mailbox!

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse

I found my first art journal.

Last Saturday was the Local Artist Craft Show...

it was not the most financially rewarding show...

hardly a person showed up...

but there were other benefits.

I met some cool creative folks.

One of them is a gentleman named Michael Seagle. 

I oogled and cooed at his table all day long.

Michael's creations have a unique look...kind of that of Sid's toys from "Toy Story"...they are twisted, dark, and fun.

Need a nightlight? 

This was my favorite notebook.

I ended up with the Nevermore notebook...

I couldn't help myself. 

I was so drawn to it.

I got home and stared at it...

then a lightbulb went off in my head...

this will be my first art journal.

I've started a few pages and it is fun, therapeutic, 

and quite addicting. 

I have discovered it is absolutely perfect for the exercises

in "The Artist's Way" book. 

I'm looking forward to some create time...

I'm craving more art journaling. 

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Spirit Dancer