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Dapoppins
If you don't follow me on Facebook, Periscope or Instagram you might know of some recent changes that I haven't had the chance to post about here on Dapoppins.

People ask me what I'm doing that keeps me so busy...
Bible Art Journaling, Bible Art, Illustrated Faith
Bible Art Journaling, Bible Art, Illustrated Faith
Bible Art Journaling, Bible Art, Illustrated Faith
Bible Art Journaling, Bible Art, Illustrated Faith

Bible Art Journaling, Bible Art, Illustrated Faith
Bible Art Journaling, Bible Art, Illustrated Faith
Bible Art Journaling, Bible Art, Illustrated Faith
Bible art journaling, Bible art, Illustrated faith, journaling
Bible Art, Bible Art journaling, Illustrated faith, illumnated faith




One Body Bible Illustration by Dapoppins

Every chance I get, I've been working in my Bible and often sharing the pages on Periscope.  (Periscope is a live stream app connected to Twitter.  I capture my scopes at https://katch.me/Dapoppins)

 I am on this years Canvas Corp Brands Design team and have some big projects coming up with them.

And the other thing, that I wasn't really expecting, is my new partnership with Nancy Gains and our website YOURDORI.com  
I am super excited about this new adventure I am on with Nancy and if you haven't gone over to check it out yet, please do.  We even published our very first Newsletter! 

 I haven't quite got everything organized, (because there are actually a couple of other things in the mix here that tend to eat up my time too) and I have asked  Julie Jordan Scott  a lady I  met via Periscope and the Facebook group the Perigirls, to help me find some Creative Organization.  

 Let me tell you really quick about Julie. She is a creative coach who helps, how does she say it, "inspire artistic rebirth." She seems to have a lot on her plate and manage to get things done. So I approached her about some virtual coaching.  Because while I don't lack inspiration.  I do lack focus and time management skills.  

 My 2016 goal list has outgrown my "doable hours in a day."  There is just so much I want to do, create, accomplish, share!

So I asked Julie for some help and we started some virtual sessions.

Sometimes as creatives we need someone to ask hard questions and dig for true answers.  Creatively speaking, what is true for me one month is not as true the next month.  I really need some help if I want to give my best to my new creative business with Nancy. (Have you checked out the new website yet?  Isn't it super professional and awesome looking?)
Yourdori little blue house by Nancy Gaines
Julie is asking me some hard questions, and hopefully, by answering those questions, I can get some of my creative ideas organized and off the ground.  

 If you feel a little buried by multiple dreams and ideas, I want to highly recommend contacting her.  Sometimes we get lost in all the colors of our paints and our stacks of pretty papers and forget why we started the creative journey; we need someone to ask hard questions.  

 One of the hard questions I am facing is what is going to happen here on Dapoppins as I begin to work harder on Yourdori.com with Nancy?
Yourdori girl illustration by Dapoppins
Well, somethings will be moving, and somethings will be the same...and somethings will go back to being what I originally intended them to be.  

Bunny illustration by Dapoppins
What can you do?  Check out the new website, comment on the posts, follow on social media, and if you need someone in your life who can dig for true answers regarding your creative goals, contact Julie.  (Julie is also on Periscope everyday.) 



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Just sharing some pages from my art journal today.  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is one of my favorite novels.  Written in 1847 it still stands as a representation of female empowerment without any accompanying sacrifice of faith, honor and femininity.  

When I first read it however, what I came away with was how much romance novels still imitate Jane Eyre's plot and characters.  

I made three pages on different parts of Jane's life...

Art Journaling, Nanny, Nannylife


Art Journal, Nanny, Nannylife


Art Journal, Nanny, Nannylife

Art Journal, Nanny, Nannylfie


What books have inspired you?  Have you done any art journaling related to them?  What creative thing have you done this week? -  Let me know in the comments so I can stop by your place and see!  Thanks for visiting.  
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Discovering what I like 


Once a person has played and explored the massive landscape of art journaling and all the fun supplies on the market, a list of staples and favorite starts to emerge.  I've been playing in paint for a couple of years now, as well as offering free get-togethers where I have to take and travel with supplies that I want to share with others. Experience has helped me develop a list of favorites.    

But I still have a problem.  I love color.  And I love it all.  I am addicted using lots of colors in my art journal in a variety of forms.  Sprays, acrylics, watercolors, glazes, crayons, etc, after I make a layout my desk area is covered with all the different things I grabbed to make that particular picture.  

And since I have two distinct ways of creating, I use different supplies for each style. 









My Top 5 Favorite Art Supplies


1.Paper Scraps -  I layer and collage with paper scraps and tissue paper. 


2. Gel-Medium or Mod Podge :  I use different types of Gel-Mediums for my paintings and loads of Matte Mod Podge for my art journal to glue down the papers. Gel-Medium and Mod Podge are basically both a "glue" with different thickness and quality. 

3. Gesso:  From the cheap gesso I can buy at WalMart, to Prima Marketings thick, smooth white gesso and clear gesso, my "character" paintings in my art journal always, always have a layer or ten of gesso. 

4. Stabilo Marks All Pencil -  Do you have one yet?  I love them and I don't think I quite have discovered all it's capabilities yet. 

5. Color:  Just add color.  I layer acrylic and water based paints to create unique effects.  I really need to take a class about the chemistry of doing layers with these truly mixed mediums. Because while I am sure my work will hold up for a few years, I don't think it has archival quality.  I'm still in the Art Exploration stage and there is so much I don't know.  Throw in some oil based crayons like Gelatos, Distress Crayons, or the slightly more waxy and water colorish Neocolor II crayons and I have no idea what will happen in 50 years, but that doesn't stop me from doing it.  I LOVE COLOR. 


There is so much about the technical process of art that I don't (yet) know.  I know there are people with this need to understand how everything works together before they even pick out a favorite color, but I am not one of them.  I intentionally approach art with the abandon of a 3 year old, shelving the adult critic, ignoring the "direction reader," and just enjoying the play experience.  Someday I will have the time to take notes and take a class about how everything works together.  (I have a couple of classes in mind all ready!)  But until that time, I am just learning what I like and what I can do.  

I created my Art Journaling Group about a year ago for those interested in doing some Art Exploration.   We are all have to begin somewhere.  I like to begin with Play.  If you want to join me on my journey or if you are local to my Vancouver, Washington area you can join the group too and maybe we could meet in person and make an artsy mess together.  

The Facebook Group is Here. 






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I haven't sat down here for quite awhile.   And every now and then, when I am in the middle of something else, it pops into my head that I have a blog that I created years ago for the purpose of sharing my thoughts and stories.  

When I started this, my youngest child was very young.  One, or two years old.  Now she is 13 and my oldest boy has graduated high-school.  

When I started this I was staying at home with the kids, taking only the very occasional temporary Nanny position.  Currently, I do more elder care than child care and I my schedule goes from 15 hours to 30 hours a week with no predictability. 

For the most part, my life is unpredictable.  I kinda like it that way.  When things get to "samey samey"  I pull something into my days to cause some unpredictability to happen. 

When I started this blog I was more about the writing than the arting. I was reading books, writing stories, joining critique groups, and pursuing a passion.  Now, I am divided between the two.  I love them both.  But time and time management are humongous factors in bringing my creative passions to life. 

One of my arting goals has been to practice and improve on my "primitive strangers."  I have weird face after weird face in art books all over my bedroom.  So I thought I would share a few here as proof that I am still alive, still arting, still thinking, and still dreaming stories. 

Don't forget, you can follow me on on Instagram.









These are just a few.  There are loads more as I try to develop a discernable imperfect style.

I use my art journal for practice - but often a story steps in.  I've been working on a few projects that have more of a story focus- a beginning and an end, or at least, a theme.  Do you find yourself expressing theme's in your art?

If you aren't arting, do you want to?  Do color and texture pull at you and tease you with ideas?

A friend and I have started a local group for people interested in art journaling or who are already artists and just want to be around like-minded people.  We will have real in life get-togethers and everything.  You are welcome to join the facebook group - or if you are local, you are welcome to our events.  I would so love to get out of my studio bedroom and join you in some art play.
Here is the Group: Art Journaling 101

What have you been working on in the last year?  Where are your passions driving you?  And how are you doing making time for your creativity?

I'd love to hear from you.  I miss YOU.

Have a great day and Be Blessed.

xoxo

Dapoppins






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Mixed Media Kit 
Plus the Mini Me Kit  

UnBOXING

As a member of the Kraaft Shaak Design Team I was gifted a Mixed Media Kit to play with.  This box of crafty goodness comes packed with papers, a paint sample, and mixed media fun.  There is even glitter. 

 I loved it so much ordered a second kit for my eleven year old daughter PLUS a Mini Me Kit and a Chalk Writer.  I gotta say, she absolutely loved unpacking all the goodies. 

 Confession.  I love unpacking the goodies too, and we kinda argued about it.  She did have to remind me that I ordered the kit for her ---so with a sigh of utter resignation ---I forced myself to let her unpack it. And as silly as it sounds, this is a true story.

Since it is her kit, she got to decide what to make.  That took awhile as she went back to the kit again and again to dream up the perfect way to use the different products inside.

 I was kinda hoping she might see how the Prima Chalk Board Paint, the tray, and the Chalk Writer might go together.  (The Chalk Writer isn't apart of the kit itself, but it's bright pink and writes this fat, smooth and creamy line.  How could I resist it?) Since She loves to write lists, recipes, and plans, I thought she might enjoy this.  

I was so happy that she agreed with what I thought would work.  This kind of agreement happens so rarely it was almost magical!  
Kreating 


She decided not to embellish the tray.  


Neon Pink Craft Decor Chalk Writer



The next Project was something she had made before out of construction paper.  This time she got to use real ephemera papers, a pretty napkin and scraps of papers - all from the Mixed Media Kit. 

Paper Ephemera 




She applied them to a canvas using matte medium (from my stash.)





My daughter designed and cut out her own shapes to create an owl, choosing different paints from my personal collection. (Yes, I have a paint collection.  My grandma collected elephants.  I collect art supplies!) 






She layered the papers, cut the owl, and used tiny beads and mica lakes from the kit to embellish.  The little gems were something that came from her own stash.  (Yes, my eleven year old has a stash.  It's okay.  I steal from it all the time when she's at school.  Don't TELL.)  She wanted a night sky specifically so she could use those tiny blue beads, then added only 'just enough.'  I love how the owl turned out.  He is so perfect for October!  Even if he's not the least bit frightening. 



She worked on the little mandala canvas  while the layers of the owl were drying, painted it and then did the details with two different white pens.  My favorite Signo (available at the Kraaft Shaak) and a Posca White Pen.  She also used the mixed media kit's Art Sugar (Pretty, super fine glitter.  We love this stuff.) to highlight the white areas, but my camera couldn't catch the gorgeous sparkle.  

Why This Kit?

This kit has endless possibilities for a child.  Even after three projects, there are still lots of elements left over that can be used in collage, art journaling, mixed-media, decoupage, canvas art, altered art and recycled art. Less expensive art kits can be purchased in stores for kids - if your child is satisfied with foam, pom-poms and oddly colored markers that work for one day.  There are real mixed-media elements in this kit that work for both grown ups and kids while offering a chance to try out new things.  

It is a quality kit that will last way beyond one day of projects.  

I recommend you give it a try during the short, cold days of winter.  It worked well for us during the long, hot days of summer!  Make sure you come over to the Kraafters Kommunity on G+ and share what you made.  You can also visit the Kraaft Shaak Design Team page for some really Kool and Kreative ideas how to use a Mixed Media kit.  


While you are over there...here are a couple of things you (Mom) might consider getting for me to put under my Christmas tree.(Mom- hint, hint.)  I think they would be fantastic to use in my Bible journaling, art journal, or cards for friends.  Don't you? (Mom?).  



On MY personal Wishlist 







Affiliate links: This post contains lots of links to the Kraaft Shaak.  I was gifted a Mixed Media kit as apart of the design team but I receive no commission if you click on the links and browse the store. 

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I started an art journal. 


 Sometimes it's hard to start new things because I know the end result won't be perfect. 



I was journaling and doodling way back in Jr. High, and there are scads of these books stored in various places around my house.  But this art journal will be different.  There are a few notes already, things I scribbled out when I was in a hurry, as well as pages where I test out products to see the colors and effects, but mostly it is a place to try out ideas without investing in a canvas.  

You may not know this, but I am a story writer.  (Okay, if you have read my blog over the years, you know this.  -Hi Mom- But if you are visiting via Party Time Tuesdays or elsewhere, perhaps you do not.)  

I'm working on a modern Spanglish "Red Riding Hood" right now.  The story is more for practice than it is for publication.  I'm not sure if I should do something totally new and politically incorrect with it, or if I should keep it close to the original.  I often tell "Red Riding Hood" in a storytelling setting. That is, without a book. I add my own exaggerated add-libs about not following directions, consequences, and stranger danger.  

I've had trouble sleeping.  Ideas for the story, and for possible illustrations kept me awake into the early hours of the morning.  My husband woke up at three, and I kept pestering him to get up so that I could go into my craft room (the foot of our bed) and start working on Red Riding Hood. 

I knew I wanted a "whimsy" face - with the eyes far apart.  I used water soluble oil pastels, Gelatoes and -this other inexpensive brand from Craft Warehouse -Portfolio. I haven't worked much with these, and I am not a watercolor artist.  I am also not particularly skilled at drawing.  But I've been haunting art journal and mixed-media art sites -  And while I love the realistic faces, I also love the dramatic, strangely adorable, imperfect whimsy faces. 





I want to be more brave with colors- mix them up and put them where they don't belong, but I'm not quite there yet.  And I really want to try heavier paints.  

I worked on the face separately from the body, which I had cut from papers and added to an already collaged journal page.  




I was trying out new things on the page- brand new gesso from a brand I had never used before.  It wasn't as stiff and thick as I expected it to be, so after it dried I used molding paste and a stencil for the flowers. I sprayed them with hot pink.  What was I thinking?  I love the color but it didn't go at all with Red's coat.  Ick.  

I used some Silks blue paint for the flowers, hoping that would tie in the blue of the lower papers...It went okay, but still the pink and other background colors did not fit. 

I eventually just grabbed some black acrylic paint- bought on sale and never used before.  It was NOT heavy bodied like I was expecting, but more of a medium body - which meant it didn't cover that pink with the effect I was hoping for.  




Maybe you are wondering why a Party Time Tuesday Design Team Member would share a something that didn't turn out how she wanted?

While I am growing more confident in my art - I still spend the majority of my time trying new things because that is one of the adventurous fun parts for me.  Not every adventure turns out perfectly.

So while this was a project FAIL, it was a journal success.  I learned lot's of new things, and I am ready to try her again.

If you get a chance this week, take some time to browse through the Party Time Tuesdays blog.  There is lots of inspiration, and as we are heading into the holiday season, you might find something creative there you'd like to try your hand at.

As for her story-  One of these days I will record me reading it and you can tell me what you think.  Do you have any favorite stories you like to tell?  Ones for long nights, or long car rides?  Let me know what you like in the Comments!
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Ladies and girls, females and women, we have a WINNER.

WINNER, WINNER  CHIcKEN DINEnR

Well, y'all will have to make your own chicken dinner- but we do have a winner.  If you didn't see it announced yesterday over at Domesticraft.com you should click on over there and see.  I'll wait. 

Are you back yet?  (is this just too silly and cute for words?)  I wanted you to head over there for another reason.  Because Nancy is doing another giveaway.  ANOTHER ONE!  And we are not done yet. NOPE.  Not one bit.  NOT done being generous.  Not done being thankful.  Not done with doodles, art journaling or sharing our hearts.  This is a 21 Day journey and by-golly, we got 21 days of gratitude in us to share with every reader who comments, shares their own words, or says howdy.  

(and yes, I am aware I was being redundant and I just pretty much said the same thing three ways.  I thought I would be extra descriptive and give you more ideas on what to do to win something.)




I belong to a very wonderful g+ community called the Kraafter's Kommunity.  This months challenge to win this really cool canvas art bag is to color something..  As apart of my art journaling I've been doodling and coloring stuff.  If you are looking for a Kraafty Group of Kraafty Individuals, I totally recommend this great group.  We laugh, we share, we post our projects and get immeasurable amounts of encouragement.  If you join them make sure to say Dapoppins sent ya.  Ya'hear?

There are several really great g+ groups and I would totally steer you in the right direction if you asked me.  And no I don't get paid for that.  If you want to pay me that is fine with me.  Just send more craft supplies and gift certificates.  My contact info is on the sidebar.  





Thank you all for your sweet, positive comments.  Your response my post about my Grandma Angel and working to overcome my own fears of rejection have been so beautiful and kind.  You make me feel good about my writing, about my sharing and about the direction I am going.  If you need anyone to cheer you on or want a word of encouragement, or just someone to read your words, feel free to send me an email or fill in that contact gadget on the sidebar.  Seriously.  No one should have to feel alone in this day and age when communicating on the internet is so easy.  

 We are also thinking of forming A Gratitude Girls Cheer League group on face book.  (working title.  That may be a bit over-the-top) Invite only.  So if you want an invite you will need to let myself or  +Nancy Gaines know. 

 Okay.  Check the blogs on TUESDAY.  More giving away.  More of everything.  Maybe a even Glitter Bomb!

 Oh and, what do you think of my doodles? 

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Getting ART outside

For the past several years I have been picking a word for the year.  2016 was Pursue and 2017 was Outcome.  In journaling and exploring the meaning of both of those words I discovered a priority to connect with more people.  Not just people from my circle of friends, but people I have never met.  I journaled things like "pursue community," and "all outcomes equal reaching people's hearts."  

My creative process tends to be singular.  I don't dream and design very well with other people in the room.  I can't write when there might be interruptions.  And I can't work on a project for the same reason.  My creating obsession tends to lead to isolation.  

Contrasting with the desire to create is the desire to interact with more people in a positive way.  If I want to be any help at all in the world, if I want to lessen the stress, pain, fear, or loneliness of living and bring a little laughter and joy to a person’s day, I think I should start in my back yard.  And I think I should start with sharing what is easy for me.  

Art Play comes easy.  



I've admitted before how I'd rather buy art supplies than clothing.  Or anything else.  Which has left me with enough art supplies to share.  I don't have lots of one kind of thing, but I do have lots of things.  I adore colorful paint.  I adore different textures of paint.  I adore paint that does different things.  All that adoration equals a lot of different kinds of paint.  I have found my favorites - those I use occasionally, and those I have used only once or twice.  And I love printed scrapbook papers. I have enough scrapbook paper to make scap books for entire schools of children.  And washi tape.  And glue.  And...



My friend Dawn and I have a group on Thursday nights at 7pm in her home where we invite people to come on over, bring their art journal or bring nothing, and we chat and do art.  It is so fun.  Dawn is a high school teacher and I've gotten to meet some of her students and former students.  They are talented, smart, interesting, young.  It's been so cool.  (is cool a dated word?) I'd like to meet even more people.  

Our schedules change, so it isn't every Thursday night.  There is a face book group for this and I sometimes plan ahead and let people know.   (You should be proud of me.  Planning ahead is not a strong suit of mine.) Anyone is welcome.  

The Facebook Group is HERE.

Testing My Boundaries


I am always trying new things.  Learning new things.  I feel like I've developed a certain style, but I am constantly stretching to and incorporating bits and pieces of other peoples style.  I like messy.  I like layers.  And other than that - anything goes, from muted vintage to over the top color, I love it all.  




There have been a couple requests for classes and that has kinda been a goal for me.  Both the online and in person kind.  Both the free and the paid for kind.  

I don't know if I can do it.  I am not sure I will be a good teacher. 

Doing it anyway.  

I don't know if I have enough supplies. (Seriously, did I just say I need more craft supplies?  Yes.  Yes I did and I am not ashamed.) 

Doing it anyway.  




I've created a MeetUp also, trying to connect with people.  (It's an app for your phone that I didn't know about until one of the nice girls on Thursday night suggested it.)   And with help from some great (and talented friends) there will be two free classes January 19th and February 2nd.  You can check them out HERE.  




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Happy Autumn: Sharing my Fall Foxy With You

I saw this little guy at my local Craft Warehouse  last year.  It's a big craft store a little bit like Hobby Lobby, only not.  ...

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