An Artist Christmas Time Reflection:

Well, this is my 2014 Christmas Card that I actually created in my little chunky art journal.  This was also inspired by one of my favorite artists Cori D...I love her work!  I was hoping to do a nativity scene these last few years but since becoming a new mommy to my little 5 yr old girl (that we fostered from age 4 to adopted this year) I can only make time for a little drawing here and there like this one!

The last 2 years have really been a challenge that I didn't expect...as an artist especially.  I just took for granted that I would be able to just keep creating consistently.  I soon learned after much emotional events that only another mother of adoption would understand that I had nothing inside me to give out to my work.  I realized that my art would need to be in the back burner until we could get things a bit more stable.

Thanks be to God...now things have become alot more stable...not saying that we still don't have some emotional issues that arise but we know that will always be a something to deal with.  We are happy though to be a family...her adoption was finalized in May and we baptized her in September.
And today I was blessed to witness her first 'reconnection' with her big brother...he is adopted by a wonderful family in Washington and we felt she was finally emotionally ready to be able to recieve a Christmas gift and card from him.  She was so happy and I documented the whole thing...it was a touching moment and she looks like she feels content!

As challenging as the last few years have been I know that the Lord has sent her to me because she is what I needed in my life to push me out of my comfort zone (my cocoon if you will) she is so full of life and has reminded me of what I used to be...I had allowed (not willingly) the bad things that happened to me through out my life to change me into someone I no longer recognized not only in the mirror but also being too fearful...she has been a tool to stretch and pull me in so many ways.  It's so amazing that this child has no idea of how she came to rescue me...and she only thinks (and says) how we rescued her.

With all that, I am hoping that next year I can actually work on bigger pieces...may be fewer but I just feel like I want to work on some more intense pieces...also I sooo miss working on canvas!  I decided that I am also going to start doing some monthly mixed media workshops here at my home and do art journaling tutorials for my youtube channel as well.  In fact, I asked my husband for a video camera...nothing big just a newer one because my old camera hardly works.  I tried recording but it kept messing up and my iphone comes out to skinny...lol!

I feel in my heart that working in my art journals is what really helped me to get through alot of the trials, heartache, frustration and joy that life brings our way.  So that is why I feel I need to share that with others but from a Christian Artist Perspective of how God has blessed us with this gift of Healing through creating and expressing our soul on to our work.  This is part of my mission...I believe this strongly and with passion...to share what I believe with the world...exciting things are on the way!!  Cre8tvlyYrs in Christ and Christmas Blessings to you all!  Gina Marie

Life in Progression...

Progressive Artworks...lately I have been 'feeling' like creating more 'expressive' pieces rather than an image of something.  They are a bit more 'Expressional Abstracts' or what I'd also like to  say are 'Spiritual Expressions' as I like to paint these layers while I am praising the Lord!  :)  These are some current pieces that I am working on...these are going to have alot of layers...can't really say how many but at this point this one has about 7 so far...this is on a 16" x 20" Canvas.

This piece is more mixed media since I have a layer of decoupaged fancy napkins on it.

This one has about 7 layers as well and is on a 11" X 14" canvas.

I'm also working on some 'mini' artworks...some ATC/ACEO's

on 2.5x3.5 watercolor paper...these are also artworks in progress...

 Well I 'm so happy that I finally can create my own original art again...it's definately a reflection of my own life in progression!  God Bless & Cre8tvlyYrs, Gina

*10 Days of Freebies!!*

Sample created with Cozy Love Birds

Today is the 1st of 10 Days of Freebies!

The Owlzaga's

Just go over to my FB page here:  Cre8tvlyYrs Designz by Gina Arzaga  from today until the 10th of October I will be posting freebies that I created to coordinate with my 10 new digital stamps I have available over at my Whimsy Stamps store!!

Scaredy Cat

So I thought I'd share a few of my samples I created using my Digital Stamps!  I also have new artwork to share and some tutorials and such that I'll be posting about on my YouTube channel soon!  Don't forget to check back soon for that and to get my freebies don't forget to go to my FB page link above!!

God bless and Cre8tvlyYrs!  Gina

Moving towards my Dreams and Goals...a few Announcements!

Here is a Cre8n I made using my 'Autumn Rose' Digital Stamp

Hello all my Family and Friends that are stopping by here!!  I am so excited to share what I've been up to since my last post...well I'm so happy with a few announcements!  First of all, this last Saturday we Baptized our daughter.  It was a small but sweet celebration after and it turned out nicely.  Second announcement...my digital stamp store will open at Whimsy Stamps tomorrow...October 1st!!  I am soo excited!!  Final announcement:  For the next 10 days I will be offering some Freebies that coordinate with my Digi stamps...so come back for those!!  :)

So happy because after the Baptism festivities were over I was able to focus on my digital stamps artwork and was able to get a total of 10 digital stamps done!  Above is a sample I created using my 1st digi stamp "Autumn Rose" and I've been busy creating more samples which I'll be creating some tutorial for on my YouTube channel soon!  Again, this is just one more baby step towards my goals and if it's God's will it will be!  So I will continue to be Cre8tvlyYrs, Gina

Redirection...go in Faith...

Hello Everyone!  Well here is my entry to the Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search that I made a big hoopla in the last post.  I didn't get chosen to the next round but you know what?  I'm fine with that...I am a woman of Faith...and I believe that when there is a 'no' it's really a redirection...I am now working on other projects and still believe there is a future for me in pursuing my dreams.  As for this painting...I know it's not my best work and I really liked the way it came out but it's probably not what I would have chosen to paint on my own!  So I looked at it as more of a really over priced workshop that I won't be joining next year...not that I'm being a sore loser or anything...but I just realized that I can't rely on others to make something I want happen for me!  I need to continue to keep my Faith on God...that he will lead me on the right path...to where he wants me to go!

Sooo, which leads me to...I am soo excited to share that I will be guest designing for 'Whimsy Stamps' for the rest of the year...if it's meant for me to be there...I may continue on!  I will be starting on as a 'Digital Stamp Designer' and I am so excited about this as I have always wanted to design my own stamp line!  I have decided to also add some of my digital kits to my etsy shop as soon as I'm done finishing up my first 10 sets of digi stamps and I 'tweek' some of my favorite digi kits!!  So I am already 'redirected'...and I will go on...in FAITH!  Cre8tvlyYrs, Gina :)

On Being Brave

Soo...it's the night before they are going to announce the top 50 contestants for Lilla Roger's Global Talent Search that will be moving on to the next round...and I am a little bit anxious...not a lot though but a little.  That in itself is surprising...I struggled with the 1st rounds challenge but only because I couldn't make up my mind in which direction I wanted to go with my project.  As I was struggling, even before I seen any of the other 998 contestants nor had any clue of any big contenders I began to wonder:  "What was I thinking when I signed up for this?"  I do know that had any clue of how many sign ups I may have not even tried.  But I'm glad that I did...even after signing up I told myself that it wouldn't matter if I am chosen or not (I would be very thrilled if I was...just saying) but to me the act of actually signing up was a statement that I was making to the world that I believe in myself enough to try!!

This experience is really a big step of bravery for me...I often would wish I would try then doubt myself...not my talent but myself...you see I have ADD/ADHD and I tend to get distracted or my super power that I like to call "SUPER FOCUS" (when I can zip out awesome artwork in a single all-nighter!!)  This way of being is what you can call a blessing mixed with a curse only because it has brought my both joy and also many heartaches (after missing deadlines of opportunities that have come my way).  Being that I am now 45 years old and finally a mommy I have decided to stop wasting my life...to stop the self doubt and "Just Bloom".

When I was working on my project, I realized that I needed to stop trying to do too much and think of it as if it was commissioned work to make it more of what they where asking for in the assignment but with my style of painting resonating throughout.  We are not allowed to post our piece until the announcements are made of the Top 50 but I would like to share what I word and saying I used:  Faith ~ Believing in more than what the eyes can see.  This is soo true to my spirit...it is what I have learned firsthand to be true...the Lord has brought me through so much bad and to so much good...I will continue to walk in my Faith...

My husband and I went through a very tough 2 year process to get our little girl and the fact that we accomplished this...that I myself survived the worst of what I never thought I'd experience this last year...well I realized that I am stronger than I thought, smarter than I knew, and capable of more than I could even imagine...all because I am not alone in this journey...no matter what I go through...the good and the bad...my Lord, my Father God, and Holy Spirit are there to lead, comfort and provide ways for me to achieve much more than I could even fathom...so with all that in mind I will keep moving forward with bravery because I know that I am being led by my Lord and if I am not chosen it is the Lord's way of saying 'not this way' but if I am than there is the chance that it may be this way...either way...I only want to go the the Lord has planned for me to go!

My Leap of Faith Experience...

So yeah, my 1st assignment for the Global Talent Search is due this coming Monday but I only really have today and tomorrow to really devote time to my project...so I'm only posting a short but sweet post of my progress and experience with this.


First off, when I got the assignment I had some ideas in mind but I also spent some time researching the subject and then I did a few rough sketches.  Then I hit a mental block...I wasn't 'feeling' the look of my sketches, then I decided to just start on my background of my canvas...it's almost done (my layering process for the background) and as it was drying at first I began to question myself as I couldn't get myself to draw what was whispering in my head...it just wasn't very clear yet...I  had no idea where to even continue and I started wondering what was I thinking when I signed up!!


So then I started doing some other research for a few things...they weren't really related to my project but as I was listening to some information on YouTube all of a sudden I picked up my pencil and exactly what I wanted to portray for my project came out! So now I better get back to work...I know there is a lot of talented artists that have joined this contest...but I figure it doesn't hurt to try.  If God wants my artwork to be shared with the world then it will!  God bless!!