Wednesday, August 31, 2016

GSD August Challenge - Little Fox

I am working on completing challenges and this is my submission to the August challenge for Gerda Steiner Designs - the Little Fox


I am working on my challenge board today...wish me luck!  LOL



Hump Day!!!!

Hump Day!!!!!

Gigi and I are at the end of Tim Holtz Creative Chemistry 102.  We are getting ready to start Creative Chemistry 103 and have ordered everything we need to get started.  I have committed to  posting four times a week.  I would rather be creating during this time, but I have committed to sharing my art journey so this is my commitment.

I am trying to get on schedule which you know by now is very difficult for me as my brain will always pay direct, focused attention to what's in front of me at the moment, and right now my BFF, Lisa Wallace, is visiting me and we spend every waking moment in the studio.  We are supposed to be in the pool today, but I have to keep my schedule and post, post post!  I have started on my challenge schedule this week, starting with MojoMonday and StampingbellaMonday, I would love to get Gerda done this week as well, wish me luck...as you should already know... I need some prayer thrown in there too!  LOL

Keeping in theme with Affirmation Tuesday this week, New Habits...

I want to commit to my challenge's as well as I did to my blog.  I am so visual, I think I am going to build a challenge board and put the schedule up so that I can see it, just like I keep my monthly schedule on a white board to keep me on task!   I will build a challenge board the same way!   I can then print out each challenge and put them on the board until I complete the challenge.   I did a completion affirmation last week because I am coloring in 5 different coloring books and had started  quite of few pages without completion.  I focused on completion  last week and now have completed my unfinished coloring pages.

Why oh why can't I apply that to the rest of my life!!!!  OK... I am asking that you hold me to task.  I must complete at least three challenges this week.  I must post to Instagram at least once a day and I must have time to spend at the pool with Lisa before she leaves.

I have my marching orders and will close with the last tags for Creative Chemistry 102.  Have an amazing Hump Daaaaaaaaaay!

 This technique is called "faux patina"  We started with silver pieces and added alcohol inks to make these amazing pieces!
 This technique is called "Ombre".
 I have added a close up to that you can see the difference in color closely.


Love and Blessings,


Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Affirmation Tuesday, New Habits!

Happy Tuesday!!!

I am feeling excited as I have completed all of my "started" coloring pages in multiple books!  Since we have affirmed completion in our lives, let us now work on new habits.  Our affirmation for this week is from the daily word. 



New Habits
I commit to higher expressions of speech, thought and action.

Aristotle taught, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” To be the best expression of the Christ that I can be, I revisit my behaviors and routines. Where needed, I replace unhealthy habits with life-affirming ones.
If I find that I regularly complain, I make a concerted effort to express gratitude. If I have lapsed into mindless routines, such as snacking or binge-watching television, I insert a new activity into that same time slot, such as walking, reading, praying, or meditating.
As I consciously replace ineffective habits with more constructive ones, I feel happier, more peaceful, and energetic—more like my true self—each day.
Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress.—1 Timothy 4:15

Here are your coloring pages for this week.  I affirm abundant blessings in our lives daily!


Love and blessings,


Monday, August 29, 2016

Happy Monday

Happy Monday!

My weekend was awesome!  I laid around watching television with my DH and my BFF.  It was a  weekend of relaxation, crafts and laughter.  I received a special blessing on Friday.  One of my fairy Godmothers gifted me pillows for my studio chairs.  They are so beautiful, and the packaging was amazing.


I have added her beautiful "touch of special" to my chair so that I have some of her love energy on my creative chair as well. 



To end a perfect Friday I went to my monthly ATC gathering on Friday and here is what we exchanged with everyone.



Susan Boyd, an amazing teacher and a very talented artist and crafter always teaches a technique and this time she used a gel medium, stencil and distress inks to create this:


This is Susan's ATC that she exchanged with everyone:



On another great note, my BFF had never participated in ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) and did an amazing card using the frog ballerina.  This is Lisa's tag


She had so much fun, she added MeetUp to her phone so that she can find a group when she gets home.

For my tag I was thinking of my DH, putting up with all of my visitors, and being amazing!!!  I  did this tag for my exchange thinking of him.


Once I created about 4 of these, I noticed my shading was wrong on her raincoat so I fixed it here.




It is so funny, a few months ago I would never have even thought about light source and shading, I think that Sandy Allnock is definitely getting into my brain.

Well, I am off to create! Until our next session!


Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Its my play day....

I so look forward to Wednesdays, I get to play with Gigi and create amazing things that I can later make into cards or use the new techniques to work in my art journal and for other fun projects.

My art style has changed considerably over the years.  I was a Stampin' Up Demonstrator and now I am the proud owner of Therapy with Stamping...crafting my way to sanity one project at a time.   I have found that I am now at the "express myself" stage and I want the opportunity to see many different Arts&Craft companies so that I can enjoy them.

First I want to show you what I can now do with a clear tile and alcohol inks.  This is a very cool technique because I can create this! BooYah!!

 Next up this beautiful tag.  The technique is called MonoPrint.  I fell in love with the way that the alcohol ink moves on your craft mat and how moving things around will create its own look.  Came out great and a good tip to know is that alcohol inks dry fast so you don't have to wait to stamp and see the finished product.


See you at the next therapy session, let me know if you want to know any more about these products.

Have an amazing Day!


Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Affirmation Tuesday 8.23.16

Welcome to Affirmation Tuesday!!

I am seeing you in an amazing space of peace with abundant blessings coming to you.    I am loving that we can sit and color for 5 minutes to find some peace in a hectic world.  Coloring allows us to focus on what we are coloring and our weekly affirmation.  This is YOUR time to breath deeply and exhale fully.

I color every day, I always say its for 5 minutes and I end of coloring for an hour.  At the end of the day, I try to clean my space, shut down my computer, turn the lights off and lock up for the day.  I carry with me into my house my prisma coloring pencils and one of my many collected coloring books.  I have noticed that I am now collecting coloring books and I am coloring in a different one each day.  I need to reign myself in as I have partly colored pages in every book.  I seem to spread out....why do I do that?  I would really like to know.  I don't understand my desire to start new when I have not finished the old.  I will work on this in the coming week.

This week I am going to focus on completion while I color.  I am asking that you see me in an amazing space of accomplished goals.

Here is our weekly affirmation

I see all projects and tasks through to completion this week.

Below are your free coloring pages you can print and size them to your liking...thank you to Pokolorujswiat and FaberCastle for the free coloring pages.

Wishing you peace, abundant blessings and goals reached.



Monday, August 22, 2016

Hooray It's Monday...

I am so pleased it's Monday.  It is the beginning of the week of possibilities.  I will possibly get all of my to do list done...hahahahahah.  I will possibly get all of my art projects done...hahahahahaha.

Seriously, I do believe in possibilities and I truly love Mondays because of what's possible to get accomplished. Gigi and I got back to our Creative Chemistry class and I have projects to share with you.  I am so excited.  

You know, Tim Holtz is amazing and his products not only make sense they are super fun.  Learning how to use all of his mediums is quite fun and educational.  I have my BFF visiting and she is one of those people who can look at something and make it.  Well, we offered for her to join us on our lessons, she declined stating "I can see it, so I can make it."  By the end of class, she was no longer working on her projects, she was fully engaged in what we were doing.  As I said, amazing, his products do the obvious, but they also do the unexpected.  I can show you my end results, but you must take the class to learn the techniques.  Here are my projects for today.


I think this is my new favorite tag... The technique is called "Tarnished Silver."  I took a piece of white card stock and die cut out the bird and the bird cage, and look at what was produced...so very cool!!!


This technique is called "Faded Layers."  The background is not quite correct, you can see the faded alphabet barely...I didn't to the solution long enough.  Although you can see that something is faded behind that beautiful girl, you can't quite make out what it is.  Once we have the entire class completed, I will be doing the techniques in other projects and I cannot wait for that part!

Have an amazing Monday, and see you at the next therapy session.






Friday, August 19, 2016

Stampingbella Friday...

...Breathe...

I am releasing the stress of the week and taking time to breathe.  The weekend always seems to be the time to rejuvenate ourselves to get ready for the next week.  Well,  I am going to relax with my wonderful Husband and amazing puppies (11 years old)  and spend time creating with some girlfriends.  I am excited as I am getting to create with a new friend this weekend and I am looking foward to it.  I also have my BFF who is always on the same path as I am...what a blessing that we take our twist and turns at the same time.  I live a truly blessed life.

Now all of this is from coloring the Yogabella...she made me reflect as I was coloring her.  She is so beautiful and looks at peace, which made me think about my life.

Now... I made quite a few mistakes with her.  When opening your copics we need to be careful not to get the ink spots on your paper....well I didn't I had just about every color on my bright white Neenah card stock!  So when you see the confetti everywhere you will understand.  I also learned that instead of using the colorless blender to move color back....when coloring inside your stamped image you can move the wrong color back to its area by using the correct color.  I did it with the lotus flower.  The blue Copic marker B24 was on every tip of the flower and when I put that lighter color R30 it pushed the blue back where it belonged.  So cool, so very cool!!!

Here she is...





I added some Wink of Stella to her top which I showed you in the second picture.  I think she came out adorable.  What do you think of her and have you tried anything different?  If you have made a #yogabella post it so that I can see  your creations.

Until next session,



Wednesday, August 17, 2016

It's Hump Day.... I feel like I just wrote my Hump Day post!

I must tell you....time is flying by!  It feels like I just talked about "Hump Daaaaaaay!" Every time I hear that, in my head, I see the camels talking and it just tickles me as if I am seeing it all for the first time!


Well....Happy Wednesday.  I was told the other day that the true middle of the week is Thursday, but I said that Hump Day only refers to the working week and that is Monday - Friday, with Wednesday being the middle, the hump you must get over to get to Friday! (now I am singing Friday Night in my head!)  I think I am in true need of therapy!!

For today's therapy session I colored the "Thinking" Stampingbella.  She is the prettiest I have ever seen...well what do you think?



I made her yesterday and I am not sure if I like the background.  After masking this beauty as I wanted a halo around her to make her stand out even more, I used distress inks on the background, Barn Door, Mustard Seed, Pumice Stone, and Salty Ocean.  I used Copics on the rest of her.  E31, E33 and E34 is her skin color; B12, B24 and B37 is her shirt; Her hair is Y21, E09 and R39;  Her lips are R27...as she needed some pretty red lips.

I know I will do her again soon as I am not as pleased with her as I would like to be.  But this is my art journey and I am putting the good, bad and ugly up for sharing.

I spent some time coloring last night and I am just about finished with it.  I promise to post it before the week is through.  I am still trying to color a bit each day.  It is very therapeutic.  

This morning I actually asked my husband if it felt like Thursday to him as we were getting dressed.  He quickly responded that it actually felt like Tuesday!  Hooray, I thought I missed my post to you.  I panicked just a little bit.  I don't want to stop the momentum.

Well,  I am going to sign off until Friday!

Be Blessed!




Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Today is the first day of the rest of your life...... #AffirmationTuesday

Welcome to Affirmation Tuesday,

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.  I say that because you have an opportunity to start fresh today, to live your dreams today, to set new goals today as today is the first day of the rest of your life.

Today's affirmation supports your fresh start today.  I suggest you spend at least 7 minutes coloring and focusing on this weeks affirmation. 

My Journey
I live my life courageously and fully

From the Daily Word...

My journey through life is an adventure, some parts predictable, others totally unexpected. I may venture down one path only to be diverted to another route.
I begin my day, or my venture, in prayerful awareness of Spirit. I open to guidance and direction. I look for and find the blessings in all my circumstances. Through loving service and acknowledgment of the value of others, I become a blessing in their lives too.
In partnership with Spirit, I make courageous choices. I live fully, filled with excitement and intrigue for what lies ahead. My spirit of adventure welcomes any divergence in the path ahead, for wherever I may go, God goes with me, and all is well.
Here are your free coloring pages






I wish you abundant blessings.

Until next week,


Monday, August 15, 2016

Its Monday....Stampingbella Week!

Happy Monday!

Last week I did Tim Holtz Crazy Dogs and this week it's Stampingbella!!

I love Girl Power and this Goddess embodies it all in her Stampingbellas.  You must check Em out at www.Stampingbella.com.

Today was all about the weekend.  The weekend is when you let your hair down...and as I am typing this I should have saved Edna for Friday, but I have been wanting to color her ever since I saw her online, in fact, all the bellas you will see this week are bellas from the new line that I have been drooling over and wanting to color ever since they were released. Gigi is on Summer break WE have taken a break from our Creative Chemistry and Copic Jumpstart programs, so I am taking the opportunity to color the new stamps from my favorite lines. Stampingbella is new to my favorites but I LOVE the entire line.

So today I colored Edna in my favorite colors (I know they are all my favorites!)


When I saw Edna I thought she had to have a dirty martini.  She looks like that is what she would drink.  She is adorable...what do you think?  I also think you need to get your own and post your Edna's on Instagram with the tag #Edna4TWS so I can see your vision of this sexy angel.

Now for the coloring...
On Edna dress and shoes I used Copics V12, V14, RV66 and Wink of Stella Clear 999;
On the wings I used Wink of Stella Violet 080;
On Edna's hair I used Copics RV17, RV23 and RV66 with Wink of Stella Dark Pink 027;
The rose in Edna's hair was colored with Copics R27, YG17 and R39;
On her lips I used Wink of Stella Pink 025;
Edna's skin color is Copics E31, E33 and E34; and
For that fabulous Dirty Martini I used YG23 and for the olive I used YG03.

Until next session...




Friday, August 12, 2016

Ready to Walk

Happy Friday,

I wanted to start my weekend with Tim Holtz Crazy Dogs.   I am naming it Ready to Walk.  When I look at all of the dogs in the stamp set, they are so adorable, funny and extremely cute.  I just look at the set and whoever jumps out is who wants to go on a project.  Today, it was Oscar and Sammy (Yes I name them... and please note that the names may change to protect the innocent! LOL)

I see Sammy as a very happy dog that jumps up and down when he gets excited, and then I see Oscar as a very no nonsense dog with very little patience.  I can see Oscar saying, "Please Sammy its just a walk...geesh." These two are a perfect pair.



I used Copics to color these puppies and I used GlossyAccents on their eyes and the leash which was colored in Copics G24 and C6.

Oscar is in Copics E09, E39, and R39.  His collar is colored with Ranger Enamel Accents Lemon Twist with NUVO Crystal Drops in black for his medallion.

Sammy is in Copics E21, E33 and E34.  His collar is in Ranger Enamel Accents in Electric Lime and Pink Gumball.  Both dogs have Crystal Drops in black as their noses.

The fence is an Art Impressions Stamp called Fence and is colored in Copics E33, E34 and E39.  The tree is from a Lawn Fawn set called Critters Down Under and is colored in Copics E47, G17, YG17 and YG23. The grass is in Copics G29, G05, G17 and G24.  The background is in Distress Inks Broken China, Salty Ocean and Mermaid Lagoon.

Oscar, Sammy and I hope you find time to do something that you love as much as Sammy loves walks.

Until next time,









SaveSave

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Hump Day Hump Day Hump Day...

All I can hear in my head is What Day is it? Hump Day.  I hear it every Wednesday to be honest.  I also have never told anyone this, but when I hear someone say it's Wednesday I hear "What Day is it?"  In the voices from the commercial!!!  It makes me laugh out loud sometimes how and what our brains recall.

Isn't it just funny how our brain works...take my post for today #TimHoltz #CrazyDogs.  I told my friend, Caridad, that I was doing a junk yard dog and her first brain recall was Cujo.  I got too tickled and told her that Cujo was not a junk yard dog, her response was even funnier..."but he lived in a junky yard."  That was the icing on the cake.  So Cujo was a junk yard dog!  A rabid St Barnard, but he did reign terror and that is the true definition of the junk yard dog to me.

Here is my post for Hump day... the bull dog that to me is a junk yard dog! He may be cute as a button, but if you touch any of his things, I think you will see more than three teeth.



I colored Spike with #CopicsSketchMarkers C0, C3 and C5.  His collar is #Copics R39 and I used Gold #NuvoCrystalDrops for his spikes and Cherry Red #NuvoCrystalDrops for his medallion.  The food bowl is colored with #Copics R39 and R89 with E32, E34 and E37 for the food.  The dog house, a #CTMH stamp set (name unknown), which I refer to as Spike's Digs... was stamped using embossing ink, then embossed with clear embossing powder and I used candied apple distress inks for the color.

I used foil paper as the background (to convey the chain linked fence...#timholtz needs to design one!), and adding the words MINE which are so appropriate for that face!

I hope Spike and I brought a smile on your Wednesday, and your day was filled with love and laughter.

Until next time,




Tuesday, August 9, 2016

#AffirmationTuesday

Welcome back,

I got excellent feedback on the beautiful elephant.  My mother was the most vocal "this elephant has too many squares and that is just too much to color."  I can always count on my Mom to be the voice. So this week, I have images that I hope everyone can enjoy coloring.  Each week I will have a detailed image and an image that is a bit less.  I am hoping that this will encourage everyone to download and print the image as big or as small to color while focusing on this weeks affirmation.

I would love to see what you are coloring.  Post on Instagram, Therapy with Stamping's Facebook page or wherever you are posting your art and don't forget to tag #AffirmationTuesday so that I can see and follow your coloring as well.  I write my prayers, thoughts and anything else that comes to me on my coloring page. It is also a great way to keep up with your daily blessings.

Here is our affirmation for the week

My presence makes a difference in the world.  I joyously take on the challenge of exploring my passions and pursuing my goals so that the world can benefit from my existence.

Here are the free coloring pages







I am enjoying my journey and am so glad that you are joining me.  Enjoy your coloring.

Until next week...

Namaste



Happy Monday

Happy Monday!!!

I am getting my groove and finding my way.  I am going to post three times this week on my art journey and of course #affirmationTuesday is a separate post all on its own.

I am focusing on Tim Holtz crazy dogs this week and using some of the techniques that I have learned in Creative Chemistry 101 & 102.  I have  few more classes of 102 and then we will begin 103.  We are off schedule as Gigi and I are trying to get our schedules coordinated with summer travels.  We did not work on our class last week so I am going to take this opportunity to work in my art journal,  and also use some learned techniques from class along with the stamp set crazy dogs.

I was using the NUVO enamel on his nose, so I first stamped in archival black ink and colored him in Copics.  I had to let the NUVO black enamel nose dry overnight.  This puppy is too cute!


Once his nose was dry, I used distress inks in candied apple, wild honey and mowed lawn to create this background using stencils THS002 Bubble, THS056 Ringer and THS004 Stripes.


I used an old Close to My Heart Stamp set for the sentiment.  I added his bone in his mouth because I think this bone is his best friend.  He looks so in love.   These stamps are so much fun!  Well, let me get ready for #affirmationTuesday.

Hope you liked my first puppy!