Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Years Eve!

Man, with Christmas and New Years, family, and health, I haven't been artfully motivated at all!
I got some awesome Zentangle stuff for Christmas, a couple books and Micron pens!
But, I haven't used them yet. :(

I am SO excited about 2012! It's going to be a good year filled with learning about art!
So far I am signed up for Life Book with Tamara Laporte which starts tomorrow!
And with that I got Fabulous Faces which I am starting today!
SOOOOOO EXCITED!
I am also getting Mika's Expressive Soul Painting, and that starts on the 15th of January!

For my birthday I have decided I want Jane Davenport's Draw Happy and if that goes well I want to take her I HEART Drawing as well!

There is about a hundred (no lie) other classes I want to take, but those are for starters.
I am also considering becoming a Certified Zentangle Teacher! I think it would be AWESOME! But I don't want to go to Rhode Island in February, the cold and the weather keep me at bay.
I am shooting for something in the summer and make a family vacay out of it!

And then there are my resolutions for 2012. Usually I don't have resolutions because I don't keep them long after January, but this is a New Year with NEW GOALS!

One resolution (in no specific order really, all are equally important) is to keep my resolutions! LOL!

Another, to lose weight and become more healthy. I know, so cliché, right?
But really, I NEED to get healthier. The Dr didn't give me good news about my cholesterol and I have other looming medical problems, so, getting healthy may be one of the largest challenges of the year. And losing weight, well, I don't have to be 110 pounds or anything, I'm not really looking to be. But a good healthy and active weight would be awesome!

Of course there is the resolution to spend 2012 learning art!
I have NEVER considered myself an artist or even really able to create art, but I now know there IS an artist inside me. I just have to lock away that pesky inner critic because it is the reason I don't finish many things.

And lastly, the resolution to not forget people's birthdays!
I have been a Stampin' Up Demonstrator in the past and even then when I MADE cards, I would rarely get them made for people's birthdays. What a failure. And I doubt seriously I will make cards this year as I have really lost interest. But I resolve to not forget anymore birthdays, everyone in my family gets cards in the least. Maybe I will make some, maybe I will Zentangle some!

Anyway, off to start my Fabulous Faces work!
Enjoy your New Years Eve, stay safe, warm, and happy!
See you in 2012!!!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

I missed WOYWW!

I just realized that I missed posting for What's on your Workdesk Wednesday.
Oh well, I can still surf it HERE.



I haven't been feeling well since Monday/Tuesdayish and while I have worked in my art journal I haven't completed anything or felt like writing a post. I hope to get one in later today though after Lukie and I bake cookies and wash dishes.

And for the record...
Pandora is REALLY on my nerves today! I keep getting crappy songs that I thumbs down adn they never play a song that I have liked! WTFrick man! Play me some music I actually like!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Hooked Into Machine


We have more than a foot of snow and it is still slowly falling so it's perfect weather for art journaling.

This page is inspired by Regina Spektor's song "Machine"
I feel a little hooked into machines...


Several layers of blues (several different shades) and black acrylic paints.
Once the background was an acceptable shade I took oil pastels to it to draw the gears and do the lettering and then I smudged.
Finished with some lyrics in black sharpie.
Oh, lastly, I took a baby wipe with water and shimmery black acrylic paint and splat it on the page and pressed it until it ran.
I really wished I had ordered the color wash sprays when I had the chance...


Tangled Christmas Tree and S N O W !!!!

I spent yesterday working up a tree and I think it came out pretty well, I am happy with it for the most part!
Last night before bed I wrote on the opposite page, I don't know, I might not leave that alone.
Not happy with it, I may change it or add to it.
But here it is...


And for those of you who don't know, we live in New Mexico and for the past few years we rarely see much snow, but look what we got last night!!!!
So far, I have yet to venture out past our front courtyard (pictured here). But if I do, I will get pictures!!

Isn't it just beautiful!?
My love is out shoveling snow as we speak to get out of the driveway to go to work! LOL!!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Dead cell phone...

My cell phone is dead... AGAIN!
I should have my replacement on Tuesday.
:(

I only report this as it makes getting pictures on my blog much more difficult.
I do have a digicam but I HATE using it.

I am so darned reliant on my little phone for everything from pictures, to music, to internet (especially when I am Zentangling and the kids are on the computers).
UGH!

Yes, and Friday's news at the Dr was not great news, not even good news. But meh, what can I do about it? Nada. Just keep on truckin' and we'll see where it takes us.

I am just happy I have found some art and color in life to entertain me!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Raise Your Glass and the process

Today's A Year in the Life of an Art Journal prompt was Pink's "Raise Your Glass" which is hilarious to me because I had just been sitting here listening to music on Pandora this morning before I looked to see what the prompt was that was posted and this song came on. It's always been one of my favorites, I identify a lot with some of Pink's best music.
So, I was moved to go find the video on YouTube.
I decided then I would make a journal page to go with it!

THE PROMPT: Lighten Up
THE SONG: Raise Your Glass by Pink
Written Lyrics HERE
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Confetti

Step one, pick the song. MOST of the songs I pick have some meaning to me. Though I have been known to use a song just because I like the beat, lyrics, group(singer), or video.
Step two, of pretty much any one of my lyric pages is writing the lyrics on notebook paper and picking out what is important/useable/needed.


Next I figured out where I was going to put the lyrics on the page. Usually I use a lot less of the song than this one. I used the whole song, almost.


Then I painted! I knew I wanted bright colors for fun and I even used some of my shimmer acrylics.


Then I wrote all the lyrics on the page again in Sharpies.
And lastly I covered the page in a layer of silver glitter acrylic paint because I don't have confetti and my hole puncher died when I tried to punch a bunch of confetti for this page.


And there you have it!
I had a TON of fun with this page!

Raise your glass with me!

Jar of Hearts



Backdating a challenge for A Year in the Life of an Art Journal
because I found the blog and art journaling late in the year.
And because I find their challenges to be SO inpsiring and right on my wavelength.

The PROMPT: Scars
THE SONG: Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri
Written Lyrics HERE
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: rips and tearing

You can expect to see a few more pages from their past challenges.

I just adore this song.


Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The girl with the tangled hair...

It's finished!


As I posted earlier, I started on the left and meant to draw the girl with fire for hair, it didn't turn out so well so I covered it and I am pretty pleased with the results.
We will save miss fire head for another day.

My two other Zentangles are in the works, as are my two other backgrounds, and to that I have added two more pages that I am currently working on.
It's alot of bouncing around, really.

Today is not such a great day for me.
Getting what I can do done when I can do it and letting the rest slide.

On a super positive note!!
My lil Ari took to standing in her play pen today!
Just had to share my little ray of sunshine.



What's on YOUR Workdesk? Wednesday 132


Welcome to my second Wednesday post for the coolest blog hop around.
Click the icon above and you'll be whisked away to Julia's Stamping Ground where you will see all the wonderful links to other crafter's pages.
It's a sneak peek into people's creative spaces and what they are working on today and it's very nearly my most favorite thing to spend my extra time on on Wednesdays and often into Thursday.


So, here's mine!
I am getting some quality art journaling in today amidst taking care of the little ones, cleaning the kitchen and, well, being sick.

Got Pandora going, coffee, working on a Zentangle I started last night.
Still have TWO more Zentangles swirling in my head.
Also working on two other journal pages as I go, layering backgrounds.

So, here I have a girl whose hair is a Zentangle.
Originally she was meant to have flames on the top of her head to represent my awful headaches, but I couldn't work it out, she just looked like a character from Dragonball Z. Hence, the black page on the left. It was where I started and I covered it with black acrylic paint. I am going to do a white on black Zentangle on that page now.



At some point in the near future I NEED to start gift wrapping and baking. OMG, baking. I am going to have to spend like, two days baking. Snickerdoodles, No Bake Cookies, Pumpkin Bread, and I am even going to try my hand at pumpkin pies.
I can't wait... to bake.
It's the cleaning up of the messes that I really despise.
: /

Happy hump day everyone!

Sharpie Ghost Comes Alive

So, days later, I am playing in my journal and I realize...



The sharpie has lifted up much more than it was.
The Red has come up to pink!
Love it!!!

And this picture doesn't even do it justice.
:D

I am happy!
I am also working on a Zentangle original for me and have another floating around in my head for tomorrow.
Pictures soon to follow!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Zendala and junk...

The latest entries in my journal are Zentangles.
I tried my hand at a Zendala (Zentangled Mandala)
And then I tried Zentangling my hand!



The mandala side features a watercolored background.
However, I figured out the pens I had picked up to use were NOT waterproof.
It's a shame, but it could have been worse by far.

Then I found this video on You Tube through Motley Soul and decided to give the hand tracing a try. It was awesome. I think I need a little more work to steady my hand, but it really was just to have something to do to get me through the headaches.
It really does help with the headaches, and the focus.
It also didn't help that in the middle of the page I ran out of ink in my pens and had to go back to the ultra fine tip sharpies, which are waterproof, but are nowhere near as smooth as a pen.
: /

I have actual Sakura Micron pens on the way to me as we speak.
Does anyone know if they are waterproof?
I have heard they are, but I have yet to find anything in print regarding the fact that they are or aren't.

Friday, December 9, 2011

New Journal, Sharpie Ghosting, and Stricles!!!

I got a new art journal!
*dances*

I still have my big one, my first one, of course. It is a large 8.5"X11" sketchbook and I do love it but as a new art journaler I find it difficult to always fill the pages. I am often left with a lot of "empty" space. So, amidst short exchanges of comments on YouTube with Less Herger from Comfortable Shoes Studio she made a comment pertaining to smaller journals being a puddle as compared to an ocean to fill. Well, now I have a lake. :)

A midsized hardbound sketchbook. I would have gotten a moleskine but I take what I can get locally for the time being, plus there will be more. And, I will still use my large journal, mainly for playing around and seeing how things react and for my attempts at drawings.
The new one will be more of my day to day art journaling.
I love it to pieces already.

And so, for the first project in it, I re-did a page I have done before.
But, I attempted some sharpie ghosting!
You can find Less' How-To video on this technique HERE.

It's the lyrics to Pink's "F****ing Perfect" written in four different colors in four different directions. This was the most fun! I love writing song lyrics on paper. And honestly I think I might have liked to leave them this way, but I didn't.
Next, a layer of gesso.

You can see some of the marker color coming through, I wasn't super happy with the turn out on this but I think it comes down to sharpie colors. I want some more vibrant colors. I used red, orange, blue, and green. And after a watercolor wash of blue the blue started lifting up more.
But yes, more vibrant colors to test...

And finally, the eh pretty much, finished page.
I may doodle on it more, I don't know. I am not liking blank spaces... much.
I had hoped the sharpies would have lifted through the gesso more.

I had drawn in my larger journal with the blue sharpie once and failed so I covered it with gesso and made a page on top of it and for my life I couldn't cover it.
I don't know what happened here, exactly. But will try it again soon.

Then I started a page of Stricles last night and finished it this morning.
I <3 Stricles.


And lastly, when my little guy sees me working in my art journal he wants to paint too.
This is his work of art. I think I will keep it and put it in his art journal, it makes a nice background.


:)

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

What's on your workdesk Wednesday? 131



I know, not even remotely interesting, or busy.
Today was wiped clean for Christmas cards, however, Walmart misprinted them and I find myself waiting, waiting, waiting.

So, this morning I blacked out several pages in my journal and I am going to work up some backgrounds when I get time (should be doing that instead of this but meh).
This particular page is going to have all my saved fortunes from fortune cookies on it.
Yes, I have more than 2. Those are just the two I got yesterday and they read...

Even the greatest of whales is helpless in the middle of a desert.
(How awesome is it that I get that one? I was thoroughly entertained!)

Because of your melodic nature, the moonlight never misses an appointment.

I LOVE fortunes.
LOVE!

And so, because I was bored, procrastinating, and inspired by pictures of workdesks...
I decided to toss mine up there to.
Hope it doesn't un-inspire anyone!


Photobucket

Roll Away Your Stone...

Worked on my challenge for A Year In The Life Of An Art Journal today.

THE PROMPT: Open up
THE SONG: Roll away your stone - Mumford & Sons
Written Lyrics HERE
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: texture photo/image
I have to admit, it's not my favorite Mumford and Sons song, but I did come to like it better than I had previously.
:)

I did find a verse that fit right on in with life.

So, this is a background I had already completed here.
And I wanted to use my oil pastels again, so I made some bubbles.

I really need to get some new supplies.
My black sharpies are in such a bad state, even though I have been careful to write on dry paint.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Perfect to me.

I am back online, somewhat.
We are still suffering pretty serious disconnections which makes playing World of Warcraft or any game on Xbox live problematic. I knew a new modem wouldn't fix that as it only started after Century Link took over Qwest.
: /

Now to get a technician who understands that it isn't the modem.

So, I am not going to go back over everything I did in my journal while I didn't have an internet connection. I thought I might save it to show off if I ever do a journal flip video.

But the page below is the one exception. It is the page I was working on right before I got cut off and I wanted to show what came of it.

The challenge can be found here.



I would not say I am ecstatic about how the page came out, it really doesn't do what I had in my head justice. But this is what came out, and I just hadn't come up with anything to "fix" it.
Then I realized maybe it doesn't need to be "fixed". I will be doing a page similar to this page as the first pages in my kids art journal scrapbook thingy and I will just take the lessons learned here and apply them there. That way, I remember what I learned instead of covering it up.

Those are my kids (pictured), whom are always PERFECT to me and I always want them to remember that.
I LOVE this song by PINK and I adored this challenge.

There is also a picture on the lower right.
It is a recent clipping from the newspaper, a little over a year ago now, we lost a local teen to suicide. To mark the year anniversary of this loss her best friend asked friends to write "LOVE" on their arms to show remembrance.
Well, it spread across the whole school, almost everyone had written "Love" on their arms to show support, also to remind other people that no matter how low you feel someone, somewhere does love you and to remember that.
From this has come a Non-Profit Organization called She Wrote Love On Her Arms.
It's a really great story.
I used that story, torn up as the newspaper accents on the page, and then the picture but unfortunately I didn't water down the paint I washed it with enough and it covered the picture more than I had anticipated.
:(

Well, even though there are issues with the page I like it and will always remember what it means to me.