And The Soul Is Revived...

Afternoon All!

It's been a beautiful Spring day here, and I popped along to the National Trust's Emmett's Garden this afternoon. I sat in the woods eating my fruity picnic and doing a spot of crochet, and listening to the birds. Heaven!!!

I've just started the Demelza Blanket, commissioned by my nephew...

I kept hearing little rustlings in the leaves behind my bench, a tiny vole or mouse probably. I saw movement, but it didn't surface.

This magnolia hadn't lost all of its petals yet...

and the daffs are still out in force...

The rock garden is one of my favourite parts...

This morning, before I went out, I created a floral art journal page for Jo's Hello Springtime theme at Art Journal Journey...

It was a page in my Dina Wakley journal, with some leftover paint on, and I used Dina's Scribble Sticks to draw flowers, spritzing with water to activate. The centres are circles punched from a gel print. I finished with marks, scribble writing and a lovely quote I found on the web.

Hope you've had (or will have) a lovely day wherever you are in the world.

Alison xox

Spring Collage

Happy Mid-Week Everyone!

Is it really nearly two weeks since my last post?! Where does the time go? 

I made a Spring-inspired collage in my Dina Wakley journal today, on a hessian page, using scraps, and I also tried out a new PaperArtsy stencil PS090 by Sara Naumann.

I used PaperArtsy Fresco acrylic (Slimed, Snowflake & Little Black Dress) to stencil with and add finger marks, and a white Posca paint pen to outline and splatter. The paper scraps were left over from a Dina Wakley class I took a few years ago.

I'm linking my page to Jo's Hello Springtime theme at Art Journal Journey.

Hopefully I'll be back before Easter! ;-)

Thanks for visiting,

Alison xox

Spring Joy

Happy Friday Everyone!

This page started with a scrape of Cerise PaperArtsy Fresco Acrylic, leftover from previous play, and I already had some bright Fresco Acrylics out. I had decided to paint white daisies, and then I watched Susanne Rose's video, which inspired me further.

The PaperArtsy Fresco Acrylics that I used were Cerise, Caribbean Sea, Slimed, Seaglass, Tango, and Snowflake, and I used a blue Stabilo Aquarellable pencil dipped in water to draw outlines and write the words. The background paint was applied with a palette knife and I used the point to scribble in it. I used a paintbrush to add the flowers (round brush for the daisies and small flat brush for the pink ones).

Another page for Jo's Hello Springtime theme at Art Journal Journey.

Thanks for dropping by,

Alison xox

Signs of Spring

Hello Folks.

We had a few signs of Spring, butterflies and bees, but they've gone back into hiding since the weather became cold, wet and windy. Hopefully it'll warm up again soon.

I've been hiding too, binge-watching two seasons of Marco Polo on Netflix, but I have created another page for Jo's Hello Springtime theme at Art Journal Journey.

I started by collaging a piece of book page and 3 strawberry & mango teabags (they smell delicious). Then I added colour with Seaglass & Cerise Fresco Acrylic. Bird and insect rub ons were added to 3 gessoed book page circles, then a black pen dotty outline. I also added splashes of Cerise, and some rub on words.

Hope you're all keeping warm and safe,

Alison xox

Spring Garden

Morning All!

Here's another little spread in my 6x4" art journal for Jo's Hello Springtime theme at Art Journal Journey.

Teabag base, Seaglass PaperArtsy Fresco Acrylic applied with palette knife, background stamps by Prima, and main images by Dina Wakley. The dots were stamped with red Stazon ink, and I used my dip pen and black Bombay India ink for words and marks.

Have a happy and creative day, 

I'm off to battle the wet and windy weather for a hair trim.

Alison xox

Awaken Sleepyheads

Hi Everyone!

Josie & Ollie, my two Russian tortoises have awoken from their hibernation, and they've been creating havoc, spreading their food around their box this morning. Josie's worn herself out now in the corner, but Ollie is climbing the bridge on another circuit.

I decided to create an art journal spread to celebrate their awakening.

The tortoise stamps are from Stampotique, and I painted them and the background using DecoArt Fluid Acrylics. I cut some leafy foliage from a piece of painted under paper, adding details and words with a black gel pen.

I'm linking my pages to Jo's Springtime theme at Art Journal Journey.

Thanks for popping in,

Alison xox

PaperArtsy Challenge - Topic No. 3 - Mail Art

Hi Everyone!

I'm over on the PaperArtsy Blog tonight, sharing some mono-printed envelopes for their Mail Art challenge. Here's a peek at my project, you can see the full details and tutorial on the PaperArtsy Blog.

Thanks for dropping by,

Alison xox

Dreaming of Spring

Welcome Everyone!

I'm really struggling to get motivated lately, what with changing my diet and remembering to take medication, but I managed to create this double page spread in my 6x4" art journal today. The teal paint was already there, which helped. And we have Jo's wonderful Hello Springtime theme over at Art Journal Journey, to which I'll be linking.

I created some texture on the teal paint, using a comb to apply white Fresco acrylic. Then I adhered some book page scraps, used an orange Scribble Stick to make marks, and black Fresco acrylic and a lid to print circles.

I stamped the butterflies (Innovative Stamp Creations) onto book page, cut them out, and added them, then finished with splatters, and wrote the words with my glass dip pen and black Bombay India ink.

Hope to be back again soon! Thanks for visiting.

Alison xox

March Art Journal Calendar

Morning Folks!

Here's my mixed media art journal calendar spread for the month ahead.

I collaged lots of painted paper scraps and round teabags for the background, adding scrapes of DecoArt Crackle Paste, and making marks with lego, a paintbrush, an old credit card and DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylic in teal, green gold and carbon black.

I die-cut tickets for journaling from painted papers, outlining them with a black Posca paint pen, then stamping the numbers. The title was hand-written on painted masking tape. 

I used a small round paintbrush and white gesso to create the flower petals, adding a dot of Tango orange PaperArtsy Fresco acrylic, then lightly brushing it out onto the petals. I finished with some splashes of white paint.

I'm linking my spread to Jo's Hello Springtime theme over at Art Journal Journey.

Thanks for dropping by,

Alison xox