Mixed Media Place........Emotional Challenge #7

During the past several months Finnabairs' Mixed Media Place has been throwing up some fabulous challenges. They haven't been your usual "sketch" challenge, or "color" challenge or "journalling" challenge........... they've been "emotional"challenges, and for me they have been the most meaningful and fulfilling challenges I have ever taken part in. There are some absolutely wonderful challenge blogs available to us, and we are very fortunate to have so many hard working, creative entrepreneurs around, who tirelessly run these blogs and constantly inspire us, but these emotional challenges at Mixed Media Place really make you THINK. They make you draw on so much more than just your design, color and technique skills. I try to give my pages much deeper meaning through subtle suggestive, and representative imagery. I am really sad that this is the last of these challenges, but of course that's what art journals are for, and I will continue to explore more "emotions" in mine.

This months emotion is "Stress". We have all experienced it. I looked at stress initially from a purely 'physical' perspective, rather than the obvious mental or emotional stress but found they are all connected any way.

We all put, at times and depending on what sort of work we do, considerable "physical stress" on our bodies...i.e. dancers, labourers, athletes, farmers etc. then if something goes wrong such as an accident or injury, then that in turn will cause us mental and emotional stress, so it's all related, one is dependant on the other.

Beautiful "Lost Letter" paper from Finnabair's Cold Country Collection is the background for this page. I've also used "Vintage Coal", one of the new Color Bloom Spray Mists from Prima. Also lots of stamping, texture paste and Distress Stains.

 

The concentric circles, and strong directional lines and arrows are representative of not just how we can "physically" be pulled every which way, but also mentally and emotionally.

If you want to push yourself mentally as well as creatively, join our challenge this month at Mixed Media Place. All the details are HERE, as well as lots of inspiration from the DT.

Some emotions visited in the past: Jealousy, Sadness, Tenderness, Fear, Calm and Courage.

Thank you for taking the time to visit today. Hope your week is totally "stress-free" !

Winter Blues

 Love these words.

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be invited to a "scrappy weekend" in Mount Gambier with some absolutely lovely girls, who also happen to be amazingly creative. I was definitely "feeling good" when I created this art journal page that weekend.

Texture paste and hand drawn flowers using Tombow marker pens. I love these pens; I've had mine for years and they have not dried up and the colours are rich and vibrant.

Some gold flakes, just for fun ( actually I was trying to channel Louise Nelson who is the lady with the golden touch at the moment and who kindly gave me these gold bits to play with )

Texture, tissue and watercolour

Hand painted flowers, texture, stencilled back ground, dry embossed tag.

Here's the song and some great visual graphics based on repeat pattern and typography.

Thank you for coming by. I hope your summer or winter "blues" are only of the music variety and that where ever you are your staying warm or "being cool". 

Mixed Media Place and paperDVIZHNIK challenge #44

Hello !! High time I posted what I've been up to creatively. A new challenge at paperDVIZHNIK and a journal page for Mixed Media Place. 

The challenge at paper DVIZHNIK is a fab one, thought up by the very lovely Sandi Taloumis. 

A LO, card, tag, using black and white and ONE colour......but at least FIVE shades of that colour. Oh such fun, who doesn't love working with colour !? Details are HERE.

 Done some fussy cutting...whats new....done some stamping, embossing, stencilling, texturing, watercolouring and loved every minute of putting it all together on a piece of Prima paper.

Found the Dragon Fly stamp in a discount bin. It's made by Holly Berry House Originals whom I have never heard of but love the stamp.

An Art Journal Page

This art journal page was created for Mixed Media Place and I've used several of Finnabair's beautiful stamps, her paper, stencils and inks, all available from the Mixed Media Place on line shop. ( Finn's very lovely husband Andrew will pack and ship every thing to you quick as a flash ! ) This is quite a sentimental page as it reflects my happiness and excitement at being invited to join the Mixed Media Place DT but even more than that it expresses the freedom I then felt, that I could create in my own way, in my own style, not question what I was doing and that I would be accepted. I felt sort of "liberated" from my own creative fears and doubts. I know that sounds kind of "wanky" but that acceptance has made a world of difference to how I now create and how I think about creating.

Thank you so much for coming by to visit today, I'm so happy you haven't forgotten me !