Memories

I decided to join The Summer of Color 5 hosted by Kristin Van Valkenburgh. Color makes me happy and I can use a large dose of happy about now!!

This is week 1 and the colors for the challenge are blue, blue, green!! I had fun playing with fluorescent colors, it's a bit outside of the norm for me. It feels very summery to me!! 

Memories, sometimes I wish we had a delete button.....

Begin Again

Since October of last year there have been far to many tragic events surrounding myself, my family, and close friends. Art is my saving grace and it's where I find balance. I am grateful for that. 

Let Go. 

Breathe. 

Trust. 

Smile. 

Madness. 

Courage Dear Heart. 

Conceal. 

Hope. 

I hope to start blogging again, but maybe not. Instagram seems to be my media of choice. It's much easier to share photos and life there. I'm looking forward to a summer filled with family, friends, creating and most importantly calm and healing. 

Big hugs,

Christy

My Inner Artist Guardian

Life Book 2014! Wow, this journey is far exceeding my expectations! I have never considering drawing, I didn't think that it was something I could accomplish. Thanks to Tamara LaPorte I was able to complete my first face. The lesson was to draw your inner artist guardian and Tam made it so easy to follow, step by step. She also prompted you to pick a word for the year and include it in your painting. I like this idea much more then setting a new years resolutions that I never keep beyond February! lol 

My creative juices are flowing and I can't wait to get back into my studio and create more art! 

Mondays are my new favorite day of the week!

Stay tuned for more Life Book inspiration!

You still have time to sign up! Link is below!

Life Book 2014

Big hugs!

xoxoxo

My Lifebook Journey

Wow, its been a while huh? The last few months have blown by so quickly, but I'm back at it!

We have a bit to catch up on :)

Back in October I started searching the Internet for a local art retreat. I was longing for a deeper connection in the art world and desperate to learn more about mixed media. While web searching I stumbled upon an AMAZING artist, Tamara LaPorte and her website Willowing Arts. On her website I learned about a year long mixed media e-course called LIFEBOOK. It is taught by 23 different teachers with a lesson or bonus released each week! There is so much I want to say about Tamara and Lifebook, but this post would be entirely too long! She is amazing and the course has already changed me.... This course it not only about amazing art, but also about healing. You don't have to participate in the healing lessons if you don't want to, its just there as an added bonus. You can learn more about it here. Plus, its super affordable and you still have time to sign up!! 

Anyway, back to the story :)

I was planning on asking hubby to purchase it for me as a Christmas gift, but before I even had a chance to ask him I received an email update from one of the blogs that I follow.....CREATIVITY UNLEASHED by Traci Bautista (another amazing artist). She happens to also be one of the teachers for LIFEBOOK 2014. She was hosting a giveaway for the upcoming Lifebook 2014! So obviously I entered and I bet you will never guess?!?!?!?! I WON! I was so beyond excited and grateful for this opportunity! I was in the car when I found out that I had won the giveaway, don't worry hubby was driving! However I did scare the crap out of him with my gasping and squealing! LOL

So fast forward to now....staying true to myself....I am already behind on the lessons! 

Lessons started January 1st, I'm not too far behind so there is hope! So far the journey has been amazing and its not even February yet! I cant imagine what this year has in store for me...

So here is my first finished lesson from week one. It was just a warm up to get your creative juices flowing. It was fun to just sit a play while following directions given by someone else! Following along with Tam took away the dreaded blank page syndrome. It was so relaxing to just sit and play along....

                                

 

Here is a sneak peek at what is coming up next. This lesson is all about drawing your inner artist guardian for 2014. My drawing is complete, I just have to add some paint! 

I will be back soon with my finished guardian and many more completed lessons from Lifebook 2014! 

It is going to be an amazing creative year!

Big Gentle Hugs!

xoxoxo

Journal background using Vaseline Resist Technique

This is another journal background I completed for the mixed media resist challenge over the summer. I learned the technique of using Vaseline as a resist from Julie Fei Fan Balzer. You can watch her video demonstrating this technique here. 

Beware....This is a VERY messy technique, but you get a cool look on your project.

I started by covering my journal page in black gesso.

I then applied the Vaseline through my Donna Downey/Prima 12x12 Floral stencil. After I finished applying the Vaseline, I painted the page with some acrylic paint mixed with Liquitex glazing fluid. I used short strokes so the Vaseline wouldn't shift too much. Once the paint dried I wiped off the Vaseline with several TONS of baby wipes...once again, this is a very messy process! LOL

This is what you are left with! I love the look! I think I will have a hard time journaling on this page, its just to pretty :) I may have to try this on a canvas.

Thanks for looking! Have a great week friends!

Hugs!

Water Colors and Black Glue Technique

While participating in a few mixed media challenges over the summer I created the art journal pages below. The challenge was to use watercolors and some black glue. I had never heard of this technique before and it intrigued me. I had fun playing with the black glue!

On this first page I created my circles with the black glue and let it dry. I then added the color with my Caran D'Ache NeoColor II crayons (Naples Yellow, Jade Green, and Turquoise). I activated them with water and let it dry. I then dropped some fluid acrylic inks in pink and blue and added the stamped words. 

On this page I put down the color first with my Reeves watercolor set. I then sketched out the tree with a pencil and then went back over it with the black glue. The inspiration for this came from a tree painting I saw on Pinterest. I tried and tried to find it again so I could link back to it, but sadly I could not find it again. If I ever come across it again I will come back and add the link....

Thanks for looking! Gentle Hugs!

Donna Downey Gel Medium Resist Technique

I recently participated in a mixed media challenge with a group of girls on Facebook. 

The challenge was to create a resist on your journal page and then paint it. I created this resist with Golden Gel Medium. After getting the gel medium on the page I embedded some leaves I found on vacation near the beautiful Truckee River into the gel medium. While that was drying I mixed some artist quality watercolor paint in Quinacridone Gold with Liquitex Glazing Fluid and painted it in the page. I let it sit for a couple of minutes then wiped off the paint with a baby wipe. The color remained in the nooks and crannies. I picked up this technique by watching a few TONS of Donna Downey Inspiration Wednesday videos! It worked beautifully! Now I have a gorgeous background for a art journal page! :)

Thanks for looking! Gentle Hugs!

More Gelli Love!

Getting tired of Gelli Prints yet?!?!?! Not me! I may be late to the game, but better late than never! LOL

The next set of prints were done outside of my art journal to be used for various mixed media projects. The prints were made on some cheap card stock and a few on tissue paper.

Stencils used will be listed under the pics

This first print is one of my favorites! Looks like a sunset :)

Heidi Swapp Tiny Hearts and Sunshine stencils

Prima Donna Downey Poppies stencil

Balzer Design Mini Silhouette Script

(This print was done on white tissue paper)

Prima wood grain stencil

Heidi Swapp Sunshine stencil

The letters were made with an old alpha paper stencil set from my stash

Circle were cut from cereal boxes and used as masks

Feather was cut from my Cricut

Prima flourish mask

Prima hot air balloon mask

Prima splatter mask

Heidi Swapp Heart Cluster stencil

The letters were made with an old alpha paper stencil set from my stash

Prima splatter mask

Balzer Design Mix and Match Hearts

Heidi Swapp Tiny Hearts

Circles were cut from cereal boxes and used as a mask. This one makes me laugh because you can see from the gelli transfer what cereal box I used! LOL Can you spot it?!?!?

Thanks again for looking! Gentle Hugs!

Gelli Cards!

Hello again! 

While making several TONS of Gelli prints the other day I decided I should make a few cards on the Gelli Plate. Having extra cards with a background ready to go sounded like a good idea to me! Plus, it gave me a reason to play with the Gelli Plate a little longer :)

As always I will try to list the stencils used under the picture. 

If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

This first card I made into a thank you card for our teenage neighbor who watered my garden while we traveled this summer. It was enhanced with a black fine tip sharpie and a white gelly roll pen, splatters of Dylusion Inks and a thank you stamp from my stash.

Balzer Designs Mix and Match Hearts, Heidi Swapp Tiny Hearts

Inside of card

Heidi Swapp Tiny Hearts and Sunshine stencils

Prima Raindrops and Wood grain stencils

Balzer Designs Mini Stacked Triangles

Heidi Swapp Tiny Hearts and Sunshine stencils

Balzer Designs Mini Stacked Triangles

Prima Donna Downey Poppy stencil

Prima Donna Downey Floral stencil

Heidi Swapp Tiny Hearts

Prima Donna Downey Poppy stencil

Heidi Swapp Tiny Hearts 

Thanks for looking! Gentle Hugs!

Gelli Prints for my Art Journal!

Gelli, Gelli, Gelli! I have spent at least 12 hours playing with my Gelli Plate over the last three days! I love how every print is different and unique. Its almost impossible to duplicate a print twice! 

I thought I would share some of my favorite prints, but I will break it up into a few different blog posts since there were so many. 

This first post is all about the prints I created as backgrounds for my art journal. 

I first removed the pages from my Mixed Media Strathmore Visual Journal for ease of printing. This is one of my favorite journals to work in. The pages are 9x12 and the paper can handle anything I throw at it! The pages can accept layer after layer of different mediums without compromising its integrity. 

I used many different stencils for my prints from Crafters Workshop, Balzer Design, Prima, Heidi Swapp, and old stencils from my scrapbooking days. Stencils are definitely my favorite tool to use when playing with the Gelli Plate.

I also used many different types of paint from Sargent Arts, Amsterdam, and cheap craft paint. I have to say that my favorite paint to use on the Gelli Plate is the Amsterdam paint. It says wet for a decent amount of time and is thick enough that I can pull several prints from one application.

I will try to list the stencils used under the picture, but if you have any questions at all about what was used for a particular print PLEASE feel free to ask me! 

Hope you enjoy!

Balzer Designs Mini Silhouette Script, Heidi Swapp Tiny Hearts

Crafters Workshop Harlequin

Crafters Workshop Harlequin, Folk Art Pebbles

Prima Wood grain, Prima Raindrops

Prima/Donna Downey Floral

Heidi Swapp Heart Cluster, Prima Wood grain, Prima Raindrops, Heidi Swapp Sunshine

Balzer Designs Mini Silhouette Script, Heidi Swapp Heart Cluster

I have many many more stencils to try on the Gelli Plate, including several homemade ones. They are my favorite tool to use while creating with my Gelli Plate.....stay tuned!

Hope you enjoyed!Gentle Hugs!