A little Art Journalling at the Crop ...

My close friend Dawn and I have been trying to get out to the $5 Late Night Crops at the awesome Urban Scrapbook
- as much as we can - they often have two a month so we are happy if we can get to one for sure and two is a bonus.  Now since I have been captivated by the Mixed Media Art World thanks to Missy Christy Tomlinson I have not been scrapbooking very much ~ a layout here or there ~ my passion lately has been Art Journalling, She Art Workshops, and Mixed Media ... I have had to figure out how to pack and work on Art Journalling pages at the crop.   Now the Urban is not as well set up for this type of art work, simply because they don't have a proper sink for filling up water and washing supplies, there are only a couple plug ins and so I have to get up often to go to a counter to dry my modge or paint ect., but I am working on it and it works good enough ha ha ... I am determined to do the kind of art I am in love with now and crops are a good stretch of time to get some good work done, at home I seldom have 6 hours to allot to sitting and doing my art so crops are a perfect time opportunity to do so.  So I make it work!  ;)

Dawn and I were at the late night crop this last Friday night and I was so very pleased with the page I came away with for my Art Journal ... I wanted to do something vibrant and full of color and use a few different elements like using my modeling paste with acrylic paint ... the red flowers on the page, I also learned an awesome trick from my friend Melanni to stamp images on white tissue paper and then modge these to your art work it gives you a clear image and you can color it once it is down or before hand - I put my little birdie on this way as well as the stamp in the corner.  I had so much fun and can't wait till the next "crop date" with my fabulous friend ... :)

   

Artsy Girls Play Date Weekend ...

Well I have been under the weather now for going on three weeks now but last weekend I had an opportunity to get away to a creative weekend and I decided to just pack my little sick butt up - including all my cough syrup and lozenges - and hit the road!  ;)  My dear friend Melanni was having an "Artsy Girls Play Date Weekend" and that sounded way to good to miss, so off I went to Southern Alberta.  Gosh we were blessed with a glorious weekend and the drive to and from was seriously soul lifting, beautiful sunshine all the way ~ and the amazing views of Alberta - true rolling hills covered in snow right now but honestly all just breathtaking.  I am certainly an Albertan Girl and I love where I live, yes in all the seasons - but between you and me - FALL is my fave season of the year.

So off I went and I was so very happy that I did ... Not only did I get to meet some new friends - Lynne and Joanne but finally got to have a bit of a visit with my dear talented friend Melanni :) AND I got to spend some quality time dabbling in my new love of Mixed Media ... man I am so loving this
but there is way too much that I would like to do and learn and just not enough hours in the days or days in the week ... working full time makes for busy weekends at home and usually not with creative endeavors - so it was doubly delicious to steal away a weekend and be a playing Artsy Gal! :)

I do find that because I do not spend enough time in the creative world lately that I have a hard time getting my mojo, my ideas, my motivation to flow ... but I figure as long as I keep trying and maybe start just doing a little everyday it will all come in time.  I have in fact started a sketchbook - inspired by artists like the lovely and talented Christy Tomlinson and websites such as Cloth Paper Scissors - I am learning so much, and have been so excited to start putting things into practice.  My friend Melanni introduced me to the amazing talent of Christy ... and I am in the process of two workshops of hers - She Art and She had Three Hearts ~ and very excited to be signed up for a new one she has coming in April called "Behind the Art"!!!

So as I said I have been captivated by the Mixed Media Art World and the tonnes of options and techniques there are to learn.  I am having a great time learning to use multi media products - like mod podge, gesso, gel mediums and pastes ... and having fun with paints, inks, crayons, pastels and more!  And incorporating all my scrapbooking papers and supplies as well :)  Fun Fun!

So a couple projects I managed to finish in my very short time at Melanni's - seriously need to spend longer weekends dabbling ha ha :)

 My mixed media owl - inspired by a picture I saw on Pinterest (I love Pinterest for inspiration) - I used book paper to make the trunk of my tree then used craft color tissue crumpled into strips and placed on with mod podge to form the tree trunk.   Using various patterned papers I patchworked together my little friendly Hooter ha ha ... and then layered and shaded ... added rubons, paint, doodles ...

And Wahla!  I simply adore the finished product ... so much fun ...

AND then a little WINE ;)  And a bit more motivation ....

And started on my 6x12 canvas ...

 Again the canvas was inspired by a couple pictures I saw on Pinterest ... it truly is my go to place for inspiration ... the only problem is that I see so much that I love it is hard to get the ideas to settle down and flow together.  Inspired also by the techniques of Christy Tomlinson I got my ART on and started my canvas in the style she taught us in the "She Art Workshop"  - I am working on the very first She Art workshop but she also has recently brought out her "Number 3"  - which looks fabulous! 

My finished canvas!  Which I am so in love with - had a place in my home where I wanted to hang it and it was so cool that my little family also loved the vibrant colors and enjoy looking at it everyday ha ha. 

All in all it was an amazingly fun weekend ... spent with some cool and talented ladies ... had so much fun visiting and laughing with them all ... and was inspired by all the cool projects happening around me as well!  Go and check out their awesome blogs and see a little of the amazing ART they also create and let them inspire you as well! 
Cheers :)

Melanni - "My Garden of Eden"
Lynne - "Scrapbook Lynne's"

My fave quote of the day:
"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." 
~ Pablo Picasso