Getting Back To The Little Things

Hello All,

Sometimes it's the small scale projects which have the biggest impact. I love working on either index or post cards. They are a small piece of creativity that can be done when you don't have a lot of time for anything else and the results can be really exciting. By restricting yourself to a small area you can really focus on a particular medium or technique and I love seeing where they take me. Here are a few recent cards

In this one I added modelling paste through a stencil then used inks and metallic paint to add colour and gel pens to bring out some of the pattern. I found the text in a magazine which suited it perfectly.

This one is an experiment of adding layers of circles using different mediums and techniques. I finished it with some bottle top art (an even smaller canvas to work on!) and again some text from a magazine.

I hope you like them and hope they inspire you to go out and buy a pack of index cards to have a go!

Bye for now xxx

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

Holiday Journaling

Hello All,

I'm back from a rather rainy week in France. Rain and mist and heavy cloud all week but regardless we had a good time, still found plenty to do and ate plenty of cheese and croissants. I managed to practice my french (I have been learning for a year or so) and the little 17th century thatched cottage we were staying in was really lovely.

Another plus due to the weather was I had time to sit inside and do a bit of journaling:

The background is gouache with paper towels to create texture and stencils in copper paint. The portrait is of my daughter, taken from one of the holiday snaps. She looked so happy and content and that is how we all felt really despite the rain. I also started another page but didn't get past the background:

This is a section of it. I used wax paper, inks and gouache to create the texture. I will have to find time to finish this one off but I am off again this weekend to a Jive convention in Southport. Non stop dancing awaits and hopefully I will also find inspiration for some more paintings. I want to get back into creating some more canvasses!

Bye for now xxx

Sorting, Tidying, Pies and Rats

Hello All,

This weekend was not a creative one! Most time was spent tidying, sorting, getting rid of rats (grim!) gardening and making pie (yum) When I got around to some art work it was mainly to tidy up the edges of my canvasses.

I did put together a parcel of ephemera as part of this months art swap, which fit in quite nicely with sorting and tidying! And I did manage to start a background for an art journal spread:

Whilst sorting I came across this journal which to be honest I had forgotten about. It is made of brown paper so it is quite different to work with and the fact that it is ring bound creates a different feel to the pages too. It feels a bit disjointed so its not my favorite to work with but I decided to not give in on it and therefore made a start on a background by adding modelling paste through a stencil and adding different stripes of colour over the top. Next I added circles and splats. It felt right to leave some of the brown showing and I have left it as it is now. Where it will take me next who knows but I quite like it so far.

I am in France next week (can't wait) and apart from drinking too much wine, and eating too much cheese I hope to take some art stuff with me and perhaps do some sketching or mini journaling or something....I'll see what I have time for.

I will post when I get back!

Bye for now xxx

Self Esteem

Hello All,

Sometimes I go through periods of low self esteem as I am sure most people do. I have put on a little weight, not enough that would be noticeable to anyone but me but it knocks you a bit. I have to kick myself and be grateful for what I have. Everyone is a different shape and size. Wouldn't it be boring to all be the same! I am active and healthy and that is what should matter. I felt I had to do a art journal spread to give me that kick I needed to snap out of it:

This spread really has many many layers and I just kept adding to it. I started by sticking torn paper towels soaked in ink down then used a pallet knife and acrylic over that. then stencils, doodles, more paint, more stencils  more doodles etc. Finally decided I wanted to do a portrait to represent my self esteem and how I ought to feel about myself. She doesn't look like me she just expresses the confidence I need.

It did help and I do feel much better. That's the beauty of art journaling! 

Bye for now xxxx

First ICAD of the year

Hello All,

Last night I sat down with a cuppa and had a play with my new stencil which is a crafters workshop, Rebekah Meier design  I really like this series of stencils, they produce some lovely results. I decided to do a quick ICAD (index card) with it:

It has a cheery feel to it but with the image of a wasp (I hate wasps, having stood in a nest at the age of 8!) I decided on the text "There is no need to be afraid" and overall it feels like it's a card to remind me to look at the bright side of things and not to worry too much! As well as the stencil I used acrylic paint, silver texture paste, irredescent blue ink, washi tape, patterned tissue paper, collage and text stamps.

I am going to try and do lots of ICADs this year and bind them into little journals. They are a great little format to work on.

Bye for now! xxxx

Christmas pom poms and stencil play.

Hello All,

I love Christmas crafts and always try and make something new with my girls each year. This year we went a bit pom pom mad. We made ones to hang on the tree plus enough little ones to make this:

Which is now hanging on my wall :) I wrapped a picture frame and stuck the pom poms on the top. 

My eldest who is 6 has obviously inherited my love for all things creative and loves to draw all the time. She decided this year to draw me pictures to go in my advent calendar. Here a few of them:

It has been fab to find out what she has drawn each day and she has even written little notes on the back for me too! :)

Apart from all things Christmassy I have had time to play with one of my new stencils and created this background:

I used modelling paste, acrylic paint, brusho pigment powers and irridescent ink on this so far. I don't know where it is going to take me next. I felt I had to leave it a while to see where I wanted to go with it. I love the stencil though which was made for me in the last art swap. It may well become one of my favourites! 

If I don't get chance to blog before Christmas now I hope you all have a fantastic one! I for one am really looking forward to it all!

Bye for now! xxx

Using Paper Towels

Hello All,

The other day I mentioned about making collage papers and patterned paper towels. I thought I would elaborate on the paper towel technique as it is one of my favourites.

This is a page I did in my altered book journal last night using the for-mentioned paper towels. What I tend to do is that whenever I have used a stencil I clean it with a baby wipe on top of a paper towel. It uses the excess paint left on the stencil to create lovely patterns on the paper. Leave them to dry and voilà! lovely for adding to my journals (whilst not wasting a drop of paint!)
When I come to use them I use matt medium to stick the paper towels into my journals, though you could use PVA as well. As soon as you add the medium the paper becomes transparent whilst the pattern remains.

I also stamp on to paper towels and again stick them down using matt medium, which works well too! Both are fab techniques and really easy and effective, so give them a try!

Bye for now! xx

Some Time To Myself

Hello All,

This week I actually managed to get some time to myself to do some Journaling and other bits and pieces I have been meaning to do for a while which was fab!

I love making collage papers, it is great to just play with mediums and tools without really thinking too much about the outcome, just enjoying the process. I am really pleased with how this turned out. Once I have created a collage paper I put it aside and use it chopped up in my journals. Also I clean my stencils on top of paper towels with a baby wipe and the paper towels often come out looking great, so again I save these for later!

I also created this spread which is inspired by a Fiona Apple song that I have always sung to my daughter. I particularly like the line I have used here from the song.

I even had enough time to do more on my commission which is going well. It is so great to get that time on my own without any distractions to really get stuck in with some art work. It is quite a rare thing!

Bye for now xxx

September Art Swap

Hello All,

This months art swap on journalworkshops.ning.com  was to create two ATC's (artist trading cards) in an Art Deco style. I was partnered with Tora from Iceland. This was right up my street having just participated in a 1920's style dance show. I do love getting dressed up with all the costumes and make-up :) Here is what I made for Tora:

And here is what I received from Tora:

I particularly like the stained glass one she made me, it's lovely!

Also as promised I did film myself making these cards and so here is my new video, hope you enjoy it!

Bye for now! xx

Show Page

Hello All,

Last weekend I took part in a dance show set in a 1920s speakeasy. It was great fun and I even did my first ever solo eeek! The people involved are such a lovely group and I have really enjoyed working with them and getting to know them all. I am still on quite a high from it all but at the same time feeling quite sad that it is all over. I decided it needed a page in my journal to help me remember, so here it is:

The girl is me in my costume and the other pictures a shots taken at the dress rehearsal. I also used some washi tape and modelling paste through a handmade stencil, acrylic paint, plus a bit of ephemera. Hopefully i'll look back in years to come and remember it all :)

Bye for now. xx

Muse

Hello All,

Just a quick one today of a page I finished last night in my littlest journal. Been back and forth with this page but think I am going to leave it quite simple.

The gold is done with gold texture paste through a crafters workshop stencil (Rosetta by Rebekah Meier, one of my favourites!) and the word is done with modelling paste. I found the image of the girl about to dive from a magazine and have wanted to use it for a while but it hasn't suited any page until now.

Hope you like it! Bye for now xx

Texture and Bling

Hello All,

This week I decided to have a play in my altered book with my new stencil girl stencil and some modelling and texture pastes. I am really happy with how the page is turning out but I have got to the point where I love it and don't know what to add that won't spoil it (if anything) So I have had to hit pause for a while until I decide. Here it is so far anyway.

I am really loving shiny and metallic mediums at the moment, like the silver texture paste, shimmer inks and metallic gel sticks that I have used on this page. Don't know why, just really enjoying the bling, I'm like a magpie :)

I realise I haven't done a new video lately so that is something I am looking to resolve very soon. I have just signed up to this months art swap so may create a video of that. This time the challenge is to create two art deco ATCs. Really excited by this one as I love making ATCs but also because over the last few months I have been involved in a dance show set in a 1920s speakeasy and have been surrounded by all things art deco and since I love vintage it is a perfect one for me :)

Me in my 1920s dance show costume

Bye for now! x

Just a quick picture

Hello All,

Just a quick piccy today to show the finished index card from the other day. I really like how the gold texture paste worked out and excited about the idea of creating a series of these and binding them into a memory book for my girls.

A spark of an idea.

Hello All,

The other day I was in the supermarket and ramdomly found some acrylic texture paste on offer. I didn't have a lot of time for art this week but managed to sit and have a play with the pastes and with a new stencilgirl stencil on a little index card. I love the stencil and the pastes turned out to be fab, particularly the gold one.

It is not completely finished, but here is a detail. In it I used an old painting my daughter had done as a baby and an image of a rocking chair and it got me thinking. I would really like to make a series of index cards based on the songs and stories that my children love and that I have always read/sang to them. I plan to make a video for each card and at the end perhaps bind them into a little memory journal for them to keep.

So watch this space, I will hopefully get these started soon!

Bye for now! x

Play

Hello All!

I just got some new Daler Rowney shimmering colour inks and pigment powders and so had a quick hour having a play on the back of and old cardboard box.

I really like the vivid colours and the shimmer in both the inks and powders is really nice. You have to give the inks a good stir each time because the pigment settles at the bottom but they are lovely colours. The pigment powders are really versatile as you can mix them into paints or mediums or add water to make shimmer sprays. Definitely a good buy!

I also managed to finally make a start on the background of one of my commissions, here is what I have done so far.

Detail

It will be a portrait of a guy who is a musician, hence the music and instruments. Adding loads of texture and lots of yummy colour, can't wait to get back to it now!

Bye for now, x

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

Monthly Challenge

Hello All,

The monthly challenge on journalworkshops.ning.com  for August is 'Windows and doors' I didn't start the page as the challenge but it must have been on my mind cause it just kinda happened.

I initially thought about cutting windows into my page for the challenge but as I worked on the background for this page I was really enjoying the colours which inspired me to add my new stained glass window stamp and then as I was sorting through some old magazines I found the quote and it all just fit! I really like how it turned out :)

Bye for now!

July Art Swap

Hello all,

I just received my art swap for this month from Fran in Essex. we had to make three tags, one bright, one pastel and one tonal. I always really enjoys making tags so this was right up my street! Speaking to Fran I knew she was not a fan of pastels and didn't like pink but liked steampunk and rust colours. She also told her favorite colour is blue so I tried to make tags that I thought she would like and get use out of. Here is what I made her.

Pastel Tag

Bright Tag

Tonal Tag

Fran emailed to say she received them and really liked them. I have made a video of me making the bright tag but it still needs a bit of work so I will hopefully post it up soon.

Now here is what I received from Fran:

I really like them, the colours are great and there is loads of texture on them too! It was a pleasure swapping with Fran! Can't wait for August's swap!

I am in Wales all next week but taking some art stuff with me, so I hope to get some journaling done!

Bye for now x x x