Category Archives: inspiration for the uninspired


flower fairies


it was an absolutely beautiful day here today, african winds bringing the sun…  my girl and i went for a walk this morning, in search of flower fairies hiding here and there. living in the land of fae is certainly a bonus.  i’m so absolutely in love with them- and will be on the search for more throughout the week.. possibly something else up my sleeve with them.

and what a great project to do with your kids. to get you all outside, and engaged with each other and nature.. looking around to see what is blossoming in season… finding colour, shapes, textures. identifying plants- and using imagination to put all of the found treasures together. a must must, for yourself- with your kids. just because.
*it’d be sweet to press and frame some for keeping…


today, our hearts are full… our cheeks are sun kissed, and our hair smells freshly whipped by the cool wind.
so excited to be on the look out for more fairies this week, i’d love to see what the flower fairies that live around you look like…

By edarcy | Also posted in {daily} | Comments (4)

heart mobile {craft}

in the valentine’s day package my mama sent- she included this sweet heart mobile that she made…

i’m in love with it.. with how simple it is to make, and how the possibilities are endless… it adds just an extra little touch of magic to your space. bright and cheerful.
whenever claire has a room of her own, i plan on hanging this one in there


a quick search will bring you lots of different ideas to play around with – and, it’d be the perfect free afternoon craft with kids

go outside and look for twigs to use..
find old wire hangers to bend into circles, use an old wooden embroidery hoop.
find some yarn, bakers twine, embroidery thread, sewing thread
cut out some magazines, some cardboard, some fabric, some fimo clay
use some goodies gathered on your nature walk
string it all together and hang it up, and make another to send to someone to brighten their day and their space with your magic and love.

By edarcy | Comments (2)

disconnect to reconnect

the internet stopped. dropped. failed. wouldn’t connect. right in the middle of typing up an e-mail back to a friend. argh! trying to reconnect… restart. fix fix fix please?!
check back…
nope.
make tea.
check back…
nope.
damn it!
okay.. so, internet less.. i guess i should DO something. what a notion.

wow… yep. that’s all i needed. three hours without access to the internet- and two paintings spill forth…
now i’m dreaming about what i could do if i had a studio space where i have no access to the internet. just something to listen to music from, space for inspiration stuff. endless paper, canvas, paint, my favourite three paintbrushes…

it’d be even better if this studio space was a tiny little cabin- with the most beautiful scenery around so i could stroll and breathe.

one day.

*trying to organize my stuff… get new stuff posted to etsy. order more shipping material. finally order some prints in… get my act together.*

i think i need to find a way to discipline myself to disconnect…

By edarcy | Comments (5)

get creative: use what you’ve got

after i made my paper heart garlands i realised that i could also make some buntings! i kept putting these gorgeous fabric bunting ideas into my wish list to make-once i have a sewing machine. but then i realized–i can make some right now with what i have!
while my server was down- i saw that someone else was making them too.

so easy.
and! i hear that plenty of people at home are stuck inside with snow days… this would be a perfect little project for the kids to do.

get some paper- i used magazines. newspaper would be gorgeous. printer paper and crayons.. craft paper. whatever you have
scissors.
string. i used yarn that i had left over.
tape (a stapler would work too)

alternatively.. felt sheets and hot glue gun would be lovely

get creative with what you’ve got! no excuses necessary

By edarcy | Also posted in {daily} | Comments (5)

get creative with creating

taking a moment really quickly to thank you all for your kindness and support. the images are now being shared on parenting.com.  (my website was overwhelmed with the amount of people and had to take a two day break. pfft!)
i truly feel like there has been a door opened to this platform i have been dreaming of. it’s always been in the back of my mind- that all i want to do is reach one woman. that all i want to do is reach young women before it all starts. and, with your help… we’re doing it. we’re changing the way we want society to feel about women. changing the way we judge ourselves and others. thank you… for opening your mind and seeing that possibility.

i didn’t expect to start now. i just asked my husband to take a picture for me…. i just happened to be wearing massive knickers at that moment. hahaha! oh. totally keeping it real over here.

ahem!
———–

i’m revelling in the fact that i’ve gotten a project done! well, one teensy tiny little easy portion of a major project anyway. but still, progress.

having my hands full of baby all the time. i mean, all the time. (i’ve been typing this for the past hour and a half.. and now with one hand)
i’m starting to juggle finding that little sweet spot moment when you can do something for yourself. that feels productive. that has nothing to do with folding a mountain of clothes.

clothes just get dirty again. pfft to that!

so what i’ve found is that i need to start playing in other creative mediums. it’s hard for me to get my paints out- it just doesn’t work.. but- digital drawing on the tablet while she naps… no mess, no fuss. can stop or start at any time.  and yesterday, embroidering while nursing her, swaying her, and putting her to sleep in the ergo. yeah. how cool is that?! i’ll go ahead and say that i was burning calories too, because i was moving around. hahaha!

i’ve had this idea for a long time coming- a quilt with a story for claire. while i was pregnant i began embroidering one piece, a baby surrounded by a blue orb- like how i dreamt of her.

a week after her birth, i did her footprints (they didn’t do it in the hospital after her birth like most people get). i didn’t have an ink pad, so instead used a tube of watercolour paint on the bottom of her foot, and pressed it to my sketch book.  all about improvising.

anyway, i knew i wanted her footprints for this quilt idea.

such an easy project to do- even if you don’t consider yourself artistic or crafty.

how i did it:
lay piece of muslin cloth over your design- i used a watercolour pencil to trace it. i would have used any pencil.
stretch fabric in hoop
thread needle with embroidery floss
follow. the. lines.  (i used a split stitch)
really really.

pop your baby in your carrier. stand up and rock and sway and nurse if necessary- all the while threading needle in and out of hoop. ta-daa!
took about ten minutes total, and i have a piece of her story, handmade… for her fingers to trace along years and years from now.

another idea i’m loving and planning on doing at some point is this embroidered family hands piece.

nothing stopping this mama from creating. just have to play in different mediums.

what are you working on these days, or what projects are you lusting to try?

By edarcy | Also posted in motherhood, {daily} | Comments (2)

paper heart

i have a tiny stack of magazines. anthropologie and some other..fantastically eye candy.. clothing magazine. anyway. i don’t really buy magazines like i used to- but have always looooved them for cutting up. these ones were going to be thrown out a few weeks ago. but i kept them. SEE? my hoarding problems are totally winning. i knew that they’d come into good use for SOMETHING.

la la la

so i began cutting out hearts.

i keep seeing all of these garlands and banners- and it makes me desperate for a sewing machine… and then i found a way to cheat.

perfect for the kiddies on a rainy afternoon.
what you need: magazines/paper (newspaper would be beautiful. could even watercolour it…)
string. i used embroidery floss. hell.. floss floss would work! just not candy floss. that’s for munching.
tape.
voilà!

bird poop on the outside of the window is optional, but i feel adds a rustic aesthetic to it.

By edarcy | Also posted in domesticity | Comments (7)

welcoming the ugly

{lessons from the creative}

in december i was not only flooded with a new surge of hormones (that i had yet to discover)
i was also flooded with this overwhelming guilt. overwhelmingly overwhelmed. feeling like i had so many people that i needed to please… afraid i’d let them down. and i did let them down. i closed myself down. i stopped. i took on too much- much more than i thought i could handle- simply because i didn’t want to disappoint. i let myself down. i crawled into a safe cocoon. hibernated. and stayed far far away from my paints. i was not inspired…and i was also afraid to be- because what if my image wasn’t what they wanted? even when people say they trust your artistic vision, when you’re creating for a client- you have to find out what their vision is, put your style on it, and make it work for them. ultimately- it’s their artistic vision that you have to find, and that’s no easy feat.

any time i did try to pick the paper and pencil up, my body would tense up… fear of failure.. fear of not being good enough. of not knowing how. of wasting supplies. making mistakes. making ugly.

–

yesterday, after picking up my watercolour pad… sharpening my pencil. i began. with no intentions. no purpose. no thoughts. no one in mind. nothing in mind. i erased and started over. and over. and over. but i was answering to no one. i had no one to show it to. it didn’t matter if nothing came of it.. no agenda.

and i drew. a woman came. and i painted her.

sigh

she lifted me up. pushed me. i took my time, letting the paper sit between different stages…and more and more came.

looking at them now, today- i can see the difference in when i started her and when i worked on the other girls.

the first one has rougher lines, more defined. less flowy- more intent.

a starting point…
ahhhh like a breath of fresh air. so wonderful and tasty. drunk deep.
the next girls that came-

… and then it was going on 3am. i was already tired. so tired. but i had another girl sketched… afraid that if i left her like that- i’d wake up in the morning and not be able to finish her. that it’d all be lost.

so i tried…

and i messed her up.

but instead of being frustrated with it… i felt so okay. i laughed at myself… i learned something. it felt different. i knew i should have trusted my instincts with her, left- and gone to bed and waited until the day before working. instead her face turned to painted mud, and it was the first time that i didn’t feel like i wasted paper. it felt good to make that mistake. to make the ugly.

it feels like i faced a fear.
a breakthrough…

i sat in the shower thinking about what it all meant. pleased with myself… proud of myself. confiding in steven that i don’t know how to be an artist and a business woman. and that most times- i don’t want to be. it’s so amazing to have people who support me, who believe in me… having my artwork hang in houses all over the world (i think the farthest away so far has been australia) is beyond words… incredible. something that i created hangs in a family home that is not my own, that isn’t my parents… someone else who believes in me and loves what i do.

sometimes you think about it all- and are so so very grateful. and other times you think about it all, and realise that you’ve got crushing anxiety, expectations, deadlines, fast moving lanes… i know it’s a learning process. figuring out how to be a creative and a business. finding people you trust to help you along the way.

and also.. forgetting everyone. forgetting everything.

and just creating.

wasting supplies. making mistakes. making ugly.

By edarcy | Also posted in inspiration | Comments (7)

{inspired} part four

sometimes it’s all about confidence.

they say that if you are in a bad mood- and force yourself to smile- you can actually improve your mood and clear away that negative energy.

…i’m not so great about faking it.

mood. confidence. anything.

i am driven by my emotions (which i love.. but also. woah. crazy town. calm down..)

but most times our work is driven by confidence (who am i kidding, everything is). whether you are a writer, photographer, musician, whatever it is that you do… confidence in yourself, in your craft, in your ability- and in the final product makes you more productive, and inspires you to continue on.

you have a bad day at a shoot, nothing went to plan and the light was really bad…
you go through a dry spell… you feel nothing- you can’t seem to get out of it…

it all throws you off.

your muse has flourished with someone else, and left her favourite seat in your house dusty and depressing.

you pick through paintings, pictures, books…wishing you could figure out how they did it. hating your style and wanting theirs…

you start to think that maybe it’d be different if you had _____.
gone to an art school
better equipment
cute clothes
money
a designated studio
(fill in le blank with your own excuse.. that i am sure we all have used.)

remind yourself that:

we all have to start out at some point.
there is always someone better than you, and someone worse.
this is a phase, a natural cycle.. and this too shall pass
the more you work.struggle.fight for something- the more rewarding it is in the end.
someone already admires the work you do… (really. i promise. it might surprise you-but it’s true)

believe in yourself, in your talent, in your work- so others can believe in you too. (which is so easier said than done… it’s a process…)

now pick yourself up off of the floor.

find someone you admire online- and go through their archives and see where they began. it’s hilarious, and such sweet medicine. oh god is it ever good… (just don’t go through mine. pretty please. eep!)

you see where they started.. and how it was… well. not so great. and you see the time line of a year.. two years… and how far it has taken them.

and then i want you to go through your own ‘archives’ -old journals that make you cringe, but realise how much you have changed in the years… photos you took that you can’t believe you charged money for…one of the first paintings you ever did that you loved.

and then you’ll see the growth. the story. the progression.

and if that doesn’t work in building some confidence in your craft?

call a friend and go to the movies.
pick up something you have never tried before and do it
bake some brownies. they can be special if that helps…
look up people you went to highschool with and make fun of them. (i’m kidding.. kind of. not really kidding at all..)

the point is.. do something that makes you feel good. do something for yourself. do something to pass the time instead of dwelling on it. just. do. something.

and before you know it

a little peak in confidence, and that controlling little muse will be pounding on your doorstep begging you to spend time with her.

(can you tell that i threw a hissy fit recently over my lack of muse? ha! she came back…like she always does.)

erin darcy design

the minx.

*drawing names tomorrow night for the giveaway/swap*

By edarcy | Also posted in inspiration, {daily} | Comments (3)

{inspired} part three

i thought i might share what i love, and use when i create!

tools of the trade

so simple. see?

you don’t need anything fancy… you don’t need to spend tons of money on things. think outside the box. think simple. use what you have…

(of course the lovely things are always nice to have though, aren’t they?!)

so to begin-

composition notebooks- i love them because they are cheap. they don’t stress me out. i can do whatever in one without feeling like it has to be perfect. like i am wasting. plus– i like that they are lined, because sometimes a vast whiteness freaks me out and i can’t do anything. (using brown paper is also a good alternative to that scary white perfection) so they are perfect for journalling, and doodling, and sketching out greatness.
: )

watercolour paper- my faaaavourite paper is strathmore 400 series watercolour paper. now. i don’t know much about papers- i don’t know the difference between hot press and cold press watercolour papers. all i know is i have painted on really expensive paper and hated it… painted on really cheap paper and loved it. and painted on some medium range ones and felt blaaah.   but this paper has been so perfect and beautiful every time. i love it. (this paper is quite affordable. especially if you have a momma who buys in bulk when a sale is on at michaels arts and craft store. she’s the best.)

watercolour pencils- i have had this set of general’s kimberly watercolour pencils for a looooong time. i got a set of 12 from my aunt in a birthday present one year. it took me ages to really discover how amazing they are. and so, i still have the same set- and use them every.single.time.  i know that there are plenty of really expensive watercolour sets out there (which i have never used. so i have no idea if they are super amazingly better) but this set is very affordable… and i happen to absolutely LOVE them. get them…

erin darcy photography

i recommend watercolour pencils to everyone who wants to try water colouring, but is afraid of them- can’t let go with them… this helps a bit with the control issue- and is lovely to use to outline/sketch- before putting actual paint down.

watercolour- okay… here i am a bit spoiled. this set is a bit on the expensive side- but it is in no way the super high priced side i have seen (plus… i wait until i have a coupon to purchase!) mine are talens transparent watercolour set. i have two tins- one that i have had for a long time after an airline lost my baggage with my first set and then my mom sent me another tin (because she supports my craft… only so she can have paintings for her walls too. :-p) this set is a double decker- two shelves of paint pots. i love them… they’re just lovely. silky. nice range of colours. plain and simple. : )

erin darcy photography

pencils- i love fat pencils.  you know those pencils that little kids are encouraged to use- for their little hands.. it can be jumbo fat, or triangle. either way.. i love it. i haven’t used a normal size pencil in quite some time…  they do pose a problem sometimes- the lead is fatter, which means your lines are thick, soft. (which i love/hate/love)
another problem- you obviously need a pencil sharpener to deal with it.. but i use a knife to carve mine (much to steven’s dismay *see pencil shavings above….;-p)

camera- i shoot with a canon xti. the reason i mention my camera is not only because i love photography, i have supported myself in being a photographer for families and people on occasion. but also- it is a huge part in sharing my paintings. without it, you would never see them. muahahahaaaa… (seriously.. i need to get a scanner at some point.)

photo editing- adobe photoshop cs4, again. this is an editing program that most photographers use. when i first started out taking peoples photos (and charging. EEP!) i didn’t even know how to edit them… i did..nothing. with them. i had a fancy little program called photoshop- and knew nothing about it. over time i have taught myself a great deal- but i think i only know about 10% of what you can really really do with it!

–

my wish list includes…

an unlimited supply of art supplies.
a wacom bamboo tablet (to do digital paintings/designs/logos)
an old typewriter that works
a sewing machine
since this is a wish list….
a canon 5D mark II
a professional photo printer

–

what are your tools of the trade? what could you not live without?

and what would you like to add to yours?

*don’t forget to check out the giveaway/swap. i’m drawing names on sunday!*

By edarcy | Also posted in inspiration, {daily} | Comments (0)

{inspired} part two

once you find a main inspiration…

stalk them.

wait. no no no no. don’t go about it in a creepy way. no finding their address on google maps, no digging through their rubbish to find what they eat. (you might not want to know..)

just. find out things about them.

read their blog, if they have one. find out what inspires them.

and then before you know it… you’re finding inspiration in theirs, and then in those people’s too… favourites upon favourites to work with here… and then you’ve got a big melting pot of inspiration- dip your paint brush into it, or pen, or skewered fruits. whatever works..

my favourite places to go to find a new source- or search through old source’s favourites- are deviant art,  flickr, and etsy.
i especially love the feature of ‘collecting’ inspiration by adding them to favourites. being able to pour through them easily…

but then… there’s also blogs. and i find some really yummy blogs, and then i go look at their blogroll and find out who they read. oooher!

and then we’re all connected in a big web. a big inspiration orgy.

or if you’re more comfortable with web, we’ll stick with that…

maybe we’re a big inspiration quilt. all the little patchwork pieces. different hands to sew it up. aww isn’t that a sweet thought.  especially as i’m snuggled under a quilt my mom made for my husband. : )

–
where do you collect your bits of inspiration at?  online? on the computer? journal? box?

*don’t forget to add your name to my giveaway/swap post. i’ll be drawing on sunday : )

By edarcy | Also posted in inspiration, {daily} | Comments (1)