Word Art Watercolor Journal Page

A few years ago I decided to use card challenges to spark my creativity, especially in making cards because I found it difficult and the results weren't too good. This year I was inspired by one of my Close To My Heart friends, DeAna,  to start making art journal pages. I always loved the way she used her art to record favorite verses. I'm not as artistic as DeAna, but I finally was brave enough to start in March. I started making a separate journal for mixed media with acrylics and one just for watercolor techniques and ideas.

The hardest part is allowing myself to learn as a beginner without expecting expert results. Hopefully, a little humility will make it less painful and will allow me to share some of the pages. Here's one that highlights one of my favorite chapters in Psalms:

Psalm 1 King James Version (KJV)

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

² But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
³ And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

If you also like this chapter, you will enjoy reading the ideas about the third verse on Word Art Wednesday's post this week.

I used 140 lb. watercolor paper and mod podged the page into my journal on a page with a darker watercolor painted edges to frame the main image.

 I tried a technique spraying three colors that I mixed in small spray bottles, then using water on a brush to "draw circles" on the sprayed are before it dried. After it dried I decided it would work well with this week's verse (Psalm 1:3) from Word Art Wednesday and an old tree stamp I'd never used which I found while doing some spring cleaning. I was glad to see that my heavy paper would go through my printer to print this favorite quote.  I used a calligraphy pen to write the preceding verse 2 along the left side.

One circular area on the right was begging for my circular stencil:

The white made me want to add a little more so I inked one side of a cuttlebug border of tiny circles and pressed it on the top. I filled in the white inner circles with my white paint pen.

I was messy when I stamped this fabulous tree and got four black smears from the edges of the wooden block.  I always tell people in my scrapbook classes that there are no mistakes, only opportunities to be more creative. I made three birds with my black paint pen. I also used an 8B pencil to shade a little under the tree then had second thoughts and decided to stamp a fuzzy yarn border under it instead, sort of like grass.

Thank you for visiting. May your art and your faith prosper like it says in Psalm 1.

I'm sharing this page with the following challenges:
2 Creative Chicks #25 - anything but a card
All Crafts Challenge Apr/May - anything but a card
Art Journal Journey - favorite quote from Psalm 1
Challenge Up Your Life #13 - watercolor
Fairytale Challenge #116 - Now or never - used a stamp I've never used
Word Art Wednesday #180 - anything family friendly

Glory Art - NOT ALONE

Today I made another set of pages for my journal for Patter's Glory Art challenge that you can see here.  (This was the cover of my Glory Art Journal that I post each time.)

 

I finished my pages for the study "Not Alone." Patter has some wonderful song lyrics, thoughts, and scriptures that you can read in her post. After I read what she shared I chose a verse and old hymn and a pocket to add more later. Here's the two page spread:

I can remember an extended raw time in life when I felt very alone in my 30's, raising two kids alone with no child support, teaching and working two jobs at times. I lived in another state with no family or friends nearby. Our new church seemed like they were keeping their distance from a single mom. I turned to Scripture daily for consolation. Here was my favorite from Psalm 34:

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,

And delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

So many verses there comforted me. In time, it made me a much stronger person.Even after I moved back to the area where I grew up with lots of family and friends, I discovered that life often has times when you seem to walk alone through some difficulty. But we can cry out to God in prayer and acknowledge that we're thankful that He is with us through all of life's problems.

I'm reading through the Bible and just recently just finished Deuteronomy and Joshua where God reminded the children of Israel that He would be with them as they took over the promised land. Here are two I chose:

^" Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

In case you didn't see my explanation in my first post, this was an album that I started in a K & Company class years ago at Creating Keepsakes Convention in Kansas City. The papers and a few embellishments were glued on during class, so I can't take credit for some of the design. I added more today to personalize the art. I tend to like multiple verses for a topic so the file folder on the first page is perfect for holding my personal journaling and more scripture quotes that I add. The paperclip slips under a pocket on the previous page. The white pattern on the upper left is part of a transparency.

The main page has the verse from Hebrews 13:5 that I found on Word Art Wednesday "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: 

for He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee."

I highlighted the portion that says NEVER LEAVE THEE. I also added the old hymn "Abide with Me." Each verse ends with these important prayerful thoughts:

-Help of the helpless. . .

-O Thou who changest not. . .

-Through cloud and sunshine. . .

-In life, in death, O Lord. . .

. . . abide with me.

-

I used dye inks to stamp the floral flourish image and to sponge several colors on the verse and the page from an old vintage hymnal.  I attached the verse just on the left with CTMH brads so I can lift it to see all the words of the hymn. There was nothing on the page behind this layout so I'll have to cover the base of the brads on the back page. I added two verses from Our Daily Bread Designs behind the "flap." Here's the close-up.

I stamped foliage on both pages using Chocolate ink and a many-years-old retired stamp from "Key to my Heart." On the 2nd page I added a CTMH canvas branch and canvas leaves. The title is a set of letter stickers and the Prima flowers have a dollop of Ranger white opal Liquid Pearls.  My TOP TIP for embellishments - I like to use 3 of an embellishment, usually arranged in a visually-pleasing triangular array.

 Thank you for visiting. May God bless you with the awareness of His presence through the sunshine and shadows of life.

I'm sharing this project with the following challenges:

Art Journal Journey - favorite quotes

DL.Art April Challenge - anything goes

Glitter 'n' Sparkle #133 - anything  but a card

Monday Scripture Challenge FHL #19 - anything goes with Scripture

Retro Rubber Challenge #12 - use brads and a stamp more than 1 year old

Scrapbooker PhD #22 - focus on a sentiment

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - anything but a card

Top Tip Tuesday - 3 of something (3 flowers on each page; 3 scriptures on main page) -plus Top Tip

Triple the Scraps Glory Art Challenge #5 - Not Alone

Word Art Wednesday #179 - anything family friendly

He Is Not Here Daffodil Card

Daffodils in my garden a couple of years ago on March 27 and later on April 4th.

Every year around Easter my daffodils spring up out of their frozen beds just as if they had risen from the dead. Each year their yellow blooms seem to pronounce the resurrection message that Christ has risen from the dead. They also herald the glorious news that winter is over and, yes, once again, spring has arrived to infuse us with warmth, color, and new life, just like Christ is the giver of new life. This idea directed my choice of ODBD scripture stamps which said:

"It is true! The Lord has risen!" Luke 24:34     and    "He who has the Son has life. 1 John 5:12

Easter is about the Risen Lord. The apostle Paul told his contemporaries that Christ was seen  by over 500 people at one time after His resurrection. It was a detail his contemporaries could check. It's an amazing historic detail that encourages our belief. To me the resurrection is as important as His death to take the punishment for our sins. It tells me that his followers will also have life after death with Him as He promised. He met with His disciples during the 40 days following His resurrection and amazingly, after He ascended to heaven and His Spirit came to fill His followers, over 3,000 people believed in Him in one day when they heard this testimony about the Son of God and what He did in their own languages!(Acts 2:41)

Because my main image came in circle form, I decided to use the lovely sketch this past week at Deconstructed Sketch:

I used Pattie's Creations digi stamp: Daffodils Circle Scroll.  I printed it 3 times, colored the entire image, then colored just the daffodils, and finally just the centers with Copic markers, cut them out and pop dotted them in position. I embossed the blue background paper with a pinked, stitched border. I sanded the stitches so the white core shows through.  To make the extra two circles behind the daffodil circle, I trimmed the outer edge of what was left when I removed an orangish circle sticker, so you just see a thin line of white and orange. I embellished those circles with leaf flourishes cut with Spellbinders Foliage Two Shapeabilities and a few aqua dots. I chose the darkest dots for contrast. More details are listed below in the recipe.

Thank you for visiting. May the Risen Lord bless and keep you!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards #89 - use a die cut (foliage)
Come and Get It - things that start with "B" - buttons, blue, blossoms
Craft for the Craic April - Die-ing for Spring or Easter (foliage die)
Deconstructed Sketch #197 
Fussy and Fancy #137 - Springtime flowers
Hiding in my Craft Room #196 - freestyle/anything goes
Open-Minded Crafting Fun #34 - Recycle something (cut out orange edge left over from a circle sticker)
Pattie's Creations Design Challenge #109 - Easter + use an image (mine is Daffodil circle from Pattie's Creations.)
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge #76 - anything goes with twist-use die (Foliage 2 die) or punch
Word Art Wednesday #179 - anything goes with family friendly project


5" x 6" Card Recipe:
Paper - Close To My Heart "Blossom," and White Daisy cardstock; sticker remnant from "Blossom" Complements
Stamps -  Pattie's Creations digi stamp Daffodils Circle Scroll; Our Daily Bread Designs "The Lord Is Risen"
Copic Markers:  Y11, Y13, Y17, Y21, YG03
Tools & Embellishments - Cuttlebug "Pinking Stitch" embossing folder, Spellbinders Shapeabilities Foliage Two die, CTMH sanding block, CTMH Aqua Dots, very old unknown button brads

Praying for You Card

We live in a time when our world seems to be filled with illness, accidents, disasters and acts of violence.  Some people I know don't watch the news for that reason. I listen in order to find people, groups, or countries to pray for each time I hear the news. St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City did a study a few years ago on prayer and the healing time of patients. They found that those who had people praying for them healed faster, even if they didn't know people were praying for them. I have always believed in answered prayer but it was nice to hear that confirmation.

"Call to me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3

My cards today are simply to share with someone that they have that kind of support in prayer. It's very comforting. 

I made two versions of this card using different Basic Grey papers and a lovely girl from Mo's Digital Pencil called "Zola," colored with Copic markers.

I colored the 2nd card using the Mod Squad Color Wheel Challenge. I chose red, yelloworange, and red violet to color my image.

May God bless you and may you see the power of prayer in your life!

I'm sharing this project with the following challenges:
Allsorts Challenge #306 - Bingo (I used diagonal: sentiment, flower, brad) both cards have a brad in the flower

As You Like It Challenge - favorite alcohol markers - Copics - the brush tip makes coloring a breeze the way I like to color. They also have an amazing group of colors.
Inspiration Destination #29 - anything goes
Mod Squad - Wheel in the Color - I chose red, yellow-orange, and  red violet to color the 2nd card
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge #223 - one for the girls
Whimsy Inspiration #82 - color an image
Word Art Wednesday #179 - anything goes family friendly challenge

Glory Art - Representative

This is the next set of pages in my Glory Art album. You can find the Glory Art challenge here at Triple the Scraps. Patter Cross has a beautiful post about this challenge's word and details about her lovely art. I enjoyed pondering this idea after I read Patter's blog entry about being a REPRESENTATIVE of Christ.  I thought about different verses and hymns that related to this concept. I selected Galatians 2:20 because I realize I can't represent Him adequately myself.  I kept singing this verse as a scripture song: "I have been crucified with Christ, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

This study also made me keep singing "More Like the Master," so I needed to include this old hymn on the facing page which I think will help me focus on these attributes of Christ that I want to increase in my life: More meekness, humility, zeal to labor for him, purged from sin, more of His Spirit, more love for others, and more self denial.

Both of my backgrounds were made with applying Flaxen inkpad directly to paper in swirling motion and the Sunflower and Carnation pink inks with crumpled plastic wrap. I used an older Technique Tuesday to stamp the word. The girl silhouette (from CTMH "Dreamer") was stamped with Slate ink and outlined with a thin black marker. The foliage and floral silhouettes (retired CTMH "Treasure Life") were stamped with Garden Green and outlined, too.  I used two different Spellbinders dies to frame the verse from Galatians.


I'm sharing this project with the following challenges:
All Crafts Challenge April/May - anything goes but no cards
Creating in Faith Hope and Love/Throwback Thursday - anything goes with stamp that is retired over one year (flowers)
Creative Moments #65 - anything but a card
Not Just Cards #17 - anything goes
Stamp and Create April challenge - anything goes
Triple the Scraps Glory Art Challenge 2 - Representative
Word Art Wednesday #178 - anything uplifting

Mojo Monday 392 with ODBD Shining the Light Challenge

I've been unavoidably absent here, but I'm hoping that will improve. We had Easter and two birthdays to celebrate out of town since I was here last. How thankful I've been for my daughter's family coming up to our farm (a very long drive) during their spring breaks off school. It's amazing to watch her four kids helping with the outdoor work that seems never-ending when growing season begins. They have endless energy! Her dear hubby has been pruning and cleaning up our orchard and clearing fence lines of the numerous volunteer trees while my hubby is immersed in huge remodeling projects here. It's obvious where we live that trees want to take over, making this pastureland a forest again.


As we age, this help has been a true answer to prayer. So I chose a verse from Our Daily Bread Design's Scripture collection 5 for this card:  "Call to me and I will answer you." Jeremiah 33:3

I combined this week's color challenge from ODBD Shining the Light Challenge #233 and Mojo Monday Challenge #392 Sketch:

My Spring Iris border was cut with a Martha Stewart punch and the frame from a Spellbinder's die.  I used CTMH white and silver glitter tape behind the verse, white sequins, and glitter jewel in the middle of unknown flower.

May you look to God for your needs and problems. He promises to answer us!

I'm also sharing this card with these challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks #241 - die cuts

Clear It Out  - anything goes/ stash item very, very old patterned papers (2005 & 2009)

Mojo Monday #392 - sketch

ODBD Shining the Light Challenge #233 - color challenge

Pile It On #64 - fancy frames and beautiful borders

Sister Act #101 - anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #178 - anything uplifting



New Life for a Happy Easter!

My spring flowers, bushes, and fruit trees are in bloom with these colors! It's so uplifting to see them come to life after a barren, colorless winter! My card uses Graphic45 paper and unknown ribbon and flowers from my stash.

Today I'm celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many people are focusing on bunnies, chicks, Easter eggs, and family dinners. My view of eggs and chicks are that they represent new life and the new life we receive by placing our faith in Jesus Christ, making Him the Lord of our life. In the Old Testament of the Bible, something had to die to take the punishment for one's sin, a sheep, goat, or cow. When Christ, God in flesh like us, came to earth as the sinless Savior, his plan was to die in our place as the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice. What's more amazing was that He didn't remain dead, but rose again after three days to show us that as believers in His death, we, too, can have new life both on earth and after death in heaven with Him. I hope and pray that you have received the gift of new life by believing in Christ's death on the cross for you. I also hope you've found that close relationship with Him, letting Him direct your life through His Word and His Spirit. If you haven't yet, I hope you'll check out this information for a better understanding.

May God bless and keep you as you celebrate Easter!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks - Easter
All Sorts week 305 - Easter
Kitty Bee Designs Aloha Friday #44 - Easter
Luna Girl Moonbeams Creative Challenge - spring chickens
Polka Doodles - use a die (Spellbinders scalloped rectangle)
Really Reasonable Ribbon #115 - things with wings
Word Art Wednesday #177 - anything uplifting