Merry Christmas Everyone

Merry Christmas to everyone out here in Blog land.  I have been so busy with art/craft fairs the last couple of weeks that I have been a bad blogger.  I am so sorry for my absence.  I wanted to show you my new nativity ornament, I have been looking for one of these for a long time and finally found it at Carlton Cards in the mall.  I was so excited.  It has become rather difficult to find a Nativity of any kind these days.  Last week we went into three different stores (which normally would carry nativities) and there was NOTHING, NADA, NIL, ZILCH!  I was so depressed.  Everything is santa, snowmen and reindeer, which is fine if you're into that, but my boys have grown up and they are not so much into that anymore.  Now is my time to decorate with things that mean more to me than santa and little kid things. 

There are some amazing Nativities out there, you just have to fork out the big bucks to get them.  This ornament was only $17.95 - perfect for my budget!

I had the best time shopping with my son lastnight.  I rented a scooter so that I would last longer while shopping (I feel old and I get some funny looks because on the outside I look just fine, but on the inside I can barely walk around the mall these days!)  I have gotten to the point where I do not care what people think, I want to spend time with my family and if the only way to do that is to rent a scooter around the mall well then by golly, I'll do it!

So here's wishing you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all and I hope that JESUS finds a special place in your hearts this year!

Many hugs and blessings to you.

A Little Summer Color To Get You Through

 

 

I worked on this journal spread last week and had so much fun

finishing it up on the weekend while Hubbub and son watched

Prometheus!  (Ya, I didn't like that movie!)

 

 

The circles worked perfectly for the verse I wanted to put in there.

 

 

I started with drawing circles and it doodled outward from there!  All on it's own:)

 

I love working with vibrant copic markers for projects such as these.

 

I pray you are all having a wonderful week.

 

Hugs and many blessings

 

 

 

 

 

Art Journaling Time... Aaaahhh

 

This was a much needed art journaling spread as I needed to express my feelings in regards to dealing with my physical pain. 

 

 

 

I spread 4 colors of acrylic paint as background for this page using my brayer.  Once that dried I was able to work on my image.

 

I love this process, I forgot just how much until I worked on this page.

 

I purposely used more blue acrylic paint on the page because I knew I wanted her to have long flowing hair across both journal pages.

 

You can't see it on the finished page, but, in the bubbles I wrote "Sometimes it feels like my dreams are floating away with who I am as a woman".

 

Fibromyalgia is a hidden illness, on the outside the person suffering from it looks just fine.  Inside pain radiates from the top of the head to the toes and all extremities.  It is unpredictable, therefore, it is difficult to plan ahead.  Symptoms are many with 18 trigger point checks on the body, skin sensitivity, and of coarse PAIN for many unknown reasons.  Environment plays a huge factor in how the person is feeling.  I live in one of the worst climates for FM - cold and unpredictable weather.  Stress is another contributing factor, STRESS IS BAD.

I have found I react best to hot dry weather, Arizona being my favorite.

I feel for anyone having to deal with this disease as it is very frustrating.

 

I just wanted to share a little about what I experience and to educate those who do not know what FM is.

 

Big hugs and many, many blessings to you.  Happy Creating everyone.

 

 

Coloring Page 2

 

Day 2 of sharing with you my colored images from my Girlie-Girl Coloring book.  On this little gal I added hot pink streaks into her hair along with some words on her bangs.

 

Although, this one isn't that dramatically different as the colored image, she still looks beautiful all colored in and filled with bright vibrant colors don't you think? 

 

I will be adding the Coloring book (which holds 15 of my drawings) to my Etsy page shortly.

www.kellysartjournaling.etsy.com

 

Blessings for your week everyone.

Coloring Book - Page

 

For the upcoming Art/Craft fair I have created a Girlie-Girl Coloring book for women or anyone who desires to color, paint my drawings.  Below is the drawing not colored.

 

I love adding words to my gals, on her neck reads; "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?"  Psalm 27:1

 

I used sienna colored Copic Markers for her hair and eyes, blending the different shades.

 

 

I love how different the plain image is from the colored image, it doesn't look like the same gal does it?

 

I hope your week is starting off to be wonderful.

 

Hugs and many blessings to you.

 

A Little Art Journaling

 

 

This week I have had some much needed art journaling time. 

 

On this page I was able to re-use some of my previous art and cut out tiny copies to use as a border.  

 

 

I began this page using ink blots from my Copic Markers all over the page.

For those of you who do not know me, I have a very difficult time with this chaotic, abstract process.  I need to practice drawing out images from the ink blots. 

 

I outlined all the colors with a black sharpee and then doodled on from there.  I used a white-out pen to highlight and make this page 'pop'!

 

Art journaling is such a healing journey... I pray that you will find this through your pages.

 

Hugs and blessings everyone!

 

 

Getting Ready

 

I am prepping my art pieces for cards and prints and a fun Girl coloring book for the art fair this year.

 

 

My crocheted necklaces, paperdolls and charms are all packaged up ready for sale.

 

 

I have colored one of the pages in the Girl Coloring Fun Book I made to show how they look once colored.  In this book I have 15 drawings available for people to make their own and have fun with, all wrapped up in an easy to take apart booklet to work on one piece at a time.

 

I pray that you are all having a great week. 

Many hugs and blessings, praying for everyone on the East Coast of U.S. and other Countries effected by Hurricane Sandy.

 

 

And the winner is...

     Congtations to Laurie from "lone Black Bird" for winning the giveaway of the lace crocheted necklace!

Please email me your address so that I cam mail you your prize.  

Thank you for participating in my giveaway everyone!

Hugs and blessings

GIVEAWAY! Crocheted Art Charm Necklace

 

 

This style of crocheted necklace is called a 'laced bib'.  I just taught myself how to make them last week and I have already made almost 10 of them.  They are very simple to make.  All I did was go to youtube and type in Crocheted Necklace and a lovely tutorial came up on this type.

 

I added a purple bead to the top for a button and then my art charm from my "Girlie-Girl" art piece to the center. 

 

Now it's all ready to be sold for a lovely girl Christmas present at the upcoming Christmas Craft/Art Fair the end of November.

 

Now the question remains, and maybe you could help me, what would you charge for this necklace?  They will come packaged in cellophane envelopes with my business logo. Everyone who comments gets a chance to win this necklace.

 

I will choose from the names of everyone who helps me with giving an opinion of what to charge at the fair for this necklace and will draw a name for a winner this Friday, November 2nd.

 

Thank you for your help.

 

Hugs and blessings.

 

 

Undercover Gypsy: Lets Go Treasure Hunting

 (Kelley Kuhlman)

 

Today I read such a beautiful honest and open post from Kelley Kuhlman from Undercover Gypsy.  In this post she describes her love of the idea of 'treasure hunting' or finding a missing treasure. 

Undercover Gypsy: Lets Go Treasure Hunting

Instantly this verse came to mind after reading her post;
"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" Matthew 6:21

So often we get tangled up with the 'things' of this world, we hold closely onto them as though we can take them with us when we die.  The truth, they are just worldly possessions that turn to dust.  Our true treasures are in Heaven waiting for us.

I thank Kelley for her honesty and for her desire to live a life of seeking her treasure in Heaven... it is a difficult process at times and so easy to hold on to the things in this world.  I tend to hoard art supplies, magazines, and other things because of my love of art, but I am learning to use them for the Kingdom more everyday.

Blessings to you Dear Friends, I hope you take the time to go to Kelley's blog and read her post and take in her beautiful art.

Fruit of The Spirit Woman

 

I had a great time with this piece.  I love, love, love drawing

girlie girl art.  When my husband looked at this piece he told me that he liked it, it was full of joy, and then he said, "It's how you want to feel right?".  He knows me so well. 

 

I have been having a difficult time on Lyrica for my FM, it had thrown me into a  very bad depression.  I am starting to feel better a little at a time.  I am waiting for it to clear out of my system.  I am thankful that I was able to create such a joyful piece as this.

 

I pray that you are all having a very blessed week indeed.

Hugs and many blessings dear friends.

 

 

Paper Doll Time!

 

It's that time of year again, craft/art fair preparation!  This year I have drawn and made this paper doll.  It comes with one paper doll, 6 Costumes, 3 brads.

 

This is the "Angel" Costume

 

This is the paper doll.

 

This is "The princess ballerina" costume.

 

This is the "Mermaid" costume.

 

The three other costumes are "Snow White", "Cinderella" and "Belle", I didn't have a picture of them at time of posting.

 

I hope you enjoy.

 

Praying you all have an awesome weekend

 

Hugs and many blessings

 

Graphite Watercolor Pencil - Yummy!

 

 

The other day, at Michael's (using my 50% off coupon) Josh showed me these Graphite watercolor pencils.  I was surprised that he knew about them but so thankful that he did; he has been getting back into sketching and graffiti style lettering. 

 

I had seen these little treasures on blogs before but never knew where to purchase them.

 

They were only $3.99 for two and they came with a sharpener!

 

I was enthusiastic about this process the moment my watercolor brush hit the paper, it blended so lovely and smooth.

 

I know that I will be using them again and again!

 

I pray that your week is going very well.  Today I celebrate 19 years of marriage to my soul mate, we are so very blessed.

 

Hugs and many blessings to you my Dear Friends.

 

The Cover of My "Girlie-Girl" Coloring Doodle Book

As I previously told you, I am preparing stuff for an art/craft fair at the end of November.  This is the cover to my new "Girlie-Girl" Coloring and Doodle book.  I had so much fun drawing this gal with her bright eyes, flowers in her hair and her flower top.  I especially love the Washi Tape border that I picked up at my local Scrapbookers store.  I am not really a scrapbooker anymore but I love some of the supplies and tools that are used for the scrapbooking process. 

Yesterday, at my local Michael's Store, I found the niftiest tool by Epiphany Crafts called a Shape Studio Tool.

 

 

You use this tool with these bubble caps

 

 

It's a little blurry, but I think you can see that I have shrunk down my art and have used this tool to adhere them to the bubble caps, and the tool also cuts the picture perfectly.  The middle one I have placed the bubble cap into a charm holder for a necklace (which I will be doing for all my images).

 

 

It has helped me to expand into a new way of using my art and I always love finding new ways to use my art!

 

For all you Canadian's out there, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

 

Hugs and blessings for your week.

Getting Ready For My Craft/Art Fair

 

It has been a slow process of getting ready for the craft/art fair this year but I am trudging along.

 

I am printing off my art work and making bookmarks (above) and then cards.  Eventually I will get to printing off prints to go in matt frames.  Last year I was in four fairs, four weekends in a row... this year I am in a total of one and my family will be helping me all the way, I may even recruit a friend to help the fair day.  She has already come over to help me with putting cards together, she is such a sweetheart.

 

I signed up for instagram this week and was able to take the above shots with the nifty borders or edging. I have a lot to learn about instagram.

 

I hope you are all having a wonderful beginning to your fall.  The leaves have all changed into the most exquisite vibrant oranges, yellows and reds and that old familiar chill is in the air.

 

Many hugs and blessings to you dear friends.

 

 

Fruits of the Spirit

 

Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control... this is what we need to strive for.

 

Can you imagine how life would be if everyone lived their lives with the Fruit of the Spirit within them?  This world would be a much better place.

 

I think of our world now and to be honest I do not like what I see.  I hate all the violence, the wars, the famine, the lack of respect; I hate the way many people strive for things that please themselves more than working at helping others; I hate the way the Earth groans in earth quakes, tsunamis, floods and tornados killing thousands and thousands of people - so I hate that we are killing the world with pollution, with overuse of resources pulled from the core of the Earth.

 

When I look around at people I see anxiety, strife, anger and frustration with others; I see a world where we do not know our neighbours and most of our conversations are by text or email.  This world is striving for self ambition and I am not a big fan.

 

That is why the Fruit of the Spirit is within me and I strive everyday to produce good fruit out into the world.  Placing goodness out there, well, can only be good.  So today, I choose to put forth these good thoughts...

 

Joy

 

Peace

 

Patience

 

Kindness

 

Goodness

 

Faithfulness

 

Gentleness

 

and Self-control

 

What will you put out into the world today?

 

I wish you all these things and more.  Many hugs and many blessings.

 

~Kelly~

In This World

 

 

In This world we will have trouble,

but take heart, I have overcome the world... Jesus.

 

It saddens my heart to realize that no matter how much we let our lights shine out to the world, how ever nice we are, how ever much we try, try and try again to be Jesus to those in and of the world... there will always be those who take advantage, who hurt us and who deny us goodwill.

 

It hurts deeply when this happens, cutting to the heart.  Sometimes that pain lasts for a long time, however, we must be strong and believe in the Lord that He will heal our wounds; He will and does as we rely on Him.

 

There are also times when this pain comes back, triggered by events out of our control, or people... then once again we turn to the Father, the only One who can heal us.

 

This might seem like an arduous task because it is almost a guarantee that as long as we live in this world there will always be people who hurt, disappoint or attack our hearts... but take heart dear friends...

 

God is waiting, He will never leave us nor forsake us.

 

Today, tomorrow, and always allow Jesus to take our pain.

 

Hugs and blessings to you.