http://www.zazzle.com/journaling_stickers-217531946796914104?

http://www.zazzle.com/journaling_stickers-217531946796914104?

Handmade for the Holidays

It's been a really busy month for me, not just because of Christmas, but with work-which is a good thing. Many thanks to friends and family for all the support at my first art show at Red Kite Coffee Company. My art will be there until the end of December. 

I've also been trying to set up my Etsy Shop. If you are looking for something original and handmade for that special someone, you can save 10% until December 15, and most of the small items have free shipping-Just use code GIFTTIME at check out. I offer free delivery in the NWA area by using code LOCALNWA. There are a few mini canvases, ornaments and journals left, and they all come wrapped and ready to give!

I've also added a custom order option to my shop if you would like a handmade composition notebook journal. These all sold so quick at my art show because they make such great gifts. I won't have anymore ready for Christmas, but keep them in mind for Valentines day, birthdays and graduations.

I'm loving doing works on paper lately and have several available in my shop, including some prints of my "Just Be" work that will be featured in the Arkansas Arts Council Small Works on Paper Exhibition for 2016. If you are in Arkansas, you can catch this exhibit near your hometown-see the schedule here.

Blessings to all my friends out there for the Holidays. I hope you find happiness, hope and peace through our Lord and Savior this Christmas.

I'll be back in 2016 with more posts for the upcoming year. 

Scallions Restaurant, Lessons for Life and Artwork

Every year during my birthday month, I always try to give back. October got away from me this year, so I'm going to celebrate in November too :) During November, if you eat at Scallions​, you can use your receipt to receive 10-15%* off any of my artwork. The best part is that I will donate 50% of my Scallions artwork sales for the month of November to Lessons for Life Ministry (*see flyer for full details).  I recently brought several new pieces of artwork to Scallions so go have a delicious lunch and do some Christmas shopping!

Visit Lessons for Life website and get to know Alexis Ware and her ministry. I have had the chance over the last three years to get to know Alexis personally and see her in action. I love Alexis' heart for teens, and her passion for bringing Jesus and His truth into every conversation or situation, and I would love to be able to give back to her ministry in November. She has taught me so much, and shared some much needed parenting and spiritual encouragement with me. She gives her life to mentoring teens in Central Arkansas, as well as all over the world,

Fall Art Workshops in November

I will be teaching a Journaling workshop November 11,  at the Art Location in Fayetteville. See details above and call 479-443-3583 to register. 

You can also get together your own group and pick your own date! I just traveled to Sherwood, Arkansas, last week and taught to a group of amazing ladies. Call me at 501-551-5033 to discuss available dates and packages for here in Northwest Arkansas, or in your hometown. 

Art workshops are perfect for a Girls Nite Out, church or women's retreats or team building. I offer workshops in mixed media, art journaling, prayer journaling, painting or crafting from recycled materials. I can customize a workshop to fit your needs and budget. Referrals available upon request.

Art Journaling to me

I've been art journaling for years now, but it's just been over the past year that I started making it an everyday habit. I first started out using old books to occasionally sketch out art inspiration, glue magazine tear outs of something I wanted to paint or a color combo I loved, or just practicing drawing things that I would see. Now I have several types of journals going all at once; one to experiment in, a prayer journal, a daily journal and a demo journal. 

I have been so inspired and encouraged to grow in my journaling skills over the years by great artists like Tammy Garcia at Daisy Yellow Art, Rae Missigman, and Stephanie Ackerman with Documented Faith. They are so generous to share their techniques and tips and encourage other artists in their creative process.

Not only does art journaling help me grow and learn more about myself as an artist, but it's a safe place for me to record my emotions, prayers, dreams and daily lists. I love looking back through my journals and remembering the journey, and also being able to create a little piece of myself that my children and grandchildren will treasure one day.

More often than not, I create several page spreads ahead of time, so I have time and pre-prepared space to do my writing each day.

 Some days my journaling may only be art...

Somedays it may be a verse or quote...

Maybe something I've seen in a book or magazine that inspires me...

A memory or memorial...

Somedays I just write and express my emotions onto a page I've created in the past...

Sometimes I just record an encouraging scripture or thoughts from my daily Bible reading...

or a prayer...

I also have a calendar for each month and lots of to do lists, goals, etc...

If you are in the Northwest Arkansas area and are interested in learning how to get an art journal started, I will be offering some beginning art journaling workshops this fall and winter. Email your info to me at Spanglerstacy@yahoo.com,  and I will email you a flyer with dates and times once I have them set. In my workshops I will teaching art journaling basics-from what supplies you need to get started, and how to use them in a variety of ways to create simple art techniques like collage, stamping, lettering, watercolor, stenciling and more.

I am also available to teach classes or workshops for retreats, special events or your own private group, here in Northwest Arkansas or other towns across Arkansas and surrounding states. Email me for details. 

Follow me on Instagram under SleepyheadDesignsStudio to see my daily journal entries. Also, for more pictures and happening from my studio, follow me on Facebook.www.facebook.com/sleepyhead.designs.studio 

Gelli printing and foam stamps

If you caught my post earlier in the week, you saw the cube stamp I created with some leftover sticky foam. I also showed how the foam stamps handle various mediums. After I played around a bit with the stamps, I decided to give it a try on my 3 x 5 Gelli Arts printing plate.

I also love my large gelli plate, but I'd have to say I'm partial to my smaller one. It's just so convenient and easy to use.

I love just playing with layers of colors.

The more layers...

and more texture you add...

The cooler the look.

I just started stamping these block prints in my large Ranger Dylusions journal.

I filled a whole spread with a patch work design.

This will be the perfect place to start keeping some of my favorite Bible verses.

I added to my prints with a graphite stick, some home made stamps, gelly roll pens and a solidified marker.

I love just cutting out the words from a computer and gluing them on. I may write some out also, just to add to the eclectic look of this page.

Easy Stamps

We are in the process of moving so I've been going through trying to "de-clutter", which for anyone creative is a hard task. I keep finding things in my "trash" pile that I can make into something useful. I found this little cube and some sticky foam scraps, and made this great stamp. So much for being productive with packing :)

I make the sticky foam stamps often just using a piece of sturdy cardboard or a wood block, but this one is nice because it's small and has 6 sides. Perfect for my travel tote.

I tried in out with several different mediums. This is black archival ink.

Color Archival Ink. (Ranger)

I always used archival inks because they are waterproof so they don't run or smear if you put something over them.

Distress Paint dabber. (Tim Holtz Distress Paint)

Regular acrylic craft paint.

The foam stamps work well with just about any medium.

Check back later this week to see the journal page I used using these stamps.

Give Away!

I'll be giving one lucky viewer a 8.5" x 8.5" glossy print of my original mixed media "BE" artwork this Friday. All you have to do to enter is 1) visit my Facebook page and share my post about the giveaway 2) post a comment under the Facebook post. 

I will also have more of these prints available at my online shop for $15. They are beautiful framed with a white matt. Check out my website and new shop HERE.

I will be adding more items throughout the summer.

Painted paper still life

Although this project took four to five, 30 minute class periods, the results were well worth it. They turned out so cute, and the kids really had fun designing their own bouquets. 

These were done by my 5th grade students. I have four fifth grade classes of 20-24 students each. I have each class for 40 minutes either 2 or 3 times a weeks, depending on the block schedule. It took two weeks to complete this whole process.

Day one: Using recycled cardboard and sticky backed foam, students spent a day creating a stamp and stamping a tempera paint background onto chip board.

Students spent another day making painted papers to use for the flowers, vases and table for their still life. This was a great activity to get hands on time mixing colors and creating texture.

Once a week, we practice drawing skills in a sketch book,  so I tied that activity into this lesson and taught the children how to draw various flowers, leaves and vases, and they practiced this in their sketchbooks.

From their designs they sketched lightly onto the backside of the painted papers and then started cutting their vases, flowers, stems and leaves out and attaching with Elmer's glue.

We gave the finished piece a good coat of Mod Podge.

Children will get these back in time to take home for Mother's Day.