Green Pepper Press Street Team - Crusade #55

Michelle's next challenge included background color and disappearing overstamping of bold stamps. I did some playing here. The second one was completed, but I felt compelled to cover with gesso and spray with more orange -- for more "disappearing"! I plan to play some more - this is very fun!

Stencils found

Due to the hurricane, storms and saturated ground, my dad's basement flooded. I visited in an attempt to help with some of the cleanup. In the process, I found an old box with my Mom's stencil lesson plans. In a way it was spooky, as I just put together a stencil class three months ago and it was almost identical to what I found in this box that is over 20 years old! Most of the papers were damaged, but I did save two hand-cut stencils and used them on a journal page. My dad and I took a stroll through the yard and went to my favorite apple tree because underneath it four-leaf clovers always grow. We found at least 10!! Even a five-leaf!

Green Pepper Press Street Team - Crusade #54

This month Michelle challenged us to think of words, phrases, song titles, etc., and then mix a color to match the name. This was an extension of last month, where we mixed colors and then named them. This was really hard for me, but I couldn't figure out why. Then it dawned on me! I never "think" when I journal, I just let my feelings flow onto the page.

Before I actually read the challenge, I felt the need to express "peace" in my journal. This is what happened:

After I read the challenge, I realized this was similar to what Michelle was asking us to do! Not quite the same -- but I was on the same wavelength!!

So, I got to work thinking about songs, words in songs, things around me and came up with this. The first page includes favorite words, phrases and Wind in Bamboo is the name of a song. I recently saw the Glee movie (yes, I'm a Gleek!) so page two features my favorite glee show-stoppers.

This was a fun challenge. Thanks, Michelle, for making me think!

Read more about the challenge at Michelle's site.

Green Pepper Press Street Team - Crusade #53

This month's GPP Street Team theme is Mad Scientist - when playing around with paint we often get mixes of color we love. These are old journal pages that started out with a fall color background with leaves stamped on it, but it looked too "cheesy" for me. The page sat there for months, then one hot summer day I covered it all with some red paint and got all these shades of pink, orange and peach! The heart tag was from a Lynn Perrella sheet and I extended the paint onto map pages - one of my favorite techniques. I call this color: summer heat.

A more recent page is shown below. For the background on the right hand page, I used ochre ink and then layered with violet chalk ink and then finally some fresco cream glaze. I love the colors created here - which I would call golden glow and warm violet! I used a watercolor crayon to accent the cut-out heart.

Join the crusade at:

http://michelleward.typepad.com/how_cool_is_that/

Vacation mini journal

I never journal on vacation, because I don't know how to travel with my "stuff". This year I was determined to try it. So, I pulled out a mini journal I bought years ago and placed it in a plastic container with a few markers, watercolor pencils, a waterbrush, and some paper scraps from my art table. Then threw in 3 rubber stamps, some "cat's eyes" pigment ink pads and some rub-on letters. I am studying the five principles of Japanese reiki (a scrap on my table)- so these were included as well. I had to use what I had!

Here are a few of my favorite pages on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dancingdrgnfly/5919681862/in/set-72157627155178820/

When I returned from vacation, I was inspired to purchase a pink "CRAFTSMAN" bag that I found. I love it - now I can take my journaling anywhere!

Koi in the pond

For fourth of July, Jay and I visited his family in the Poconos. It's a beautiful location in the woods with a beautiful pond. Many years ago Jay put seven koi in the pond. We've watched them grow over the past seven years - stunning colors of orange, white and black can be seen slowing swimming around the pond. Today, however, the largest, most brilliant orange koi died. We sensed something was wrong with him over the weekend. I started this journal page in the mountains (before I even knew he was sick!) and finished today in his honor.

Green Pepper Press -- Summer colors continues!

Ok, after all my experimenting with new summer colors, I had to do my favorite summer color - AQUA!! These pages were inspired by having coffee on my deck this morning. The birds were singing and the tree I planted years ago is so big!! Enjoy!