Faber Castell came out with a Vision Board Kit recently and asked me to create something with it and then to blog about it on the Design Memory Craft blog (you can check that out HERE).  So I made a board that would be inspiring to me yet useful and interactive.

One of my favorite things about this kit is that it comes with everything you need to get started creating and if you want to add in more things or use more products you can easily mix those in.  I created this video showing step by step how I created the actual bulletin board and each of the pieces I added to it:

After making the board and inserting it into a frame I had at home I took the 6"x6" piece of printed paper with the flowers on it and decide I'd watercolor them in using the Grip markers that also come in the kit and some Gelatos that I already had. The Grip markers are waterbased  and are perfect for scribbling out on a craft mat, adding water to, and then painting in the flowers on the paper. (And another cool thing about them is if they dry out you can dip them into water to reactivate them!)

I also used a stencil from the 101 Stencil Collection and both the Pearl and the Silver Texture Lux to add some texture and shine to the background.

I knew I wanted to tuck the other 6"x6" piece of paper behind the flower one so I wanted to keep it simple but meaningful and inspirational to me. I came up with the plan to just use a small tipped PITT Pen to write out the attributes of the Lord that began with each of the letters. I really enjoyed meditating on those and knowing I can pull it out and refer to it when I need it. I used the PITT Pen instead of the Grip marker that comes in the kit because it has a smaller nib that made it easier to write small with.

This kit comes with so many cute smaller pieces of paper and tags that are perfect for keeping my lists on, so I bundled them all together and put them on a ring so I could hang them on one of the pens that come in the kit .

I also used some of the banner and diecut pieces that come in the kit to tie in with one of my favorite quotes I had written on another card that came in the kit.
That verse in Ephesians has really been on my heart lately and I love how Jimmy put words to how I feel about it:

Yep, love that.

Don't you love that big, glittery hash tag!!! I knew that I wanted to use that on the frame and so I used my ScanNCut to cut out the word "inspire" out of Scor-Tape on cardstock and glittered it up to match.

This was such a fun project to do and I hope to keep using the board, adding to it, rearranging things, and continue to be inspired from it.

Disclosure: Erin is a paid consultant and has received  products from Faber-Castell  and Brother ScanNCut to evaluate. However, the opinions expressed are entirely her own and based on her use of the products.

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy from these links it won't cost you a penny more but Erin will make a little bit of money (not enough for a pony). 

Confession time. We moved into our current home about 2 years ago and I've been so busy since then that I haven't really began to decorate until recently. (To make matters worse, I actually just unpacked a box that had been sitting in my office this whole time too, LOL!) In our family room we have a bunch of family photos up on the wall mixed with a few small pieces of artwork, but we had a little spot still left open that had been driving me nuts this whole time so I decided it was time to finally make something that would go there...and coincidentally I got an assignment from Faber Castell to play with some of their new stencils and create a video for them (you can watch that video here).

So here's how I created this piece....you can follow the step-by-step directions below, or check out this video:

Supplies:

• Metal heart frame (I got mine from Michael's)
• Sticky Back Canvas
• Ephemera (I used old music paper)
• Acrylic Paint
• Gel Medium
• Various Stencils (I used ones from Faber-Castell's 101, 102, and Doodle Stencil Collections)
• Black Chipboard Letters
• White Pen
• Ribbon
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Charcoal Pencil
• Paint Brushes
• Makeup Sponge
• Small piece of white cardstock
• PITT Artist Pen with the medium tip
• Double Sided Foam Adhesive

Instructions:

1. Take your piece of Sticky Back Canvas and collage whatever type of ephemera you are using onto it using gel medium.

2.  Apply various colors of acrylic paint to your canvas to create a background.
3. First stencil layer: Using this pattern from the 102 Collection of Stencils, take a baby wipe and remove the acrylic paint that shows through the stencil to create a pattern.

Another confession, I never clean my stencils so I had some orange spray mist on there that transferred onto my canvas...a cool serendipitous art moment!
Second stencil layer: Using this stencil from the 102 Collection of stencils, continue to remove paint using a baby wipe.
Third stencil layer: Using a make-up sponge apply various acrylic paints from the same color family over this stencil from the Doodle Collection of stencils.
Fourth stencil layer: Using a baby wipe apply white acrylic paint to this stencil from the Doodle Collection of stencils. 
Fifth stencil layer: Use this stencil from the 102 Collection of stencils to add another layer onto the canvas.
4. Use bubble wrap dipped in acrylic paint to add texture and patterns to the canvas.
Sixth stencil layer: Lastly, use this stencil from the Doodle Collection to add a final stenciled layer to the canvas.
5.  Add some brush strokes of acrylic paint to the canvas and then allow it to dry.
6. Once dry, use a charcoal pencil to create marks on the canvas and then use a wet paint brush over them to give them a painted look.

7. Trace the heart pattern onto the backside of the canvas and cut it out.
Remove the backing on the canvas and then insert it into the metal frame.

8. Embellishing: Use a white pen to doodle onto the black chipboard letters and allow it to dry before adhering it to the canvas with double sided foam adhesive. On a scrap of white cardstock write "sweet home" and then cut it into a pennant shape and adhere it to the canvas with foam adhesive. Tie a ribbon through the whole so it can be hung up.

And here's the final piece!

I'm honored to be this week's featured artist for Art to the 5th's the Documented Life Project 2015.

This weeks challenge is using ephemera: old maps, letters, tickets and more and the prompt is Life…with a history and it goes along perfectly with what's happening in my life this week...we're at the Lincoln Family Reunion! For those of you that don't know me in real life, my maiden name is Lincoln and I share an ancestor with Abraham Lincoln.

I created THIS VIDEO of the whole process I used to do these art journal pages:

The main steps I did were...

1. Use spray ink and stencils for the background.

2. Create my own Abraham Lincoln stencil using my ScanNCut & used it on my page.

3. Glued down some meaningful ephemera.

4. Journaling

5. Adding finishing touches with Faber-Castell Gelatos® and water soluble crayons.

If you're curious about my previous guest artist post for Art to the 5th check it out HERE.

You can find more info on Art to the 5th at: The Art to the 5th Academy and on Instagram: #documentedlife

Ranger Ink - Dylusions Creative Journal	Brother Sewing ScanNCut Cutting Machine Draw CM250	Brother ScanNCut Standard Mat 12 x 12 inch	C-Thru Blank Stencil Material pack of 3 (9in x 12in)
DecoArt DASK279 Crafter's Acrylics Home Décor Brights Sample Pack	DecoArt DASK278 Crafter's Acrylics Primary Sample Pack	Designing W/Gelatos Colors Kit-	OHTO Fude 1.5mm Ballpoint Pen, Black (CFR-150FB-Black)
Ranger TCW-TIM-29687 Tim Holtz Adirondack Color Wash Dye Spray, Red Pepper, 2-Ounce	Tim Holtz -Set 1 - Blossom, Flourish, Lace, Wildflower & Valentine -	Reeves Water Soluble Wax Pastels, Set of 48	Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Layered Stencil, 4.125 by 8.5-Inch, Stars
Jenni Bowlin Studio - Bingo Place Cards - Whimsy	Metal File Tabs by Tim Holtz Idea-ology

InLinkz.com

disclosure: I am a paid consultant for Brother International Corporation and have received a ScanNCut from Brother to evaluate. However, the opinions expressed are entirely my own and based on my use of the product.

Other sponsors: Deco Arts, Faber Castell...I receive products from both of these companies and the opinions expressed are entirely my own and based on my use of the products.

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy from this link it won't cost you a penny more but I make a little bit of money to keep this site up and running (not enough for a pony).

In my last post you I mentioned that I was doing some guest design work for Little Yellow Bicycle...well, here's my newest project, you can read the blog post about it over HERE. 

As you can see, it's not a big book but, it's cute & little...the perfect little brag book.

The book itself is constructed with just one sheet of 12" x 12" patterned paper, but you can use other sizes too, like I have with the mini art journal I use in my Art Journaling 101 online workshop (there's a tiny peek of that art journal HERE).  For a limited time you can download the instructions on how to create this mini book HERE, for free!  I also made this video over on Curious so that you can see how it goes together...sometimes seeing it makes more sense.

Here's the first inside page, I tried to keep them pretty simple and clean...

And the next...

And the last one, with my nieces and nephew....

And here's the last page...

I can't believe I actually scrapbooked!  Woo-hoo!! 

What crafty projects have you done recently?  Leave me the link below in the comments & I'll stop by and check them out!

sponsor: Little Yellow Bicycle

Things have been very crazy around here lately, from finding out that our 11 yr old Golden Retriever's crucible ligament has snapped and needs surgery...to trying to decide what to do about where to live (they are raising our rent a crazy amount) there are times when I'm barely keeping it all together.

Enter art journaling.  Well, God first, then art journaling.  ;)

I really should get better at posting what I create, but for the most part I'm busy in the making and doing and either forget to take a photo or I'm laying in bed at night thinking that I should have done so and am just too tired to do it!

Well, today I'm doing it...albeit late!  I made this art journal, my "For The Love Of Art" art journal, a couple of weeks ago for the Little Yellow Bicycle blog, you can read the post HERE.

They had sent me their new Naturals collection of products to work with which was really fun! Here's the cover...

And the rest of the pages {click on photos to enlarge them}, I used some of the collection of quotes I have saved...

Well that's it so far...I'll post about the art journaling swap I'm doing soon!! Fun, fun!

Also, in case you haven't heard, it's not too late to join us at 21 Secrets of Art Journling! It's a great community of people learning more art journaling and mixed media techniques online in the comfort of home.  Hope to see you there!!