What I Know For Sure... One

• Everyday brings a chance to start over.
• Life - it goes on.
• Being a mother is the hardest job on earth. I admit it.
• The happiness you feel is in direct proportion to the love you give.
• I am loved unconditionally by my Savior, my husband and my children.
• I never stop myself from doing something because I'm afraid of what people might think... Okay, yes I do - But I need to stop!

• I like salty and sweet. Like Dark chocolate caramel with sea salt. oh.my.word.
• I forgive easily, but I never forget.ever.
• I may cry, but it's not because I'm weak.
• Potato skins will clog the garbage disposal. every time.
• I prefer being at home to going out - unless it's with my family. 
• Take this moment. Enjoy it.

• I can't stand bullies.
• I am a loyal friend and believe in life-long relationships.
• I will not let others write my life script - ever again.
• Crayons (Crayola brand) make me happy.
• Coffee is essential to life.
• I am enough. Enough.
• Everyone deserves to be safe.

I was obviously inspired to do this page by a page I saw in O (Oprah) Magazine.  She has this section, I believe, in each monthly issue.  I have always kept a list of thoughts and quotes that I've agreed on or thought were a revelation that I wanted to remember.  I transferred them to these two pages and decided that I'd like to do this regularly.  I chose just some of the ones I've written in my journals and I'm saving the rest for another time.

Supplies: 

Gesso - covered both pages with gesso to give it some "tooth" and thickness.

Acrylic spray - I put some acrylic craft paint mixed with a bit of water in a spray bottle (travel size found at 99cent store), sprayed the background.

Magazine - torn out words, quotes and pictures

Rubber stamp - swirls for border

Black Staz On Ink - my favorite ink. Water proof and permanent

Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Walnut stain color for edging

Black and White Faber Castel Gelato crayons - for shading - can be used dry or like water colors

Green fine tip Sharpie Marker - Journaling

A Year in the Life of an Art Journal|two

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 30th, 2013.

PROMPT: Rainy Day

SHOOTERS: Shoot your mug near a rainy window

Shooters can share their pictures from this prompt on Facebook 02.04

This was the shot I shared for my Monday Mugshot photo.

I was HOPING for rain to get a *perfect* mugshot, but our rain came a week early.  

No worries here! Like Rachel says, you can do whatever you want with the prompts!

(Sharing on Monday Mugshots on fb also)

BOOKERS: drip some paints on your page, 

and share a little bit about what the perfect rainy day looks like to you. 

I think I will actually take pictures of the process of making my page next time, but for now, I will just share some of the materials I used to make my pages. 

• acrylic paints
• Faber-Casteel Gelatos
• Random Alphabet Stickers
• Tim Holtz Crackle paint
• gesso
• Glaze pen for journaling
• ripped magazine pages

I wanted the background to look like a frosty window on a rainy day.  

I must admit that it looks the way I want in real life, but in this picture -

not so much. 

Journaling Reads: When I think about rain, I think about how the water always seems to come just when we need it.  Rain is soothing to me.  The sound of it...the smell it brings.  Even a good storm brings cleansing.  RAIN is like ART to me.   Soothing, cleansing and always right on time when I need it.

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.”

~Pablo Picasso

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! 

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! 

A Beautiful Life...

This canvas has been re-purposed and re-painted several times.  It has recently just been a work in progress for me and I think I'm finally happy with it...for now.

On Mother's Day...

 My Hannah Joy (Mini Me) made a mixed-media collage page for me.  I loved every bit of it.

 My sweet boy made me a Perfect heart and even wrapped it himself.  Naomi made it clear to everyone that she had to help him cut it out 'cause "he was 'bout to ruin it"!  haha!

 Naomi gave me this awesome tile trivet that she decoupaged herself with tissue flower punches and also made me a tissue hydrangea that actually smelled nice!  She was so proud of her gifts.  I love when elementary school teachers take time for stuff like that.

This is my Taryn and she picked out thee greatest card for me.  It was "Great Moms throughout History".  "You can cross the Delaware AFTER you've finished doing your chores!"~G.Washington's Mom

"It looks like this room hasn't been cleaned in fourscore and seven years!"~A. Lincoln's Mom

"You actually met men who are willing to ask for directions??"~Sacajawea's Mom

"It doesn't take a genius to see you need to comb your hair!"~A.Einstein's Mom

And the greatest mom of all time... (a little foil mirror)  YOU!

Isn't that perfect for me?  

Then hubby picked out this beautiful Brighton charm bracelet out for me.  You can add the charms to either side and so he got the four different birthstone charms of my children.  I love all the detail on the bracelet - especially all of the inscriptions and the cool font. 

They know me well.  I know I'm blessed, but that morning I felt more blessed than ever!

A thought...

opportunity

Colors of autumn...thoughts of seasons past

 I made this for a very special person.  

 We have been apart more than we have been together, 

 yet, I love her with all of my heart and soul.

 She is a good person, beautiful inside and out,

 a hard worker and often searching, pining away for truth and understanding.

 She is a free and wild spirit with a vintage, laughing soul.  She loves deeply...

 she hurts quietly, and she keeps on going.  She is a dreamer, 

 a bird freed from it's cage, not knowing which way to fly, 

 but fly she does.  She flies swiftly, fearlessly and completely.  

One day, her wings will light upon the right currents and she will not fly 

against the wind or into the wind - but with the wind. 

She will feel free and know that her Maker gave her these wings

and that He's always wanted to see her fly...

and fly she will.

Journal Prompt ATC Card Swap

It's been a while since I've participated in any swaps, but I'm so glad that I decided to do this one. I always enjoy Sarah's swaps at our Soul Journaling Yahoo! Group. This swap was a 13 for 13, meaning you make 13 cards and will receive 13 different cards in return. Each card needed to be made with a playing card. The only guidelines were that one side had to have a journaling prompt (writing or art) and the other side needed to have decorative paper of some sort and your email. Also, the cards could not be 3D (nothing coming off the card like buttons and such).

Here are my 13 cards. I made them each different and on most of them, I tried to do the actual prompt as part of my artwork. I really enjoyed these little ATC cards. I can't wait to see what I'll get in return. I'll be sure to come back and share what I receive!

(click on photos to enlarge and see details)

The "backs" of the first set...

The "fronts" of the first set.

Top Row:

1. Writing Prompt: "I love the sound of..."

2. Look through magazines to find pictures that make you smile. Cut them out and collage them.

3. Choose a favorite color and base your whole page around it. Write why you love that color.

Bottom Row:

1. Apply some paint or ink to bubble wrap and then "stamp" with it on your page.

2. What has been the highest compliment you've ever received?

3. Include some large hearts in your journal today.

Middle End:

What line in a song do you often "hear" in your head?

The "backs" of the second set...

The "fronts" of the second set...

Top Row:

1. Scatter water color pencil shavings over a water saturated page.

2. Write a secret you've been keeping, then gesso and create over it.

3. Writing prompt: "I am happy with..."

Bottom Row:

1. List 10 smells you love.

2. Add some sort of "bling" to your page. Glitter, sparkles, gems...

3. Make a page with 25 adjectives on it that describe YOU.

This was one of my favorites. I took a water color ATC card and totally saturated it with water. Then I just sharpened some of my water color pencils over it, allowing the shavings to fall where they may. I did that with several different colors, shook off the "wood" part of the shavings and then let it dry. I then adhered it to the playing card with tacky glue. I mod podged over the shavings to kind of "seal" it.

This one was my favorite out of all of them. I lightly gesso'd the card and then went over it with a wash of acrylic. I believe it was a mix of camel and mango. While it was still wet, I took a scrunched up paper towel and dabbed it. It left the nice texture and I heat set it right away. Then I stamped my image with Staz On black ink and then splattered the red acrylic paint on top of it all. I then added the prompt with gel medium and of course that was inked with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

They've gone out and are on their way to Florida. Come back to see what I receive. =)

Help my unbelief...

Soul Journaling: FILTER

Some of you may recall my last post for A Year in the Life of an Art Journal. It was THIS one. While I liked it enough, I wasn't really crazy about it. I find that I get a little OCD about deadlines or things I've committed to and I feel really crummy if I don't fulfill them. So, the 30th of the month rolled around (prompts are given on the 15th and the 30th of each month), but I was not feeling creative at all. I had already skipped the 15th because I had company for a couple weeks in a row and was really busy - I just couldn't think about skipping another one. So I did a page JUST to do it.

Do you ever do that? It may be a layout in your album, a page in your journal, a project for something... My heart wasn't really in it.

THEN I came across this post on a favorite blog "Balzer Designs by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer" Wow! This is just the inspiration I needed. Obviously, my page looks a lot like hers, but I really wanted to follow the "formula" so that I wouldn't have to think about it too much. I did it step by step (wish I took pictures of the process), sometimes a little more than 10 minutes at a time, but once I was tired or distracted, I stopped and put it away.

I am so happy with how it turned out. I really feel like the PROCESS was the part that I have been missing lately. I used to always enjoy my art journaling. I need to not let these prompts control me - I might have to stop them and just check them out once in a while...I don't know. Anyway, thanks Julie! I had the best time working one layer at a time. I even discovered (at the end) some cool foam stamps I bought from Pebbles, Inc. a jillion years ago. Forgot all about them and then there they were (the alphabet stamps and the cool doily type design on the left and right corner - A whole set of cool stamps)! Looking forward to taking my time again and creating just for me. =)

Had to come back and add this updated picture. I kept staring at it and thought it needed something. The splatters. I forgot to do the black paint splatters. Now, like my little guy says, "That's better!"

Secret Name...Feelings...

Tears in a bottle...

Psalm 56:8~You keep track of all my sorrows.

You have collected all my tears in your bottle.

You have recorded each one in your book.

One Little Word ~ ATC's

Focus ~2009

True ~ 2010

Journey ~ 2011

Just one little word to be my guide...