Art Journal Journey - Having Fun

Happy Sunday Everyone! Hope you're all having a good weekend. It's turned chilly here again. I can't believe I was in shorts last weekend! I'm back in woolly jumpers.

As we're nearing the end of Birgit Koopsen's Everything Circles challenge over on Instagram, I have three more entries to share with you.

Day 26 - not a journal page this time, but some gel prints I made, using hand-cut circles as masks, and Dylusions acrylic paint.

I also now have some beautiful painted circles to use on a page...

Day 27 - This journal page has a few layers. After adding the turquoise drips, I decided to brighten it up with some contrasting yellow acrylic, and then the pink joined in, and I outlined the circles with black Bombay India ink, and added scribbly writing! A very fun page for Wendy's Having Fun theme at Art Journal Journey.

Day 28 - Heading away from the bright acrylic paint, today I used up some collage scraps that I had on my desk.

Two more days to go!

Thanks for dropping by my blog,

Alison xox

Circles Again

Hi Everyone!

I'm back with some more of my circle pages.

Day 23 - I created a pocket with canvas, added washi tape, book page circles, then marks and doodles.

Day 24 - Used Dylusions paint, stencils and mark-making tools. I created this at my crafty friend Hazel's (of Hazel's Creative Moments) yesterday. We had a fun play day, and Hazel cooked a delicious chilli for lunch. I'm linking this page to Wendy's Having Fun theme at Art Journal Journey, as Hazel & I had such a fun painty play day.

Day 25 - Found an old gelli print and just added some book text from Oliver Twist. I love this gorgeous print!

Hope you're having a fun and creative week too,

Alison xox

Birthday and Valentine's Day Cards

Hello Everyone! I'm shivering as I write this, as we still have no heating and hot water. Our boiler has been officially declared dead and unsafe, so Hubby is busy getting quotes for a new one. Brrr!!!

I tried to warm up yesterday, by making a few commissioned cards(didn't work, but it took my mind off it!)

A birthday card, using Craftwork Cards and DCWV products...

Valentine's card, made with stamps Artistic Stamper and Tim Holtz stamps, and Dylusions paint (mostly)

and two cards made with Dylusion paint, and stamps by Dina Wakley and PaperArtsy.

Linking my cards to The Artistic Stamper Challenge - Anything Goes

Hope you are warm and having a good week, 

Alison x

Crazy Life Adventures

Hi Everyone!

Yesterday was a crazy day. First we learned that Carillion, the company my husband works for, went into liquidation. 😟  Then some great and exciting news, as I sold my first item, a crochet scarf, on Etsy. 😃  Then I discovered we had no heating or hot water when I went to wash my paintbrushes, as the boiler had packed up! 😨  At least it was fixable! Not sure what's going to happen with Graham's job, we're playing the waiting game!

Thank goodness I have art to take my mind off things. I used my art prompt cards to make this page.

I'm linking my page to the Art Journal Journey January Challenge,  New Year, New Adventures, and The Altered Booklover's Happy T-Day, as I used teabags. Might be resorting to some alcohol in my tea to warm me up, if the boiler doesn't get fixed today!

Hope you're having a good week so far,

Alison x

And So The Adventure Ends?

Hi Everyone! 

Thanks for all your lovely comments on my cards and ugly page yesterday. The page looks better to me today! Grin!!

Onto the next and final page in my 7x5in journal. 

I started in this journal last Summer, with Rae Missigman's Artmarks challenge, and it was a turning point for me, in that my pages became a lot more free and abstract. I love looking back in it. So this final page started like so many, with some collage and gesso. I used the book page I tore circles from yesterday.

Next, I added some colour with Vibrant Turquoise and Tangerine Dream Dylusions Paint.

I used some pieces of table protector, bubble wrap and plastic mesh to print.

And I had to add a teabag of course! I finished with a Tim Holtz quote and handwrote 'end' with DecoArt Media burnt umber paint. This was a little too fluid, so I decided to let it drip. Love it!

The adventure is not really ending, as I have another journal ready to take up where this one finished. So a new adventure is starting. 

I'm linking to the following challenges...

Art Journal Journey - New Year, New Adventures

That's Crafty! - Feeling Blue

and

Altered Book Lover Elizabeth's T Stands For Tuesday - a bit late on that one! Lol! But I used a teabag.

Happy Friday!

Alison xx

Two Cards and An Ugly Page

Hello Folks. It's been another dark and gloomy day, and raining so I couldn't escape from the noisy decorator! I did make a journal page, although I think it turned out a bit ugly. It started off ok, some collaged scraps of book pages, and a layer of red Dylusions paint.

I painted over with turquoise, and sketched some circles, revealing the red paint beneath.

Then I got carried away, adding book page circles, doodling, splatters, drips and quotes. It was getting dark, and I was disillusioned, so the drips were still wet when I took the final photo.

Not all arty adventures turn out as you'd like! Nevertheless, I'm linking my page to Art Journal Journey.

I have some male birthdays coming up, so here are a couple of cards I made too, using a mini hexagon Gel Press Plate and PaperArtsy stamps. I was inspired by Cat Kerr's video on YouTube.

Until next time...

Alison x

My Favourite Kind of Adventure

Hi Everyone!

Did you miss me yesterday?  My dear Hubby is prepping our concrete dining room floor to put down some wooden flooring (it's been just concrete since we extended our bungalow a few years/decades ago!). Anyway, the banging and sanding drove me out of the house to a local deer park which was nice, but I didn't get time to make some art. 

I couldn't leave it another day, so I put on some loud music to drown him out, and had an arty adventure.

Of course, I'm linking my page to Art Journal Journey's New Year, New Adventures challenge, but also to Try It On Tuesday's 'My Favourite Things' challenge. As you probably know, collaging teabags is one of my favourite things, and I do love my paint, stamps, drips and splatters, and art journaling.

Time for a spot of lunch now, and as it's a bright and sunny day, I'm off for a countryside walk after. Might try and persuade Hubby to take a break and join me. 

Happy Wednesday,

Alison x

Project 365 Somethings in 2018

Hello Friends!

Something a little different today. I spotted the Project 365 Somethings in 2018 challenge on Tammy Garcia's blog today. She's running it alongside Hanna Andersson. And I thought 'why not?' The idea is to think of a theme or type of project and create 365 pieces in the year. You don't have to make a piece every day, I've decided I'll probably make 7 items once a week if I can, therefore 52 little series of artworks. And I decided on using teabags as a base, as I want to explore different ways to use them.

For week one, I've used some collage.

I took 7 of the teabags I decorated this week, added torn book text from an old book 'The Turquoise' by Anya Seton, a hand cut heart from a Gelli-printed paper, and words cut from a single page from 'The Return of the King' by Tolkein. 

I really hope I can keep this up, as it's a huge commitment. We'll see!

Let me know if you decide to take up the challenge too.

Wishing you a creative weekend,

Alison x

The Funkie Junkie 12 Tags of Christmas - Tag One

Morning All!

Linda at The Funkie Junkie Boutique is doing her annual 12 Tags Challenge. I'm a little late to the party, but here's my version of Linda's Tag One. I was inspired by the deer and woodland scene on Linda's Tag.

I brayered Dylusion's paints for the background, stencilled a snowy hill with Snowflake Fresco Paint, stamped Tim Holtz trees and foliage, embossing the foliage with Frantage Aged Gold. The Sizzix TH deer is painted with DecoArt Burnt Umber. I stamped and embossed a Crafty Individuals sentiment, then finished with a sprinkling of Aged Gold EP.

Happy Wednesday!

Alison x

More Christmas Cards

Hi Everyone!

As promised, here are some more of the Christmas cards I've made.

Some Crafty Individuals stamped stars, embossed with Stampendous Frantage Aged Aqua EP...

And some glittery trees I made, using offcuts of the Dylusions Paint backgrounds from yesterday's cards...

I've also been crocheting Christmas baubles...

Happy Friday!

Alison x

Christmas Cards

Hello Everyone!

I've been busy making Christmas cards this week, 47 so far, which I'm very pleased with.

I'll show you a few I made, using PaperArtsy and Crafty Individuals stamps with Dylusions paint backgrounds...

More to come tomorrow!

Have a great evening!

Alison x

A Warm Hug

Good afternoon friends!

I have another art journal page to share today, for Chris' '101 Ways To Keep Warm' challenge at Art Journal Journey.

Keep warm and have a happy Monday!

Alison x

Happy Birthday Beth!

Hello Everyone!

It's been a hectic few days, but my beautiful daughter finally set off on her gap year travels last Wednesday. Her first stop is Hong Kong, where she is celebrating her 23rd birthday today. Here's the card I made for her...

You can follow Beth's adventures on her travel blog at northsoutheastbeth.com, and on her Instagram @northsoutheastbeth.

Have a fab weekend everyone!

Alison x

Soul Food

A Jackson Pollock moment is good for the soul! Linking this page to Art Journal Journey's 'Landscapes of the Soul' challenge.

I'll be leaving this one to dry naturally overnight! Maybe longer!

Have a happy day,

Alison x

Wanderlust Week 18 - Dyan Reaveley

Happy Friday Everyone!

Here are two pages I made from following Dyan Reaveley's class for Everything Art's Wanderlust online course. Dyan's style is so recognisable, bright and colourful, and I love it!

I've used Dina Wakley, Crafter's Workshop, and Stencil Girl stencils and masks.

Linking my pages to Art Journal Journey's Colour In My World Challenge.

Wishing you a fab weekend,

Alison x

Myself Journal Page

Hi Everyone!

Last weekend, I went up to the Alexandra Palace craft show with my friend Hazel. We were very excited to see French stamp company Carabelle Studio there for the first time, and treated ourselves to a few new stamp sets. I tested my purchases out on a journal page today.

I also used a leftover card that I didn't use in my prompt card set, some teabags, and some drywall tape.

I'm linking my page to Art Journal Journey's Colour In My World Challenge.

Thanks for visiting,

Alison x

Art Journal Calendar - September 2017

Hello Everyone!

I've been beavering away this afternoon, making my art journal calendar pages for September. 

Art Journal Journey has a new challenge today, set by Yvonne, and the theme is Colour In My World. Has there ever been a theme that so fitted me?! As you know, I love my bright colours. So here's my bright and colourful spread.

To make my page background, I used a 5x3" Gelli Plate, Dylusion's Paint, and PaperArtsy Kim Dellow masks. I filled in some white areas with turquoise paint, seen quite clearly in the bottom righthand corner. 

I added punched tags, smudged black pencil outlines, and used PaperArtsy Everything Art and Darkroom Door stamps for the title.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend,

Alison x

Embrace The Detours

Hello Everyone!

I finally got around to playing with my new deck of art journaling prompts, and this page was the result. I randomly used 20 cards, the first of which was to splash tea or coffee on the page, and the final was to use a stamp. It was a fun process.

I'm entering my page in Art Journal Journey's Poetry in Motion Challenge.

I was recently asked by Leisanne of Crimson Cricket blog what motivated me to create art. HERE is her first post in a series, which contains my answer. Basically, it makes me happy!

Wishing you all an artful day!

Alison x

Art Journal Prompts Card Deck

Hello Everyone!

I've been wanting to make a deck of art journal card prompts for a while now, and the Everything Art Live Adventure page that I made last Saturday prompted me to get on with it. Excuse the pun!

I started by applying white paint to both sides of a deck of playing cards, using my 10x8 inch Gelli Plate. Next I used Dylusions paint and PaperArtsy Kim Dellow masks to print both sides of all the cards. I used a Fudeball black journaling pen then, to outline the stencilling. I typed out all the prompts on copier paper, cut them out and glued them to one side of each card, outlining them with the black pen too. I finished off by sponging the edges of the cards with black archival ink. I think they look amazing! I love the bright colours with Kim's gorgeous stencil designs!

I also got some pretty cool prints made for future use...

I'm linking up to Paint Party Friday's Week 25, Year 7 Check In.

I can't wait to play with my cards, maybe this afternoon!

Wishing you all a very happy Friday!

Alison x

Messy Journaling

Hello Everyone!

Today, I got stuck into the paint with my fingers to create a page. I picked out three colours of Dylusions paint plus white, and some paint and gel pens. And this was the result...

I wrote...Let yourself go, Make messy art, Use your fingers! Even the flowers were made with my fingerprints.

I'm linking my page to Art Journal Journey's Poetry in Motion challenge, and Try It On Tuesday's In My Garden challenge.

I'm going to the Stamperama Show in Stevenage tomorrow, and looking forward to catching up with my arty crafty friends.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend,

Alison x