AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE JOURNAL

You have entered An Attitude of Gratitude Journal! Here you will find weekly posts of my journal pages from the challenge during the month of November 2012.  Enjoy! 

NOVEMBER 30, 2012 
DAY 20-30

Day 20 Health

DAY 20-Health. What are you most thankful for health wise.  Most thankful I am able to get up every day and I have my health. 
Bible Verse: My son, pay attention to what I say: turn your ear to my words.  Do not let them out of your sight, keep them with in your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one's whole body. Proverbs 4:20-22
Technique Challenge: Make your own stamp. I made a fish stamp from a rubber eraser and also stamped with a piece of corrugated cardboard and used a roller stamp on the border. I love fruit and want to eat more healthy by incorporating more in my diet. 

Day 21 Celebration

Day 21-Celebration. Family traditions for birthdays and Christmas. Challenge: Use wrapping paper. I used a juvenile Happy Birthday paper for the background and collaged the moments we celebrate in our family like birthdays, family and friends, seasonal celebrations; Thanksgiving and Christmas. Bible Verse: They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness. Psalm 89:16.

Day 22-Thanksgiving

Day 22-Thanksgiving. Since it was Thanksgiving, I chose to stamp a turkey image as the border around a hand-drawn feather to represent the turkey and the first Native Americans. Challenge: Find a way to add texture to your journal. I used glitter glue to draw spirals in the border and lines in the feather, when the glue dried I sprayed with ink and blotted it. Also rubbed a some oil pastels over the border area to darken the design. Bible Verse: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.

Day 23-Family & Friends

Day 23-Friends and Family: Who are the people you are most thankful for in your life? I'm thankful for my friends and family. Challenge: Add stitching to your page. I used faux stitching made by a stamp and faux stitch dash lines. I added texture to the background with a corrugated cardboard scrap and paint.  Adhered a neutral piece of card stock and stamped with butterfly and daisy design. Quote: A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.

Day 24-Photography

Day 24-Photography: How important are photographs to you? Very. I love photography and I take an extreme amount of photos. What do I do with them? Sometimes I use them in art, post on blog, send them to others, but mostly they sit in the computer. I am most thankful for the photographs I have of my loved ones that are no longer with us. 
Challenge: Use gesso to transfer a photo to your page. I used a photo of my beloved cat Rocky. Rocky loved flowers! So I surrounded him with his favorite orchids and various other photos of flowers I've taken. As for the Challenge technique...I'm not sure it is my favorite but I gave it a shot. 
Bible Verse: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 107:1.

Day 26-Dreams

Day 26-Dreams: What dreams do I have for the future? What dreams have come to fruition? This started as a hard page for me; I was over thinking it. When I take a look back I see that many dreams came true in my life and that I have been truly blessed. My dream for the future is traveling and photographing the National Parks.
Challenge: Make your own Washi Tape. I used scotch tape and scrapbook paper to make several pieced of "washi" tape. I also added masking tape and stamped over it for a border on the right side of the page. I love circles and dots so I incorporated them into the background with stamps and white ink. 
Bible Verse: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Quote: all our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. Walt Disney. I liked both Bible and Quote this day.

Day 27-Travel

Day 27-Travel: Do you like to travel? Uh Yes! Which places are on your wish list? Italy and Greece. What things are you most thankful for when you are traveling? Most thankful for hiking boots or comfortable shoes, comfy bed, hot shower, a/c or heat, and a delicious meal at the end of the day. Challenge: Use an art medium you rarely use. I used black and white photos and a black sharpie. And I love this page it reminds me of traveling to my favorite places. 
Bible Verse: Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105

Day 28-Seasons

Day 28-Seasons: Actual Season or Seasons of my life. I tried to incorporate both. All seasons of life are pointing to the cross! 
Bible Verse:Let us not grow weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 Quote: I used the words innocence, exuberance, reverence and perseverance.
Challenge: Trash to tools. Use various objects around house for printing on page. I used the end of a round wooden dowel and toilet paper roll to make circles in yellow, orange, purple, pink and blue. 

Day 29-Appreciation

Day 29-Appreciation: What do you appreciate in life? I appreciate many things but mostly I appreciate people in my life and our relationships. 
Technique Challenge: Use a paper serviette as part of your page.  I used a paper towel I found in the trash since there were no decorative napkins available. I love the texture and wrinkles and the colors! I kept the journaling to a minimum on a piece of card stock and stamped the background with butterflies. Added some faux stitching to the edge of page.
Bible Verse: Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4  I also use partial Quote from Ralph Marston: "Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return".  Good advice. 

Day 30-Gratitude

Day 30-Gratitude: I used this opportunity to journal my thought on the process of the Gratitude Challenge. 
Challenge: Dylusions Shadow Stamping. I watch the video but didn't have a solid stamp for the technique but I didn't let that stop me! I used two different colors to get the shadowing effect and then used a gel pen to fill in some of the leaves to  bring them forward. 

Thanks to Bernice Hopper for hosting An Attitude of Gratitude during the month of November! It was a pleasure and a great learning experience. 

Hope you have enjoyed seeing the journal pages. If you'd like to see them all together in one place, check out my pages here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/suzy_murray/. Thank you again for joining me in this journal adventure! 
Blessings!
Suzy

November 20, 2012 
Day 13-19

 Day 13-Childhood. What good memories do you have from childhood that you are thankful for? I had lots of good memories from childhood, I picked several favorites: watching the clouds go by, playing croquet in the back yard and my mother's flower garden. 
Bible Verse: Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14
Technique Challenge:  Use a tag on your page. I used three tags on the very edge of the page listing my favorite things on one, Sunny Daze & Carefree Fun. 

Day 15-Music: Prompt: What kind of music to you like? I'm a Jimmy Buffett music fan! His music makes me happy and I listen to it when I sew and sometimes when I'm painting. 
Quote: Gratitude is the music of the heart, when its chords are swept by the breeze of kindness. -Author unknown. 
Technique Challenge: Use music paper or image on your page. I used a music stamp to stamp in the background and filled in with a parrot in honor of Buffett's Parrothead fans. 

Day 16- Random Acts of Kindness. I believe in Intentional Acts of Kindness, although both are beneficial. 

Bible Quote: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.  Galatians 5:22 

Day 17-Laughter. What makes you laugh? Lots of things make me laugh but mostly it is people that make me laugh. I love to laugh and to me a day without laughter is like a day without sunshine! 
Bible Quote: A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22
Technique Challenge: Use a mask somewhere on your page. I used two manila tags to mask the background and sprayed them with ink. I also used a piece of cardboard to make the oval shape on the side. 
Day 18-Memories: How far back do you remember? I've filled this page with some of my earliest memories. Most relate to the environment. I was 3 or 4 years old at the time. 

Bible Quote: Give thanks in all circumstances. 1 Thessalonians 5:18. This was actually the quote for Day 19 which I mixed up but found it appropriate for this page. My mother was a divorced, single mother of two and we had little but she made the best of everything we had. I give thanks for my Mama and Grandmother for they taught me about love. 
Technique Challenge: Use packaging in a creative way on your page.  The packaging I chose to use on the page was a piece of cardboard from a stamp that looks like a ledger paper(my mom was an accountant), a brown paper bag from a recent wedding stamped with the letter F (family), and a clothing tag. 
Day 19-Books.  Prompt: Do you read? Do you prefer real books, Kindle or tablet? Yes, I read on a Kindle but I have an extensive craft book collection which I prefer. My favorite book subjects are Bible, Travel,Historical Romance, Spy Thriller, Biographies, Genealogy, Art & Mixed media, Craft and  DIY. 
Technique Challenge:  Use book paper under background or as part of the embellishment of your page. I used book pages under the paint, actual book label and paint chip, magazine pages. 
Bible Verse: I mixed up Day 18 verse but I used a partial quote here. "from generation to generation we will proclaim your praise." Psalm 79:13. This seemed appropriate to use to represent the Bible on my bookshelf. 
Thanks for stopping by!
Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! 
Bee Creative
Suzy

November 15, 2012 
Day 8-12 
Day 8-Self Portrait. Challenge to add self portrait to page and use magazine words to describe yourself. I took a photo of myself looking into a mirror in the studio. In the foreground are rolls of paper used for collage and mixed media projects. Next I edited the photo using a feature to turn the photo into a drawing and printed both black and white photos and trimmed around them. The second part of the Challenge was to use words cut from a magazine to describe myself; I chose to write the words since my magazine had recently been recycled. 
Bible Verse: What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Hebrews 2: 5-7.

Day 8 Self Portrait

 Day 9- Strengths. Technique Challenge: Use fabric on your page if you normally use paper or ink. I picked a nice bold polka dot piece I used to make a quilt for my Granddaughter. It has Pink, Green and Red which I thought would be a nice challenge. Painted the background with acrylics using a swipe with a credit card in pink and green. I used a quilt pattern layout called 9-patch. 
Prompt: What are your strengths? We were directed to an online quiz to find our strengths. I took the quiz and recorded the results on Manila tags painted with acrylics and written in black ink. Since the page seemed to be about sewing black ink faux stitching was added on each tag and around the fabric squares. According to the quiz my strengths are: Helicopter (can see the big picture-Birdseye view), Leader, Goal oriented, Organizer,Creative, Adaptable, Cooperative, Caring, Outgoing, Conscientious, Determined & Analytical.  
Bible Verse: I can do all this though Him who gives me strength. Philippeans 4:13.

Day 9 Strength

Day 10-Joy

Day 10-Joy.  Challenge: Use a heart or star shape.  When I clean my palette I wipe excess paint or ink onto a piece of paper; I cut the heart shapes from this. The background is a dictionary page with the definition for heart and other words that start with heart.  I've added a pocket to keep my journaling private, it is inside the heart shaped tag. 
Bible Verse: Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you. Psalm 86:3-5

Day 11 Lessons Learned

 Day 11: Lessons Learned. Technique Challenge:Use Vaseline to stencil on tag or page. Ok, I'm not good with directions! I had a little challenge with the technique. Really wasn't pleased with the Vaseline but I continued on and finished the page . I used acrylic paint added oil pastels. 
Prompt: What lessons have you learned in life. Well this could be an entire book but chose two that have been helpful to me: 1. In order to grow we must learn our own lessons. 2. Learn the lesson the first time around, rather than continuously having to repeat it. 
Bible Verse:  I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw. Proverbs 24: 31-33

Day 12 Map

Day 12-Map of Neighborhood. I chose to draw a map of my area and add the two houses that surround me. My neighbor to the left passed away and so her house is defined by the word Empty. I love where I live, close to the water and to the ocean. It is a very tropical area, once there were Pineapple Plantations here. We are surrounded by lush tropical vegetation and flowers. I live in a quiet neighborhood. 
Bible Verse: Love your neighbor as yourself. Mathew 22:39.

That's it for this week! Hope you enjoyed and I look forward to sharing with you more pages from An Attitude of Gratitude Journal next Thursday.

Bee Creative!
Suzy

                       Day 1-Wholeheartedness
Technique Challenge: use a color you don't like or one you don't use very often.  I really like most colors but I guess my least favorite  is Navy Blue. 
Bible Verse: Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4.  The 3 hearts represent the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and giving thanks to each.   

Day 1-Wholeheartedness

                                                           Day 2: Today
Which 3 things are you thankful for today?  I am thankful for my relationship with Jesus, my family and home. 
Bible Verse: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Day 2-Today

                                                              Day 3: Creativity
Challenge: Draw freehand. I used pen and ink to draw and highlight this simple bouquet of flowers and meandering border. Oil pastels are intensified by heating them with a heat gun. 
Bible Verse: He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers-all of them skilled workers and designers. Exodus 35:35

Day 3-Creativity

                                           Day 4: Time.
How do you spend your time?  Challenge: Try stamping with an embossing folder or stamps.  I chose stamps to represent time: Clock and numbers. Both Inspirational and Bible Verses were used:
Inspirational: God gave you a gift of 26,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?"  William A. Ward.
Bible Verse: Everything on earth has its own time and its own season. Ecclesiastes 3:1 (CEV)

Day 4-Time

                                       Day 5: Social Media
Inspired by Dyan Reavely Bleach Out technique. I didn't have the sprays to do the technique so I used Distress Ink to saturate the background and then blotted off. Instead of bleaching out the leaves on the stamped pattern I chose a watered down pink acrylic paint and highlighted the stems with a gel pen, stamped butterflies and embellished them with white paint pen. 
Bible Verse: Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 118:29. (in between lines I wrote: each day is a gift; be thankful (a heart of gratitude) for the blessings from above.)

Day 5 Social Media

                                                         Day 6 :Technology.
I have a love/hate relationship with technology. I love convenience and the way technology makes our lives easier but I also dislike that it causes us to run at such a fast pace. 
Bible Verse: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Day 6- Technology

Day 7: Encouragement

Technique Challenge: make a stencil and use it.  I was inspired by a drawing my granddaughter Brianne and I were doing today. We were drawing an "apple" tree which changed into a "mango" tree. So having Mangos on the brain I cut my stencils for leaves and mangos. I stenciled them acrylic paints, used gelatos and distress ink, pen and ink and then wrote around them. 
Encouragers: The people present and past are: My husband who gives me the freedom to pursue my art; my Sister who always likes what I am doing and always leaves me comments that warm my heart; my grand daughter who thinks I'm the greatest artist alive ;-); my BFF who cheers me on; my dear artist friend(RIP) who once told me to Go BIG and Go BOLD;  my dearest Mother (RIP) who always encouraged me and was my biggest fan! THANK YOU!!!
Bible Verse: For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 1 Timothy 1:7. 

Day 7 Encouraged

Thank you for stopping by and taking time to view my journal pages. I hope you have enjoyed them and will come back to see the new pages I will be adding weekly. Have a great weekend!
Bee Creative!
Suzy