Paper Mosaic Circles

I haven't posted in a few days because I have been rather consumed... consumed with circles and circles of my paper mosaic. There are times when something nudges me in my head and I don't know where it comes from, this is one of those times. I have had 'mosaics' on my brain for a number of days now. I knew I wanted to do one. I have only created a couple of them before. This one was challenging in the design aspect and cutting out each piece to the exact shape needed. I never do things the conventional way - the instructions for building mosaics (out of tile anyway) are;

1. Draw out your picture.
2. Create a template of your drawing using tracing paper.
3. Then cut out each shape according to your template.

Well... I didn't draw out my picture. I got out my compass and drew circles and circles and went from there. So... needless to say... I didn't have a template to work from either. In the end I didn't even come close to following the instructions especially since mosaics are usually made out of tiles and not paper.
It wasn't until I was finished a few layers in each circle that I came up with the butterfly to go in the middle. I am not usually a spontaneous individual in everyday life... in art however... it's all about 'flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants'!

When I finished glueing every piece down I brushed a layer of self-levelling gel over top to protect it and create a glazed look.

Well, hope you enjoy it.
Happy Creating Everyone.

New Journal Page - What A Wonderous Life

Hmmm... what has inspired such a different page from me... I think I was needing to change things up a bit... add a little bit of the abstract instead of realism... and a whole lot of color using my INKTENSE pencils. Those pencils were such a great idea for me to purchase... I am completely comfortable using them. Paints such as oils and acrylics are a whole other story... I find them difficult to manipulate but with the watercolor pencils I know exactly how to accomplish what I want. Hmmm... maybe I need to take a painting class using oils and acrylics... why am I so intimidated by them.
My hubbub looks at my journal page and I am searching inside his head... I know he's going to say it... I'm just waiting for him to say it... he doesn't. So I do... "I know hon... another tree!" He has a 'thing' about me always painting trees! I can't help it... they are so magical and peaceful to me! This will not be my last tree I know that for sure! lol.
Happy Creating Everyone!

Women's Retreat - Calgary

So I finally broke down and have decided to be apart of my Church (Cornerstone Foursquare Church) Women's Retreat this September 25-27th, 2009. Friends approached me asking me if I wanted to design the advertising sign. I wasn't sure at first because I didn't know enough about the retreat... but after discussing it with one of the ladies I did my own prayers and God gave me this vision for the sign.
I saw God holding a net that catches all our tears, as the tears are absorbed through the net they turn into precious jewels. The containers on each side of the sign are empty, representing women in the Church and how empty they feel. The main container though is the way it actually is... our tears are precious to God. God transforms them (and us) into precious jewels. We are His beloved. We often forget that because there is so much pain and suffering in the world.
This retreat is going to be focusing on healing that pain within us by sharing our stories with one another. I will be giving each lady a small journal and will be teaching a lesson on Art Journaling and writing down the lessons, the prayers, the visions that God gives us. I pray that all the women will be deeply touched by this retreat and will come out completely released, renewed and refreshed.
If you live in or near Calgary and would be interested in attending this retreat please contact me via email at ksun underscore 1999 at yahoo dot com (all together including the symbols).
Happy Creating Everyone!

Biking With My Friend Kelly... Funny Story (Part 1)

Can two ladies be any blonder???? I have the best stories that tend to always occur with my girlfriend Kelly. We are like two lost souls trying to find our way together sometimes... last March in Arizona we made our way through (for us) unchartered streets of Phoenix and Scottsdale while listening to a really irritating computer woman on the GPS that took us two hours to get to a 20 minute away destination... and now we venture out biking!!!
Read the story on the page and you should be rather entertained! Hee-hee.
Happy Creating Everyone!

He Perceives My Thoughts From Afar

I was meditating on my favorite Psalm this morning... I asked God to give me an image that I could draw out and this is the result of my prayers. I visioned myself sleeping and God perceiving my thoughts as I slept. This particular Psalm (139) is my favorite because it shows how deeply God's love for us really is... how He desires to know us completely... how we were made specially and wonderfully and that not one of us was a mistake (despite the circumstances when we were conceived). God loves us and wants a relationship with us... we need only open our hearts to Him.

Happy Creating everyone!

Trying For a New Hair Do

So... I have been feeling really mousy lately. I decided to add some color to my hair and I wanted to go for something a little more funky and fun... I wanted to be spontaneous and see what I could get done...
In the end I ended up with the same hairstyle with a little more color and $240 less in my pockets!
I walked into the salon with good intentions, really I did! I thought I did! I wanted a change... an uplift... something that would make me feel great, renewed, refreshed. Man I am such a sap!
Why can't I be brave like I see other women being? They walk in so confident of themselves, sit down in the salon chair and say, "Hack it off sista, it's time for a change!" Nope... for me it's pretty much the same thing every time.
I finally have my hair the length I want it to be... the length my hubbub wants it to be... so how brave can one be when you want to keep the same length? Maybe next time I will dye my hair purple or something? Ya... no.
Happy Creating Everyone!

My New Diet Success Book!

I saw on a "Composition Book" Flickr site that a lady had made a 'Weight loss Book" and I loved the idea so much but ran with it a little further. Instead I purchased a hardbound recycled sketchbook and decorated the front cover with this beautiful scrapbook paper I fell in love with and matching stickers that I just happened to come by as I saw the paper. I wanted to make a book that I would be inspired to write in everyday. So far I have lost 7 pounds. I am just beginning to write down all that I eat everyday, the calories, the water consumption or other beverages. I was using this program on my hubbub's Itouch Ipod to track my food and caloric intake but it didn't inspire me too much. Because I am a visual person I need something that I can see everyday and track my weight loss.
I was addicted to diet pop and that is a huge one for me to give up. I have now turned to club soda (which I do not particularly care for) which is better for me. I know that will help in the long term to get off of diet pop. If I go to a movie I have discovered that I can get a club soda (even though it's not listed) so that makes things easier. Now, what shall I do about all the popcorn that I adore eating while I watch a movie. I'm thinking I'm going to be going to a lot less movies! LOL.
This has been great for me because my back is finally feeling a lot better so losing weight is just an added bonus. I hope you like my inspirational cover to my book.
Happy Creating Everyone! Thanks for stopping by my blog.

This Summer...

This summer has been rather interesting... We have been blessed by doing things that we have never done before (such as renting an RV to go camping, or rafting in Barrier Lake (really, it was a little dingy that Josh and Ben took turns riding 20 feet off shore)) and have experienced a natural phenomenon as I call it 'THE STORM OF SUMMER 09'... it was not a storm many would classify as anything other than a small summer storm though we were taken back by its velocity for around a half of an hour as we huddled together in our basement in the middle of the night one night. We had never before experienced the rain slamming our windows in the front of our house or the eerinesss of the wind as it inhaled and exhaled against the windows (or so it sounded). We were certain we were in 'THE EYE OF THE STORM', in the midst of the next big tornado (or so our imaginations took us). The next morning we woke up and were surprised to note that the news had barely covered the storm. We are so sheltered (no punn intended) when it comes to experiencing storms! I don't know how we would live in Kansas or other areas of the world prone to tornadoes and earthquakes or other natural disasters. I consider us blessed to live where we do.

Having summer off has been wonderful! Teachers must love and look forward to every summer. This week I will go back to work for just one week as I cover for one of the ladies going on holidays. It will be such a wake up call for me getting up early and making it to work before 8:30! How do normal people do it??? LOL. I shall look upon it as another adventure in this life... the 'waking-up-early-and-not-sleeping-through-life' adventure! There! I have claimed it! It's my saying now! LOL. Okay... yes, I love sleeping in!

Happy Creating Everyone!

Procrastination / Excuses

I began this project a few days ago. I wasn't sure what was going to come of it, I just began drawing lines really. I went to Michael's the other day and purchased some Derwent Inktense Watercolor pencils and I must say... I LOVE THEM!!! In this picture you can see the beautiful intense colors achieved with these 'inktense' pencils. I am not really one for using colors lightly... I have always loved the vibrant tones that I can make with watercolors. I think I use them very much like acrylic paints.
Lately I have been procrastinating, trying to do everything but the 'large' task I have placed before myself. I will find the smallest of things to do before I tackle any of the large task like creating a sculpture as I chip away or smooth out the surface of the larger task a little at a time. Most often I find myself not finishing projects if they are too large or too overwhelming for me to do... I hate that about myself. I want to change... I just do not know how. I am not very good with change.
I like the overall effects of this picture, the words, images and lines create almost a 3D effect. Maybe it's just me, but it feels like those squares on the top and bottom of the page are coming out a little bit towards me ~ or I might just need a new prescription in my glasses! LOL.
Thanks for stopping by. Please let me know what you think.
Happy Creating Everyone.

September Calendar Entry

I know, I know... this page looks very plain and boring. It will look much different when I fill it all in with my many moods. No, you didn't miss an entry as I have yet to finish August... the page I prepped for August looked more like a September if that makes any sense at all - LOL.
Over on Melissa's blog (where I get a lot of my inspirations) I fell in love with her July calendar so I proceeded with some of the ideas she used. Her's is full of words and beautiful images so it looks much better than my plain old September page... so make sure you take a look. I just looked at it again and realize mine is completely different! It's funny how you see something and are inspired and then realize that what you create from it is COMPLETELY different!!!! Somehow I switched around all the colors that she used and had them pictured much differently in my mind! Oy vay!

Happy Creating everyone.

Reposting Summertime with New Page

I found "Summertime" to be a rather negative journal entry as I was getting depressed when I worked on the page... so... I also noticed that I did not particularily like how the water colors looked over the girls face so I decided to write over top of her face leaving only the eyes free of writing because they are such a focal point. I wrote a comeback to my negative feelings and came out victorious. I also was able to finish the other page in my composition book working with similar colors as in "Summertime" and flowers as the images keeping with the theme of Summer. I am much happier with this outcome than when I first posted.
Let me know what you all think.
Happy creating.