I took a fun mixed media class with artist Terry Runyan (and talked more about it here: "Gift Idea for Andre" ) and enjoyed it so checked my library for books and found this one. I loved the title and cheery colors so checked it out.

Here is Amazon's description: "Learn how to create adorable mixed-media art to send to loved ones, friends, and even strangers via snail mail—then share in the happiness it brings.

Author Sarah J. Gardner has made it her mission to help others find their creativity and inspiration through mixed-media art. In Share Your Joy, she offers her idea for how to share joy via handmade postcards, note cards, and other items that can be mailed to anyone around the world and put a smile on their face. That’s where Sarah gets her joy, and with the techniques and step-by-step projects in this book, she will help you find it too.

Working on papers you have painted and that can be drawn and painted over (what Sarah calls “art papers”), you will learn to use collage, stenciling, found objects, watercolor and acrylic paints, and more to create art to share with others.

Included in the book are:


Step-by-step projects for making shareable art
Interviews with “art swappers” who’ve sent and received art for years
Inspirational prompts, quotes, and affirmations to keep your creativity levels up
Suggestions for how to make inspirational journals and sketchbooks to work inside


Experience the fun and happiness of making shareable, mixed-media art with Share Your Joy!"

People who already have some art background and know basic painting skills already.

The valentine mobile and many watercolor projects.

That she assumed people already knew a lot... or maybe I was just a bad student? I only tried one project but it didn't come out very well and really was nothing like her example project. It was still fun.. but I came a lot closer to Terry Runyan's art than to this artist's.

Read one of Terry Runyan's books.

Happy, mostly. Happy until I did that failed project. Then kind of inadequate. I need more basic watercolor skills before doing more projects from this book, I think. Or better quality watercolors. That could have been the problem (my super-cheap paint).

About the author (from Amazon): "Sarah Gardner is a mom, a practicing lawyer, and a mixed media artist and teacher. She lives with her family in Cardiff by the Sea, California. She’s been creating and teaching mixed media art since 2007. Her creative practice takes place in her art journal and in making a lot of art to share: Postcards, ATCs, Kindness Cards, Paper Mobiles, Mini Journals, and more.

Since launching her art business, Juicy*S Art, in 2019, Sarah has been teaching live art workshops she calls “Art Play Dates,” and teaching online classes. She was a guest host for Everything Art’s Wanderlust, an online art journaling course, in 2020, teaching six lessons that year. She has taught several other online courses, including Fodder School 1 from Willa Workshops, One Badass Art Journal 2023 hosted by Embrace Your Art, and has begun providing her own classes from her online Teachable school, Juicy*S Mixed Media Art School. She was a Creative Team Member for StencilGirl® Products from April 2021 to March 2022, and will soon launch a series of her own stencil designs from StencilGirl®. Her book: “Share Your Joy: Inspired Mixed Media Shareable Art” will be out in print in the Fall of 2023.

“I’m Sarah Gardner, also known as Juicy*S. Juicy*S is my DJ name. I am not a DJ. I would love to be a DJ. I am a recovering perfectionist. I have learned that what gives me joy is the process of creating, not the “perfect” end result. When I’m creating, I’m really focused on the process, enjoying the intuitive way things happen, seeing what different media do, and experimenting and playing around without judging every choice I make. Staying curious and being kind to myself, trusting this process, is a mindfulness practice. I hope to help others explore creativity, ignore that perfectionistic inner critic, and play around with art supplies. It gives me joy and I want to share this way to happiness. This is my wish for you. What’s your DJ name? Let's sling some paint, make some art, and you can tell me all about it!”"

If you already know how to paint, I think it'd be a great book. And there are lots of great pictures for inspiration.

It's more for intermediate and advanced people, in my opinion, than for beginners. But there is a lot of fun stuff in there and it was fun to read and enjoy the photos even if I only actually did the one project.

I borrowed this book from my local library. Twice. The first time I got up to the project I did. The second time I did that project and today I finished the book. I am not returning it yet because I might do that Valentine mobile project, just in a simpler way.

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Created Jan 11, 2024 at 8:49pm • Submit your own review...