Mysterious

Hello and welcome back to my poor neglected blog, it has been months since I was last here. Today I am back with a mixed media art journal page.

 

Over on the Viva Las VegaStamps blog they have a month challenge and April is all about being inspired by not only the image below, but also "Be inspired by words like nature, natural, trees, forests, camping, mountains, skies & water, fishing, birds, reflections, boats, dogs, gray, tan, white & black, gray + anything else that you might be inspired by!"

 

One rule that you absolutely must follow is that your project must include at least ONE if not MORE stamps from vlvstamps.

 

This is the image for the April Challenge.

 

I used three stamps from plate 1471, which was released April 2016

 

This is my finished art journal page.

The way that the inspiration board inspired me was firstly all the different textures that you would find if you were actually standing looking at the scene in real life. The second way was what different shapes that you would find in nature and naturally I gravitated towards the circle even though there isn't one in the board. Circles are my favourite shape and appears in nature so often.

I kept my colour palette pretty neutral with the pop of teal to bring the page to life.

 

I gave my art journal page the title of mysterious because mother nature is pretty mysterious and so can be the creative process.

 

Below are some more phots of some of the different stages of my art journal page an close ups

 

 

products used: golden fluid acrylics - carbon black and teal, prima art basics heavy gesso - white, prima art extravagance texture paste - white crackle, stabilo all - black, archival ink - jet black and watering can, liquitex - matte gel, faber-castell tri graphite pencil 2B

 

Happy Creating

Only By The Walls

It is the beginning of the month which means another art journal challenge from Art and Soul Studio has started. You will find all the details for the challenge in the facebook group Soul Sisters which is part of the Art and Soul Studio.

The challenge is to use these images and quote for inspiration to create an art journal page.

Here is an close up of a part of my journal page if you would like to see the whole piece please follow this link to the Art and Soul Studio Blog.

Products from the shop: Tim Holtz Distress Ink: walnut stain, vintage photo and peeled paint

Happy Creating

Out of the Darkness

This past week was not a great week, and when creating art whether its intentional or not your emotions do come through. Today was my turn up on the Art and Soul Blog and I created a very dark journal page.

If you would like to know how I created this page and the products I used please follow the link above to the Art and Soul Studio blog.

Happy Creating

You Have To Believe

Lately I have been struggling with my inner art demons, they are telling me that what I create is not good enough. They are telling me that I should give up and choose another hobby. Sometimes it is hard not listen to them when they are very, very loud. Most times I am able to turn then off, but lately it's been rather difficult. This morning I put them back in their sound proof box and proved to them and me I am good enough. I think I created one of my favourite pieces that I have ever made. It is an art journal page that I created for Art and Soul Studio.

Here are some close ups, if you would like to see the entire page and my process please follow the link to the blog.

Happy Creating

They Know The Way

Good Morning,

 

Have you seen the challenge that Shop and Crop Scrapbooking have running? If not here is a link to the post on the blog, where you will find lots of inspiration from the Design Team. To enter you need to belong to our Facebook group and add your creation into the correct album. You have until the end of the month to do so.

 

The challenge is a mood board

 

 

How much fun can you have with this, we would love to see what you create.

 

I took my inspiration from the colour palette and the quote and created a journal page. Here are some close up of the texture I was able to create. If you would like to see my process then please pop on over to Shop and Crop Scrapbooking Blog (see link above).

 

 

 

products used that can be found in the shop:

indigoblu mega-flake: autumn blaze

the crafter workshop 6x6 template: mini texturized

 

I hope that you play along

Happy Creating

 

Follow Your Dreams

Its the beginning of a new month which means there is a new challenge for Shop and Crop Scrapbooking, pop on over to the blog to see what inspiration the Design Team has created.

This month the challenge is a mood board

I created an art journal page using the quote as my focal point.

Happy Creating

Live In The Moment

Today over on the Shop and Crop Scrapbooking Blog you will find a layout and an art journal page.  I am not sure that I love either of them but I know I have fun creating them.

 

The two of them couldn't be more different if you would like to see a the complete pages please follow the link to Shop and Crop Scrapbooking.

The products below can be all found in the Shop. If you would like to purchase any of them please use the code DO5 for a discount

My Mind's Eye - Hooray,

TCW - Light & Fluffy Modeling Paste

Chartreuse Iridescent Creative Medium,

Colour Blast Shimmer Pot Water Colours - Snow White and Royalty,

Lindy's Stamp Gang Magicals Freaky Franken-Lime and Witch's Potion Purple,

Dusty Attic Stencil - Circuit,

Tim Holtz Collection Layering Stencil - Stripes

Archival Ink - Jet Black

Happy Creating

Embrace Your Journey

This month for my tutorial for the Art and Soul Store I decided to create an art journal page.

I had a lot of fun creating this page, for the full tutorial please pop on over to the Art and Soul Blog.

Happy Creating

Follow Your Dreams

Currently I have 5 bound art journals being used and 2 just patiently waiting for me to break them out, but I really love using mixed media paper or heavy watercolour paper that I have cut up myself.  Having all these different size journals and paper lets me just follow my journey where ever it leads.

The art journal page I am sharing with you today has a little story behind it which I hope you don't mind me sharing with you. It started out as a page painted with black gesso, then letter stickers stuck down. Once this was all dry I added colour with my Twinkling H2Os, which were pretty in colour but the design was ugly. I put it aside for another day. That day final came and then after many, many, many layers of thick gesso, texture paste, I was able to cover the old page up. My piece of mixed media paper that is 21.5 cm x 21.5 cm now weighs 64g. The same size and kind of paper with nothing on it only weighs 13g, that's a lot of product to cover something up.

Much happier with the new page

products used: mixed media paper, art basics heavy gesso - white, lindy's stamp gang sprays starburst - tiffanylou blue, blue hawaiian blue, lindy's stamp gang sprays flat fabio - tilt-a-wheel teal, tim holtz collection layering stencil - stripes, uni pin fine line - black 0.1, kaisercraft rubons - dreams, indigoblu stamp - limor circles, dina wakley media stamp - textures

Happy Creating

New Stencil - WooHoo

While on retreat I was lucky enough to attend a class by Michelle Logan (blog) and during her class she was having give aways. Michelle could not have picked a better give away for me, it was a stencil, thank you Michelle. Do I love stencils yes I do, do I have an addiction to them hmmmm maybe, ok yes I do.

The stencil that I received was from ScrapFX. Well I just learnt something new I knew that ScrapFx were Australian but what I did not know was that they are a based in Victoria.

Until I received this one I didn't own a ScrapFX stencil, it is called Day Dreamer. They are made from a transparent plastic. It is thicker than other stencils that I own and it gives a really clear outline that adds dimension and texture to you art.

The background is made up off all sorts. It is in my journal where I put the little bits of lefts overs so nothing gets wasted. The day before the orange went on and the black. The black lines are actually put there by one of my retreat buddies. She was using black paint and some sort of medium from golden and asked if I wanted to use it up. I open my journal to this page and said go for it and walked away, not sure where I was going but when I came back the black lines were there.

Happy Creating

Find The Calm Within Your World

I was flicking through my art journal last night just before I went to bed, not really looking for anything but I can across this background and I knew what it needed.

We all have soooo much going on in our lives that sometimes it just gets too much. The calm within my world is my art which has been pushed to the back but the last couple of days I have made a point of coming into my space and trying to create.
 

I cant tell you how or what was used to create this background other than the arrows and circles are from a VivaLas Vegas stamp set.

products used - archival ink - jet black and coffee, dina wakley media stamp - silhouetted woman, posca paint pen - white, printed quote on computer, gellyroll pen - white, uniball signo pen - black.

Happy Creating

Believe In Magic

I had a background in my art journal that was just screaming at me to do something with as it was rather dark and plain. So I did.

 

From the photo above I had added some Ecoline liquid watercolour and over the top of that I put what crackle paste. The crackle paste picked up some of the colour which was not my plan, but it is now a happy accident.

 Really frustrated with my photos at the moment I cannot find my camera cord to charge it so I am taking my photos on my iPad and they are just not up to scratch. I apologise for this.

 

Finally was able to find my camera cord and charge the camera so much happier with the next two photos.

 

 

Just love all the texture that I was able to create.

 

products used: liquites matte gel, artbasics heavy gesso - white, derivan matisse structure -  paynes grey, art extravagance texture paste - white crackle, ranger archival ink - jet black, versamark, ranger embossing powder - seafoam white, ecoline liquid watercolour - 522 & 545, memorybox die - distressed collage windham, stampin' up stamp - playful backgrounds, kaisercraft stamp - script, tim holtz idea-ology tissue wrap - melange, kaisercraft rubon - enchanted garden.

 

Happy Creating

Be Open to Whatever Comes Next

Hello and welcome to 2017, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. I sharing an art journal page on my poor neglected blog. Although it not just my blog that has suffered to has also been my art. Since November I have been away on a 10 day cruise, had my sons 7th birthday, created cards for the school fair, Christmas and New Year, that's a lot packed into 2 months. Hopefully things will get back to normal soon. My husband is going back to work tomorrow so we have had a lot of family time. My two children don't go back to school until the 2nd of February but I am hoping to squeeze in some me time.

I also haven't really wanted to create anything every time I came into my space all I ended up doing was looking at youtube videos, not that that is a bad thing in fact I should have lots of inspiration to choose from but still they did not motivate me either.

It was not until 2 days ago that I actually created something. I started playing with a card background that has been hanging around for awhile. I added 2 different colours of Golden Fluid Acrylics and stamping to it. Mind you it is still sitting unfinished, but that's ok.

products used: lindy's stamp gang magicals, texture paste, mixed media paper, the crafters workshop stencil, golden fluid acrylics - quinacridone nickel azo gold & green gold, heavy gesso, kaisercraft stamp - script, archival ink - jet black.

What I did end up creating and finishing was an art journal page.

The background had been created using up left overs, as I really don't like to waste my art supplies. After making the splatters on the card background I still had some fluid acrylic left. So I had to find something to use it on. I found this background and started making splatters and then while doing that I realised my fan brush would create an amazing print that would look like a flower.

I added the stems, added a little more shading to the flowers, scribbles in the background and the quote and a finished art journal page I have.

products used: gelly roll pen - white, golden fluid acrylics - quinacridone nickel azo gold, derwent inktense pencils - chinese ink, beech green, burnt orange and sun yellow, tim holtz idea-ology: small talk.

Happy Creating

No People Allowed

Yikes! Is it really the beginning of November, this year has gone so quick.

This month the challenge at Show Us Your Stuff is all about creating a layout, art journal page but you cannot use people in your creation.

Instead of people trying using something else, a pet, some food, a scenic photograph.

This month I created an art journal page. It may not have people in it but I did use my emotions to help me create it. One morning I was getting my two munchkins ready for and usually they are pretty good but this one morning they were hitting all the right buttons. Once I dropped them off at school I came home and created. The colours I chose were the same colour as my mood but while creating it the background it helped sooth me.

My hand made items - wood veneer lighting bolt from Rainbow Splendour which I have them gold embossed, and my hand cut and written quote.

Please don't forget to pop on past the blog to see what the other members of the design team have created.

items used: rainbow splendour - lighting bolt, ranger ink - gold & silver embossing powder,  mixed media paper, ranger ink - fude ball 1.5 pigment ink pen, dylusions paint - black marble, dylusions - white lines ink spray, dusty attic paint - denim

Happy Creating

The Universe Works In Mysterious Ways

In July I shared with you all about breaking a blank page art journal videos from Marta Lapkowska (blog, facebook, Instagram) well I have finally completed another one of my art journal pages. In total I have completed 6 but have only share 2 including this one. Will share the other 4 with you on another day.

To start this page I punched the different size circles from a magazine, I just loved the colours in the stones and they reminded me of planets. I stuck them down and that was where it ended until the other day.

I broke one of my own rules while creating, I put the lid back on the bottle but I didn't do it up. I even thought to myself as I was putting it down I really should do it up but I knew I wanted to keep using it. Well I paid the penalty I knocked over the bottle the next time I went to use it.

This photo was taken just before I started to wipe everything down it was a real mess and to top it off I was cross with myself as I just knew it was going to happen. If I don't follow my own rules I knock things over, last time I didn't follow the rules it was a bottle of indigo ink across my desk, the time before that was bottle of Ranger Patina, the time before that was a bottle of paint. Okay, yes I am clumsy when I don't follow my own rules.

 

So before I wiped everything down and got my desk nice and clean again I mopped up the spray with two art journal pages and 4 atcs cannot waste the medium. One of those art journal pages was the one I created from the break the page videos.

 

Once I had mopped up the gold spray I had no idea what I was planning on doing with the art journal page but it still reminded me of planets. So I went with that theme and found some chipboard stars that I heat embossed with my new favourite colour of embossing powder Liquid Platinum.

Its pretty ironic that while printing out the quote I had to embrace the journey that the universe was taking me on because the quote I was trying to print in brown but no matter what I did it kept coming out purple. I enlarge the print, I made it smaller and I even checked my ink, which didn't need replacing. I have no idea why but that's where the universe took me.

products used: clear gesso, white gesso, water colour paper, prima color bloom - antique gold, chrome, tangerine and deep teal, ranger embossing powder - liquid platinum, circle punches, magazine pages, um wow chipboard - star confetti, versa watermark, stabilo aquarellable - white and black.

Happy Creating

 

Breaking A Blank Page - Chipboard

Chipboard adds instant dimension and texture to a project, it provides lots of possibilities. On one of the breaking a blank page art journal pages I used chipboard.

I used matte gel to adhere my chipboard to my paper, this gave it added strength as some glues wouldn't hold. Once dry I covered the chipboard and paper in gesso, for some reason I don't like brush marks so with my brush I pounced up and down on my page which gave it added texture.

When adding water or wet medium to dry paper I always have the problem of my paper curling so a couple of times now I have beat the system and stuck my paper to my desk with blu tack. It doesn't completely stop the curling but it certainly minimises the effect.

I love the randomness of the magicals, you just never know what result you are going to get, especially when you combine more than one.

I really had fun playing and finishing off this page, cannot wait to start adding colour and embellishments to my other break a blank page journal pages.

products used: kaisercraft stamp - script, sa crafters chipboard, prima art basics heavy gesso - white, watercolour paper, archival ink - jet black, lindy's stamp gang magicals - merci beaucoup mint, c'est la vie cerise, freaky franken-lime, merry-go-round green and hag;s wart orange, posca paint pen - white, faber-castell big brush - orange glaze, stampin' up stamp grateful bunch, tim holtz idea-ology - small talk, liquitex matte gel

Happy Creating

Breaking A Blank Page

Art Journaling what does this mean to me? It is a way to express yourself through creativity and words. I have never really kept a journal but art journaling does appeal to me. I have created between 12 - 15 pages, but I just cant get the hang of it. I want to do it but it eludes me at the moment.

A couple of months ago Marta Lapkowska (blog, facebook, instagram) put together a 3 part series of youtube videos on art journaling for beginners. I marked them at the time to watch later, it has taken me this long but last week I finally watched all three of them. Please find the links for the YouTube videos below

Art Journaling for Beginners: TIPS & SUPPLIES, how to get started part 1  
https://youtu.be/cfaIHsNmQ3M

How to Break A Blank Page? Mixed Media Art Journaling for Beginners part 2
https://youtu.be/GovaxOR1HpM

How to START? How to Break A Blank Page? Mixed Media Art Journaling part 3
https://youtu.be/HgvuJTUqZdQ

I found all three videos very useful. I would love to share with you the blank pages that I have broken. There are 24 of them so far and I haven't use all of Marta's ideas yet, the coloured pages are yet to be done, I need to cut up some more paper.

book pages, music sheet, masking tape and washi tape

washi tape, clothes tags, scrapbooking paper, magazine, gesso

texture paste (whipped spackle), thread, chipboard

As I was creating the above pages, I had some ideas of my own that I wrote down and the pages below are some of those ideas, still have a list that I want to create.

die cuts, tea bags, tissue paper and sequin waste



So maybe breaking a blank page is not my problem maybe it the next step that is. I do know that I had a lot of fun creating the start of some journal pages.

Happy Creating

How Do I Begin

Today I want to share an art journal page that I created. This page came about because of a post that I put up in one of the facebook groups that belong too. The title of this post was suggested by one of the ladies in the group for our journal page to get us creating. So from the words How Do I Begin I went on to have fun.

This journal page started a little differently to how I normal start. Sometimes writing down how you feel helps you move past the thing that is blocking you. I wrote down my feelings on my water colour paper and because I did not necessarily need it on my page I covered it with gesso and then some paint.

I had so much fun creating this page, my hands were stained for a couple of days afterwards.

Products used: derivan matisse structure paint - titanium white and cobalt turquoise, stencil hero arts - tweed pattern, lindy's stamp gang magicals haunted halloween - tainted love teal and freaky franken lime, faber-castell pitt artist pen - indanthrene blue, archival ink - cornflower blue and watering can, whipped spackle, embossing powder - stampin' up black, ranger silver and adriondack stream, stamp vivalasvegastamp - plate 1471, die cut, strips of scrap paper, sequins, versamark and gauze.

Happy Creating