Journey to the Heart:Shake it Up/Do What it Takes to Listen

‘“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.” – Dave Barry

There are times when I just want to think.

 I don't want my mind cluttered. 
I don't want to worry about others...
I just want to think.

Yesterday was a day like that. I woke up with a Heart filled with anxiety and fear. Instead of seeing the bright side of everything I was only seeing the negative. From the clothes hanging in my closet (I have NOTHING to wear/I look fat in EVERYTHING) to my hair (I threatened to cut it all off....LOL) I was a big, ugly ball of negativity. 

One of my first mixed-media pieces. I create so differently now!

As I continued to spew pessimistic sarcasm throughout our home I suddenly stopped. What the HECK was I doing?? 

I went to the kitchen, made myself a healthy lunch and sat at the table. As I looked around at our clutter I could feel my heart tighten...I knew what I needed to do...

This may sound crazy to you but when I am so over the top unwilling to even crack a smile I know what I NEED...I need to put some of my favorite tunes on and CLEAN!

Yep!

Clean!

There are few things more rewarding to me than an orderly,  fresh-smelling home. And while I am sweeping, mopping and putting things away I am thinking. I am submersing myself and connecting to my Heart. It's one of the few times in my week when I don't check my phone, stop by the computer, sit down to watch a favorite show. 

I just clean.

And think.

I have had some of my best ideas while scrubbing the toilet!

What My Heart Told Me

During my Scrub Fest I heard my Heart tell me I need to bust out of a rut. It is the New Year after all and I have Big Dreams to Dream, goals to reach, blog posts to write! I thought about what NEW Challenges I have started and what practices I want to keep in 2016. There are quite a few...maybe almost too many...and yet this is the year I want Grow and CONNECT to people, to my art, to my body...to my Big Dreams. 

Today's Challenge

This weekend take a few hours to break out of your rut. Try something NEW...Find something NEW! Sometimes it's just fun to Google a new art technique or head over to YouTube and watch a few videos. Here are MY NEW Challenges for 2016...I am so excited to try them all!!

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge

Here is what I am working on for their January Challenge...Time Flies.

His Kingdom Come
I have been a member of this faith-based group for a year but never participated in their challenges. My intention this year is to complete each monthly challenge and post on their site. Shonna is a wonderful leader! If you want to enrich your relationship with God I encourage you to check this out!

52 Card Pick Up
My cousin actually told me about this and I loved it! A fun and very easy challenge creating ATC's (I am using index cards) with their weekly prompts. Here is mine from last week...

I have ALWAYS loved lists so it's a natural for me to participate in the Reset Girl's Lister's Gotta List Challenge!!   Cori even has FREE downloads that fit perfectly in your planner or in an art journal. I am using a small journal for my lists...all I need is a pen or marker and I am good! Super simple and VERY do-able!!!

Girls, the bottom line is this...if your Heart is telling you to be creative...then BE CREATIVE. I found mixed-media art 8 years ago...and even thought I DID create...it wasn't much when I look back. I thought about it, I made plans to do it...but I always put something ahead of MY TIME. In the past 2 years I rarely make excuses for my art time...I just DO IT! And this year I am SUPER EXCITED about these challenges...they will hold me accountable to my ART! When we create we become more creative...it's TRUE!!

So take time...find a new challenge to shake it up a bit. Listen to your Heart...scrub a toilet...do whatever it takes to HEAR those Heart Whispers. It will be so worth it!

Journey to the Heart:Just Be and See What Happens

“I have to be alone very often. I'd be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That's how I refuel."
(Audrey Hepburn: Many-Sided Charmer, LIFE Magazine, December 7, 1953)” 


One of the best ways I know to get to the Heart of my Heart is to spend time by myself. Not only is it a time of peace and relaxation but also one of restoration. A time to reflect, to dream, to contemplate on our life. Today's challenge will help you in those ways while having lots of fun, too!

Today's Challenge 

Let's face it...we don't always have time to finish a project. We may go into our studio's, our bedrooms, our kitchen tables...with every intention of working on a project from start to finish. But through the years I have learned that for me, I work best when I have several different projects going at once. And there are many times when I feel creative but don't necessarily want to work on anything tedious like journaling or even putting pages together...I simply want to get messy and let go.

That's where today's Challenge comes from...that idea of just SIMPLY being in your space, favorite tunes on (or not) paint brush in hand....creating.

Circles were make using a shish-ka-bob wooden stick.

We are going to have FUN creating backgrounds in our journals. I have at least three journals going at all times...so on my background days I gesso, paint, stamp at least 2 pages in each book.

Don't you just LOVE all that texture?! It looks so old and beat up! Again I used the shish-ka-bob wooden stick to scrape shapes into the gesso before it dries.

Before you get started you will need....

gesso (if you don't use already you are missing out! Gesso adds strength to your pages and allows lots           of texture!!!)
acrylic paint (just pick a few favorite colors)
stamps
paint brushes (various sizes)
plastic fork
pipe cleaners
bottle caps
palette knife
spray ink
alcohol ink
wooden shish-ka-bob picks or toothpicks
old credit card or motel keys (to spread the gesso and add marks)
water
*anything else that adds texture!


My process is like this...

cover page in gesso using old credit card/motel key
take wooden stick to make marks (circles, lines, zig-zags)
stamp into the gesso with my favorite word or shape stamps

For this page I applied the gesso on thick then stamped Beautiful You into it while still wet.

Before applying gesso to this page I sprayed blue Dylusions ink to page (one squirt) then poured gesso on top of that. Next I took an old motel key and spread the gesso through the ink. I really like how the gesso turned a light blue. Then I stamped into it with a diamond foam stamp (look at top left). I also wrote a few words in the gesso with wooden pick. The orange stencil was already sprayed on page before I started.

Not sure what I will end up doing with this page but I like it!

This page was a mess up at first. But after looking at it awhile I realized it had potential.  I stamped gold acrylic onto the page using an old foam stamp of mine.

During the creating of these backgrounds I let my mind wander. I thought about my goals, ways to better implement them AND I came up with a Big Dream Goal that had been stirring in my heart but I had been too busy to hear!! AMAZING what can happen when you just let go....

Other Things

Last week one of our Face Book girls asked what the best way was to use her new vintage images she received for Christmas. She said they were just too pretty to cut up/use. Kassity this post is for you and anyone else that LOVES vintage images like I do!! I hope these ideas inspire you to start creating!

I bought these LOVELY cards at my local Hobby Lobby...they are from Tim Holtz  I was just like Kassity and could not use them. They are very think first of all, like a card AND the fact I could see myself using them again again...I just couldn't bring myself to use them! So I took the cards that really spoke to me, taped them lightly to a piece of copy paper and made copies...that way I can re-use them over and over!

Here are a few pages to show you what I did with them....You will notice I usually cut the girl out of the background...

And my fave girl...

You can embellish them, color their outfits with water color, add crowns, words...so many uses!!

I use vintage girls in almost all of my art and have found some gorgeous photos! This next set is from Reminscince Magazine. I was fortunate to find dozens of them at a yard sale...all for under a DOLLAR! I took the images I loved, cut them out, put on copy paper and re-use them in everything!

Here are some pages...
 This little peanut reminds me to live with JOY!

How cook is that she just happens to be holding a heart?:)

I also use images from the internet. This one is a girl I found from Woodstock.

There are SOOO many ways you can incorporate these girls into your art! I hope you have enjoyed!!

Week 4-Lesson 1: What's Your Word?

“The chief beauty about time
is that you cannot waste it in advance.
The next year, the next day, the next hour are lying ready for you,
as perfect, as unspoiled,
as if you had never wasted or misapplied
a single moment in all your life.
You can turn over a new leaf every hour
if you choose.” 
― Arnold Bennett

I absolutely LOVE new beginnings. Mondays, the start of a new month...there is something about a FRESH start that fires me up. And this Friday is the beginning of a whole new YEAR! And not just any year, mind you. 

I

turn

FIFTY

in

2016!!

So I MUST do something BIG, right? Follow my Heart! Reach my Goals! Live like there is no tomorrow!

For the past ten years or so I have chosen ONE WORD to act as my Guide throughout the year...a compass to keep me on track and remind me of where I want to go. Some of my past have Words have been...

Possibilities

Reinvent

Story

True

Move

My Word last year was COMMIT. My intention with that Word was to actually STAY committed to my weight loss goals, art goals and house goals. What ended up happening was unexpected but in the very best way possible!! Even though my weight is still on (ugh, I have gained, too) and my house isn't anywhere NEAR organized (although I DID clear out quite a bit) and I never got around to sending in that album I created for Somerset Studios (THIS YEAR!) what I DID Commit to and STICK with was finding the very best place for my girl. Anasazi proved to be the guiding force in our life that has healed us and made us whole again. My girl has PEACE in her Heart and plans for an outstanding future!!

My Word for 2016

This year I thought long and hard about my Word and was CERTAIN I had it picked out! The Word JOY kept coming up...actually it has come up throughout 2015 and has become my secondary Word this year!! I have tried to implement JOY in my Heart daily (not always succeeding!) so I thought I would just extend JOY into 2016. 

But

then

as 

ALWAYS

happens...

I decided to brainstorm Word ideas cause the more I thought about JOY the more I wanted to be SURE. I take this One Word thing VERY seriously! So I created a list of Words...

Consistent

Heart

Receive (I ALMOST chose this one)

Joy

Alive

Connected

Awake

Present

Open

Perservere

And then it HIT me!!

What do I want this year?

More friendships

Closer to my husband

Really listening to my Heart when it comes to my Art

Closer to my Mama

More writing

Etc....

I want CONNECTIONS...

to my Heart

my Art

Friends

Dave

Mama

My Word for 2016 is 

CONNECT

I have let that sit with me for a week now and the more I think about it the more excited I get!!

YOUR Challenge this week

If you haven't all ready...take out your journals and start listing Words that resonate with you. Think about what you want MORE of. Go back to your collages from a few weeks ago and LOOK at what you gathered on your page...here was mine again...

By the end of the week try to have your 2016 Word picked out and ready to create with!! 

And remember to join me here Thursday for our second Challenge of the week. 

Thanks for being here girls!!!

Fresh Fridays: Adding Flair to your Canvas projects

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” 
― George Bernard Shaw



How many times do you create something, look at it, get frustrated and tell yourself that YOU ARE NOT AN ARTIST??

When I first began this journey nearly three years ago I did that with almost everthing I created. My very first painting was just awful!! {someday I will share here...i just don't have the courage quite yet...lol}

Now, most times when I sit down to create I am either trying something totally new or art journaling...this has taught me to be patient with myself...to take art all in. To experiment, learn and grow. Instead of getting ready for another craft show I am just creating for the joy of it. What a difference that has made!!

Today is Friday!! Welcome to our second week of Fresh Fridays!!


Today's tip is super easy yet adds an artsy flair to your canvas projects.

The next time you paint a canvas why not add a favorite word or shape to the sides of it??

This particular canvas was created with the word Courage in mind.

Once it was finished I realized I hadn't used the word Courage anywhere on the canvas!! I understood what "hello There" meant but knew others may not. After several minutes I took a small paintbrush, white paint and wrote Courage on one side. I added the heart to remind myself to always be True:)

What kinds of things do YOU put on the edges of your canvas's?? Please share!!!

Week Two-We're going on a Mission

"Success is a journey, not a destination. Just being a part of the process means you're succeeding." -Anon.


Can you feel it, girls? We are embarking on an incredible journey. We are not sitting still and waiting for our life to change. No...we are standing up and creating the life we want. The life we are meant to live.

I love it.
How about you?

It has been wonderful reading about all your routines and seeing  your pages!! It seems like everyday I am adding new members to our Facebook group, too. Love that so much. I am inspired by all of the hard work each of you is putting into our class and can't wait to see what you think up for our second week.

Week 2: Your Mission Statement

Now before I lose you here...our mission statement is not the boring old things you're thinking of. Nope. This is one that is full of love and light to guide us through our days and inspire us to become all that we were meant to be.

Several years ago I made my first Mission Statement using Stephen Covey's 7 Habits as a guide. It was awesome to get my values and talents and goals on paper. Then last year I took Brave Girl Melody Ross's "Soul Restoration Two" on-line class and created another one with a Brave Girl twist. I made a two page spread in my journal and added photos of myself.

I refer often to my Mission Statement, especially when I am losing sight of what's really important in my life or when I get down on myself.

Our "Being Me" Mission Statement involves ten questions I want you to ask yourself this week. Be sure and give yourself all week to do this project...I want you to really think about the questions and your answers. I would create a 2-page spread for your mission statement. Be sure and use your favorite colors and papers to reflect your personal style. Here is the first layer of my new "Being Me" Mission Statement.

I will add at least 4 more layers to my pages before any writing goes here!!

Okay...on to our TEN QUESTIONS...


1.  My mind, body and soul are very important to me. I promise to take care of them by...

2.  I know I was put on Earth to....

3.  When I pass from this world I want others to remember these very good things about me...

4. When I do these things I know I am the Best me I can be...

5. I need to avoid these things in order to be the TRUE ME...

6.  "Being Me" happens when I take time to do my favorite things...

7.  I am my very best self when I can spend my work life doing these things...

8. I have BIG DREAMS and I know if I spend my time doing these things I will live them...

9.  I know how important my Morning Routine is and will try my very best to incorporate these things in it daily...

10.  Each of us is born with great talents. I will make time to nurture these talents and share them with others.....

    My Talents are...                                Ways I will use them...



Girls, I would take time to answer these questions in a journal or just on a piece of paper. Take your time. At the end of the week you should be able to create your 2-page spread. You CAN do this!!! It will be so worth it...I promise:)


"To get out of a prison, you must become aware that you are in one."  -Mark Victor Hansen



It's time, girls...Believe in yourself!! 


*Join our Being Me class here. {it's free!!}
*Join our Facebook group here.

Morning Routine Journal Page

Can I just tell you that art journaling is one of my very favorite things to do??! I LOVE it!! Everything from painting the page to stenciling to doodling to adding the images and words. Sooo peaceful!! Love!

Another thing I am sooo loving is my Morning Routine!! It has been several weeks now and I feel like my life is moving in a very good direction. Waking up, having a set routine and actually doing it is building momentum in life. One good practice is opening up doors to other good habits. Love it!

When sitting down to create my Morning Routine journal page the first thing I thought of was WINGS!! I love the symbolism of wings and my new routine has definately given me wings to fly through my day!!

Words inspired by a Brave Girl's class I took.

Girls...my Morning Routine has made me realize how much time I was wasting without it!! Seriously...when I get up and spend some quiet time on just me and my day...some pretty amazing things happen. I am choosing how I spend my time. I do have more joy in my days...I don't feel so rushed and stressed.

How is YOUR Morning Routine coming? Are you noticing any little changes in your day?? I would love for you to share with us!!


**Here is Week One of "Being Me" in case you missed it:)

Words Challenge-Week Two

It's Week Two of our Word Challenge!! So what did you think of Courage last week?? Did you find yourself being more Courageous? Stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things??

 Keep working on your Courage List this week, girls...and if you feel the need to share...please do so!! We are all here to cheer each other on!!


If you are NEW to my blog and/or our Words Challenge then go here to catch up!! We would really love to have you.

Okay...on to Week Two....

The Word I have picked for this week conjures up all kinds of thoughts and feelings for me...

   

Embrace

1.

to take or clasp in the arms; press to the bosom; hug.

2.

to take or receive gladly or eagerly; accept willingly: to embrace an idea.

3.

to avail oneself of: to embrace an opportunity.

4.

to adopt (a profession, a religion, etc.): to embrace Buddhism.

5.

to take in with the eye or the mind.

With so much craziness this past year and down right heartbreak...the last thing I have wanted to do was actually feel anything...I mean so many days it was just too painful. But life is looking up and I have realized that I am done letting life...even the hard to live parts...pass by. I am ready to EMBRACE my life...all of it. Every joyful, pain-filled, icky, wonderful, heart-breaking, uplifting part. 

I want to EMBRACE everything that comes my way....the ideas, the opportunities, the curve-balls, the rough roads...every little part!!

When I sat down to journal this page my heart was telling me to EMBRACE my family...Jacks, Em, Dave and all the chaos and just enjoy.

Sooo many days I am overwhelmed and don't know where to begin or how I can fit it all in. Then I remember that my sweet Jacks graduates this year and Em won't be far behind. 

Soon our home will be quiet and I will have to decide how to fill my days. 

Right now is where the sweetness is. Its the school activities and laundry and work and crazy schedules that I truly love.

“There are ultimately two choices in life: to fight it or to embrace it. If you fight it you will lose - if you embrace it you become one with it and you'll be lived.” 
― Rasheed Ogunlaru

What will you Embrace this week??

Ready for the Summer

My side yard

We are having the 

prettiest Spring in

Northwest Missouri this year.

I am grateful for all the

sunshine 

and 

warm

days.

This time of year I start to get ancy.

Ready for the daily grind

to

stop.

Ready to sleep in a bit

or go on an early morning walk.

I find myself making a mental list

of all the summer activities

I'm looking forward to this year.

Art Journal page

On the top of my list is getting to work at The Art Experiencein Downtown Maryville. Not only is it going to be so much FUN...but I am sooo excited to learn many new art techniques!

I plan on painting and collaging throughout the summer. My goal is to have paint on my hands every.single.day:)

Jackson and I are still running the Disney Marathon in January. My official training schedule begins in June.

I am looking forward to my friend Kristin's "Summer of Color" Challenge this summer. If you joined us last year then you know what a creative blast we had. If you didn't...then stop by for this year's Color Challenge.

Our summer will be a busy one...Emma has her first full-time babysitting job, Jackson will be mowing with his Dad and delivering pizza. We hope to go to Wisconsin in late July to visit a friend. Plus there are so many movies my family and I have been waiting for including...

1. The Avengers

2. Battleship

3. Men in Black 3

4. Rock of Ages

5. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

6. The Dark Knight Rises

7. Total Recall

Art Journal page

In summer, the song sings itself. 

 ~William Carlos Williams

What are your plans for summer? Please share!

Art Assignments for Day 2

 If you've been following along in our FB group then you know all about my computer issues. Ugh!  My poor computer gave up. Ka-put, bye-bye, see ya' later.  We, on the other hand will be nothing like my silly old computer. No we won't. We will keep perservering and moving forward no matter how hard it gets. Right, girls?

 It is so fun seeing you all in the FB group. I love how a few of you have shared uplfiting messages and photos with us...and it is wonderful to see you all talking. That is my intention with the group...you guys rock.

So what did you think of our first class assignment? Those were pretty big questions weren't they? I mean when we really stop to think about what we really, truly believe about ourselves it can be frightening. Hopefully you jotted down a mix of both good and bad. For example I understand I I have a huge procrastination problem...but on the other hand I believe I am a very good communicator and love sharing with others.

Today's assignment should be a super fun one for you! We are gonna get out the paint, the stencils, glue, pens, stickers...whatever you feel like and create a couple of art journal pages.

My desk

Our theme for these pages is "She Believed She Could". When we believe in our abilities, girls...we can be as successful as we set out to be.

It's not who you are 

that holds you back, 

it's who you think

 you're not.  

~Author Unknown 

Be sure and reference your questions from yesterday and decide what positive answers you want to be on your pages. Nothing negative goes here! List your goals, dreams, any ideas you want to Believe you can accomplish this year {and beyond}. 

So with that theme in mind you can set out to create in your journals. Remember you have one notebook for your writings, assignment questions and anything else you wish to put in it. Your art journals should be the one that either has unlined pages OR your SMASH book. Again....these are guidelines...you us what you want:) 

Okay...open your journals to the first page. We will be using that page and the inside cover page. Look at photo above for example.

I realize many of you have never art journaled before. Soooo, look for my special "Page" up top with a crash course in art journaling...that should be up very soon:)

Take your favorite 2 or 3 colors and begin painting. I used watercolor for my background...

You'll want to use colors you like for this...we want everything about these pages to uplift and inspire us to "Believe We Can"!

Add a few stencils, texture, whatever you fancy.

Flower stencil

Many of my art journal pages have an old-fashioned girl on them. You can find these images all over the Web for FREE. I found hundreds of these styles last year at a yard sale for less than a dollar! It was my lucky day for sure.  Magic Moonlight Images is an excellent resource for FREE vintage images. While we talking about this...I know there's lots of blog talk about how these vintage ladies have been over used. That may be so but I happen to adore them...and since this is my own, private journal...I think I'll keep them in there:) USE WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY!

After I added the sweet girl I printed our theme  and Mod Podged it to her dress. The clock is chipboard I had in my stash and reminds me I need to use my time wisely so I can achieve what I what  in my life. The heart is by Making Memories...it seemed like the ideal spot to list what I want to make happen in the next year. 

Here is my finished 2-page spread...

Various elements helped me express what my heart was saying. After everything was down I took acrylic paint, stenciled a bit over everything and added a few more swipes of paint. 

I will be sharing more of this in the Page at the top of my blog...lots of ideas and photos to inspire you!

There are so many ways you can create this page...

*use one or two Words in bold so you can see at a glance what you want to bring into your life.

*use images to support your dreams...butterflies, birds, hearts...anything that encourages you to Believe You Can

*Use magazine images, photos of yourself or no images at all.

Here are a few more ideas I have created in the past...

This is a 2 page spread I did last October to honor my 45th Birthday. Along with images I Mod Podged phrases and quotes throughout to inspire me.

This is my Personal Manifesto canvas from January of this year. The goal here was to showcase Words I wanted to bring into my life for 2012. I love everything about this piece...the colors, the images and the words. 

Our last assignment  for this week is take the quote below and create a journal page with it....

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out,

 but when the darkness sets in 

their true beauty is revealed

 only if there is light from within.  

~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Remember what I said yesterday? What if this is as good as it gets? Do we just stop living? Do we end up bitter old women? Really think about this quote...it's easy, peasy to sparkle and shine when everything is good. But oh when things go bad...do we become mean and nasty and vindictive. Or do we radiate a peace  and light from within?

I think there's lots of good imagery in this quote and can't wait to show you my pages.

Girls, you are all awesome. You are all beautiful, caring souls. Thank you for letting me share my heart with you. This is giving me such joy to share.

Oh....I almost forgot! Each week I'll have a little something to give away! Hooray!! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment in THIS POST. I will be sharing more later in the week...but only THIS POST is an entry in the drawing...here's what you will win!

*a Believe canvas created by me

*various ribbons and lace

*5 notecards to use in your journals or mail to a friend

*one butterfly stamp

Pretty awesome right?? You didn't know there would be prizes...but I LOVE to give stuff away!!

See you on FB!!:) Keep on sharing...oh and feel free to share YOUR pages with us!!!

Oh and one more thing...these are the last assignments for the week. However there will be more blog posts...just not assignments...and our next assignment will be Monday...Week 2.