Gratitude

Today in the United States it is Thanksgiving.  Happy Thanksgiving to all my US readers.

Over the past few years I have run Gratitude art challenges.  The first one was in November 2012: An Attitude of Gratitude.

 

The second in 2013 was also An Attitude of Gratitude challenge.

However by 2014 I realised it was no good just having the attitude you needed to take action.  And because I wanted to promote the idea that we should be thankful all the year round I posted the challenge in May: The Art of Practising Gratitude.

Each of these challenge blogs is still available and you can work through them at your own rate.  They have prompts, technique challenges and quotes and bible verses to use on your pages.

Have you ever made a gratitude journal?  Leave a comment or better still, you can link your blog page, Instagram photo or flickr photo using the Linky below.

Thanks for stopping by.
Bernice

Gratitude and Thanksgiving

On the last Thursday in November people in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving.  In the crafting world in particular, November has become synonymous with giving thanks.  I have organised art challenge blogs in the past to produce Gratitude Journals.  You can find links to them by clicking on the Art Challenge Blogs link at the top of the page.

After being away in Australia for over 3 weeks and the recovery time since I had not done anything creative and just as I was wondering what I could do to kickstart my creativity Shonna released a new class at His Kingdom Come.  I hadn't planned on making a gratitude journal this year but Shonna was using techniques I don't usually use so I thought I would give it a go.

The journal is 7 inches square and as I don't draw I used various of my autumnal stamps and used watercolour paints to colour the pages and the stamps.

The cover

The pages

Some of the stamping didn't come as well as it might.  Here are some diappearing dandelion heads.

And finally, assembled with the book rings and some fibres.

Now it's ready for me to use.  If you are thinking of making a gratitude journal you might like to check out my Pinterest board where you will find quotes, journals and pages.

Thanks for stopping by.
Bernice

Day 30 My Attitude of Gratitude Journal

If you want to join in with making an Attitude of Gratitude Journal through the month of November click through to the Challenge blog.

Here on this blog I am going to share how I made the page for today's prompt on Gratitude.

Today's art challenge was to 'use Dyan's Shadow Stamping technique on your page today'.

I just love Dyan's shadow stamping technique and it's so easy to do.  I sprayed lemon, orange and chocolate inks onto manila card in exactly the way Dyan describes in the video.  Then I inked the stamp and followed her instructions again.

Here's a close up.

I highlighted the leaves with a white pen.  I randomly stamped with the alphabet stamp and then stamped the quote, the dragonflies and added the verse.

And then I journaled around the quote.

 

I  cannot believe that we have come to the end of the 30 days of prompts.  I hope that you have enjoyed our time together both here and on the Challenge Blog.

Come back tomorrow to find out how I have put all the pages together into a journal.

Don't throw anything away until you have seen tomorrow's post!!!

Day 29 My Attitude of Gratitude Journal

If you want to join in with making an Attitude of Gratitude Journal through the month of November click through to the Challenge blog.

Here on this blog I am going to share how I made the page for today's prompt on Appreciation.

Today's art challenge was to 'use a paper serviette as part of your page today'.

Today's page started with acrylic paint already on it from where I had mopped up paint from another page.  I really love these sunflower serviettes and use them quite often in my journals.

I tore off one corner of the serviette around the edge of the flower.  I carefully pulled the top layer of the serviette from the other 2 layers.  I brushed gel medium over the corner of the page and smoothed the serviette onto it.  I brushed a coat of gel medium thinly over the tissue to ensure it didn't get damaged by anything I did later.

I stamped more sunflowers at the top pf the page using the same technique as on November 21st.

I trimmed off the excess serviette and sprayed lemon ink and orange across the top left of the page.

I added the verse.

And journaled across the page following the contour of where the ink met the serviette.

I love this page because it actually ended up how I had seen it in my head.  That doesn't happen very often.

So satisfying.  I hope you have a satisfying day too.

See you tomorrow for our very last page.

Day 28 An Attitude of Gratitude Journal

If you want to join in with making an Attitude of Gratitude Journal through the month of November click through to the Challenge blog.

Here on this blog I am going to share how I made the page for today's prompt on Seasons.

Today's art challenge was to 'use various household objects to print with on your page today'.

Using several colours of acrylic paint I randomly smeared the paint over the page.

I gathered together some household items ~ jar of Vaseline, toothbrushes, cookie cutters and some wire wool.  I have to admit to buying the cookie cutters purely for art purposes.  I wouldn't like anyone to be under the impression I cook!!!

I put some acrylic paint on my plate and then stamped with the hearts down the right side.  I used the bottom of the tub of vaseline on the left and the circles at the bottom are from twisting the wire wool on the page.

I stamped again using a lighter colour of acrylic.

I randomly stamped with two different stamps and Archival Ink.

Then I sprayed over the page with orange ink and pink ink and let it move about the page before blotting it with my rag.

I stamped the lines for the journaling and wrote between them.  I stamped a border round the edges of the page ~ but you could doodle this with pen.  And finally stuck on the verse.

I really like this page.  I was concerned at one point because when I had used the household objects to stamp with they just looked unconnected on the page.  However when I sprayed ink over the top the page somehow came together.

I love serendipitous things like that.  Have fun with your page today.

See you tomorrow.

Day 27 My Attitude of Gratitude Journal

If you want to join in with making an Attitude of Gratitude Journal through the month of November click through to the Challenge blog.

Here on this blog I am going to share how I made the page for today's prompt on Travel.

Today's art challenge was to 'use an art medium you rarely use'. 


When I bought the Pan Pastels I used them quite often but I haven't used them for quite a while so I thought they fitted today's challenge.


I started by using Pan Pastels through an arrow template.  At which point I forgot to take a photograph.  I tried to 'fix' it with hairspray.  This is my usual method of making sure the pan pastel or chalks, if I'm using them, stick to the page.  However the hairspray decided not to spray finely but to glug all over the page so it was quite wet.  It seems to have survived.  Then I stamped over the whole page with a 'crackle' stamp which I think looks a bit like a map.

Here's a closeup.

I sponged Peacock Feathers Distress Ink over the whole page.  Then stamped the lamps, the quote, the compass and 'enjoy the journey'.  I also inked the the verse and stuck it on.

Finally I added the journaling.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you use today.  See you tomorrow.

Day 26 My Attitude of Gratitude Journal

If you want to join in with making an Attitude of Gratitude Journal through the month of November click through to the Challenge blog.

Here on this blog I am going to share how I made the page for today's prompt on Dreams.

Today's art challenge was to 'make your own washi tape to use on your page today'.

I thought I would try making my version of washi tape using surgical tape.  I stuck some down on my glass plate and stamped on it.  I sprayed some in on it but it seeped underneath and I was concerned it might stop it being sticky so I used Distress Ink instead.

Then I went a bit berserk with a star stencil and the Fall Seasonal Distress Inks.

And then I added some glimmer mist!!!

One of the joys of having the glass plate was that I could put the tape over the top of the page to see if it would work!

Which is when I decided it didn't and added some acrylic paint to it using my fingers.  I added it to the page but wasn't particularly impressed with it.

So I made some more tape using just Archival Ink.

I put the new tape over the old tape.  Sprayed the cut up verse and stuck it on.

I highlighted some of the stars, doodled along the sides of the tape and journaled between the cut up verse.

I think it's still too busy a background for me and would probably have started again except I'd already done the other side of the page.  I suppose I could have covered it with gesso or sprayed more ink over it.

Still there it is.  A very starry page.

I hope you have a better day.  See you tomorrow.