Behind the Art with Jen

Hi artsy friends!  I have had the craziest month and finally, I feel like I'm sort of caught up!  It's nuts!  I absolutely adored this kit's colors and designs!  I was very inspired right away with the rub ons and butterflies!   So, I knew this page had to have some of each.  I have these photobooth photos of my husband and I and wanted to use them for this layout.

 We are an odd couple.. my husband and I.  We are exact opposites but we have rubbed off (in good and bad ways) so that we seem to be more and more alike which causes some battles.  He is a neat freak, worrier and I am a creative mess, social butterfly!  It's not always easy to blend our personalities.  We fight over the typical stuff but sometimes we argue over dumb things!

 Our life is far from fairy tale and perfect but it's amazing all the same.  We argue, bicker, fight and even scream at each other, but we also hug, kiss, snuggle, and work together in a crisis.  It's about compromise and empathy.  We sometimes seem like we are at out wit's end.

 I have to say that I envy those couples that were best friends first and that have an easy laugh along with the hard times. It's a lot of work to make this relationship work. That's not to say that we don't laugh but rather that our reaction to each other and others takes work.  It doesn't come as easy but when we do click, it's magic!  We feel most connected when we are relaxing outside, watching the kiddos laugh.

 It's taken me a long time to be okay with the fact that we are different and it's what's okay!

Behind the Art with Jen

Hi Artsy friends! 

Jen here to share one of my favorite pages from the Live Your Dream kit this August!

 I immediately was drawn to this painterly dots paper from the kit and knew exactly what photo I wanted to use!  It's a photo that was taken in the Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft booth from last CHA.  I had worn heels all day and by the last hour, I took them off for some relief but kept right on demonstrating and helping others create! I didn't think anyone would notice my bare feet on that white sumptuous carpet!  A friend took this photo and shared it with me!  I was at first embarrassed to be caught with a less-than-professional shot but laughed because it totally was the photo that summed up that week!  Full of creation and feet aching!

I'd like to think that I created inspiration for the people that came to the booth looking to see the newest mediums and colors.  I absolutely LOVE working with their products and demonstrating their awesomeness is easy for me!  It was a thrill to hear people thank me and get excited about what they created and the products!

 I used some Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft products on this page too.  The "create" was created with Whipped Spackle through the stencil from the kit! I did that three times around the page.  Threes are good in that they create a visual triangle that pleases the eye and brings the viewer around the area. The scribbles and splatters were created with the Stamper's Bit Brush pen in Black & PITT Artist pen in Gold and Black.

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 I'm so drawn to circles and all of these colorful circles made me so happy!  I added some scribbly ones with the pens to create landing points for the viewer's eyes and some flair!  The puffy stickers were also a favorite so some of those went on the circles and I scribbled around them.

 Aren't those letters adorable?  I love the artsy feel they gave the page without being too in-your-face about it!  They are super sweet!  Here's a close up of the pen. I added a bit of Texture Luxe too in there just for the gold splatters.  I love this page.  It sends me back to last January and all the fun, memories, and friends I made at CHA Anaheim!  I hope I inspired you to get that pen out and scribble on your pages! 

Behind the Art with Jen

Hi friends!  The Shine kit has so many fun embellishments and colors in it to show your memories, feelings and beautiful self!  I love this page that I designed for this kit.  It's one of my favs and it's stupidly simple to recreate!  I just loved the papers in this kit so I wanted to use a bunch on one page...

 Using a paper cutter, I cut several wedges from corner to corner and arranged them on the page to radiate outward from the center.  I glued them down and trimmed the edges.

 

I journaled along the edges of the rays and added some of those sparkly embellishments. 

 Now the fun part!  I used some of my Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Luxe Texture Gem pens to create scribbly circles around my photo.  Once dry, I did the same with the pen in the kit.  Fun texture and focal point!

 This page represents all of those things that have become obstacles in my life and how I've overcome each and every one!  I'm proud of who I am at 40 and still have a lot to work on but the focus has become about balancing my health (both physical, spiritual and mental) and my family.  I used to sacrifice my health and needs for my family's (and still do sometimes) but a healthy mommy/ wife, is a happy one!  I am so much happier when I can exercise, eat right, and do something that makes me happy daily (artwork, going out with a friend once in a while, relaxing with a book...).  Taking time to shine up my radiance from the inside out is what it's about!

Behind the Art with Jen

Hi, artist friends... I'm here to share another page from this month's "Shine" kit!  I love this page and was inspired by all the triangles and circles in this kit.  Lots of bling here!  This photo is of me and three of my workout girls... we have a group that runs, trains, and laughs together.  I love their glow, their energy and wit!  Each is unique but together we push each other to be better people and train harder.  Working out with them makes exercise fun!

 I cut triangles from the patterned paper to mimic the triangles in the overlay tag and paper.  This photo is from our first 5K race together.  Love these girls!

 It's always good times with them and they push me harder and keep me motivated.

 This page makes me smile and so do these ladies!  Keep on shining on...

Who makes you smile and shine?

Behind the Art with Jen

Hi, lovely artists!  I have a page to share with you this week.  I am graduating to my next belt in karate this Friday.  It's exciting and I'm pretty nervous about standing up in front of my peers, family and friends to perform my material.  I know I'll be fine but it still makes me have butterflies.  I'm not afraid, but more excited and hopeful that I perform well!

 A year ago, I wouldn't have believed that I was at this point.  I wouldn't have had the confidence to do this.  I was just starting my journey to a healthy lifestyle. Last February, as I watched my husband and oldest son earn their blackbelt, I realized that I could do this!  I felt that, at that moment, I was starting a journey that would lead to something that I didn't even know I wanted.  Black belt.

 The photos are from my last belt graduation. My dad took the photo of me with my family.  Love that he got that moment!

 I was the last in the family to join karate.  Even though I'd taken KickFit for years and watched my sons and husband take classes, I never thought I'd be doing it.  I tried it and loved it!  It's challenging to learn katas, perform them in front of everyone, and keep up physically.  I can do it!  I am strong!

 

  

I am kickin' it!  I love it!  What have you done that you didn't think you could but then realize that you can? I'd love to hear about it or see it in a page this month!

In the Moment: Then and Now Challenge and SALE

When we celebrated NSD a couple of weeks ago, it happened to be my birthday too!

I created this to explore what I had learned in the previous year, taking stock as we often do on milestone days.

May Kit: In the Moment Challenge #2: What do you know now that you wish you knew way back when, but couldn't have known without the passage of time? How has the turning of the calendar page made you more aware or alive? For a design twist, try using a unique calendar image in your art.

Let's see what you create!

Now how about a special offer for our blog followers?

Start a subscription with the In the Moment kit and your $35 kit is just $25 for the first month. Whaa? Plus add a prior sale kit (find them on our previous kits page) for just $20 instead of $25.

Place your order and we'll refund you the discount! Offer valid until Sunday 5-17-15 at 11:59 pm PDT!

Wishing you a creative and meaningful weekend...

Behind the Art with Jen

Do you ever doubt yourself and your abilities?  Sometimes I do.  I know before I do something that seems impossible, I go through this weird inner debate.  I argue with myself over whether I can do it or not.  For this page, I didn't do much journaling.  I think the photo tells most of the story. 

 I ran my first obstacle 5K- Vino and the Beasts and this photo was right after the mud obstacle.  I didn't think I could do all of the obstacles but I did!  I didn't quit and I did it!  It was hard but really fun!  I felt like the strongest woman ever after this accomplishment! 

 Staying strong isn't always easy.  It's hard to adjust your mental attitude about things that you think you can't do.  I try not to tell myself that I can't do something... most likely I can do it!  I now tell myself to just try it... if I really can't do it, I work at it until I can!

 Lots of symbolism in this page with arrows and repetitive shapes/ patterns to represent trying again and again or moving from one difficult challenge to the next.

 I can change the mindset of myself and others by being positive and convincing myself to just try and not give up!  I can do anything I put my mind to... I truly believe that now!

 What do you tell yourself when you feel like quitting or when things are scary at first?

Behind the Art with Jen

"What does not kill us, makes us stronger"...  I always thought that statement was one that resonates with times that are challenging.  Not that I believe you have to be on death's door to appreciate your strength, but I think we understand our strength better when we have difficult things to overcome.

 

For this page, I was thinking of times when I've been scared to start, scared to go forward, or just scared to succeed for fear it would change things too much.  It's strange how our minds work.  When I think fear can either hold us back or push us into action.  Professionally, when I am most nervous to start something new or fight for what I believe in, it pushes me to do what makes me scared.  

This page was a happening... Something that started with a mess.  I used Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Gesso to add some white and drips to the Kraft cardstock. It just kept running and I kept adding more or moving it around.  When it finally dried, it left a big area that I needed to add some color to!

 I pulled out the new Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Texture Luxe in gold to create some painterly brush strokes.  I loved how it stood out from the Gessoed areas.

 Then I sprayed some of the color ink over the whole area.  It was gorgeous!

  Using the stencil from the kit and a white pen, I added some circles around the page. 

 Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Whipped Spackle was used through the stencil to create some dimensional circles.  I love the texture this adds to the page!

 This page was all about using fear to create something new or accomplish tasks that I might not feel so confident about, but in the end I feel strong and brave when I do accomplish it!  Each time I do what I think can't be done, I grow stronger!  Fear doesn't have to hold you back, it can empower you to move forward too!