Wednesday 31 January 2018

WOYWW 452: Full Shed!

After a hectic week last week, I started with a dodgy stomach on Sunday night and spent Monday in bed.  I was feeling a lot better by yesterday, which was just as well as I was expecting, not only Eva for a day's crafting, but also a former school and university friend of mine who was visiting the shed for the morning.  As she brought some knitting and appliqué work with her I will be sharing three sides of the desk today for a change.  To see more desks, don't forget to visit our chief desker Julia over on the Stamping Ground.
My side of the desk shows the start of some more home made washi tape for an art journal challenge.  I'll be sharing the finished project tomorrow.  You can see the choice of inks that I would be using and the masking tape stuck to the glass mat ready for stamping onto.
My school friend was working on a piece of appliqué which she is intending to turn into a cushion cover.  It is a representation of her pet rabbit, Richard.
On the other side of the desk, Eva was in in a messy mood and brought everything plus the kitchen sink to work with.  This is the neat version of the desk; you really don't want to see what happened later.  
Wishing all my fellow deskers a good week, I'll be off to start visiting shortly.

Tuesday 30 January 2018

Fancy Envelope Tag

As I wasn't well yesterday and needed a quick piece to share this morning, I decided to work on a tag and use a piece of a ready decorated envelope as the background.

Monday 29 January 2018

Landscape Format Art Journal Flick Through

I decided it was time for a look back over one of my art journals and the associated mini mission tags.  This one is a monthly journal following the prompts on Mission Inspiration.  Although the prompts have been going since January 2016, I only joined the group in August of that year and in fact, my first ever art journal page was completed the same month following the 10 steps.  I still have to complete November and December from 2017, otherwise I have kept up since that time.  I also take part in the mid month mini missions, which are a more recent addition, but those I complete on tags.  These follow a one word prompt (following the alphabet).  The current prompt is Jazzy, which is next on my list to complete.
My first ever art journal page.

Sunday 28 January 2018

E is for... ATCs: Part Two

This is the second set of three ATCs for the January prompt 'E' which I sent to my swap partner on Junk Journal Junkies and Mindful Art.  All stamps and masks used are by Claritystamp which means that I had to get a little creative with some of my ideas for the prompt letter, once I had used the more obvious ones.  Once again, all the stamping was done using Onyx Black Versafine ink and heat embossed using detail clear embossing powder.

Saturday 27 January 2018

E is for... ATCs: Part One

This is the first set of ATCs that I created for the January swap on Junk Journal Junkies and Mindful Art.  My swap partner was quicker off the mark than I was and I received 6 rather than the 3 ATCs that I was expecting, as well as some gorgeous happy mail from her.  I therefore created a second set of three to add to my package which I will share tomorrow.  As usual, I used Claritystamp masks and stamps to create my ATCs.  The prompt letter for January was E.

Friday 26 January 2018

A Journal Page of Joy!

This page was created for week 3 of Nina Ribena's Art Journal Prompts and More.  My word this week is 'Joy' and the page combines my love of art journaling with another of my passions: Stoke City Football Club.  Last weekend we kept our first clean sheet for 3 months and escaped the relegation zone with a win over Huddersfield Town.  It was also our first game under the new manager and the atmosphere at the ground was electric.  It seemed an easy choice of word therefore!

Thursday 25 January 2018

Wanderlust 2018: Peacock Mandala


I completed this page for Lesson 3 of Wanderlust 2018 with guest teacher Jennifer Lee.  She actually created two pieces, but I decided to put my own spin on her mandala project.  Although Jennifer worked on a wood panel, I decided to risk working in my journal.  Despite the layers, the pages remained remarkably flat.

Wednesday 24 January 2018

WOYWW 451: Hurry Up and Craft!

I can't believe the week has gone by so quickly.  I wrote this post on Tuesday afternoon as I will just about have time to publish and share the link today before carrying on with my reports.  I have 107 comments to finish writing before heading into school for a twilight training session (it never rains but it pours).  So, many apologies, but I doubt that I will get to visit many of your desks until the weekend.  Please do visit our hostess Julia at the Stamping Ground to see what is on offer on other desks around the world!  I have had to come up with some quick projects in the last week so as not to miss my daily blog post.
My side of the desk shows the start of the only longer project that I have completed this week (for lesson 3 of Wanderlust 2018) which I will share tomorrow if anyone wants to pop back and see the finished piece.  I was just starting to create the background in my Moleskine journal which is the one I am finally using for Wanderlust 2018.  The tag was a very quick project completed after school on Monday night for sharing yesterday (see HERE).  I was rather tired, so didn't want to spend too long on the project.
On the other side of the desk you can see the finished pieces that Eva started working on last week.  She was continuing with some Groovi projects (parchment) yesterday that she also started last week and left with me for safekeeping.  Have a great week everyone, hopefully things will be calmer by the weekend and I'll have a little more time to visit.

Tuesday 23 January 2018

Super Quick Tag!

As I'm in the midst of report writing at the moment, another quick tag was required in order to have something to share with you today.  This one was even quicker to create than yesterday's as I found the balloons in my stash, already stamped, fussy cut and layered.

Monday 22 January 2018

Sunday 21 January 2018

ATC Challenge: Circles, Beginnings.

An additional mid monthly challenge has been added into Tag It Tuesday this year.  You have to create an ATC or altered card instead of a tag, but still using at least two of the four monthly prompts.  The four prompts for January are Circles; Add fabric; Beginnings; Drips.  I chose circles and a quote about beginnings as my prompts.  I attempted to add drips with the Distress Oxides, but didn't like the effect, so went back over the background to try and hide them.

Saturday 20 January 2018

Curiosity: Another Word for 2018

This is my second page in 2018 for Nina Ribena's Art Journal Prompts and More.  January's prompt is 'Words' and the second word that I chose for 2018 is 'Curiosity'.  My Amsterdam Acrylic Inks arrived yesterday and I was curious as to how I would get on with them; curious how they would work with different techniques and curious how they would mix together.  I simply had a play to create the background and had great fun doing so.

Friday 19 January 2018

We all make mistakes: Choose to see the good stuff!

This tag was made for the January challenge over on That's Crafty.  The prompt is 'Feeling Blue' and I decided to go with the theme both literally (in colour) and figuratively (with the sentiments).  I made a mess of the face thanks to some errant clear embossing powder, but chose to embrace the mistake and use it as part of the message and meaning of the tag.  I'm also entering it in the 'Anything Goes' challenge on Tag Tuesday.

Thursday 18 January 2018

Complete Art Journal Flip Through

As I work on my art journals and crafting in 2018 , I thought it only apt to go back and flip through the first weekly art journal which I ever completed last year following the prompts on Art Journal Prompts (or Nina Ribena's Art Journal Prompts and More as the group is now known).  I didn't actually come across the group until week 10, but I was inspired to go back and complete the first nine prompts as well as keeping up with the remaining ones.  At the end of the year I created a front cover for the journal which made my 53rd page.  I hope you enjoy the flip through.
Week 52 (New Year's Eve) Front cover

Wednesday 17 January 2018

WOYWW 450: I Could Never Resist A Bargain!

I can't believe the week has gone by so quickly and that it is already Wednesday again!  Time to share my desk (as well as 'the other side') with all my crafty friends on What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday! via the link on our leader Julia's page 'The Stamping Ground.'
I can't resist a bargain and having heard all about Hobbycraft selling off some of the DecoArt products in the clearance section, decided to check out the Stockport branch while at the monthly journal meet up with friends from Junk Journal Junkies and Mindful Art.  Eva joins me there most months and we enjoy a pleasant afternoon creating art and chatting on the third Tuesday of each month.
This was my haul for the princely sum of £7.  Three fluid acrylics, four fluid interference colours, 4 plain permanent misters and 1 mica mister.  They also had Pebeo Moon, Vitrail and Prisme paints, but as I stocked up on those last time there was a half price sale on I managed to resist.
My before picture shows what I was working on before Eva and I left for the meet up.  I usually stamp out my ATCs ready for the JJJAMA swap before I go and take colouring media and inks with me to create the backgrounds.  Can you guess the prompt letter for January?  I will share the finished ATCs once they are finished and have been received by my swap partner.
Eva was working on using stencils and inks to create backgrounds ready to make into cards at a later date.  We had a great time as always and send everyone Happy WOYWW wishes for a great week.

Tuesday 16 January 2018

More Home Made Washi Tape: Masculine Card

After the enormous success of my home made 'washi tape' on a tag (see HERE), I decided to see if I could use the same technique to create the background for a card.  I am always being asked for masculine cards, so went with a palette of blues and greens.  I think it worked out perfectly, but let me know what you think.

Monday 15 January 2018

Wish It; Dream It; Do It...

This page was created as a response to the January 2018 Challenge on Mission Inspiration.  The choice of words was 'genesis', 'renew', 'wish', 'resolve' and 'memories'; as you can see, I decided on 'wish'.

Sunday 14 January 2018

Home Made Washi Tape Tag

The home made washi tape was made for a challenge; Explore Your Creativity 5 with Junk Journal Junkies and Mindful Art.  For the challenge you had to use the technique of layering, the product home made washi tape and keep it monochrome; all on a tag.  I love what I ended up with and will certainly be creating my own washi tape again!  I am also entering it into the Anything Goes January Challenge on Country View Challenges.

Saturday 13 January 2018

Tag: From small beginnings...

This tag was originally created for the January prompt on Tag It Tuesday: Circles; Add fabric; Beginnings; Drips, where at least two of the prompts had to be followed.  It is also suitable for the first fortnightly Tag Tuesday prompt of 2018: New Beginnings so I will share it there also.

Friday 12 January 2018

Journal Page: My Craft Journey

My creative word for 2018 is dare and this is the first year that I have dared to follow an art/journaling course.  I signed up for Wanderlust 2018 on the last day of 2017.  This page was created in response to lesson 1 of Wanderlust 2018 and is the first time that I have produced an entire art journal page which is completely hand drawn, hand written and hand coloured.  In addition, I decided to finally start working in the expensive Moleskine journal which I bought nearly two years ago and was still unused (although I hadn't had any problem using much cheaper journals).  So far, I feel that I am living up to my creative resolution for this year.

Thursday 11 January 2018

Art Journal Page: My Word for 2018

Having successfully completed every prompt for 2017, I decided to continue the journey with Nina Ribena's Art Journal Prompts and More in 2018.  The name of the group has changed to allow additional types of project, but I have decided to continue creating an art journal page each week.  The monthly prompt for January is 'Words' and I chose the word 'dare'.  Last year's word for me was 'Create' which I certainly have done, but this year I want to be a little more adventurous and daring in my work and try new techniques as well as grasping creative opportunities which come my way.

Wednesday 10 January 2018

WOYWW 449: A day behind the scenes at Hochanda

First of all, sorry that I didn't get round to everyone's desks last week; between a full day on Wednesday (more later) and being back at work Thursday, Friday and Monday, most of the weekend was spent catching up on sleep, doing the washing and sorting stuff out.  Thanks again to Shaz for linking me up with everyone via our hostess Julia last week. You can also go and check out other desks via her page.
 My side of the desk shows all the pieces which I took down with me to Hochanda for the Royal Talens shows last Wednesday.  I mainly used the Ecoline pens together with the van Gogh oil pastels, but the Amsterdam gessos (black, white, clear) and the matte gel medium also came in useful.  If you are interested in a closer look at them, just check out the previous eight posts on my blog lol.

Monday 8 January 2018

Bubble Tag: As seen on TV!

This was a last minute make for the Royal Talens shows last week and was actually shown in close up on TV to demonstrate how the white acrylic pen can be used to add highlights.

Saturday 6 January 2018

Love Hand Tree Canvas

This is another of my DT pieces for the Royal Talens shows on Hochanda on the 2nd/3rd January 2018.  Once again, I decided to work on Chinese rice paper and add it to a small canvas board.

Friday 5 January 2018

Rice Paper Canvas

For my fourth DT project using Royal Talens products, I decided to have a go at creating a canvas with a difference and experiment with using clear gesso with embossing powder.  This is a contrast to the vibrant colours of the previous three days' projects.

Thursday 4 January 2018

Pink and Purple Tag

This time, rather than use a ready made mop up sheet, I decided to create a background specifically for the tag.  This is my third DT piece for the Royal Talens shows with Lou Withers which were on Hochanda yesterday and Tuesday.

Wednesday 3 January 2018

WOYWW 448: Making the Most of Mop Ups!

This post is the first WOYWW of 2018 and will be posted at silly o'clock as I will be leaving home at 5.30am to get to the Hochanda studios by 8am.  I will be helping Louise Withers behind the scenes with the second day of her One Day Special with Royal Talens (2nd/3rd January).  Shaz has kindly agreed to link me up with Julia and the rest of the deskers as I won't have internet availability until very late once I leave the house.  This tag was created as the second of my Royal Talens DT pieces and features the Van Gogh Oil Pastels as well as Ecoline pens.

Tuesday 2 January 2018

My First Royal Talens DT Piece

I was most excited to be asked to create some art work for the Royal Talens shows on Hochanda by the amazing Lou Withers of Junk Journal Junkies and Mindful Art.  I have been a member of the Facebook group since early in 2017 and there are now over 3000 members.  I admire Lou's art work tremendously, so to be asked to become a member of her Design Team was a great honour.  I have been building up my stash of Royal Talens products; Ecoline pens, Van Gogh Oil Pastels, Clear and Black Amsterdam Gessos and various paint mediums and auxilliaries.  I also have a full selection of Sakura pens as well as some of the amazing rice paper which Lou brought to Hochanda some time ago.  For my first piece, I used the Ecoline pens in different ways on watercolour card to build up an art journal page.  Thanks to Jane Telford who also inspired me to make this piece.

Monday 1 January 2018

Alcohol ink underwater scene

Happy New Year to all my friends and followers.  I hope that you will continue with me on my artistic journey in 2018.  I created this having seen Nina Ribena's final art journal prompt video for 2017.  The technique that I used for my background is an adaptation of Nina's fireworks background.  Thanks for the inspiration Nina.I am also entering it into the Anything Goes Challenge on Country View Challenges.