Twenty-Twelve Color Pattern

Last year (actually, beginning at the end of 2010), I seemed to be drawn to pinks, yellows, and reds over and over.  I found myself using them for my own projects and pinning others' projects or photos from that palette.

And I'm quickly seeing a pattern of reaching for pink and teal this year.  I just naturally gravitated towards the two colors, paired with gray, for my One Little Word album - they're great colors for my word Animate, don't you think?

Since I've noticed the emerging color theme, I thought I'd share a page from my art journal that I created last month.

Must admit, it was rather meditative to keep writing nearly the same words over and over again, across the page. I imagine it's similar to what I hear knitters feel like as they repeat a simple pattern.

Add in some pearlescent watercolor paint, my stand-by acrylic paints, and an assortment of black pens for this word doodled page to come together.

For me, it was a simple, colorful way to welcome in the new year. And a month later, I'm realizing that those colors I reached for first thing at the start of Twenty-Twelve, have developed into a personal trend. I'm curious to see where they'll appear again.

Do you ever find yourself riffing on your own personal color trend?

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The Sketchbook Challenge: Everyday Objects

I've missed the last few months of The Sketchbook Challenge, so I'm diving back in, getting in on August's theme, Everyday Objects, before the month is officially over!

Now, I know peeps say that everyone can draw, but truly it's not my forte.  The martini glass for #SummerSmashed is pretty much the extent of my current drawing skills.

But, I saw so much drawing for this month's theme, what was I to do?!  I know...

Instead of drawing Everyday Objects, I used Everyday Objects!  I used saran wrap, aluminum foil, paper towel and duct tape.  Now, how everyday are those?!

(Yes, I know the colors are quite different here. They are the same page.  At the top, the sun was behind the journal and just above, it was in direct sunlight.  The pic at the top showed the writing better, but the pic above is a truer representation of color, though still not dead on.)

Using crumpled saran wrap, I pounced on both turquoise and teal dye inks.  I used both squished up paper towel and saran wrap to pounce on Distress Ink.  And then I used balled up tin foil, dipped in aquamarine and lagoon blue acrylic paint.

When I went for the duct tape, I came across a roll in red that I used some time ago to repair my kidlet's ripped red folding chair.  I'm glad I kept it.  I cut in a small amount and then tore it the rest of the way, leaving a stringy edge.  And a white paint pen & red Sharpie finished it up.

It's an art journal, there are no rules and I made the theme work for me.  Plus, there's nothing I like more than getting ink and paint on my hands.  It reminds me the rest of the day, that I had fun today! :>

When was the last time you played?

 

Writer's Workshop - A kiss & a smile!

I love Mama Kat's prompt number five: On a piece of paper write down something that makes you happy…take a photo of your paper and wa la…there’s your post. 

In fact, I love it so much that even though the day is winding down, I still am hopping in on the party workshop!

My Princess wanted to "do art" today and spent most of it cutting out words & pictures from an old magazine to use for collages later.  And I thought it was the perfect time to color right along side her.  Coloring, just to color, not for a pretty purpose is so full of happiness in and of itself.  Add that to some precious time spent with a sweet girl and I was definitely smiling!

I just adore it when I am the victim/benefactor of a sneak attack kiss for no apparent reason from my kidlets!

So, spread the happiness, what's making you smile today?

One Little Word meets The Sketchbook Challenge

Yesterday, one of my kidlets said, "Mom, I want to see you get more crafty again." It was out of the blue, as they sat down for breakfast, before I was even really awake.

But, he had a point and I want that too!

A couple weeks ago, inspiration struck for The Sketchbook Challenge's March theme: Spilling Over and last night, I took my kidlet's advice and got to it.

It's the end of the first quarter of 2011 and a great time to check in with my One Little Word: ~Grow~.  And even better, combine it for an art journal page for The Sketchbook Challenge.

Last month, I updated my camera to a DSLR and I'm learning to ~Grow~ in photography.  And while that's a long happy process, I'm having fun clicking.  To include a bit of this growth, I upped the contrast on the photo I took of our now removed ash trees, to make it easier to trace the silhouette onto transparency with a fine tipped Sharpie.

While the simple printout of the pic isn't good quality, I went ahead and included it.

Under the transparency, I included the Her Face piece I wrote for a Red Writing Hood assignment at The Red Dress Club.  Outside of blogging, it has been quite some time since I've written creatively.  Writing along with prompts from The Red Dress Club and Microfiction Monday this year has allowed me to ~Grow~ here as well.

And on top is some simple acrylic paint, topped with my One Little Word: ~Grow~ and the synonyms that I've included in my One Little Word album that I'm working on for Ali Edward's class over at Big Picture Classes...one more area for me to ~Grow~!

Do you have One Little Word for 2011?  How have you incorporated it into your life so far?

  

The Sketchbook Challenge: {Opposites}

Squeezing in a new art journal page prompted by February's theme (before February is over at midnight tonight...already?!), Opposites, at The Sketchbook Challenge!

Initially, I was unsure what direction I would go with this theme. Yes, there are a lot of options, but nothing spoke to me. Then, earlier this month, I got a migraine from Hades.

And with it, came something that I had never experienced before, an aura.  Scared the bleepers out of me!

The progression from everything being just fine & dandy, to altered sight, to loss of peripheral vision seemed as opposite as could be to me....and something I really wanted to translate with my hands.

I started with one paragraph of an email I zipped off to my Four Musketeers the next morning about what happened, copied and pasted over and over, printed onto cardstock and cut to create three columns.

The far left is left completely untouched.

For the middle column, I used colored pencils, spica glitter pens, pearlescent paint, and dimensional adhesive...a lot of dimensional adhesive! (It is always sooo hard not to touch that liquid pool while it dries!)

And on the right I used Distress Inks to show the darkness that followed that wonky wacky aura.

The light was reflecting off the dimensional adhesive, regardless of turning the flash off and moving it out of direct light (artificial or natural), but I did my best! :>

Not only was it fun to get the creative on, but it helped to put something that scared me and felt so intangible down on paper and into my art journal.  Thankfully, there has not been a migraine with aura repeat and I would very much love that to be a one time only experience!

 

Thanks so much for stopping in!  Have you gotten your creative on?  What were you up to over the weekend?

Linking up!

Highly Prized: The Sketchbook Challenge meets Inspiration Everywhere

Still continuing with the Inspiration Everywhere class from the end of last year...at my pace.  And today, the next prompt for that class, Hands, meets The Sketchbook Challenge's January Theme, Highly Prized.

Pulled out my watercolor crayons to wash on the background (while my wee girl painted with the watercolors Santa brought her)...

And when it was dry...  Remember when wee girl & I got a handle on some pink painted playtime? Well, this is where I stamped that uber pink hand o' mine:

And then I got to journaling on my take on The Sketchbook Challenge's January theme:  Hands. Highly Prized. Hands.

So much fun to pull a brush, get my hands all gooped up, and write away!  Are you participating in The Sketchbook Challenge?  If you are, let me know so that I can come see what you are creating! :>

(Also, I've been made aware that some people are having trouble viewing my blog in its entirety - left sidebar, body/content, right sidebar.  If you are, I do apologize.  I am trying to figure out what's going on.  Though it is definitely a challenge as I can see the whole site.  Just want to say that I'm looking into it!  Hope you'll hang in there with me! :>)

The Sketchbook Challenge

Have you heard about The Sketchbook Challenge?  I first learned of it from Thien-Kim over at Cup of Creativi-Tea and I'm so glad I did!

The Sketchbook Challenge was launched on January 1st this year and we'll be using monthly themes to guide our creations in our sketchbooks.  January's theme is "Highly Prized" and a new theme to create pages with will follow each month.  There are lots of fantastic prizes that will be randomly awarded as well.

Okay, Confession Time!  I have been wanting to create an art journal for quite awhile now.  But, when I would look at so many others' journal pages heaped upon with creativity & talent, I chickened out (bwak, bwak!).  And then I started one through Jessica Sprague's Inspiration Everywhere class and took that initial guidance & instruction (you know...teacher told me to do it, so I did it...) and ran with it.  And now I don't want to let it die out.

So, when I was chatting with Thien-Kim one night on Twitter and she suggested I check out The Sketchbook Challenge, I ran clicked my way over and found a world to keep creating in!

I hope you'll click on The Sketchbook Challenge badge to check it out & create along.  Let me know if you are, I would love to come visit you, see what you are creating & cheer you on!  I'll be sharing my 'Highly Prized' page later this week and hope you'll come back to join me on this journey to {{{Grow}}}. :>

Can You Handle a Little Playtime? {Wordful Wednesday}

Can you?  Can you handle a little playtime?

We can & we did.

Did you play with me for one Wordful Wednesday back in October when I cropped in on the photo?  Well, I was editing photos for another post, when I cropped in and saw this:

(These are more fun, if you don't scroll down right away! :>)

What do you see?

What do you see besides a boat load of pink? 

Do you have any idea what it is?

?

?

?

?

Truthfully, if I didn't participate in the process & take the pic, I wouldn't know.  But, I did still enjoy seeing something else entirely once the photo was cropped down. :> 

The red looks something like a cross between a road runner, a turkey, and an alpaca running to me!  But, its really a part of this:

Wee girl & I had some fun with acrylic paints, our hands & making hand prints!  Just before I washed this already drying paint off, I snapped a pic.  Thankfully, acrylic paint comes off easy peasy in the sink and I'm no longer sporting a pink mitt!

We've been having a lot of creative fun since her big brother returned to school last week from Winter Break.  There's been acrylic paint (a lot o' pink), watercolors, construction paper, scissors, glue sticks, and more Inspiration Everywhere projects, which I will continue to share as I complete them (including the page that painted hand stamped itself upon).

Thanks for stopping by today!  What has the New Year brought your way?


Linking up with:
Parenting By Dummies
Seven Clown Circus
A Beautiful Mess
Live and Love...Out Loud
5 Minutes for Mom

Inspiration Everwhere - Art Journal {Dedication}

Loved Jessica Sprague 's Inspiration Everywhere class so much that though I wasn't able to keep pace during the two weeks of class last month, I am still happily working on the class assignments and today I'm sharing the Dedication Page.

Jessica prepared a fun pdf to use for this page, but my mojo was sparked with the combo of her class & Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas and I had to continue diving in, hands on & enjoy the full tactile experience of creating (just as I did for the art journal's cover).

When I saw the pocket Jessica used on her Dedication Page to insert her journaling, I immediately knew what I would use.  I have a pile o' old Levi's & other jeans (all sizes, from the kidlets on up to ours) & went running to see what size tush back pocket would work on my page.

I also grabbed this uber cute paper that I've been hoarding for wee girl's scrapbook album (I still have a sheet & a half left, so I didn't de-hoard it all ;>).  Isn't it darling?

A bit more patterned paper for the journaling, some acrylic paint, rub-ons, and ink to complete the page.  Oh yeah, did I mention the smiles, fun & even a few giggles (courtesy of wee girl working on her own collage beside me)?  Because there were!

The journaling for my Dedication Page reads:

Explore.

Seek.

Search.
Find.

Inspiration.

It is everywhere.

Outside. Inside.

Above. Below.

Friends. Family.

In Print. Online.

Color. Shape.

Texture. Line.

Words. Spoken.

Written. Sights.

Sounds. Smells.

Emotions. Sensations.

Inspiration.

It.

Is.

Everywhere.

Where do you find your inspiration?

Supplies:

Paper:  Foofala;  K&Company

Ink:  Tattered Rose - Tim Holtz Distress Inks for Ranger

Paint:  Acrylic Paint - Making Memories

Rub-Ons:  Making Memories;  My Mind's Eye

Other:  Fabri-Tac;  Levi's jeans

Linking up:
Tattertots and Jello:  Weekend Wrap Up Party

Inspiration Everywhere - Art Journal {Cover}

Jessica Sprague's Inspiration Everywhere has been a fantastic class! I just loved how many different creative sources & mediums the class assignments were pulled from.  In fact, it has drawn & pushed me to a variety of inspiration wells to drink from & materials to play with.

There has been a variety of assignments & I will be back to share more of them, but first I wanted to share an ongoing assignment in the class, our Art Journals.  And what do we start with first?  But, the cover, of course!

While Jessica Sprague embraces design & creativity through technology, her site also allows for the scissor & glue types as well.  And though I'm learning more & more techno/digi options each day (& there were digi options for these pages as well), I chose to pull out acrylic paints, sparkle glaze, Tim Holtz masks, & my favorite Spica glitter pens.

Ironically, Tim Holtz was demonstrating his masks (in reverse) on today's 12 Tags of Christmas tag  (talk about a fountain of inspiration!) and I will definitely have to remember to stamp with them next time!

I painted over the alpha letters 'a', 'R', and 't' first with a red, then orange, then yellow.  While the background bright pink was straight out of the bottle, I mixed the other three colors for the shades I wanted and added a sparkle glaze that I had on hand (it adds bits of glitter to the paint).  I also dry brushed on all three colors around the perimeter of the cover.

'Journal' and 'Inspiration Everywhere' are written in black & while it seems that I was not able to pick it up with the camera, they are traced over with a black spica glitter pen & do indeed sparkle.

I didn't paint the left edge, under the spiral, intentionally.  Initially, I was going to just tie color coordinated ribbons all over the spiral, but a wee different idea has sprung.....I'll share more with the next art journal post! ;>:>

What is lighting your creative fires these days?  Both Jessica Sprague & Tim Holtz have lit many creative sparks for me and I'd love to know what's working for you!

I'm linking up!