{Three Artists, One Year}

Abide In Love

2008-02-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

To our theme this month, Love.

From I John 4:16, teaches--"And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him".

Doable way to live oh Valentine Peeps!

February Theme - LOVE

2008-02-15T19:16:00.000-08:00

I am a firm believer that love should be practiced and celebrated everyday, not just on February 14th, but the hopeless romantic in me pledged this creation.

I am just CRAZY in love with this little "mini-me". I decided to scan this LO instead of photographing since it was nightime and I didn't want to wait for morning light. So...the picture cuts off the layout which is 9x9, but you get the idea!!

Hope Valentine's day was nothing short of wonderful for you all.
~artist jen

My 2008 Word Play

2008-02-05T11:00:00.001-08:00

Understanding the human condition as needing the closest form of love possible. . .I have chosen intimacy. For me, this year is more of the measure of my soul than the tasks ahead. I confess, decades of complicated fears & less than perfect heart, I'm looking to be straight as an arrow to those I spend time with on this journey called 'life'.

The Reality is, Praise God, for my wonderful life.

PURSUE

2008-02-02T16:59:00.001-08:00

New Year.... New Goals...Always persuing....

I have to be honest...I have a ton of irons in the fire right now....teaching, state standards, lesson planning, gymnastics 10 hours a week, Justin's community service at the library.....6 hours a week, the start of highschool baseball, and the "need" of just keeping it all together.

I joined Teresa McFadden's Winter Bella challenge to help me jump start this new year...and so far so good. She encouraged us to "engage" in our word for 2008 and to "create" a sign for it. I loved creating mine so much that I also created one also for my mom whose word for this year is "Family" and one of my assistants at school, whose word is "Focus."

For me, my word is PURSUE -
1.to strive to gain; seek to attain or accomplish (an end, object, purpose, etc.).
2.. to proceed in accordance with (a method, plan, etc.).
3.. to carry on or continue (a course of action, a train of thought, an inquiry, studies, etc.).
4. to practice (an occupation, pastime, etc.).
5. to continue to discuss (a subject, topic, etc.).
6. to follow:
7.. to continue; go on with (one's course, a journey, etc.).

It encompasses so many different meanings for me; health, God, education, career, family...the list is endless...the word means so much.

Word for 2008 {jen}

2008-01-31T21:43:00.000-08:00

We three have chosen a word, a single word, for the year. One that we can focus on, work at and grow with. I have selected flourish for a couple of reasons....1. it sounds so classy and seductive...2. the definition and 3. I have been doing this more and more to my work lately.

flour-ish (flur'ish), v.

I. To flower or bloom; also to grow luxuriantly, or thrive in growth, as a plant; hence, in general, to thrive, do well, or prosper (as, an age when art and learning flourished; "The stars shall fade away, the sun...Grow dim...But thou shalt flourish in immortal youth," Addison's "Cato," v. 1); to be in it's or one's prime; often, of persons, to be in the most successful or effective period; also, to add embellishments or flourishes to writings, letters, etc.; make fanciful strokes with a pen or the like;
II. To cause to bloom, thrive or prosper; also, to adorn with decorative work or design, color, etc.

There were a lot of challenges for me in this layout; I enhanced the photo of me digitally, combined my love for high-contrast, word collage and dictionary pages and used my word as the title focus.

Wow. I guess I have already begun to flourish.

Happy blooming to you

~artist jen

rain

2008-01-24T17:02:00.000-08:00

I am so inspired by the rain today! I brought my camera along my travels, because I knew I'd find something to photograph. I am going to try and keep my camera charged and on my hip so I can capture something inspirational to share everyday! This may turn into my next layout....

Here's to today and beautiful rain.
~artist jenny

travel logs (redefined)

2008-01-03T22:13:00.000-08:00

We make adventures with our kids in our motorhome. Yes, we are RVers! I love being confined to an enclosed area with all of us, it's a great instigator of quality time. I started a written journal to document our trips together. Well, I eventually chucked the boring black pen for colored pencils and before long craved to embellish the pages with stuff...anything to add texture. Then the lightbulb flickered...I bought large tags and started to created individual travel books. Now I grab inks, fibers, doo-dads and any other goodies relevant to the trip and take it in the motorhome to journal while on the road. I also include trip-specific things like postcards (cut to the size of the tag), maps, business cards, cut-outs from brochures and anything else I can get into the little journal. I use wallet size photos and doodle my heart out...the art possibities are limitless! The collection of travel photo journals are growing and displayed in a basket in my living room.

I made the cover of the French Camp tag book free-hand since this is where I am finding my own unique style. I doodled and used colored pencils, ink, stamps, embroidery thread and covered it with a glaze for thickness and protection.

may you have fun travels through '08

~ artist jen

Scrap Freak!

2007-11-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

One Little Word's challenge this week is

"Delight"; my first entry! Everything for me is defined as "staying on task". Forget the self-criticism just scrap, just get there.

I do confess. I am unorganized & my home is a mess. Ah, but I'm okay with that. P.S. I think my favorite of these recent posts is the one with Sarah, Explore/Risk.

Create Under Duress

2007-11-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

Made a layout to encourage you Les. Currently your health fails you, keep the grip if you can.

What Grounds This Artist

2007-10-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Just because I plain love to scrap okay? P.S. Re. LO Art In Me, just ask me if I am done with that painting. . .I'll probably say nope.

Labor Day: Angels Baseball

2007-09-30T23:32:00.000-07:00

In celebration of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim clinching the West Division of MLB,

I scrapped our only baseball game this year! *Artiste B

Labor In Art

2007-09-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

I don't understand my brain at times, why I would pick to do a canvas at this point of creating artistic scrap pages. Maybe the desire to meet up to a new challenge crept up unexpectedly. Anyway, this week for the first time I was able to put an image down on canvas that I liked! Everything about painting on a canvas is brand new to me! And I found that learning something new is laborous. I had to rework lines, remix colors, reshape curves. . .it wasn't and isn't easy for me--but I am enjoying the ride! For this project I hoped to alter it, but it's taking on it's own story, by way of all the mistakes. Hopefully I will see this project to it's completion.

Exploring(s)

2007-09-23T16:23:00.000-07:00

For September, we three thought of 'labor' as a challenge for the monthly theme.
Lately, I have been exploring my crafting/art/scrapbooking style...trying to pin it down (is that even possible to do?). I know there's a little collage, messy, unpredictable-ness that I prefer in art...but whether or not I can make it work is another ballgame. I planned the two 9x9 layouts of my {no so little} baby girl around her feelings and her moods shown in the photos. But no matter if I nailed it, or missed it...I can't keep my eyes off her eyes...so what I have done here with photos of her on paper with ribbons, transfers, pen, my doodles and pencils is totally irrelevant because she is the art. She's my heart, and I love her so much, it's almost laborious.

~artist Jen 'Tesoro Mio'

{joy} of living

2007-09-16T20:38:00.001-07:00

Cesar Mannique " To be absolutely free to create without fear or formula heartens the soul and opens a path to the joy of living."

Now to just get my camera settings correct.

Its been a challenge for me to "create" with being in school full time as well. Not only do I manage my own classroom setting but I also must manage myself and time within a classroom setting. A BA degree does not wait or understand that " I must clean my house or create art." It goes on and I must fit into its schedule... it doesnt fit into mine.

So today.. i just dove into Jillian's gymnastics pictures...they are horrible pics..but I needed to get them archived. Frankly...there is no thought or planning in these layouts...

but what there is.. is the expression of this quote above. I put these together in an instant...and I love them.

~Lesley

Summer's Random Moments & Artist's Painful Moment

2007-09-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

Summer's Quiet and Sweet moments, makes one give pause doesn't it?

And then, there is my Artist's Painful Moment. I think it's important to journal this. How near tears I have been today posting on Cocoa Daisy. My ego wants to swim with the rest of the fish out there that know how to pound that computer--but alas, not so with me. And it's deflating to say the least when your mistakes are out there, not one, but two. . .and you are kind of messing up the gallery! I must get through this part of making these computer errors just to explore routes and be a part of the community. It takes time, and I hate losing my time this way. But maybe it will come back to me & lift me up. One can hope *sigh. Artist Bee

Pretty Pretty

2007-09-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

Jenny again...I am catching up today, boy! First of all, my deepest apologies if you do not care for feet photos.

This is my last layout for the summer challenge. Have to admit, was not able to do this under 30 minutes...but under 1 hour!!! I loved the pedicure I receive at the beginning of the summer...so of course it's got to be scrapped.

So I wonder...what does SUMMER mean to you?
Tesoro Mio - Jenny

Summer YUM

2007-09-09T17:33:00.001-07:00

Jenny here...I received a double dog dare challenge....from BEE! Okay so as a group we had a SUMMER theme challenge and then Bee double dog dared me to create a layout in under 30 minutes. This was really tough for me...letting go. There's not enough stuff' on it for me....but the timer ran out. On the flip side, I am not a disappointed in the layout as I was in the amount of time I was alotted.

Thanks for keeping me on my toes, Bee!

Tesoro Mio - jennyVo

Signing in

2007-09-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

Jenny (Artist number 3) reporting for duty! I am thrilled to be apart of this great group of artists. We all have something in common... goals, talent and love for blogging! We decided to group together and challenge ourselves for an entire year to keep us moving and refreshed. The best way for us to track our progress is through this blog...we hope you will visit often.

In August our challenge was Summer...what summer means to us. My answer? no shoes required!!

Tesoro Mio - Jenny

Simple Pleasures

2007-09-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

I have taken steps to track myself (besides this blog!), and one way is participating with Cocoa Daisy my absolute favorite scrapbooking site. Scrapbooking Kits seem to be all the rage, and it is happily received when you buy into the kits. I have decided to post on this website, naturally the intention is you design only with supplies in the kit, you are allowed a 10% usage of other than kit embellishments. So the bottom three layouts are my Cocoa Daisy entries, I am keeping it genuinely simple, just doing what I do best. As always in designing, some finished products have that Wow Factor & others are okay. I'm not pressuring myself to Wow anyone, what's the point in that? If you don't enjoy it for it's purest passionate form, that it simply edifies your heart then it's a burden. Labor with love, the going will speak for itself. ~Bee

{Beyond the First Page}

2007-09-03T19:18:00.001-07:00

Getting beyond the first page of any project is a challenge for me. Why? Fear of not doing it right. Fear of others "hating" what I create and the fear of it not being perfect. This journey is about me creating at random and letting it flow out from my being, of who I am, who I was and who I am becoming. Its embracing my humanness and my left brain tendencies but also encouraging and prompting the right side to make some bold statements of truth in my creative being.

Where does this come from? this fear...I think it is part belief system that was put in place a long time ago, when I was told to stop drawing/painting because it was a waste of time, or to stop writing poetry because it was stupid. Though those things were my passion... I stopped doing them at the age of 16. To regain that passion and freedom that I had in those days, those earlier days is my hope to recapture and I am blessed that I can journey through this self discovery with my two friends, and learn from them in the process.

*artist Lesley

Art & Journal of Scrapbooking

2007-09-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

This is the last week of August's work. It was a joyful day, knowing that there is a "time for everything under the sun"; hard pressed with house chores I was able to let go of the mountain of wash for a couple of hours. The photographs that I worked with although not sharp blasts me with the past with loving memories. {Oh, the glorious patterned paper I can't seem to alter!} It was a contented session of creating a way to preserve how I feel about these photos, because you know, somedays you don't feel the mojo--I'll take any day of creating, mojo or not.

Ever since 1971 when Gahlil Gibran's book The Prophet found my hands I have loved idea of finding meaning to my life. And so, began a new appreciation for "tracking" my life. My first kindred spirit was Annette and she & I created Composition Journals, we had just graduated from the 8th Grade. I'd write extensively one night & she would follow suit the next. . .we did this for almost two years & amassed some 60 spiral and composition books (we must have averaged fifteen pages a night). And it is laughable thinking of what was NOT happening in Haiku, Maui, Hawaii. We doodled, we mounted ephemera, we wrote smack & it was an endless tirade of self expositions! Most of it was mindless, but in it's honest revelations, it was priceless. We were diarists and it was the beginning of my love of marking my days. What a wonderful journey it's been from journaling most of my life, to photography, having a family, channeling my interests into scrapbooks.

Fast forward to this posting, this new venture! (Ain't I the lucky one?) I've taken my passion for scrapbooking to a higher level, personally. I'm committed to One Year, with two new set of kindred spirits! artist Bee