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Oops!

Oops- how to trust the mistakes step by step at aColorfulJourney.com Oops has become my favorite word!   As I create I make all sorts of mistakes but I don’t like how harsh “mistake” sounds so I call them “oops”.  A silly word that I can’t take too seriously because really, are any of my art mistakes something to worry about?  NO!  Does worrying about them help me in any way?  NO!

Here’s a look inside my process as I created this tag.

Oops- how to trust the mistakes step by step at aColorfulJourney.com

 

Random Gelli Plate printing with stencils on a large manilla tag.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oops- how to trust the mistakes step by step at aColorfulJourney.com

 

I had this die cut window that I thought fit perfectly.   I wanted contrast, hence the orange.  But after looking at it I decided that was an oops.  I embrace my Oops because they are often gifts that have yet to reveal themselves.

 

 

 

 

Oops- how to trust the mistakes step by step at aColorfulJourney.com

 

I painted it green.  Oops.  Not right.  I put oil pastels on the edges.  Oops.  Not right.  I used a white oil pastel on the center and attached it with foam squares to add dimension.  All those oops led me to here and I like it here.

 

 

 

 

Oops- how to trust the mistakes step by step at aColorfulJourney.com

 

The butterflies were punched but not used in another project.  Oops.  I had the punching scrap on my counter.  Glad I made that oops before or I wouldn’t have had the butterfly leftover now.  Oops, the glue didn’t adhere it all the way.   This oops will be a very welcome gift later…

 

 

 

 

Oops- how to trust the mistakes step by step at aColorfulJourney.com

 

A bit of typed text.  Oops, ran out of space for the punctuation mark.

 

 

 

 

 

Oops- how to trust the mistakes step by step at aColorfulJourney.com

 

I wanted contrast so I pulled out a bottle of ink.  Oops.  A little too much contrast.

 

 

 

 

 

Oops- how to trust the mistakes step by step at aColorfulJourney.com

 

I blotted the wet ink off.  That oops led me to an ahhhh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oops- how to trust the mistakes step by step at aColorfulJourney.com

Oops, I wish I had known I wanted to color the butterflies blue before I glued the paper down.  Oh, wait, it was an oops glue job so the paintbrush could get under the edges easily.

 

 

 

Oops, I should have thought about where I was going to put my journaling…scratching it into the oil pastels worked wonderfully!

Oops- how to trust the mistakes step by step at aColorfulJourney.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What oops have you made that led you to an ahhh?

Linking up with Paint Party Friday,  Creative Every Day, Art Journal Every Day, Make It Monday, Show and Tell Saturday, and Show Me What You Got.

 

{ 38 comments… add one }

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  • Judy Shea January 9, 2013, 9:56 pm

    I love “Oops”, Carolyn.. it’s perfect. I have so many oops, I stopped counting, but I love the way they all turned out. The recent journal I did for the Stencil Drive this week was an “oops”… but I kept on going and it turned out great, I think. I love your tag and the orange. I seem to be liking that contrast also lately. Thanks for the Oopsie.

  • Lorinda @ Everyday Endeavours January 9, 2013, 10:18 pm

    The tag and the concept are just brilliant Carolyn! I’ve SO been enjoying your gelli prints. I’ve resisted one myself (for now) so I’m living vicariously through you and having a blast!

  • Cynthia January 9, 2013, 10:19 pm

    I love your oops! I wish my oops-es came out half as beautiful as yours!! 😉 LOVE the creamy look of the paints on the tag, LOVE the textures, LOVE how the quote fits in with the tag!

  • Chrissy January 10, 2013, 3:50 am

    What a beautiful tag, I love the colours and the technique with the journaling..a gorgeous card..[oop’s] tag..lol..

    Thanks for sharing with us at Make it Monday..

    Luv CHRISSYxx

  • NatashaMay January 10, 2013, 6:42 am

    I can see you’re having so much fun. 🙂 I don’t believe in mistakes either. All are just opportunities to make it different than planed. 🙂

  • Corrine January 10, 2013, 8:19 am

    Oops every day, getting to that “ugly” phase and moving on through until the Oops becomes and Ahhh like you said. Love every detail of your Oops and the final Ahhh is quite wonderful. xox

  • Suzy January 10, 2013, 10:23 am

    You are an inspiration to me. Thanks for always showing your “oops” and your creative process. Oopsies are just another creative opportunity, I love them. Love your tag too!

  • Mary Walker January 10, 2013, 11:50 am

    Cute tag thanks for sharing with SMWYG!

  • Valerie-Jael January 10, 2013, 2:50 pm

    This is a gorgeous oops, love the colours. I NEVER make oops! OOps, that was a lie! Valerie

  • Kay Wallace January 10, 2013, 3:03 pm

    OMGoodness! You actually had me laughing as I read. All I could think is “Carolyn, some days are like that!” But, in the end, you have created another masterpiece in my book! Love that the butterfly strip extends off the page on the right! Love that the butterflies are vibrant blue! Did I mention I love the butterflies? Another brilliant answer to the question, “What does one do with all that Gelli plate art?” 😉

  • Wanda Hentges January 10, 2013, 3:26 pm

    Love it!!!! There have been too many times to remember in the past where something just didn’t come out and “the mistake” had to be dealt with bringing a different and usually totally cool, wouldn’t of happened otherwise ending!!!

  • Kathy Gledsdale January 10, 2013, 3:44 pm

    Love what you finished with!

  • Erika N January 10, 2013, 6:09 pm

    Love this tag. These are my favorite colors. Nice job, and the scratching worked out perfectly.

  • Maria McGuire January 10, 2013, 8:43 pm

    In your case OOPS is a good thing 🙂 Love this tag!

  • Desire Fourie January 11, 2013, 7:02 am

    Gorgeous tag. Love the aqua colours. I saw this on MIM and just had to pop over to have a closer look.
    Hugs
    Desíre
    {Doing Life – my personal blog}

  • Leah January 11, 2013, 8:14 am

    This was a very enjoyable post to read and I love all the photos of how your project evolved. It turned out great, imo!

    “I embrace my oops because they are often gifts that have yet to reveal themselves.”

    Words to live by! Thanks for being an inspiration. Happy PPF. 🙂

  • Annette G January 11, 2013, 9:16 am

    O’ops is in constant use when I paint anything…………sometimes an aaaah but not that often. Great results. Happy PPF, Annette x

  • artmusedog and Carol January 11, 2013, 11:46 am

    Love how you created the tags ~ colors and texture are stunning ~

    A Creative Harbor) aka ArtMuseDog and Carol ^_^

  • Linda K January 11, 2013, 1:22 pm

    love the oops and aahs Carolyn!!! Your tag turned out splendidly!!Happy AJED and PPF!

  • Mary C. Nasser January 11, 2013, 1:52 pm

    Great post, Carolyn!
    I especially like how you scratched your journaling back into the white pastels!
    ♥♥♥
    Happy PPF!!
    Mary
    Mixed-Media Map Art

  • aga January 11, 2013, 2:54 pm

    Dear Carolyn you made such a beautiful composition and colours. And I love your favourite word oops!!! Have a Happy PPF!!!

  • Piarom January 11, 2013, 4:44 pm

    I sit here with a big smile on my face while I read through your wonderful post…don´t we all go to all our oops to create all this wonderful art…and the oops are the things that make it so interesting…am I right 😉 love the journaling in the window!

  • marji January 11, 2013, 6:06 pm

    I think after this I am embracing oops! as my new go-to word. Brilliant end from the oops dotted road. Loved the post and loved your tag.

  • giggles January 12, 2013, 1:36 am

    Thanks for sharing your amazing oopsies!! Well done…such a fun and colorful post all around!! Loved it!!

    Hugs Giggles

  • Ayala Art January 12, 2013, 2:53 am

    What a fun post… love all the WIPs and I agree with the ooops hehehe

  • Carin January 12, 2013, 6:49 am

    I totally LOVE that you call mistakes oops. That is so in line with how I think of them myself. Something good and unexpected almost always come out of it when we let go of what is supposed to happen. And I love this piece!

  • Dianne January 12, 2013, 2:32 pm

    awesome tag…love your conversions of the ‘oops’…a great example of how it’s all a process of making decisions. wonderful work!

  • Anne January 12, 2013, 2:37 pm

    So fresh and beautiful, love it! <3

  • Marjie Kemper January 12, 2013, 3:00 pm

    S0 many great details ~~ that scratched journaling is fantabulous!

  • marcia January 12, 2013, 3:17 pm

    Lovely as usual!

  • sharon January 12, 2013, 6:22 pm

    Lovely results, the oops technique produces wonderful work, (helps us to be free).

  • Gloria J Zucaro January 12, 2013, 7:42 pm

    You make the most beautiful “OOPS!” Carolyn.

  • Ritu Dua January 13, 2013, 5:17 am

    I do have an oops canvas waiting to be turned to Aahh …and I think “now” is the time to go ahead and just do it !! Love the way you have turned all your oopses into aahhs …brilliant:)

  • MissyK January 13, 2013, 9:03 am

    Thank you for your lovely comment btw 🙂

    I am always having ‘oops’ moments and not just in my art!!!

    In art though they are just part of a process aren’t they…. I love how you shared yours with us. LOVE the scratchy writing especially!

    Karen x

  • Lynn Cohen January 13, 2013, 2:18 pm

    Seems to me all your oopses worked out just fine. One of my favorite Tacos Jalisco painting has a huge oops on which I glued a piece of brown paper over and drew over it. I think it worked. Still a favorite!

  • Diane January 13, 2013, 6:43 pm

    Thank you so much for this post! It was helpful to see the tag at each stage. The final tag is perfect and I feel better knowing I am not alone in my “oops”!

  • Gina Sismilich January 13, 2013, 7:23 pm

    That was a wonderful “oops tutorial”. I think that’s what I will say from now on when something just doesn’t work. By the way – the tag is lovely – I love all the colors

  • christina reedy January 22, 2013, 3:29 pm

    i like to call my “oops” a “HAPPY ACCIDENT”. 🙂 sometimes those are the best ways of creating any kind of art–painting, photography, sketching, etc. etc. 🙂