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Welcome! I’m Carolyn Dube – This colorful journey is all about the freedom of play!

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The Fine Print

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Everyone Needs a Party Hat!

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The latest headline prompt for Fall Fearless and Fly grabbed me unexpectedly!  There was  a completely different plan for my Fall Fearless art.  I had planned to do the color prompt but  I could not get the questions out of my head.  Before I knew it my Fall Fearless had merged with my Artsy Fartsy.  The muse said go this way, so I went!

For this week’s Artsy Fartsy with Maria McGuire I had to have sparkle, white space (ridiculously hard for me), and use the cathedral stencils from Artist Cellar. Be sure to stop by her blog and see what she’s made!  If you are new you can read what Artsy Fartsy is all about here.

I started with Silks randomly painted on with the cathedral stencils.

 

 

 

 

After they dried I put the stencil back on top and stenciled white glue right on top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I quickly cleaned the glue off the stencil and sprinkled on clear glitter!

 

 

 

 

As I printed out copies of old family photos I was struck by how things did not turn out as anyone expected.  Mom is no longer with us but her impact remains.  All the pain involved in losing her was in fact her last gift to me.   What I learned in sorting through losing her has been a huge force guiding me as I built my own family as well as been a significant part of how I developed into who I am today.  The thoughts in my head became the journaling on the page.

 

Plain black and white photos were out of place with all the color.  So back out came my Silks and I painted directly on the photos.  No smudging and no smearing on the ink jet prints with the Silks!

 

All my thinking about the past got me thinking about the future.  When I think of a new start to a new year,  I think of babies and party hats!  Everyone needs a party hat!  As I look at these photos I realize one hat is a bit off center- how fitting!

 

 

 

 

 

Can you believe this is the next to last challenge for Fall Fearless and Fly?  Where has the time gone!  You can use 1, 2 or all 3 prompts.  There is a great prize from Luminarte, a $35 gift certificate!  Hello Silks and Twinkling H2O’s!  You’ve got 2 weeks to get your work linked up and entered to be eligible for the prize.  Here are the prompts:

Headline Prompt:  Future Imperfect: What is different about your life now than what you once expected it to be?  How is the way it turned out perfect or imperfect.  If your future turns out differently than you imagined in the first prompt, could it still be perfect?
Color Prompt: Yellow
Quote Prompt: “Existence really is an imperfect tense that never becomes a present.”  Friedrich Nietsche

A Colorful Gelli Print Party starts on Tuesday!  Can you believe it is almost January 1st?  Hope you will stop back for the party! You can read all the details here.

Looking for more creativity? Check out Maria’s Artsy Fartsy, Make It Monday, Creative Every Day, Inspire Me Monday and Fall Fearless and Fly!

 

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Sprout Wings and Fly

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I was stuck in my head.  When I am in my head it means I judge harshly.  I criticize unrelentingly.  I try to make it perfect the first time.  Do you ever do that?  Not a surprise that when I am only in my head my creativity is blocked.

Below is the process of how I used my spark of art-spiration to get out of my noisy head.  What’s a spark of art-spiration? An inkjet print of a little piece of a larger painting that gives me a jumping off point.  Exclusively in my newsletter, I share the links to download my sparks of art-spiration so you too can play and get out of your head.  I have a newsletter going out this Sunday so if you aren’t getting my newsletters you can sign up on the top right of the blog (just under my photo) or here.

 

I printed out the spark in different sizes and looked at them on a journal page.  I chose to use a small print of my spark of art-spiration.  The hint of big wide eyes peering up grabbed my attention.  No judgement.  No grand plan.  Just going with that first instinct.

 

 

 

 

I drew in my little critter but what is he looking at?  What has him so wide eyed? My imagination was starting to come out and play!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing creatures is what he’s looking at- but I started to over think and doubt my ability to draw.  Sigh, back in my head. That doubt was paralyzing so I put the paint brush in my left hand and closed my eyes.   What a mess I made.  Oh, there is the judgement…

 

 

 

 

I didn’t love it at all at this point but the point of this journal page was to get me out of my head not make a masterpiece.  Adding color made a huge difference- both in the page and in my attitude towards it.

 

 

 

 

 

More color with no plan but also no criticism.  I played.  I had fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Added rubber stamps and the flying horse thing still looks like a mess.  Hmm.  As I get out of my head I start to see opportunities in my “mistakes”.  The strange body of the winged horse gives me an opportunity to add another layer.

 

 

 

 

The wide eyed wonder in this little guy reminds me of a little brother watching his big sister grow up and sprout wings ready to fly into the world.  He realizes that he has those wings too, just hidden inside himself.  As soon as he believes he will sprout his wings and fly too.  I wanted the word fly on there and I wanted it be huge!

 

 

 

 

 

A building (love imaginary places- they don’t have to follow rules!) and some journaling and this spark of art-spiration is finished!  I am out of my head and my creativity is released so I am ready for A Colorful Gelli Print Party!

A Colorful Gelli Print Party  starts Jan. 1st!  It is 7 days of Gelli posts.  Don’t know much about a Gelli plate?  Stop on over and see what this creative toy is all about!  Got a Gelli plate? Bring yours and let’s play!  There will be a link party so we can share the fun!

 

Want more creativity?  Check out Paint Party Friday, Art Journal Every Day, and Creative Every Day!

 

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Merry Christmas from My Art Journal

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Happy Holidays!  Hard to believe it is here already!  On Christmas morning, I am unwrapping a jumbo Gelli Plate.  I’ve seen its shiny red wrapping.  I feel like a I am 5 years old again thinking about the day!

That gift is what sparked A Colorful Gelli Print Party that begins on January 1st.  Hope you will stop by and join in the link party!   You can grab the blog button over on the sidebar on the right!

 

 

 

Here’s today’s art journal play:  I randomly stamped various Christmas stamps.  Creamy dreamy Pan Pastels gave me bright and vibrant colors!  I sealed them with acrylic gloss medium.

 

 

 

 

 

Journaling about Christmas and my wishes for the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spray inks using Jessica Sporn’s Medieval Leaves stencil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A coat of gesso over the spray inked areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using a map stencil from Artist Cellar I added the path I envisioned Santa taking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cathedral window die cuts from Memory Box painted black.  I hadn’t planned on using black but plans definitely change when I am arting.  Does that happen to you too?

 

 

 

 

Using a Tim Holtz alphabet die I cut out the words that summed up what I would love for Santa to bring to the world: hope, love, kindness, and peace- and Gelli plates for everyone!

Have a wonderful holiday season! Linking up with Anything But a Card, Mandarin Orange Monday, Creative Every Day, and Inspire Me Monday.

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