Art Journaling, A Love of Mine (Jurnalul de arta, una din placerile personale)

It is by now obvious that I like to mix materials textures, try out new mediums, products or techniques. Art journaling is one of the best ways I can do this.
I do have a private journal where I also write personal stuff, but normally I don't like to add words. These two pages are the last two I did for our "travelling sketchbooks" group, now on their way to Venice, Italy.

Jurnalele de arta sunt unul din cele mai bune moduri prin care imi pot manifesta placerea de combina materiale si texturi diverse, incercand totodata tehnici si produse noi.
Cu toate ca am un jurnal privat in care  scriu si anumite experiente personale, in general prefer sa nu adaug cuvinte in compozitie.
Acestea sunt ultimele doua pagini pe care le-am completat in cadrul grupului nostru de "caiete calatoare", acum in drum spre Venetia, Italia.

BOD -Inner Cover

So I decided to dedicate Saturdays to mu Book of Days project. I usually just rest from my weekly work, clean the house, cook and now spend some time in the evening doing my art journal entries (if my little one lets me).

This is the inner cover where I say goodbye to 2011 and look forward to 2012.

Edited later: A comment from Jo C. just reminded me forgot to say that the Cart Postale pocket is actually a card I received in 2007 from Bev, a dear online friend. I have been thinking about saying this all the time I was working on the page, but I guess I just had a hard day.

The great thing about the BOD is that it allows me to preserve some wonderful pieces of art I have received from friends all over the world. I have been keeping them in a box, but I have been always looking for a way to put them to good use. I am beyond excited to have finally found it.

Book of Days

Just before the new year I signed up for the Book of Days Program. For those who haven't heard of it, it's a year long Journal Art & Memory Keeping journey with Effy Wild. It is totally free but you must sign up to have access to it (you can click the above link for details and sign-up).

This is the cover. Took me 3 days to finish  it and like it. I will definitely not have the time to work on it daily but it is fun and instructing nevertheless.

If you have never done this kind of a daily-art exercise I strongly encourage you to. It will help you discover yourself as an artist, what you like and what you dislike, where you need to improve, learn new mediums and techniques, make mistakes and find ways to turn them into something good. It is also stress free, since you are free too explore, make and correct mistakes, take notes, have fun while doing it, no worries about cost of ruined materials because all you need to begin is an old book and some basic supplies.

I'd like to hear from you if you decide to take this challenge. Please leave me a note here if you do and i'll come and see how you are doing.

Faith.

As part of the program you are encouraged to pick a word for 2012. Mine is FAITH.  I want to learn to live by faith and try less to solve things by myself . 2011 has clearly showed me that it is only by the grace of our Lord that we can experience true happiness.

Just before Christmas I was desperately asking for a sign to find out which way to go and the sign came right while I was praying for it. 2012 will be a year in which I will pay more attention to the voice of God and try to record my experience so I have a place to find encouragement in harder times.

Home Decor with Cuttlebug: Black And White Butterfly Canvas

Today is my turn again to write a tutorial for Cuttlebug Challenge Blog.
Azi e din nou randul meu sa scriu un tutorial pentru Cuttlebug Challenge Blog.


Deborah and I chose black and white to showcase Mother's Day. She made a box and I made a butterfly canvas. See full tutorial here.
Eu si Deborah am ales sa realizam proiecte de ziua mamei folosind doar alb si negru. Ea a decorat o cutie, iar eu am ales sa va arat cum puteti realiza o panza decorativa folosind o tehnica mixta. Tutorialul se gaseste aici.

Mardi Gras Fine Art with Cuttlebug

If every year before Christmas I paint poppies, i don't know how it happens that around Valentine's day I do mixed media art using cuttlebug texture.
Daca in fiecare an inainte de Craciun pictez maci, nu stiu cum se face ca in preajma Valentine's Day realizez o lucrare mixed media folosind texturi cuttlebug.


Here are some details. Click on images for larger view.
Iata si cateva detalii. Faceti click pe imagine pentru o a se mari.


As design team member for the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog I was assigned a Mardi Gras project and tutorial so I chose to experiment with painting on cuttlebug texture.
Ca membru in echipa de designeri Cuttlebug Challenge Blog mi-a fost desemnat un proiect si tutorial cu tema Mardi Gras, asa ca am decis sa testez pictura pe o suprafata texturata cu cuttlebug.

Here are some work in progress pictures. See full tutorial on the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog (follow link above).
Iata cateva poze din timpul lucrului. Tutorialul integral se gaseste pe Cuttlebug Challenge Blog (urmati linkul de deasupra)

Last year's painting

I don't have it at home so this is the best picture I could find. You can read more about it in last year's post.

Luv Bug Weekend - Mixed Media Canvas Art (Cuttlebug si arta mixed media pe panza)

Wow!

Thank you all for the great response to the Luv Bug Weekend's blog hop. I will take time to visit all your blogs and give a little love back.
Multumesc pentru raspunsul extraordinar la concursul Luv Bug Weekend blog hop. Imi voi face timp sa vizitez toate blog-urile voastre si sa va inapoiez putina dragoste.

And now here is the Canvas Art I promised.
Iata proiectul pe care vi l-am promis ieri.



When I first saw the project call on the Cuttlebug Challenge DT message board I had no idea what it was going to be. How could I use cuttlebug on canvas?
Prima data cand am vazut aceasta tena pe grupul echipei de designeri a Cuttlebug Challenge Blog nu aveam nici cea mai vaga idee despre ce as putea face. Cum poti folosi cuttlebug pe panza.

I decided to take the challenge anyway and experiment mixed media. It is my first try. It was fun and while developing the whole composition, mood and colors I realized anyone can do it even without the painting skills.
Am hotarat totusi sa accept provocarea si sa experimentez pentru prima data tehnica mixed media. Munca la acest proiect a fost o experienta placuta si in timp ce lucram la compozitie, atmosfera si culori mi-am dat seama ca oricine ar putea obtine aceleasi rezultate fara a avea indemanare la desen.

YOU CAN DO THIS with stamps, stencils or other templates.
PUTETI FACE ASTA cu ajutorul stampilelor sau diverselor sabloane.

If you want a tutorial on how I did it and ideas of how to make your own, go to the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog. The direct link is here:
Pentru tutorial si idei despre cum ati putea realiza o lucrare asemanatoare, va invit sa vizitati Cuttlebug Challenge Blog. Linkul direct este mai jos:

Canvas Art with Cuttlebug

Luv Bug Weekend goes on. Visit the Cuttlebug Challenge blog tomorrow for the following tutorials and more goodies to win.
Luv Bug Weekend continua. Visitati Cuttlebug Challenge blog maine pentru urmatoarele tutoriale si posibilitatea de a castiga alte premii extraordinare.

Shannon Bracken: Valentine Coupon book (Carnetel de (nu stiu ce) Valentine)
Mrs J : Valentine treat (Ceva bun, nu siu cum se traduce :P)
Lori Boyd: Valentine Mailbox (Cutie de scrisori Valentine)
Tracy Pounds: Metal Art Frame (Rama - arta metal)

NEED HELP WITH YOUR FIRST CANVAS ART?
AVETI NEVOIE DE AJUTOR PENTRU PRIMA VOASTRA LUCRARE PE PANZA?

Leave a comment with your questions on this posts and I will try to answer. If you need a detailed tutorial about something you saw on my blog, just let me know. I would be glad to share. Remember! Anyone can do it! What I have is the passion and that is a gift from God. The rest is just study, practice, try it on.
Lasati un comentariu la acest post daca aveti intrebari si voi incerca sa va raspund. Daca doriti un tutorial amanuntit desper ceva ce ati vazut pe blog, spuneti-mi. Voi fi incantata sa impartasesc cu voi. Si nu uitati! Toti puteti face asta! Ce am eu in plus e poate pasiunea pentru ceea ce fac si asta e un dar de la Dumnezeu. In rest e doar invata, exerseaza, pune in practica.


ROBIN'S BLOG CANDY

I was hopping around the Cuttlebug Challenge DT blogs when I found this great giveaway on Robin's blog. She is giving away 5 stamp sets. The following are my favorites. Hop there for more details and your chance to win.
"Topaiam" printre blogurile echipei de designeri a Cuttlebug Challenge blog cand am gasit aceasta oportunitate de a castiga 5 seturi de stampile. Mai jos sunt 2 dintre ele, preferatele mele. Pentru mai multe detalii si sansa de a castiga un astfel de set, vizitati blogul lui Robin.