Behind the Art with Felecia

I've got one final layout to share from the Inside Out Live Your Dream kit. 

This time, I addressed a dream I only get to indulge in once in a while, but that I hope to indulge in more as time goes on - the beach.

I LOVE THE BEACH.

Its not for everyone - I get that. Some people are mountain people and some people are desert people and some people are city people. But I love the sand and the sound of water in waves and the smell of salt in the air. 

I pray to one day have a house on the water, where I can just throw open the windows and listen to the waves.

The Pinkfresh Studio paper is just awesome..I love this line!

I tried out my new layering technique again and really liked how the papers all stacked up to make some dimension.

Once again, the letters included in the kit are the PERFECT size and shape, but didn't pop for my layout...so I colored them with a teal pen and got just what I was looking for. 

I ended by splattering a little gold mist and adding some washi from my stash to make "waves" and "sand".

This one dream I hope to be living more sooner rather than later!!!

Peace, ya'll!

Behind the Art with Jen

Hi Artsy friends!  Do you always use a photo on your pages?  For this one, I didn't. I used a picture from the kit.  It was more about the journey or process for this page.  I started with the white paper and knew I needed to get some color on there!  I started with some Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Gold Texture Luxe brushed on the right hand side.  I then used the marker to color on a non-stick mat and added water to create a puddle.  I pressed the paper onto the puddle and allowed it to go where it was pressed. Serendipity!

 I loved the papers and wanted to create layers of shapes. So, I cut 3 pieces using Cricut's Close to My Heart Artbooking cartridge.  I chose different sizes for each layer.  When layered,they create different levels of shapes and positive/negative space relationships. I tucked the little card in there to connect the idea of the journey (or process).

 I never knew that I would crave exercise. Actually, I avoided it.  Sweat, sore muscles, and time were my excuses.  I just didn't know how much I needed it.  Once I got passed the difficult start, I was hooked.  I need it everyday!  Now, my dream includes setting fitness goals and breaking through them. I've run up to 6 miles and my speed is faster than I thought I'd ever go!  My body is changing in a positive way and my mind is clear and focused when I run. It's not just about goals, it's about being healthy and getting what my body needs.

 Who would have thought that I'd be doing this 2 years ago.  I started this journey a year from March and I have achieved more than I thought I could.  I am setting new goals, however scary they are (can you say 1/2 Marathon?) and I will achieve them!  I am confident now that I can!

 What dreams do you have that you set but really didn't know if you could achieve them?  How do you feel when you do achieve them? It's amazing what achieve a goal does for your self-confidence and mind!

Behind the Art with Felecia

Hello, fellow artists!! How is everyone faring with their Live Your Dream kit???

As I explore the idea of living my dream, I have to say that I am living dreams now that I didn't even have an awareness of not so long ago.

If those who knew me 20 years ago could never have imagined me a mom who cooks and loves just being a family person.

As life has unfolded with my husband and two boys, its clear that life with these three other people is certainly living a dream...but until they came along, I wouldn't have called it my dream.

And its so amazing, because having them has unfolded other dreams, deep desires, I have...to be a good cook, to live in a way that supports their uniqueness, to be the "stay at home mom" (which is TRULY not a dream I ever expected!), to see them succeed and fail and laugh and grow and discover..all these things were never part of my original plan!

May layout is EXTRAORDINARILY simple...pictures and journaling, a title. I loved the images on this paper, and couldn't bear to hide them behind pictures, so I just cut out those that were behind my photos and popped them up with some dimensional adhesive.

I used the amazing gold pen to outline my pictures and underline my journaling to give it a bit of pop. 

I wonder if you've got any dreams that have unexpectedly unfolded before you. Have you awakened one morning to find that you are really in the midst of a dream unfolding and it is not at all where you anticipated being?

Peace, ya'll!

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.

 I

 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 Artsy friends!  I am back for another month of fun with this amazing kit!  Live Your Dream is perfect for me right now because every August I reflect on why I became a teacher and what I'm going to do this coming school year.  I plan, get excited again and reflect on the past year's lessons.  Being an art educator for elementary aged kids is the BEST job!  It can also be very exhausting, make me feel like I'm an extra (mostly because classroom teacher's don't get what I do), and also be a challenge with all the different grade level projects going on at the same time!   I love every minute...

 How lucky can I be?  I get to teach my favorite artists!  I'm a rock star in the halls and kids can't wait to come to my classroom for 40 minutes every week! I wish I had them longer! 

 Every new school year is a chance to re-evaluate my curriculum and add more excitement to my lessons or just clean up my presentations.  I keep a few of my favorites but add in new lessons each year for all grade levels.  I get just as excited about the 1st week of school as my students do!

 I loved this text paper but I thought the color was a bit busy for this page, so I toned parts down with some tinted Gesso from Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft.  I just added a bit of yellow in the Gesso puddle and spread it in the center and some areas.  Once dry, I scribbled circles with a PITT Artist Pen in Gold (from the kit) and a black one. 
The photo was from our end of the year, district wide art show.  I ran the photo booth and kids made masks to have their photos taken.  That show is a culmination of all of our hard work as art educators and the families love it!  They come with their children and revel in the creativity of the day!  It's amazing!

 Being an art educator AND an artist is a dream come true!  The possibilities and rewards are so great!  I am passionate about the arts and love teaching young artists to realize their potential and abilities.  Seeing them gain confidence each year is such an amazing result of all the hard work put into a year's worth of lessons!  What is your dream?  Are you living it?

 

Behind the Art with Melissa

I am very aware that I'm a dreamer. I'm constantly living in a state of visualizing my future or dreaming up ideals of scenarios that could or should happen. It's part of who I am. In the past, it was an escape. Now, I use it to catapult myself and launch into stepping out and making those dreams reality. 

It can be lots of fun.

It can be extremely frustrating.

But, it's me and I've learned to embrace it and value it.

I really wanted to use this kit to it's full potential. When I saw the patterns from the Pinkfresh Studio papers, I loved all the movement. It reminded me of my dreams and how random and chaotic they can be. But, strangely enough, in the midst of that chaos, there is order too.

I grabbed the paper with the large lines and used that for the backdrop. Sure, it adds a bit of chaos but, to me, lines symbolize stability and direction. Then, I added the layer of circles. I cut strips of them from the pattern paper to layer behind my photo. Circles remind me of bubbles and bouncy balls. They are all over the place. But, someone usually catches one. Right? The same with my dreams... and how I make them reality.

Stars were a fun element to bring into this page. Something I've really grabbed onto is that my dreams are part of who I am. And I've gained confidence in myself so, the natural thing to do is SHINE. (Hey! Like our kit last month!) Plus, don't you think of the stars and the moon and all kinds of dreamy nightscapes when it comes to the theme of DREAM? 

So, am I livin' the dream right now? I think I'm living a dream that I couldn't have come up with on my own. My life is pretty awesome right now and I'm enjoying every minute of it. It far exceeds my dreams. 

Grab an August LIVE YOUR DREAM kit, from Inside Out Visual Journaling, today! Explore and express your inner thoughts, dreams, hopes, desires and loves. It's easy. It's amazing. It's healing.