Lots of HeART Inspiration...

I have been learning so much and getting so much inspiration from my art journaling groups.  Not to mention the healing that comes through art.  It's like a whole new world for me!  This week, I've been playing catch up in my Life Book...just finished last weeks project and haven't even started, though I did watch the video for this week's.  Looking forward to playing this weekend.

We worked on an awesome layout honoring those who've impacted our lives and we theirs.  Of course I chose my immediate family who have brought me sooo much joy and my two best friends, whose friendships are priceless.  The page flips out which I think it's gonna look so cool once we bind the book, so on the first page we were to list out all the names of everyone including those we didn't include in the photos.  You all know I'm still working on liking my handwriting when it comes to my art...so I cheated and used Wordle.net and did a scramble of the names.  Love it!   

This week I signed up for the Prayer Flag swap...I've never done one before so it was a totally new experience to paint on fabric..I'm no sewer so this was what I came up with...fun, fun, fun!  We have some amazing sewers in our group and they've created some wonderful flags.  I'm trying to build the courage to join another group so I can get some more HeARTful flags!

I have to admit with work (it's been busy), getting the prayer flag done, finishing up Life Book and all the other stuff I got going I didn't make but one entry in my BOD.  Some have moved on to bigger books and now I'm itching to do the same, but I really want to finish out this book before I do.  I may have to journal more a page a day or so.

Anyway, today I was inspired by Phoebe, one of my BOD sisters who drew this really awesome hair on her girl in her book.  I struggle with hair and I wanted to give it a try, this is my variation of hers. I'm liking it and may have to play with it some more in other paintings.  I also really like the message on my page. I've been struggling a little with my life journey and I needed to reinforce that I do trust in the Universe, that it will provide and that all IS well, despite how I may feel and how it all looks.  I'm really enjoying painting faces, they all are so different.  Doesn't her hair look cool?

Jan Fox, another sister in the BOD and host of 52 Play Dates shared in one of her videos how she arts over top of another paper and allows the over spraying to fall on it or any other painting processes to do the same.  Then she uses those papers in some of her other art.  That gave me a wonderful idea.  I figure, my art hobby is getting expensive so I need to be creative in how to save money and not waste product.  I love my ranger craft sheet and still art over it, but now I also have extra sheets of paper upon which I brush off my brush to clean it or brush on any extra paint I have left over on them and so on.  I've collected a few and decided to go over them with a brayer and gesso or use some punchanella to finish them off.  I planned on also using them as part of other art creations.  But then I watched Effy's latest UStream and she made ACT cards...something I've never done before, and thought these papers look so yummy I should go for it and cut them down to ATC cards for Happy Mail!  I'll be putting a message on them and sending them off soon.

One last thing...so, I live in the boonies cos' every time I look for simple art stuff it's no where to be found.  Effy used these fun paper doilies in one of her videos and won't you know it not one to be found here.  So I got out my Cricut and went to work...check these out!

Pretty cool huh?  I used them over my papers to make the ACT cards and I didn't have to drive all the way to New Mexico, to get doilies, lol

Yes, it's been an inspirational journey this whole art journaling thing and I'm loving every minute of it ♥