A Year In the Life of an Art Journal | one

I am happy to be taking part in A Year in the Life of an Art Journal challenge again.

This year the prompts are for photographers as well as art journalers. 

The challenges are given out on the 15th and 30th of every month.

Here is the challenge for January 15, 2013:

PROMPT: New Year's resolutions or ONE WORD. 

Do you make New Year's resolutions, or take part in the ONE WORD project? 

SHOOTERS: Shoot your mug with your word or something that symbolizes your word.
(Sharing on Monday Mugshots on fb also)

BOOKERS: Use watercolors on your page to emulate your word... (if you don't have water colors, watered down acrylic paint will do just fine.) use color to convey that word and what it means to you. While your paint is WET, sprinkle salt on it, and let it sit. When your paint is dry, brush off the salt.  (people taking part in the creative prompt can put their mugshot for this prompt on this page.) 

 I have been choosing a word for my year for the last five years.

I tend to over-burden myself about unnecessary things 

and this year, I've decided it's time to MINIMIZE.

 For these pages I used a double spread in my almost complete (YAY) journal that was already gesso'd and started covering it with a layer of mod podge and then random pages of vintage text from dictionaries, old scouting book, vintage hymnal, worn copy of Pride and Prejudice, etc.

I just mod podge'd away and didn't worry if there were wrinkles or anything.

Then I started painting on a water color wash of orange...my favorite.

(Make sure your page dries in between each thing you do.)

I added two pictures that I printed off quickly on my regular printer.  One is of my coffee mug that I wrote my One Little Word on.  I used a Sharpie Marker and free-handed on the mug. Then I placed it directly on the oven rack at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so.  Won't wash off now. :)

The other picture is a little setting I made with some Scrabble tiles to spell out MINIMIZE.

   I added scribbles of oil pastels and gelato here and there.  Did some smudging.  Then I took some Bahama Blue acrylic and just let it drip down my page.  Just anything that made me smile and broke up the orange a bit.

 I began to write random words that represented things I wanted to minimize.  I used a Sharpie marker for the bold words.  Then around the word I used a Glaze gel pen to write how I would MINIMIZE those areas. 

I have found that the Glaze pens work great on top of any type of medium - even the waxy oil pastels.

 I may continue to add things to the pages that I want to MINIMIZE as I think of them, but this is it for now.  

To MINIMIZE fear:

Psalm 56:3~But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.

Colossians 3:15a.~Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,

Do you art journal or like taking photos? You can join in on the fun twice a month too!  Just head over to Rachel Whetzel's page to play! 

Shimmery Snowflakes...with the Dollar Tree's Help!

So, I love to decorate for the holidays, but I try to be as frugal and creative as possible.  I recently had a ladies activity at my house and wanted to decorate the tables and the room a little more than it already was.  However, I am on a super tight budget.  I cruised through some of my Pinterest boards, but didn't see anything that I could do right away.  I decided to go to the local Dollar Tree to check things out.
I found some really nice looking styrofoam snowflakes - 6 in a pack.  I decided that I liked them and bought 3 packages.  That would give me 18 snowflakes.  When I got home, I opened up the package to realize that they were really plain.  There wasn't even anything to hang them with... hmmmm...
After giving it some thought - I decided to get out the Mod Podge and some iridescent glitter and got to work.  I started with this:

Notice how they are just "flat" without anything to them?

I applied the Mod Podge with a foam brush.

Sprinkled on some glitter and gave it a good shake.

Here they are - just a little bit of shimmer to make them stand out.  Then I tied them with some clear thread.

Here's the shimmery sides showing.

Here's the "flat" side showing.  I didn't glitter both sides 'cause I didn't want to run out of glitter.

Here they are all hung up with clear tacks.

Not bad for $3 right?

Here's the whole set up.  I used snowmen decorations that I already had around the house.  Everybody loved it and complimented the snowflakes.  Decorating doesn't have to break the bank.  My kids asked me to leave them up after I had cleaned everything else up and so I did.  We will enjoy our mini winter wonderland while we can.  =)

Now, all of this was set up for the Ladies' Activity, but I love keeping my home nice and cozy for my family too!  It doesn't take lots of money to be creative and keep things fun at home.

Proverbs 24:3-4~"Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches."

Linking up with Growing Home for Teach Me Tuesdays

Linking up with Time Warp Wife for Titus 2sdays!

A banner for JUSTUS...

It was just about two years ago when I made a very similar banner for my sister Tabitha's first son - Julius. You can see that banner here. Well just two days ago, her second son was born. His name is Justus. She is keeping with the same theme in the nursery and asked that I do a second banner. Of course, I was more than happy to do it.

I started out with some heavy duty chipboard that I cut down to 6"x6" and then covered with Mod Podge and DCWV paper. The tool pictured is the Basic Grey Rub On Stylus Tool. It's one of my most favorite tools ever. I use it mostly for smoothing out the Mod Podge or glue to keep the paper from bubbling up. You can find one here.

After adhering the cardstock to the chipboard, I cut out the appropriate letters and words from the Cricut All Mixed Up cartridge. I also used Cat's Eye Chalk in Chestnut Brown on the edges of the squares.

I then used my Crop-o-dile to punch holes in each corner for me to string the brown ribbon through...I normally would reinforce the hole with an eyelet, but this chipboard was pretty thick and didn't really need it.

I used my Xyron adhesive to stick the letters and words to the paper.

Sweet baby Boy...JUSTUS...Love

It'll be going out in the mail tomorrow. I hope they like it!