The Red Gratitude Tree

   My apologies for not getting back to everyone last week. First, I inadvertently deleted a bunch of comments instead of posting them, and then I deleted a group of them from my email. That's what I get for thinking I could read well enough with some sunlight-but no reading glasses!

  Here's the journal and paint part of my contribution for Paint Party Friday and several other challenges this week:

 

  This tree was done very similarly to the abstract tree I shared in this post recently. It was done wet on wet using acrylic paints in yellow, pink,  orange, red mixed with a bit of Golden raw Sienna along with touches of Golden Fluid Acrylic Payne's Gray. Paints were applied with a brush, sea sponge and my fingers. I always think of the word gratitude especially in November and I found the perfect quote I wanted to use with this particular painting. It was added digitally.

 I love when I can come up with something to fit the weekly themes at the Simon Says challenge blogs-especially cards. I've been making cards for a long time and am constantly working on new designs in most every style. This week on the Simon Wednesday blog the challenge is  "keep it clean and simple". I already had a Christmas card idea sitting on my table so I chose to work with it. 

  Here are three versions of the same design. First up-the Christmas card:

  Products: white note card (Canvas Corp); vellum (Hero Arts); patterned paper-Winter Twig (Little Yellow Bicycle, Inc.); rubber stamp (PSX); Vivid! Olive dye ink (Clearsnap); glittery foam stickers (source unknown); sewing machine and silver thread.

 A feminine birthday card:

  

 Products: white note card (Canvas Corp); vellum (Hero Arts); patterned paper - Take Note Set (Studio Calico); rubber stamp (Hero Arts); Jet Black Staz-On ink (Tsukineko); felt butterflies (Michael's); sewing machine and green thread.

  A more masculine version:

  

Products: kraft note card (Canvas Corp);vellum (Hero Arts); metallic patterned paper- The Natural Matstack (DCWV); rubber stamp (Hero Arts); Jet Black Staz-On ink (Tsukineko); butterfly stickers (Studio Calico); sewing machine and black thread.

  Simon Says generously offers a $50 gift voucher to one contributor chosen randomly each week on their Monday challenge and their Wednesday challenge! Not just that, but they don't require that you use products from their store-now how generous is that??? I for one appreciate it so much since I certainly don't have the means to constantly purchase for specific challenges.Thank you Simon Says!

  That's it for now. We have a busy weekend ahead which I'll let you in on next time. With my gratitude for your kind comments and for sharing your inspiring art too. XO

  Linking up to Art Journal Every Day, Creative Every Day, Mandarin Orange Monday, Paint Party Friday, and Simon Wednesday Challenge.

" The tree which moves some to tears of joy, is, in the eye of others, only a green thing which stands in the way. As a man is, so he sees."  William Blake