Behind the Art with Jen

  For this page, I was seriously just inspired by all the words that come with this kit!  Stickers, rub-ons, stencil, and papers.  I just love them all!  I wanted to use that Crafter's Workshop stencil so I took some Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Whipped Spackle and used the Distress Marker on a craft mat.  I scribbled on the mat with the marker and added the Whipple Spackle with a palette knife. 

 You can see that it made a very pale green color.  I pressed it through the stencil and when I lifted it off, it was dimensional!

You can see that I repeated that many times.  I love the pale color against the cork background.  I also mixed water with some of the scribbled marker on the craft mat and pressed the paper in the puddle before adding the spackle. 

 

 I did this page to celebrate how lucky I am to design for some of my favorite companies!  I absolutely love that they push me to the limit and give me more creative freedom.  I love this life!

 

 I added some rub ons and stickers after the Whipped Spackle dried to complete the message.

 

Other fun details were added.  Feathers, stars, arrows, and some bling give it a fun and happy feel! I hope you liked this technique for using the Distress Marker, stencil and your favorite medium!

 

Behind the Art with Felecia

Its absolutely amazing when the products in a kit do all the heavy lifting for you. That is certainly the case with the Simple Stories Thankful paper.

Don't get me wrong, I love to journal and I love to create.

But finding a product that has precisely what I need is kind of like finding my name on one of those tourist shop key chains...it makes me excessively joyful! (You've seen my name! they don't make keychains with that name!)

Most of the words I could possibly imagine for this topic are there.

And so, instead of journaling myself, I let this awesome paper do the journaling for me.

I kind of tried this out using the whole sheet, but found that I liked the cut out better.

I really LOVED the bird on this journaling card ...and his matching little phrase.

I really LOVED the bird on this journaling card ...and his matching little phrase..and the beautiful gold letters.

Then I added some pearls, sequins and ink spatters to make it feel effervescent. 

The paper is so versatile...you could use it all as one sheet and highlight certain phrases. You could paint over the things you didn't want and only left the phrases you do want exposed. You could slice it into separate lines and just use those. You could cut it apart in various shapes, kind of like I did - or in a circle, or a square...

Have fun exploring I Am!!

Peace, ya'll!

Behind the Art with Jen

I am... those two words have so many possibilities.  Mostly, I think of all the things that make tick. The complicated mix of me.  This kit made me think about how much I've changed in the last year and a half.  I am stronger, slimmer, healthier, more confident, an athlete, artist, mom, wife, educator, and ever changing woman. I am constantly making new goals.

 For once in my life, I am thinking about my health as a life long journey and not a short term goal.  Many times, I had tried a diet program, exercise routine, or deprived myself for short times until I reached a goal (for example; fitting into a certain dress).  After I got close or reached my goal, I'd go backwards.  I'd slack off exercise, eat more fast food and get comfortable.  I wouldn't make a new goal, just coast until I needed to do it all over again.  It was a depressing cycle. 

 I joined a running group and a martial arts-based fitness/ nutrition challenge for 35 days (Revolution 35) through my local dojo.  I also continued to go to Weight Watcher meetings.  With all those groups, I found the support and mindset to stick with it even when it was hard! This combination of support systems and my mindset that this is going to be a lifetime goal, brought on the changes I needed.  I just made up my mind that I was going to do it.  Surprisingly, I love exercise, eating clean, and don't feel deprived. I feel in control of my life and love this new lifestyle!

 I am on my way to a healthy me!  Thanks for letting me share this page.  I have loved this kit for the reason that I have explored different parts of myself to see how I have gotten to where I am now. What makes you tick?

The Story Behind the Art with Felecia

For my first project for the I AM Kit, felt a little bit...well..intimidated. The first thing I did was rifle through all the amazing supplies and sort of segregate them out into groups I thought might make good projects. 

I have to admit I was more than in love with the gold "beautiful" and the gold "I Am" stickers. 

But I thought, "NAH!!! I can't do a layout about how beautiful I am!" 

And then I thought...well...why not?!??!?!  

My inner dialog is a very special thing, my friends. I'm so glad I get to filter it just a bit. 

Suffice it to say, I had a bit of an argument with myself over WHY I couldn't do a project about being beautiful...

And THAT is where my journaling came from.

You know, I obviously have some things to work out in this area...but I really doubt I'm alone in this struggle.

And its really time that I personally address where my perceptions of beauty come from.  Not because I'm looking for any external affirmation, but just because I need to give myself a foundation of appreciation over my own inner and outer beauty, over what makes me "me" and over how little the magazines know about what MY life is like. 

I AM beautiful...

Peace, ya'll!