Blog

Some days, I just want to play in my journal in the most simple way. And what’s better than just taking some spray inks, write something, and call it done ?

This is one of the reasons why I love using sprays. They are not just to use with stencils, no no no. And the reason why I adore the ones from Lindy Stamp Gang is that 1) I have the choice: shimmer or not shimmer 2) the colors are unique, you won’t see anything like them anywhere else.

I used the same method than for the Worthy spread: I started by using stencils and bubble wrap with super heavy gesso to create texture and a contrast with the paper of the journal itself.

Then, I grabbed the Industrial Chic Starburst set, a stencil designed by Christy Tomlinson (isn’t that doily gorgeous ? love it) and had fun and sprayed sprayed sprayed my heart out.

I started in the middle, with Rusty Lantern Lime and worked my way to the edges with Time Travel Teal, then I darkened the very edges with Shabby Turbine Teal (these teals make my heart sing a happy song !).

See how the paper soaks the pigments more than the gesso ? It almost looks like I gessoed after applying the color, but nope.

I stamped a bit with one of my tribal symbol stamp, wrote my truth, and called it done !

It really does not have to be complicated…

ooooh I really need to thank my Sister-From-Another-Mother (aka miss Micki Wilde) for the renewed love for characters and hidden stories they still have to tell.

For this week video and art journaling play, I wanted to see how would my sprays would react on different surfaces; and because I love texture so much, I chose to apply super heavy gesso (both through stencils, and by itself. I used my Catalyst blade but you could totally use a palette knife).

See how we can still notice the gesso despite the heavy spraying ? Oh yay… the ink stays lighter on top of it than it’s true color when on the paper. It offers such a great contrast, I am thinking of doing that more often. Wondering what would happen on canvas and on wood too (some people automatically gesso everything they work on, I used to; but now I skip this step) !
There are several thicknesses of gesso, and each brand is kind of different (for example, the regular gesso from Liquitex is more fluid than the Golden one). Heavy or Exra/Super gesso is good for texture, because it holds in stencils, it has plenty of possibilities.

I think I might have fallen into the glitters jar. Oops !
I told you before how fine the glitters, that now coordinates with the newest color sets, are. And how that makes my heart happy.
I don’t like using glue, so finding ways to avoid it is always a good point.

I kept her face simple. Because I did not want to pressure myself, and I wanted to keep it fun for me, putting my feet back in the water not to abruptly.
Oh sure, I kind of cringe when I see that fake mouth and think «oh, if she has a mouth, at least it could be a better one», but eh, I’m okay with how it looks because it’s not what matters the most when I look at her. To me anyway.

I love how the products from Lindy Stamp Gang helps my creativity to soar. And allow me to get back to it when I am in a rut, when I don’t know anything about it anymore (well… at least when I think it’s the case). I start with the sprays and go from there to see where it leads me.

Here is my video, I hope you’ll enjoy (remember to turn the HD on, it’s better):

And because I know we often wonder «what the heck did she use ?», here is a list:

Gratitude Friday is a weekly ritual I started in order to focus on all the small and big positive things that happened during my week. I invite you to join me, you’ll see how much being thankful can change your life. If you want to know more about it, read my introduction post.

Hello !

There is so much I want to share with you, but I hate mixing everything up *well, it’s untrue but I understand myself here* !

Today is my birthday. 28. Love those two numbers. I have plans and hopes for what this year will look like. and wishes will be blown over a candle tonight, surrounded by my little tribe of Love.

This week, I am thankful for:

• My TrueSisters.
• Abundance.
• Magic.
• The power of sharing.
• Inspiration.
• My Rainbow Salads for lunch.
• My new iPod touch, replacing the one we got just before the Big Move (thank you Chéridoo). 32gb against 8gb. Oh and this electric blue ? yes.
• Unicorns.
• Love. Truth. Rawness. Cracks.
• Morning kisses.
• Snail Mail.
• «I love you»s
• Poetry.
• Sharing my birthday with one of my TrueSister.

If you wrote your Gratitude Friday on your blog, don’t forget to enter your NAME and URL below so I’m notified and can come to read you (you can also join by commenting this post):
[linkme]

I have had this in my Heart for a long long time (like a lot of my ideas, actually), until I finally jumped and get to it.

At first, I thought this series about my love for the Moon would be called «Moonlandia», but at the end if this one, which is the first and titled «Healed», «Mama Moon» imposed itself. Which I could not resist.

This serie is, to me, about letting my Intuition rule. May seem simple, but it is not… for example, I knew I wanted to block in my Moon but was so loving the background going on that I pushed that steps for a few days before going for it. And I am blissed I actually did it because I so love this painting…

I like that it allowed me to go around my comfort zone. I found my Happy again.

I even played with glitters. I mean… come on ! Lindy Stamp Gang now has some glitters and I love love love using them here and there. You’ll see that I’m really carefree when it comes to it 😉

This painting is full of my personal symbols. full. And as long as I know they are here, covering them up was not what makes it difficult. I just love the background so much… I pondered blocking in, or blocking out.

I love purple, this is why I chose several purples Starbursts (=shimmery) and one Flat (one color like you’re used to). I could never go back to another brand than LSG for my sprays, and trust me I was a long time fan, before joining their Design Team a few months ago (dream come true).

The message came intuitively, no thinking involved (other than «will this amazing pen work or no on my textured background ??»)

Ok, the video will speak for itself. But please, if you have any question, do ask (here or on Youtube).

Here is the video, I hope you enjoy:

Here is a list of the Supplies I’ve used (click on the image of the product to learn more about it):

Studio Calico Kits Upbeat Paper – Heyday Liquitex Matte Gel Catalyst Blade #6 Bleeding Tissue Paper Mad Hatter Mint Blick Matte Acrylics Catalyst Blade 04 Well Rounded Stencil Tweedle Dee Denim Vintage Lace Stencil Tea Pot Purple Cheshire Cat Cherry Deli Paper Midnight Rendezvous Raven Silver Alcohol Ink Steel Shimmer Mad Hatter Glitter Sign White Ball Pen

InLinkz.com

I was watching Mindy Lacefiled’s video for this month projet over her online class True Free Spirit. I love the music she uses as background, usually some songs by the duo Larkin Poe. I don’t necessarily pay attention to what it actually says (and it’s easy to turn my brain of because English is not my mother tongue) but this time, there is something that kept standing out: «Shadow of ourselves».

Inspiration often strikes when I don’t expect it to be there, and this is what happened. It triggered memories, old feelings, new thoughts.

The wall I built over the years is cracking down, little piece by little piece. Letting people in, letting my Light out.

In the Shadow of herself
She feels safe,
hiding who she really is.
Look closer
If you want to uncover
the big Heart
and the willing Soul that were
in the Dark.

In the Shadow of herself
She comforts,
Soothes the deep wounds of her past.
She unfolds
all these stories that she built
to protect
the bright but tamed light she knew
was waiting.

In the Shadow of herself,
she broke,
caved in; not really sure
which path to go yet.
Full of Trust,
She discovered she could be
inspired.

In the Shadow of herself,
She notices
the old patterns that compose
the red thread
holding the key and answers
of questions
She only has the power
To unveil.

In the Shadow of herself,
She is Me.

Something then happened… The urge to sketch a Nixie, from an images that appeared last week during a meditation (when I can’t sleep, I grab a clear quartz, either hold it or put it on my forehead, do a short visualization… and usually, I fall asleep quite quickly after that)

And then this is what I saw while this little «I badly need to fall asleep. now» session. I know the Nixie that appeared was actually me.

What’s a girl to do when the Inner Voice gets pushy to sketch ? well… she sketches 😉