One Word - LEAN IN

My word chose me. I didn't choose it. I'm glad for that because it feels more authentic and it has raised me up in a way that I have not been able to raise myself up. I know that it is actually two words, but when I picture it it is one...one motion, one action of leaning forward. You know, like when the wind is blowing and trying to push you backward and you lean forward to keep moving forward. 
I have actually experienced myself leaning in without consciously telling myself to do it and that's how I knew it was my word. I have experienced me having courage and a boldness. My word is an adventure word, so now I am off on my latest adventure.

Ideas

I used the technique of putting the gesso on my page by using an empty packaging tape roll and dipping it into the gesso and placing on the page. I then daubed the walnut stain Distress paint on the page and misted it letting it spread and then drying it with my heat gun.  Next was the swirl stamp that I made pressed into the mowed lawn Distress paint and placed randomly around the page. Then, I used my empty packaging tape roll again and dipped it into the seedless preserves Distress paint and stamped my page randomly. I wrote each of my letters inside one of the circles. I like how the 'A' goes off the page. The quote was written on a left over piece of fabric that I had been putting paint on since Day 1 Permission. I also frayed the edges by pulling out some of the threads on all sides. I crumpled the fabric and then glued it down to the page.

I love this page. I really like the font and the rustic feel of the page.

 

Home

On this page I used the gesso, spread it around and then used the lid of a jar to create the texture. I then used antique linen Distress Ink by using a piece of plastic as my glove and just daub my fingers on the pad and then rub it onto the page. I misted the page and then dried it and then daubed it again until i got the look I wanted. Next, I used Lumiere Halo Violet Gold. I squeezed some onto a plate, misted it and then used a sea sponge to daub/swipe it onto the page. I used Lumiere Pewter and what was left of the Halo Violet Gold in the sponge to daub a random piece of card stock and then draw the letters for 'home.' I cut them out. Traced around them on the page and glued them down. I used the Halo Violet Gold on a rectangular piece of Moo Carve to stamp the edges of the page.

Generosity

The technique I used today was gesso slathered on the page and then dried with my heat gun to make it bubble. Where the gesso was thin I added more. I used peeled paint Distress Ink. Today I decided NOT to use my fingers uncovered to spread the ink. I discovered some saved clear tea bags that I have really been wanting to use. So I used that as a glove for my finger and spread the ink. I dried it with my heat gun. Blotted it. Added more ink spreading it so as to catch along the edges of the bubbles. I dug into my scrap booking box today. I found some rust colored edging for my quote and also added some brads. On the matching velum I wrote my verse with a Micron Graphic 2 pen. I used the clear tea bag that I had smeared the ink with to write my journaling and also to put a couple of sprays for gold fun. I used a piece of copper metal for my title. I hand wrote the word 'GENEROSITY' backward on the metal a couple of times to get the word thick. I used black soot Distress paint to paint over the word and then dried it with my heat gun. I then used sand paper to release the letters in the word. Lastly, I used vintage photo Distress Ink to stamp the border of the page.

I really like the way the background turned out and will probable use this technique again! I can imagine just now using the background as its own stencil or stamp.

FuN

Today I tried using gesso with a stencil. I used a scrap booking stencil that I had already cut in half. It didn't quite fit the page so I turned it slightly sideways. Once I finished putting my gesso on with my card. I applied the gesso to the card and then applied it to the page. I dried it with my heat gun trying to not let it bubble. Once it was dry I applied Distress Ink faded jeans, misted it and then patted it with a paper towel. I didn't think it was dark enough for what I wanted to I applied the ink once more, misted and daubed with the paper towel. Still not satisfied, I just applied it directly with my fingers. (Didn't think about what was going to happen when it dried.) Finally satisfied with the color I let it sit overnight. Wanting to do something totally different and thinking about what was said in the video to not cover the background, I found some netting that I had saved. I cut it to fit each page and glued it down with Elmer's Gel glue in various places. I wrote on some medium weight card stock for the letters. I used Uniball Signo um-153 white pen for the squiggly lines and antique linen Distress Ink on top of that. I set the letters down to fit in the netting. I wrote my quote in a spiral, stamped it with antique linen and cut in a spiral. I wove the spiral into the netting. All of the other things that are written were written on the card stock and stamped with antique linen and cut to size and fit into the netting. Last but not least, to add to the fun of this page, I discovered that I had decorated it upside down and because the pages are all connected I got to leave it that way!

Experience

I used the walnut stain Distress paint on a flower stamp that I carved awhile back. I thought the walnut would look really good on the yellow and brown streaks of watercolor. I also went over the stamped flower with my Uniball Signo UM-153 white pen. I love that pen and I love white on color. Then I wrote my prompts and journaling around the flower stamps.  The little 'grow' stamps I love. I had some left over Moo Carve (I think that's what it is called.) and didn't want to waste it.

Declaration

As with the last five days my watercolor background was already done. I decided to do the block stamp technique. I used the Distress paint by daubing it on the back of a piece of Moo stamp block and pressing it onto my already created background. I alternated the block for the background to show through. Then I was stumped. I flipped through my Letter Love journal to get some ideas. Nothing really struck me. I decided to do the sketch-fill letters. After I wrote my verse, I wrote the quote in the block and there it was...putting my declarations into the white blocks and because I love quilting I decided to set off the white blocks with black dashes to make them look sewn on. I also dated my declarations. They have served me well. I liked writing them down again and all in one place. Many of them are from personal development seminars in which I have participated. I am pleased with how it turned out.