So Much To Share! Get Comfy ... It's a Long One!!

Now that I'm winding up the month with the Fodder Challenge 2026, I'm finding that inspiration I've missed snapping back into focus. Those great moments thinking "what if I tried this?" using new ways to do a project but still taking what I've done for a few years and pumping it up a notch. I love that I've learned to use what I seem to love in a different way without feeling stuck for long. For that, the gratitude is beyond measure for those creatives showing all of us who are in this very large tribe, how to use what we have. Seriously beyond blessed to have found these folks when I did.

The rest of my life, not involved in art, is a bit messy. I told my cousin it was a Yin Yang month and I do believe it to be true. For those not sure what that means, Google explains it well: "Yin and yang is an ancient Chinese philosophical concept describing how seemingly opposite or contrary forces are actually complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world."

We've had a few hardships these past few months and it has been difficult to navigate through but I'm doing it. Obviously ... I'm still here. Without sob stories (I got a million of them as do so many right now!) let's just say it's time to try to help not only me but my family in the only way I know. And so, I'm starting a Facebook Group on my art page and probably will share it as well on my personal one and share some mosaics for sale. I don't want to do a dedicated website at this point, sharing links is harder now to do on social media. I love Instagram but they don't allow links in posts, just in profiles. In any case, I'm going to start listing the mosaics, peace signs first, and probably offer an auction but I really don't know what I'm doing since I've never tried this before. Look for it or news about it on November 1, 2026. Here's the first mosaic I'm going to put in the group.

I haven't taken it off the wall just yet so I'm not sure when I made this (hopefully I dated and signed the back) but I believe it's 12 inches and will be listed between $75-100 plus shipping still to be determined. If you're interested in looking at what I'll be putting in the group to sell and use Facebook, join it and let's figure it out together! Eventually I'll close it but not until next year and I might add some collage pieces for sale as well, so keep an eye open for all of that and I'll share info here when I know what is happening a little better.

Now back to the fun part: ART! One of the things I really love doing and have for quite some time, is making what is called Master Boards using scraps of painted papers, magazine pieces, doodles and the like. I've done this since I started a few years ago but didn't know why I was doing it. Hahaha. I did cut out some flowers and vases and a few other shapes for journals with a few of them but mostly I used them as cards and put mark making on them or added them as a part of something else. It all gets used but I was building these great boards and really wanted to do some as great with them. I wanted them to have more of a purpose, I suppose. And along came Master Boards when I made those great pears in the beginning of the month! Here's the link to go back to take another look of them: In The Zone. They can also be called Mother Boards and I really kinda dig that description better because these boards give birth to so many wonderful pieces of fodder and collage art! And with the scraps left over from cutting out shapes from the boards, I make new boards or use the pieces in my layering techniques that I also really love to do. Here are just a few below showing what I have been up to on my own and then I'll share some new projects from Fodder Challenge 2026.

 

There are 20 boards now to cut up into cool shapes. I have many more to make but I'm going to cut up these and then go again! 🤣

The stencils I've cut out (long time ago) for the vases could also be used as dress stencils for paper dolls that I now know how to make, so I'm positive I'll make smaller versions so I can use them in that way. I really am in love with the butterflies but also really love the birds and my goodness look at those vases! I guess I love them all.

In the Fodder Challenge I've enjoyed a few classes that I haven't actually done the projects for just yet. Life got in the way. But here is what I have done and completely am in love with.

First up: Maximalist Mixed Media Birds taught by Lori Siebert. I've made a lot more but these are a good example. Made from scrap papers, acrylics, fabrics and ribbon and/or string. So cool!!
 

 

Asemic Vessel Collage taught by Gloria Gelo. I did two in my Grid Art Journal. Love this so much. Gotta make more!!

The other great lessons projects aren't started yet but hopefully I'll share those soon enough. What fun it's been!

Here are #235-243 in the Collage A Day Journal.

 

 

 

Enjoy your week!

Cindy,  EarthMotherMosaics - Mixed Media Art

Instagram: @artbyearthmothermosaics 

What A Week It Was!

What a great art week I had. I could moan about the things that weren't so great about it, like the personal struggle I have when it comes to making origami, accordion files and now add flip-books to the list. But I did them all, although I haven't done an accordion one this past week. I still had a great week.

Origami Box lesson by Karen Elaine

 

Struggled here with paper and brain working along side hands. Origami is hard for me. My daughter said: "the next class you take should be an origami one.". I'll watch YouTube videos for that one because I get frustrated easily with it. But I get there. I wrote some encouraging words on the back of some doodled hearts I made and added a favorite Emerson quote to the inside of the box. It now sits next to the other art boxes happily settled in with them.

Moving on to the flip book. Lots of cool papers were added to this one and my little red-headed fairy has perfect wings. While I'm happy with the end result, there was a lot to it I couldn't figure out at first, even with very good instructions by Connie Fong. Not all the pages are shown below but I've shared quite a few. Another book will be made but there's no rush. I do love making paper dolls!

Last week after doing the above, I did the next project below offered by Lori Siebert. Maximalist Mixed Media Birds. Oh my how much fun am I having this month?!?!!! Below is one completed birds. Altogether I think I cut out 25 and am slowly getting the wings made. Once assembled I'll share them, so look for that next week. I put a magnet on this guy and it's on my fridge. 

One of the things I really do love is making motherboards. How surprised was I to realize I was doing that all along but not exactly in the way shared by these creatives. That's probably the best part of being involved in these classes is seeing something I've done for years and spinning it a little further, adding something to the process or just sharing a completely different way to look at things.

After making the pears I shared last week, I did a nice group of some shapes I like to make using motherboards.

These will go into journals and cards or wall art. I'll be making more!

Because I love making the boards so much, I've started grabbing the magazine pieces I've cut out, patterns and illustrations from books and magazines as well as my own doodles and I'm building boards. Some just look scrambled with no real theme to them but I have learned, with a few good shapes like those above, I can get some amazing fodder.

They look like patchwork quilts, don't they? These are pieces of scraps glued to old store receipts and then glued to junk mail. Right now I'm just doing this part every day at some point, taking my stash of "what have you's" and gluing them all down. But eventually I'll start cutting out shapes for use in collage.

When I've gathered up a lot of roasted almonds from my mixed nuts I love to snack on, I make Almond Butter. It's so easy and I don't cough when I eat this stuff like I do when I try to eat the nuts by themselves! This is 3 cups of roasted almonds. It's delicious!

 I played with some new die cuts too. I had them for almost a week before I got the machine out to play. That's like a new record in patience for me! 🤣

Love the dragonflies so much. Actually I love the leaves as well. The dragonflies were very difficult to clean because of all the holes in them but I have to admit the colors I used (old roll off brayer painted papers) make a great design with them. The leaves were done using a gel plate pull that I did a few times using different masks. Love them as well and will be making more soon!

Collage A Day Journal pages are below. This journal does have 7 days made as I write this but I like to show the pages when the squares are completely filled in. And so, here are 6 for last week. Numbers 229-234.
 

Enjoy your week!

Cindy,  EarthMotherMosaics - Mixed Media Art

Instagram: @artbyearthmothermosaics 

In the Zone

While there wasn't a whole lot of time to do my usual fun things like paint some papers, doodle, work in journals and create cards/tags, I was very busy in my little, perfect, art world. I was in the zone!

I signed up for a free set of classes that ran simultaneously with the month long Fodder Challenge. The free classes have finished and I found a few new artists to admire on Instagram and want to try a few watercolor techniques when I am a little more relaxed and ready to try a new something or other with that paint.

Right now I am truly immersed in creating fodder for the journals and cards I will eventually get back to next month when all classes are over and I get to stretch a bit with what I'm learning now. Because of my Glaucoma eyes, I have to rest them a bit sooner than I'd like in order to do any art at all and so watching videos can be a bit difficult however I'm getting through them and then taking my time creating what I've learned.

I was going to wait to share all I had done at the end of the month but I am now sharing on Instagram (tagging the creatives that teach and run the classes) as well as Facebook on occasion, so I figured I might as well share it here too. Besides I haven't done my normal week of journaling and so on, so it's a good time to share what I have been doing.

Everything I've done and learned so far will be made often, using as much as I make, I know. This is the most fun I've had in a long time! All links within the photos are for Instagram and will take you to the pages of each teacher. The school and the person I learned these from are: Fodder School and Wendy Solganik (also known as @willa.wanders) these too are for Instagram. If you don't use Instagram but are curious about these folks, please do a Google search and you'll find their info. 

Groovy Pears taught by Francine Dunigan

Paper Gems taught by Karen Elaine

Paper Dolls taught by Connie Fong

 

Karen Elaine also shared how to make an origami box to use some of the Paper Gems with. And Connie Fong shared a truly fun flip book to use with a few of the dolls. I haven't made either of those yet but will share when I have!

221-224 Collage A Day Journal

225-228 Collage A Day Journal

We lost power for a full 24+ hours right after I learned how to make the Paper Gems (something I have done in the past but not exactly in this way; it's like revisiting an old friend!) and so when the sun was shining, I sat outside on our deck for longer than I should have getting quite cold but enjoyed making these little circles very much. Unfortunately my paint pens froze and some never thawed out or haven't yet. I'm adding them to my list on Amazon but will wait until more are totally used up before I order new ones. I can't get a new back though and the pain after the electric came back on was excruciating and slowed me down. No, it didn't stop me.

It's the New Moon which means it's down time for me at the moment. I like to reflect and plan and maybe organize a bit for the next wave of activity which will be happening soon. Meanwhile, I really hope you find something that ignites a spark in you and will give you great joy. I can tell you, from my own experience (especially right now) that there is no better gift than that in life.

Find the Joy and Enjoy The Journey.

 

Enjoy your week!

Cindy,  EarthMotherMosaics - Mixed Media Art

Instagram: @artbyearthmothermosaics 

Soup Weather is Upon Us! Yay!!

My daughter and I are making beef barley soup (more like a stew) as I write this today. I don't usually make my blogs about food but I've got to say the aroma wafting through the house is amazing at the moment and I'm very happy. My kids are both great cooks and I would like to thank my Dad for that. The younger one sat at his side all the time to watch what he did and she duplicated much when she was old enough to cook on her own, while the other decided eating it was much more interesting. Until she got older and became a master at creating homemade soups. Yum. This particular recipe was inspired by our Great Aunt Ella, who made this a favorite for my girls and I when we lived next door to each other. Smelling it cook all day and then enjoying a bowl once ready was a nice family memory for us. Although it doesn't really taste like her soup (we added red wine to ours, something she would never have done), it is absolutely delicious.

 Here it is without the barley in it which got added a little bit after this photo was taken. Mmm-mmm. 😋

Now, onto the art part, something I do best.

I started taking the month-long fodder challenge and the watched the first class. I haven't completed the project and cannot show it until it's finished, so be on the lookout for that. I might actually wait until the end of the month and share all I did. I'm not positive I'll do everything offered but I do love watching and taking notes and getting inspired!

I did do a little embroidery. I love it so far. I think I'm going to play with wildflowers next but that'll take some time. This is a good piece of practice fabric to use. It's an old dust cover for a chair. Those were used in our house because we always had chairs that required them. After I cut out the rips and the wear and tear from a lot of them, I have a good amount of fabric to play with for embroidery practice.

I've been cutting up papers, adding embellishments on them, making them small cards or pieces that can be added to cards at some point. I'm actually making more collage fodder, which is fine by me. I was fussy for a few days until I realized I could draw botanical patterns or use a lot of the flower stencils I have and create some great looking pieces to go in my journals. It's all for me and my art practice, so it doesn't matter how much or little I have; as long as I have what I need to keep being creative, it's all good!

Painting papers leaves some beautiful marks on my paper towels and Sidekick journal. Love these rich looking colors!!

Watercolor and isopropyl alcohol created the below. I've done this technique for years and really love the unpredictable way it all comes out. You never know when you spray or blot alcohol on the paint what you'll get.

I've been cutting out my little doodles as I find them. Actually some of the below in the first photo are fairly new to be added to the small storage container for future use in my flower journal. I've used a lot of the doodles that I made last year, adding them to the flower journal, so I have room now to add more. Yay!

This photo below is of the remnants of a piece of paper I use as a protector for the page or table when I use alcohol ink markers. I usually end up doodling on them at some point, sometimes to see if the pens work or just mindlessly draw something. When it's fairly colorful, I cut some shapes out and use the rest for cards or the layered technique in collage that I like to do, shown in the second photo below.

 

Days 215-220 in the collage a day journal.

 

Enjoy your week!

Cindy,  EarthMotherMosaics - Mixed Media Art

Instagram: @artbyearthmothermosaics 

Stay Peaceful and Enjoy the Journey