If your follow me over on Instagram, you will probably want to skip this post as it is a wrap-up of the competition I entered over at @raileurope. Rail Europe is sponsoring a contest for two creative people to take a trip via rail over Germany and Switzerland. Their #talesonrail2017 closes today and the winners are to be announced in the next two weeks.

To read the Instagram post, click here

To read the Instagram post, click here

To read the Instagram post, click here

To read the Instagram post, click here

To read the Instagram post, click here

To read the Instagram post, click here

To read the Instagram post, click here

"If you don't [keep that travel journal], you'll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life."

There are still a few pages that I haven't gotten around to posting from my NOLA sketchbook.

The image below is from Oak Alley Plantation and it is of the bell that they used for mass communication:

The bell was used to call the workers at the start of the day, lunch time and to signal the end of the work day. It was also used to notify others in the community if there was a marriage, birth or emergency such as a fire.

Can you stand one more post on NOLA Live?!

Postcard Pocket

One of the things we did at NOLA Live was to draw names for a Postcard Swap. Each person pulled a name of someone they weren't traveling with so that we could learn more about each other. We all agreed to mail our postcards around the first of December, 2011. Once the card was received, we each posted to a private blog for the big "reveal!"

I received this wonderful postcard from Adine Rotman:

© Adine Rotman Posted with permission

This was from Mardi Gras World and Adine added glitter to really captured the glow and glory of the original dragon.

I wanted to add Adine's postcard in my sketchbook, but I didn't want to glue it down. Instead, I created another pocket so that it would be protected and I could see either side easily.

I decided to really have fun and play with the idea of a postcard on my journal page. I used a postcard rubber stamp and a brown pen to give my pocket the look of a postcard:


 I also included two special stamps:


For the first one, I took the Imaginary Trips logo, printed it out small, cut it out and then "antiqued" the paper with a sepia ink pad used for stamps. After I glued it down, I used a rubber stamp of mail cancellations over the top of it in another brown.


The second stamp is one of the hand carved stamps I made last year with the NOLA Live logo written on top of it.

Last, but certainly not least, I added a copy of my postcard to the page:


I painted one of the other "traveler's" on the trip, Cheryl Gebhart! This is truly an "imaginary" painting in that I combined her outfit from one photo, her posture and gear from another and the garden from yet another photo.

Again, I printed out the image to more of a postage stamp size and then attached it over another piece of paper so that it is raised off from the journal page.

We had quite the variety of postcards—cows, queens, windows, cathedrals, courtyards, and beignets all showed up! It was a lot of fun to see everyone's creativity and individual take on NOLA was lots of fun!

It was also a nice surprise to find in the mail and a wonderful reminder of fun times in the middle of December's maddness!

I like surprise...........compartments, unexpected finds and delightful treasures! So when I recently read an article by Jacqueline Newbold in the new Cloth Paper Scissors Pages Magazine, I decided to give some of her ideas a whirl in my own style.....

Cafe Beignet Sketch

On the day we arrived in NOLA, it was blues skies. Within the hour it was clouding up and quickly started to rain. KJ and I knew we were going to do a test taste of beignets when we went back to NOLA. (Inquiring minds wanted to know and so did our taste buds!) We happened up on Café Beignet and decided this was a perfect location to wait out the rain and begin our testing.
While we were waiting on our beignets, we noticed a small presence in the shop who had also come in out of the rain....
A sweet, little tuxedo cat was hanging out under one of the tables. It took a bit of coaxing, but he was finally convinced that an ear scratch might be just the thing on such a soggy day.

If you look closely at the photo, you'll see where I used a paw print punch to create a kitty paw print—more info below!

It was such a delightful and unexpected visit, that I knew I wanted to call out the special moment in a different way on the page. I wanted something that provided delight for the viewer of the sketchbook page the way the cat's visit did for KJ and I.

Jacqueline mentions using library pockets, cards and index card dividers in her article. Since it was late in the evening and I didn't want to wait until morning, I did a quick online search and discovered a library card pocket template.
The template I found is from Mirkwood Designs. Once I had the basic design, I created a pocket the size I needed to fit in the corner of my page since I'd already sketched the main image on the page. After I built the pocket, I then created a simple tag-type card from watercolor paper and painted the tuxedo cat.

I used green ribbon on the pocket and tag to coordinate with the green awning. Before gluing the pocket down to the page, I used the paw print punch to create a foot print at the top of the pocket and then used ink to distress the edges of the pocket a bit.

In my search for a template, I found lots of other ideas too, so I think you'll be seeing more of this on my pages. It's such fun to create a visual treat that's not immediately available to the viewer and it provides a nice surprise to see the special visitor we enjoyed all over each time the little card is pulled out!

Place d'Armes Hotel Watercolor and Ink

Seldom have I stayed at a hotel where I wanted to linger, but this was the case with the Place d'Armes hotel! It is a property of 8 town homes built back in the 18th and 19th centuries, cobbled together around the most gorgeous courtyards you could ever want to sit in.

The old bricks were the perfect backdrop for the fountains and lush greenery. There was a quietness, a peaceful ambiance that slipped up and soothed you whenever you stepped foot into the courtyard. The doors were the old style with the wood mullions, shutters on either side.

I knew if we'd ran into some ugly weather, that the courtyard would provide many days' worth of sketching materials all by itself! In fact, this was one of the places I sat to sketch on my free afternoon. You just wanted to be out there soaking it up!

Others on the trip felt the same tug—you can see Cheryl's beautiful courtyard here and Claire's lovely room here. If you're headed to NOLA anytime soon, I highly recommend this hotel.

UPDATED to include text from cemetery page at the bottom of post.

Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 Watercolor and Ink Drawn on location

Those raindrops I mentioned in the last NOLA post? Well, they were a little more serious come Wednesday morning. We walked to the street trolley and had to open our umbrellas about two books from our stop. By the time we actually reached our stop, it had stopped sprinkling again.

We loaded up onto the trolley and hadn't gone more than 3 blocks when the bottom opened up and it really rained! That, however, was the last of it. We arrived at the cemetery with gray, overcast skies which seemed rather appropriate for the morning's adventure!

There is a lot of information about the "cities of the dead," the above ground crypts and the traditions of New Orleans when it comes to honoring the dead on the page above. Please click to enlarge so that you can read more if you're interested.

MORE Decadent Desserts—Commander Palace Style Memory Sketch Watercolor Click to Enlarge

Next came our three hour lunch at the Commander's Palace with 25¢ Cosmo martinis! Synchronized serving (all the entrees and desserts were sat down on the table in front of each person at the same time), a tour of the kitchens and wine cellars, as well as outstanding food were all order of the day.

Luckily, we had the afternoon free to walk off our meals and more decadent (and delicious) desserts. Some of us moseyed up to the bookstore on the corner while others went back to explore the city via the trolley.

Collection of Memories Memory Sketch Watercolor and Ink Click to Enlarge

If you ever find yourself in NOLA, pause and look, I mean really look around you. Look up, look down, look at the ground, look at the balconies, just look. There is something to see EVERYWHERE you look! The fire hydrant in the image above most have had 500 strings of beads on it. I'm not sure how many times I passed it before I actually saw it!

The other ephemera on the page is from places I wanted to remember and memories I wanted to collect. There was several cigar shops and bars in NOLA that I don't remember from last year. Whereas cigars are not my thing, I do think they have very cool wrappers on some of the cigars.

The green book shop piece is actually a bookmark that I've folded down to fit on the page and attached with a clear tape hinge. That way I can read the info without it sticking outside of the book. The sticker at the bottom right came off from a great cup of coffee.

Simple items, but each evokes a strong memory of where I was, what I was doing and who I was with—pretty cool for just a little piece of paper!
From the Cemetery Page:
Cemetery founded in 1833 by the city of Lafayette. City was later incorporated by New Orleans.
Many early immigrants buried here, especially German.
Many died from the Yellow Fever Epidemic.
Cemetery is non-segregated and non-denomenatinal.
Unlimited internment.
Many society tombs - firemen, orphanages, etc.
Crypts built of many different materials, sometimes painted the same color as [the] family home.
"Property" returns to the city after 150(?) years of inactivity
Crypts could hold two coffins—one on top, one on the bottom.
Mourning time - customary was one year and one day.
(And this final is a note to myself) Look into "4 Gentlemen Crypts" secret society

I had made plans to go into NOLA early to make sure that everything was in place and to check a couple of logistical matters that I couldn't check out any other way. Boy, am I glad I did!

I arrived tired—emotional, physically and mentally. You see, both of my parents had experienced major health crises the week before I left. Since life is what happens while we're making other plans, I had little choice but to roll with it. Luckily, I have a great family and both parents were beginning to show improvement before I left.

Click to enlarge

On Saturday, while the other two roamed the French Quarter, I caught up on a few emails and some other necessary business. Finding a good internet connection turned out to be a sizable challenge this entire trip! I had to sit in the front lobby or breakfast room to get a fairly reliable connection.

After I completed my work, I sat out in the sunny courtyard to sketch one of the doors leading into the Armstrong House as well as the breakfast nook. The others returned and joined me for a wonderful afternoon of sketching.

Click to enlarge

This second page I'm sharing was started at The Decadence Shoppe....which turned out to be a bakery/breakfast joint, but with a name like that in NOLA.....you never know!! The umbrellas hung from the ceiling and were just to cute to pass up as a drawing opportunity.

The decadence came in the form of Praline Pancakes and Maple Spice Chai Latte. Oh. My. Goodness! Yummy! Though I have to say, everything we had was excellent. We went there for breakfast twice. The second morning the doors were open and we sat gazing out of Louis Armstrong Park which was just across the street.

After more exploring of the French Quarter, we decided to go back to Bistreaux (having been there on Thursday evening). It was close to our hotel and the food was very good. LSU was in an epic battle to retain their No. 1 ranking against Alabama, ranked No. 2 and the joint was full.

To add to the frivolity of the evening there was a wedding being held in the hotel next door. Once the vows were exchanged, the happy couple, wedding party and everyone who attended as well as a band went around the block, waving handkerchiefs to celebrate. The image below is not of the same wedding party, but you'll get the idea. That's just how you do it in NOLA!

Click to enlarge

 It was a very lively evening and yes, LSU won—in overtime!

To be continued.....

....I wasn't sure if you would want chocolate, traditional, creamy, rum, coconut or spicy!

I've just returned from New Orleans and the BEST ever 1st Imaginary Trip Made Real, NOLA Live!!

I'm not sure where to begin to describe the fun we all had, the things we saw, the food we ate, the places we visited and all the cool things we learned about this vibrant and wonderful city!

Without a doubt I'll be talking about this trip for weeks (maybe months) to come and I want to say a few words of thanks to the most wonderfully, intrepid "travelers" a gal like me could hope for—you MADE this trip fabulous and I thank you for your sense of adventure and friendship!

To KJ (of Catching Happiness), for being there, for talking me down off the ledge more than a few times as well as for being a great friend and travelmate!

To Chris for believing in this crazy dream of mine even when I didn't. I could never have done this without your unwavering faith in me.

I am amending this post to add a very special thank you to my family for keeping the home fires burning and allowing me to go to NOLA knowing my parents were being well taken care of!

What I did bring you was a few short videos of some very fun street performances in NOLA! To set the stage for the beginning of our trip, I took a few minutes out of the day to video some of the lively performances you're bound to experience in the French Quarter.

This is one of the things that makes this city soooo great—you never know what you'll find around the next corner!

Secrt [Sic] Garden Door 3.5 x 8.5 inches M. Graham Watercolors and Ink Click to enlarge

Each day as we walked to the trolley in New Orleans, we passed this really cool doorway. It led to someone's backyard. There was a house, a garage and other structures back behind the doorway, but for my purposes, I chose to edited them out.

I've always been enchanted by the idea of a secret garden. Maybe it has something to do with Alice In Wonderland or Harry Potter's adventures.  Whatever it is, I seemed to be drawn to unusual doors and gates—they are a portal for my imagination.

The title "Secrt Garden Door" is a typo. My right brain was writing creating and it doesn't know how to spell. So I've decided you have to know the "proper" spelling of secret to gain into into my "secrt" garden! Who needs that extra "e" anyway?!

(And as a wise woman once shared with me...if you can't fix it, feature it!)

This was completed with M. Graham watercolors and ink in my NOLA sketchbook. If you're interested in joining me for a real adventure in New Orleans, please click HERE for information about NOLA Live!

For those of you who are interested in learning more about creating journal pages and using watercolors, Artful Journaling: Foundations and Explorations has been added back to the schedule over on ImaginaryTrips.com. Click HERE for more info on the journaling classes.

Happy Weekend, Y'all!

Il Posto Café Watercolor and Ink Arches Paper 3.5 x 8.5 inches

I am finally making my way back around to the New Orleans sketches....this little café was just down the street from the house we rented during our NOLA stay, and it's where we ate our first meal upon arrival. Getting to our rented home was a bit of an adventure and by the time we finally found it, it was lunchtime!

The building is in an old house and sits in a residential area sprinkled with a few other businesses like a dry cleaners, steak house and such, but still considered as "off the beaten path." The menu was full of anti pasta plates, sandwiches, subs, soups, salads and desserts. Old, uneven wood floors, mismatched furniture, original windows, the place had a unique charm all its own.

KJ had a panini and I had tomato basil soup with freschetta—yum!! Not the usual food associated with New Orleans, but good stuff all the same. From there, we navigated (walked) our way to Zara's Lil' Giant Supermarket to stock up on coffee and breakfast supplies. Not much bigger than a convenience store, the store had everything we needed. They even had the old fashion conveyor belt checkout counters that I remember from my youth!

The party's over and now, it's back to the business at hand. Yesterday was Fat Tuesday, the culmination of over two months of parades, parties, soirees and all manner of merrymaking....but wait! Don't be sad that the party's ending!

The party need not be totally over as www.ImaginaryTrips.com leaves this Friday for an "Imaginary Trip to New Orleans" and boy, are we gonna have fun! Wanna play too?! Just click on the link above for all the details!

NOLA Sketchbook Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches CP 3.5 x 8.5 Inches Click to enlarge

Though this says Garden District on it, in truth, Kathy and I spent very little time in the "proper" Garden District. It is amazingly easy to get turned around in NOLA. After comparing notes, we realized that we had passed through the Garden District but did not actually tour or spend time looking at the old mansions in the area. This is a fairly easy mistake to make considering the number of mansions in the area!

On a side note...we were warned about directions before we went from the various tour guide books we read. The Mississippi curls around the city in a smile or crescent shape. The majority of the crescent runs east to west, but most folks (like me) get it in their heads that it runs north to south. The mouth of the river, where it meets the Gulf is 5 hours away from the city via river travel. North, south, east and west swapped positions at various times during the day and were seldom at their appointed stations when I bothered to try and get my bearings!

I'm coming to the conclusion that despite being on the go for 5 days from daylight (or before) to dark (or after), we did not cover nearly as much of the city and its delights as I thought we did! That said, there's a LOT to see in NOLA! How we missed the Garden District, I have no idea!

Water Lily NOLA Sketchbook Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches CP 3.5 x 8.5 Inches Click to enlarge

As to the sketch, this was a water garden outside of a home in the Uptown area (I think). We stumbled across these lovely blooms and buds on the first afternoon. They were in a large metal "kettle." I'm not sure if it was an old antique salt kettle, sugar boiler (that they use to make cane syrup in) or something similar, and no one was around to ask.

Let me first clarify that this is is a studio sketch, or maybe more aptly named, study. I spent about twice as long on this as I would have if I'd been on location and I did not time myself as I worked on it. The majority of the time went into the fléur-de-lis and lettering. The rest of it went fairly quickly.

Seeing this blossom and the way it seem to glow from within reinforced the thoughts that this was going to be a fabulous trip and that I needed to be paying attention to what was right in front of me!

...sometimes, I get overwhelmed and disoriented as I blaze a trail for this new life of mine. It seems the Universe knows and understands this about me. Quite often I receive directional clues. They come in a variety of forms, including fortune cookie fortunes, quotes from friends and on occasion, an actual sign. They help me get back on track, find my way and affirm that yes, I'm headed in the right direction. Sometimes they even illuminate the future!

Church sign in NOLA

Within 10 minutes of getting out and starting to explore New Orleans, Kathy pointed this sign out to me, and I have to admit it felt as though it were meant specifically for me. Along with the usual baggage, I had brought with me some heavy thoughts about decisions that would be facing me on my return back to Tampa.

I was in danger of missing the present opportunity because I was mired in worry about those decisions.

We walked past that sign every morning and most evenings. The reminder was powerful and effective. And since I didn't sleep all that well I took some of that time to ponder the meaning behind the words.

"Imagine" is such a key action in my life that I have the word displayed prominently in my studio. It reminds me to imagine what can be rather than get caught up in what is.

"Bold" was my "word of the year" last year, and I have found that it's still very much with me this year. It serves me well. When I want to play small or not step up and out of my comfort zone, "bold" is there to remind me that I can do it and to get it done!

Possibilities....oh, the magic of that word! Substitute words like beginnings, dreams or opportunities if possibilities doesn't excite you. Doors begin to open, stars align, birds sing, and all kinds of wonderful things begin to happen in support of those imagined possibilities!

However, the part that really gave me pause was "unleash your faith." This challenged me to think about what I had faith in....the Universe, God, other people, the economy, the government, the weather, or.....myself. Did I have faith? What did I believe?

Did I believe in a universe of abundance? Or one of lack? Did I have faith in myself? My abilities, intelligence, skills, and talents or not? I've been wrestling with this 700 lb. demon for a long while now. I'd like to tell you that I've won the day, but in truth, I've only won the occasional skirmish.

I believe to change this type of thought pattern takes near constant awareness and a willingness to challenge those pervasive thoughts whenever they arise. Evolution, not revolution.

NOLA Sketchbook 8.5 x 3.5 inches Watercolor and Gold Ink

Because I found those words to be so powerful, I put them on the first page of my NOLA sketchbook with a slight change in the wording. To serve as a reminder to continue imagining as well as to have faith....in myself.

What BOLD possibilities are you imagining?!

There was So Much More to New Orleans than either I or Kathy were expecting to see/find. If you're interested in reading about Kathy's take on New Orleans, hop over to Catching Happiness, where she talks about our recent trip!