Coloring – Anxious Crafter

Challenge Accepted!

The most important thing I have learned about myself is that I cannot control everything. Part of coping with PTSD is the desire to control everything, your environment, your family and the people around you. In doing so, you can develop unfavorable ways of manipulation and often, the result is the opposite. The outcomes are viewed as failure.

Failure is a word or idea that no one wants to have around. It can destroy your self esteem and lock you into a dark place.

To be successful, we must learn to let go. Things will not always be perfect or foster self growth.

My favorite way to simply ” let go ” is through watercolor. Think about it for a second. The water flows without bounderies on paper. You can set a few bounderies by using more or less water or maybe the size of the brush or paper. Many times, the creation of simple embossed edges can keep the color from going ascew.

The freedom to choose any color you wish.

We all need to let go sometimes.

Drop me a comment to let me know you were here.

As always, the support is very much appreciated.

Remember, Be still, create something beautiful ❤️

Hello, You’re Beautiful!

Consider this a subtle reminder with a not so subtle creation.

You are beautiful just the way you are 💕

Sometimes, life gets in the way. We get lost in who we are. Lost, in everyone else’s expectations of who we should be.

This was created for all those who may be lost.

When different media come together as one.

This card began as a card base covered with a strip of peach washi tape. The tape has the illusion of stray alcohol inks. The tape was sprayed with gorgeous copper mica.

Watercolor paper was then stamped with this gorgeous magnolias and embossed with matching copper powder.

I used my favorite Derwent graphitint watercolors to shade the flowers. Once dried, they were die cut and added to the card with 3D foam tape.

The card was finished with a strip of burlap ribbon that I picked up at the dollar store, more mica spray and shades of Nuvo dream drops.

Topped with the most appropriate “Hello, you’re beautiful” sentiment.

⭐Drop me a comment to let me know you stopped by. ⭐

Remember, Be Still and Create something Beautiful. 💕

Just A Little Shabby

Usually I begin with a little story but this one doesn’t have one. Well, not really.

You see, we all lose loved ones and memories come sneaking back to us at times that leave us with a smile.

Inspired by the memory of my Mother. This would have been something I made her, had she been still with us. It’s her style through and through. A little sweet but not too obvious.

Enough mush, here is the nitty gritty of this card. I was inspired by the washi tape that I had purchased on sale at Altenew. I knew I wanted to do something with it because it really caught my eye. I decided to try and add a little watercolor to the tape to give it a sweet muted look. I used Altenew woodless watercolor pencils. I chose these because the color is very soft and I didn’t want to tear the washi. I applied the color after adhering to white cardstock.

I then ran the entire panel tucked into the wood planks 3D embossing folder through my platinum. This came out gorgeous!

The edges of the card base were dredged across the embossing ink pad. Then the antique rose embossing powder was poured on and heat set.

Lastly the panel was adhered with foam tape to the base. This is important because tape runner generally doesn’t stick to washi when it’s tucked around the back.

Sentiment taken from the vintage roses stamp set and also embossed to match.

Finished off with some sweet acrylic white pearl dots. Try using washi on your next project and tag me because I love inspiration! 💕

Remember…. Be Still and Create Something Beautiful ❤️🥰

I choose you.

ACEP 1 Seasonal Scene Building/ Anderson

It has happened to every one of us when we least expect it. Later, the timing was proven to be right. This happened to me years ago. I rescued a very large cat from a family that was ready to give him up to a shelter because they couldn’t care for him.

Recently we celebrated his birthday. He is now well over 10 years old. He is my best friend and he has been through so much. He chose me.

Continuing on with my papercrafting, I recently completed a class teaching me how to build scenes. This project portrays my kitty and his playful nature. I began by using the graffiti scribble stencil by Altenew for the background. Inked with distress ink in “salty ocean” color.

The images were cut and stamped from Altenew “modern cats” stamp and die set. I used honey drizzle and caramel toffee crisp dye inks layered on top of each other for the perfect color. Fine details were added with black fine liner pen. My favorite Nuvo drops were added to complete the scene.

Who is your best friend? Was it planned or just kind of happened?

Thanks to everyone that has emailed and left kind messages. I appreciate each and every one of you. Remember to drop me a comment and follow my blog for more stories and creative gems.

As always, all my creations are donated back to the IAFF Center of Excellence for firefighters recovering from PTSD or to someone that just needs to know they are important.

Remember, Be still and create something beautiful. 💘

Self Love

When was the last time you took some time for yourself? You did something to feed your soul? Something that helped your grow as a person?

For me, being a first responder, that concept is considered selfish. As a firefighter, we go to work, save lives and go home to our families. Many times, we do not think about the stress we place on ourselves or our families. The sacrifices we make to save others are huge.

Since my diagnosis of work related PTSD was given to me, I have learned that I am important. Important enough to take time for me. I took time off to feed my soul and enjoy life again. Its been tough but so enriching.

This card is dedicated to those afraid to let go and enjoy life. Do what makes you happy.

I intended this card to have calm and muted shades of yellow, greens and blues. I accomplished this by ink blending my card stock with tumbled glass and shabby shutters Distress Oxide ink. The paper was embossed with a technique using Altenew’s Geo Cover Die B. The paper was misted with water to prevent cracking because of the intricate pattern.

The muted flowers were cut from Altenew’s Wild and Free stamp set. I used my favorite shade of Blue Lagoon Crisp ink with Mango Smoothie and evergreen. The special 3D butterfly was a stamp cut from vellum and embossed with nuvo navy metallic powder. Dimension was created with foam tape.

Finally the sentiment from the same stamp set was embossed with the same navy powder to match and handwritten “be” was added with fineliner pen. Topped off with yellow and blue nuvo drops.

Its a simple reminder to take time for yourself. Wake up just a little earlier each day and enjoy the calm.

Thank you to everyone for all the comments and support.

Tell me what you think.

As always, Be still and create something beautiful. 💘

What’s your passion?

Perhaps, you still don’t know what makes you happy. When was the last time you tried something new? Are you afraid of failure? Are you afraid of what people will think? Who cares,

because at the end of the day, only YOU can make YOU happy.

I recently tried watercoloring. I was attracted to the forgiving nature of the ink and the bright colors. Coping with PTSD can be very challenging from day to day.

As most of you that follow me know, I have been exploring art as a coping mechanism. I have been searching for ways to learn and reach out to others in recovery.

Welp, here is latest project and very first watercolor design. I love this!

I started this with a teal layered card stock background on a 4×4 square card. I was looking for something a bit outside the box so I used shades of blue and green watercolor pens from Altenew. I sprayed adhesive onto the Altenew flowing hearts stencil and attached it to white watercolor paper. I wet the paper and filled the stencil with shades of blue and green watercolor.

Then, I let the paper dry before die cutting it with a scalloped heart die from my stash. I adhered it to blue card stock and cut a second heart base. Lastly, I taped the entire heart to my base card using 3D foam tape. I topped it off with matching sentiment from Altenew “A crafty life” stamp set.

Drop a comment below and follow me for more inspiration. Interested in art therapy? Reach out because your not alone.

Remember, Be still and create something beautiful 💘

Grow where you are planted

I couldn’t pass up sharing this pretty little piece of art with everyone. A simple reminder to continue to explore healthy ways to release stress. Grow where you are planted. Learn to play again. Dance in the rain. Love relentlessly.

The weekend is nearly here. Get out and go hiking, explore your backyard. Sunshine truly keeps the clouds away.

Aa always, that you for the tons of support I have recieved. If just one person benefits, my time is worth it.

Until next time, be still, create something beautiful 💘

Its none of your business what other’s think.

Altenew All About Layering 2 / Anderson – Create your own happy

Some of us just need to break the mold that we are expected to fit into. Its ok to do your own thing. Its none of your business what others think about you.

At the end of the day, all you have is you. Create your own happiness because your worth every bit of it.

This cool looking card broke the mold. I used Kraft card stock for the card base on this one with a double layer of cardstock on top. Most cards are made with a white card base.

Here is what I used to make this:

Kraft card base, sunflower card stock and rose color puffy heart cotton paper.

The flowers were stamped with Altenew “Airbrushed Flowers” which is one of the newest stamp sets.

The inks were Altenew Crisp Dye mini cubes of Permanent black, frayed leaf, fresh leaf, canyon clay, peach perfect, pastel sunrise, mango smoothie, warm sunshine and buttercream for a sweet muted look.

The card was put together by first stamping multiple layers of the image onto white 80lb card stock and then cutting them out. The leaf image was then stamped to cover the Kraft base. Next, the double layer background was carefully cut and added to the base. The airbrushed images were attached with foam tape and the sentiment was stamped and added from the same set.

I hope that this card brings you a smile and encouragement to create your own happiness.

As always, I can’t thank you enough for the support that I have received. If you haven t subscribed, go ahead so that you will get a heads up on all my new posts.

Drop any comments and suggestions in the box.

Because life happens…

Here we are, its finally 2021. It doesn’t feel like it yet. People around me are me are still suffering. Families are still grieving and people are still assholes.

Me, I am simply working hard in an attempt to remove myself from the effects of the past year. Who said 2021 will be better?

The reality is, the beatings will continue until you make your own changes. Prioritize your goals and write them down. Keep them in your face all day long. Stick them to your bathroom mirror, your dashboard, the wallpaper in your cell phone.

Statistically, the majority of us create goals and then by March, the motivation is gone. Perhaps those goals were not obtainable to start with.

Maybe instead if your goals of losing weight, it should have been lose 10 pounds because that is visual and therefore obtainable.

Now, revise those goals and create something obtainable. Hold your head high because you have the courage to even move forward after the assault that 2020 gave you.

Keep up the good fight, kick ass and keep moving forward.

“Courageous You”, inspired by two lovely ladies.
Ka and Pauline keep up the good fight. 👊

Discovering an old love 💘

Its seems as though many of these “stay at home” orders are not going away anytime soon.

I have decided to dust off some of my tools and direct my creative energy into learning something new.

Being able to sit down in the evening and reduce my anxiety by simply coloring, organizing my planner or just writing was proving to be therapeutic.

I have decided to take on some art classes at my own pace and time.

While some weeks get really crazy with work, some weeks I end up with more time than I know what to do with.

Check in frequently to see what I may be getting into and what crazy things I may be doing. You just may find something that you want to try yourself.