Socks and Golden Hours

Happy Friday Everyone!

PaperArtsy have a great Challenge topic on their blog at the moment which is 'Re-Inkers'. I decided to try the drop & spritz technique, inspired by Autumn's tutorial for the challenge.

My page was also inspired by Southern Gal's Designs video, where she used collage and inks on an art journal page.

I have a few distress ink re-inkers, which haven't been opened in a while. I used Salty Ocean, Stormy Skies, and Vintage Photo. The Stormy Skies bottle still had the plastic seal on! I also used PaperArtsy Sara Naumann stamps, and there's some tea splotches on my page too.

I'd also like to share with you some socks that I just finished crocheting for myself. I really love the Autumny colours. I used King Cole Zig Zag yarn if you're interested, and a pattern by Rohn Strong.

That's all for now. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Alison xox

365 Somethings 2018 - Week 37

Hi Everyone! Hope you all had a good weekend. I'm here today with my teabag art for Week 37 of the 365 Somethings Challenge.

I began these ones with a base of white Fresco acrylic paint, then some turquoise and green, all applied with my finger. Then I sponged black acrylic through a Seth Apter stencil, then applied crackle paste through a PaperArtsy stencil. I cut out some butterfly girls and hats, and used matte medium to adhere them. I finished with a black gel pen border and a base for the girls to stand on.

Thanks for dropping by,

Alison xox

Baby Face Of Boe

Hi there! Is anyone else as excited as me for the new series of Doctor Who starting soon, with Jodie Whittaker playing the first ever female Doctor?! I believe it starts on the 7th October, so not long to wait now.

I started another journal page for Art Journal Journey, not really knowing where it would take me, but I used some pieces of collage paper that were left over from yesterday's play, including half a baby face image. It suddenly put me in mind of a Doctor Who character, The Face of Boe, well a much younger version anyway!

So I googled images of The Face Of Boe, and it's believed that it was the much older face of another character, Jack Harkness. I found a quote...

"Used to be a poster boy, when I was a kid, living in the Boeshane Peninsula. Tiny little place. I was the first one to be signed up for the Time Agency. They were so proud of me. The Face Of Boe they called me."

So I've written this quote around the edges. Isn't it funny, the places your art takes you sometimes?!

Happy Friday!

Alison xox

Meteor Shower?

Evening Everyone! The sun has been shining here again today, it still is at 6pm, and it was actually quite warm as I headed to the Co-Op with my shopping trolly this afternoon.

When I returned, I got my paints and journal out, and created another 'Fantasy' page for Art Journal Journey. It started off as a garden, but now I'm thinking meteor shower. Lol!

I prepped my page with gesso, using a palette knife, then added some blue and green Fresco paint with my finger. I used a baby wipe to take off some of the paint, and you can see where it wiped off more easily from the gessoed parts. Then I cut some circles from collage paper, and mounted the larger three onto teabags before gluing them to the page. Doodles and gold and white splatters were added, using paint pens.

On my way to the garden to take my photos, I spotted this adorable sleepy fox enjoying a doze in our long grass.

Unfortunately, I disturbed him, but I managed another photo before he ran off.

Thanks for visiting,

Alison xox

The Mermaid Fairies

Hi Everyone! I have another page to share today, for Yvonne's 'A World Of Fantasy' Challenge at Art Journal Journey.

I had another piece of tea-dyed gauze lying on my desk, so after adhering it to my background, it inspired me to use the lovely Lost Coast Mermaid Fairy stamp. I wrote the words with acrylic paint through a fine nozzle, added some bubbles, and finished with gold Krylon pen splatters.

It's a rainy day here, so I haven't managed my daily walk yet, but I did make it to the charity shop with a car boot full of stuff, cleared out by my girly when she moved out. It doesn't seem to be clearing up, so I'm off to find my raincoat. A bit of rain never hurt anybody!

Thanks for dropping by,

Alison xox

A Trip To Portugal

Hi Everyone! It's an imaginary trip to Portugal in my art journal today, for Yvonne's A World Of Fantasy Challenge at Art Journal Journey. I've only visited Portugal the once, and I can't even remember the name of the place where I stayed! It was a fun weekend with some girlfriends, one of whom has a holiday home there.

I created a background using some PaperArtsy Fresco Acrylic paints, made some marks, then added journaling, tea stained gauze, some of my recent teabag art, and a Tim Holtz phrase sticker. I finished with splatters of black, white and gold, using paint pens.

I'm impatiently waiting in for a parcel for my daughter to be delivered today. Hoping it comes soon, so that I can make the most of the fine weather, and go for a walk.

Hope you're having a happy Monday!

Alison xox

Art Journal Journey - A World Of Fantasy

Hello Folks! I hope you've all had a lovely weekend. Mine has been good. Yesterday I visited a local animal rescue sanctuary, where I'm going to volunteer a couple of mornings a week. They have a wide variety of domestic, livestock and exotic animals, and I'm going to be cleaning out and feeding the rabbits and guinea pigs. I'm looking forward to cuddles with the many cats too. I can't wait!

And, today I have an art journal page to share with you, for Art Journal Journey. 

My page background was created at the same time as THIS ONE a few of days ago. I didn't want to cover it too much, so I found a quote on the web and used acrylic paint through a fine nozzle to write it out, then outlined it with a white Posca paint pen.

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead,

Alison xox

PaperArtsy Topic 15 - Artist Trading Coins

Hi Everyone! It's my turn to share some art over on the PaperArtsy Blog tonight, and as the theme is Artist Trading Coins, I had to use my favourite round teabags for my tutorial.

And these little pieces of teabag art will also be my Week 36 for IHanna's 365 Somethings Challenge.

I hope to see you over on the PaperArtsy Blog, taking part in the Artist Trading Coins Challenge, and maybe even having a go at some teabag art yourselves.

Alison xox

I Have A Dream

Hi Everyone! It feels so good to play in my art journal again! It's been a while. I made a page for Yvonne's A World Of Fantasy Challenge at Art Journal Journey.

Since I saw Mama Mia Here We Go Again at the cinema, I've been listening to the soundtrack rather a lot since I discovered it was on Amazon Music. I think you can tell which song inspired this page.

I went crazy with my favourite PaperArtsy Fresco Acrylic colours, finger painting and adding marks with my plastic cross-stitch aida, a PaperArtsy stencil, and a paintbrush, as well as lots of painty splatters. I made an angel mask by sketching on paper and cutting it out, then sponged black acrylic paint around it. Then I wrote out the Abba song lyrics, and finished with some more white marks.

Hope you've had a creative day too! Singing along to Dancing Queen at the mo! :-)

Alison xox

365 Somethings 2018 - Teabag Art - Week 35

Hello Everyone!

As promised, I have another set of teabags to share today, and these are for week 35 of the 365 Somethings Challenge.

These teabags started with a coat of clear gesso, then I added some PaperArtsy Fresco Acrylic with my fingers. I used a plastic cross-stitch aida circle to add some white acrylic, then stamped with various PaperArtsy images (Tracy Scott & Darcy Marshall). I re-stamped the images onto gessoed music page, cut them out and glued in place. I added a little colour, then finished with a Tim Holtz word sticker.

Here are some close-ups of the different colour combinations. Which is your favourite?

Have a creative day,

Alison xox

New Job, A Fantasy Calendar, & Some Teabags

Hi Everyone!

It's been a bit quiet on the blog for a few weeks, but I'm finally back. We officially have an empty nest now! Our son moved up to Manchester two years ago, and our daughter, after 4 years of Uni, an 8 month SE Asia gap year, and just over a month back at home, has now moved up to Derby to live. She started her grad scheme job with Rolls Royce today, and here's the card I made to wish her good luck. The pearly embellishments came from a pair of sandals that she bought on her travels, and wore out!

Next, and I'm late with this one! It's my art journal calendar pages for September. I normally have an Autumnal theme for this month, but the warm weather is still here, so I made a Summery spread. Perhaps I can fantasise that the Summer will last forever, and link my spread to Yvonne's 'A World Of Fantasy' Challenge at Art Journal Journey?

And finally, a whole week late, I have my teabags for Week 34 of the 365 Somethings Challenge to share. I used foil transfers on these ones, stamped some script, added some Tim Holtz phrase stickers, then flicked some white paint. They're extra sparkly as they were still a bit sticky in places, so I added some fine glitter.

Well that's me nearly caught up. I'll be altering some teabags for my week 35 Somethings tomorrow, so watch this space.

Have a great week,

Alison xox