Art Journal Every Day 2016, Enjoy Simple Beauty

I've been following along with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's Art Journal Every Day for several years now. However some time in 2015 I began to slip. Slowly at first, but nevertheless gathering speed and finally grinding to a halt. That being in the past, I'll forget those things which are behind and move forward... trying to do better and be more consistent. Sounds like life, doesn't it? Keep in mind, my One Little Word for 2016 is "Hope".

My art journaling for the most part has consisted of lots of mixed media with very little journaling. Looking at this page, it brings to home how little I seem to have to say (written word, that is). Something else to work on.

My page was an experiment in using Ranger's Perfect Pearls powders in combination with stenciling and stamping. On the base of tissue and gesso, I blended Distress Paints by Tim Holtz. The stencil is one of Donna Downey's by Prima.

I'm linking up my journal page at:

Blazer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

CHA opens this weekend, and I'm anxious to see all the new products. Can't wait for the videos to start showing up with all the new paper and mixed media goodies to tempt us. 

Thanks for stopping by... I really appreciate your visit!

Linda

Some Linky List Love From Julie Balzer & Secret Garden Thank You Pocket Card w/Tag #3

Each Friday Julie Balzer

puts out an inspiring post on art journaling called Art Journal Every Day and wows us with her talents. It's due to these posts, that I've continued to try creating in my own journals. At the end of her post is a linky list where you can share your work and see what other journalers are creating. What is so encouraging to me, is to visit their blogs and see the different mediums and techniques they are using.

Well today, I was surprised,

thrilled and humbled to see one of my pages spot-lighted along with several others on Julie's blog. 

I want to say thank you to 

Julie for her Art Journal Every Day posts... thank you for encouraging us to keep trying new things... and thank you for allowing us to display our work as a collective group of artists who want to inspire each other.

It would be wonderful if

you would link-up your art journaling work with us, friends! Please check out Julie's blog here and her Art Journaling Every Day posts on Fridays.

My Secret Garden

thank you pocket card w/tag #3...

Featuring Graphic 45's 

Secret Garden papers, Alterations Baroque and Spring Greenery dies and I Am Roses flowers.

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

The Future And A few CHA Sneak Peeks

I have this saying written

in one of my journals. I'm not sure of the source, but it has a lot of meaning for me and I wanted to share it. 

I did some playing with 

acrylic paint and Golden molding paste, then stamped on the verse with Archival aquamarine ink and traced over it with a Pitt pen. (Because of tremors in my hands, I'm not always able to write very well.) I highlighted the flowers with Seedless Preserves and the ferns with Bundled Sage Distress Inks.

I'm linking up at:

Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Here are a few more sneak
peeks of new product debuting at CHA.
Click on the links for more info.

Graphic 45
Staples

Graphic 45
Good ol' Sports

Cosmo Cricket
Show Topper Lids

Cosmo Cricket
Wood Charms

Authentique
Precious Collection

Glitz
All Dolled Up Collection

Glitz
77 Collection

Elle's Studio
Love You More! Collection

My Mind's Eye
6 Record It Collections

Charmed

Follow Your Heart

Just Splendid

Here Is Happy

Pretty Things

All Things Chalk

My Mind's Eye
4 Now and Then Collections

Dorothy

Izzy

Milo

Mildred

My Mind's Eye
Chalk Studio II Collection

Webster's Pages
Party Time Collection

Webster's Pages
Sweet Routine Collection

Webster's Pages
Our Travels Collection

Webster's Pages
Growing Up Girl Collection

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Run Is The Word

This is a post with

a couple side stories beginning with my word for the year... "run". Yesterday while I was waiting for our first Creative Jump Start class to come live, I went to Julie Balzer's blog to see what she has been doing since she was to be our first Jump Starter of 2014. Her post here, was titled "One Little Word 2014", and I immediately thought... shoot, I forgot to pick mine. Well... moving on, our class came on and I was thrown into high gear with ideas for projects... (I LOVE CJS!!!) Making a list of what I wanted to create throughout January, I added my One Little Word project. I know Ali Edwards' concept is to do a journal that you work on through the year. (Last year I choose the word "Press" and made a journal for it here, here, and here, that I ended up giving away... which I felt was a better thing for me to do than to use it myself... and I still concentrated on my word and let it become a part of my thinking and doing. ) So I decided to make some thing I could hang above my desk, so that I could keep my thoughts on my word and let it do it's work in my life. Here it is...

I took my word from 

the Bible verse Hebrews 12: 1. I feel I've been slack in a lot of ways and need to get moving... run.

The base of my wall hanging

is canvas. I made the hanger from natural jute, the papers are from Prima's Engraver collection.

The flowers are from Prima

and Petaloo. The metals are by Idea-ology... time piece, game spinner, long fasteners and type charm. The ink is Vintage Photo Distress.

Second story...

Before I began work on

the One Little Word wall hanging, I thought I'd better tackle the thank you cards that were also on the list. Here's a sneak peek...

I have to thank Julie

and Ali for the inspiration and the six projects I was able to create yesterday. Even though I didn't actually use the techniques Julie taught or do a journal like Ali suggested, just watching them gave me motivation. More than all, I thank my God for the abilities He's given me to perform the tasks and to run the race. Now, to just do it with patience!

I'm linking up at:

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Creative Jump Start 2014

Creative Jump Start 2014

officially began yesterday, January 1st, but today we actually start our "classwork" with one of my very favorite Jumpstarters, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. 

This is my third year as

a Jumper, beginning with Nathalie's first CJS in 2012. CJS is the highlight of my dull Ohio winter days in January. After the excitement of creating Christmas projects has past, I really need this jumpstart to get me going again.

If you haven't signed up,

it's not too late. Check out the details at Nathalie's N*Studio blog here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Creative Jump Start #2

I know, I know...

why am I showing you #2 when Creative Jump Start is on #13. I have to confess, I am slightly behind in showing you journal pages because of all the other projects I'm creating. Nevertheless... I'm keeping up with the creating process and the photographing... something new!

Here is #2's Jump Starter, my favorite gal, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer...

A fun time with

inks and paint... I put it all on this page using lots of stencils.

Inks; 

Distress - 

Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge, Vintage Photo, Black Soot

Spray - 

Color Wash - Butterscotch, Sunset Orange

Lindy's Stamp Gang - Golden Sleigh Bells Starburst

Paint;

Acrylic - Liquitex Titanium White

Stencils;

Crafter's Workshop -

Tile Texture, Punchinella, Chicken Wire, Chevron Arrows

Tags;

Manila - #5, #8

Misc;

American Crafts Doll Fabric Thickers, Alphabet stamps, black cardstock scraps

One of Julie's tips

was to put duct tape around your stencils to avoid ink/paint going where you don't want it to. As you can see here... I didn't follow her directions (shame on me). I will be buying duct tape very soon!

I'm linking up to:
Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

In Thy Presence

I haven't done any

art journaling for a couple weeks. It's something I really need to stay up with... like stretches and exercises. It's vital!

This page started out

with a piece of primitive star tissue adhered with gel medium... some dry brushing with Yellow Ochre and Red Ochre acrylic paint. Shadowing on the stars with soft charcoal then a bit of stamping using Archival Jet Black ink and Stampers Anonymous Curious Possibility set. Grabbing my Crafter's Workshop Mini Punchinella stencil, I randomly laid down some Coffee Archival. Now a little finger painting with Titanium White acrylic for some highlights.

The text was stamped 

onto a book page that I glued to cardstock for reinforcement. It, too, was applied with gel medium... then outlined with my White Gelly Roll pen and shadowed with charcoal. I finished with Black Soot Distress Ink rubbed around the edges of my page. Quick and easy! 

I'm linking my page at:

Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day
Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes

Be sure to visit Julie's

blog here and check out what's coming for December!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs!

Linda

Julie's Page

Second post for today.

Moving along in

my Jump Start Journal... #25 was Julie Fei-Fan Balzer... here is the page I created for her jump start.

The sunlight is streaming

through my window, so these photos have a lot of shadowing... sorry!

I used my Alterations

On The Edge Distressed Doily die that just arrived from Jo-Ann's ( 40% off and free shipping... yaaahoo!)

 The background was a trial

and error experience... gesso then three colors of Color Wash... Wild Plum, Sunset Orange and Denim. I put too much on to start and the colors turned to mud. Dry it again... more gesso which also turned to mud... another coat... mud. Well, not to give up... I re-sprayed with just the Wild Plum. Ahhh, looking better.

Some stenciling with

Sunset Orange and a Crafter's Workshop Mini Harlequin... a bit of stamping with Seedless Preserves Distress Ink and Black Archival... fussy cut papers.

A few blooms,

some ink splatters, and I'm happy with the results.

Be sure to visit

Julie's blog... she has just done some "Spring Cleaning" and the results are outstanding. She has a video posted giving you a complete tour of all her new features... check it out!

Thanks for the visit!

Hugs!

Linda