PAJWLH- Super fun technique using stuff you already have

So this week, I wanted to share a fun technique with you to create this fun textured bloom. Looking at this you might think that it is acrylic paint or tar medium, but this is actually just regular old crayons with a hot glue gun. I had this epiphany one day when I saw all of the fun stuff you could do with crayons and thought, well why not take it a step further?

So here is a video that I made to share with you how I got this effect as well as some trouble shooting tips on how to approach this. (MAKE SURE TO TURN MY BLOG MUSIC OFF BEFORE YOU LINK THROUGH)



For this weeks prompt, we are going to use this technique, or you can just use crayons and create your cover. Now your cover should reflect who you are... My cover here is from a class that I taught at Seaside Soire (please check this out, you will love what Charity Wings has in store for this next year!!!). During the class I shared a little bit about myself and my creative journey. My creative journey has not always been a pretty one, I have had a lot of ups and downs working in the craft industry, as shocking as it may seek, not every day starts with glitter and ends with sequin :) But through the ups and downs I have learned to rely on what matters most to me and that is who I think I am and who God thinks I am. So this journal became an anthem to the positive things that happened to me, that in which I could be reminded of the blessings even in the storms. Kinda the theme we have been running on, right?

Now I don't talk much about what has happened to me with my experiences because I do believe those to be private and in no way wish to bring harm anyone, that is the beautiful think about forgiveness... eventually it frees you to live the abundant life you were meant to be. But hurt can torture, tear at you especially when it has been at the hand of someone you hold dear.

What I can say about my journey is that it is a little different than that of my friends as my whole family has been involved, my husband has worked in this industry for the last 3 years as well. So this makes our journey a family one, which also brings pains and trials on us all. The reason why I mention this is that through the ups and the downs in life, we have a choice to decide who it is that we rely on for our words of encouragement, as well as the words that label us. I will say it again (because I can not stress just how amazing Brave Girls Camp is!!!) but one of the lessons that I learned at Brave Girls Camp was to find my source of truth, and maintain it at all cost. My source of truth is God because God's opinion of me will never change, through my ups and downs God is the one constant in my life, cheering me on towards my purpose in life.. it is so easy for us to give up on our selves when we think we are the only ones involved. So besides recommending attending brave girl camp or signing up for soul restoration (the online version) what I can offer to you is to trust who your truth teller is, know that no matter what the truth that they share will never EVER change of you, no matter what. I highly recommend someone who is not a constant in your life as man will always change and not always in a good way... that's what we do we are human.

Through my journey in finding my way back to who I was and realizing who I  wasn't... my soul filled with music (that is usually what moves me) and I would hear the same songs over and over again. This is one song that reminded me that no matter what anyone else had to say about me, that I was still me... deep down inside, I was still the original girl God had planned all those years ago. As well it helped me to realized just how many masks, walls, shields I had put up because of the words that others had said about me and that I had let penetrate my heart.

So here is the song, if you have a chance... I highly recommend listening to it, I am sure we all can relate to it even just a little.




This week will be a series of prompts, choose which ones work for you, but I think they will all work well together, and have some fun techniques too :)

Prompt:

• Use the technique video to inspire you to create the cover of your art journal
• Find your inspiration to create your title for your journal, a title that reflects who you are, and what you have to offer this world :)
• Use last weeks prompt to take the words you wrote down and decide who really knows you and what you feel your purpose is. 

I hope that this prompt makes sense, I know that this has been a fun one for me, as well as a good one for me to really think about. Let me know what you think, also let me know what you think of the video, I tried a new upload technique that took a while, but I think the quality came out fairly nice.

Thanks for joining me today!

~Liz ♥

The Real Me... PAJWLH

 So here we are in March, already half way through. This month, this year just creeps up on me. Not sure if you all feel the same way, but it is flying by, almost a third of quarter of the way done. SHEESH!

We missed last weeks prompt due to my mid terms and our family getting sick, but I wanted to go ahead and get the ball rolling for next week. For this weeks prompt we are going to work on the cover of our journal (remember in January I had mentioned, we would be doing a project on this?). So for this weeks prompt we are going to take a simple step towards this.

Next week we are going to work on the cover and I am going to share some techniques and products that I used to create this journal cover. This journal was a class I created at Seaside Soire in California for  

Charity Wings. This event I have taught at for the last two years, yet this year, the teachers we came together for a beautiful set of classes that just were cohesive and inspirational (love ya Jen and Cheryl!).

In this class I shared a bit about me, who I am in art, life as a mother, wife, child... just a little deeper than I normally would. Normally this would seem a bit unconventional, but this was the moment to do so. This next week we will be digging in a little deeper, last month we talked about relationships, this month is going to be about us. 

Here is a close up of one of my FAVORITE techniques... you will love it!

 Here is a fun adhesive technique....

An eclectic title using the stamps I designed for Unity Stamp Co.

And COLOR who doesn't love COLOR?

So I hope you will join me next week as I take a the FULL week (to catch up with the month) but also to share a full page of techniques to get you started.

So here is the prompt (homework) to get us started for next week:

• create a list of words you would use to describe yourself, take a day and write this down and then put it away, don't add anything else to it.
• take a different day and ask those closest (friends and family members) to you a few words that they would use to describe you.
• Take a different day and ask acquaintances for a few words that they would use to describe you. These could be people that you see but don't work with on a regular basis, or casual people you see once in a while.
• After you have collected your lists, make a new list of how you see yourself, after you have talked to people, make this list at the end of the day.
• Keep these lists separate. 

Sound a little strange? Well hopefully it will all make sense... next week. Regardless, we will have some fun and I am excited to share some fun videos and such with you.

So this weeks prompt, aka homework is pretty simple... we will use this for next weeks project :)

Until then,  we are taking the kids to Estes Park today for a little hiking and exploring, our first day out since our week of sickness. I hope this is the first day of full health for us :)

See you all Monday :)

~Liz ♥

Fancy Pants fun with Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L

Today is my day to share on the Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L blog.

We are partnering with Fancy Pants Designs this month and having a fun giveaway and blog hop. I decided to make a fun little mini album with a Fancy Pants album I had in my stash, I cut it in half so that it could be a true mini album, plus give me a little extra to make another album later if I want. I share a few fun ways of using Keepsake Pockets on the blog so you will want to make sure to check it out :)

Make sure to check out the fun giveaway we are doing on the Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L blog. It has so great Fancy Pants and Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L products.

Thanks for peeking :)

~Liz ♥