WHEN:  9 sessions throughout this summer - full schedule below
WHERE:  on Zoom
COST: $15 per session, or all 9 sessions for $125
HOW:  Get registered here.

DETAILS:  Join me as we gather for summertime community and connection and take a fun dive into all things gel plate. These sessions will be a mix of summer camp art table vibes.  In each session, I'll demo a variety of gel plate techniques for you, and there will be time for you to practice and ask questions. We'll chat and create together and have a little time to show off our creations before we say goodbye.  It wouldn't be summer camp without some games and fun, so watch for a little of that sprinkled in too!

These sessions will have something to offer for gel plate newbies as well as seasoned print-pullers.  All skill levels welcome.  Lots of alternative supplies and techniques will be offered, so you don't have to have the "perfect" pile of supplies to join us.

Join us for community, creativity, and FUN!! 

PLEASE NOTE:  If a session does not meet a minimum of participants, it will be cancelled.  So please GET REGISTERED for the sessions you want to attend so I can keep them on the calendar!

Check your time zone!  Times shown are Pacific.

Friday sessions are at 10:30am
Tuesday sessions are at 4:30pm
​Thursday sessions are at 6:30pm

SUPPLIES:  DO NOT WORRY if you have only the very basics. The main intentions behind these gatherings are having fun and creating in community.

​THE BASICS:

• plain white copy or drawing paper
• acrylic paint
• gel plate (any size)
• brayer

OPTIONAL EXTRAS:

• variety of paper: tissue paper or tea bag paper, colored paper, junk mail, wrapping paper, pages from old books, packing paper, kids homework or coloring book pages (not necessarily ALL of these, just some!)
• magazines with images you like (my best results have come from higher quality magazines like Vogue, Cosmopolitan, wedding magazines, etc)
• stencils
• bubble wrap
• cardstock or thin cardboard
• rubber or foam stamps
• mark making tools (some ideas: kids toys, comb, cotton swabs, string or yarn, textured fabric like burlap or old doilies, corrugated cardboard, buttons, leaves and flowers, palette knife, kitchen tools)
• thin plastic sheets like page protectors or overhead projector sheets

A more detailed supply list will be emailed after you register, including suggestions and my fave tools and supplies.

After every group session during a Seeds of Connection group cycle, I send out an email with notes and resources that were used or shared.  Last night, we had a fabulous group, with a goldmine of resources.  I thought I would collect them here to share with both the group members of this Hummingbird Cycle, and also with others who might be curious about what goes on in Seeds of Connection.

In every group session, we draw a card from one of my oracle or tarot decks and use it as a launching point for discussion and then as a prompt for art journaling.  The deck I used yesterday is a favorite - it's called Coastal Curiosities Oracle deck, created by Lennox Rees.  We drew this card - Hidden.  One question I found particularly interesting - which side of the gate am I on?  Am I on the outside, wanting to be let in?  Or on the inside, keeping something out?

You are the bread and the knife,
          The crystal goblet and the wine...
                -Jacques Crickillon


You are the bread and the knife,
the crystal goblet and the wine.
You are the dew on the morning grass
and the burning wheel of the sun.
You are the white apron of the baker,
and the marsh birds suddenly in flight.

However, you are not the wind in the orchard,
the plums on the counter,
or the house of cards.
And you are certainly not the pine-scented air.
There is just no way that you are the pine-scented air.

It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge,
maybe even the pigeon on the general's head,
but you are not even close
to being the field of cornflowers at dusk.

And a quick look in the mirror will show
that you are neither the boots in the corner
nor the boat asleep in its boathouse.

It might interest you to know,
speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,
that I am the sound of rain on the roof.

I also happen to be the shooting star,
the evening paper blowing down an alley
and the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table.
​
I am also the moon in the trees
and the blind woman's tea cup.
But don't worry, I'm not the bread and the knife.
You are still the bread and the knife.
You will always be the bread and the knife,
not to mention the crystal goblet and--somehow--the wine.

​a spell to cast upon meeting a stranger, comrade or friend working for social and/or environmental justice and liberation:

you are a miracle walking
i greet you with wonder
in a world which seeks to own
your joy and your imagination
you have chosen to be free,
every day, as a practice.
i can never know
the struggles you went through to get here,
but i know you have swum upstream
and at times it has been lonely

i want you to know
i honor the choices you made in solitude
and i honor the work you have done to belong
i honor your commitment to that which is larger than yourself
and your journey
to love the particular container of life
that is you
​
you are enough
your work is enough
you are needed
your work is sacred
you are here
and i am grateful​

It's day 26 of the 100 Day Project.

Or is is day 27?  Holy crap, maybe it's even day 28.  I know for sure that it's not day 30, because if it were, I'd be doing a check-in with Andrea and BB. 

Soooooo.....that's my 100 Day Project current moment snapshot.  I'm not even totally sure what day I'm on.  Because somewhere between the Day 20 check-in that we did (as part of #100DaysWithABC), and today, I've sorta stalled out.

It's been weighing on me, but not in TOO terrible a way.  I've been able to come back to my Day 1 commitments: to be gentle to myself, to give myself grace, to remember that this is supposed to be a chance for FUN and a daily dose of creativity, NOT 100 Days of Beating Myself Up.

I think I'm doing a pretty good job of reminding myself:  

​So what is this information telling me?  That's what I want to figure out.  So I sat down to do some journaling and self reflection, and as with so much of this project, it is both challenging and also enlightening.  When I can stay in gentle, mindful self study, it's actually really helpful and offers a lot of insight that I can apply not just to this creative project, but to so many other aspects of my life.

Maybe you are also feeling a little stuck, stalled out, de-railed, or paused.  Need some help gathering information?  Let's go!

(a.k.a. let’s figure out what flavor of stuck this is)

You don’t need to answer all of these. Let one or two tap you on the shoulder.  Then take a few minutes to free write your answers.  (new to free writing?  There's a quick definition and some tips at the bottom of this post) 
​

• What's coming up for me when I think about feeling  stuck and returning to this project?
• What was happening the first day(s) that I missed participating?
• If I had to name the first resistance (not the most logical one), what is it?
• Does this feel like “I can’t” or “I don’t want to”?
• What part of this project currently feels too heavy, too vague, or too rigid?
• What am I afraid will happen if I do it badly today?
• Where have I quietly raised the bar without admitting it?
• Does my current life have the capacity for how I originally designed this?

Here are some categories I've identified that seem to be many of the basic reasons someone might stall out or subconsciously push pause.  There are probably many more, but these are a starting point.  

Take what you've written and re-read it.  (be sure you aren't wearing your judge-y pants!)  Just notice themes, words that reappear frequently, emotions that are simmering under the words, or common threads.  Do they fit into any of these categories?  (and if they don't, maybe a different category comes up for you, that's great information!)

1. Loss of Spark (a.k.a. the Middle is Boring AF)
The beginning had novelty. The end has payoff.
The middle is… oatmeal.

• Not hard, not impossible—just weirdly dull
• No dopamine hit anymore

2. Misalignment / Drift
What felt right on Day 1 might not fit Day 42-you.

• The project evolved… but your “rules” didn’t
• You’ve outgrown your own container

3. Too Many Micro-Decisions
This is like decision fatigue’s annoying cousin.  Not big overwhelm—just death by 1,000 tiny choices.

• “What should I make today?”
• “What counts?”
• “Where do I even start?”

4. Invisible Rules / Perfectionism in Disguise
You've told yourself that you're to be messy… but secretly you don't believe it.

• “It has to be meaningful”
• “It should look like X by now”
• “I can’t phone it in”
• "It doesn't look like everyone else's."

5. Disconnection from Why
You started for a reason… but you’ve lost the thread.

• It feels like obligation instead of devotion
• You’re showing up out of habit, not desire
• Your "why" has changed. (spoiler alert:  that's allowed!)

6. Energy Mismatch / Real Life Shows Up
Your project asks for a version of you that doesn’t exist today.

• Requires focus but you’re fried
• Requires emotion but you’re numb
• Requires time you don’t currently have

7. Fear of Being Seen (or Not Seen)
A spicy paradox, sometimes with a side order of imposter syndrome.

• “What if people judge this?”
• “What if no one cares?
• "It will never look like theirs."

8. Being a Lone Wolf
Or maybe a Sad Panda?  Either way, doing it solo can SUCK big time.

• "No one cares whether I do this or not."
• Wishing you had some company or someone to show off to (just a little)
• Wanting some external validation of your efforts (not a bad thing at all!!)
• Wishing for a pep talk or some cheerleading, or someone to bounce ideas off of

Ok, we've gathered some info.  We've begun to identify the roots of the pause.  Let's shift into revving back up again.

If it’s emotional (avoidance, fear, comparison, loneliness):

• What would make this feel 10% safer to show up to?
• What is the lowest-stakes version of today’s participation?
• Does anything change if I decide to show no one what I'm working on?
• What does the world's most encouraging "art bestie" voice have to say about this?
• Where can I find some community and art pals to help keep me going?

If it’s structural (your rules are the problem):

• What rule can I break today without the project collapsing?
• If I redesigned this project for my current life, what would change?
• What counts as “done” if I make it wildly easier?

If it’s capacity (energy/time mismatch):

• What version of this fits in 5 minutes?
• What would “showing up while exhausted” look like?
• Can I make a placeholder instead of a masterpiece?
• Would it be easier to do my project in a different location or with different materials?

If it’s disconnection (lost your why):

• Why did I start this, really?
• What part of this still feels alive, even a tiny bit?
• What's different for me now than at the beginning?
• What part of continuing feels sparkly to me?
• If I let this project evolve, what is it trying to become?

If it’s boredom / middle slump:

• How can I make this weirder?
• What would surprise me?
• Can I introduce a constraint or a wildcard?
• Who can I reach out to for a pep talk?

This entire post was (selfishly) created for ME and shared with you in hope that it is helpful if you are also feeling stuck.  No shame circle, no judge-y pants.  Just me reminding myself and  you:  a pause is not a personality flaw.

It's not about catching up, it’s about finding my spark and re-engaging in a way that feels good to me.

So if you’ve drifted away from your project for a few days (or a few weeks), here’s your permission slip:

You don’t have to catch up.
You don’t have to make it good.
You don’t even have to make it make sense.

This is your invitation to just touch it again.

MY ANSWER:
Feeling proud of myself for getting this far in.  Definitely feeling connected and grateful to my community of Andrea & Brooke as we are doing this together. I'm feeling more connected to my new(ish-to me) art space and having more reasons to be in the space and creating.  I'm also feeling pressure at times and sometimes a little anxiety about making sure to keep up.  I'm able to stay out of guilt and negativity on the days when I have needed a break, and that feels a little surprising and also really great to give myself the grace and kindness that I had committed to.

I do my best to avoid participating in capitalism in ways that line the pockets of businesses and bazillionaires with questionable practices (like actively harming lgbtqia+ folks, exploitative labor practices, ruining the planet, etc) so I avoid Hobby Lobby, Michael's, Amazon, etc as much as possible. 

We have a Goodwill Outlet about 7 minutes from our house here in Everett, and I love digging in the bins.  If you aren't familiar with the Goodwill Outlet, it's different than typical Goodwill stores.  The outlet is the place where everything that doesn't get sold on the floor at the local Goodwills (in our case, most of them in Snohomish County and some North Seattle too) gets sent for one last chance for a treasure hunter to snatch it up.  Everything is dumped (and I mean this literally) into big, table sized, waist-high bins that shoppers can dig through.  All items are sold by weight.  So it's a great deal and a fun way to treasure hunt, but it is truly barely a step above dumpster diving! We love "digging in the bins" and I find some of the best stuff there.  I also hit up other local thrift shops (like the Assistance League), estate sales, and watch my local Buy Nothing group for cool stuff. 

I took pics recently of a while bunch of my mask & stencil goodies so I could share with you a bit of this collection of unique-to-me artful tools. Finding cool tools thrifted is almost a hobby all by itself.  One of the things I love best about it is that the things I use to create texture and pattern in my art making are often completely one-of-a-kind. It's fun to have stuff that I know no one else will be using!  When I can't find things second hand, I usually try to look for independent and small sellers, like Joggles and Stencil Girl 

These were from a huge set of wall stencils that I found in the bins.  It was originally an ocean scene with several stencils intended for layering, featuring coral, fish, kelp, and other underwater things.  I didn't want anything recognizable, so I cut them into smaller pieces, purposely cutting across the middle of fish and other objects to break them up, but keep the interesting organic shapes.  Once I'd done that, there was quit a bit of edge pieces of the stencil material, so I used that to cut free form shapes that felt interesting.

These were packets of things I found that were intended for use in scrapbooking or other kinds of crafting or card making.  The feathers were metallic cardstock and had dimensional sticky foam on the backs that I removed so they would lay flat.  The scrapbooking elements are die cut cardstock.  When I used the various words, I layer them over each other in lots of ways, so often you can't really read the individual words.  I like the look of the fonts and letters in my art, and I'm often using only a small portion of the paper that gets printed.  These are more elements that will build up fun colors as paint accumulates and then can later be used as embellishment in your work.

Are you old enough to remember when teachers used overhead projectors in the classroom?  I was lucky enough to find an entire box of blank overhead projector sheets at an estate sale and I knew I'd be making some masks and stencils with them!  The stone shapes were drawn freehand and I love using them to create cairn type arrangements. The designs in the other pics were all drawn by me, using a sharpie or acrylic paint marker.  For the knot-type shapes and simple funky rings, I drew the shape and used a wide chisel tip to go over it to get it as wide as I wanted them to be and then cut using scissors + X-acto blade.  The sigils were created based on words and phrases that I wanted to incorporate into my art, so each one has a special and unique meaning.  This link gives some basic info about sigils and is close to the method I used to create mine. The knot shapes are something I doodle frequently.  I love having things like this that are highly personal and show up in different ways throughout my art making, giving even deeper layers of meaning and personalization!

I used gingko leaves I collected and photocopied them so that I could reduce and enlarge the sizes.  This way, I could get the true gingko leaf shape, rather than relying on my memory.  I liked being able to make some bigger and smaller, and then once I ran the copies, I used carbon paper to trace around the leaf shapes.  You'll notice I left the top of the paper that was pulled out of a bound notebook, because it adds more shape and texture when using as a stencil.  I also saved both the positive and negatives (so the masks and stencils) to use.  I don't worry about cutting through and leaving a line in some of my stencil shapes - the X-acto can start to hurt my hand and the stencil not being perfect doesn't bother me.  In order to get true, nice monstera leaf shapes, I laid plain paper under the leaves of my plant (still attached!) and traced around them with a marker.  If you don't have access to fun, tropical leaves, take some paper and a marker to Home Depot or a nursery near you and trace some of their plants! Then I used the copier to enlarge/reduce the monstera leaves to get a variety of sizes.

The foam sheets were hand cut into these funky shapes that match a shape I doodle frequently.  They are sticky-backed, so once I'm done using them on my gel plate, they'll be an easy embellishment for an art journal.  With the foam, you can also use a ball point pen or a poky tool to etch texture onto the surface, which will show in your print making.  The teacher tools are something that featured the entire alphabet.  I knew that the lamination would make them resist the paint and be a nice stencil/mask surface.  I hand cut these simple flower shapes with scissors and use both the positive/negative images. You can't really tell in the photo, but the circles are just cut into from the sides, no X-acto knife (hurty hands, remember?)  I found a bottle of dimensional glue and was actually trying to do something completely different with it (that didn't work) when I discovered that it dried really nicely on cardboard and I loved the seed pod shapes that I accidentally made.  The window clings are another surface type that resists paint nicely and you can often find lots of different shapes, or you could cut pre-made shapes into something more unique to you.

The craft kit pieces are made of crepe paper so they have a very interesting texture.  This is something else I love about digging in the Goodwill Outlet bins - want the leaf pieces in the craft kit, but not the rest of it?  Take out what you want and throw the rest back in the bin!  The nice thing about these leaves is that the wire allows them to be bent into shapes and makes them very easy to lift up off the gel plate when I'm done pulling a print.  The mystery plastic thinga-ma-bob actually came in a package about about 50 and I grabbed around 10.  I have no idea what it was supposed to be for, but the X shapes pop out and can be used as masks and the remaining square then makes a great stencil.

These hot glue shapes are super fun and easy to make.  I use silicone baking mats (also pulled out of the bins) and my hot glue gun and create all kinds of fun shapes.  I have lots like these flowers, but also big, sheet-sized stencils in random patterns.  Once the glue cools, you can peel it off the mat and use it on the gel plate.  If you don't have a silicone mat dedicated to art'ing, I've heard that freezer paper also works pretty well.

If I could make one request to everyone I know who is out there making art and getting creative:  PLEASE DON'T purchase paper new.  We need the trees (and water and other resources) more and there is SO MUCH PAPER out there in our world already.  I use lots of paper that is headed to the landfill or recycle bins.  Sources I find/use:  coloring book pages, old textbooks, graph and notebook paper, old homework pages, sheet music, cookbook pages, packing paper, office papers, posters, junk mail, outdated manuals for appliances, old employee handbooks....seriously this list could go on for a VERY long time!

Old books with outdated material are a great place to find cool diagrams, random drawings, or just text that often gets covered over.  Dig through your kitchen junk drawer, save the packing and wrapping paper that makes its way into your house.  I love finding old notebooks with handwriting or notes from years and decades before.  When I go into Seattle, I look for the phone posts with thick layers of posters and find the outdated ones and pull off big stacks of colorful printed and lettered paper.   I like the layered look of text and writing and little imagery peeking through.  And many times, if you are pulling gel plate prints, all of it gets covered up anyway!

These are the prompts that I came up with for Day 1 of the 100 Days Project, with my answers posted below.  If you want to, take a minute to write out some thoughts for yourself. I liked the idea of getting some of these things out of my brain and onto paper so that I could move forward confidently.

Today, Andrea, Brooke, and I went LIVE for our first check-in on Instagram for our 100 Days With ABC.  Check out the replay here if you missed us live.  If you want emailed reminders about the days we are going live (every 10 days), as well as other random ideas, inspo, and cheerleading, you can add yourself here.

You can comment here on the blog post, or over on Instagram if you want to share your answers to any of these questions.  I'd love to hear what you are doing for the 100 Days Project if you're participating, and anything else you feel like sharing.  If you're playing along with us, you can add the hashtag #100DaysWithABC. 

MY ANSWER:
What it means to me this time around is a commitment to myself and my creativity, a commitment to my friends to show up and be there for them as well throughout our check ins, and a commitment to my community of other creatives who are on this journey of tapping in to our beautiful artist selves!

What it does NOT mean:  performing (especially performing perfection), doing all 100 days, having some kind of finished project or collection, creating polished posts, emails or content.

MESSY and AUTHENTIC are 2 words that I wrote down that feel like important guides for participating across these 100 days.

The 100 Days Project starts this Sunday and I'm planning to participate!

In the past, I've barely made it through 10 days.  I tend to get very all-or-nothing, and give up when I miss a day or two.  This year, I'm giving myself the gift of doing it WITH FRIENDS to help keep me engaged and accountable.

My pals Andrea Chebeleu and BB Henry (the 'A' and 'B' to my 'C' - aren't we clever??!!?? lol) and I will be cheering each other on, sharing ideas, helping each other make it through the tough days, and just generally doing the 100 Days Project together, in community.

Because, ya know what's better than making cool arty stuff??  Doing it with other RAD humans!!!

Maybe you want to give it a go with us.  We'll be going live on Instagram every 10 days for a check-in and you're invited to play and create right along with us. #100DaysWithABC
​
I'll be sending out some reminder emails and I'm thinking there might be some fun happy mail on offer for folks who are participating.  I'm still noodling on ideas to make it fun for me AND you, but also to keep it doable and accessible (and not let the so-many-big-ideas gremlins get me carried away).  So definitely stay tuned!

I'm still deciding what exactly my "project" will be.  Right now, I'm leaning toward doing something with my gel plate and COLOR, and I have a few ideas, but more to come!  I know Andrea has a fun plan involving creativity DICE and making some spontaneous combos, and I think BB is planning to work in some simple art journals.  

The bottom line is that what I really want is just to HAVE FUN and get myself creating and showing up consistently.

Here's a great article on Tips & Tools for Creating a Successful 100 Days Project.  Spoiler alert:  one thing that is recommended is to do it IN COMMUNITY!!

Most of the live check-ins will be at noon (PT).  But we have a few that are different to accommodate our schedules.  All of them will stay up on Instagram and you'll be able to view them later if you can't make it live.  All times are Pacific.

• Sunday, Feb 22 @ noon
• Tuesday, March 3 @ noon
• Friday, March 13 @ 10am
• Monday, March 23 @ noon
• Thursday, April 2 @ noon
• Sunday, April 12 @ 3pm
• Wednesday, April 22 @ 9am
• Saturday, May 2 @ noon
• Tuesday, May 12 @ noon
• Friday, May 22 @ noon
• Monday, June 1 @ noon​

​Wanna do something slightly more productive than doom scrolling and screaming into the void?  Come hang out with us at Art Church.  The vibe of Art Church is chill community making time.  I'll bring something to each Art Church gathering for us to do together - previous sessions have included pulling cards for everyone or found word poetry, or an art or journaling exercise, or a simple follow-along type project.   Nothing will require any specific supplies, and it's 100% opt-in.  So if you just want to chill and watch or work on your own thing, or join the call for the later portion, that's just fine!

Loose schedule goes a little something like:

• First 15 minutes:  arriving, chatting, checking in
• 30-45 minutes for exercise/activity
• 1 hour for art'ing on your own project, chatting, etc.

If you'd like to skip the structured bits completely, plan to join the call about an hour after our start time.  People work on all kinds of stuff during Art Church - sewing, knitting, art journals, organizing their work space, making soup....it's all happened during Art Church!

The next dates for Art Church are:

• March 8 @ 11am (PT)
  ​
• April 12 @ 11am (PT)
  
  
• May 17 @ 10am (PT)

Want more info about Art Church?  Here's a blog post I wrote about it.

Art Church is not religious or affiliated with any faith tradition.  The idea is that art and creativity are inherently beautiful, joyful, and sacred and that doing them together in community with others is a spiritual and revolutionary act.  Join us no matter what you believe.....as long as you believe in MAKING shit.