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. 

 

Community

Today I already had my page prepared with the watercolor. I really liked the way Bernice Hopper's Distress paints turned out so I decided to try it again only this time on top of what I already had on the page. Also, this time I put more of the paint out. I have been using freezer paper as my cover on my table and what I spread my paint on. So on my paint goes and this time I also sprayed a lot more water. I also put some left over removable tape at diagonals across the page. The paint got under the tape :-( but overall I liked the effect. What I saw was rays of sunshine that had been created by the diagonal come through of the watercolors. So that gave me the idea of putting my purple cone flower stamp on (which I had been wanting to use a stamp anyway). Then I with the sun and the flowers and the word community I began to think of seeds pouring out. While I had the paint out on my freezer paper I put an envelope on the paint. I used markers to color the flowers and I always like some white on the page so I streaked the white like streaks of sunshine. I am very happy with it!

Bucket List

I had prepared some watercolor pages ahead of time to be ready during the week for my journaling. I think it is interesting how the pages that I prepared ahead of time are coming up in the way they are. I loves this page on the right with the fireworks look and the verse from Psalm 146:2. How great is that?! I had a short time tonight so I didn't do any of the techniques. I am finding, however, that I really like the look of the white pen. 

 I am really satisfied with the page on the right. It feels good just to look at it.

Acceptance

I am a teacher and I have a poster that I put in my classroom. The text on the poster reads: "Acceptance is seeing with your heart and not with your eyes." I do believe this AND I am much more ready to accept others with my heart than I am myself.

After participating in personal development seminars and understanding how I got to be the me I didn't like, I understood that I could love me and my quirks. And I do love me, except when I don't.

Also, the life that the LORD has given me and the journey He has led me on so far has been the road less traveled. I had a friend tell me one day, "If you and Jim keep going this way you won't have any friends." At first that hurt. I've never been a popular person or had a lot of friends and that has always bothered me. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me that I am not on a quest to be popular. I am on a quest to follow Him and join Him in what He is doing in my life and in the lives of others. So now, my friend's statement is a reminder and not a wound. I am thankful for the reminder. 

Making the letters in 'Acceptance' I stepped out and put the curly q's on the letters. I haven't done that before and wasn't sure how it would turn out. I REALLY like them.
Today's challenge didn't take me nearly as long as the other days. I find myself contemplating what I will do and looking forward to the time I can spend creating.

Attitude

Today is Shabbat for me. A time of resting and reading GOD's word. Refreshing. Hearing. Reflecting.

One of the things I heard today is about how deeply I feel. I have known it but not wanted to know it. In this month of Gratitude, I will remember that. I think it is key for me.

So in the afternoon I came to my studio/classroom. I home school my 8 year old grandson. I still have the table set up from yesterday. I sit down to watch the TED talk video. It is a good reminder of things I already know: Attitude, Awareness, Authenticity. These are at least three of the subjects that I have been spending the last 25 years changing and  putting into focus. (Based on his description of awareness, I am still 3 years old. I stop and look at lady bugs, flowers, etc.) I am feeling encouraged after watching the video and I don't want to turn any other words on to interrupt that encouragement. I think I got started on the pages (I am using two 5X8 watercolor pages.) at 1:00. I got up from the table at 3:30. Again, I got lost in the play. I tend to go with what I am sensing to do. I don't know theory and all of that when it comes to color and design. 

I am pleased with my results. 

 I had a scrap booking stencil that I pulled out and daubed on Golden ultramarine blue liquid acrylic with a sea sponge. I covered the edges of the paper with removable tape so that I would have a border after daubing on the paint. I wanted to try using a stencil and modeling paste and that is how I made the heart.  I am also currently taking Joanne Sharpe's Letter Love class so I am using lettering techniques that I have learned there. The back side of my left page was the right side of yesterday's page and because I did think that it may get ruined by the things I did today, I covered it with Glad Press 'n Seal.

I could never list all of the things that I am thankful for that are different in my life. I became a new creation in 1988. I was redeemed from the pit because of the blood of Yeshua, the Lamb of GOD. I follow the Holy Spirit. I have seen Him work in amazing ways in my life and through my life. I am highly creative and I am practicing listening to Him more in that area in order to become what He has already declared about me.

Permission

Thinking that I am in need of a change, I came across a blog about gratitude called newly creative. I can't even remember how I got there.  I need some more gratitude in my life so I decide I will commit to arting about gratitude. 

About a week or two ahead of the start date I began to think about the kind of journal I want to use...do I want to buy one or make one, etc. I decide I will make one and I ask some questions of the people I know who have made journals and then start to get my supplies ready so I will have what I need when the date comes. I get some of the pages ready by washing them with watercolors. I'm not sure how much time the journaling and techniques are going to take so I want to get ahead of the curve. I have decided that I don't want be perfectionistic and that I will try new things and make an effort to get out of my comfort zone.

The day comes. I wake up at 4:00 in the morning thinking about what I am going to do to my paper. (This is a good sign because lately I have been having trouble being excited about anything.) I have some ideas because the day before I was in my daughter's art classroom helping her get ready for maternity leave. I saw some ideas I liked and want to try. 

The first day is on Friday. I don't start out right away on my project because I have some 'work' that needs to be done. (I'm still trying to outgrow "business before pleasure.") I get home from shopping for some other supplies and it's 4:15. I decide that I will take an hour to play on my page and then I will go walk before it gets dark.  I get my supplies out. Set up my work area and I get started. The next thing I know when I look at the clock it is 6:15 and I'm not really finished. I got so caught up in what I was doing that I didn't even look at the time. Oh my...I really enjoyed doing this. Normally when I am quilting I have to get up and do something else. I love quilting but the hand stitching is rather uneventful.

I do love fibers and I have heard that Distressed Paint works on fabric and once it is dry it stays put. The quote is on a piece of muslin on which I put the same colors as the background and then used a Sakura IdentiPen to write the quote.

I wasn't really happy with the way the word 'Permission' turned out. I tried several different things. In the end, I decided to leave it and let it be the less than perfect on the page. 

Wow! I can tell that if I continue to put in the time for creating and thinking about what I am grateful for, this will be a life changing month for me.

Fabric Stamping and Embellishments

The next stamp is the wave pattern and then the flower.

 Here is the fabric with the wave stamp.

 And then with all three.