Derwent Inktense Watercolor Pencils

So last Friday I left you with a cliffhanger... I was on my way to an art store to find some Pan Pastels... well...
I didn't buy what I thought I was going to... I managed to buy some more Derwent Inktense Watercolor Pencils and a watercolor brush that has water right in the end of the brush. I remembered that I already had a set of 12 of these pencils, though this new set was a set of 23 and it was onsale for 50% off (probably because it was missing 1 pencil and it wasn't in a box). I do not mind these things because I don't keep them in the box anyway.

So that night and on the weekend I played and played with these new little goodies. I forgot how much I love them.

I prepped a journal page with first Distress Ink Pads in three shades, then using the Derwent Inktense Markers I colored in different shapes, highlighted the edges, then went over everything with a black pen. I like the way this page turned out. It will be part of a letter I am writing to my pen pal in Winnipeg. I hope she doesn't see this entry! lol.

So... this in it's entirety was the outcome of my exploits to the art store this week. I will post again tomorrow. Until then... Have a fabulous day and Happy Creating Everyone!

Journaling on Chronic Pain Information

I picked up some new watercolors and went to work on two new journal pages. I was originally looking for a watercolor brush that had water in it and ended up instead buying some watercolor paints. I experimented with the backgrounds and then simply drew lines over top and flowers then journaled the pages in. I tried to use a technique I saw in the book "Journal Spilling" of using gel pens and watercolor resist but it didn't really show up. So I went over those lines with black (as my usual seems to be)...

My hubby found this wonderful video series on dealing with chronic pain, as most of you know I have fibromyalgia and have been experiencing chronic pain for awhile now. I can't remember having a pain free day in a long time (well actually Arizona was pretty painfree laying in the sun). Anyway, this time I'm not talking about Arizona (my favorite place of all time)...! This series is put on by the Calgary Health Region and explains in detail how our bodies process pain and send out pain signals from our brains... it is very informative and helpful if you have been experiencing Chronic Pain. I was rather pleased with the information I was able to extract from it and have already used many of their helpful hints to alleve some pain.

Maybe you too can find it helpful. Click on Calgary Health Region for further information.

I hope you all have a fabulous week. Happy Creating Everyone!

Fridays With Kelly - Take 3

Sharing our awesome finds!

Well, since last week I have had a special delivery and wow have I enjoyed it, so much so that I must share with you what I received.

I placed an order for two books: The first is called: Journal Spilling by Diana Trout. It is packed full of ideas and techniques that help to inspire and spark your creativity. I spent last weekend mulling over the entire book from cover to cover. A funny little coincidence occurred right before I received the book... my son asked me how people tie-dye t-shirts and guess what one technique she showed? Not tie-dying t-shirts but fold-dying paper... however, this helped me to show Ben how this whole tie-dying thing happens. Boy did this technique wet my appetite for creating beautiful dyed papers! Now I just have to find the time to do it! Click here to find her book. It is definitely a great one for ideas.

The second book: 1000 Artist Journal Pages by Dawn DeVries Sokol
I have heard of this book many times before and I was very intrigued wanting to get my hands on a copy. Finally I sat down and ordered it! From the moment I opened it I was captivated by all the talent, all the many artist's pages that spoke to me in color and words and thoughts and feelings... it was lovely! You know that feeling when you get a brand new art journal, all the pages are white and clean and you just can't wait to begin spilling your art onto the pages... well, this is the feeling I got when I opened this book, but in this case I couldn't wait to dive into other artist's pages and explore their talents like a kid in a candy store! I have shown only a snippet of a few pages I fell in love with... I don't want to spoil it for anyone - YOU MUST HAVE THIS BOOK! I used masking tape to mark the pages that I ABSOLUTELY love, though as I continue to read through I think I may have to put tape on every page! You will love it! I am so inspired to get started... though... once again... I need to find the time to do so! lol.

So this weekend I will continue my drooling expedition as I make my way through these books yet again. Do you have certain books that have inspired you in your art? Please share them with me as I am always looking for new inspiration. In fact, I think I spend more time getting inspired than actually creating! Hmmmmm... that's not good, but let me know regardless! LOL. I am a book fanatic!!!!

I will post some of my art later on... for now... I'm off to the art store to find some pan-pastels! Sounds like fun to me!!!!

Happy Creating everyone!

Fridays With Kelly - Take 2

Fridays With Kelly - I am really loving this day and I look forward to it throughout the week. A day where I can share with my friends my inspirations throughout the week. My goal is to inspire others into their creativity!
I have been thinking a lot about my niece Destiny and that is what the first page is about. She is a sweet little 9 year old and I am having so much fun communicating back and forth through mail and on facebook. We live one Province away from each other. I am going to have her for one week this summer and I look so forward to have some girlie time.
The next pictures are of some journal time I was able to get in at work while it was slow. I have been prepping pages in the morning and taking them to work to work on.
I prepared a page on my all time favorite verses in the bible PSALM 139. It creates such a clear picture of how God knows us and loves us completely. In the flower I wrote, "God knows that I love to wear flowers in my hair!" because it is a fact about me that God knows. I have so many hair bands with flowers attached to them and that is just me. God instilled the love of flowers in me. He is such a beautiful Creator.
The "Friends" page I had a lot of fun doing, especially the lettering because I had to layer and layer it to make it pop out more. My hubby noticed that my drawings of the girls looked a little different than I usually do... and they do, I was looking through some sites and alot of drawings show girls with long necks and so I gave it a try.
The mail art "God Bless You" I wanted to do some mail art that was feminine and pretty and with a godly message too! I have tried to master drawing women's face and I enjoy doing it.. I don't really know why. I think God's creation is so beautiful and the female face is well... feminine in it's lines and contours of the eyes. It is peaceful to draw. That and I don't know how to draw a male face - lol.
So... this is my inspiration for this Friday... look around you and see if you can capture the feminine around you. Look at the differences between the male and female gender and put it on a page...
When you have done this, send me a link to your post and I would love to see what you come up with.
Hugs to you all.
Happy Creating.
Have a very inspirational day!

FRIDAYS WITH KELLY

Over in my Sketchbook Project Yahoo Group there is a lovely lady named Rita who has a post every Tuesday called "Tuesday's with Rita". I love receiving her posts and I thought to myself... I have an art day all to myself once per week... so why not have "Friday's With Kelly"????
I love my Friday's! I wake up and the house is quiet, outside the birds are chirping and fortunately for me today, the sun is shining brightly. If you follow my blog closely you will know that I thrive in the sunshine, every day that it is shining I thank God for I know it will be a fabulous day! When I moved to Calgary, Alberta just over 8 years ago the skies were bright and clear and I could not get over it! Coming from Coquitlam, British Columbia where it rained the majority of the days... I was in awe of the beautiful bright skies. Even when it was -30 degrees outside, the sky was still bright which made the cold more bareable. However, now I do not know what is happening to our weather patterns here! We have had some crazy, crazy winters where I have had to runaway in the Spring to Arizona for some much needed warm sunny therapy! I LOVE escaping to Arizona but I wish that our winters were still as bright as they once were. I am very much looking forward to summer and have rather high expectations for the weather!
Now on to my FRIDAYS WITH KELLY project...
I am enraptured with the idea of mail art! It has consumed my thinking and my spare time these past few weeks. I do believe that I love to make people smile and therefore love this idea of sending a bit of sunshine to unsuspecting individuals.
These two pieces have yet to be claimed in my mind as to whom I shall be sending them to... I am certain I will think of the perfect individual soon. Who knows... it may be you! If you would like a piece of mail art feel free to send me your address and you just might be the lucky recipient of some mail art from Kelly.
Well, I do hope you have a fabulously creative day. I am off to bask in the sunshine of my back yard!
Happy Creating everyone!

Art Inspired By Boredom

Sorry I have not been able to post for a couple of weeks. Getting back into the swing of things at work and in Calgary (due to the recent annoying snow storms) etc., etc., has been a lot harder than I expected. After having a blissfully warm sunny week in Arizona and then coming back to the cold and snow stormy weather well it has done tuckered me right out! I haven't been able to get warm since I got back! I honestly believe that Calgary does not know it's May! Today however, is the first beautiful sunny day in awhile and I plan to enjoy it, starting off with going to the dentist and getting a cavity filled!!! whoo-hoo! LOL.

I have gotten all caught up at work after my trip and now things have slowed right down... so... I have been extremely bored with nothing to do. I brought some of my art supplies to work and have been creating a bit of 'Mail-Art' which I plan to send out today. I have enjoyed creating these little artworks as I know that when I receive them it always warms my heart and I am certain it will warm the recipients hearts as well.

Also, I have been thinking about my nieces a lot and decided I would doodle their names... I haven't done one for Shanice yet, but here is the doodle I did for Destiny. I hope she likes it. I plan to send it to her soon.

Finally, the Art-house Co-op is having a project called "The Things I Dream About" and the idea is to draw out the things you dream about on a 4x6 sheet of paper, then send it in and they will display it in their library. I just started doodling one day at work but I am not "okay" with this one, it's not "the one" so I will keep trying...

I hope that all your days have been fantastically filled with glorious color and sunshine and a beautiful burst of creativity!
Happy Creating Everyone!

Fill Those Pages

The pages I prepared before my trip to Arizona worked out wonderful for recording special times from my trip and helped me to pack lighter as we all know supplies take up a lot of room and can be heavy! My bags were heavy enough as it was, I even bent the metal handle holding one of my heavy bags! I really have to learn to pack a whole lot lighter even still!
One page worked out tremendously as I had prepared it darker than the others and it captured the mood of one of my dreams while I was away rather well! Dark colors can capture moods amazingly, I think this is the reason certain colors are known for provoking certain moods in people (for example red is known to bring out anger...) or is that only in bulls??? lol. Yellow always makes me feel happy and I am sure that's why my bedroom is yellow. It is my safe happy space.
I am going to prepare my journal pages before every trip I take... I found it was so much easier and surprising how the pages worked out so nicely.

Happy Creating Everyone!

Jesus Rap

This page was inspired by Tamara Lowe, a professional speaker. It is called Jesus Rap. I loved it so much that I searched for the words on line and could not find them... then I found a you tube video with caption and wrote down the words from the caption. (I was desperate). What an inspiration this has been to me. I pray that it reaches out around the globe showing people how important it is to accept Jesus into their hearts before it's too late!
I doodled around the rap and then zentangled doodled the bottom. I think I might just frame this one for myself I love it so much.

Happy Creating Everyone!

Prepping Pages For Arizona and New Pages

Wow... much catching up to do. I have been so preoccupied and busy with work and getting ready for my trip to Arizona that I haven't had the opportunity to update my blog with new work. So...
I have created a few pages since my last update. One is from a woman's magazine from the rec centre that I belong to of an artists work that I really love. Another is of a song that I really like and the last page is a venting page! I have many of these in my journal's. They are so therapeutic!
I don't remember if I have ever prepped pages before a trip but I decided to for this trip... I didn't want to lug around all my journal supplies because I usually put my back out with heavy bags... so I'm being smart and very prepared for this trip! I am so excited as the weather has been, let's just say not-so-springlike and the winter was let's just say not-so-much-fun! I am being very nice with my words! LOL. Venting again... oops sorry (leave it for another journal page! LOL.
Happy Creating Everyone!

It's Official - Two Teenage Boys!

It's official - we have two teenagers! Ben is 13!!! Teenage birthdays are SO different from when they were little guys. When they were little they were much more taxing physically and mentally with all the little kidlets... now they seem to be more taxing on the old cheque book! Ben needed a new bike so this was his birthday present this year. For his celebration he had two of his friends sleepover and we went to see "How To Train Your Dragon" at the theatre. It was a calm celebration for the most part, there were no mishaps and no-one got hurt which is a major bonus. I remember having to have a box full of bandaids and icepacks when the kids were little. One party Josh's soccer team dog piled him! Oy vay!

My baby's a teenager!!!!! Happy 13th Benjamin!