Illustrated Faith Journaling

This weekend The Little Blue House is privileged to host Shanna Noel's Illustrated Faith Journaling Class and today we LBH gals were able to be students for the day and enjoy this amazing class.

When I first heard about this new faith journaling movement a few months ago, I was intrigued. What better way for us "creatives" to combine our creativity with our bible studies.

Shanna shared her personal story with us, how she started illustrating her bible and how her personal blog post just ten months ago sharing one page has mushroomed into thousands of followers, an upcoming website and a Facebook group. We learned a few do's and don'ts of what to use for supplies (bible pages are very thin so different media can bleed through) and listened to a recorded sermon from her pastor on a reading from Corinthians. Then we all documented what the scripture meant to us with handwriting, drawing, alpha stickers, stamps, rubons, watercolor, colored pencils and whatever we had brought with us. It was amazing how different everyone's illustrations were and how wonderful they all were!

So here is my very first entry in my new journaling bible.

I love that my art and my faith can intersect in this creative way. I look forward to a wonderful journey of personal growth, reflection and colorful creativity.

If you would like to learn more about Illustrated Faith, check out Shanna's blog: www.shannanoel.blogspot.com and the Facebook group "Journaling Bible Community."

Documented Life Project 2015

I really enjoyed doing the daily Rolodex art journaling cards last year. It kept me making art almost daily, even if it was just a little bit, and I loved the challenge of coming up with something different every day.  This year, however, I wanted to do something different.

Last year I followed along on the Documented Life Project which was started by 5 very talented and sharing ladies: Roben-Marie Smith, Lorraine Bell, Rae Missigman, Sandi Keene and Barbara Moore. The project basically combines a weekly planner with art journaling.  But I never actually did it!

I have decided to do this in 2015. There is more information posted here: http://www.art5academy.com/the-studio/the-documented-life-project-free if you think you might like to join (it's free!). This year they are using a large Dylusions art journal since the paper will stand up to more than the Moleskine planner that was used last year.  And they post a monthly "Theme", along with a weekly "Art Challenge" and a "Journal Prompt" to go with the theme.

January's theme is: The Blank Page & How to Face It.  The first week's art challenge was to use book paper and the prompt was "Be your own Goal Keeper." Here is my first page, incorporating a tag under which I wrote my goals. The entire spread was decoupaged with book papers and then watercolored over. The left side is reserved for the week's plans. I like the fact that I can document my year and incorporate it in with art.

This week's art challenge is to use gesso and the prompt is "The beginning is always today." by Mary Shelley. Have only gessoed the background - we'll see where my muse leads me in the next few days.

Calling All Art Journalers!

Come join me at our next Art Journal Workshop at The Little Blue House!

“MAKE IT PERSONAL -
ALTERING PHOTOS”

 

Art Journaling is all about you - your ideas, your images, your voice. Let’s take it even further this month by using a few photos of yourself, either current ones or ones as a child. I will show you several ways to alter photos and to integrate them into very personal, artsy journal pages.
We’ll collage and paint, color with Distress Inks and even make our own stencil.
Let’s start the new year off together making fun, messy and colorful ART!

 

When:  Tuesday Jan. 13th

 Time: 10am-1pm or 6pm-9pm $25 

Come get Artsy with us... Call or Come by to Reserve your Seat!
817-431-7930 

 

 

For more Details & the "What to Bring" List visit our Website (HERE)---See you on Tuesday!!

Grandchild #4

Kelly and Josh found out yesterday that they will be having another boy, due May 18th!

So, that makes four for four! I think our family gatherings are going to be

raucous and noisy from here on out!

We're so excited that we'll have four little ones three-years-and-under come May.

 Now that will keep us all busy...

Announcing - New LBH Media Team

Recently The Little Blue House sent out a call for applications for their new 2015 media team.  I am happy to announce that I was asked to join the team!  In 2015 we will add more focus on social media - the blog, Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram.  The team will be posting tutorials, product reviews and lots of inspiration on the LBH blog throughout the year.  For more information check out today's post here.

I feel honored to be in the company of so many talented designers and artists. I've listed the other nine team members below with a link to their blogs. 

Susan Liles

Valerie Bishop

Nadine Carlier

Vicki Chrisman

Angi Barrs

Lindsey Banner

Cat and Nat (Blue Crew)

Tracy Pounds

Kristyn McElroy

 I'm looking forward to a great 2015! 

December Rolodex Card-a-Day - last month!

2014 is over and so is my Rolodex Card-a-Day Art Journaling project! I had a great time doing this and it really stretched me doing art every day (or almost every day).  

After a few months, I totally outgrew the original rolodex and I have now transferred the years' worth of cards into an old ribbon storage box that I was about to throw out. It is just the right width for the cards and 15" long!

This was the rolodex in early May - getting full!

Completed year - still need to decorate the box

Here are the December cards. You can see they are heavily influenced by the holidays!

Cupcake liner scallops, Inktense pencil background, magazine
words and Stickles

Cut down a postcard RAK from a friend

Words cut from catalog, poinsettia punch

Scrapbook paper, Santa napkin, stamps

Paper scraps, alpha stamps, die cut "merry"

Napkin background, tulle, stamp and brads

Dylusions spray ink, white Distress Stain Spray, snowman die cut,
embossed stamp

Quote printed from Donna Downey's site, spray ink scraps,
alpha stamps, thin washi tape border

Background cut from chevron shopping bag, multiple tree die cuts,
punched circles from polka dot glitter paper

Stamped snowflakes heat embossed, Distress inks and paint
splatters, metal tape

Napkin background, gold pen, Stickles, old sticker and
ribbon

Free image from Red Lead, dry brushed red pain, ornament
cut from Christmas card, star washi tape

Cupcake liner tree, Christmas patterned paper, letter stickers

Distress ink background on WC paper, words cut from
new Dylusions journal wrapper

Gelli printed deli paper background, images and words from
brochure - to commemorate our Christmas Eve at Taos Pueblo

Christmas Day - decoupaged napkin background, Christmas
card Santa, embossed stamp, gold braid and sequins

Paper and packaging from Nancy's 12 Days of
Christmas Gift Swap

Spray ink background, handmade paper torn and covered
w/ Distress Glitter, stamped words and snowman

Portion of Christmas card from Mom, background is piece
of shopping bag, Stickles

Postcard from Roben-Marie Smith included in my order, words
from fitness center ad

Happy New Year! Image from 1920's, metal-covered clock die cut

So there you have a years' worth of almost-daily art journaling! I used up lots of scraps, tried new techniques and stretched my creative muscles to come up with different ideas and layouts. I am not going to continue this in 2015. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed it, it's time for something new. I will be doing a few other yearly challenges, so stay tuned for what those projects might be!

Happy New Year! What creative endeavors do you want to pursue in 2015?

Christmas in Taos, NM

Our holiday tradition the past seven or eight years is getting together at a mutually-decided-upon location for a "destination Christmas." We rent a house (or, as the family grows, two!), share the costs, everyone signs up for a meal and cooks/cleans that day and it is relaxing and stress-free for all!  

This year we chose Taos, New Mexico, thinking the little guys would be ready for a wintery Christmas.  We all had a grand time - the adults went cross-country skiing and snowshoeing and the boys enjoyed their first snowball fights and sledding. 

We attended the amazing bonfire-lighting ceremony and procession of the Virgin Mary at the Taos Pueblo at dusk on Christmas eve. It was quite a sight! Then at midnight Bill and I returned for Midnight Mass at the tiny San Geronimo Mission Church at the Pueblo. This was also an extraordinary experience - the Pueblo has no electricity so it was very dark when we arrived, with only a few bonfires still glowing. (Luckily we had our phones with us!) The church is lit with a few gas lights and the choir was accompanied by a pump organ. 

We had a white Christmas!

Home away from home for a week

The whole crew!

First snow and snowballs

They loved the sledding

Decorating their own little tree

Making graham cracker gingerbread houses - one candy for the
mouth, one for the house!

I feel so blessed that everyone still wants to get together each year and that everyone gets along! I cherish these times as I know it will become more and more difficult as our family grows and changes.

Hope everyone had a beautiful holiday! Now on to the new year!