POP UP ART CHALLENGE #25

Hi y'all! 

Betty here.  This is definitely late and not on our routine schedule.  The art retreat we had at the end of October had all of us (and me especially) busier than a one legged man in a butt-kickin' contest!  Maybe some of you did yours, and if you did -- good on you!  I just finished mine up, so this was an excellent time to remind those of you who might have forgotten...

POP UP #25 - NOVEMBER CALENDER
Create your November "month at a glance" calendar with a fall or Thanksgiving theme.

My background had a lot of bleed-through Dylusions inks from the previous page, so I gessoed it rather heavily, and used a Calyx tool and made random marks in the gesso while it was wet.  Khaki and Citrus Green craft acrylic was applied with a brayer, then zapped with the heat gun (you know how impatient I can be!).  I then used two different Sugar Loaf stamps on each side of the page, and because of the textural nature of the gesso, they didn't stamp very well, so I had to draw in the details on both stamps. I colored them with Sakura Gelly Pens and Prismacolor pencils.  I sketched out the calendar blocks the exact width of my rule, went over the lines with a black Posca marker and added the dates.  Some random fall leaf stamps added and also colored with Prismacolor pencils and I called it done.

LYNN made this beautifully composed spread in her journal, and the colors just evoke a full-on fall feel, don't they?

Melody and Shana were unable to participate in this challenge.  I know we're behind, so join us in "catching up" before the holidays get us!  Share your calendar with us over at Artful Journeys!  As always, keep your world artful!

ARTFUL CHICKS
~~Betty, Melody, Lynn & Shana

#Pop-Up#25 #November Calender

ARTFUL JOURNEYS: Week #30 - A multi-step challenge

Hey, y'all!!!  It's Melody again this week bringing you a new and interesting multi-step challenge!

This week we're going to start by painting in our 3 favorite colors...then grab a stencil and stamp thru the openings!  The idea initially was to use an "image" stamp of some sort, leaving spaces where you stamp through a stencil. Some of us went with this process, others not so much.

Let's start with our newest team member, SHANA!  Her background just wowed me!  Pop on over to her blog HERE to see her process.

Next up is LYNN'S spread - and here's what she had to say about it:   "The 3 colors I chose for this week's prompt were Apple Barrel Lime Green, Folk Art Light Blue and Americana Razzleberry. Then I grabbed a little face stencil I made using my Cricut machine (this machine can make a BUNCH of different stencils, FYI).  Then I came back with a circle stencil and some Tim Holtz Distress paints and made some circles then stamped my words into the openings of the circle stencil. This prompt was a LOT of fun and so easy, you've gotta give it a try!"

Next up is Miss Betty, and her colorful spread does NOT disappoint!  Betty said she was hurrying to get this prompt done this weekend, after a week of traveling, and her great niece was getting married Saturday evening out of town.   She says:  "Created in my large Dylusions journal using Dylusions and craft acrylic paint in lime green, turquoise and lemon yellow. Some of the paint was applied with a brayer and some with a palette knife. I used the Stampenous "Glance" stamp through a wide feather stencil, revealing only a portion of the image. I added some white slashes with the edge of my palette knife and a few dots around with some TH Distress Ink in Mustard. Assorted ephemera laying on my desk added, and the words hand painted with a #2 round brush and black acrylic paint.  This was an interesting way to use an image stamp, something I only have two of. I think it would be very interesting to use a more detailed stamp, leaving the spaces that happen when stamping through a large stencil. This one I used was not very detailed, but more so than the other one I have.  Thanks for stopping by and having a look. I can't wait to see what you all create."

Miss TAMIE had some fun with hers this week, and as usual, it's so bright and colorful and there's LOTS to look at!  Be sure to stop by her blog, HERE to see what she did!

And finally there's my (MELODY) spread for the week!  Hop over to my blog, HERE,  where I made sure to post plenty of pictures of my process.

Well, there you have it!  I hope you will be sure to visit everyone's blogs and leave us all a little love!  We love having y'all stop by and we'll see you next week!!!!!

Have an artful week!

ARTFUL CHICKS
~~Melody, Betty, Tamie, Lynn & Shana

ARTFUL JOURNEYS - WEEK # 7

MARDI GRAS, FAT TUESDAY, CARNIVALE -- the final last big hurrah before Lent for many people.  Another reason to party and celebrate for others.  A time when many cities come alive with people, events, parties, parades and debauchery.

Mardi Gras begins on or after the Epiphany or King's Day and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", reflecting the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season.

Related popular practices are associated with celebrations before the fasting and religious obligations associated with the penitential season of Lent. The date of Fat Tuesday coincides with that of celebrations of Shrove Tuesday, from the word shrive, meaning "confess".  (courtesy of Wikipedia)

You guessed it.  This is our prompt for this week.  Mardi Gras.  We want you to express Mardi Gras in your journal.  Make it bright. Make it bold. Make it colorful.  Use all the greens, golds & purples you want since these ARE the colors of Mardi Gras.  The gaudier it is, the more it becomes about this event.  Collage some costumes.  Make a mask. Represent this huge international event however you please.  Many people, in many cultures celebrate the last day before the Lenten season.  Maybe your celebrations are quiet and reserved, feasting, sharing time with friends and family and not filled with quite so much of the rituals that have become these wild Mardi Gras celebrations.  However you choose to intepret it is strictly up to you.  After all, it is your journal.

Please take a moment to visit the blogs of Betty & Melody to see their creations and processes, and leave some blog love while you're there.  Tamie's blog is still down and of course, Lynn says she is not blogging. Ever.

Enjoy our creations.  We had fun making them for this week's prompt.

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LYNN JACKSON - I can't lie. When I first heard of this prompt from the other members of this jolly band of chicks, my first thought was that nothing was going to come to my mind with this one but, as it turned out,  I really enjoyed doing it. 

I used Blue Bird acrylic paint for the background, and created some fluffy white clouds.  The south is always clear and sunny, right??   The letters were brown that I used my glaze pens on and found some New Orleans stickers at the local hobby store that represented New Orleans.  I just kinda tried to make a cute page out of it.  Remember, I'm still learning, like some of you, and I am sure having fun experimenting and playing!

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TAMIE RODRIGUEZ WILSON - Well, my blog is still down, and I am really missing it (um, did I say that? hehe).  Bless Betty for doing these posts for all of us. She does her darndest to keep us all in line (most of the time).  Anywho...  for this week's prompt I first started with a gessoed page and used some round homemade stencils for the effects.  I used all Gelatos for background. I also used a new circle stencil with greenish ink and placed red dots with a marker. Then, I glued down some gold confetti I just happened to have. Used apple green acrylic and an end of a pencil to make some more circles.

The dolls are from Xquizart Designs (http://www.mischiefcircus.com/shop/manufacturers.php) I printed out my word art,  drew around them with a black marker and added white dots. Glued some on some neon color butterflies and here you have it!

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MELODY ELZY - Melody's spread this week leaves lots of room for her to write and journal, as is her style and preference.    Visit her blog here,  to read about her processes and materials. Remember to leave her some blog love while you're there!

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BETTY RICHARDSON - This week was a lot of fun and I think I went a little bit crazy with this thing.  I'm only giving you a little sneak peek here, so hop on over to my blog here to see BOTH things I created for you this week.  And a little blog love would be especially  nice, too.

If you want, you can follow my blog either by email, on Bloglovin or recommend it to your friends on G+1.  If you follow, you will likely see these posts before they are posted to the group, giving you a bit of a head start.  Jus' sayin' .... 

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We hope you all enjoy our interpretations of this week's prompts.  We're getting back on track (with the conclusion of 14 Days of Love yesterday) with all our weekly prompts, pop-up art challenges and our Artful Tactics.  So stay tuned, and keep it artful!

ARTFUL CHICKS
~Betty, Melody, Tamie & Lynn

14 DAYS OF LOVE - DAY #14

We did it!  This is the 14th day of love, and if you  have been keeping up and doing all 13 days thus far, you are finally at the end.  Celebrate yourself today!  Remind yourself that you are loved, that you are, indeed, good enough, worthy and talented!  We are proud you have stuck out this little project and have so enjoyed seeing all your work and your creations.

Our final prompt for 14 DAYS OF LOVE is to reward yourself. Write yourself a love poem, or use a poem that speaks to who you are as a person.

You could write a sonnet if you like, an ode to the powerful you.  Or maybe you decide to write a Haiku, or even a little limerick.  However you do it, and however you express it, we know it will be wonderful!

You.  Yes,  you  ARE worthy, talented, creative and all the other very positive things about you that you (and others) love.  Too often we let our inner critic take the lead, and throughout the past two weeks, we have wanted you to focus on your positive, the loving side of your nature and what it feels like to BE loved.

We love that you put your art "out there" for us all to see and enjoy.  We love that you are part of our artful journey and sharing this experience with us.  We love that you embrace our challenges, and take the sometimes difficult steps to get out of your comfort zone with your art.  We love that you inspire us!  We will continue to push you throughout the year to keep stepping out of that comfort zone, but now, those of you who are finishing this challenge can be assured that you have what it takes to see a project through to completion.  You did it!  And we are proud of you!  We're pretty proud of ourselves, with this being our first "series" of  themed art prompts.  It was fun, challenging and at the same time very rewarding in oh, so many ways.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! 

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Here's our interpretation of today's prompt.  We hope you are able to take many positives away from this experience, either through the process, the experience of discovery and experimentation, or through the comfort in knowing that you don't face those inner demons alone.

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BETTY RICHARDSON - Today's prompt was really fun for me.  I was a little bit silly, and a little bit serious.

My silliness is reflected in this little ditty, that I learned as a child.  Why I learned it I will never know, but it has stuck with me all these many decades.  Created as a 4x6" postcard. Background created with scraped gesso;  Liquitex Basics acrylics in 3 different shades of red; lettered with black Signo Uniball pen.  Stamp is one I received from a friend, colored with Copic Markers, and outlined with black China marker.  Embellished with decorative tape and Special Black Copic marker.  It is silly, isn't it, but I love this old lady with her hat and noisemaker.  That's me. Old lady.  But I like to say I'm old enough to know better and young enough not to care! <hehehe>

My "serious" side takes a more conventional approach to today's prompt.  I could certainly have written a poem, a Haiku or even a Limerick.  I have written many in the past because I do love words (can't you tell) and I love writing.  But THIS poem speaks to my soul, my inner me, the strong and independent me.  To me, it focuses on the positive, forging ahead in life no matter what is hurled toward you.  And this has how my life has been. I was always taught to pull myself up by my bootstraps and move on.  Whether I get knocked down or fall down on this journey we call life.  So here, I recite INVICTUS, by William Ernest Henley. I first read this poem when I was about 14 years old and have kind of clung to it ever since.  If you're keeping track, that's about 5 decades. I hope you like it too.

Hand lettered on black cardstock with a silver metallic Sakura pen and embellished with silver, green & pink metallic and Red Sakura Stardust pens.  Nothing too fancy.  And it is super shiny in the light.It may be simple, but it speaks volumes to me.  I think it is a fitting way to end my 14 Days of Love, by loving myself.

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LYNN JACKSON - Using card-stock painted pink and lime green for the background and added heart stamps and once again colored them in with the glaze pens. I must say these prompts were more fun thAn work like I thought they would be.  I hope you all have enjoyed them as well. Thanks for looking!

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Melody is traveling out of state tonight, and poor Tamie has had her grandchildren all day, so Lynn and I will have to do!

Create something wonderful and reward yourself!  Show us your creations on the group feed at Artful Journeys and we'll keep cheering you on!

We're keeping it artful!
"Your" ARTFUL CHICKS

~~Betty, Melody, Tamie & Lynn