Creative Lettering Alphabets

The past couple of weeks have been slightly difficult in that my pain levels were rather high... so... I have been only able to get in an hour hear and there for my art work. Rebecca has inspired me yet again with her alphabets so I decided to create some alphabets of my own. I am obsessed with lettering! I admit it! They are so beautiful and fun.
Hopefully they will inspire you!
Happy creating everyone!

And The Winner Is........

I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who participated in my giveaway! I have so enjoyed reading your comments and seeing who has inspired you from the Artist Blog Hop. I continue to be inspired everyday as I see the gorgeous work produced by all of you wonderful artists as I follow almost all of you now! I am inspired by all of your work!

Congratulations to comment #21 An'Angelia Thompson who commented:

I've had a great time following this blog hop! One of the blogs I started following from the hop is #34 Bohemian Shadows. Her free spirt and art style are very appealing to me. I'm also a big fan of yours, Kelly. You blog is one of the first that I found when I started blogging, and I think it's where I also found the blog hop! Thanks for all the inspiration!

So An'Angelia please send me an email with your mailing address and I will send that on over to you.

Hugs to all of you and as always, Happy Creating!

Peacock Blue Girlie

Through the lovely Artist Blog Hop I have blogged with a wonderful lady called Phoenix Peacock and her name has got me thinking blues! I have been thinking about Peacock Blue in particular and so as I was doodling I began to draw this lady I call "Peacock Blue Girlie". I am so not used to working with blue. My oldest sister Kathy has always been a 'blue' girl loving her navy blues in particular. It has never been a warm color to me but more of a cold color and I am very sensitive to cold colors. I am definitely an earth tone gal loving my rich soils of browns, deep delicious greens, luscious desert oranges. So... for me to be working with blues... well lets just say it's new to me.
I'm not sure if I will continue my 'blues' pursuit or not but I had a lot of fun doodling this lil' lady out.

Happy Creating everyone!

Miss Daisy

AAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh! Now I'm all good! This week was a rather difficult one because I received my new order of Copic Markers and I haven't been feeling well enough to use them. However, I finally was able to get to them yesterday and created 'Miss Daisy'. I had blue daisies on my mind ever since I saw them at the local market and wondered if the florist dyed them blue or if they are actually naturally blue, and what a coincidence I received my new blue copic markers in the mail this week!!!! When I first began to collect Copic Markers I would buy a color here and a color there and I wasn't aware of the "System" of how they were created. By the "System" I mean they have created them to work together in shading each color just slightly different than one another to use as shading lighter or darker as you use them. Now when I buy them I choose the colors that are created together to enhance one another. I used three blues for each daisy B02, B04 and B05. I will have to practice with this technique as I thoroughly enjoyed creating Miss Daisy.
I hope you like her!
Happy Creating and Much Love!

How Much Do You Rest? REALLY

I drew this in August of 2009 and I often think of it when my favorite verses come into my head... so I am reposting it. Why is my post called: How much do you rest? Really? Well I have to admit that my hubbub gave me a therapy session lastnight and it taught me a few important things... 1. I don't know how to breathe properly and I don't think my body gets the oxygen it needs - seriously! and 2. When I am laying in bed on the computer, or drawing, or painting etc., watching a movie, texting on my IPOD... etc., etc., etc., I am not REALLY resting!
So here's the scenario of my evening lastnight... I am lying in bed with hubbub and my eldest son Joshua watching the tv series "Bones" on DVD... and I turn to my hubby in tears and tell him that I am in so much pain I don't know what to do. He thinks about it for a few minutes and after the episode was over, and Josh goes downstairs he leaves too but comes back a minute later with his Bible. He asks if he can read me something and I nod. He starts reading Psalm 139 (my favorite of all favorites), but he has his version NKJV (new king james version) and so the wording is off and I stop him... so he goes downstairs and grabs my big bible and comes back upstairs and starts reading again, and I stop him yet again because he has once again grabbed the same version, yes, it's my bible but the same version as he has... I know, I know, I am anal.... but I can't help it if the wording in my little Bible soothes me and the wording in the NKJV really doesn't! anyways... so he goes downstairs for the last time and comes up with my little Bible (with words he can barely see to read) and starts to read... again... Immediately the words start to work their way through my body bringing peace to my sore muscles and my aches and pains. They wash over me as though I am bathing in them making me realize just how much God knows me, how He cares enough to know ME (The words to a song come to mind... "who am I that you are mindful of me?")

Well, I cannot express them with my mere words when I can just type out the scripture for you;

Psalm 139

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
You hem me in - behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and
the light become night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and
wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the
depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber
the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

If only you would slay the wicked O God?
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
Do I not hate those who hate you,
O Lord,
and abhor those who rise up against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Anyways my point... after allowing the Word to wash over me and receiving His peace Randy made me lay completely still for 20 minutes. He even timed me on my IPOD. He said for 20 minutes just lay still, breathe and pray. Don't think about anything else, don't do anything else. So I did...

It didn't go by as slowly as I thought it would and I was completely pain free by the time the 20 minutes were up! This got me thinking! Why don't I do this more often? I always have something on the go, something in my hands, something for me to watch on the tv (usually a movie or tv series as we don't have cable)... but I never just lay still and allow His peace to flow over me, to allow Him to take my pain away, to allow my body to simply rest!

So this brings me to the title: How much do you rest? Really?

I hope you are all having a wonderful peaceful evening. For me, well I am going to shut down my computer, close my eyes and lay still for awhile!

Happy Creating everyone!
Hugs to you all!

Blog Hop Has over 300 Artists! Giveaway!

The Artists Blog Hop has over 300 Artist links on it and I am so excited and inspired by everyone of your blogs! I would like to do a little giveaway of this book Creative Wildfire: An Introduction to Art Journaling: Basics and Beyond by LK Ludwig.
So here's what you need to do... If you haven't joined the Artist Blog Hop scroll down to the post and add your link! If you aren't following me... well why not??? Add your name to my followers! If you have joined already then leave me a comment telling me about some inspirational blogs you have come across and what you LOVE about their style (mention their Artist Blog Hop # and name if possible). Make sure there is some way for me to contact you. I will post the winner next Monday, July 26th. Feel free to comment as much as you would like, but in each comment you have to tell me all about a different blog that has inspired you!

Good luck to all who enter.
Hugs and happy creating everyone!!!!!

For Debbie

My husband told me of a phone call he got this week... it appears that a friend of his wife took her life. She was suffering from Fibromyalgia and Depression and couldn't take it any longer. This was pretty close to home for my hubby as I also am currently suffering from fibromyalgia and have had depression for over 13 years. The Lord has walked me through depression and I have come out on the other side - thank you Lord. I fully believe that I am healed from that.
This hit me pretty close too as I can understand the emotions and thoughts, the pain and frustration that come with both of these illnesses. I could not get Debbie out of my mind this week(the lady who took her life). I tried to think back to the darkest part of my depression to understand what was happening in her mind. It seems like such a long time since I was engulfed in the darkness (once again thank You Lord).
It is hard for me to accept that a wife/mother/daughter/friend could take her life... but then I must remember that I have been there. I am so thankful that I had help from a loving husband, a very supportive Church and great friends that made sure I was taken care of. I wish I would have known of Debbie's struggles so that I could have reached out to her in some way, showing her that she was not alone.
I think of the family, the husband and children and knowing that they will never see her again makes me very sad. May the Lord's peace be with them all.

This is a poem I wrote while trying to figure out her mind;

Beat, beat, beating...
one more hour, one more day,
unaware of rain or sun
or every second ticking,
laying still in darkness,
drip, drip, dripping,
endless faucet filling,
storms crashing through terrain,
movement bringing only pain,
sending signals to the brain,
lay here staring up, staring down,
changing nothing, not a sound,
not one more second will eyes open fingers extend,
"Too dependent is what I am!"
there is nothing left to give,
to live, to breathe,
nothing left of me to love,
not clean air or sunshine,
summer rains, temperature rising,
no flying off to another place,
with lightness of feet and no disgrace,
nothing willing taking away the pain,
the loneliness or bitter shame,
always wanting never to give,
to those who wish that I should live,
but live I do, though inside dying,
smiles on outside but inside crying,
chasm empty, dark, afraid,
but calls my name again and again.
Today it ends.

Mother, daughter, wife, lover,
friend thought forever,
now... now never.

By Kelly L. Watts

The tree over the face represents the deadness of her soul... no life left. Now I think I can let go of all the thoughts that consumed me this week. That is what I love about art journaling... it is so very healing.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer. May God bless your lives richly.
Happy Creating everyone!

Dreamer is Finished!

After being inspired by Daisydolls Rebecca Anthony I decided to try drawing a head portrait with flowers on the face and different colors. Rebecca has these techniques down pat and after getting her permission I am posting my version using a similar style to hers.

I painted the entire picture on watercolor paper using Luminart Twinkling H20's watercolors. (see below post for link to their site).

As you can see above I started with a pretty plain drawing of a lady with her hands on her face (hands are rather difficult to draw - and at first I put the thumbs in the front, then I posed my hands on my face and realized it would be impossible to have the thumbs in front DUH! Then I pulled out an acrylic flower stamp I had from a few years back and (using stayzon black ink pad) I stamped 8 flowers around her face). Then my oldest son asked me why I put a flower beard on the lady... so... I thought adding another flower as a ring on her finger would make it not look so much like a beard - lol. Plus I read somewhere that having an odd number of objects in design helps balance the eyes out or something like that.

Next I used pan pastels (skin color) for her complexion but didn't like it so I basically erased it with an eraser. Then starting over I simply drew curved lines down her face and hands then painted them in using similar earthy tones. The blue flowers really stand out with these colors and I was once again inspired by Rebecca's use of this color contrast in her beautful series of eight paintings.

Once finished... I asked my (non-artistic) Hubbub what he thought and he says, "Do you want my honest opinion?" (No hon! I would much rather you lie to me!) and he continues... "It's not my favorite piece of your art!" I must admit, that hurt! But I know I can't expect him to like everything I do! It is definitely not in my nature to be so daring with color or painting over faces in unrealistic shades - now lettering over top of my faces I LOVE to do and am completely comfortable doing! LOL! I however really love the drastic nature this piece took on and I know it's because of my inspiration from Rebecca, so thank you Rebecca for inspiring me to get out of my comfort zone and playing with color!

Hugs to you all and Happy Creating!

Luminart Twinkling H20's

My girlfriend Nancy was so kind to find a link to Luminart Twinkling H20's so I am now able to forward this link onto you. Thanks so much Nancy. (Nancy makes wonderful creative cards and she has taught me many beautiful techniques - so go take a look at her blog for inspiration).

I have used my H20's for many projects and they create a beautiful bling to all your paintings. They are the brightest shimmering watercolors I have ever seen!
Hugs to you all
Happy Creating!

Working on New Girl: DREAMER (Sneak Peek)

When I was a little girl my parents and my sisters would often find me staring off into my own little world - I was (and am) and always will be a DREAMER. I haven't incorporated too many hands into my drawings before but I have been lately. In the beginning stages of this drawing I did not have anything on the face... then after thinking about all the beautiful faces on Rebecca Anthony's site Daisy Doll's I have become entranced by the texture and flowers she adds to her faces. So I simply stamped some flowers over the face and painted them in with my Twinkling H20's by Luminart (which I absolutely LOVE using). I do not believe they are in business any longer as I cannot find the link to forward you to them SORRY. Okay... I am obsessed with Rebecca Anthony's Daisy Dolls. I LOVE her paintings and am so excited to have found them.
I will post more when I am finishing up my DREAMER. Thank you so much Rebecca for being my inspiration! Hugs to you.
Hugs to all of you out there, I hope you are having a fabulously creative day! I'm thinkin' it's indoors for us today as a nice rainstorm seems to be going through Calgary today!
Happy Creating All!

Peek-A-Boo We Still See You

#94 Rebecca Anthony over at Daisy Dolls Gypsy Caravan continues to inspire me with her series of 8 paintings of women's faces. She has now made her paintings into prints, postcards, a doodle book (to doodle over her faces before she has embellished them in the final stage of her paintings) and now she has used those images to make the cutest brushes!
Her faces made me want to try one for myself although far more amateur than Rebecca's and the above image is the result. I call her "Peek-a-boo we still see you". I loved the texture added to Rebecca's faces and I really do not know how she does it. As you can see my texture looks more like chicken pox than texture - lol. I did have fun layering the different colors onto the page though. I embellished the picture with flowers and decorative tape. I hope you like my version.
Happy creating everyone and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Hugs to you all!

Collage of My Paintings

So I had a great day today! I got in some art time and that always makes my days FABULOUS! After posting all the other beautiful artists work I got inspired! Thank you to everyone who have joined the blog hop - I have so enjoyed getting to know you all through your blogs. I was looking through my previous artwork and I found some paintings that I had created though they never sat right with me... have you ever had that feeling??? Sometimes I spend hours and hours painting something only to never be completely satisfied! We are such our worst inner critics aren't we? So... I hummed and hawed over a few of my paintings and realized that I would never actually do anything with them in the long run... so I cut them up! I cut them into 2"x3" inch pieces and started to glue them onto a hard canvas board.
Once they were all glued into place I placed the whole piece into a frame but ironically enough... I still wasn't satisfied. It took me awhile to figure out what the problem was. I LOVE my art when it is outlined in black! I don't know why... that's just the way I am! LOL!
I went back over each square and outlined them all in black with a sharpie marker and guess what? I am all good now... I love it! LOL! Sometimes you just have to work it out on your own right? I am glad that I did or I would stare at it for years not quite liking it!
Well, happy creating everyone! Thanks so much for your inspiration!
Hugs to you all!

Yummy Finds and Journal Entries

Have you ever heard of Artisan Tape? Or did you know that Tim Holtz also has decorative tape? Well, I just discovered them and I must say that I LOVE them. They are a fabulous creative way for borders on a journal page, although I am certain there are many more great uses! I saw them on a website and went searching on my own to find the Tim Holtz tape, when I got to the store I also found Artisan Tape by Pink Paisley and fell in LOVE.
I used these tapes on the above journal pages and I have many more ideas coming. I think I also saw decorative tape on Teesha Moore's website as I know that I have seen her use them on her fabulous journal pages. For now, here are a few of my pages that I have used them on ~ Enjoy!
Happy Creating everyone!

Visual Diary Calendar - June 2010

I have been working on this page for just over a month, obviously because it is a visual diary/calendar of June 2010 so I could only work on one day at a time. When I was first introduced to Composition Books I began to create a mood journal to track my moods and I made a calendar for a year but then I never filled out my moods. This calendar is more of a visual diary with drawings of activities I did for each day. I guess it a way it tracked my mood too: FRUSTRATED for the entire month as I was going through intense physiotherapy and accupuncture and trying to get into the Calgary Chronic Pain Clinic for Fibromyalgia. I may continue to create calendar months like this as I am hoping they will be more positive in the months to come!
I first saw this idea in "1000 Artist Journal Pages" and thought this would be a fun project to do. As stated in the link above I highly recommend this book if you are creatively blocked. There are so many amazing artists featured and the ideas that come from them just stream out - you will be blocked no more! lol.
I hope all of you have a fabulous weekend in whatever you find yourselves doing!
Happy Creating everyone!

220 - Lorri Lennox - Touched by Grief...

As I was browsing through blogs today number 220 - Lorri Lennox blog really spoke to me. Her blog is really beautiful and heartfelt. I scrolled down a bit and came across her touching entry about her grief of losing her mum 6 months ago and going through her first Mother`s Day without her. She has two drawings that expressed her feelings and the above one spoke to me. I think her words are apart of her grieving as I have felt them also - feeling like I was in a strange unwelcome land... I lost my Dad almost 17 years ago now, when I come across posts like this it makes me think about him. The grief is still there but not as severely or raw as it was when he first passed away.
Losing a loved one is so difficult. As I commented on Lorri`s blog... I had some help towards beginning my healing process...
The week after he passed away I went to Church and for the first time since being a member the Pastor called an altar call for people who needed to be prayed for. I slowly made my way up to the front and a tall grey haired man came directly over to me and grabbed my hands and said, ``Jesus takes the place of the ones we lose``. I cannot even remember if I told him that I was grieving for my Dad. He prayed for me and his words kept going over and over in my mind... ``Jesus takes the place of the ones we lose``, ``Jesus takes the place of the ones we lose``. How did this work anyway? How could he take the place of my Dad? I physically lost him... he was dead. It took me many years... many tears... many trials and much grief before I fully understood what those words meant. When we lose someone on this earth we are left with an empty hole inside of us, a deep dark chasm that seems to dig further and further into our souls leaving us numb and basically dead inside. When we ask Jesus into our hearts He becomes our lifeforce flowing His streams of living water through the veins of our soul washing the murkiness of death and darkness away. Through His death we no longer have to face "death" though we tend to take it on again and again in this life unnecessarily. We can give Him the grief and the pain and the sorrow of this life and lay them at the foot of His cross where He died to take upon our burdens, and our emptiness and of course so much more. Even though the grief process is sometimes slow and painful... our eyes will eventually begin to open to the love of Jesus as He carries us through the storms of grief and loss.
If you are struggling in this area... know that there is hope and His name is Jesus, He truly does take the place of the ones we lose.

Hugs to you all and thank you Lorri for your heartwarming post and beautiful drawings that touched my heart in so many ways this morning.