Bible Journal Like a Pro

Yep, I'm still playing with videos.  This time I actually have a project to share!  Sunday I was doing some journalling in my Bible, and I thought, "Hey, my blog readers might like to know how I did that!"  So here it is:

I think for my next video, I might demonstrate the techniques I was talking about.  I'm just having too much fun!

Creativity Through Adversity

Hi there, Crafty Neighbors!  I’m sure some of you are probably wondering what happened to me, and why there have been so few updates to my blog over the last few months.  Well, let me tell you…earlier this year I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  To be specific, Tubular carcinoma, a form of invasive ductal carcinoma.  It’s meant a total upheaval of my daily routine, and I’ve just simply had to let a few things slide.  It’s even dampened my creativity, because I don’t have as much time to create, and because I’m often tired or just feeling blah and not in the mood.  But in the process of my treatments, I ran across something really crafty and inspiring that I wanted to share with you all.

What I’m about to share with you are some of the lovely therapeutic art projects done by cancer patients at the oncology center where I receive my daily radiation treatments.  I was awed by these pieces from the moment I saw them, and I wanted to share them with as many people as I could because I think they are a wonderful way to express some very mixed up, over the top emotions from both ends of the spectrum, and I think they could be a great idea for anyone going through something stressful or traumatic.

Here is the piece that started it all:

And here is the artist’s explanation for the piece:

“Through my breast cancer journey I prayed, journaled, exercised, and had an amazing support group that all helped get me through it.  From the very beginning, I had an idea to transfer my thoughts into a visual piece of artwork.  Initially, I had wanted to do a big canvas, but I just didn’t have the energy to paint on a large canvas, and when I felt good, I wanted to get out of the house.  My sister suggested that I fit each expression into it’s own individual painting, so that I would be able to draw it in small scale while I was horizontal on the sofa.

My ideas were sketched to scale into squares along with beautiful support cards that inspired the color scheme and the message.  The location of each image does not have any specific sequence,[sic] they are placed by color and design.  The words however do.  On top, they are what I was feeling when I started this whole process and through cancer I changed.  Yes, cancer changed me for the better!  The bottom words are what supported me and got me finally to a place of being grateful for cancer.  It taught me how to be still, appreciate what I have, love those around me, be patient, and be present for others.  Survivors have so much to share – struggles, triumphs and hopes – in all avenues of life.  This painting was a healing process for me – to cry, to laugh, to hope, to face challenges and see accomplishments.  “[It’s] all good.”  I also wanted to leave this painting to my daughters (Natalie 21, Darcy 15) as a legacy of my journey through breast cancer.

There are now other pieces in the collection, including one that surprised me.  As I was perusing the art one morning while I waited for my turn in radiation, I noticed a familiar face.  On closer inspection, I identified a travel agent friend of mine, whose wife had created one of the pieces while going through treatment for breast cancer in 2009. 

I hope these pieces bring as much joy and inspiration to you as they have to me.  I’m tempted to make a canvas of my own, but even more than that, I see many techniques that I want to bring to my art journal, my bible journal, and even my scrapbooks.  It just goes to show that there is inspiration and beauty to be found everywhere, even in adversity…and mostly when you least expect it!

Click on each picture to see a larger image.

Green

Getting back into the swing of working on my 365 Art Journal has been a challenge, and I recently went on a quest to find some new inspiration.  One source is the Facebook group “Art Journaling”.  I rarely post in this group, but I do love to look at the work of others and I often find inspiration or learn new techniques as a result of the posts there.  One in particular, talked about using layers upon layers and then stamping and painting on those layers some more.  It’s something I’m not very good at, so I thought I’d try it again.

This journal page is my very lame attempt at layering.  The topic for this page was "the color green", so I used various green paints and some of my favorite stencils.  One of the tips I picked up from a recent Tim Holtz video was to use his sponge applicators to dab the paint through the stencil.  I was really pleased that this went very well, and was actually an easier and “cleaner” way to apply a stenciled design.  The only stencil that gave me any trouble was the honeycomb – the dividing lines between the little hexagons are so thin that the paint just goes right under it. 

I used four different stencils, three different colors of green paint, and at least six different colors of Tim Holtz distress inks.  I layered the two lighter paints first, drying between each layer, before applying some ink through a stencil to get the tree branch and bird cages.  I used the same sponge applicator to sponge on the colored ink in different areas, and then I came back with the dark green and honey comb over the top.

I had to stop there.  I know a lot of artists keep going, adding layer after layer until they get that fabulous “art journal” look, but my layering always stops short of that because I’m never really sure what comes next.  I think this page is fine the way it is, but I wonder what would take it to the next level.  What do you think?

Unfinished Projects

Honestly, I don’t know how other bloggers do it.  I know a few people who post on their blog every single day, but I don’t know how.  I can’t keep up.  I started off this year doing so well.  I was even a few weeks ahead of myself at one point, but here we are in September, and I can’t even manage to get out one post a week.  I have this problem with everything I do.  I start out with a great routine and the best of intentions, and then somewhere along the way, something chaotic happens that sends me into a tailspin.  My routine gets scrambled like yesterday’s eggs, and there is no putting this Humpty Dumpty back together again.

Take for instance, my 365 project.  I kept up with my daily art journal project faithfully through mid-May, but a weekend retreat with the girls side-tracked me and I skipped one day, foolishly thinking I would catch back up the next day.  Did I do it? No, but I am happy to report that I did start working on it again, eventually, and even though I am behind, I still get every bit as much joy from the process as I ever did.

So why did I start working on my project again?  Because even if it is behind, I will eventually finish it, and what a great sense of accomplishment I will have when it is finally done!  I just can’t give up on something I’ve started.  There is something in me that demands that I finish it, otherwise I’ll be riddled with guilt over the time and money I’ve wasted.  And that’s exactly what an unfinished project is – a waste of time and money. 

So go on, get out there and dig up those old projects you started but never finished.  Let’s make September the “Unfinished Projects Month” and see how many projects we can get done.  To make it a little more challenging, and maybe a little more enticing, I will offer a prize to the person who completes the most projects!  Here are the rules:

• Complete as many projects as you can between now and September 30.  Contest ends 12:00 AM CDT, October 1, 2013.
• Items can be any arts or crafts project, but must be something started or purchased but never finished.  Examples of projects might be scrapbook page kits, crocheted afghans, mini albums, quilts, paintings, etc.
• Items must be distinctly different projects; multiples of the same item will be counted as one project.  For example, if you crocheted 3 scarves from the same pattern, they count as one project.  However, if you crochet 3 scarves from 3 different kits, they count as 3 separate projects.
• Take a picture or pictures of your projects and upload them to our Flickr Project Gallery at http://www.flickr.com/groups/cn365/ before 12:00 AM CDT, October 1, 2013.
• Post on the Crafty Neighbor Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/craftyneighbor and tell us how many unfinished projects you finished.
• Check this blog on Tuesday, October 8 for an announcement of the winner (I need time to check out all those projects!).
• Between now and then, I will dig out some cool prize that I know you want and I’ll post it here.  So stay tuned, and start working on those projects!  Good luck!

The prompt for this journal entry was "Once in a lifetime".  I couldn't resist stripping down the famous Talking Heads song to a few significant lines.  In case you wondered, this is the page that I previewed on July 23 in my "Getting Stuck" article.  I layered on some gesso before using my stencils and Dylusions ink spray.

Crazy, Sexy Creativity

I haven’t done much talking about my 365 project lately.  As I’ve probably mentioned, I got stuck on one of my daily art journal entries and then found myself getting behind.  I haven’t caught up yet.  I’m not ready to give up, though.  I’m still finding ways to be creative on a daily basis, even if it’s not my art journal, and I am still working on the art journal a little at a time.  On the weekends, I sometimes have a little more time to be creative, so I try to get a few pages done at a time.  At this rate, I might catch up by the end of the year. 

A lot of people would give up at this point.  Or maybe they never even started.  I mean, why even start if you know you can’t finish?  Why try when you know you can’t succeed.  To you, I say, “Can’t never could do nothin’!”  How do you know you can’t succeed if you never even try.  Even a little bit is better than nothing.  I may not have succeeded in creating an art journal entry every day, but I most certainly did create more than 100 pages of entries in my journal, and I’m still creating.

Besides, the point of the 365 wasn’t to finish 365 page layouts or art journal entries.  The objective is to do something creative every day.  To make yourself create, even when you don’t feel creative.  To set aside that time for yourself to do what you really love and to give yourself the freedom to explore it in different ways.  By setting aside the time to create every day you set up a habit of being creative and you learn to work around obstacles and distractions.

I started thinking about the 365 project today while I was reading the Scrappersaurus blog written by Deidra Famularo, who used to own scrapbooking stores in the New Orleans area.  Back in March 2012, “Dee” said, “Those customers who knew me when I had the storefronts open can tell you what I always preached to them, ‘An appointment with the doctor is considered important enough to schedule time off from work or time away from everything else. However, if you don't consider yourself important enough to schedule some time off from your usual, hectic routine, it more than likely will turn into a doctor's appointment, forcing you to take time off.’"

Dee is absolutely correct and she’s not alone.  Kris Carr, on her Crazy, Sexy Wellness Revolution website posted an article by Casey Lorraine Thomas titled, “5 Steps to Stop Overeating.”  In the article, Thomas, a certified detox, health and life coach, states that you should “find a way to build in some time every day to do something you love, that gives you a creative outlet for self-expression, and that allows you to be exactly who you are or takes you a step closer to that,” and that there are no excuses about having no time or energy to create because “you only need five minutes to start doing this. If you have more, that’s great. If you are honoring your needs and desires by acting on them every day, you will be far less likely to look for the answer in cake. Self- satisfaction and happiness comes with nourishing your whole being – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually – consistently. This is your way out.”

I couldn’t agree more.  So the next time you are craving a cupcake, why not paint one instead?  Or scrapbook one.  Or crochet one.  Or….  Just spending 5 minutes of every day doing something creative will completely change your outlook on life.  And at the end of 365 day, you will have been creative at least 30 hours more than you would have if you hadn’t even tried.  Thirty hours is a lot of creativity.  I bet you’ll find that you’re even more creative than that.  And if that ain’t crazy sexy, I don’t know what is!

Today, I leave you with a quote attributed to Buddha.  I think it is particularly apropos.  Our creativity is inside us, we just need to use it to let it out!