Tracy Weinzapfel Studios: Art Journal

Mixed Media Monday Re-Cap 3/10/14 - "Some Days"

Some Monday's I I have to talk myself into being creative. Sometimes I just don't have it and have to dig deep, pray,and hope that something happens for Mixed Media Monday. To coin the phrase that my Dad uses "Some day are diamonds, some days are stones". That seemed to be our theme for last night's show.

HERE is what we painted LIVE:

MATERIALS LIST: Paper-Strathmore Mixed Media Vellum Surface, Watercolor Paints - Grumbacher, Pens - Sharpie, Uniball Signo White, Frog Tape, Ink - Daler Rowney, Stamp Pad - Momento

If you missed it LIVE it is recorded for your viewing pleasure and available on my YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/TraceB5.

VIDEO

This piece just came alive. I had my doubts along the way but lately have been loving working with blues so this was fun to just Let it Go and see where it took us....

We have our March Creative Dare "I Am" posted so make sure to submit your piece. Remember to join the Facebook Group HERE and share your projects! I love to see what you create based on our Monday's! Here are two projects shared last night:

Judy Eurey

Mary Kay McDonnell

I love to see MMM-inspired ART! Stay tuned for the March challenge and calendar which I will post soon. I will see you next Monday, March 17th!

“You can’t force things to happen; you can only drive yourself crazy trying. There’s a time and place for everything. So don’t force what’s not yet supposed to fit into your life. When it’s meant to be, it will be. Work hard, be patient."

Mar 11, 2014 10:34:53 AM | Art Journal, Art/Crafting/Scrapbooking, Mixed Media Mondays, twstudios, Ustream twStudios

Sunday Funday

I love it when Sunday's are Funday's. Saturday was full of yard work around here and taking advantage of the 86 degree weather. I know how lucky we are to get a jumpstart on that spring clean up in the yard. We are not fans of the labor but the day off on Sunday is great. I love it even more when I can start my Sunday quietly in my Studio. Then church with the kiddos and then some down time for us all which we need.

Today's art journal pages seem to have a theme:

I am playing with some new tools and trying things out which I love hence all the hearts ♥ I hope your Sunday was as relaxing as mine was. I took in time with the kids and two good books. Oh and this may have happened too....a beer by the boats = bliss

Now let's get this week started! It is Monday and that means Mixed Media Monday in my Studio! See you LIVE tonight at 6:00 pm where I hope to bring a few of these pages to life!

"Don’t let anyone make you feel that you don’t deserve the good things happening in your life. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to live a life you are excited about. Don’t let anyone make you forget that. Surround yourself with people who make you a better person – those who inspire you to be your best self."

Mar 10, 2014 6:00:00 AM | Art Journal, Art/Crafting/Scrapbooking

Creative Exercises and Spring is in the Air!

Along with Moving My Rear in March I am also exercising my creative muscles. This does not take long at all and I am loving the freedom to just experiment in my 5.5 X 8.5 art journal (I take it everywhere)!

trying out new flowers...

playing with old toys like my watercolor pencils...

and being inspired by flowers I see along my walks

I am not sharing the steps as I really am just playing and want to focus on that. If you see a page or idea you want me to recreate on Mixed Media Monday's just let me know!

Spring is in the air and in the hair as that is lightening up too!

Time to exercise those creative muscles! Have a most awesome weekend and I hope the signs of Spring are happening for you too! I am excited to spring those clocks forward to we have more daylight!

"Don’t sweat the small stuff today. Don’t let stupid little daily frustrations interfere with your relationships. Just do the best you can. Live simply. Love generously. Speak honestly. Work diligently. Then let go and let what’s meant to be, BE."

Mar 8, 2014 8:36:54 AM | Art Journal, Art/Crafting/Scrapbooking

March 2014 Creative Dare - I AM!

I AM excited about this month's Creative Dare! Donna Leuder posted this to the MMM Facebook Group:

This sparked some great conversation so Monday's Mixed Media LIVE was all about that and here is what I painted:

March is all about "I AM" which I further shared about yesturday HERE. I really am looking to seeing everyone's projects from this. Stretch yourself and like I said, you can share 1 piece with all the things you are or one piece per. Submit as many times as you would like and each Monday we will delve into that this month.

To submit just upload your layouts below "ADD YOUR LINK"! If you do not have a blog to link to don't worry! You can still upload to Flicker HERE and link from there too! Our OFFICIAL SPONSOR FOR March is Beacon Adhesives!!!! I had the pleasure of being next to their booth at CHA and they are such great people! I love their products too!

Website: http://www.beaconadhesives.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beaconadhesives - PLEASE LIKE THEM and thank them for their support.

Here is the calendar for March 2014:

Remember the best way to stay connected is by joining our Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/112352452239274/ (click to join)
All shows can be viewed here LIVE FREE: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tracy-weinzapfel
All recorded Shows can be viewed Here: http://www.youtube.com/user/TraceB5

Thank you to all who submitted and took the January Creative Dare! We had a record number 44 submissions! Our random Winner is Tommy Jo Vilello-Anderson!

I AM beyond excited for March and thank everyone for participating!!!

Mar 6, 2014 6:00:00 AM | Art Journal, Art/Crafting/Scrapbooking, Creative Dares, Mixed Media Mondays, twstudios, Ustream twStudios

I am....In the Moment

I admit it, I am overwhelmed.........a little off course. There, I said it. Just like many of others I am busy juggling. It is not always easy to keep all those plates spining. I sometimes take on everyone's happiness around me and with three kids that is not even possible (I figure if one out of three is mad at me I am doing something right). My calendar is color coded and looks like a rainbow, my list of things to do outnumbers the minutes in the day but I am not complaining.

I wake up each day hopeful and looking forward to the things on my list. I do have those Worst-Mom-of-the-Year moments when my son says they won their basketball playoff game by 2 points pro-longing the season and I have to remind myself to say "Great!" and actually mean it. In these times I find myself beating myself up the hardest and really under-delivering.

This is what I know for sure.........I AM also blessed, loved, happy, busy, inspired, motivated and never alone. I can only do so much and in those down times I need to take them and make the most of them. So I try to hit my art journal nightly and first thing in the morning.

It is in these moments when I feel the waves of change coming on and in the uncertainty I know that if I let the busy-ness get to me moments like this will slip away...

I love those moments the best.....I AM is the motto for this month. and I AM...in the moment.

"Wouldn’t you rather have a life of “OH WELLs” than a life of “WHAT IFs”? Do what you can while you can. Don’t be afraid to move out of your comfort zone. Some of my best life experiences and opportunities came to me only after I dared to lose."

Mar 5, 2014 8:32:13 AM | Art Journal, Art/Crafting/Scrapbooking

Bright and Bold Journal pages!

Man alive I love this journal. It is traveling with me everywhere! Here are the latest pages that I have been sharing on my Facebook page:

Seems like bright and bold are my colors of choice and I am loving them! Stay tuned to see more of these pages coming to life. I am playing more in my Studio and that makes me happy! See you TONIGHT for Mixed Media Monday! If you see an idea you like....let me know and we will bring these pages to live LIFE for Mixed Media Monday!

"Good things don’t come to those who wait; they come to those who work on meaningful goals. Ask yourself what’s really important and then have the courage to build your life around your answer."

Mar 3, 2014 6:00:00 AM | Art Journal, Art/Crafting/Scrapbooking

New Journal fun continues....

And more from my new 5.5 X 8.5 art journal.....

I loved the creative process, doodling and coming back to add more details!

and this was a fun page....

Bright colors are my thing and love picking out the boldest colors to play with. More to come!

"Challenge yourself to follow through – to live what you preach, to walk your talk. Don’t worry about how slowly you feel you’re heading towards your goals, or how many roadblocks you find, or how many detours you’re forced to take. As long as you keep doing your thing, you’re still cruising far ahead of everyone who’s too scared to even try."

Mar 1, 2014 6:00:00 AM | Art Journal, Art/Crafting/Scrapbooking

New journal! More fun from the Studio!

I love starting a new journal. I needed a small one to take with me because lately I am on the go a lot. I never want that to be an excuse not to be creative. With my moleskin watercolor book just one page away from being done it was time to look at another size. I started an 5.5 X 8.5 Strathmore Journal.

This is the fun I have been having.....

I am enjoying the creative process of making these pages and trying out new ideas. Some ideas are turning into classes, Mixed Media Monday's and some are just to keep that creativity flowing. I will share more tomorrow! Thanks for looking.

"Unfold your own tale and bring it to life. You have everything you need to become what you are capable of becoming. Incredible change happens when you decide to take control. This means consuming less and creating more."

Feb 28, 2014 10:12:08 AM | Art Journal, Art/Crafting/Scrapbooking

Mixed Media Monday Re-Cap 2/25/14 - "Bloom"

This Monday I had a special guest in the Studio for Mixed Media Monday. My friend Denise joined me and I forgot to shoot a photo of her! You will catch her in the video painting along with us. We had a great time and happy to hear she really enjoyed it!

HERE is what we painted LIVE:

MATERIALS LIST: Paper-Strathmore Mixed Media Vellum Surface, Paints, Gesso and Decoupage (Matte) - Decoart (Americana Colors: Turquoise Blue, Cheery Red, Irish Moss, Foliage Green, Yellow Green, White Wash, Sea Aqua, Razzle Berry, Hauser Medium Green, Sea Breeze, Jack-O-Lattern Orage, Tomato Red, and Deep Midnight Blue. Americana Multi-Surface Satin - Deep Turquoise), Pens - Sharpie, Uniball Signo White and Charocoal Pencil 3B, Buttons - Buttons Galore & More

If you missed it LIVE it is recorded for your viewing pleasure and available on my YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/TraceB5.

VIDEO

There is a lot happening in this piece but I really loved the fun details added....

It is so great every Monday to stop what I am doing and paint with everyone. I am thankful for the images that pop in my head right before we go on and when your suggestions make the piece even better! Thank you EVERYONE who was able to be there LIVE and participate with the chat. What a great night and a collaboration. Remember to join the Facebook Group HERE and share your projects! Remember to share your work there! I love to see MMM-inspired ART! Stay tuned for the March challenge and calendar which I will post soon. I will see you next Monday, March 3rd! Let's bring on another awesome month!

“Surround yourself with people who lift you higher – those who see the great potential in you, even when you don’t see it in yourself."

Feb 25, 2014 1:17:29 PM | Art Journal, Art/Crafting/Scrapbooking, Mixed Media Mondays, twstudios, Ustream twStudios

Sunday morning in the Studio - Washi Tape-off!

I love motivating chats and I had one with my friend Yvonne last week. She is in cold/snowy Canada and we like to clink with a glass of vino via Skype when we can. Great to catch up and push one another. We ended up Creatively Daring (as I like to call it) one another to a Washi Tape-Off. I needed to use some I had collected.

I started a new small idea journal (will share details soon) and went for it....here is my Washi Tape-Off challenge:

It's a simple page of sorts but this small journal is going to be all about simple and fun new ideas to expand my mind and exercise my paint brushes......

and here is Yvonne's: http://mytherapyroom.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/washi-tape-off-challenge/

Sometimes all you need is a push, a dare or somebody making you accountable to just do it. That is what I try to do every Monday. So it feels good when someone holds me to the same. I get in creative ruts too. This is a great way to start my Sunday in the Studio and get ready for Mixed Media Monday! Enjoy the rest of your day!

"There’s never really a right time for anything in life. There’s always going to be something in the way, someone coming to visit, someone leaving soon, the time of the year, the weather, the money, your mother, your brother, etc. Whatever it is, there will always be something or someone whispering, “Now is not the right time.” Do it anyway. Don’t wait for the perfect time; it doesn’t exist."