Cultivate Creativity

Hi everyone... hope y'all are having a wonderful week. Mine has been full of creativity.... projects, gifts, art challenges. I'm loving it. Awhile back I came across this wonderful tutorial  by Lost Wax YOUTUBE  . It provided me inspiration for the background technique I used on this project.

One of the challenge blog's I'm joining in with this week is SanDee & Amelie's Steampunk which their theme is Steampunk Stories. My title on my piece says it all for me. A few years ago I lost my house, marriage and job all within the same year or so. My one and only daughter recently moved to New York and I'm in California. So many changes have taken place in my life. I tend to be a happy go lucky optimistic person, but I definitely have had struggles this last year with all the changes. If it weren't for ART, not sure what I would do. I'm  fortunate that I have a room dedicated to my craft so I can go in there any time of day and play. It releases anxiety, depression, the thoughts of loneliness. Keeping my hands busy is so theraputic. I am very thankful for ART.

I encourage you to do something creative EVERY DAY...whether it's cooking, gardening, sewing, crafting.. it will help release those endorphins into your body to help you relieve stress from the everyday life. Hope you enjoy my canvas.  Have a beautiful week, and keep smiling :-) And stop by some of the challenges below for some wonderful inspiration to get those creative juices going. I am entereing this piece in the following challenges:

Try It On Tuesday - How Does Your Garden Grow

Anything But A Card - STEAMPUNKtember

SanDee & Amelie's Steampunk Challenge - Steampunk Stories

The Mirror Crack'd - Anything Goes
Craft Hoarders Anonymous - All The Pretty Flowers

You can view my step by step process on this project here.
Check out How to Create Steampunk Background & Faux Metal Flowers by Toni Burks-Grijalva on Snapguide.

Guess What Time It Is?

That's right... it's time to let those industrial creative wheels rollin'... As many of you know I ♥ Steampunk... and the challenge this week at "Sandee's & Amelie's" is creating a steampunk masterpiece using "Shades of Grey, Blue & Rust". And also at Simon Says Stamp the challenge is "I Ought To Use This More".

The two items I Ought to Use More are: canvases (I have a ton and seem to hoard them) and my Oxford Impression stamps, I adore their details

Project titled "When you run out of steam ... make ART" It was my birthday yesterday turning another year older doesn't bother me in the least, in fact I appreciate where I have come from and what I have learned thru the years and treasure what is happening in my life right now at this moment... but yesterday I was feeling really down, and depressed and my body ached and I really just wanted to stay in bed. My daughter (aka... BFF) recently moved to NYC and though I am super happy for her, I am missing her more than I ever imagined. Some days I quite frankly have no energy to do anything and I know it has a lot to do with her being gone.

Don't let me kid you .... we talk once maybe twice a day... yea I know what your thinking... get a grip lady ! When she told me she wanted to transfer her job from California to NY I quite frankly was so excited for her. I have always encouraged her to follow her heart, experience life and my door is always open for her to come home to. We've both agreed that if NY becomes her new home, I will in deed move there because I need to be with her and my future son-n-law (no one in mind as of yet) and my future grandchildren.

Some days are good, some days aren't so good... today actually was better... so see I know it's just a matter of missing my girl. Alright, enough of that... back to my project. Art can really revive me... I put on my music or favorite movie and next thing I know its several hours later.

For more wonderful inspiration, and if you ♥ Steampunk, be sure to drop by Sandee's & Amelie's challenge blog and have some fun.  And if you want to challenge yourself to something new every week... check out Simon Says Stamp... they never disappoint.

 

For a detailed tutorial on how I accomplished this canvas, check out my SNAPGUIDE tutorial below or visit my SNAPGUIDE website for more inspiring projects. http://snapguide.com/toni-burks-grijalva/guides/

Check out How to Create Mixed Media Steampunk Canvas by Toni Burks-Grijalva on Snapguide.