More Than Words December Challege

"Traditions" is the word at More Than Words this month.

Do you have a holiday tradition that means a lot to you or your family? 

I hope so, and I hope you

share it with us this month at

More Than Words.

I did not realize how important the Tradition of

popping English Crackers was to my nephews and

nieces until I saw the look of disappointment

on their faces when they learned

that I had forgotten to purchase them for the holiday.

Who would have thought popping English Crackers,

reading corny jokes out loud, getting a silly prize,

and wearing a tissue paper-hat would mean so much.

My homemade feature for the challenge is the English Cracker.

Thank you for visiting.

Come here to find out more about the Challenge for December 2016.

Scented Pages: Adding another Scented Page to my Art Journal

I'm sharing another Scented Page entry in my Art Journal with you today.

The idea of Scented Pages came to me when I received a

Soft Surroundings Catalog in the Mail. 

I have saved scented pages from magazines and catalogs for quite sometime.

I liked how they would add the fragrance to a little printed section in the catalog/magazine that read:

"Rub Wrist Here"

Some the scented pages would include some poetic prose that resonated with me.

Here's my Toujour Scented Page Entry

A close-up of the art journal page background using gesso, and some heat embossing elements:

A close-up of the section of "Rub Wrist Here" feature that holds the perfumed scent:

The "Scented Page" Title:

 Close-up of some of the pretty elements on the page and another fave Masked photo:

The journaling reads:

I never knew his name, but he brought me comfort and hope

through that long cold night in the air raid underground.

If the timing had been different, we might have had a future.

As he slept in the early hours, I slipped a note into his lapel pocked

and tipped toed back to my life.

It read:

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Toujours, J"

Thank you for stopping by and letting me share this Scented Page entry with you too.

More Than Words November Main Challenge is Here!

Hello Friends!

It's a new month and More Than Words is hosting a fun Main Challenge.

Again, I found myself working in my Art Journal.

Recently, I have been craving a SPECIAL moment where I can just stop, breathe and think.

For the More Than Words November creative challenge I have chosen new stamps, inks, and watercolors products; blue watery background; and old elements.

My Quote reads:

“You know those things you always wanted to do, You should do them now.”

 Some Close ups:

Some Finnabair Crackle Paste and Rust Mica Powder gussied up this Blue Fern Studios Anchor Chipboard.

More Than Words November Main Challenge can be found here.

More Than Words October Mini Challenge "Boo"

It's that time of month where More Than Words holds a Mini Challenge for us.

Come along and join in the fun in creating a mini art piece using the word, "Boo"

and enter it into the challenge for a really nice prize.

You have until October 31st to post your mini art piece on

 More Than Words Challenge Facebook Page.
Go here to check out the challenge requirements.

 

See you there!

 

 

 

Steps

It’s raining here!!! Yes!!  

It feels great to have a little reprieve of some cooler weather.

I had a little me time this weekend and created this page in my art journal.

 I am enjoying the 6 x 6 Rossi Belle paper collection from Prima. 

Thanks for looking.

October at More Than Words Challenge Site

The changes in the colors of leaves from green, yellow, oranges and reds are spectacular during the autumn months. As a kid, and even now, I’d walk on dried leaves just to hear the crunchy sound they made under my shoes.  My Ombre take on the More Than Words challenge this month was used to emphasize the encased bejeweled leaf by cutting out various sized leaf shapes on several book pages and painting them in different hues of the color green. 

 

I carried over the Ombre effect on the large watercolor leaf by water coloring a very dark green color next to the leaf shape and adding water to my brush to extend the dark color out and lightening it with water on my brush during each layer.  Then I dragged my watercolor brush with the lightest  green color out onto the book page to add interest.

The leaves were made out of watercolor paper, stamps mists, mica powders and watercolors.  After the media was dried, I crumbled the paper leaves in the palm of my hand many times to break down the paper fibers until the leaves were soften.  I created veins on the leaves by folding the paper at the various points on the leaf pattern and crimping the folds with my thumb finger nails to add some dimension.  I took the sharp edge of the scissors and ran it down the vein to distress the leaf even more.

Here's close up of the first page of the bejeweled leaf:

Come on over to More Than Words here and find out all the specifics to create your "Change" and "Ombre" art, and submit it for chance to win a very generous prize.

More Than Words Design Team work using the Word, "Enjoy."

Hello friends,

Before putting away all my supplies from my last design team project at More Than Words this month, I used the leftovers from the project to create this little tag. The spoon is a plastic cocktail spoon slathered with gesso and Finnabair's yummy yellow metallic acrylic paint.  I applied the same technique on the tag background that I used on my art journal Delight project... that technique really stands out on this little tag.   The pretty little micro beads on the spoon actually look like those delectable candied sprinkles.

Check out my fellow design team colleagues' projects and the challenge rules and prizes here.
You have until the end of September to post your art.

Come on over and join us at More Than Words Mini Challenge using the word, "Enjoy" on your mini project.

More Than Words - September Challenge - The word, "Delight" and a "Recipe."

I took the More Than Words creative challenge literally and designed an art journal entry with Grandma’s Southern Potato Salad recipe.  As a kid, I’d watch Grandma, mom, and my aunts prepare the salad in the kitchen because I enjoyed eating it so much.  Adding a written recipe in my art journal will remind me of the fun and delight at past family reunions with people that are no longer here to share the salad with us.

I found the decorative cutlery on Pinterest, printed them on paper and set them with Mod Podge on my journal page. A quick and easy alternative to adding an embellishment to your art journal pages.



Join us at More Than Words this month and enter and win some awesome prizes.   You can find us here.


More Than Words - August Mini Challenge, and the word, "Best"

Hi everyone!

Before putting away all my scraps and supplies from my Friends art journal project, I used the scraps to create this tag for the August Mini Challenge at More Than Words. This months word is, "Best" and you have until the end of the month of August to post your mini project on Facebook at More Than Words to win a prize.

The foundation of the tag was created with a piece of Blue Fern Studios scrapbooking paper because it holds up to the many layers of mixed media work. Some book pages were then adhered to the paper and gesso was applied on top of the book paper lightly so some of the print shows through.  A light application of stamping, paint drops and small embellies were added to finish up the tag.

You can find the Challenge information here.

Thanks for stopping by.

Scented Pages - Cobalt

Remember those scented pages from catalogs and magazines?  They would tell a story about the fragrance in the most poetic prose, and they would include a little section on the page that would say something like, “Rub wrist here,” and it would release the fragrance.   I used to collect such pages and every day on my way out of the front door, I’d grab one and rub it on my wrists.

 

Some fragrances were so good, I’d buy them, and others…not so fragrant.

I kept a few of the pages and while I was tossing some away, I got the idea to preserve their fragrance and their story in an art journal.

 

Here’s my first Scented Page, entitled “Cobalt.” 

I’m really inspired to create more and hope at the end of this creative journey, my art journal book will be scented as well.

The prose on this particular scented page from a catalog read the following:

Late on a steamy afternoon

at the Grand Bazaar,

inside a bin of silk remnants,

she discovered a dusty glass bottle

with a stunning cobalt stopper. 

Without hesitation,

she uncorked the bottle.

The air filled instantly with spice

and sensuality, romance and mystery….

 

See you next time dear friends.

EnVe Art = envelopes and art

A portmanteau is a combination of two words. Like "Bradgelina," or "Kimye."

EnVe Art is derived from the words, "envelope" and "art."

The challenge was to create on any color or size envelope of your choice,

and using a photo or idea from the Pre-Raphaelite period.

I chose Lady Lilith by Rossetti.

Here is a goldenrod colored 5.5 by 7.5 inch envelope.

Black gesso was slathered on the envelope, but just to enough

so that the goldenrod color would not disappear.

The photo was printed on computer paper and adhered to the envelope.

I extended Lady Lilith's gown using artist tissue paper and

added some depth using a watercolor pencil.

Some stamping was added to the photo and on the black

gesso so that it would look melded together.

This challenge was to create with Marie Antoinette.

The same size goldenrod colored envelope was covered with white gesso.

Actually, creating on envelopes is quite fun, and I am eagerly looking forward to the next challenge.

Thank you for stopping by, and let me know where I can find your Enve Art for inspiration.

More Than Words - August Challenge: The word, "Friends", and the creative challenge, "Circles"

Reuniting with friends some time ago,

reminded me of how happy and unencumbered we were in our 20’s. 

We traveled together, supported each other,

and could depend on one another. 

 My circle elements are in the shape of the photos

 and a design element on my art journal page.

 

Come on over to More Than Words

to find out how you

can win a fabulous prize

and share your work

with us.

See you there!