GJJ Day 22 - Gratitude For Butterflies with Nicole Watson

 Hello All.

There aren't very many butterflies around at the moment, it's turned very cold here now. I did spot one last week though, when I was walking across a meadow.

The GJJ tutorial with Nicole Watson was very full on, creating a background of many layers, then creating some multi- layered tip-ins also.

Here's my page.

With the tip-ins opened. The quote reads "Don't be afraid, change is such a beautiful thing." said the butterfly - Sabrina Newby.

A close-up with the tip-ins shut.

I think this could be my favourite page so far. Let me know what you think.

I'm linking up to Leah's Art Every Day Month Challenge Day 30. It's been a great month, and I only missed Day one. I should have set myself a calendar reminder!

Thanks for visiting me today.

Alison.

52 Weeks Art Journal - Week 47 - Enchantment

 Hi Everyone.

For Week 47 of Raspberry Blue Sky's 52 Weeks Art Journal, the theme was Enchantment.

I dusted off some of my favourite Lost Coast stamps to create an enchanted scene in my art journal. It looks like they are having a party in the woods. Hopefully there's a pool nearby for the mermaid fairy to take a dip.

I'm linking my page to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge Day 29.

Have a great new week.

Thanks for visiting.

Alison

GJJ Day 21 - A Reason For Gratitude - Crying/Tears

 Hello All.

Here's another GJJ page, where the prompt is gratitude for crying/tears. Not all tears are sad, but I think my lady's tears aren't happy ones.

I'm linking my art to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge Day 28.

Thanks for visiting,

Alison

GJJ - Day 20 - A Quote of Gratitude

 Hi Everyone.

I love the quote for Day 20 of Gratitude Junk Journal. It's all about being grateful for what you have, and not complaining about the things you want.

A fairly simple page (for me), just a collage of Seven Gypsies patterned papers and some old book page scraps. A little turquoise paint scraped over with a palette knife, some quickly sketched flowers and outlines with my Stabilo All black pencil, then activated with water. I held up my journal to get some drips, and added some splatters. I stamped the quote out using my trusty Hero Arts alphabet set, then finished with some white acrylic ink splatters.

I'm linking my page to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge Day 27. 

I think my page has some Summer vibes with the flowers and the turquoise sky, and maybe the drips are a Summer shower, so I'm also linking to Chris' All Kinds Of Weather theme at Art Journal Journey.

I hope you're all having a good weekend.

Thanks for visiting,

Alison

GJJ Day 19 - Gratitude For Food As A Love Language

 Hello All.

Today's offering is Candice Hunter's GJJ class, Gratitude For Food As A Love Language.

I used Seven Gypsies patterned papers ( the word Abundance came from them ), some images and words from a Waitrose supermarket magazine, and the cute robins were from some patterned pocket tissues.

I'm linking my page to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge Day 26.

Thanks for visiting,

Alison

Final Batch Of Christmas Cards...I hope!

 Hello All.

These cards were inspired by some gorgeous Christmas cards made by Claire Snowdon for the PaperArtsy blog. I pretty much copied Claire's process, and made 16 cards like this. Hopefully I have enough Christmas cards now. This brings my total this year to around 70!

I'm linking these cards to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge Day 25.

I'm also linking up to Try It On Tuesday's Winter Wonderland challenge.

Thanks for visiting me today.

Wishing all my friends across The Pond a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving.

Alison

GJJ - Day 18 - A Question Of Gratitude

 Hello All.

Day 18's question of gratitude was 'When did something recently make you smile, or laugh out loud?'

My page is about a walk I recently went on, with my two friends and their dogs. It was lovely to catch up with my friends, and the dogs had such a lovely time, playing and racing around the woods and fields. They really made me smile and laugh, and my spirits were lifted so much.

I used a couple of green acrylics and orange in my background, with a couple of my hand-carved leaf stamps, and splashes of green paint and gold acrylic ink. 

I printed a couple of photos that one of my friends took, and glued them to the page, adding some gold leaf ribbon, and journaling.

That's me in the blue crochet hat and grey fleece, with my friend Louise. The dogs are Samson, Tilly and Pascal, left to right in the top photo.

I'm linking my page to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge, Day 24, and also to Chris' All Kinds Of Weather theme at Art Journal Journey.

Thanks for dropping by,

Alison

Madonna and Child Christmas Cards

 Hi Everyone.

I recently had a sort out, and found some beautiful stamped images that my blog friend Lynne/Stampingandbeyond sent me a few years ago. The lovely Madonna and child image is by Oxford Impressions.

I decided to use the images for some more Christmas cards. I simply paired them up with some of my monoprints, and added some gold lace.

I'm linking my cards to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge Day 23.

Thanks for visiting,

Alison

GJJ Day 17 - Gratitude For Change with Karla Archer

 Hello All.

Karla Archer's lesson for Day 17 of Gratitude Junk Journal was Gratitude For Change. Her idea was that sometimes we start off with an idea for some art, but often it changes and goes off course. Of course there are other changes in life that are not always expected, and not always good.

Here's my version of Karla's art.

There are many layers to this painting, and as I used a palette knife to apply the last layers of paint, there is plenty of texture too.

I'm linking my art to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge, Day 22.

Thanks for visiting,

Alison

I Love Paying Bills!

 Hi Everyone!

Gratitude Junk Journal's 'reason' for Day 16 was gratitude for paying bills. A strange one you might think, but I'm grateful that I always have the funds to pay any bills I need to, and I don't have any money worries.

Here's my page. I collaged some old invoices as my first layer. That saved shredding a few 😁

I'm linking my art to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge Day 21.

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend.

Thanks for visiting.

Alison

52 Weeks Art Journal - Week 46 - When Life Gives You Lemons

 Hello Everyone.

For Week 46, Raspberry Blue Sky's 52 Weeks Art Journal prompt is 'When Life Gives You Lemons...'

Here's my page. I would add my lemons to a gin and tonic ;-)

I'm linking my page to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge Day 20.

Thanks for visiting,

Alison

Gratitude For Self/Body With Nathifa Sligh

 Hello All.

Here's my page for Gratitude Junk Journal Day 15 - Gratitude for self/body with Nathifa Sligh.

Masses of sprays and mediums make up this page, with collage and reasons to be grateful for eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and heart, and a favourite photo of myself, taken when we visited Berlin a few years ago.

There were a few April showers in Berlin that weekend, hence the raincoat, so I'm linking up to Chris' All Kinds Of Weather theme at Art Journal Journey.

I'm also linking my art to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge Day 19.

Happy Friday to you all, and thank you for visiting!

Alison

A Gratitude Quote

 Hello All.

Day 14 of Gratitude Junk Journal had a quote prompt. 

'When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out, and the tide of love rushes in.' - Kristin Armstrong.

I collaged some teabag papers and scraps of book text, then gessoed over them. The marks are some I painted onto tissue, then adhered them to my page with matt medium. I love how the tissue becomes invisible. I've been making lots of this tissue collage, using up black paint from my palette. I always seem to squeeze out more than I need!

I painted the large heart, wrote out the quote, added black pen outlines and scribble writing around the heart.

Then I painted and added drips and splatters with diluted coffee. I also added some blue paint and gold acrylic ink splashes.

I'm linking my page to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge Day 18.

Thanks for visiting,

Alison

Gratitude For Freedom Of Speech with Birgit Koopsen

 Hello All.

Gratitude Junk Journal Day 12's class was Gratitude For Freedom Of Speech with Birgit Koopsen.

I'm linking my page to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge Day 17.

Thanks for visiting, and for all of the lovely comments you leave.

Alison

Gratitude Junk Journal Day 11 - A Reason To Be Grateful

 Hello Everyone!

For Day 11 of the Gratitude Junk Journal course, our reason to be grateful prompt was to choose our favourite season. I chose Autumn, as I love all sorts of things about it, but especially the colours this time of year.

I first collaged some appropriate colours of gelliplate prints, added some black paint marks, and stamped with my hand carved leaf. I also added white paint pen splatters at this point. 

I drew the large leaf shapes, then painted around them with nickel azo gold acrylic. I added black pen outlines and white pen doodles and writing, then wrote my title.

I'm linking my page to Chris' All Kinds of Weather theme at Art Journal Journey, and Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge Day 16.

Thanks for dropping by,

Alison

Gratitude Junk Journal Day 10 with Ady Almanza

 Hello All.

A quick post, as I only remembered to do this as I was on my way to bed!

Here's my page for Ady Almanza's class on Gratitude Junk Journal.

I'm linking my page to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge Day 15.

Thanks for visiting,

Alison

Gratitude Junk Journal Day 9

 Hi Everyone.

Gratitude Junk Journal Day 9 had a quote prompt - "Enough" is a Feast.

Here's my page of a bird and some winter berries. 

I started with a layer of collaged teabags, then used a palette knife to apply some pale turquoise acrylic paint. I sketched the tree branches with walnut ink, and added the bird and berries using oil crayons. I finished with the quote, pencil scribbles and outlines, and some white paint splashes.

I'm linking to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge Day 14, and Chris' All Kinds Of Weather theme at Art Journal Journey.

Wishing you all a happy Sunday,

Alison

Gratitude Junk Journal Day 8 with Gwen LaFleur

 Hello All.

My daughter was at Cop26 this week with her work colleagues. They are working on a project for sustainable aerospace. She saw some amazing stands and displays, and came to the conclusion that there should be more young people sitting at the table and making decisions for the good of the planet. It certainly appears that there is a lot of talk, but very little action!

Day 8 of Gratitude Junk Journal with Gwen LaFleur was all about gratitude for water. Gwen's tutorial had an ocean theme to it, which is very appropriate in these times. 

Here's my page. I used diluted coffee for the drips and splashes, and the ocean creatures are Tim Holtz stamps.

I'm linking my page to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge, Day 13.

I hope you're having a good weekend.

Thanks for dropping by,

Alison

52 Weeks Art Journal - Week 45 - Ordinary Things

 Hi Everyone.

Here's my page for 52 Week's Art Journal - Week 45 - Ordinary Things, and also for Day 7 of Gratitude Junk Journal - What item do you own that brings you comfort? I chose my favourite cosy grey jumper. It's my go to when it starts getting chilly.

I'm wearing my chilly weather jumper, and I've used some Autumn colours, so I'm linking up to Chris' All Kinds of Weather theme at Art Journal Journey.

I'm also linking my art to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge Day 12.

Happy Friday to you all, and thanks for visiting me today.

Alison

AEDM Day 11

 Hello All.

I'm not sure if it was a side effect from my jab, but I woke up feeling nauseous today.

I felt a little better this afternoon, and managed to make some more Christmas cards. I'd better think about sending my overseas ones off soon, as time is marching on.

I made 8 cards today, 4 of each colourway. It brings my total to 51 so far, only about 20 left to make. Fortunately, not all of them are posted!

I'm linking up to Leah's Art Every Day Month challenge Day 11.

Thanks for visiting.

Alison