Celebrate Summer

Today I'm sharing a very special art journal spread celebrating summer!

This spread incorporates my Map stencil and large Second Star to the Right & Straight On 'til Morning stencil along with Seth Apter's 3 Ring stencil from StencilGirl® Products. I've also layered PaperArtsy acrylic paints, inks, collage, and Seth Apter's Deep Sea embossing powder from Emerald Creek! This spread is 8" x 10" in my small Dylusions journal:

This art journal spread was inspired by a very special art retreat I attended at Ephemera Paducah with close friends a few weeks ago.

I feel so incredibly grateful to have been a part of this retreat, and it was a most amazing way to begin my summer!

Friends and I stayed in The Loft above Ephemera Paducah. It was like a dream! Check out this map decor!

We spent hours doing shibori, thanks to Debi Adams teaching us! It was the first time Mary Beth Shaw, Karyl Howard, and I tried this!

I love that gorgeous, indigo color even in the vat! And to do this on the back patio of Ephemera Paducah was a delight!

Debi Adams and Kristin Williams inspired me to experiment with gel medium and my Map stencil on cotton paper and dye it in the vat, too.

I created a t-shirt, too! Debi Adams is a great teacher!

We spent time at the annual 400 mile yard sale looking for materials to incorporate into our mixed media art.

Kristin Williams scoped out the sale the day before and led the way for us! By the end of our morning, we had filled her truck! I found some great vintage maps, and incorporated a bit of these maps into this art journal spread to document those days.

Was really wonderful to recall memories of that long weekend as I painted these pages!

We began our mornings with long walks and talking, admiring the Paducah scenery and river, rewarding ourselves with amazing coffee. Then back to The Loft for delicious pastries from the local bakery, enjoying our coffee, art journaling, and visiting. I am so grateful for my friends and this time we spent together and the memories I will always have.

This week, I'm linking up with Simon Says: Transport It challenge, Simon Says: Bright and Cheerful challenge, Emerald Creek's Celebrate Challenge, and A Vintage Journey's June Stencil It challenge.
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Thanks so much for visiting my blog!
​Have a wonderful weekend!