Allyson Stanfield, artist-author-speaker, offers many great suggestions on her blog for those involved in art and craft work.  Many artists and artisans don’t immediately think like business people, so have to get into this mode.

Kara Mastin quilt; photo by artist

One of Allyson’s latest suggestions is found in the blog post, Don’t Leave Your Art Work Without a Piece of Paper.  Make sure when you do leave art work for display or on consignment, that you have a written agreement, signed by both parties.  Allyson has a good list of suggestions.

Do you have any tips to add?

Saving summer memories, organizing collections, or simply finding something to entertain the youngsters (that’s not electronic) if you have a rainy day often puzzles parents.

Image:sxc.hu

Why not try some clipboard art, or making altered clipboards, as some call it.  I’ve described the project in one of my Arts and Crafts posts, Clipboard Altered Art & Wall Hangings.

Youngsters often collect shells, sea glass, and stones when at the beach.  Unique stones attract their attention even at a lake beach.  You might find other objects you can combine on a clipboard for a piece of art you can hang in their room, instead of having it lying around on a table, dresser or shelf.

(Follow the directions in my post for creating one of these.  Combine  many of the items suggested, as well. I’d also enjoy hearing from you and knowing what you make using these suggestions.)

Image:sxc.hu

As a writer, I’ve always carried something with me to jot down notes and ideas. 

It might be as simple as a folded over sheet of paper in my fanny pack where I can make lists and write down ideas for blogging and stories. 

When in the hospital emergency room last year with my daughter, I found I didn’t have anything  to write on.  Her going to the hospital happened so suddenly that I didn’t have time even to grab my purse nor a book. 

As we waited, she having tests and wanting to rest, I wondered how I could use the time to write.  I spied a paper towel holder, pulled some out, asked the receptionist for a pen, and jotted down notes for my weekly column and a couple of blogs throughout the afternoon until her husband arrived.

This calmed me and allowed my daughter to rest (without me chatting) until diagnosis and they moved her to a room.  Very seldom do I find myself without something to write on.  If I do, I try to be creative in using my time productively.

• You can find small notebooks that slip into a purse or fanny pack…or a large tote bag. 
• I’ve also folded sheets of paper and placed in a book I carry with me. 
• Often I take postcards along with me, so I can keep up on correspondence.
• There also are small stationery pads that fit easily into whatever you’re carrying.
• Men can find small notebooks to fit into a shirt pocket for lists, reminders, addresses, and ideas.

What do you use for idea gathering and list making when you’re on the go?

Do you find yourself unable to accomplish as much as you wish simply because you’re not organized?   Do you spend valuable time looking for things simply because you don’t have a specific place to put them?  Are your youngsters as disorganized as you?

The organized ideal. Image: sxc.hu

I’d often heard about spending 20 minutes per day to get yourself on an organized track because you don’t have several days to spare doing it.   However, when I’ve tried it, I didn’t keep at it after a few days.  Thus, my family didn’t either.

Recently I realized it’s because I didn’t see much or any results.  A friend mentioned that’s why she quit, too.  However, this time I’m determined to stick to it.  After two weeks, perhaps no one else would see results, but I know there’s a difference…and even my husband said it’s looking better around our rooms.  (In our multigenerational household, we have three rooms that are mainly ours, but it’s amazing the amount of stuff that can accumulate there.  )

What organizational tips do you have?  What works for you?  Do you get your youngsters involved, too?

Do you have old clipboards on hand that you’re not using?  They’ve become a bit battered?

Image:sxc.hu

Why not try some clipboard altered art or wall hangings.  They’re fun projects for children and adults.  You can hang them on your walls for decoration and to display memorabilia.

First paint the clipboard and clip, generally with acrylic paint, but you can try other types to see what works.  When it dries, stamp designs on it or leave plain.  Then attach items with glue or gel medium.

You can have a theme for your designs or simply arrange a miscallaneous display with items on hand.  The materials might include:

• Scrapbooking materials
• Old and new photos
• Fabric scraps
• Words
• Rubber stamps
• 3-D items such as buttons, shells, beads, charms
• Miscellaneous words from paper
• Scrabble pieces

Simply put your imagination to work and see what you can come up with.

Beach and water fun for summer is the theme this week . This brings back memories of “the ole swimming hole” on the farm where I grew up.  Two brooks joined in the pasture and made a pool deep enough for Mother to teach us four children to swim.  There we cooled off after a day in the hay fields or working in the garden.

Image: sxc.hu

On family vacations, we often visited my aunt and uncle and spent a day or two at York Beach, Maine…my aunt’s favorite beach.  We had a taste of swimming in salt water and looked forward to this experience each summer.

I have photos to accompany these memories and should incorporate them with the stories in a journal, a scrapbook, or a digital scrapbook.

What memories do you have of beach and water fun?  What memories are you making with your children?

Write these down, combine them with photos, create scrapbooking pages.

As we celebrate the Fourth of July, I think of other years…of my childhood and with my daughter and grandchildren.  Although most of us in this multi-generational household have work schedules (four of us work at a supermarket), we still have time to engage in patriotic activities.

Image: sxc.hu

There are fireworks in a neighboring town on Friday night.

A parade also is held there on Saturday morning.

We prepare special foods that have become a family tradition, including a barbeque. 

If the weather is good, we also may hold a yard sale this weekend.  Yard sales have become traditional over summer holiday weekends in our town.

I’ll see what photos and memories I can find from my childhood, my daughter’s and the grandchildren.  I should begin compiling them into a scrapbook/journal. 

When I was growning up, my mother’s family always gathered on July 4th.  In later years, as the older generation passed away, my parents established traditions at our home.  I shouldn’t let these family heritage memories disappear into the past.

What do you do to save Fourth of July memories?

With thoughts of patriotism in our minds around the Fourth of July, why not  teach our children more about the Service Flags for military personnel serving, injured or killed?  These window or service flags are part of our history and originated to commemorate soldiers in World War I, sometimes called The Great War.

Image: sxc.hu

I found one in my grandmother’s memorabilia trunk.  It represented her son, my Uncle Charles, who served in that war and came back alive.  These flags, a blue star on white background surrounded by a red border hung in the windows of families who had a member fighting for our country’s freedom.  (More stars if more than one person was in the war.)

If the soldier was killed in war, a gold star was hung above the blue and if injured a silver star instead.  Thus also originated the term “Gold Star Mothers” who lost a son or daughter in the war.

Supposedly Army Captain Robert Queisser, of the 5th Ohio Infantry, designed a service flag to honor his two sons who were serving in the military during World War I.  These flags symbolize brave men and women in all our wars.

Nowadays, they’re made as flags, banners, pillows and quilts, to keep in mind the military men and women serving to keep us free.

Quilts inspired by the Service Flags of World War I have become popular during the present wars in Afghanistan and Iraq…to send to the service men and women and to remind those at home of their patriotic family members.

Image: sxc.hu

We have one of these Service Flags, originally made to hand in a window.  My grandmother used it when her son Charles served in World War I.  Consisting of a blue star on a white background, surrounded by red border, it let everyone know her son was serving for their freedom.

Uncle Charles came home from the War.  However, if someone didn’t, a small gold star was added on top of the blue, thus the term “Gold Star Mothers” originated.  Siver stars were used when a service member was injured.

I don’t know if my grandmother made her flag or if someone did and gave it to her.  I’m proud that we still have it in our family.  To me it represents Uncle Charles and other members who served - Uncle Al during World War II and my husand during the Vietnam war.

Today, quilters are making many variations of these banners and quilts.  (An interesting article about Service Quilts appears in McCall’s America Loves Scrap Quilts, Spring 2008 issue.)

As I continue with my 20 minutes per day of organization, I was thrilled to discover a box of my greeting card designs that I’d stashed away and forgotten about.  I hadn’t looked at these designs for numerous years and admit I’m impressed with the quality.  Perhaps they’ve stood the “test of time.”

Image: sxc.hu

During the 1970s, I had an at-home quiltmaking and art business (whatever would bring income).  My painting, starting out with commissioned paintings and evolved into card and notepaper design.  I created these items to sell in shops around the area.

When I took on a full time job as a newspaper reporter, some of my art ventures were pushed into the background as I wrote about them instead of pursuing them for income.  In those days, before computers and personal printing programs, I painted or inked each item by hand.

Now I’m pondering…what shall I do with them?

• In these days of computer generated personal cards and notepaper, I could print them for my own use.  I’ve done this with some of my paintings.
• I could use them as designs for the site I’m setting up at Cafe Press.  They then could be transferred to a variety of items.
• I could try sending the designs to greeting card companies.  (However, I’m reluctant to give up ownership to them.)
• I can use the designs in some of my books.

What would you do?  I’ll keep you posted.

(Incidentally, you never know what you’ll come across if you continue with that 20 minutes per day of organization!)