Life Documented 2017 - last of March

I'm playing catch-up for the past few weeks' planner spreads.

Week of March 19-25

I knew I would have lots of photos and memories for Saturday (Carl's birthday) so I delegated the entire right spread for that day. The background in watercolor and I used washi tape for the dividers between days. The days of the week and numbers are on a painted scrap deli paper. Most of the "stickers" on the right page are actually cut from the wrapping paper I used for his gifts.

Week of March 26-31

Since Saturday of this week was the first day of April, I did not include it in this spread and, instead, added it to next week's spread.  The background is blocks of blue and pink acrylic paint. I used very old white rub ons for the day dividers and days of the week. I added a flower stamp used with white acrylic paint on the right page along with some alpha stamps and a few stickers. I like being able to add photos to these pages to document important memories.

The Trip to Chicago - that wasn't!

As it turned out, we never made it to Chicago last weekend! We arrived at Love Field at 6:00 am (yes, I got up at 4:30!) and as soon as we entered the airport we realized something was "wrong." There was a HUGE line at the ticket counters, the kiosks were not working and the monitor showed the first three flights to Chicago cancelled. Bill even tried calling Southwest, but was disconnected twice.

So, since we fly non-rev and there were at least 400 paying customers that were going to need to find available seats, we decided we were not going to make it! We were home by 7 and I promptly returned to bed! It was disappointing as we were going to visit our youngest daughter, Sara, and her fiancé and we hadn't been to Chicago in quite a long time. Oh well...

I'm still trying to catch up on the grand boys' scrapbooks, but I've gotten back to a few art journal pages in the past few weeks. I've missed it!

Both of these pages were "mop up" pages - where I clean off my brush or stencils when I still have product left over from another project. It gives a nice start to new pages and avoids a blank page.

Tomorrow I will be back with more DLP pages.

Fun with the Gelli Plate Today

The Art Challenge for this week's Documented Life Project is using the Gelli Plate. Since I was off today and had nothing scheduled, I decided it was a great day to just play and get messy with my gelli plate.

This is what I ended up with after a few hours' play. 47 backgrounds - some on book pages, some on 8.5" x 11" lightweight copy paper, some on deli paper and some on the backs of old lightweight scrapbook paper!

And this is the scrap paper I laid down to protect my table - even this looks great and I'm sure I will use it for something.

So when was the last time you just played? 

Two More DLP pages

Finished two more weeks' pages - but I'm still behind! February's theme is "Layers".

Week 8

Art Challenge: Repeating Elements

Journal Prompt: It's Worth Repeating

For this page I used the pointy oval stencil as a repeating element, using it to add turquoise color and also removing some of the pink paint. A similar shape is in the leaf stamp I used. I also repeated diamonds which is also a stamp. It's impossible to see in the photo but I wrote "it's worth repeating" in white pen along the right stem.

Week 7

Art Prompt: Cover Up Good Stuff

Journaling Prompt: Going Undercover

Yes, this is out of order. I had a hard time with this page. It started out totally different but no matter what I added, it just wasn't going anywhere. I finally painted dark blues and turquoise over the entire spread to start over, layering stencils and painted paper circles horizontally. Not sure if I really covered up good stuff, but there's certainly a lot undercover!  For the weekly dates, I tipped in a postcard I had received from Robin Marie Smith. You can see the underside below. It was so pretty I didn't change a thing. I might go back and add a thin layer of paint over the back, though, as it looks very stark in this photo.

One more spread and I will be into March. Catching up takes time!

Catching up on Documented Life Project pages

I am trying to catch up on the Documented Life Project weeks that I was gone. I didn't take many art supplies with me and it's so much easier to create at home. Helping with a newborn and a 2 1/2 year old doesn't leave much time for art making!

January 25

Theme: Blank Page and How to Face it

Art Challenge: Writing

Journal Prompt: Words with Friends

For this page I started by scribbling thoughts about friendship loosely all over the background. Then I added paints, washi tape, spray ink and stamping. The silhouettes are a photograph from the Internet that I copied and then cut out and used as a stencil. I also wrote words of friendship in the painted circles.

March 1

Theme for month: Layers You Will Love

Art Challenge: Under Paper

Journal Prompt: "What lies beneath?"

The under paper is what covers your work surface when creating and catches all the mess. I collaged several torn pieces to the pages and added paints and inks.  Then I laid down the bird masks and painted black around them. The birds really pop! I didn't paint the right side so I could use that for my planner page.

March 8

Theme for month: Layers You will Love

Art Challenge: When Not to Stop

Journal Prompt: Don't Stop Til you get Enough

I started this page by gluing down Tim Holtz tissue paper (with the butterflies) and then added paints, stamping, and texture paste through the Feather stencil. I colored the butterflies with watered down Distress Paint and outlined with black and white pens. The raised feathers are highlighted with gold paint and Inka Gold paste. You can see this better in the photo below.

Only a few more weeks and I'll be on track!

Inspired by Hero Arts

This card created by Tami Harley was featured on the Hero Arts blog today. You can check out the post here.

I was instantly inspired to make something similar, but instead of a card I did a page in my art journal.  I already had a page gessoed and had decoupaged wrinkly tissue on it so my background was ready to go.

I don't have any of the stamps that were used, so I substituted what I did have.  The background was painted with blue and green acrylic paints and overstamped randomly with a text stamp.  I loosely painted a flower with white and red paints and then stamped a Claudine Hellmuth flower over the paints.  I stamped the leaves from the same set onto dark green cardstock, cut them out and glued them to the background, drawing in a stem.  I punched a yellow circle from cardstock and glued it to the center of the flower and added a button.  The sentiment is an old clear stamp that I stamped on white cardstock, inked and glued to background.

This was a quick and fun project for a very rainy, stormy day. Brightened my spirits!

Art Journal Page

It's crunch time at the LBH as we are designing and creating Halloween and fall class projects for the upcoming Open House next weekend.  We are busy, busy, busy! And you should see my wreck of an art room!

Since I won't be able to share any current projects this week, I'm posting an art journal page I did several weeks ago.  It took days to do as I kept going back and covering up or adding more. I just couldn't get anything I liked. I'm still on the fence about this one, but finally decided to be done with it and move on.

Can you believe that it started out like this?  I glued down pieces of paper ephemera and then used craft acrylic paints (green and blue) and Claudine Hellmuth's Studio  paint (pink).  Gessoed over lightly with a credit card and painted the heart.  "Stamped" with paint and bubble wrap in places. There are many layers over this as I struggled with this page.