Trust

This week's word is Trust, and the challenge- to alter a photograph. There are probably a ton of ways to alter a photograph, but I was looking to keep the image fairly intact, so I used a sanding block to wipe out the outside of the image, and to scratch the focal point of the picture. I tried doing some other things to the photograph, like spraying with walnut ink, which was pretty much a fail! I even tried just moistening the photo with water, looking to age it in a way, which was also a fail! So I stuck with my original idea of just the sanding. I am thinking it was the inkjet photo paper I was using, because the ink was not very set, but after the third time, I just wasn't willing to keep printing and throwing the images away. lol. I like the vintage, rustic look that they are, so I decided to just leave them as they were.

Compassion

The new word for this week is Compassion and the challenge is to use stitching in your art journal page somewhere.
I started by painting a rose with my Pan Pastels, then I stitched around my painting with some lovely soft blue fibers. Next I tore some handmade paper scraps and adhered them to my journal page in a random fashion, to make a background.
Then I glued my rose painting on three sides leaving the top open as a pocket, and decorated a tag with distress ink and gesso. I then journaled on the tag and tucked it in the pocket I made with my rose painting.
It was a fun page to put together, and I had fun getting out my Pan Pastels again. They are so soft and smooth, and great to work with.

 Close-up of the rose.

 Close-up of the tag/pocket.

I totally want to win!

Chrysti Hydeck is having some great give-aways on her site in honor of the new release of Pam Carriker's book Art at the Speed of Life.
Check out Chrysti's give-aways here:
http://chrysti.squarespace.com/always-chrysti/