Art Journal page using what is lying on my desk.

I have been neglecting my blog and crafting as work and family commitments and a summer cold have kept me out of my crafting room for weeks. I finally had time today to finish the last of my recipe cards (overdue) and decided to make a start on my art journal pages. I have fallen behind in the prompts. I set myself the challenge of only using what was out and lying around on my desk whilst I tackled these pages. Not so hard if you could see the state of this room. I have to step over piles of paper, ink, embellishments and general mess just to make it to the computer and there is little room on my desk. I convinced myself that by using up what was on my desk I would be starting to tidy up...
The prompt asked us to use a recipe and journal about food loves and hates.

This page already had paint splats of red and yellow from another page in my journal so I sprayed with Dylusions inks and masked some areas with cupcake shapes. The laminated recipe card was a spare from the recipe swap so I just added some ink and a piece of ribbon from my desk. The stamped cupcakes had been water coloured and then I added a very thick layer of Crackle Accents. I had made these for the recipe swap but felt they were too grungy for the cards. I stamped some more random cupcakes and added my journalling. The cupcake stamp was on a free sheet from a magazine but not sure what. That is something else I have to sort out. I feel much more relaxed. Now if I could only stop sneezing every where with this dratted summer cold life would be perfect.

Art Journal Friends

Week 6 and our prompt at UK Stampers - set by the inspiring Efemera who has a stunning quilt on her blog -was Friends  and we had to include a who/when/where; a story and a stencil/mask. This page has layers and layers. I began with acrylic paint and then I used the the TH Timepieces mask with Rangers Pearl dabber. When it was dry I added some pieces of dictionary papers and crackle accents. At this point I sprayed it with Dylusions Jade, Sky Blue and Lime Green inks. I then added the journalling. I almost kept it without text as I loved it as it was but I still love it now.

stage one paint, masks and pearl dabbers then the crackle accents

luscious inks

The journalling is all about one of oldest friends Anne. We met in Primary five and shared a love of horse riding lessons. Our friendship meant many shared adventures and the story hints about our adventures one new year when we were outrageous and hungover and expected to eat a special dinner with her parents. Very thirsty we drank lots of acidic orange juice and sat down to a dinner of pheasant. I think we both managed about one mouthful before turning green and having to leave the room - oh to be 17 again!

Art Journal - Goals

Goals, Art Journal Week 1

I have completed my first journal page for UK Stampers. I may have gone a bit over the top... I added Red Stazon to the edges and page and then continued the doodling on the photo arrow down the page.
My Goals are 1)  Learn how to art journal 2) Don't feel guilty about spending time with paper, paint and mess 3) Learn to love my shape or do something about it so I have better photos of me.

The previous post has info on the background and stage one. It was then inked and stamped with DI and Versamark chalk inks. The photo was cut out and given a border, inked and doodled off the page. I used three stamps: the Butterfly stamp (crafty creations) was coloured with Sakura pens; Shabby French TH Bird was stamped twice - once in Versamark chalk and once in red stazon -and cut out; I stamped  part of TH urban tattoo and then cut it out and coloured with permanent markers and ink. 

Unable to stop there and have a more is less approach I added Crackle accents to the heart, butterfly and a long strip of paper pointing to the goals. 

I love the colours under the crackle accents

Perhaps a little too much here? 

Crackled well here

I think I should try not throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the next page...

Mixed media collages using lots of Tim Holtz products

I have been experimenting with various techniques to make mixed media collages and would like to frame some as presents. I liked the idea of each one embodying a saying and have been trawling the internet for interesting sayings. The first one was inspired by Dyan Reavley's quote of the week.

I began by using distress inks on a plain piece of cream card 7 x 7 inch, then I stamped text on using a Tim Holtz stamp from the Shabby French collection. I then took a smaller piece of scrapping paper that was grey with black flowers and changed its colour using distress inks. I then printed out a photo onto plain paper and stamped on it then mod podged over the top of it and transferred it to another sheet of card - giving the blue look. I flocked and glittered and light bulb shape. Printed out the quote and layered it onto other paper before adding to the collage. Finally I added some glitter buttons.

My next collage is based on the saying "A smile is a curve that sets everything straight" - Sister Busche

This time I distressed the cardstock and then cut out letters from Tim Holtz seasonal papers - 4th July as never likely to scrap that day here in Scotland. I place 4 smile phrases around the pages and then added to torn out and inked dictionary definitions of a smile. I then stamped the bird and text from the Shabby French collection. I cut letters from a magazine for the saying and inked these. Once stuck down I added crackle glaze to them.

Mod Podge transfers, Tim Holtz stamps, inks and so much paper messy fun

Distress inks, stamps, embossing and crackle

distress inks, stamps

I printed out a detailed section of  b/w photo of Eiffel Tower and then covered surface of card with modpodge stuck and rubbed paper face down and then peeled off - blue colour as printed in greyscale

I love the aged and faded and frankly haphazard nature of this technique and will be tying out lots more. My fingers were stained with ink and I could not get it out for days but it was fun.

Crumpled card stock, distress inks, then ironed it. Stamped bird and text

Distress inks on dictionary page, stamped and embossed text, stamped image, coloured with watercolour pro markers and added crackle paint

I treated myself to a few purchases this week - I justified it to myself as preparation for making Christmas presents. When the Mod Podge, Distress Inks, Crackle, Distress Items and Cinch arrived I just  had to play. I had no fixed idea in my mind so just created lots of little bits and pieces that I can may be use later.
I have a stock of old dictionaries with very thin paper and have been playing with these by crumpling then distressing then stamping (ironing too) and adding a bit of crackle paint.

I also bought the time masks - this is on recycled paper with pearl paint dabber

This paper already had paint on it from previous project and some bits of paper so tried pearl paint again and inks