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The Power of Friendship and Art

It has been an insane couple of weeks.  Big projects and deadlines in what felt like every aspect of my life.   Good things but stressful things.  I finally found some time to just play in the studio.  While making this page I was reminded over and over of how the support of kind friends made the stress storms so much easier to weather.

 

A couples of weeks ago, I used my journal as a table protector from spray ink.  Why waste the ink?   It protected most of the table but I must confess, not all of it.  “Someday that page will work as a background,” I thought.  Today was the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glued down some deli paper I had experimented on with the chevron arrows stencil by Julie Balzer. No clue where I am going but this deli paper made me so happy I wouldn’t put it away until I used it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another paper I refused to put away was this sample from playing around with Mister Huey’s white color mist while at shopping with some of the those supportive and slightly crazy friends. I love what that white ink does!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the paint was on my fingers I began to feel a  connection with this page.  The stress began to fade away. Such an uplifting feeling when my fingers get covered in paint!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I started adding goodies from my “junk” box.  That box is filled with little odds and ends that I am usually too lazy to put away where they belong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The grunge board frame just didn’t seem quite right this way. Don’t know why but I simply trusted that little voice in my head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once I turned it vertically it was happy.  Now what to put in the center so I can still see all that inky goodness?  I just don’t want to cover it up. Perhaps a rub-on…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Panic, real heart stopping panic, began to set in.  Would I ruin it if I added writing to it????   After a deep breath or 2 or 3, I decided that adding my gratitude to my online and in person friends could only add strength to the page, just like they do for me.

 

 

 

I just rambled with a colored pencil about how valuable supportive friends are – thank you to every one of you!  Just writing about you washed away the yucky stress and left me feeling uplifted and peaceful.  Art makes my life better in so many ways!


There is still time to enter my giveaway!  I am thrilled to be giving this mixed media experimentation kit away! Different brands of spray inks, 2 of my favorite stencils, Twinkling H2O, red tinted liquid pencil,  Glam, and a gelato will go to one randomly selected newsletter subscriber.  Be sure to sign up at the top right of the page by Halloween for your chance to win!  I will ship to where ever you are-art knows no boundaries…especially when I use spray inks…

Want to see more creativity?  Check out Paint Party Friday, Creative Every Day, Art Journal Every Day and Fall Fearless and Fly, a challenge I am co-hosting with Jessica Sporn!

{ 57 comments… add one }

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  • Paula - Buenos Aires October 18, 2012, 9:44 pm

    Delightful page, even more knowing the story behind it. Your design always look so consistent and coherent. The elements you choose belong together.

  • Cynthia October 18, 2012, 9:55 pm

    Gorgeous. I love the colors and the way you placed each element. The framed ‘friendship’ is just perfect!

  • Rinda October 19, 2012, 3:18 am

    This is inspiring! I’m really looking forward to some play time.
    Rinda

  • Sue October 19, 2012, 7:02 am

    It’s incredible how pages just develop on their own , it’s as if the page takes you on a journey with it:) Just brilliant!
    xxxy

  • Daire Paddy October 19, 2012, 7:06 am

    I love this page! The colours are gorgeous together, and the texture looks awesome! (Also, you’ve justified by obsessive hoarding of scraps of stuff that will be needed ‘one day’…)

    D x

  • Mary Werner October 19, 2012, 7:07 am

    I just came from Julie’s Blog and What a great give away! What I enjoyed most about your blog was your running conversation about how you built your page. It gives so much information and I learned while enjoying your cool pages. Thanks for sharing.

  • Jessica October 19, 2012, 7:19 am

    Beautiful page. I am glad to be one of those friends.

  • Susan October 19, 2012, 7:50 am

    What a wonderful lesson! A beautiful one at that. Thank!

  • tina October 19, 2012, 8:11 am

    This is beautiful, and is such an inspiration! I love all your layers and embellishments… all the little details you can put together without ever wasting and covering up what you already did! That’s the hardest part of mixed media for ME. I just can NOT wrap my head around spraying, painting, or coloring in whatever way you do, and THEN just burying that with some other paint/color/papers over the top…. whereas you did that first layer for nothing but some sense of FUN???? My budget is tight, and wasting my money is NEVER fun….. But with your work, I can see everything right from the start! Loved your idea for the dice too, on your guest post over at Julie’s! TFS!

  • Ritu Dua October 19, 2012, 8:16 am

    I absolutely agree with your thought about the power of friendship…it indeed has that feel good factor and so does your art 🙂

  • Annette G October 19, 2012, 8:20 am

    Smashing design. Happy PPF, Annette x

  • artmusedog and Carol October 19, 2012, 8:37 am

    Best yet, I think ~ Very creative, colorful and composition is wonderful! ~ (A Creative Harbor)

    thanks for coming by and commenting ^_^

  • denthe October 19, 2012, 8:50 am

    The writing finished it off beautifully! So great to see your process!

  • Marjie Kemper October 19, 2012, 8:56 am

    I know just what you mean about feeling better once the paint touched your hands. Love how this page evolved! Right back atcha on the friendships being so important. Have a great weekend!

  • Mary Walker October 19, 2012, 9:16 am

    It’s always a pleasure learning how you create your pages, thanks for sharing your dice technique at Balzer Designs it’s definately something to unfreeze the brain.

  • Judy Shea October 19, 2012, 9:32 am

    So purdy, Carolyn. I understand the stress zone of putting that paint down, but the results are beautiful here. Everything you add to your page is a little piece of your heart. Nurturing and helping friends are a must, no matter where we are in our lives.

  • Janet October 19, 2012, 9:43 am

    I love everything about this page Carolyn. I am really curious about Mister Huey’s white color mist though. I’ll have to look into that. Thanks for all the inspiration.

  • Corrine October 19, 2012, 9:49 am

    I just love this page. Each element so compliments the other that the building of the page process was a happy journey to experience in itself. The word today is so perfect and the white pops! Nice work friend. xox

  • Erin October 19, 2012, 9:49 am

    Glad I found you on Julie’s blog. I like to see the step-by-step process of creating art. I will be following you. YAY!

  • Cris, Artist in Oregon October 19, 2012, 9:59 am

    Its interesting and fun to watch how someone approaches and carries out their work. Art IS a stress reliever and in the end you have something wonderful and uniquely yours. HPPF.

  • Dawn Jones October 19, 2012, 10:00 am

    I love all of the bits and pieces of texture! The sentiment is wonderful as well!! Just wonderful!

  • Debbie October 19, 2012, 10:14 am

    This is a wonderful page. Your colors are gorgeous!

  • Lynna Demay October 19, 2012, 10:17 am

    I love the color. I’m glad Jen Balzer directed me to your blog.

  • Lisa October 19, 2012, 10:28 am

    Wow! So happy to have “discovered” your blog and your art today, coming over from your guest post on Julie’s blog! Your colorful layering is so joyful, as are your thoughts and gratitude toward friendships. I really need to play around with deli paper. The nice lady at the donut shop gave me a piece to play with and I’ve just been saving it, like your slide mounts. Lol! That white mist looks really cool on the green paper! Almost bleach-y.

  • gloriav October 19, 2012, 11:03 am

    Great job. Love the layers and the sentiment. Nice job.

  • Robin Panzer Art Studio 33 October 19, 2012, 11:39 am

    I loved seeing the progression of this piece come together. It turned out terrific! Wow I’m going to have to check out your giveaway, I love that stencil! Happy PPF!

  • Diana Evans October 19, 2012, 11:47 am

    oh how super exciting when you show the progress!!!! lovely work and your supplies look like fun!!!

  • Lindsay October 19, 2012, 12:34 pm

    Very bright colors, it reminds me of spring. Such a happy page! 🙂

  • Sylv October 19, 2012, 1:44 pm

    Love how the page turned out!! You were uncertain about writing on the page but I think the writing really made the page POP! I found your blog via Julie Balzers blog and of course I HAD to subscribe because I ADORE YOUR STYLE!

  • Linda K October 19, 2012, 2:13 pm

    YUMMY is all I can say-love the colors and how the bits of purple work so well with everything!!

  • Marji October 19, 2012, 2:26 pm

    Great post, Carolyn. Especially loved these words:: “Art makes my life better in so many ways!” Beautiful work. Happy PPF

  • Valerie-Jael October 19, 2012, 3:01 pm

    Lovely piece Carolyn! Valerie

  • jane w. October 19, 2012, 4:00 pm

    Fabulous like always here.. 🙂 looking to sign up for the giveaway and couldnt fine it 🙁

    • Carolyn October 19, 2012, 4:09 pm

      It is at the top of the page right under the picture of me. It says, “Subscribe to my newsletter”. Hope this helps!

  • 2amscrapper October 19, 2012, 4:13 pm

    I enjoyed reading how this page came together for you. It’s wonderful!

  • Pam October 19, 2012, 7:09 pm

    This is a very good blog. It linked from Julie Fanfei Balzer whose blog I have recently subscribed to. I am very new to all this arting and your great tutorial style is a huge help to me. Looking forward to following your blog.
    Cheers from Oz

  • Tracey Fletcher King October 19, 2012, 8:51 pm

    that giveaway is amazing… but your page is awesome as well… I love my blogger world friendships as well as my real world live in person friendships … painting and journalling about them never fails to wash away stress…xx

  • Rita Barton October 19, 2012, 9:18 pm

    That’s great, I love it! And I love seeing the process.

  • Mary C. Nasser October 19, 2012, 9:26 pm

    Love seeing the process of this piece and reading about its inspiration founded in friendships! I am so grateful for friends here and online, too (like you!) and completely agree that painting usually melts the stress away.
    ♥♥♥
    Happy PPF!!
    Mary
    Mixed-Media Map Art

  • Wanda Hentges October 19, 2012, 11:25 pm

    I’m new to your blog… here from Julie’s. Love your page and will be spending time looking through older posts.

  • Anne October 20, 2012, 1:27 am

    Wonderful page, love your color and composition! Thank you for sharing the process, very inspiring! 🙂

  • Zafaran October 20, 2012, 5:37 am

    Lovely to see the page taking shape! Beautiful colors!

  • Mari Carmen October 20, 2012, 8:13 am

    I love it, Carolyn! It’s a wonderful page. Congratulations!

  • Faye October 20, 2012, 10:14 am

    Carolyn, what you did with wild abandon turned into a beautiful, meaningful journal page. Love the “friendship” in the middle. It pulls everything together beautifully.

  • Rose October 20, 2012, 1:59 pm

    Beautiful page! Really enjoyed seeing the process take place! Would love to experiment with the products in your sweet giveaway…Thanks 🙂

  • AJ October 20, 2012, 5:17 pm

    Love it, love it, love it! I love having you as a blog and arty friend too.
    Big love
    AJ 🙂

  • Annabelle October 20, 2012, 8:15 pm

    Beautiful page , luv the colours and textures. Thanks for sharing.

    Annabelle m^._.^m ~^..^~ /(..)\

  • Rita McGregor October 20, 2012, 11:44 pm

    I always love seeing your process in action. 🙂

  • Maria McGuire October 21, 2012, 1:01 am

    Sorry….your friend here took a long time to write a comment 🙂 There are so many different bits of inspiration on this piece. Loving the way you used the frame and still showed all the ink behind it. I’m also really drawn to the “today” part. Signed your friend who is also having an insane few weeks 🙂 PS: so very lucky to have you as my friend–you mean the world to me!

  • Violet Verhoog October 21, 2012, 10:37 am

    I just found your blog from being over at Julie Balzer’s blog. Nice page. I like it a lot. I’m very new to art journaling and mixed media. Feel free to check out my work at: http://www.craftyviolet.blogspot.com

    Helpful hints to improve my work always welcome.

  • Lynn Cohen October 21, 2012, 4:32 pm

    What fun to watch this gore…delightful!

    • Lynn Cohen October 21, 2012, 4:33 pm

      What fun to watch this grow.delightful!

  • Jen bell October 21, 2012, 5:03 pm

    What a lovely page! So full of cheery colors and beautiful layering!

  • Suzy October 22, 2012, 12:43 pm

    Hello Carolyn, I’m new to your site, hopping over from Julie’s. I love your style and that you trust your inner voice. I’m your newest subscriber and I look forward to your posts!

  • Chandra October 22, 2012, 2:39 pm

    I like how this page turned out, it’s beautiful! I signed up for your newsletter. I am a jewelry artist but I am looking into working with mixed media. So I am searching all the blogs with journal pages to see how to do it. Thanks for posting!
    Chandra

  • Hadiyah October 23, 2012, 9:56 am

    Absolutely gorgeous piece of art!
    So bright, cheerful and gorgeous colours,
    Ahhh…colours make me so happy.

    Wonderful post!

    Loads of hugs

    Hadiyah

  • JKW October 24, 2012, 4:23 pm

    The candelabra I see on the left side of the page brings back so many happy memories. Beautiful colors. Blessings, Janet PPF