March Journalling

I've finished my journal pages for March with days to spare (that's a minor achievement for me at the moment!).  I created four pages, each with a separate theme around the word "dream", as instructed - with mixed results.  Not altogether happy with what I've done, but there you are, never mind - it's all about the playing with colours and words, images and inks, getting messy and losing myself for a short while.  I hope that, as spring is upon us and we head off into summer, I might lose some of the gloominess that's been hanging around for far too long and have some fun instead.

Dream Definition

On this page we had to add a definiton of the word "dream" - I know what I was trying to do with this page, add random images all over to illustrate the bizarreness of our dreams, where nothing is linked but then again it is - I used water-soluble wax pastels, inks, Glimmer Mist, stamps, Stickles, Dimensional Pearls - ended up far more fussy looking than I intended.  Plus I'd written all over the page as well and toned it down with some gesso, but still not happy with how it shows through - I don't like my writing (must do better next time!)

Dreams of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

We had to add the words Dreams of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow to our page and then write about something for each one.  I began my page with a coloured background using the water-soluble wax pastels again (a new acquisition that I'm enjoying playing with at the moment).  I adhered some torn out sheets from an old diary to the page and blended the edges with more wax pastels; I could then write about the dreams on these.  Added some stamps for illustration and a silvery moon with a sponge dabber.

The Dreamcatcher

Ali asked us to create a dreamcatcher on our page plus add an image to represent the dreamcatcher.  I cheated a bit (well, a lot really) as instead of drawing out or beading my own dreamcatcher, I dug out an old earring I had in the shape of a dreamcatcher (the other one has also been used in another art journal I worked on).  I've been wanting to use this image for quite some time as she looks to be such a wise old woman and thought this was the ideal page for her.  I love the colours on this page.

Dream Song Lyrics

We had to choose and illustrate some lyrics from any "dream" song we liked.  I chose these words from "Dream a Little Dream" by the Mamas 'n Papas as they kept going round and round in my head - seems this has been a popular choice for several others too.  I painted the background with acrylic paints and I've tried to keep it very basic to echo the Sixties style.  I'm much happier with my writing this time, even though my spacing was a little out here and there.

For April, we're going to be working on seven pages to illustrate each of the Chakra energies of the body, so that'll be a bit of a challenge!

Mia loves being in the spare room with me when I'm crafting or on the computer (actually, she follows me virtually everywhere around the house - no use me trying to hide from anyone, they've only got to spot Mia to know I'm not far away).  When she's not curled up on a cushion on the floor or rooting behind the computer after a ball of paper she's pushed underneath it, she's sat like this on the windowsill staring out and chunnering at the seagulls sitting on the lamp-posts and rooftops.  It's so funny to watch her.

February Journal Pages

Well, it's been a busy month one way or another, but I finally finished all of the journal pages for this month (with one day to spare!).  The idea is to spend around 30 minutes each day working in the journal, but that was never going to happen for me - still, I managed to keep up and get them done so I'm really pleased with myself.  (The number of UFO's - unfinished objects - I've got lying around is quite scary!).

Having made all the backgrounds (pics posted in previous posts), Ali gave us a list of titles which we had to add to whichever background pages we wanted - after that, there were a series of instructions to add images, stamping, words, journalling, until this is what I ended up with for my pages ......... see what you think ......

Enjoy the Journey

I Followed My Dream

The Art of ..........

Life, Etc

Potential

What If?

Time For ......

These were great fun to do and now it's time to start on the four pages for March - the theme for this month is "Dreams".  Will keep you posted with what I do!

Just checking in .....

.... to say I'm still around, not quite hibernating as we've had a few sunny patches and blue skies mixed up with all this cold and windy weather.  My sister Lindsay is at the big Stitches trade show in Birmingham this weekend, demonstrating P.I. products and her new range of stamp designs, so we were again earlier in the week making more samples for her stand.  Here's a few photos of what we got up to:-

Here's Lindsay - in the frame!

Lindsay again, all smiles, painting this frame - ended up as a lovely "steampunk" piece

(check out her blog for a picture of it and other canvases/tags she made)

A messy-ish worktop - you can see some of the canvases I worked on (thankfully, you can't see me)!

Lindsay's "Terrible Two" weren't particularly impressed I'm afraid - here they are, looking rather disdainfully at the camera - wouldn't catch them getting their paws all covered with that yucky paint!

Thomas

Tara

I'm still working on my journal pages for February, but will let you see what I've done with them as soon as they're finished.

 

Getting messy with Backgrounds

Today I've been messing about with backgrounds.  It all started earlier in the week when I was helping my sister Lindsay out creating samples for the "Stitches" trade show in Birmingham later this month, along with our crafty friend Joanne.  I was allocated the task of painting up some canvas backgrounds; being given a free rein with colours, etc, it was a bit daunting at first but I soon warmed to the task.  So I thought that as I had a few free hours today, I'd spend them completing the rest of the (seven) backgrounds I'm meant to have already done for February for my Art Journal 2012.  There were specific instructions for each one and here are the results of my messing around (I showed you the first of them - Blue - in my last post) ......

Background No 2 - Seeing Stars - my background was painted using acrylic paints in grey, periwinkle and blue.  I stencilled some tiny stars on with midnight blue ink, then stamped some larger stars onto old dictionary paper, cut them out and adhered to the page. 

Background No 3 - Splatter, Splodge and Running Paint - I painted and splodged orange and magenta acrylic paint onto my background then watered down some purple paint and dribbled it down and across the page for a runny effect.

Background No 4 - Watercolour wash using shades of green and yellow brushed and blended across the page.

Background No 5 - Used yellow, orange and purple acrylic paints randomly daubed onto the page, then swooshed with an old credit card - very dark and messy looking at the moment, but it will no doubt look quite different when it's finished!

Background No 6 - Dry Brushing Technique - applied a dark shade (wine) of acrylic paint to the background, dried it completely, then dry brushed over it with pale aqua and white.

Background No 7 - Aged Page - for this final page I had to apply brown ink (used Distress Inkpad Vintage Photo) direct to paper, then daubed on Black Soot in several areas, spreading it a little with a damp paper towel.  Stamped a couple of circles in dark brown ink to look like coffee stains, plus a few blotches of  tea dye ink (all I had) here and there.

At the moment they don't look very much, but now I have to follow instructions for the next stage - adding text to each one - we've been given a list of seven phrases/words and have to add one to each of our pages.  Quite intriguing as I didn't read what we had to do next before I made the backgrounds so that I wouldn't be influenced by knowing.  Will show you what the finished pages look like at the end of the month (if I get them done)!

A few journal pages

The time's flown since my last post I'm afraid ..... been dealing with quite a bit of "real life" stuff the past few weeks so haven't been able to do as much crafting as I'd planned.  Well, took Mia back for her checkup - all was fine - but it took her a good hour or so when we got back home again before she'd forgive me for yet another visit to the vets!

I've been running badly behind with the Art Journal 2012 that I planned on being involved with but have finally started to catch up and just completed all four pages for January (that had a sea/beach theme).  They're not very inspired (or inspiring) but at least I've done something and I can look back on them and see what I'd've done differently if I'd had more time, imagination, etc.  I posted a pic previously of the first page I did, these are the other three :-

For Week 2 we had to illustrate the quote about "memories lasting longer than our footprints".  I decided to use a copy of a photograph I took on holiday in Anglesey some years back - it was taken on a wonderful day by the sea where we gathered all sorts of beach treasures.  The paper I used to print out the picture was quite creamy so has given a softer (faded memory) feel to the scene and the shells and glass added to the bottom are some of the "treasures" I collected on that day.

For the third week's page we had to design a beach hut and say where we would like to put it.  I had this daft idea really to make a pink beach hut with wings, my version of a magic carpet, that I could travel around the world in and land anywhere I chose, maybe even travelling back in time to the days of the Victorian bathing beauties too!  Just a bit of fun!

Week 4 - we could create whatever we liked with a sea theme and add a four-line poem to it.  Living by the seaside, I've often stood on the promenade (not naked though *LOL*) and gazed out past the piers towards the sea's horizon, imagining the countries far beyond across the waters and taking in the sights and sounds with all my senses.

For the month of February we are supposed to work on our journals about 30 mins each day - I confess I haven't done this but I have at least made a start.  Firstly, we are creating seven different backgrounds which I think we will then be working on for the rest of the month.  This is just the first of the seven - a BLUE background - nice and simple, just used all my blueish TH Distress Inks sponged onto the page, spritzed with water then heat set.

So .... apart from selling bits and pieces on EBay and going to watch my football team ..... that's what I've been up to since my last posting.  Oh, and trying to keep warm too - we've had some ferociously bitter weather here, but thankfully though the ice has been quite treacherous, we've so far missed out on the snow, one of the advantages to living by the coast being that it often bypasses us on its way across the Atlantic and waits till it reaches higher land. 

Hope you're all keeping warm and safe and I'll try to not leave it so long till my next post.

I'm the Ogre !

Poor little Mia!  Last week I took her along to the vet's for her annual "flu" vaccine and when the vet gave her a health checkup she spotted some problems with her teeth - gingivitis and at least one tooth which needed to come out - even though Mia is so young, it's a problem that can afflict some cats (especially Siamese and orientals) due to an allergy to plaque.  Mia wasn't exhibiting any signs of pain or problems eating and there was nothing wrong at her last check up, so we had no idea.

So yesterday I had to take her along and leave her at the vets all day (she was whisked off to the other surgery in nearby Kirkham where they have all the latest surgical equipment).  Of course we were worried all day, having an anaesthetic and everything, and I couldn't collect her till 4.30 pm.  She was fine, she'd been very nervous of course, but had had to have 3 teeth removed at the back - the rest were fine with a scale and polish. 

Unfortunately I've now become the Big Bad Ogre ..... one look at me and Mia just fled the room and stayed out of my way.  I think she's just about beginning to forgive me a bit today.  Only problem is I have to take her back to the vet's on Friday for a check up so I'll definitely be back in her bad books ...... oops !

The start of a New Year

Well, I have to say that I wasn't too impressed to start the new year off with a raging toothache ..... a visit to the dentist on Tuesday resulted in a week's antibiotics to clear up an infection under the tooth (a wisdom tooth, which really is past its best I'm afraid) and if it flares up again (which it will eventually) it's bye bye, tooth!  Good job I don't have a phobia about the dentist as others I know have!  Tomorrow I'm off to see the consultant at Preston Royal for the latest check up on my dodgy hand, though I don't expect there to be any particular new solutions offered to the problem.  But that's enough about that.

We had a quiet but pleasant Christmas and New Year, hard to believe it's already time to take down all the decos tomorrow.  Mia has had a high old time climbing under and up into the Christmas tree, knocking baubles off and running of with tinsel bits.  She also decided to be my little helper on New Year's Day when I sat down to update my new diary and calendar for the year - as you can see ........

As I mentioned in my last post, this year I want to get back to being a bit more creative again and have decided to join in with the latest Art Journal 2012 project in Ali's Vintage ATCs UK Yahoo Group - each month there's to be a theme with a page relating to that theme to be created each week.  January's theme is "Life's A Beach" and the first page has to include these words and what they mean to me.  I tried to keep up with the prompts for the 2011 journal but didn't get too far I'm afraid so I'm going to see how I get on this year.  I managed to put aside a couple of hours yesterday afternoon to sit down and play/create and this is the page I came up with.  The book is a "Pink Pig" one, 8" x 8" with nice sturdy white pages, so provides a good base to work on.  It's a simple page - used TH distress inks for the sky, sea and sand, with white acrylic paint for the waves, a few stamped images and simple writing using Sharpies (thought I'd ease myself in gently)!

I'll try and post a picture of each page that I complete for this Journal - wish me luck that I stick at it!