New Blog! Find me posting on www.creativelenna.com/blog/

I've decided to make a big change and discontinue writing blog posts here on blogspot. I have created a new blog that is part of my website. All posts from this blog have been imported to my new blog! 

If you have been getting a feed for this older blogspot blog it will be outdated now.

I will not be posting to this location anymore.  I will leave my blogspot blog in place as an archive, but any new posts will be found on the new blog: www.creativelenna.com/blog/ 

I hope to see you there!

Commenting is simple on the new blog that's part of my website. You need to sign in with any of these accounts: Google+, Facebook, Twitter or Squarespace to leave a comment. Comments are moderated as always and will not be published until approved! I hope you enjoy the new blog,
please don't hesitate to ask me any questions via comment or email.

creatively yours, lenna

making marks: DLP week 10

Week 10 of the Documented Life Project

March Theme:
Making Your Mark (Doodles & Mark Making)
March 7th Art Challenge:  As A Layer Element
Journal Prompt:  Surviving the Elements

I began this weeks DLP prompt by finding and using a piece of paper I had made my marks on while visiting my good friend, Frieda Oxenham in Scotland last September. We spent one morning playing with her Gelli Plates and I saved all the pages I created even if they were just warm-ups. This bright green, orange and pink printed page seemed a good accompaniment to the 5 layer page from last week's prompt on the left.

A closer view:

Even though this Gelli plate printing is "marks on a page" as a layer, I wanted to do more actual "marks" with my hand. This is what I envisioned when I first read the prompt. I used a stencil to give me a basic shape outline, and then doodled inside the shape. 

Stencil removed: 

Then, I decided to add stamping . . . (I have a kitten, can you tell?)

The finished page:

That's how I feel, WOW! week 10!

Mark-making as a layer. As far as surviving the elements . . . no snow in Florida but this page represents to me getting through a bad cold/virus/fever and surviving!!!! 

                                        

DLP week 9: 5 Layers

Week 9 of the Documented Life Project

February Theme: Layers You Will Love!
Art Challenge:  Using at Least Five Layers
Journal Prompt:  Give Me a High Five 

I really like the direct approach of this prompt to create with at least 5 layers. For me, it felt like a "what if" kind of approach I tend to use a lot . . . at least that's what I turned it into! I found myself thinking, what if I used THIS as a layer first, then put THAT over it next? Here's what happened...

Layer One: Paint!

I squirted acrylic paint from a tube onto my page.
Use a plastic card to spread it around the page.
Use a variety of tools to make marks on the page. Let dry (the hardest part!)

Layer Two: Use a Stencil (Stencil Girl) and spray inks to layer color on top. 

I used an extra sheet of paper to pick up the extra ink on top of the stencil. I can use this paper for another project, like how I started the DLP week 8 prompt. Let dry.

Layer Three: Add colored tissue paper (and patterned) with gel medium. 

I like that you can still see the texture in the first layer of paint, through the tissue.

 Layer Four: Add another layer of Acrylic paint on top of the dried tissue paper. 

Use paint combs to pull and texture the paint. 

 Layer Five: Add paper collage on top of it all! 

The cups are a magazine catalog image I ripped out and saved in a box of scraps a year or two ago. When I got to layer 5 and decided to use paper, I went looking for something that would speak to me and work with the bright colors I started with. After gluing the cups down I used a black pen to outline then in a scraggly way. The circles are punched out of tea bag wrappers I saved. 

For me this was a very satisfying prompt. I kept myself to 1/2 a page spread because I was determined to get week 9 done and dusted before week 10 was announced! I have been a little bit behind, and then when my husband & I were both sick with a fever, chills and cough earlier this week, I really got behind. I do not like that feeling so I  gave myself a goal of getting caught up when I was feeling better. Now I will give MYSELF a Great BiG HiGH 5!!!! :o))

Repeating Elements: DLP Week 8

Week 8 of the Documented Life Project
February Theme Layers You Will Love!
February 21: week 8 Announced
Art Challenge:  Repeating Elements
Journal Prompt:  It's Worth Repeating

yes, I do love repeating images/colors in my work but I did not realize how much, until I did this exercise. And, I kind of had to force myself to start as it has been very busy, we've been sick with a virus and I am behind a bit on doing these challenges. . . . but when I did start, one thing led to another and I found myself just clicking along thinking about different ways to repeat what I was doing. I really enjoyed myself. 

I started with this leftover scrap of paper. After I had used this stencil in another project and it was covered with wet spray ink, I pressed it against the scrap paper instead of wasting the ink and then saved it. This was how I started my journal spread. 

Then look what happened! I used the stencil in different ways directly on my journal as well as covering the background area by spraying dyes or doing direct ink to paper. 

Then I started choosing individual parts of the stencil to add, in different areas. I used a gold or a white marker to add flowers one at a time. 

 It's Worth Repeating!!