SUMMER OF COLOUR WEEK 2

Morning all, well I have to stop with this orange and hot pink because I've got a little bit obsessive.  I mean not a bit obsessive but quite obsessive, it started with a gelli plate session, unlike last week where I was churning out the A4 pieces this week I started that way and then thought "What about all those 12 x 12 sheets of white paper that come in the scrapbook albums?" - so I set too with those!  Mmmmmm so here we go - eyes down starter for ten no conferring

First up 12 x 12 layouts, this one was using a fabulous scrapbook sketch from UK Scrappers from their Old Stash New Stash inspiration post, check these out in the Inspirations and Challenges threat.  It's a really versatile sketch and great for 'using up' leftovers when you've been blitzing your way through layouts and have lots of leftovers!

This one was is part of a double page, documenting an early gelli plate session with my sister, samples of our work

 And a jaunty shot of the state the house was in as a result LOL

 Here they are as the double page

Next up I used a blonde moments paper originally a Christmas paper with reddish pink and green circles on it, I spent some time painting over the green circles, great fun, I then used some gelli prints on the page, this one is another sketch from the Old Stash New Stash inspiration - this one being June's sketch (again so versatile).

This one using a gelli print background I loved how it turned out but then like I said got a bit obsessed generating lots of gelli prints!

 Then I did cards, not fully finished but a good start.

 Up close

Then I started some mail art

Up close

 Can't wait to see the colour choice for next week!

ART JOURNALING AMAZING PEOPLE!

Well last night my Mum came over with my sister and my niece for an art journaling evening.  My Mum has never 'art-journaled' but my sister has so we were on hand to talk her through some of the techniques we use - not to say we are 'experts' far from it - just we've read a few books, blogs etc and had a go previously!  I usually paint a background and then go hunting for an image, but in the back of my brain is usually the idea of what I want to art journal about!  

Last night's brain prompt was 'Strong Women' - now over the last few weeks I seem to have had contact with women I consider 'strong' - you know the ones I mean the ones who seem to be dealt the toughest hand life can throw at them and yet they seem to keep their heads above water (although for some it sometimes feels like - 'only just'!).  One of these 'strong women' is a very close friend of mine whose gone through a really difficult time in her work life, but she's finally decided to prioritise herself over work and has finally left said job in order to retain her sanity, if she wrote a book about what's happened nobody would believe her because it sounds far too far fetched - but believe you and me she's lived through hell for the last three years at work! There are other women I've been talking to either via my blog or in life in general who are also fighting their demons - so to all of you - and you know who you are this page is to say that no matter how difficult life is - being a strong woman means you retain your values and you make me proud to be a woman.  

Now add into this that I was in the presence of three other 'strong' women - my Mum, my sister and my niece,  putting the page together was a breeze - I love it when it flows like this and all comes together!

I loved using the colour red, I'd had the image on the right hand page for some time Ms Mirren is one hell of a lady and I found the one on the left whilst wandering through a magazine, the 'demon' image behind the picture on the left was cut from a separate article months ago and don't ask me why but I just knew one day I'd need to use him - this page was that day!

I tattooed the ladies again (I can't help it), sequin waste stamping in the background - even where the cellotape was on it - LOL!

Blonde moments and Tim Holtz stamps galore

Silver pen and black paint

Hope you're all having a great weekend - can't believe how quick it's gone - update on the bathroom - all done, looks great - just makes the rooms around it look dreadful - hey ho - February's 'room' is the hall stairs and landing!

OK CATCHING UP TIME!

Well it's officially the 3rd of December and I haven't got off to the usual flying start - I could give a whole list of excuses but hey I'm on with it now! So here goes - a finished project (still loads to finish mind), this little book documents a fantastic outing we had last year. The Church closest to where we live holds a 'Christmas Tree Festival' every year, which basically means they have local groups dress real trees up on a theme basis and people go and have a look. Last year is the first year we managed to get (and we're hoping to make it this year as it's this weekend).

Last year's theme was Christmas poetry, so when we got in there we got a little brochure with all the poems in and had a wander around the church. The last tree wasn't based on a poem but was a 'remembrance tree' and hung on it were tiny tags, that could be removed for you to write a note on about someone who is no longer able to celebrate Christmas with us, it was a truly magical Christmas moment, very moving and very calming, the trees were gorgeous, the Church all lit up in the dark was a beautiful sight and at the end for a small donation we got to enjoy a warm drink. We asked if we could take photos with they said we could, so we got one of each tree.

I've been trying to come up with an appropriate book all year and then Dyan at AFTH came up with her new Christmas papers and everything fell into place, needless to say I used the Christmas Tree paper on the covers, I transferred the poems onto small pieces of card and I've finally managed to get the photos 'used', lots of Christmas stickles and ribbon and finally a year on, the book is finished!

Now December 1st marks the arrival of the first Journal Your Christmas prompt and on time it dropped into my inbox, unfortunately, it's taken until today to actually have a proper sit down, so I've had some catching up to do. The photo below is last yours Journal, in which I became mildly obsessed with Basic Grey papers, the album was based on an altered A lever arch file

Now this photo shows last years journal on the right compared with the only just started journal for this year on the left - do you think they are going to end up the same size?

Just look at how thick this book got!

Here is the cover of this years album, which is a home made 8" x 8" album covered in green fabric with pieces over the top and I've decided to call it 'Journal Our Christmas' - because that's what it is! Need to put the year on as plan on doing this for many years to come!

First things first my manifesto, it's strange as I struggled to get started on this last year but once this was written I was on a roll! The nice thing about the journal this year is I've got a feel for what is coming, this project for me tends to lean on the wordy side and picks the photos up as things 'happen' but for others it can be primarily about photos, or blog entries or digital or pretty much anything you want - Shimelle has an 'anything goes' attitude on this journal which leaves you with the feeling of freedom!

Another wordy entry on the lovely weather we had yesterday - NOT! This year's entry was less reflective than last years but did document the day, something that in years to come without this I would most definitely forget! We went to a Victorian Christmas market yesterday and had a lovely evening except the weather was vile! Hey ho, started getting us feeling Christmassy!

Today's entry on cards is a double page, I've made the album with extra pages so I can do double page entries when it suits, plus I'm running mine until the 11 January because we're celebrating my Mum's 60th coming up and I thought I could extend it until the end of the celebrations.

So Thursday has brought with it a day off (well a day off, once I'd picked some things up for work and once I'd answered a text message on payroll). As my 9 year old is desperate to put the Christmas trees up I thought I'd better do a bit of touching up paint wise, because despite aspirations to paint the stairs before Christmas it just isn't going to happen, however, I'm unsure if a match pot of paint is enough to do it LOL! I'll report back later!

PROJECT FINISHED - WOO HOO

This is the lovely project I did courtesy of Sandy Poppins at my local scrapbook shop, I love doing these projects as they are always really great evenings - even if you don't have time to finish it on the night. The only problem I had with this project is that the original template had pockets and tags on the chipboard pages but I loved the papers so much, that I didn't want to cover them up! So the dilemma was how to use the pockets without covering the papers! My solution - to add more pages in between - which seems to have worked really well.

I love how you can go over the top with Christmas stickles at this time of year and these Blonde Moments papers really do lend themselves to some serious stickling!

Loving Santa, more stickles and more glossy accents!

Inside cover - note stickles on snowman's hat LOL!

Here are the new pages after indexed page, I know they look a little plain at the moment, but once I've added photos and journaling they are going to look awesome! I've put three extra pages after each chipboard sheet in red and green papers, then I've added extra embellishments.

And finally somewhere new for the pockets and tags! The book is already bulky so I'll have to be careful when I add photos and journaling but don't you just love it!

Stickles galore!

Well it's Saturday and it's might grey outside, I hate grey days I feel the need to put on all the lights in the house whilst my other half follows me around turning them off. I've no idea how to get the washing dry, we've already managed a trip to the tip and to the Charity Shop so the pool room downstairs is now almost passable with care!

So what to do with the rest of the day, well my sister is coming over - she's feeling as miserable as me, she's got tickets to go to see Skunk Anansie in Leeds tonight but no-one to go with as her friend who was going has bailed out. She's struggling for Christmas gifts and she's feeling somewhat down, so I've invited her over to see if I can cheer her up - bless her!

And finally, just to show off how talented my little brother us (little he's 6 foot 1 inch - how does that work LOL) - this is a photo of him out at Halloween wearing his Masterchief outfit, all the red pieces you see originally started out as a paper template! The whole outfit has taken months and months of preparation and on it's original outing for a Halloween fancy dress competition it just wouldn't do - but further work on the same led to him being able to wear it out on Halloween night! With the lifts in his boots and the head piece on he measured 6 foot 7 inches tall! Doesn't he look awesome!

Leave him a message if you like what you see - I asked if I was OK to put it on my blog!

I DIDN'T START OFF WITH A FACE!

Another art journal double page, this one was hard work as a prepared it in advance and then didn't know what to do with it LOL. I used images cut from magazines, the 'face' was actually a photo of a planet - but swineflu has robbed me of the memory of which one LOL!

Must learn to stick images down better look at all those ripples - what am I like. The face was the main face from this year's pumpkin, my hubby found inspiration on the internet and I've used some of it to capture this year's 'face' forever in my journal! And yes that is Christmas gold stickles you see - they were on the desk next to me! Maybe the words 'step away from the sparkly stuff'' might be sensible!

Struggled with the title, I pencilled it in, then made it 3-d, then painted over it, then painted over it again, then mixed in some copper paint and repainted it - do you get it now I wasn't happy, then I repainted the 3-d shadow which isn't great but it'll do and finally I made my hubby prize the paint out of my hand!

Basic grey Journey stamp, Blonde Moments star stamp and then a Tim Holtz date stamp! Picture below shows more glittery stickles - maybe I'm just getting festive!

Close up of all those merged stamps, I stamped in saddle brown and expresso and the freehand painted border at the bottom.

Finally returned to work yesterday, not that I'm better I might add but the in tray was full to bursting! So yesterday was a very tiring day, I wonder if my energy levels will return - ever! Still struggling with mojo, but did discuss some new ideas last night with hubby and if we manage to get some chipboard I may just be able to start on them. One idea in particular I'm doing in triplicate so that should prove interesting because although I'm documenting one occasion I'm making it for various people - don't you love these cryptic clues! Mind you I won't be able to make all three the same I never can it just proves too boring so I always insist on varying them! I also need to sort a photo order out so I've got pictures for said present - quite giddy about it though. Also want to do an altered canvas, but want to incorporate a photo, I'm not good enough a painter to paint the contents of the photo, but don't want to make the canvas look like I've simply stuck a photo to it, so having a re-think at the moment!

TEMPTED BY THE DEMON FOOD!!!!!

I love this layout from my A3 art journal - it's the first double page spread I did in it and had immense fun cutting up the free magazine from our local supermarket to get the great images! (Well most of them) - I've always enjoyed my food (usually a little too much) but I use food when I'm down, when I'm happy, when I'm emotional, when I'm sad, etc LMAO - pretty much regardless!!!!!! Therefore I'm always 'on a diet' or enjoying the high life when I'm 'off the diet' which seems to be a weekly occurrence. I know it's such a bad way to be - so this page was just to show how difficult life can be with tempting food! Hence the title 'Tempted' and also the reason for the gun wielding heroine in the corner.

The biggest problem I had once the page was completed was that I showed the page to people and all they said was "YUM!!" - now is that helpful. I even managed a bit of hand painting at the bottom of the page.

The funniest thing when I was doing the page is that it didn't feel finished, no matter what i did, adding little bits, hand painting, highlighting words - nothing seemed to finish it. Then I painted the green border, stamped around the edge with a Blonde Moments arrow stamp and coloured every other arrow in and then I sat back and said - "Yeah now it's finished" I'm enjoying sharing my pages, I've got one I adore but it has a slightly risque picture on it and don't want to offend anyone LOL - so might have to retain that one for friends eyes only! Might be able to share the left hand page of that one though? Mmmmm now there's a thought!

BLONDE MOMENT INSPIRED CHRISTMAS GIFTS - I'M ON A ROLL

Well I can't believe how long it is since I last put something on my blog - sorry!!!! The problem is that I've got into art journalling and well it's kind of private - some of it isn't but most of it is - so I'm in a dilemma - to share or not to share LOL!

Anyway as you can see these little beauties are not art journaling - they are however teacher and teaching assistant gifts for my son to take in at Christmas - don't you love those papers!! Some of you may be wondering why so many - explanation - my son attends both after school club and breakfast club - so many many gifts to make!

I bought the papers from Dyan of Art from the Heart fame http://www.afth.co.uk/ when I went to the Great Northern Papercraft show in September. The papers are an absolute delight to use and lend themselves to the colour yellow - which I discovered in amongst my stash I have rather a large quantity of! Woo - hoo - so not only using gorgeous papers but also using up cardstock that I obviously don't use a lot of! Apologies for the reflection, the front of the book has a 6" x 4" frame attached - hence the reflection.

Close ups - added xmas red stickles and glossy accents.

The present makes you feel so Christmassy - it's like tinsel!

I love all the images amongst the papers!

This one's my favourite - little red xmas stickles to his hat!

Cute robin!

Santa's boots

The inside of the book is paper on the inside covers and then a concertina with pockets attached, the tags are all made with matching papers!

Even when supplies were starting to run low - a little bit of distressing and before you know it you've managed to cover the inside page! I actually think this looks even better than just one paper!

Loving the trees and the Baubles!

Then what to do with the leftovers? I bought some cheap gift bags (3 for a £1) and used a blonde moments stamp with stazon and then attached the little left over papers, corner rounded with added stickles and glossy accents. Going to cut the teacher's names out with my big shot to attach to the front of the bag and ta-da - all done! For the bargain price of wait for it - wait for it £2.96 excluding yellow cardstock (of which I already had ample supplies) - so not only handcrafted gifts but on a budget as well. The downside - well they are so addictive I'm wondering who else to give one to for Christmas - well it's a way of using up yellow cardstock and means I can buy more of the papers tee hee.

Gold gift bag this time

Promise to try and be a better blogger! Thanks for looking - if you like what you see leave me a message!