2014 Journal52 - Week 11 - Stars

For week 11 of the Journal52 prompts, we were to do a page based on stars and the night sky. The background is done with acrylic paints and a stencil of stars. I gessoed the page and then applied the paint and put the stencil down and wiped away some of the blue, green and red paint to show the stars in the background. I then did lots of white splatters with watered down white paint on a paint brush. I hit the brush and let the paint splatter over the background. Then I did some splatters in gold paint.
The stars were drawn on shiny white paper and and then painted over with sparkle glaze and cut out.
The fairy was stenciled onto white paper with acrylic paints and then also covered over with sparkle glaze and cut out. I wrote the sentiment, cut the words out and applied them to the page. Then I highlighted the stars, fairy and words with a fine point black marker and some shadow marker.
Wouldn't you like to dance among the stars? I would.
Have a great day! :D

2014 Journal52 - Week 10 - Art for a Cause

The prompt for week 10 of Journal52 was Art for a Cause. I chose to use a journal page that I had created a couple of years ago in my Healthy Living Art Journal. I am reading a book called "Clean Cuisine" by Ivy and Andrew Larson and it inspired me to choose "encouraging clean eating to feel better" as my cause.
This page was first painted and stamped and then I did some collage of patterned paper for a boarder and pictures of healthy fruits and vegetables. I wrote the title with marker.
Cheers to all of you as I drink my clean, green smoothie! :D

2014 Journal52 - Week 9 - Colour Swatch Inspiration

For the week 9 prompt for Journal52 we were to take our inspiration from some colours that we like and use them for our art journal page. I decided to draw some flowers with a pencil and chose a few colours of my Twinkling H2O paints to paint them in. Then I doodled around the flowers and leaves with a fine black marker and a white gel pan and also drew the frame. I splattered some paint onto the painting for interest.
The next picture shows some of the details.

You can click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

I did a second painting for the same prompt. 

For this one I used watercolour paper and painted with the wet-on-wet technique. First I wet the paper with clear water, then painted the flowers and leaves. I did not draw them first. I outlined my flowers and leaves with black paint with a liner brush. Then I splattered black paint on the page and drew a frame with a marker.
I couldn't decide which one to post to the Journal52 group so I posted both! I thoroughly enjoyed painting these. I can't wait to get rid of the snow and see Spring again!!!
Take care! :D

2014 Journal52 - Week 8 - Found Poetry

The prompt for week 8 for Journal52 was to do a page with Found Poetry. You were to find some words from a page in a book or any other written work, and make a poem. I chose to do mine with book spine titles.
My poem reads, " Toxic Bachelors, Night's Gift, Sweet Everlasting, Let Me Call You Sweetheart, Morning, Noon and Night.
I stacked the books and took a photo and printed it out on regular printer paper. Then I made a frame for the photo with some black textured paper and rubbed gold metallic acrylic paint on it. Then I marked where the photo would go on my page and collaged some patterned papers around the edges. I added some paint with my fingers and with some bubble wrap on the patterned papers. I then collaged some pictures from a magazine and drew around the collaged papers with a black marker.
I then added the title and drew around that with a white gel pen.
This whole journey of following some prompts with Journal52 is really helping me try new things and making me think outside the box and taking me out of my comfort zone. It's quite fun!
Take care! :D

Art Journal - My First "Houses" page

My friend Linda came over to do some art journaling and showed me her page that she had done of some houses. I loved it! Her inspiration was Cathy Bluteau who does awesome "Houses" art journal pages and has some videos on youtube.
Linda wanted to do another one so we both got to work and this is my first attempt at making a page of houses. It was so much fun adding all the different little details. I put some things in there that make me laugh. If you click on the above picture, it will enlarge and you can see more of the details. I know I will be making more little villages in the future. I have already started my second one.
The houses on this page are all patterned paper cut free hand into house shapes and collaged onto the painted background on the page in the art journal. Then I added some paint and doodling and stamping and rub-ons.
This was too much fun. Give it a try! :D

2014 Journal52 - Week 7 - When I grow up...

Our Journal52 prompt this week was "When I grow up". We were to think of all the things we thought we would like to be when we grew up or interpret it any way that we wanted. Because my career as a teacher is over, I chose to do my page on how I'd like my retirement to be. I found I could have filled many pages with things I like to do, but I narrowed it down and tried to keep it simple. I used the mind map technique for my composition.
I stamped the background randomly with black ink images, then scraped some paint onto it with an old credit card. I added some texture with bubble wrap and white paint. I sprayed three colours of Dylusions ink in spots and let it drip down and sprayed it with some water to disperse it.
I made the main figure by tracing a model from a magazine and cutting it out. I then stamped some black ink images onto the silhouette and drew in a few details and then the word "Retired".
I made the framed word cards for my subtitles and then added a small picture of something from each topic by each card. I grounded the figure with some washi tape.
I then stamped a handmade border stamp a couple of times and inked the edges of the page with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
If you want to see more detail, click on the above photo and you will see a larger picture.
Thanks for stopping by! :D
I'd love to hear from you.

2014 Journal 52 - Week 6 - The Lost Art of Love Letters

I found myself getting emotional as I made this page. My Dad passed away 18 years ago. Making a page with my Mom and Dad's wedding picture on it brought back many memories of the times when Dad was still with us. I am blessed to still have my Mom.
I used several stencils on this page. The church window was from a stencil by Finnabair. I sprayed white ink through the stencil onto black paper and then cut it out. I copied a photo of Mom and Dad onto plain paper, glued it to cardstock and cut it out. I added some colour to them with pencil crayons.
I made the envelope with my We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board. I added white paint to a red heart doily. I used acrylic paint and markers for the background.
I wrote the love letter and put it in the envelope. I'm happy that I'll get to show it to my Mom.
Why don't you write a love letter to someone you love? They will  cherish it.
Happy Valentine's Day! :D

2014 Journal52- Week 5 - Abstract Art

The theme for this week's Journal52 was to make abstract art. I chose to do an abstract cityscape by the river with the reflection. I didn't know that's where this would end up when I started out though! Lol
First I took an old credit card and scraped several colours of acrylic paint onto deli paper for the background. I let that dry and and took a couple of days to figure out what to do with it.
I  took a stencil by Ronda Palazzari called Urban Landscape and sponged black paint through it to create the cityscape. Then I flipped the stencil over and sponged a lighter paint through it to create the reflection. I wiped some of that paint off to give it a hazier look.
I painted the windows and some of the details on the buildings with white paint. I did the same on the reflection and again wiped some of the paint off. I then glued the deli paper to a page in my art journal.
This was an interesting theme and I am pleased with my attempt at abstract art. What do you think? :D

2014 Journal52 - Week 4 - Character Building

This page started out with a coat of gesso. Then I took a magazine image of a girl and lightly traced the shape and features. I took an oak leaf stamp and covered it with two colours of gelatos, spritzed it with a mist of water and stamped it several times on the background.  Then I painted with some acrylic paint and put a stencil over the wet paint and rubbed off the paint in the design of the stencil. This is called reduction stenciling.  Then I took another stencil and sponged some ink through it. After that I drew in the girl's face with a stabilo pencil, which is water soluble, and took a paint brush and painted in those black lines. Then I used watercolour paints to paint in the face and hair. I wrote the message in black marker.
This page was a lot of fun and is my entry for week 4 of Journal52.
I hope you're having fun too! :D

2014 Journal52 - Week 3 - You Make Me Smile

My page for week 3 of the Journal52 series has a lot of collage and a picture of my husband. I started by gessoing the page, and then I added lots of different types of papers which I collaged to the background. I painted some diluted white paint over all the collage to tone it down and unify it. I stenciled some spackling to the page for texture. I also added some washi tape. Then I added some LuminArte spray paints and let them drip down the page. I also added some colour with some Silks acrylic glaze. I did some stamping in the background too.
I framed the picture of my husband and added it to the page. Then I wrote the text in marker.
Keep smiling!!! :D

2014 Journal52 - Week 2 - Somewhere, A Simple Place

My page for week 2 of the Journal52 series is about the joy and peace I find while walking on the walking trails by the river. I love to be out in nature. This is a mixed media piece. I first drew the scene with pencil, then I painted it with watercolours and added some details with pencil crayons and markers. I wrote the words with a straight pen and ink.
Where is a simple place that you like to go?
:D

2014 Journal52 -Week 1 - Up, Up and Away

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2014 will be a great year for all of us!!!  It's been a while since I last posted , but I am back after a busy holiday and visiting season.
I joined a group on Facebook called Jouranl52. We are being given an art journal prompt every week for the year 2014. This mixed media page is my week 1 page for the prompt Up, Up and Away. I have used paints, stencils, tag, stamps, markers, mesh tape, ink sprays, and some bling.
Why don't you come and join us? I hope to see you there. Let me know if you join. :D

Christmas Tag - 2013

This is the Christmas Tag that I made for my friend Linda. I heat embossed the stamped frame and cut it out and then coloured Santa and glued it under the frame. I added a patterned paper background to the tag and popped up the framed Santa. I then added several embellishments - lace, flowers, stickers, ribbon. punched branches. I used distress ink in vintage photo to sponge each piece to give it the vintage look.
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and holiday season.  :D

Christmas Cards - 2013

My friend Linda brought over some of her patterned papers and we designed some Christmas cards. These are three of the designs I made. We stamped the snowflakes and I added some glimmer paint to make them shine. There was also one paper filled with sentiments so we cut some out and added them. We used shiny grey-blue cards to match the patterned papers. It was fun and challenging finding different ways to use the patterned papers.
I would like to wish you all a wonderful holiday season and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it!
Much love. :D

Christmas Cards - 2013

Here is one of the Christmas cards that I made this year.  The main image was mounted with patterned paper and the tree and sentiment were stamped and decorated with stickles.
Here is another one with a different tree stamp.

I hope your Christmas creations are almost finished! :D