Empower Everyone Art Journal Page with Karen Bearse

Ever have one of those periods in your life when you realize some self-improvement should be the order of the day? I find sometimes the daily grind of life brings me down. I start focusing on the negative because that is what surrounds me. The media, drivers that want to run you off the road so they can get where ever they are going first, obligations pulling in every direction. Times like these I sometimes find myself sucked into a vacuum of negativity. Before I know it I am a member of their team. It really can be a struggle to stay positive, look on the bright side, and be kind. I find art journal is a great way to help bring me back to the person I want to be not what society is trying to make me. Today was a little exercise in art therapy.

One of the best ways to get out of a negative slump is to look outward. That is what this page is reminding me. Empower Everyone. Sometimes it is easier to empower other people than yourself. The over flow creates positivity within. Positivity is contagious. Thinking along those lines I chose the Barbed Wire Circle Frame chippies as my main focus.

Using the bright vibrant Dylusions paints, smoothed on my gesso covered page with a cosmetic sponge. Did you know Southern Ridge now has stencils? For my background I spritzed black through the Bubble Wrap stencil. I forgot I wanted to use the black letters so needing to lighten the images I spritz with some white. The stencil was not lined up exactly and the result is kinda cool.

The chippies were painted with the Dylusions paint & a foam sponge. I cut the circle in half, wanting the words to be the main focus and adhered it with glossy accents. After everything was adhered it felt like something was missing. I added some distress ink on a dabber using the Navajo stencil. Using irresistible embellisher around the words helped them look embedded. Finished the page off by sketchy drawing around the edge & colorizing the word Every. Just a quick fun therapeutic page! I hope you have time to get inky this week!

Southern Ridge Supplies Used:

- Bubble Wrap Stencil

- Navajo Stencil

- Barbed Wire Circle Frame - large

- Polka Dot Swirls

Other Supplies Used:

- Ranger Ink: Dylusions Paints, Dylusions Sprays, Distress Ink and Glossy accents

- Dabber and foam

- Words by Sticker Nation

- Black Gel pen

- Irresistible embellisher in copper.

Remember to play along in the monthly challenge over on the Southern Ridge Trading Company blog. Each month enter for your chance to win 4 designs from the online store - chipboard.ca -$20 (before tax) retail value of YOUR OWN CHOOSING! 

- Karen