Wrapping up!

It's not what you think! I did the Christmas wrapping last week. :-) Today I'm sharing my final four pages for Kasia's Advent Calendar Challenge.

Day 21 - Grateful/Gifts

Day 22 - Create Intuitively

Day 23 - Love

Day 24 - Magic

I hope you enjoyed seeing these December pages. I certainly enjoyed my little piece of creative time every day of this busy run up to Christmas.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas,

Alison xox

Sounds

Happy Friday Everyone!

'Sounds' is today's prompt over at Kasia's Advent Calendar Challenge. I could have mentioned the sound of my guinea pigs munching and squeaking in my art room, but I wrote the first three lines of Coldplay's new single, as I love the song, and I find the lyrics very poignant and appropriate for the times.

As you may have spotted, three round teabags made it onto my page.

A bit of finger painting too, with turquoise and green Fresco acrylic.

Some white gesso to pull it together, then writing, outlines and splatters with my glass dip pen and black india ink. I let the ink drip too, and it looks like the flowers have stems.

I'm linking my page to Yvonne's Words & Numbers theme at Art Journal Journey.

Alison xxx

Kasia's Advent Calendar 2019

Hi Everyone!

It's been a busy week, but I'm still managing to take part in Kasia's Advent Calendar Challenge every day. Here's my latest pages.

Day 18 - No-one is watching. I like to crochet and binge watch Netflix shows. I'm linking to Yvonne's Words and Numbers theme at Art Journal Journey.

Day 19 - Tie Loose Ends. I'm removing all traces of an unexpectedly nasty bully from my life. It's not been a pleasant week, but I'm moving on with the help of family and good friends!

With love & blessings,

Alison xox

Shadow

Hi Everyone!

This was something I've never tried before. For day 17 of Kasia's Advent Calendar, we were asked to trace a shadow of something held over our journal page. I used a piece of fir tree.

After tracing and highlighting with black india ink, I added a red heart, and red & white splatters. I also wrote a poem by Angie Weiland-Crosbie around the edge.

'And there I marvelled at the forest's trees;

my soul rooted to its deep verdant sea.

I could no more leave it,

than it could walk from me.'

I shall link up again to Yvonne's theme at Art Journal Journey.

Alison xox

Where Are You?

...is today's prompt for Kasia's Advent Calendar. Apart from being in my art room, I don't have an answer.

I had a gorgeous painty paper towel left from yesterday's art. I tore it in half, adhered it to my page, wrote the words with my glass dip pen and black india ink, made some ink splatters, then added red paint marks.

I'm linking to Yvonne's Words & Numbers theme at Art Journal Journey.

Hugs,

Alison xox

Light

Hello Everyone!

After a rough couple of days, the love of family, friends and Jesus have brought the light back into my life. It wasn't just the politics!

Today's theme at Kasia's Advent Calendar was Light (just right for my current situation), and Kasia showed us how to use candles to make marks to create a resist. A lovely effect, I used a Christmas scented one. I made scribbly circles, then painted over with watered down Prussian Blue acrylic. I used my finger to create a white heart, and hand-wrote my words and journaling. The blue scribbled writing was made in the white acrylic undercoat before it dried. The little red painted heart and splatters were added at the end.

I'm linking up to Yvonne's Words & Numbers theme at Art Journal Journey.

Wishing you all a happy Sunday,

Alison xox

Random Words

Here is today's page For Kasia's Advent Calendar Challenge. The theme is Random Words, and Kasia asked us to tear a page from an old book, circle some words that we liked and that meant something to us, then paint around them.

I added some marks and splatter.

I was influenced by these dark times.

I'm linking this page to Yvonne's Words and Numbers theme at Art Journal Journey, as she and Elizabeth have invited me to do so.

Blessings,

Alison xx

Say Yes

Here's today's page for Kasia's Advent Calendar Challenge, which reflects how utterly depressed I am feeling about my country's election results. It seems only liars, cheats and philanderers get voted in these days! I vented my feelings before covering the words with stencilling, collage and paint.

I'm linking up to Yvonne's Words and Numbers theme at Art Journal Journey.

Blessings,

Alison xx

Kasia's Advent Calendar - Days 11 and 12

Hi Everyone. I'm here to bring you my latest pages for Kasia's Advent Calendar Challenge.

Day 11 - Scents of Christmas. Lots of lovely teabag texture and Christmassy colours, and I'm linking this one to Yvonne's Words and Numbers theme at Art Journal Journey.

Day 12 - Full Moon. It's a full moon here tonight, although the rain clouds will probably obscure it! It's also general election day, I'm hoping for a Christmas miracle!

Wishing you a happy and creative day, I'm off to make my vote,

Alison xxx

Kasia's Advent Calendar - Day 10 - Be Like A Tree

Hello Everyone!

The prompt for Day 10 of Kasia's Advent Calendar was 'Be like a tree'. This was inspired by Rumi's quote

'Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop.'

We were asked to fill our page with writing.

My page already had some leftover green and turquoise paint on it. I wrote down all my thoughts and worries with a black watercolour pencil, then randomly flicked water on it with my fingers. I drew a tree with bare branches, and then flicked red and gold paint to represent the leaves dropping. I got a bit carried away with this!

This was a great exercise!

I hope you have a wonderful and worry free day!

Alison xx

Kasia's Advent Calendar - Day 9 - Breathe

Here's my page for Kasia's Advent Calendar Day 9, the theme was Breathe.

We were asked to do simple breathing exercise and meditation, breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, and breathe out for 8 counts. Then to make a some art. I started with a book page from a bird book, then used my fingers to apply paint. I used a pinecone to make white marks, my finger to make green ones on RH side. I used Dina Wakley Scribble sticks for writing and red marks, and splatters of dark blue. A black gel pen was used to highlight words and add scribbles.

Thanks for the visit,

Alison xx

Kasia's Advent Calendar - Day 8 - Snowflakes & Doilies

Hello Everyone!

Here's my page for Kasia's Day 8 prompt of Snowflakes & Doilies. I'm also linking up to Yvonne's Words & Numbers theme at Art Journal Journey.

Bits of book page and teabags for the background, then I cut a snowflake and used it as a stencil with paint. I then glued my 'snowflake' to the RH side, added stencilled numbers in green, some Christmas traditions layered on washi tape, black watercolour pencil outlines and paint pen splatters.

Happy second Advent Sunday, and wishing you all many blessings,

Alison xx

Kasia's Advent Calendar Challenge - Day 7 - Tea Time

Hi Everyone!

Here's my art journal page for Day 7 of Kasia's Advent Calendar Challenge.

Tea Time. Take time for yourself & relax.

I had to use some of my tea bag collection of course!

Another page for Yvonne's challenge at Art Journal Journey.

Alison xx

Kasia's Advent Calendar - Day 6 - White on White

Morning All!

Day 6 of Kasia's Advent Calendar Challenge was a tricky one for me. I do love some colour! However, I did my best, and used white gesso, white crackle paste, some net and sparkly organza material left over from my daughter's May Queen dress many moons ago, and some silver star confetti.

I don't know if you can see, but I stapled 3 little squares of the organza on the RH side. This was very tricky to photograph, as the light was fading too.

I'm linking up to Yvonne's Words & Numbers theme at Art Journal Journey.

Have a great weekend, & thanks for visiting,

Alison xx

Kasia's Advent Calendar - Days 4 and 5

Hi Everyone!

Here are my latest two pages for Kasia's Advent Calendar challenge.

Day 4 - A Walk.

I walk with my parent's walking group every Wednesday. This week it was very frosty, but also beautiful and sunny.

There's my Mum ahead in the red coat. Isn't that tree on the right stunning?!

Love this tree, and how blue the sky is.

And here is the page I created. I used a PaperArtsy stamp set for the bird and branches.

Day 5 - Sticks and Twigs. On our walk we were supposed to pick up some twigs etc. to use today. I already had a pinecone, and found a fir sprig in my garden to make some marks. I made the black marks with the pinecone.

I'm linking this page to Yvonne's Words and Numbers theme at Art Journal Journey.

Kasia's Advent Calendar Challenge - Day Two

Hello Everyone!

I'm back to share my Day Two page for Kasia's Advent Calendar Challenge.

The theme for Day Two is Fairy Tales. We are remembering our favourites books from our childhood, and are also challenged to re-read them if possible.

Thanks for dropping by,

Alison xox

Kasia's Advent Calendar 2019 - Day One

Morning Everyone!

Kasia of Everything Art is holding her FREE Advent Calendar art journaling challenge again, and I enjoyed it so much last year, I'm joining in again. It's not about learning techniques, but about allowing ourselves a little bit of creative time in the busy run up to Christmas, with daily prompts and meditations.

We also use limited supplies, choosing a colour palette with different mediums, and keeping them at hand in a box, so that we don't have to spend precious time searching for things to use. I chose turquoise, red, olive green and gold, which are favourite colours of mine. I'm using a journal that I made myself too.

So here's my day one page. The prompt was to make a little postcard with what you wish for, and write yourself a message on the back.

I'm also linking up to Yvonne's Words and Numbers theme at Art Journal Journey.

Wishing you a happy and creative day,

Alison xox