Autumn Colours with AJJ

 Hello All.

This week we have been having a wonderful time walking the coastal paths and watching the crashing waves on the North Devon coast. We really needed to get away, and it's been not exactly relaxing, but very refreshing. I adore being by the sea.

Our main reason for coming here was to visit the beautiful Ashbarton Estate that our daughter and fiance have booked for their wedding weekend in June 2026, so we had their company for a couple of days. The venue didn't disappoint you'll be pleased to hear. It's going to be perfect for the colourful festival wedding they are planning.

So, back to the real reason for this post. I have another page to share for my Autumn colours and inspiration theme at Art Journal Journey.

More teabags! I just love them! And I love toadstool spotting too, and have seen a few on my walks this week.

Thanks so much for visiting me today.

Alison

Gratitude

 Hello everyone.

I have another page to share for my Autumn Colours & Inspiration theme at Art Journal Journey.

There is so much to be grateful for, not least that we live in a peaceful country 💔, and we don't get many hurricanes here🙏.

You can just see the outlines of the rectangle teabags I used as my first layer on this page. I then added paint and stencilled leaves(outlined with a black biro), and used a rigger brush and black ink to draw the large leaf stem and write the title. I used a white Posca pen to add highlights and splatters. I also added some fine black and not so fine gold ink splatters.

 Thank you to everyone taking part in the challenge at AJJ, so many and it's only halfway through the month, and your art has been beautiful! Thanks also for all the lovely comments on my recent posts.

Hugs,

Alison xox

August 2024 Art Journal Calendar

 Hello Friends.

Here's my August art journal calendar. 

I'm linking it to Jo's Wonderfully Wild theme at Art Journal Journey. I went wild with colourful collage and wild birds.

And here's my completed July calendar.

Hope you have a wonderfully creative August.

Alison xox

May Art Journal Calendar

 Hello All.

Here's my art journal calendar for the month of May. I'm linking it to Valerie's Poems theme at Art Journal Journey. I found a lovely May Day poem by Patricia Walter online.

I used a gelliprint for the journaling circles. I love the contrast with the neutral background.

And finally, here's my completed April calendar.

A Trip To Bristol

 Hello friends.

I have an art journal page to share today. It's another entry for Erika's It's on the Calendar theme at Art Journal Journey.

Although the day on the torn piece of calendar is Tuesday, we're actually off to visit our daughter in Bristol on Friday. She has a bridesmaid dress that needs to be shortened, and needs her mother's amateur skills with a needle and thread. Hopefully we might fit in a country walk too.

 I'm also linking my page to Try It On Tuesday where the theme is Add Some Text.

Thanks for dropping by,

Alison xx

October Art Journal Calendar

 Hello friends.

Today I'm sharing my art journal calendar for October.

I started by gluing down some torn 7 Gypsies patterned paper and book pages to my pages, placing a piece with 'Life Is Good' in the bottom right corner. I added a light layer of gesso to this. Then I stamped some Stampin Up gears with Ranger archival sienna ink.

I found a piece of Tim Holtz red paper from his Christmas patterned paper pad, and brayered some PaperArtsy Cherry Red Fresco acrylic paint on to make it a deeper red. I cut out 31 1.5 " squares for journaling, and stamped gears and clock faces on them in Sienna ink.

When I was gluing down my red squares with gel medium, a happy accident occurred, the sienna ink bled and turned my background a lovely rusty colour 😁

I stencilled my title using a PaperArtsy stencil and Cherry Red Fresco acrylic, then added outlines and numbers with a black gel pen.

I'm linking my October Calendar to Neet's In Gear theme at Art Journal Journey.

Finally, here's my completed September calendar.

Thanks for dropping by. Have a wonderful October.

Alison

September 2023 Art Journal Calendar & AJJ - Books, Cats & Tea

 Hello All.

It's been a couple of weeks. maybe more, since I last posted here. Our son moved into his new house on 21st August, and we went up to help clear out the old rented flat, move him into the new house, then lay some flooring and put up curtains. It's a brand new house in Salford, Manchester, taken an age to build, and lots to do. Thankfully, the kitchen and bathrooms are all fitted out, at least we haven't got that to sort. It's getting there. 

I'm glad to be home for a little while, before we head off on our hols, and I've been catching up with some artyness. I'll be sharing a few bits and pieces this week.

Today I have my September art journal calendar to show you. Over on the Art Journal Journey blog, Elle has challenged us to use Books, Cats, & Tea. I've used books and tea on my calendar. One of my favourite books is Thomas Hardy's Far From The Madding Crowd. 

I used collage with teabags over the top as my base layer. I created a little teapot stencil, the stenciled my journaling teapots in pale blue, adding details with a red paint pen.

I added some book text from my spare copy of Far From The Madding Crowd, around the edges and bottom right.

I used a PaperArtsy stencil for my title with the pale blue Fresco acrylic and red paint pen outline. I finished with some black paint splashes.

A little close up shot of the quote from the book that I used.

Before I go, here is my completed August calendar.

I apologise for not visiting lately, I'll try and catch up with some of your blogs this week.

Alison 

August Art Journal Calendar

Hello everyone.

I have my August art journal calendar to share with you today.

This spread started off with some Blue Oyster Fresco acrylic paint for its base. I created some tissue collage papers using my Gelli Plate, various Fresco acrylics and small masks.

I added some Inky Pool Fresco acrylic to the edges, and some small images cut from a Daphne's Diary magazine.

I painted some copier paper with the Inky Pool Fresco acrylic and cut 1 inch squares for my journaling, and used a white gel pen to add the numbers and outline the squares. 

I used a PaperArtsy stencil for my title, and highlighted the letters and numbers with the white gel pen. 

I like nothing better than a holiday in the UK. So much easier than struggling at airports etc., just to jump in the car and head off into our wonderful countryside and to some beautiful beaches, maybe visit some of our lovely stately homes too. Hopefully the weather will be good enough to sleep under canvas, watch hot air balloons and old aircraft flying over, and go for some lovely hikes. 😀

I'm hoping this spread qualifies for Chris' Where in the World theme at Art Journal Journey.

Before I go, here is my completed July calendar spread.

Thanks from dropping by,

Wishing you all a happy August,

Alison xox

AJJ - Simple Joy

 Hello Friends.

Today I have a junk journal page to share for Matilde's All About Numbers theme at Art Journal Journey.

Happy Friday to you all!

Alison

June's Art Journal Calendar

 Hello friends.

I have my June art journal calendar to share with you today, and I'm linking it to Matilde's All About Numbers theme at Art Journal Journey.

For my base, I used some 7gypsies printed tissue, then I scraped on some Seaglass Fresco acrylic, and used PaperArtsy stencils with Little Black Dress Fresco acrylic for the journaling ovals and title.

And here's my completed May calendar, mostly country walks with my Hubby, friends and various walking groups, and my birthday on the 24th.

Have a great June!

Alison

February Art Journal Calendar

Hello Friends.

I've been on a little break from blogging, not from choice I might add.

I suffered an oesophageal bleed on the 16th Jan, ended up in hospital for a few days. I had some surgery, then came home to recover, only to find out I'd caught covid during my stay. I'm glad to say I'm recovering from the surgery and covid, but I'm getting some unpleasant side effects from the medication which is wiping me out even more.

I did make it into my studio yesterday, and got my February art journal calendar made. I'm linking my spread to Erika's Red theme at Art Journal Journey. 

Here's my completed January spread.

Thanks for coming to visit me today. I shall do some visiting myself now.

Hugs,

Alison

September Art Journal Calendar

 Hello Everyone!

A few days late, but here is my calendar spread for the month ahead.

I started with a background of book pages, teabags and white acrylic paint. Then I stencilled the That's Crafty angel wings with turquoise acrylic. I outlined them with a brown Stabilo All pencil. I used the brown pencil to stencil the (PaperArtsy) title, then outlined with a black gel pen.

I'm linking my spread to Neet's Fur or Feathers theme at Art Journal Journey.

Here's my August calendar all filled in.

Thanks for dropping by. Hope you have a great September.

Alison

Catherine Rains' Collage Kickstart Course

 Hello All.

I recently took Catherine Rains' wonderful free 5 Day Collage Kickstart course. I can highly recommend this course if you love making collage as much as I do. And Catherine is an excellent teacher.

On Day One we collected up all the supplies we needed, finding items from around the house to make marks with.

Day Two was about creating light, medium and dark collage papers with a limited palette. I chose to use my favourite blues.

 

Day Three we created some tissue paper collage fodder with stencils, paint and molding paste.

Day 4 we created collage papers with circles.

And finally, on Day 5 we created some mini 3x3" collages, using our collage papers, adding in some pieces of magazine text for contrast.

You might recognise some of these collage papers in some of my recent and also future projects, I have loads left over!

You can also find Catherine over on Instagram, as @catrains.artist. Every Tuesday she posts a video of a collage material technique.

Thanks for visiting me today. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead.

Alison