The Music Lives On

The Music Lives On

The challenge over at Digital Whisper this week was "Guitar." I'm rather late, as I tend to muse on images and keep changing or adding to them over several days! 

Image Credits: Marta van Eck, itKuPiLLi Imaginarium, Rucola Designs, Eena's Creations and Krysty Scrap Designs - all from www.mischiefcircus.com.

Lavender

The challenge over at Digital Whisper this week was "Lavender" - a lovely invitation. And taking a look in the "Last Chance" section of mischiefcircus.com, what should I find but the "French Kiss" kit by Krysty Scrap Designs with some lovely lavender images (among others). This collage is mainly using images from "French Kiss" and also "Bottle of Ink" also by Krysty Scrap Designs and also in the "Last Chance" section (with a little help from the Graphics Fairy!).

Advent

What shall I say!

How shall I describe this Birth to you?

For this wonder fills me with astonishment.

The Ancient of Days has become an infant.

He who sits on the sublime and heavenly throne,

now lies in a manger.

And He who cannot be touched…

now lies subject to the hands of people…

God is now on earth,  and man in heaven;

on every side all things commingle.

~ John Chrysostrom

Image Credits; itKuPiLLi Imaginarium (www.mischiefcircus.com) and Google Images.

Preserved in Memory - DW challenge

Preserved in Memory

This week's challenge over at Digital Whisper is "Frost" - appropriate for this time of year, though it's been beautiful here in Minnesota. 

It's been a while since I've done any digital challenges, but with Christmas coming and some new Wintery and Christmassy kits, I'm getting into the holiday mood and itching to play!

Image Credits: Winter Tales United collection by itKuPiLLi Imaginarium (www.mischiefcircus.com)

Key to My Heart

Key to My Heart

The challenge over at Take a Word this week is "keys." Both of the old photos used are among the freebies offered at darleneoliviamcelroy.blogspot.com. One of the things that I love among so many of the creatives online is their amazing generosity - images, or papers, or collages, or tutorials. It's just an inspiration to visit their blogs.

Image Credits: Rucola Designs, Tumble Fish Studios, and Holliewood Studios (from mischiefcircus.com); Digital Whisper, darleneoliveamcelroy.blogspot.com, and alteredbits.com.

Gypsies at Versailles

Gypsies at Versailles

This week's theme over at Digital Whisper is "Marie Antoinette."

Marie used to take her ladies-in-waiting to a farm at Versailles and play at being milkmaids. I imagine that if gypsies came by she'd have just as much fun.

Image credits: Eena's Creations, Holliewood Studios, itKuPiLLi Imaginarium, Marta van Eck, Finecraft Designs, Tumble Fish Studios (all from mischiefcircus.com), and the Graphics Fairy.

Bohemian Seas

Dreaming of Bohemian Seas

The challenge over at Take a Word this week is "Sea Life" - one that holds lots of possibilities. The images of the Sea Horse and Sea Dragon from itKuPiLLi Imaginarium inspired this bohemian fantasy. 

Image Credits: itKuPiLLi Imaginarium, Marta van Eck, Tumble Fish Studio, Jagged Touch Studio and Brimm (all from mischiefcircus.com)

Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek

"Hide and Seek" is the challenge over at Digital Whisper this week. Just a fun little romp.

Image credits: itKuPiLLi Imaginarium, Holliewood Studios, Tumble Fish Studios and Rucola Designs (all from MishceifCircus.com)

Under the Shadow

O Christ Jesus,

when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness,

give us a sense of your presence, your love, and your strength.

Help us to have perfect trust in your protecting love

and strengthening power,

so that nothing may frighten or worry us,

for, living close to you,

we shall see your hand, your purpose, your will

through all things.

~ Ingatius of Loyola

Image credits: Krysty Scrap Designs, Rucola Designs, and itKuPiLLi Imaginarium (all from mischiefcircus.com)

Window on the World

Window on the World

The challenge this week over on Take a Word is "window." When I saw this paper from Rucola Designs with the fairy-tale mushrooms, I knew it was the beginnings of a window into a fairy-tale world.

Keep your eyes open. You never know where you will find wonder.

Image credits: Rucola Designs, Eena's Creations, Holliewood Studios (all from mischiefcircus.com), and the Graphics Fairy.

Free Spirit

Free Spirit

The challenge this week over at Digital Whisper is "summer" - and I thought a little summer freedom was in order. 

Live large. Expand beyond. Bloom in the sun.

Be free.

Image credits: Rucola Designs, Marta van Eck, Hidden Vintage Studio, itKuPiLLi Imaginarium and Cryztal Rain (all from mischiefcircus.com)

Set Free

What is serious to man is often very trivial in the sight of God.

What in God might appear to us as "play" is perhaps what

He Himself takes most seriously.

 At any rate the Lord plays and diverts Himself

in the garden of His creation,

and if we could let go of our own obsession with

what we think is the meaning of it all,

we might be able to hear His call

and follow Him in His mysterious, cosmic dance.

~Thomas Merton

New Seeds of Contemplation

This art journal page was a meditation on part of the scripture passage from the previous Sunday's message. The theme of the sermon series is "Set Free" - something we all need to hear and really receive. 

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech

but with actions and in truth.

This is how we know that we belong to the truth

and how we set our hearts in his presence:

If our hearts condemn us,

we know that God is greater than our hearts,

and he knows everything.

Dear friends, if our heart do not condemn us,

we have confidence before God

and receive from him anything we ask,

because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

And this is his command: 

to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,

and to love one another as he commanded us.

The one who keeps God's commands lives in him,

and he in them.

And this is how we know that he lives in us:

We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

~ I John 3:18-24 (NIV)

And that is indeed a freeing thought. For so often my heart condemns me. 

But God is greater than my heart. And he knows everything.

The World is a Colorful Place

Flora Bowley

I've so enjoyed Bebe Butler's wonderful offering - The Painted Guru: Discover how art can heal the heart, inspire the soul, and soothe the mind. The conversations with a variety of artists about their journey, what creating art has meant to them, and the places where art brought healing or new possibilities into their own lives are so inspiring. So much of what they are talking about is what brought me to art journaling in the first place - a place to play, to explore, to create freely. But also a place to dig deeper, and find meaning, and work through things. A chance to express myself in a new way, in a more natural way for me. Through images when there are no words, or the interplay of words and images.

Flora Bowley was one of the first artists profiled, and I just love her work.  I'd never heard of "intuitive painting" - which may be more a reflection of how out of touch I am! It's something that I love about art journaling, and I've loved learning and exploring and seeing what others are doing in that form. But to see it taken to this level artistically amazes me, and I could watch it all day. Even more, it makes me want to get out the paints and play!

Untold Stories

There's something about choosing some colors and just starting - maybe with a vague direction, maybe without even that - and just seeing where it leads that is so much fun. And so often it leads me places where I would never have thought to go. 

The Painted Guru is a series of conversations, about 25-30 minutes each, with the artist, one each day. The artist's page also includes an introduction, a link to their website, and a free gift. There's a wide range of gifts - right now I'm painting with the amazing Art from the Heart retreat gifted by the amazing Amber Kuileimailani Bonnici. Here, too, I have come across classes like this for art journaling - but this is on a canvas, which makes it more special. And in a way, more scary as the stakes seem higher. But she is a gentle and friendly guide as she encourages me to dig deeper and take risks.

What it comes down to is - there is so much more out there! It's easy sometimes to stay in our own little rut of what we know. I love visions of the wider world of possibilities, and that's one of the things The Painted Guru provides. Another is the opportunity to hear from people doing wonderful creative things - whether they started out in art school or just started doing art because it's something they needed in their lives.

If you're feeling stuck, don't stay there! Open your eyes to inspiration - it's all around you.

Summertime

Summertime

This week's challenge over at Digital Whisper is "barefoot" - great summertime theme! There's something about summer that calls for exploring the world barefoot. The photo is of my niece walking the rocks along the shores of Lake Superior at Gooseberry Falls State Park - one of my favorite summertime things to do when I was her age. (OK, still is!)

Image Credits: Images by Pink Lotty, Nancy Baumiller- Crowabout Studio, and Jagged Touch Studio, all from mischiefcircus.com.

Songs of Summer

Songs of Summer

Summertime… and the living is easy.

The theme this week over at Digital Whisper is "picnic" - a perfect summertime theme. I think I need to go take a walk in the woods somewhere!

Image Credits: Marta van Eck, itKuPiLLi Imaginarium, Eena's Creations and Tumble Fish Studios, all from mischiefcircus.com.