I started with four 4" square canvases that I picked up at Michaels. I used papers and cardstock stickers from Echo Park's This & That line. I love greens and earthy tones so these papers caught my eye. And yes, grow sounds green to me. :)
Of course I used Distress ink on all the edges of my papers and elements. I die cut the flourishes and used some Pebbles candy dots to play them up. The cardstock sticker sheet included the negative frames and I thought they looked great with the yellow striped background and Pink Paislee Cocoa Cushie alphas. I used bits and pieces from my stash to finish out each canvas. You'll also notice some tiny alphas on each canvas that spell out areas that I want to grow in: faith, relationships, confidence and love. This word has helped me focus in on what kinds of things are important and what activities, events, commitments that I don't need to focus my attention on.
The beautiful beaded tree on the "g" panel was made by my friend Sasha. I had told her about my word and the fact that when I saw the word in my head, I immediately picture a tree. Not only do I see the branches and leaves but I also see how deep the roots go as I grow. She really listened as I talked about wanting to grow and the next time I saw her, she had created this incredible tree from wire, and green faceted beads. This looks so much more amazing in person and it really captures the idea both of what you see in my growth--greenery, what you don't--the roots.
Mini canvases are so much fun to work on. You can use lots of scraps and bitsy pieces to complete them. Give one a try!
Enjoy!