Encourage your hopes not your fears....

I made this journal page a while back, just haven't had the chance to post it until now.  This was one of my first faces I tried to draw on my own.  Since then I've done some workshops and classes and when I look back at it I kinda cringe a bit.  BUT don't get me wrong, I do LOVE it and the Tim Holtz sentiment I added reminds me to 'keep at it' even if you don't think you can do it!  

This page was created using Gelatos and Peerless Watercolors.  I took some Gelatos and added a pattern of 'dots'  to one side of the page.  Then I took my water bottle and spritzed up the page pretty good, shut my book, held my breath, crossed my fingers and when I opened it I got the mirror image on the other side.  Fun!  Then I randomly added the Peerless watercolors around the dots to make this very abstract background.  I drew in my girl and painted her with some Koi Watercolors.  Added the Stampers Anonymous Sentiment by Tim Holtz and used my Copic Multiliner to draw in some little daisy's and a border and left it at that!

 I brought my art journal with me to CHA so I could have all my favourite designers sign it.   I luckily met Mr. Tim Holtz, had a quick photo opp and got him to sign it!  Very cool!  He's such a doll!

How cool is that?  Its like this page was made for him to sign!  I love it and also love how passionate he is about his work.  And he always has time for everyone - he's one awesome dude!

I can't help but share this too, another highlight of CHA for me was meeting Rupert from Survivor!  Who knew he would be working at the Tulip booth?  Being a HUGE fan of survivor I was super excited to meet him.  He's a big teddy bear!  He made my son a very cool pair of tie-dye socks - too cool!

Well that's it for today, I have more pics to show you from CHA which will come soon, (I know, its a bit late but that's how I roll...hee hee), I will show you the page Dina Wakley painted in my art journal (squeeeeeeeeeeeel - lucky me)!!!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Have a great weekend!

A new journal page...gettin' messy without a plan...

So I usually have SOME sort of plan when I do an art journal page. I can picture it in my head, I get out my supplies and I go to work.  Not with this page.  I literally did this in about 15 minutes and it was SO-MUCH-FUN!  I totally just dove in without a plan, 'gasp' I know (not my usual way), grabbed anything I could use within arms reach and just rolled with it! 

 My random circles turned out to look like green olives but I love green olives so its a win win for me!

I love pushing myself outside my comfort zone, you should try it, you just might love the results!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Have a great weekend!

Supplies used:

Gesso (#770302)

Heat it - Craft Tool

Gelatos Designer Colors - Tropical (#770162)

TH Layering Stencil Rays

InLinkz.com

More Art Tags from 2013!!!

Hello Bloggers!  So I think this is the last of the forgotten art tags of 2013!  It was a very busy year for me and sadly I just didn't have the time or energy to get "bloggy with it"!  BUT 2014 is a different story and I'll be back in action soon, YAY!  

This first tag is one of my favourites.  I used a bunch of acrylic paints, stencils, india ink, and a cool metal frame from Stampin UP painted with some white Tim Holtz distress paint.

I love this sentiment!

I ran this tag through my Cuttle Bug maching to emboss the surface.  Before I laid the tag inside the folder I added some distress paint so it would create a cool coloured background.  I then added more paint and went over the whole raised surface with some white distress paints.  I love this dry embossing effect!

 I did the same thing with this next tag and dry embossed it with a number embossing folder.  I added lots of paints and sprays, and a sentiment stamp to finish it off.  

This tag was made using some back ground stamps from Unity, different colours of sprays and inks, a cute fairy stamp from Unity, Faber-Castell Gelatos, and a sakura giltter pen to add some shimmer!

 I thought I would try to cover an entire tag with some Giltter Ritz that I have in my stash (that never gets used).  I forgot how awesome this stuff is!  Once you apply the glitter, simply burnish with your finger and the result is a glorious shimmery glittery finish you won't want to stop looking at.  The coolest part is that it feels like brushed suede and the sparkles will not rub off!  Added some glitter Thickers to finish!

This was a fun tag to do, lots of sprays, some fun Claudine Helmuth foam and clear stamps, washi tape and glimmer mist! 

 Not sure if you can see the sparkly goodness but its so pretty to look at in person.  You can never have enough sparkle!

 Well there ya go!  There will be many more to come in 2014 along with some journal pages, canvases, cards etc...I hope you enjoyed and found even a bit of inspiration!  Now go make something ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

Learn to pause....

Now that 2013 is quickly coming to a close I've promised myself to post all of the things I've created but haven't put on my blog.  This one fell through the cracks of the many 'unorganized' photos I have on my computer....

 The girl stamp is from Stamping Bella and I coloured her in with copic markers, prismacolor pencils and golden acrylic paints.  Lots of green and brown paints, inks etc...were used (which are usually not my 1st choice, but I had to challenge myself to do something different).  

I love this sentiment, (from Tim Holtz Just Thoughts stamp set)...reminds me to slow down and enjoy life!

Thanks for stopping by!

Artists in Blogland

Paint Party Friday

Creative Everyday

FACEcinating Girls....Journal Page...

Hi, I'm back again.  Starting to get caught up a bit on my art journal posts.  Here is a page I did in the early summer when I took an online class with Andrea Gomoll.  (love love love her AND her work btw)!  

It's pretty 'trippy' I know but the whole Zentangle craze gave me an idea for her hair and I just went with it.  

Supplies used:

Facecinating Girls stamps, Golden Paints, copic markers, prismacolor pencils and gamsol, faber-castell artist pitt pens & gelatos, white marker pens, Derwent Inktense pencils (love these), stardust stickles, black copic multiliner.  

There are some funky black spots on her face from dropping my markers and stamps (yes I'm very clumsy), and I have to practice my noses, but I was pretty happy for my first attempt!

Once I finish the page beside it I will post the whole thing.  At a loss as to what to do...sigh!  Thanks for stopping by!

Artists in Blogland - Numbers Scavenger hunt (#2)

Paint Party Friday

Creative Everyday

Just roll with it...& follow your heart...

 Here's another art journal page I completed a while ago. 

Supplies used:

Suzi Blu stamp, old book paper, peerless watercolors, prismacolor pencils, black sharpie, white paint pen, acrhivers ink, caran d'ashe neocolours, various background stamps...

Check out these fabulous blogs for tons of inspiration:

ARTISTS IN BLOGLAND

BALZER DESIGNS

PAINT PARTY FRIDAY

CREATIVE EVERYDAY

Art Journal Page

So I thought I'd share my very first Art Journal page just for the fun of it.  Since this one, I've done many more that I like better so this one has been pushed to the end of the 'blog' line.  

Being my first page, I was more or less just 'playing' with all my stuff.  Mainly stencils, sprays, stamps & gesso.  I did add some rub-ons at the end and did a wee bit of doodling.

Here's a close up of my favourite part of the page.  I used a Tim Holtz mask and gesso'd over it leaving the pretty background showing through.  I also added some coloured Conte Crayons around the edges to give it that soft antique smudgy look.  

I'm playing along with the 'Color this Quote' over at Artists in Blogland for June.  "May there be peace and prosperity within your walls." Psalms 122.7  I think this quote relates to this page and reminds me to just be at peace with what ever I am creating.  Sometimes I get too caught up with it being perfect or having to have this perfect plan/vision of what it is I want to make.  Just go with it I say!!!

Also, check out the inspiration over at Creative Every Day!  Lots of wonderful art to be seen!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Have a great week!  I'll be back tomorrow with a cute little Fathers Day tag for By Lori Designs!  I know, its been a while huh?

It takes everything to stand alone...art journal page

Here is one of my favourite pages in my art journal I thought I would share. 

I started off by spraying my pages with water then added a bunch of fun bright Dylusions Ink Sprays.  I then used my black sharpie and drew circles around all the 'blobs' of spray that I didn't like.  Keeping with the 'circular' theme, I added some green polkadots using a Crafters Workshop stencil.  I found the page to be too bright so I took out my big circle stencil and sprayed some White Linen over it to soften it up a bit.  I love this look!

I started doodling one of my favourite quotes, one I try to live by, you know, 'be your own person' kind of thing....I used a fine tip black sharpie and coloured in some of the letters with my Faber Castell Pitt pens in various colours. 

Then I pulled out my Peerless Watercolours (my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE - these are so brilliantly beautiful, so rich in colour, I use them all the time) and just painted on random circles and added some colour to the lettering and the lines underneath the lettering etc... 



I went around the perimeter of the whole page using Dyan Reaveley's cling stamps, and also added some circle word stamps from my stash!  I'm pretty happy with the outcome! 

Thanks for stopping by!