Love Letters - February 2023 Art Journal Challenge

 

Hello everyone, and welcome to our February challenge! This month our challenge is all about LOVE... LETTERS. You can find our challenge details below as well as links to the latest issue of our digital magazine - Artful Pages - more details below.

Quick Links

February Art Journal Challenge

Artful Pages February Issue

DT Inspiration Prizes

Love Letters

Let's take a look at this month's art journal challenge! We have simplified the challenges this year and the challenge no longer has two parts. Instead we have one main theme to inspire you and this month it's all about LOVE LETTERS.

#MTWartjournalchallenge

We can't wait to see what you do with our challenge prompt this month and if you need more inspiration, you might find our new magazine useful.   Inside there are weekly prompts if you need them.  

Please note that we have made the decision to drop the Mini Challenge from our schedule, due in part to the decline in entries.  Are you sad about the demise of the Mini Challenge? We'd love to hear from you! If there is enough interest we may consider bring it back.

Artful Pages February 2023

As mentioned at the top of the post, we are excited to share the latest issue of our new digital magazine - Artful Pages - which is a new way of looking at our challenges and inspiration, as well as being able to add more value for our readers which we are not able to do in our current formats.  So here's a look at our latest issue which is available to flick through online just like a real magazine.  The magazine contains more about our challenge this month, our Design Team inspiration,Guest Designer interviews, free printables and more!  Check it out and see for yourself - we would love your feedback! 

Design Team Inspiration

Let's see what our lovely Design Team have created this month. If you love their projects this month, please visit their social links and let them know, and follow them on your favourite social media.

ANN CHUANG

When I saw this theme, I imagined the mood of writing a love letter. For the background, I used Collage Paper Typography to cover the entire page and then used stamps to stamp many envelopes and postcard images on blank old book pages, then cut them out and collaged them. I used a feather and a pen nib to make a quill because I think the quill is a romantic element of this theme.


Visit Ann:  BLOG - FACEBOOK - PINTEREST - INSTAGRAM

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ELLE - EOTC

Who hasn't received a love letter or two from a secret or not so secret admirer in the past.  It might be less romantic now with technology though!  I used lots of correspondence on this page, including a telegram to a sweetheart, a hand addressed envelope to my dearest love using a dip pen and ink, stamps, and postcards that are tucked into the envelope, letter tissue paper and lots of ink splatters and blots.

Visit Elle:  BLOG - FACEBOOK -  INSTAGRAM

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HEATHER MCMAHON

Sadly, I had no records of love letters in our family so I elected to create about the LOVE option instead. Different songs about love kept running through my head (there are so many!) but I settled on this one from the 60's by Jackie DeShannon in support of our Ukrainian friends.

Visit Heather:  BLOG - FACEBOOK - PINTEREST - INSTAGRAM

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HEIDI MATTESSICH

This was a fun page to create. I had so many ideas when I saw the word inspiration of Love Letters. But this month another song won out during my creative brainstorming. L.O.V.E. (Nat King Cole or Michael Buble, you can't go wrong either way).

Visit Heidi:  BLOG - INSTAGRAM -  YOUTUBE 

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KAT PALECZNY

Visit Kat:  BLOG - FACEBOOK - INSTAGRAM - YOUTUBE

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KOUNELI

For this theme I used a background made with the letters of the word love

I used magical powders for a festive background and glitter on all my hearts colored with oil pastels

Visit Kouneli:   FACEBOOK - INSTAGRAM

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LENA BLANKENSTEIN HOLMSTROM

Last summer, my friends got married. I made a hand-tied book for them as a gift where I also wrote them a poem about love. I wrote it in Finnish which appears on the left page and now translated it into English which is on the right page. Flowers and butterfly is a digital from ArtStacks.

Visit Lena:   BLOG - FACEBOOK - INSTAGRAM - PINTEREST - YOUTUBE

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LISA OXLEY

Love Letters.

When I play with this concept I go back to those romantic times of carving ones initials into a tree for longevity. 30 years together for my partner and I this May.

Visit Lisa:  BLOG - FACEBOOK - INSTAGRAM - YOUTUBE

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MATILDE FAB

My page about LOVE is red and pink (how obvious!) with some hearts. I used a stencil for it. I used some die cuts connecting with love and letters - my favourite is this jam jar having the letter in it <3 And the post scriptum "I love you" - it is the best ending of a letter to a beloved person, isn't it?  I'll have a short video available as well.

Visit Matilde:  BLOG - FACEBOOK - INSTAGRAM - YOUTUBE

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RACHEL MARTIN

Love letters... what an inspiring theme! I played with text stamps in the background and highlighted this pair of birds using Dina Wakley's gloss sprays.

Visit Rachel:  INSTAGRAM - YOUTUBE

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SHARON FRITCHMAN

When I saw that the theme is love, I just had to use a photo of my wedding day. We met on a blind date 33 years ago and were married 2 months later. I guess when you know it's love, you know! LOL. And I used the lyrics from Elvis Presley's beautiful song "Can't Help Falling In Love."

Visit Sharon:  BLOG - FACEBOOK - PINTEREST - INSTAGRAM

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SUNILA MAHAJAN

This month's challenge inspired me to create a layered journal page. This page is all about treasuring moments with a lover, the little tags and love notes, that we all end up saving from our earlier days. These become memories for a lifetime. I've captured this on my page.

Visit Sunila:  FACEBOOK - INSTAGRAM

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Prizes & Special Guest Designers

This year we are very happy to welcome ArtStacks Designs as our prize sponsor. 

 ArtStacks will be donating one of their fabulous DigiStacks to the overall winner of each of our challenges this year.  This will be a digital prize of one DigiStack to be downloaded from their online shop. 
(This prize is not transferable or exchangeable for non-digital products.)  

In addition, one or more participants, handpicked by our team, may be invited to be our Special Guest Designers, to be featured on our blog and promoted in our magazine and social media.

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Google has made the decision to retire this feature, and so the Feedburner subscribe by email option is going away.  If you are already subscribing to our blog updates by email, don't worry as we have moved everything to a new service, so you won't miss any updates!  If you are not currently receiving our blog updates by email and you would like to, please click on the link below, to make that happen.    

To follow us on other social media, please visit the links at the top right of the page.

Engage with us!

Tell us what you think in the comments below!  Please leave your comments at the end of this post.  

Are you entering the challenge?  
Do you feel inspired by our fabulous DT this month?
Did you enjoy our new magazine?

Challenge closes on the last day of the month at 11:59 pm EST.  

Enter in our Facebook Group, using the February Art Journal Challenge Album!  

Enter on Instagram by tagging us and using the hashtag: #MTWartjournalchallenge

 Or enter below...
     

December 2022 Main Challenge - SPARKLE and ADD GESSO

  Hello everyone and welcome to another month of lovely challenges from More Than Words.

This month we are inviting you to add a little sparkle and to add some gesso to your page. (Note: gesso doesn't have to be white, there are many colours plus transparent gesso.)

We also are excited to share the latest issue of our new digital magazine - Artful Pages - more details below!

But first, let's look at this month's art journal challenge!

Our challenge has two parts, please use both prompts to inspire you:

Helpful Tips For The Challenge

We would like you to be inspired by both parts of our challenge

- our word inspiration SPARKLE and our creative challenge - ADD GESSO.

We can't wait to see what you do and if you need more inspiration, you might find our new magazine useful!

As mentioned at the top of the post, we are excited to share the latest issue of our new digital magazine - Artful Pages - which is a new way of looking at our challenges and inspiration, as well as being able to add more value for our readers which we are not able to do in our current formats.  So here's a look at our latest issue which is available to flick through online just like a real magazine.  The magazine contains more about our challenges this month, our Design Team inspiration,Guest Designer interviews, and more!  Check it out and see for yourself - we would love your feedback!

Let's see what our lovely new Design Team have created this month...

ANN CHUANG

Ann says:  I used Black Gesso and Metallic Silver Sparkle Embossing Glitter Powder to make this Christmas Journal page. Wishing you a Merry Christmas.


Visit Ann:  BLOG - FACEBOOK - PINTEREST - INSTAGRAM

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ELLE - EOTC

Elle says:  May the festive season sparkle and shine.  I used white gesso mixed with pastels on my background to make the swirly pattern. Then on top I added some glitter paste and then the blue shiny diecut snowflakes. Then I wrote out the words with a gold pen. 

Visit Elle:  BLOG - FACEBOOK -  INSTAGRAM

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HEATHER MCMAHON

Heather says:  I found a great quote using the word SPARKLE and I added splashes of GESSO which I outlined in black. The gorgeous little girl and wings are from ArtStacks. I thought they suited the quote perfectly!

Visit Heather:  BLOG - FACEBOOK - PINTEREST - INSTAGRAM

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HEIDI MATTESSICH

Heidi says:  Hi guys! Here is my inspiration for the December Main Challenge. After pasting down my collage bits, I first applied some clear gesso to prime the surface and then whitewashed with watered down white gesso to give it a muted even tone. I painted the branches with watercolors and then again used white gesso to create to snow. My picture did not fully capture the sparkle on the branches that I added with touches of iridescent paint. Happy December!!

Visit Heidi:  BLOG - INSTAGRAM -  YOUTUBE 

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KAT PALECZNY

Visit Kat:  BLOG - FACEBOOK - INSTAGRAM - YOUTUBE

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LISA OXLEY

"The winter days passed slowly" 

Lisa says: Starting with a gesso base it is so very hard to capture the shimmer and sparkle within the layers of shimmer paints, textures and gold leaf.

Visit Lisa:  BLOG - FACEBOOK - INSTAGRAM - YOUTUBE

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MATILDE FAB

Matilde says:  The word SPARKLE inspired me to use Lindy's magical powders, which are shining and an acrylic paint to make little sparkling drops. I used the white gesso to add some texture. I also have a short video of this process

Visit Matilde:  BLOG - FACEBOOK - INSTAGRAM - YOUTUBE

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RACHEL MARTIN

Rachel says:  When using Lindy's magical powders, I always prime my page with Gesso. I also used white Gesso to make drops.

The word "SPARKLE" inspired me Lindy's magical powders, as well as fairy magic.

Visit Rachel:  INSTAGRAM - YOUTUBE

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ROX BOYCE

Rox says:  Gesso and sparkle are the basis to my textured background on this mixed media mini artwork “ Please be kind to all sentient beings”. Created in the style of Deb Weiers using her fabulous collage pack from ArtStacks.

Visit Rox: INSTAGRAM

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SARAH DORGERE

Visit Sarah:  BLOG - FACEBOOK - PINTEREST - INSTAGRAM - YOUTUBE

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SHARON FRITCHMAN

Sharon says:  When making my mixed media art journal page, I used GESSO (white and black) to liven up my background a bit. I wanted Deb Weiers' wonky bird (from ArtStacks) to SPARKLE, so I added black Stickles to her spots! She is also holding some shimmering balloons for fun!

Visit Sharon:  BLOG - FACEBOOK - PINTEREST - INSTAGRAM

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SUNILA MAHAJAN

Sunila says:  This page is all about sparkle. Sparkle and glitter layers, and in my quote. It's the vibe, it creates, ready to explode with joy. I've used gesso differently on this page, through a stencil for a different texture and dimension.

Visit Sunila:  FACEBOOK - INSTAGRAM

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Special Guest Designer

One or more participants, handpicked by our Admin team, may be invited to be our Special Guest Designers.

Feedburner Subscribe by Email

Google has made the decision to retire this feature, and so the Feedburner subscribe by email option is going away.  If you are already subscribing to our blog updates by email, don't worry as we have moved everything to a new service, so you won't miss any updates!  If you are not currently receiving our blog updates by email and you would like to, please click on the link below, to make that happen.   

To follow us on other social media, please visit the links at the top right of the page.

Engage with us!

Tell us what you think in the comments below!  Please leave your comments at the end of this post.  

Are you entering the challenge?  
Do you feel inspired by our fabulous DT this month?
Did you enjoy our new magazine?

Challenge closes on the last day of the month at 11:59 pm EST.  You can join the challenge using the inlinkz below 

Or in our Facebook Group, using the December Main Challenge Album!  

Or you can enter on Instagram by tagging us and using the hashtags: #mtwmainsparkle and #mtwmainchallenge.