Art Journal Take Two

The following pictures are from the first art journal I started. I was broke and didn't have much. So I used a large journal and glued pages together to make them thicker. I glued three pages together then tore out three so that once the book is done it won't be straining the binding.

If you click the images they will enlarge and you will be able to see more detail. When I get a good laptop I will use my good dslr camera and it instead of my phone.



This is the cover. Painted it brown and used scraps of scrapbook paper and stamps.




The first ever mixed media project I ever did was this page layout. I used some face and eye sketches from a old sketchbook. I added magazine cut outs. And painted the background. The quote says, "Few are those who see with their eyes and feel with their hearts," by Albert Einstein.




This one was done with oil pastel. Inspiration was a random image someone showed me.

"Love is shown in your deeds not in your words. Love blooms where the whole world can see in, in your thoughts and actions."




Paint, chalk, scraps, ink, and drawing.




Chalk and stamps.
"Hope is the thing with feathers, and perches in the soul and sings the tune without words and never stops at all."
Emily Dickinson




Pastels and sharpie
"Let your creativity bloom"





First test with making colored wash sprays and sharpies. Oh and a stamp.




A collage piece. There are lots of layers in this one. Painting. Magazine cutouts. Stamps. The doll is made from napkins. Her body and face was ink.




Left over ink on stencils from a project. And practicing with new stamps.




Out of all my projects and art journal this is the page I dislike the most. It turned out too busy for me.
I used thickers on a page. Covered it with polkadotted tissue paper and used matte gel to paste it over. Used some ink over the words to help them stand out.
Added stamps and stenciling. And some buttons.

"Life is an adventure you must explore"




The heart on the left was a cut out from a page where I was practicing dripping ink.
The words are lyrics from a song our worship leader wrote. My favorite.




Using a credit card to paint. Added some stamps.




Using cheese cloth as texture I felled it down. Then used sprays and paint. I also used modeling paste with stencils. Tissue tape strips and prima flowers were added as well. More stenciling.


And that's it for this journal so far! Any details you have questions about please ask!


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BT: Beauty Blender vs Blending Sponge

So tonight's Beautiful Tuesday post will be a comparison/review.

The Beauty blender (actually a dupe) vs a blending sponge (generic form).

Now several months ago I had read about the Beauty Blender. It's a pink (the original one is, it now comes in black too I believe) tear drop shaped sponge that you get damp then use to apply liquid or cream make up products. (Usually foundation and concealer) You put some product either on the back of your hand or on your face and then with a bouncing, stippling motion you pay the product onto your skin with the damp sponge. It leaves a great blended finish on you skin and works well with hiding blemishes.

Now the original Beauty Blender is about 20.00 and will last around three months I think. The website isn't clear on this but that's about how long I used mine before it just got to the point where I felt I needed a new one.

A friend did get me the original. And I loved it. I wish I had pictures for you but alas I do not. Warning, your foundation will stain the sponge material but if the water runs clean after you wash it then its clean. You should wash your Beauty Blender after each application of makeup. Beauty Blender even makes a cleanser for it. You can check it all out at their website beauty blender.net. I used a soft makeup brush shampoo for mine.

Now, when it was time to buy myself a new one I didn't really want to pay the 20.00. There are dupes everywhere for it. Some look the exact same and some have a weirder shape. Sonia Kashuk (a brand at target) has one that's 14.99 I believe and it's the weird shape one. And then target had its own brand ( up and up) that looks just like it for 4.99.

I bought the target brand. It was more budget friendly. Here is what is looks like.




(Please ignore the badly chipped nail polish!)

See! Weird shape! Oh and I had used it a couple of times before the pictures so you can see the stains I mentioned earlier.

I did not like this sponge. One, I don't really like the shape. It felt awkward to me. Second, the material is completely different. It's much denser and heavier. It took more effort to get the blended look I wanted.

The Sonia Kashuk one may be better but as I didn't like the shape to begin with I decided not to try it.

But I wanted another one like the original. One day while I was at T.J. Maxx I saw they had a dupe. It was in a clear box. I have already forgotten the name that was on it. Something generic.
Anyway, it was teal and only 4.99. So I bought it. It looks like this.




I loved this! It's the same shape as the original. I feel like its just as soft and bouncy when I use it. I could not be happier.

One of the things about the Beauty Blender that I find fun (because inside I'm still a little kid) is that when you get it wet, it gets bigger. Almost double in size, not quite. It's like those little dinosaur pills I had when I was a kid. You drop the pill in water and wait and the Dino would pop out and grow larger. Yeah, that's what it remiss me of.

Here are some photos. The top picture will be it dry an the bottom is after I got it wet.








I tried to keep my hand the same distance for those photos. Not quite. But you can still see the difference right?

Well, I hope this post helps someone. Let me know your thoughts if you have tried one or the other or are interested.
Any questions are always welcome!


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my iPhone

Art Journal Take One

Hey there! Today I decided that I would show you all one of my art journals. (I have four... Well five if you count my moleskine)

Over the the next few Saturdays I shall showcase a journal and then as I add to those journals I will do updates. Sound good? Hope so.

I apologize if the pictures aren't great. I'm using my iPhone.
If you have any questions about details, please feel free to leave a comment!!!!




This is the cover of one of my art journals. It is actually the third one I started. It was sent to me from a friend off of a mixed media Facebook group. We did a swap where we had to create a cover and one page in an art journal four our partner. This is what my partner did for me. If you want more details about that, there is a video on my YouTube channel.
(createwithapurpose is my screen name) maybe I will edit a link here once I get on a computer)




This is the page my partner created for me. My favorite part is the stitched look on the hearts.




Here is the first page I created in this journal. I was playing around with some new stamps I bought from Tuesday Morning and some home made color sprays. (Water and acrylic paint)




I had a hard time getting this in focus to read. I did this page during church one morning. It was inspired by the song a friend was singing during service. I adore this song. I just used sharpies.




This one is just a background I did using Gelatos by Faber Castell. I was testing them out along with a stamp my mom bought me.




Here I was just doodling with a black sharpie.




Another black sharpie doodle. This one was inspired by a picture a friend of my did and posted to Instagram.




This I also did in sharpie and was inspired by Pinterest.




Again, sharpie. I was practicing some zentangles.




Sharpie doodle, yet again.




I ordered from a mixed media/scrap booking company at the beginning of the year (feb or march ish) and wanted to use some immediately. So this page was created.
I did the tag first. Then the background on the page. Then over a few hours during commercials (I was watching a movie on tv with my mom) I would randomly add things.
There are stamps, crackle paint, scraps of paper, metal clock, stickers and stamps all on here. I also used some more homemade sprays and doodle pens.




And last but not last forever, here is the sketch I shared with you all last Artful Saturday.
Cheers!
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Wax on, wax off

Cheesy title, yeah I know. But let's talk wax.

Beauty is pain blah, blah, blah. I just hate plucking and shaving. Now I haven't had the chance to have my legs waxed yet but I will.

Mostly I wax my eyebrows and yes I do them myself. I don't feel like paying ten bucks every two weeks when I can pay six dollars and have wax that lasts me several months.

Someone asked me why pay for wax when you can make sugar wax with stuff in the kitchen. Now, I am all for trying all natural routes. I mean I stopped using shampoo and I make my own shaving lotion. So I gave it a try.

I should have taken pictures, it was such a messy disaster. It took forever to cook. I followed the directions (it had pictures) and it looked exactly like the pictures. It was so sticky. But it wouldn't stick to my hair. At all. Nothing!

So I caved and bought my old faithful wax by Sally Hansen. No, I can't pronounce everything in it but it works. I'm good with it for now.

And that's all I got for Beautiful Tuesday number two! Now to go wax my eyebrows!


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Feeling a little Garfield

Today was a day!

I felt like I needed that shirt from Garfield that states "I hate Mondays."

Working in a room full of nine tiny toddlers (okay some are not tiny) who can't use words so they have to scream and cry when you have a migraine makes you really want to skip the day.

That was today. Today is Monday. I am not very fond of this Monday.

So today, just call me Garfield.
Bring on Tuesday!




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Last minute still counts right?

Artful Saturday still managed to make its debut. About half an hour before Sunday! ;-)

I'd been meaning to write a post all day. But the day snuck away from me before I realized.
So its not the repost of old art blog pieces and as random and last minute as this post is, it's still here!

I thought I'd just share the last two sketches I did recently and a few artistic quotes I came across the last two day.

Sketches first:

This first one I saw is an arrow idea I'm tossing around as one of my arrow tattoos. I plan to have several small ones on random places but that's another post.




This second one is a little picture I saw on Pinterest and thought was adorable. The left side is the original and the right side is my attempt. It's called practice for a reason.




Generally I stay away from realism. Because it takes the most practice and concentration. Yet, I want to get better so I better stop being so lazy about it!

Time for the quotes now!

Which I also stumbled upon on Pinterest!











The second piece was a quote from Pablo Picasso.

And that's that! I promise more forethought will be put into the next Artful Saturday post. Stay tuned! And tell your friends! Please!

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Beautiful Tuesdays : Introduction

Welcome to Beautiful Tuesdays! (Yes I realize this is Wednesday but this was all typed up yesterday and then my internet fizzled on me. So I'm posting it today!)

Today my post is more background than anything. The whys and hows of my beauty interest.

~~WHYS~~

First of all, I am a woman. ;) I believe that women were given a special gift to see and make beautiful things. (Not that men can't) Beauty inspires us. It touches that soft spot in our hearts and makes our lips spread in that smile that radiates to touch the lives of people around us. Beauty is loving our family and friends. Beauty is found in revamping furniture or a room into a home. Beauty is having fun with makeup to look your best, not look like your friend. Beauty is pampering yourself and loving you. Beauty is being the best you possible. Beauty is NOT copying the magazines. It's NOT going broke buying the latest trends. Beauty is NOT starving yourself to have a size two figure.

"Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes."

Love that quote, no idea who said it.

I believe beauty is a feeling, one that everyone, every woman and girl especially should feel. That whole "be your own kind of beautiful" isn't just a cliche. There is truth in that. You are beautiful. You just have to capture it and own it. And its up to you when and how you show it to the world.

Second, I'm a very creative/artsy person. And I treat my body like a canvas, one that I can recreate each day...sometimes twice a day. Make up, clothes, hair, jewelry...tattoos and piercings are all mediums that can be used to decorate the body with.

~~HOWS~~

I learned make up mostly through trial/error and of course, YOUTUBE. ;) It really is a great place to learn anything. (I also learned a lot of my art techniques from watching youtube) There are some seriously talented people that have youtube channels giving away information that is pretty easy to pick up and try on yourself. Though be warned, the more you watch the more makeup you might be tempted to buy. Just know drugstore is mostly as good as high end.

For my style, I just go with what I like. Yes, I participate in some trends. SOME. The ones I like and the ones that look good for my body type and personality. I don't wear things because they are IN right now, nor do I not wear something because its NOT IN right now. I wear things because I like them. However, I will admit that I have not worn something because its IN and I see it everywhere so much that its annoyed me. My wardrobe is about to get a major addition to it because once I start school in September I have to wear all black. I don't have any all black clothing in my wardrobe except once pair of pants. So off to Goodwill and sales racks. That's another thing, I don't have a whole lot of money to spend. The majority of my shopping is sales and thrifting, not full price.

Hair....what can I say other than Pinterest and practice.  ;) Oh and of course YouTube as well. (Now you know what I do in my spare time huh?)

Well that's about it for now. If there are any questions, feel free to ask. I will answer. Please.. ASK!!!

Monday Musings: New Chapters

Monday Musings.... Ya like? I'm sticking with it. Monday Musings will be my posts about my personal life. They will be updates, rambles, and thoughts from my own little head. Mostly.
Along with Monday Musings, I will be doing Beautiful Tuesdays. These pieces will feature posts about beauty, (Hair, Makeup, skin care, clothes, inner beauty). Then on Saturdays, I will be updating on my art journey. For those posts, I have decided to start out by reposting some things from my other blog, the art one. Once I repost some of those, that blog will be deleted seeing as it will have merged with this one.
I also thought I might do random specials which will have names later and be posted whenever inspiration bites. 

Oh, speaking of this one. I mentioned a new look in my last post. What do you think? A little more girly with a vintage aspect. Just trying this on for a bit to see how I like it. It may change again a couple of times til I find one I'm comfortable with. I want some opinions though when I change it. After all, I'm not the only one looking at this blog. Or am I?

New chapter time!

In about two months I shall enter into the Paul Mitchell world of Cosmetology! I've been up to my elbows in paper work and phone calls and finances the last week or two trying to see if this will happen. And God answered some prayers, my parents jumped on board as well so on September 16th I will be a Paul Mitchell Student. I go on the 15th of this month I believe to sign some papers and turn in my application and deposits. I'm ecstatic and this feels surreal. It may not hit me until I walk through those doors on my first day of class. My goal will be to try to keep you guys updated if you are interested.

Well that is all for this Monday. Enjoy and leave feedback. Please! :)

My Friend is Brilliant and Make Over

In my last post I mentioned trying to get better at blogging as well as adding a beauty blog to the my other two blogs even though I find it tough to keep the two I have up. I was talking to my friend about it and she gave me a brilliant idea. I’m going to combine my blogs. It will be so much easier managing the one blog and it isn’t the end of the world combining my topics. In fact, it might be more entertaining. So this blog will be getting a bit of a make over/overhaul.

Then I had to think about how I’m going to do this. I could pick certain days and do a certain topic on that day, like Beauty Tuesday, Monday Musings, etc. This also gives me a deadline to work toward and I do well with deadlines. They make things real for me. Or I could just do headings when I start a post that way you all know what that post will be about. That way I won’t be tied down to just doing that topic on a certain day….

I think I like the certain days though better. Deadlines sound good to me. Now to just come up with names...

I'm also thinking if I will just start over on my art blogging or import my other blog into this one. I haven’t decided yet. 

Please, bear with me while I make this transition. But I hope you enjoy this new journey with me. 

If you have any suggestions on names of the certain post types, feel free to leave a comment. 

Never going to give up.

It is more than obvious that keeping a blog current and up to date is a bit hard for me. I've always known that. It's been a struggle for a while ever since I abandoned Xanga. (Sometimes I miss those days - The days of being a teenager and having no life) And yet, I keep trying. Not only that, but I decide to try and run two blogs. This one and my art blog.

Truth is things happen. I get interrupted and my ways of maintaining these blogs are questionable. My computer isn't the greatest (its actually a netbook) My internet went out for a while. I get lazy. My camera stops working or my crafty mojo stops (for the art blog)

But no matter what there is still this lingering desire to keep trying to be a better blogger. Why? Who knows? Its not because the hype of blogging. It's not because I want to make money out of these blogs really. I don't even know that I want loads of readers (that would mean I would HAVE to write more often lol)

I think its because there is something in me that needs to get out. I feel that I need to work toward something. I like to write. I like my art. I like sharing what I've learned. Thus I will keep trying.

Oh and not only will I keep trying on these current two blogs but am highly considering another blog.
I had tossed the idea around of giving this blog a make over. However, I like this one being my personal blog and I don't want to lose that. And I really want to keep up the art blog. But I also really want to do a beauty/style blog. (Like there aren't enough out there already) Mostly I want to do one for my friends around the world who want to get more into beauty things but haven't a clue where to really start and can't just go shopping with me whenever they want. :) You know who you are. ;)

Yeah, so, this is me, trying again.

Oh yeah, and I haven't forgotten that moleskine comparison yet. It's still coming.

Update and Moleskine adventure

About the last post of mine speaking of working out and getting healthy....BAH! lol.
I am eating more healthy now and might have lost maybe 5-10 lbs. But the working out was a bust. Messed with my knee about two weeks into it. So needless to say I abandoned it. Then the holidays hit. So yeah, that's that. My new plan is Just Dance 4 on our new Wii. It's definitely a more fun way of cardio and moving anyway and doesn't seem to mess with my knee as much.

~~

Well it's a new year! And with that comes fasting and preparation for this new year. For the first 21 days of January I am fasting some social media (facebook, pintrest, instagram). During this time I've started reading and going through the St. Ignatius Adventure book.

~~

Oh and I'm going to do my first review/comparison on here. It will be on Moleskine Legendary Notebooks vs. Markings by CR Gibson journals. I've ordered a Large Plain Moleskine from Amazon (currently waiting for it to arrive) and bought a Markings journal from Target. Once I have them both in my hands I will begin my reviews/findings on here as I use them both. I'm excited about this little adventure. First I want to see what the big deal among my fellow artisans and creative minded people is about the Moleskine and if there is a reason why its so much better than the Markings journal I see all the time at Target. At first glance they seem like the exact same thing. So I want to see. :)