Another Foam Stamp

Well, once I got interested in art journaling I just started checking all kinds of websites, video clips, etc to find what I could.  Cassy, my son's girlfriend, draws this really neat flower and I told her I wanted her to teach me how to draw it.  Then I decided to look on youtube.  So you guessed it.....I started drawing simple flowers and then just kept adding little things as I see ideas.  Ok, I'm starting to ramble here so long story short.....after I did the foam stamp video my mind got to running all over the place.  Why could I draw a flower, put it on the thin foam, indent the places on it to make detail, and make my own custom stamp?  As I have been doing quite often A.T.(After Tracy lol) I tried it!  I'm actually happy with it. Here are a couple pictures below.  The first one is the flower I drew using a graphite pencil. I then burnished it onto the craft foam, used a sharp pencil to press the details into the foam and cut it out.

 The yellow one is the stamp and the other flower is the stamped image.  I know I could improve on it but I'm actually pleased.  :-)

I love this "art journal" thing and I don't think Tracy has any idea of how much she is teaching but also helping others heal by journaling through art.
Tracy will be doing her own art show this weekend and I couldn't be happier for her.  Check out some of her work here.....http://www.tracyweinzapfelstudios.com/

Angels in my Life

Wow, where does the time go? I'm thinking back to a very scared girl in my 20's that had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia after fearing cancer and arthritis.  There wasn't very much information out there and I really didn't understand this thing that was taking my energy and causing so much pain. Looking things up on the internet I found a message board for fibro.  And there is where the real story begins.  I didn't find just a message board that I could get information from but friends. No, family!  Exchanging gifts at Christmas and even the occasional white elephant exchange.  :-) A cyber shower when they found out I was expecting a surprise, but longed for little one. Presents from all over and even gifts for my little boy.  They didn't want him to feel left out. What love my little Brooke was given from people who I had never seen in person but loved me as if they'd known me all my life.  Some of us have met in person but not all, some have left this earth much too soon we feel in our hearts, but we have a love and understanding that I don't think you'd find very often. When daddy passed away there were so many cards and flowers and more. So many crisis in life but we are there for each other. Maybe not in person but in every other way.  And the prayers......we've seen miracles occur!!!!  One thing I love about my fibro family.......In the middle of the night when sleep is hard to come by......we can pour our hearts out to each other and know that it won't be long before someone is reading it, saying a prayer for you, and giving words of comfort or wisdom, whatever is needed.  Do we all believe the same? Are we the same race? Come from the same walks of life?  Share the same political beliefs?  Not at all and that's what makes it even more awesome!  We agree to disagree agreeably and still love each other unconditionally! So I would have to say......these are angels in my life.  I don't know if I let them know just how much I really love and appreciate them.  I hurt when they hurt! I want to be by their side to help ease their burdens but since I can't.....I pray for them and try in some way to let them know I care.  I must say I am truly blessed because not just everyone has angels like mine!!!!  I thank God for my angels!

Making Craft Foam Stamps

Once again I'm trying something new and though I made lots of mistakes.....I did it! :-)  I hope it explains well enough to those of you that wanted to know how I made the dragonfly stamp.  If you think this video is a hoot, you should see the one I didn't post!  haha  After many tries my daughter and I decided that this one would have to do for now.  I wanted to get it up tonight because we have a busy weekend coming up.  If you leave a comment and your favorite stamp I'll have my daughter pick 2 names at random and I'll send you the stamp you chose.

I just want to say "Thank You" to Tracy and all my "Art Journal Loopies"!  You all are great and I feel so blessed to have you in my life. You've inspired me and made me see beauty all around me instead of dwelling on the scary things in my life. I do have to say.....God has worked some miracles in the last week that have relieved so many of my worries.  I shouldn't have worried, huh?  It's not like it helped, I know!  :-)  I must say....Life is Good!

Why oh Why do I seem to procrastinate???

Well, once again I'm cramming to get something finished. A card swap that I had almost a year to get done. In my defense, I did start months ago but as we were doing something different and using sketches I got bogged down. When I finally figured out how to do the sketches.....It's going much better. But, of course, I just have til May 7, to finish the remaining 31 cards. :-) I do have them all cut and folded and part of the mats and such cut. Hopefully, at the crop I'm going to Friday I'll get them all completed and have some breathing space. I have a Close to my Heart party with my niece Thurs. night, the crop Fri. night, a Miche party at my friends on Sat. and church on Sun. I can see lots of resting on Mon. I do know better than to plan too many things in a row but......Hopefully, I'll feel ok and have a great time.

I am excited that I've used some of the things I'm learning from Tracy on some of my cards. I haven't uploaded pics of any except one so I'll share it.

http://www.tracywburgos.typepad.com/ Here is her blog to check out! She's great!!!!!! And such an inspiration to me.

I mod podged the tissue from an actual pattern on the background. The stamp set is from Close to my Heart and I LOVE their stamps. I think they are my new favorite! :-) As for inks (or should I say Inx) I really, really want all of Donna Salazar's Mixed Media Inx colors. They are awesome! Beautiful colors and so juicy that you can emboss with them. No dragging out the embossing pad and trying not to muddy it with your stamps. :-)

http://donnasalazar.typepad.com/ Here is her blog if you want to check it out. She's pretty great, too!

Sooooo, because of my said procrastination I haven't been able to do much journaling but I do have some that I haven't shared yet

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This is not one of my best pages but it is one of my favorites. It is totally me and how I feel. I had been playing the piano at momma's house and then sat down at the table and created it. So many times when I've sat at the piano I've sang a song as a prayer from my heart. I play when I'm happy, I play when I'm sad. I love my piano!

The above is one of my earlier pages and I was in a like/dislike relationship with India Ink but now I love it! :-) Something that might seem so silly to someone else is the India Ink around the edges with the little bows. The more uneven and wavy they are.....the more I like it! ;-) Even tho I can see so many mistakes on my earlier pages I still love them as I learned from them. Now I can't say I feel the same way about ALL of my mistakes in life but I can say, I think I've learned from them and hopefully they've made me a better person. :-)

Way To Go, Tracy!

I just want to say congratulations to Tracy Weinzapful Burgos

http://tracywburgos.typepad.com/treasure_the_momentlove_l/2012/04/change-gratitude.html

She's going to have her work in an Art Show! Wish I could be there and say, "That's my teacher" :-) We're proud of you, Tracy!!!!!

More on Art Journaling.....and life

Life......just when you think you know where it's taking you........it takes a U-turn. At least that's how it seems to me at times. I honestly don't know how people who don't have God to turn to make it through life. I think of the words of this song so often- "I do not know how others make it through, who never go to Calvary as I do, for there's a healing, cleansing stream that flows with peace that only His redeemed can know." And "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" I just wish I'd remember to "take it to the Lord in prayer" first instead of stressing so much. :-)

I am truly blessed in spite of all the curves life has thrown for my family and dear friends. Old and new. :-)

Now for some more "Art Journaling"! I actually haven't done a page since Monday because I'm madly working to get my cards done for a card swap I'm in. Nothing like waiting til the last 3 weeks, huh? I always love getting the cards and going through each one, saving out the ones I don't dare use until I can make one myself for the pattern, and using some to send right away to brighten someone's day. My cousin is so gracious to spend her time sorting and swapping the cards for us. She is "awesome" when it comes to cards, let me tell you. She should be a designer. She'd put other designers to shame. Anyway, I am going to upload some of the aj (aj = art journal) pages I've already done and tell about some of the things I've learned.

Tracy had us to use book text to create flowers and we were to free hand cut them. Mine were so huge I had to put them on a diet. lol This was a fun page and we painted the background with wet wipes.

Here is the completed page. I cut strips of the dictionary page for the stems, crumpled them, and spritzed them. I just drew the leaves. The cool thing is that the buttons are from stuff I got at my grandma and aunts estate sale. :-)

This was another fun page to make and I love how Tracy gets you to try new things that you probably wouldn't have even thought to try before. I'm a little hooked on glimmer mist. Bought and homemade. lol I spritzed the chipboard, the background the flowers.......:-) The butterfly is from a die I got from Stampin Up.

Art Journaling

Wow! Something I thought was so weird and "I would never do" has me eating my words. At least Tracy has me eating my words. lol I had seen so many things that people called art journals and to me they just looked like a hot mess. A bunch of stuff that people found here and there, some trash thrown in, now tons of paint slopped on, etc and they called it art. Well, what Tracy does.....in my eyes, that "real" art. I love what I am learning and I so enjoy the classes, the chats, and our times on Monday nights. I have made a new group of some pretty great friends. :-) We don't just learn from Tracy, we learn from each other, share about our lives and.......well, I like it! I want to try to share just a little bit of what I'm learning because you can not only art journal, you can take it to canvas, you can use it on scrapbook pages, and you can use it on cards. Hey, I'm thinking about art journaling on my room divider for my craft room. The sky's the limit. lol Hubby better hide! ;-)

I so enjoyed making this page. Tracy used something I didn't have for the background so I used some molding paste that I had. The fancy tool I used to make texture is my daughters tupperware toy. lol

Here is a close up of the flowers. Some are prima, paper, and the top set is die cut from watercolor paper and glimmer misted.

The stems are drawn with charcoal pencil, which I now can appreciate, and I am trying to let it go that I'm not so happy with my handwriting on these pages.

Anyway, I'm going to try to share some of my pages and things I'm learning more often. Life has thrown me some scary curves and I am so thankful for the enjoyment and diversion that this gives me! It makes me happy! God is good!

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