Creative play

Hello All,

Today I thought I would share a process that I sometimes like to do when I am feeling uninspired. Sometimes I go through a lull and my motivation to create just isn't there. This is when I turn to what I call creative play. I delve into my art supplies and just pick some things that catch my eye..not too much or it is easy to get overwhelmed. On this last occasion I chose spray inks, modeling paste and some stencils, glass bead texture gel, iridescent medium, some ecoline watercolour inks, a few stamps and an ink pad, a few old book pages, and four tubes of craft acrylic.

I then prep some A3 plain paper with some gesso and get to work. Using only what I have picked I just let go and do whatever comes to mind. I don't think too much about it, simply just letting myself play with the colours and mediums and see what happens. Here's what came from this process at the weekend:

Sometimes I really like how they turn out and may add to them to create a finished piece. Other times I just stash them or cut them up and use them in other projects. What is important is that it gets the creative juices flowing again and straight away I feel more inspired. It is very therapeutic to just relax and play with the materials and even if I don't like the results I have spent a happy afternoon anyway.

I definitely recommend it if you have lost your motivation!

Bye for now! xxx 

Change

Hello All,

Today I thought I would share an art journaling page I finished at the weekend. I was playing around with layers. This is in my altered book so there is already text on the page to start with. To this I added gesso then modeling paste through a stencil from stencilgirl products designed by Carolyn Dube  Once this had dried I added layer after layer of ink and paint keeping it quite wet and allowing it to drip through the modelling paste. I then drew some circles and added a layer of gesso to everything but these so that the circles really stand out.

I decided to add the butterflies and the word 'change' to reflect the changes in my life recently with my youngest finishing nursery and my eldest finishing infant school. I used stamps on tissue paper to create these and adhered them to the circles using matte medium. Lastly I brightened some areas of the background with ecoline watercolour inks.

I hope you like it! let me know what you think.

Bye for now xxx

Time for a spot of art journaling

Hello All,

There is nothing like finding time for some art journaling. Art journaling is something I love, it really helps to get things into perspective. I use it as a diary or just a place to play with my creativity freely.

Here are a few pages from this last week:

This was definitely a page for experimenting. I found a lovely bright pink acrylic paint that I couldn't wait to use and had carved a little handmade tear drop stamp. I also had made some collage pieces earlier in the week and decided to use one to create a little embellishment with a quote I found that seemed to suit the page perfectly.

This one is in my altered book journal and it was the original background image of a girl looking out of the window that decided where the page was going. I was enjoying playing with texture. My mother in law had given me some old torn lace which I wanted to try out and I also used modelling paste through a stencil. I kept adding colour with acrylics, inks sprays and mica pigment powders but it wasn't quite right. My husband liked the stencil pattern and suggested I add the flowers. It worked brilliantly and reflects my mood at the time, which was happy and peaceful. I finished it with the text 'take a look outside' to express my excitement that spring is finally here!

I hope you like them as much as I enjoyed doing them.

Bye for now! xxx

August Art Swap

Hello All!

Last months art swap was to create a shabby chic art journal page. Shabby chic is not my usual style and so this was a definitely a challenge. My partner this time was the lovely Janet from New Hampshire. I decided to start on a old page taken from an old 50's girl annual. It had an image of a woman looking out of the window that I really liked so I went with that as my theme.

I started with modelling paste and scrim tape, adding colour with lindy stamp gang sprays and pearlescent paints.

Here is the final piece I sent to Janet. I enjoyed making it but found the shabby chic hard to get right. I really hope she likes it!

In return I got a lovely parcel from Janet in a beautifully decorated envelope. The piece she made for me is beautiful and she also included some homemade beads and buttons which are gorgeous!

I wonder what this months challenge will bring!

Bye for now! xx

New Video

Hello All,

As promised my new video! This shows me making one of the mixed media tags that I made for July's art swap. In it I use a variety of techniques and mediums. I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to leave a comment :)

Bye for now! xx

Housewarming Gift

Hello All,

Just a quick post today, I just wanted to share a little piece I made for my friend who recently moved house.

Really enjoyed making this one, I played about with my new stencils and Lindy stamp gang sprays which I really like, especially the glimmery shine the sprays produce. I'm pleased to say she liked it too :)

Bye for now x