Try this mixed media trick!

As you've seen already this month, there are lots of different kinds of art journaling, for different purposes. Some people make backgrounds using paint and sprays to use as a sort of diary later. Other people do more visual journaling, reflecting what they are feeling by using particular imagery, such as magazine cut outs, sketches and such. Each type of art journal has its own beauty and its own challenges.

My art journal is not so much about the technique, or the journaling itself, but rather, it's about the process. It's not necessarily like an artist's journal, where each page is a trial of a different technique, colour or product, but it is more about just using what I have, putting things down in layers, painting on them and releasing emotion in the process. 

The layering of the papers onto the page (and I always start my process this way), and then putting down the Distress Paint on top was very relaxing, almost therapeutic. It released tensions, just working through the process. But once in a while, when you stop that process and try to restart, it's sometimes difficult to get going again. I found it hard to get this page finished because I stopped mid-process. What did I do?

I used a pretty common mixed-media trick, if you will. What I love about art journaling, and you can try this at home...if you aren't happy with what you've got, you can put down another layer of paint, or gesso, and start again. Sometimes you'll see parts of you older work peaking through, like the circle and rectangle rub-ons you can see in the bottom right corner of my page just coming through the white gesso. Or the star rub-on up near the top left corner. Art journaling quite often is layers showing through layers of other media. And that's the beauty of it.

So next time you are afraid to try art journaling, remember this: Never be afraid to cover up your work and start over, because you may just love what you find peeking out from underneath the new layers and give your art journal page new depth.

Make sure that you link us up to your art journal pages in the comments so that we can give some love on your pages too! Hope you will stay tuned for more mixed media fun in the coming weeks ahead!

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Weekend Warmup: Is it the Question or the Answer?

Live your questions now, and perhaps even without knowing it, you will live along some distant day into your answers.

Rainer Maria Rilke

I've been wondering...is there a way for us to ask a question, maintain curiosity and explore without being focused on the answer? 

Human nature is such that we seem to want closure and certainty. I know that's accurate for me. In terms of personality type, I'm what the Myers-Briggs experts would call a true ENFJ.

Here's a description of this one of sixteen basic personality types defined by Myers and Briggs (click on the link above to read more about this):

Warm, empathetic, responsive, and responsible. Highly attuned to the emotions, needs, and motivations of others. Find potential in everyone, want to help others fulfill their potential. May act as catalysts for individual and group growth. Loyal, responsive to praise and criticism. Sociable, facilitate others in a group, and provide inspiring leadership.

The J in ENFJ stands for Judger - which isn't what it sounds like. I'm not someone who judges others (maybe myself, though!) but I am someone who prefers having things settled rather than up in the air (vs. perceivers who like to keep their options open . Even without all the data in, I'm inclined to make decisions quickly instead of waiting to have more to go on.

As a result I'm someone who might not have the patience to wait for the answers to my questions. Or perhaps I'm someone who wants to avoid the uncertainty of the open question. Either way, I'm sure I could benefit from a bit more of what Rilke suggests above. 

Live my questions - ask the universe about what I don't know (which is a lot) and then live my life, open to the answers, whatever they may be. And whenever they may come.

Sounds like a real challenge for someone who likes her ducks in a row. But I think it's a more authentic way to be given the reality of life. The answers don't always line up with the questions, they don't always show up when you need them, and sometimes they don't come at all.

To practice being less attached to the outcome of events, this might be just the ticket.

What do you think? I'd love to know.

Our CURIOSITY kit is a great tool for exploring some of these ideas. We have just 2 more for sale. Will one be yours? 

Wishing you a safe, happy and love-filled holiday weekend (for those of you in the US) and a sense of adventurous curiosity.

Enquiring Minds...

Maybe I'm dating myself, but an advertisement for the gossip publication "The Enquirer" keeps ringing through my head when I look at our next challenge in the topic Curiosity.  "Enquiring Minds Want to Know..."  Does anyone else out there remember that?  Those articles that always claimed to share a secret, or answer a big question.  Sometimes it was completely fabricated (although I think there are laws against that now, I still think many take great liberties), sometimes it was complete truth but so unbelievable.

Case in point.  When I was a young twenty-something, my boyfriend's brother was in an unbelievable accident.  He was driving onto a highway when a tractor-trailer clipped him.  His car flipped 90-degrees so that his driver's side was pinned up against the front of the tractor-trailer and the truck was still barreling down the highway at 55-miles per hour.  The truck drove on for another mile or so, before passing cars flagged him down and he slowed to a stop.  My boyfriend's brother was 100% UNHARMED.  His car's tires were worn down to the rims and the rims also burned away from being pushed along the highway, but that was it.  This incredible story later got picked up by the very publication I mention above, "The Enquirer".  It was written in such a way, and the images provided (characatures of the car, truck and my boyfriend's brother) made the story too incredible to be believed.  But I knew the truth and after that, I have always wondered... how much truth is in all of those "incredible" stories in those oh-so unreliable "newspapers"?

Ah, but I digress... let's look at our next challenge for this month:

Big Question/Headline

Secrets: If you could ask someone in your life a BIG question, what would it be? Whom would you you address, and what are the chances you'd get your answer? Would this person be surprised, flattered or disappointed by your question? Is there something you don't want others to be curious about in YOUR world?
Please create a layout about a question you'd love to have answered for you, and for the design twist, what would you imagine your curiosity-based question to reveal in a newspaper or magazine headline?
Style your LO like a serious news outlet, a rag sheet or a women's magazine.

I hope you share with us!  Ready?  Set.  Go!

Journaling: After the Rough Draft

Hello there!

Last month we took a moment to focus on journaling and where to begin. We discussed removing the fear of being grammatically correct. That might make some of you cringe but, in all honesty, it's something you need to let go.

The next piece of advice I am sharing this month is to allow yourself to "go there". If you have ever sat in a therapy session, your therapist has probably recommended keeping a journal. There is something freeing about letting out what is inside your head and translating it into the written word.

The same can happen with your "INSIDE OUT" layout or art journal page. GO THERE.

Layout by Melissa Elsner

I cannot tell you how many times I have ended up in a blubbering mess after spewing out all I had to say in writing. Even though I was a blubbering mess, I felt freedom. I felt healing. I felt satisfaction. I had a new perspective on the situation or the thoughts I had.

Layout by Lori Wilbanks

So here is an exercise you can do this month:

Think about the emotion of the kit you are working with. 

Get your pen and notebook ready. Or your word processor. 

As the thoughts come, let them out. Don't hold back. 

Pretend no one is ever going to see them except you. 

Of course, you probably ARE going to be the only one unless you are brave enough to share. Which I strongly encourage you to do someday. The lives you can touch and encourage by doing so is amazing and wonderful.

If you feel the emotion coming to the surface, let it. 

Joy. Sadness. Grief. Celebration. 

Layout by Nicole Martel

Wherever you are in your walk of life, I can tell you from experience, that journaling can and will be one of the most rewarding and healing things you can do. Why not begin the process using the prompts on our site? Get a kit. Use your own supplies. We're happy to support you in your journey.

Layout by Melissa Elsner

Are You A Snooper? Redact That!

The first time I ever heard someone use the term "redacted", I was clueless as to what he was implying.  Finally, after the third use of the word, I said, "do you mean 'retract'?"  He kind-of paused, and finally realized that he'd been speaking a foreign language to me.  "No," he said.  "Redacting is editing a document so that it can be viewed by the public without revealing sensitive information to the wrong people."  Or something like that.  I don't really remember word-for-word. 

I have to say, now that I know what redact means, my thirst for knowing what is under that black mark is nearly unquenchable.  As you would suspect, I often go on without any further knowledge, but on occasion, when I get lucky, I am able to snoop far enough to find out what it says.

This brings us to our first challenge of the month.  Are you the type of person who Must Know?  Does Curiosity drive you to find the answers and if the answers are readily available to you give up or do you dig in deeper and try to find a way to get the answer?  Or are you the type of person who prefers not to know... allowing that to be "redacted" and blacked out for you?

Here's our first challenge:

I don't want to know: Are there things that you'd rather stay in the dark about -where you might be curious but are afraid of what you might learn? Did curiosity really kill the cat...can you (or have you been) too curious and gotten in trouble? Perhaps a little internet snooping...anyone? Be honest...
Please create a layout, mixed media creation or art journal page about a situation where you've searched for something you'd rather not have, or something you don't want to know about...and for the design twist black something out FBI style.

I would LOVE to see what you come up with... that is, if you don't mind me snooping into your thoughts.  :)  Please share it with us in our gallery or link it up in the comments below to your blog or photo sharing site!

Happy snooping (or redacting)!

Behind the Scenes with Diana Brodeur

Hello everyone. Diana here to share with you a behind the scenes look at one of my layouts from this month's Curiosity kit.

  

What prompted you to pick this take on curiosity ?

I dug into a past memory for this layout. I loved when my grandmother and mom baked goodies and how the kitchen smelled when the cakes or cookies were baking. When I was 16 I wanted to try and bake a goodie of my own. It was a total flop but it did not sate my curiosity for baking. Years later and lots of practice, I finally have the baking thing down pad!

Why did you choose this photo?

This is a picture of one of my favorite chocolate chip cookies. It took me lots of attempts and various recipes to satisfy my curiosity of the perfect texture and flavor.

How do you feel about the message of your layout?

I feel it conveys my curiosity for baking and learning new recipes. It's something that I hope my daughters are curious once they get older.

What symbolism did you pull into your design?

The flower symbolizes my growth in baking. Tell us a little bit about how you feel now that you have "let it all out" on this page. I am happy that I documented this little tid bit about my past. It's something that I don't want to forget. I want my kids to know that it is ok to try new thing and that practice makes perfect.

 

Play With Me...

We're all about providing you as much inspiration as possible.  Today I'd love to play a game.  Let's play Name That Tune.  For every topic, we pull some songs together for musical inspiration.  I've pulled some lyrics from some of those songs... can you name them? 

"I shouldn't love you but I want to, I just can't turn away, I shouldn't see you but I can't move, I can't look away.  And I don't know how to be fine when I'm not, 'cause I don't know how to make a feeling stop."

"Somewhere on a desert highway she rides a Harley-Davidson.  Her long, blonde hair flying in the wind."

"There may come a day when we have nothing left to say.  When conversation stops, we're facing our defeat, I'll be next to you and you'll be right there next to me."

"Baby, I know you're wondering why I won't go over to your place.  Cause I'm not too sure about how I feel, so I'd rather go at my own pace."

"You gave me this beating baby, this rhythm inside.  And you made me feel good and feel nice and feel loved, give me paradise."

Stuck?  Curious but can't make out the answers?  Head on over to our Inspiration page and listen to our playlist for both answers and inspiration!

Weekend Warmup: Let Me Ask You a Question

One of the key elements of the type of scrapbooking/art journaling/creative expression we foster at SFTIO is THE QUESTION. 

Think of it this way...if I told you we were going to spend the month making art about CURIOSITY, would you know where to start? It's hard to jump in and get going. Even asking yourself the question, "what am I curious about" might leave you with more confusion than crafting. It's too open ended.

In comes THE QUESTION.

Some call them prompts. Or journaling starters. Or challenges. I call them the place where the rubber meets the road. 

Every month I prepare a list of questions that I'd like to answer - things that are on my mind. Hmmm...maybe that's not exactly right. They're the questions I want to answer and the ones I fear answering. That's where the good stuff is...

'The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek' - Joseph Campbell

Here's a prompt from this month's CURIOSITY Inspiration Page that's especially touchy for me...which is why I NEED to answer it.

I don't want to know: Are there things that you'd rather stay in the dark about - where you might be curious but are afraid of what you might learn? Did curiosity really kill the cat...can you (or have you been) too curious and gotten in trouble? Perhaps a little internet snooping...anyone? Be honest...

There are some people in my life, past and present, about whom it would be better for me to avoid 'studying'. I'm not proud of it, but I've been guilty of making my own life more difficult by prying into areas where I'd really do better with less information.

In our Facebook/Twitter/Google/Instagram world it's WAY TOO easy to learn things that should be private...and that in the end do nothing but cause us to relive past wounds, feel bad about ourselves or create unflattering comparisons that injure us.

So why have I done those things? Have you? I bet...I've yet to meet someone who hasn't looked up an old flame, or a nemesis. 

Perhaps if I spend some time creating a LO about exactly WHY I have let myself get pulled into old stories and what-ifs, I'll be less inclined to do it in the future. Perhaps I can anchor the idea that my life, as it is, is exactly as it should be. Perhaps. No promises. :)

Want to join me on my quest for honest expression? It's my mission in life to inspire you to do so, and in doing so, to free you to be the most authentic YOU. 

Do it on your own, with us on our Message Board or best of all, with our CURIOSITY kit. We've just got a couple left...and this kit (featuring Allison Kreft's Composition and Color line for Webster's Pages and Cosmo Cricket's Sweet Disposition among other fresh and fabulous finds) will give you the perfect color, design and symbolism to tell your story. Grab it HERE.

There are 4 more deep questions to answer on the CURIOSITY Inspiration Page...and many more in your heart that I haven't thought of. Share them with us here on the blog or on our boards, and I hope you spend some time this weekend exploring what you're most CURIOUS about.

Warmly, 

The Curious Sides of Curiosity

So, as I was preparing for our newest topic, exploring the different synonyms of Curiosity, I was struck by all of the curious aspects of curiosity.  Seriously... it can mean quite differently depending on its application!  As one of my favorite childhood characters once expressed, "Curiouser and Curiouser..." 

Now it's your turn.  Begin to get inspired with the Curiosity synonyms below.  What do you think?  Do any reach out and grab you?  Make you laugh?  Arch an eyebrow in curiosity?  :)  Share with us what you think!

Click to Enlarge

The CURIOSITY Kit is LIVE! (And Limited...)

Springtime with its celebrations of rebirth and renewal is the perfect season to explore what you're curious about - what do you want to know and what fascinates you most?

Join us with the CURIOSITY kit to explore your natural inquisitiveness, searching and the burning questions that keep you up. What keeps you guessing? What would you rather not know? It's all here.

Webster's Composition and Color...Cosmo Cricket Sweet Disposition...camera and Polaroid-style images, canning jars to capture your dreams...so much goodness! Tim Holtz distress paint, kraft chevron bags, ruler twill trim, woodgrain journaling cards, velvet flowers, canvas brads...and a gajillion great alphas, snippets and tags. It's springtime in a kit with all your favorites!

Click Here to Grab Yours.

  Kit Contents: 

Patterned Paper:

Cosmo Cricket Sweet Disposition Booksmart          

Cosmo Cricket Sweet Disposition Dance Floor        

Cosmo Cricket Sweet Disposition Hello       

Websters Sweet Disposition Sunny Side       

Websters Color and Composition Master Plan          

Websters Color and Composition This Way  

Websters Color and Composition True Story

Websters Color and Composition Chalk Prints         

Websters Color and Composition Weathered           

Websters Color and Composition Snapshots 

Embellishments:

American Crafts Thickers Goodness-Watercolor      

Websters Color and Composition Alpha and Tag Sheet       

Elle's Studio Serendipity Tiny Tags 4 pcs

Jenni Bowlin Rubons  Canning Jar Fun 1/2 sheet

Maya Road Kraft Say Cheese – Black 3-4 pcs

Cosmo Cricket Sweet Disposition Canvas Brads 3 pcs

Maya Road Wood You’ve been Framed 5 pcs

Cosmo Cricket Sweet Disposition Element Tags 4 pcs

Websters Color and Composition Kraft Bags           

Websters Color and Composition Salmon Arrow Bags        

Websters Color and Composition Kaleidoscope       

Maya Road Flowers Velvet Pleats - Coral and Green 3 pcs

Websters Color and Composition Ruler Trim

Color:

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Paint Mustard Seed        

Technique:

American Crafts Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm Stamp Set

Cardstock:

American Crafts Robin's Egg

American Crafts Lagoon       

American Crafts Salmon        

American Crafts Kraft (Smooth)       

American Crafts Honey         

(contents will vary!)

While VERY LIMITED supplies last, new SIX MONTH subscribers starting with the May kit will receive the perfect FREE gift to match this month's theme:

Allison Kreft for Webster's Pages Composition and Color Washi Tape:

Don't let this one get away!

 

Weekend Welcome: Sneak Peek of our May Kit: CURIOSITY!

Webster's Composition and Color...Cosmo Cricket Sweet Disposition...camera and polaroid images, canning jars to capture your dreams, Tim Holtz distress paint, kraft bags, ruler twill trim, wood, canvas...so much goodness!  It's springtime in a kit with all your favorites!

Springtime with its celebrations of rebirth and renewal is the perfect season to explore what you're curious about - what do you want to know and what fascinates you most?

Don't miss it...remember, our April kit sold out.

Join us at Midnight Pacific on May 1st to grab yours. Supplies are limited!

Aren't you just a little bit curious? :)

Have a beautiful weekend...