Fear Nothing

I cannot believe it was a fortnight ago I was attending retreat, the time has just flown and I have not created anything new in that time. I have finished a couple of things off but that's all.

One of those things that I finished was a mixed media layout from a class that I attended by Michelle Logan of M Logan Design  To create the layout we had to get messy, which is my type of fun. There was paint, chipboard, paper, different fun items to make texture in our background and stencils. Thank you Michelle for such a fun afternoon.

Normally it takes me ages to pick out a photo but before class started I pulled out this photo of my little man (although he's not so little now) and two of my dusty attic paints, I was armed and dangerous.

The process was lots of fun and I have a finished layout.

products used: dusty attic acrylic paint - denim & oceania, white gesso, acrylic paint - raw umber & black, chipboard - scrapfx, prima marketing paper - salvage district collection

Happy Creating

Mixed Media Magic Retreat

Two days ago I came home from a long weekend (4 days) filled with creativity. Thursday afternoon I arrived and from then on the weekend was jam packed with creating, laughter, food and friendship (new and old).

The retreat was organised by Cindy from A Scrappe Tiger , thanks Cindy. Now on retreat you can do as much or as little as you like, we had options of doing classes, and I did 6. Four extremely talented artists took the time out of their schedule to come and share their talent, knowledge and creativity with us and they were Fiona Paltridge (blog), Louise Nelson (blog), Michelle Logan (blog) and Cindy Porter (blog).

I am not going to share with you today any of my class work that's for another day. Please bare with me as I need to tell a little story behind my art work before I share.

When the class list came out, there was a couple of classes that I decided not to do and one of them was by Fiona and it was called "The Way Things Fall", after reading the description it still didn't really tickle my fancy. Then I gave myself a kick up the bum and a talking too. Fiona is one of my most favourite artists (which I am lucky enough to be able to call a friend) so why would I not do her class. So I did and I have to say oh my I LOVED that class.

When looking at the class requirements is said that we could bring special trinkets or findings that we had stashed away. I knew I had plenty of those, who doesn't.

 

Are you wondering what it is, it does look a bit strange. It is a piece of paper that has cotton string wrapped around and inside it. Then they have been put into a rust bath. When I was talking to Fiona about these pieces of paper (I had two) I worked out that they have to be at least 13 years old. I have been married 11 yrs this year and I know that I created this before I met my husband. They have gone through 5 moves and finally I was able to use one of them.

Hope you are still with me to actually see my art work.

I thought it needed something else but I didn't want to add anything else to it, and two very wise women told me, "if I think it's finished then it is". "Its your art work, doesn't matter what others think", "Now you just need to sign it" which I am yet to do

A close up of some of that yummy texture

products used: art basics heavy gesso - white, paper, cotton string.

Happy Creating

Collect Beautiful Moments

I am a very quiet crafter, I like the silence around me. I never normally have any music going, the very odd occasion I turn it on but it doesn't last long. So going on retreat was quite an experience with all the noises around me, but in saying that I am very good in tuning it all out. You have to do that when you are a mother to a 7 year girl and 5 year old boy (as I am typing, they are beginning to argue). While taking in all the sounds which included laughter, talking, machines I picked up my art journal to create a page.

Products Used: Art Journal, Black Gesso, White Gesso, Masking Tape, Stampin' Up Butterfly Punch, Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch, Stabilo - All, Faber-Castell Pitt Pen: Big Brush Cobalt Green, Tim Holtz: Idea-ology Small Talk.

The Small Talk from Tim Holtz was just the perfect quote to add to my journal, because that is exactly what I was doing.

Happy Creating

3 Firsts

Did my post title catch your attention, thinking how can you have 3 firsts? Well let me explain.

Last weekend I was lucky enough to attend my First scrapbooking retreat. It was organised and run by Julie from Bella Carta Horsham. Thank you Julie for the most fabulous weekend, and I cannot wait to do it all again. The retreat was held in a beautiful setting at Cave Hill Creek - Beaufort. The food was aplenty and yummy. The rec/dining room had the most amazing view, it looked over the lake, that we were told has a platypus that calls it home. I will share with you some photos I took in another post over the coming weekend.

I shared a table with four very talented ladies. Thank you Fiona, Beck, Julie and Deb for providing so many laughs and friendship. But it wasn't just our table that was full of creativity, the whole room was a buzz. There were card makers, scrapbookers, ladies doing traditional scrapbooking, ladies doing mixed media, some used copics to colour and the table behind me were two ladies quilting. It was just one of those weekends that wont be forgotten but will need to be repeated.

Since I had never been I retreat before I had no idea what to take and my way of creating is that I never know what product I am going to use next. I need all my supplies around me. In the end I took a huge list of supplies that filled the boot of my car and my linen was on the back seat. Did I use all of it not a chance, but I am glad that I was able to take it with me, for that just in case moment.

So what did I actual do while I was away. I started 2 backgrounds on artist boards, I completed an art journal page and 3, yes you did read correctly, I completed 3 scrapbooking pages.

The first layout I completed was a kit that had been designed by Fiona. On this layout I decided to scrap a photo of myself. That is my second First, as I had never ever thought that I would do that but my photo was the right one.

 

My second layout for the weekend was a class that Beck Beattie designed and taught us how to do. I can't show you the whole layout yet as Beck is still to teach it to others and it really wouldn't be fair to them. So I am going to give you a little bit of a sneak peek and then when all the classes are taught I will share my completed layout with you.

 

My third First for the weekend was that I created a layout in an hour. Normally I would struggle with just picking a picture or a theme, usually they take me at least a week. Julie was running a competition over the weekend and you could create anything that you wanted to as long as it had a winter theme.

The last morning of the weekend not only was it freezing cold, but everything was covered in a layer of frost. I was out taking photos not really thinking about the competition and once I went back inside. I though to myself I can do this. I did it for the challenge and what a challenge it was. My hands were shaking, how silly really. Lucky for me Fiona had brought her computer and Beck had brought her selphy printer so I was able to get my photo. Thank you again Fiona and Beck, you two are so amazing xx

   

I always claim that I am not a scrapbooker but I guess after the retreat I can no longer claim that as the truth.

Wow this is a really long post, if you have stuck with me and got this far thank you very much, I will share with you my art journal page in another post.

Happy Creating