Journal Page SDC85 Whatever Makes You Happy

Kaz created the challenge for this week's Stampotique challenge;"We all have our problems in life, but life is short and we should all find something to put a smile on our faces as often as we can. So whether you choose 'happy' as your theme, your word or you use a technique that makes you smile, show me your little bit of HAPPY!"

I did wonder about this as I am normally pretty happy but the last few months have been tough. Then middle son's motivating phrase "Positive Mental Attitude (PMA)" which is a family joke came to mind and the song lyrics "Be happy, don't worry". Lying in my sick bed I had been rereading some old magazines and in August 2012 Craft Stamper; Jaine Drake had an article about using old pieces of chipboard and texture paste as the base for a journal page. As one of my intentions this year is to use up arty and fabric stashes this seemed like a great way to use some of those early purchases like peel offs...

I found some peel offs, chipboard and letters and added them to a gesso base. I then put texture paste on top of these pieces and more gesso followed by some dylusion inks and distress stain.

At this point I was pleased although those large letters don't really keep their appearance with layers and the peel offs were much better. Then it went wrong...

I had an idea about using glossy accents and embossing powder and I hated it. I grabbed some alcohol thinner and rubbed it off (was not set yet) and gessoed over the offending pieces. I then added stamps from a number of Dylusions' sets that I stamped on dictionary pages and card,  journalling and more doodles. It was still a bit lacking in cohesion so I stamped Claudine Hellmuth dots over the whole page. When I was sticking the stamps on the page I used Golden Soft Gel medium (semi gloss) as it was all I had and noticed it made the colour much brighter and reacted with the distress. In the end I used my finger to add gel medium all over the page. I added journalling on waste sprayed paper and finished my page. It does show that if you make a hideous mistake in a journal you just get the gesso out and keep going until you are happy...

I had taken more photos but the gel medium has a slight sheen and the close up pictures did not really work.

Stampotique SDC70 Backgrounds Art Journal

I have been doing a little journalling this week and again it is a little "dark" to reflect what is going on in life.
The Stampotique challenge SDC70  was to use a stamp to create the background. I began with some scribbled words, paint and ink. Then I used TH mask and Dylusion inks.

Next I used a clock face stamp and a mask of Olivia to create a sense of chaotic time. When I then stamped Olivia she seemed lost so using acrylic paint and fingers I lightened part of the page. I then masked and sprayed again.

I liked how her face was now ghostly and left that on the original page but stamped and coloured a headless version of her. I then used the tube of paint to create circles in the clocks.

I added some red watercolour spirals and my journaling about Time and my lack of control over it.
The reason for this is my poor mum who has been in hospital for many weeks. This week she developed an infection and had another op to remove the hip replacement. She will be without a hip for 6 weeks and on IV antibiotics before she has her fourth op to replace the hip. Unfortunately she will need to stay in hospital all this time - but at least they have no identified the problem.
I am trying to stay positive but after it could be a lot worse. Thank you for dropping by.

Art Journal

Just caught up again with the prompts on UK Stampers. The prompt was family sayings and the phrase "Willy Nilly" came from my eldest son as a small child and it has stuck around in family lore. Sayings are odd and can be misunderstood by small children. Many years ago Lens Guy was giving eldest daughter a lecture and warned her to "pull her socks up". She burst into tears wailing, "but I'm not wearing any socks". Eldest son, many years ago, was looking fore something to eat and had been told he could not have anything as dinner was going to be soon, he persisted and Lens Guy told him "You're on to Plums" Yup you guessed it, he retorted "But there aren't any." I uses Dylusions inks and my new Dylusions stamp Dependable Dotty with a different head and tried masking the skulls to create a bunch at the bottom. They don't have anything to do with plums, socks or... but I like them. The stripey effect came from the comb applicator for my hair dye - new it could be useful.

The second one was Dreams. I only ever remember my bad dreams but would love to remember the good ones. When Dad and my brother died I dreamt about them all the time but now 6 and 3 years on when I would like to remember them in dreams - nothing happens. This page went through many layers as it went wrong many times. I began with gesso and writing Dreams in gesso and then beging to spray with Dylusions inks. Stamping with masks and paints - not effect I had in my head and then because I don't have what I need to mout my lovely Lady Audrey Octopode stamp it all went wrong...

Out came the white Dylusions paint and the mess became clouds and I stamped Lady Audrey onto paper and then glued to page and tried to blend her in. It sort of works now but was not what I had in mind at all.

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 Listomania

Do I make lists? Endlessly. Electronically and on paper. Am I more organised - not really? But at least when I write a list I feel I will eventually tackle whatever is on the list. As you might have guessed  this week's prompt was all about lists. I sprayed a thin layer of dylusions lime green, jade and blue sky inks onto the page trying to avoid the shopping list stuck onto the page.

The list was created by my daughter before we went shopping yesterday for baking supplies. I stamped all over the page using Shabby Shutters, Faded Jeans and China Blue using a TH sentiment. The final one I stamped in black archival ink. I painted the TO DO Lists with water colours and doodled around and in the letters. I then created a mask and part stamped Angel Boy from Stampotique which didn't quite work on the different layers of paper. I journalled using three sakura gel pens. The colours are inspired by a competition on UK Stampers which were lying on my desk as I experimented with different ideas.

Art Journal Television

My blog and crafting have been neglected over the last few weeks due to a combination of holiday, work and lots of sun in Scotland. We were away over Easter weekend and had no internet connection... since then it has been sunny in Scotland (quite rare to get a prolonged sunny spell) and I have been working hard painting fence panels, building rockeries and developing the now not so muddy slope (more on that later this week). I was also a little behind with my journal so had a happy afternoon catching up and playing. This prompt  was on the theme of television.
The sky control is in the photo as it has revolutionized the way we watch and interact with our box in the corner of the room. Series links, fast forward and other features make us in control of what we watch and as result I watch less television but more of what I like.

We were asked to use tv listings as a background so I had to print one as did not have a newspaper as I tend to get most of my news through digital media. I used cardboard waste from embellishments to spray dylusions inks in a frame and then I used a plastic card to spread white dylusions paint through the squares. I was thinking about TV being a box and making us square eyed.

I then used the mini diamond stamp from Tim Holtz to create a border and the letters TV and the mini bird clouds to create distortion on some of the televisions.

Finally I added my journalling about the best ever TV series being the Wire, how I stopped watching soaps to get more me time, watching the daleks in black and white and the fact that Lens Guy and I didn't own a TV the first two years we were together.

Last of the Hybrid scrapfactor Layouts featuring Jasper

This Layout took ages and yet appears so simple. 

Coordination’s Black Magic/Blue – Embossing Folder – di lavender and china blue ink. Cut into strips to make border. Made frames for photos. Sprayed with dylusions sky blue, pink and fuchsia

Cut out centre of page and mounted large frame onto lilac/black coordination

Hybrid – Created title using Miss Mint Vintage Mix Alpha, Printed out three balloons (changed colour) from OTS You Look Like a Monkey kit, drew round edge with white and stuck to page – added journaling details and ties in pen. Printed, embossed, inked and highlighted with white sakura pen

 Using scrap paper sprayed with inks freehand drew arrows and stuck to card. Details added with black and white pens. Highlighted little balloon and write on small photo. Drew fine lines and journaled onto page.

Art Journal Music using homemade stencils and stamps, Just for Fun

First hi to my latest followers - I am still amazed that anyone drops by to see what I do and I appreciate all the comments and opportunities to see what everyone else is doing. This is also for the Just for fun challenge which asks you to use circles. If you click on the logo at the side you can pop over and see some great work.
This page taxed me as I do not have any musical stamps but after downloading a sheet of vintage music from graphics fairy I began to get going. The page was already showing bits of paints from other pages that had splodged onto it and when I think of music I think of the originial vinyl even though I love my iphone and digital music so that made me think of circles.  My first stencil appeared which was moved around and liberally sprayed with luscious dylusions inks.

Once I had sprayed to my heart's content I printed out some large musical notes and used them as stencils and as stamps. The stamping was a bit haphazard as I did it with paint but I like the effect.

You can see both a stencilled and stamp painted example here.

Finally I added my journalling about Music. 

I love music of all sorts and have quite eclectic tastes ranging from grungy metal to pop to divas to jazz and blues so a Top Five was almost impossible. However my final top five are all significant and remind me of certain times in my life (but that it is too personal to share...) Final choices: Nevermind by Nirvana, The Bends by Radiohead,  Boy with the Arab Strap by Belle and Sebastian, U2 by October and Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd.  First single ever bought was Terry Jacks Seasons in the Sun and I cringe as I write this as I still know all the words...

Art journal - Superstitious?

Efemera at UKStampers challenged us to journal about our superstitions and use a charm on the page. My first reaction was I'm not... but then I remembered umbrellas and how I have a thing about not opening them inside.

I do knock on wood occasionally and cross my fingers. Why I really don't know. I did wear green to my wedding with Lens Guy and 17 years later we still together. I do avoid walking under ladders but that is surely common sense?

My charm was created from old pieces of broken jewellery and a heart button. I thought it looked suitably talismanic and could ward off evil? 

I used TH mini umbrella man and the umbrella parts from Dylusions Ruby Rainbow. I even created a mask for the umbrella top which was much easier than I thought it would be. I then used the mask to cover the umbrella stamp when adding another layer of ink. The original background was created using mask pieces from the TH set.

Stampotique SDC26 - Animal Insect or Bird

Serendipity came calling with a Stampotique challenge to use an animal, insect or bird and week and UKS Week 11 Art Journal where we were to list five things that scared  us, stamp with paint and use a scary colour for your background. This was great fun to do and I was even brave enough to sketch a few items onto the page.

I used yellow Dylusions paint as background as although I like the colour to look at it is one I would never wear or decorate with. I stamped the TH crow from Haunted Mansions with black paint. I was not sure what to do so ended up putting black paint on a piece of cloth and dabbing this on the stamp. It gives a very rough and ready finish. 

Next I wanted to suggest open wardrobe doors - I have this fear left over from childhood about a thing that will come out at night if the doors are left open. I still have to make sure they are closed now. As I was thinking about being in bed at time I sketched a bed and used Stampotique's Olivia - head only to place in bed. 

I began to paint in blocks the main colours using clashing orange and pink to add to the scariness of the colour. I tried stamping a cat using a freebie stamp and it was just a blob so stamped it again on a piece of painty scrap and added that. I began to write and draw my other fears and freehand (very brave) painted the I'm scared of letters. I then sprayed with dylusions fuscia, burnt orange and pomegrante, masking Olivia's head between layers. I got my trusty black and white pens and added more detail

The crow had to have an eye in mouth as that is part of my fear of crows. If they peck out lamb's eyes...

Snakes... enough said

Art Journal One Week and Art Journalling Vs Scrapping

This week we are asked to write down 7 things we did this week, provide evidence of two and use an old calendar as a background.

I scraped pink Dylusions paint onto the page and then stamped with purple/white paint using a foam stamp from the Claudine Hellmuth Dwelling set, I then overstamped with the acrylic stamp.

Evidence included 2 receipts, part of son's passport and bits of photo from his birthday and small calendar pages from the year so far. I sprayed with dylusion inks to add detail and hide personal details. You can see my "craft" mat which is an oven liner from Lidl but it works pretty well

I then made the receipts into fans and stuck them on and added the journaling from another page that I had sprayed with inks then written on and then stuck on. One of the reasons I did this was that when I started adding journalling on my background it was hard to read because of the dark colours. This is not one of my favourite pages as I feel it didn't come together how I wanted. But I have been in a grumpy mood all day and I never create as well when grumpy. Lens Guy suggested my mood has something to do with the Super Moon...

At the moment I am enjoying the art journalling as I feel there is a freedom to make mistakes that I don't have when scrapping or making cards. However I have been thinking about this and I think journalling in the art journal has freed me up to handwrite and journal on scrap pages and I think I am going to start creating a series of pages that are a mix of the two and incorporate some digital elements. Does anyone else have thoughts on this? Do you think as crafters we go through phases of preferring one type over another or am I just easily distracted?

Art Journal Colour and another page in progress

For those who pop in here from time to time my favourite colour won't be a shock. I had a lot of fun creating this page and experimenting with adding a head from a magazine and then painting over it.

When I was spraying dylusion inks for my ATCs I sprayed over a blank sheet for my background and created areas of colour by moving the top page around

Dylusions Love Struck Lucy stamped in Purple and a magazine head stuck on

I layered white, teal and purple using a credit card and then painted the stamp

Doodling for the title and page sides and to add hair to the lady

spare ink strips for journalling and doodled flowers

Feeling bit angry and tense about work and hope this page will get it all out - think the journalling will have to hidden...