monsbrick

Things with my family are calmer now.

My work situation is rocky as I am not a federal employee but work in the regulatory side of mortgage finance. My company may downsize soon and we are going through similar accountability and productivity reviews daily. It makes for a very stressful environment. I am a hard worker so I don’t doubt that if this company lays me off or chooses to fire me that I would find another job. But is unsettling.

Then there is my husband who is a federal employee and also is going through it in a different way.

And tonight I realized my stepdaughter who is in grad school… she works 4 jobs! She has some that are part time like tutoring and teaching dance. But her main work we found out is through federal government grants with Dept of Energy and Defense and they are also reviewing all this funding…. But like me she will not be out of work as she has a good work ethic.

My husband also has a good work ethic and he can move into the private sector. He is an investigator. He could do investigative work … but I have changed jobs many times. I’ve worked in tech and we are used to high turnover and constantly moving into new advances… but this sort of quick turnaround is not what my husband is used to. So it would be an adjustment. And maybe he could do something completely different too if he wanted. The chaos is hard though.

We are trying to stay strong but it is hard.

Trying to keep up with my swaps but my brain is out of it still and not clear yet.

♻️

Paper: I love paper!! Any kind of paper, stationery, loose pieces of paper, letter sets, postcards, notecards, ephemera.

Arts & crafts I’m into are journals, book pages like old books including illustrated flowers and plants, washi tape, wrapping paper, home made paper, yarn, tissue, packaging, found objects, and more.

Thank you for all the extras and gifts from you all!!!

Anything paper related, stationery, die cuts,

Postcards I like any and I love handmade or altered postcards!

Eclectic

Vintage or new but in a vintage style

Junk journals and fodder for them

Art all kinds and every style of art and crafts

Doodles

ephemera, any

Lace

Ribbons

Rice paper

Sari ribbon

Stamped images

Stickers

Washi tape

Found objects

Dyed by ink or store bought or hand dyed fabric or yarn

Recipes

Junk journals and scrapbooks

I like all colors.

I don’t have any dislikes. Well I avoid the occult. I dabbled in it and I do it recommend messing around with it or my experience was frightening to me. Of course, results may differ for each person but magic, the occult, tarot and all of that stuff in staying away from now.

That said I do accept my own shadow and dark sides.

Here are a few of the artists and makers I watch at YouTube:

I’m in shock that Tim Holtz has decided to stop designing new products.

Recrafted by Carol

Meg Journals

Jack Ravi who makes junk journals I’m in love with his style

And Wendy Robinson who goes by the username The Unexpected Gypsy

“Pen pal with me”style videos though they can be a bit in the young side and I’m nearly 60years old…mainly my fav is Hedda aka mochibujo

Caroline on the Hillside

Ana Bondu she works in French mostly and her specialty is Gelli prints

Barbara at 49dragonflies

Claire at art_journal love

Cathy’s Garden

Denise Love aka @2lilowlsstudio and she makes intuitive abstract art very colorful

Dyan Reaveley

Tim Holtz

Dina Wakely

Maremi Small Art

Amity Bloom

Gayle Agostinelli

Helen Colebrook

Jackie Bernardi

Jane Davenport

Louise Heinzl

Mystele

Niamh Baly

Nicole Relax.Cut.Glue

Nik the Booksmith

Pink Odd Bird

Roxy Creations

Shabbydabbydoodah

ShanoukiArt

Shawn Petite

Susanne Rose Art

Teal and Tattered Journal

The Paper Outpost

TiffanySmplySharpe

Willowing

These are my favorites!!!