Ouch!

It's been a little while since I made jewellery and I'd forgotten how much polishing it takes to get silver looking good.  I actually have a friction burn on one of my fingers after working on this double pendant.   The smaller one has children's fingerprints on it, and the larger one is patterned.  I'm really pleased how this one has turned out and hope the recipient likes it too!

It must be time for new challenges

You know, and I know, that I am utterly useless at keeping up annual or monthly challenges. This year I took part in LSNED and didn't finish.  At the start of the year I meant to look at the Document:2010 project on UKS....and forgot.  I haven't even looked at JYC this year.  So, for 2011 I've set myself a challenge of creating a weekly art journal calendar a la Kate Crane. 

So here are the first two weeks all ready to go.  I figured that as I love doing my art journal, then this surely must be an easy to do.  No photo's to take or print out and that means a distinct lack of feeling the need to colour match.  Using up lots of scraps of scrapbook paper to make the daily journalling squares.  Surely it has to tick some boxes as well as making a dent in my stash mountain, albeit a small one. 

I'm doing this in an A5 greyboard sketchbook from paperchase and it feels good to have put it to use. Pages are ready to go not just for the first two weeks, but the first six.  I figure by giving myself a head start I stand a fighting chance of doing this.

My next crafty task is indeed to look back over the Document: 2010 prompts (I have them all downloaded) and maybe make a Document: 2011 album.

So what crafty challenges are you planning to take part in next year then?

Frosty Mornings

You can’t deny it is rather beautiful and worth getting the camera out for.  We’ve had weeks of snow and ice, our footpaths and untreated roads still have inches of ice on them. Poor Rosie almost cried with the cold on her face going to school this morning.  It comes to something when you get up and hope it’s only –4 Celsius as you’ve got used to that and it’s not as bad as it sounds.   It’s certainly not the sort of weather than has you leaping out of bed.  Jamie can’t wait for the school holidays to start so he doesn’t have to (1) get up and (2) go out.  Oh boy – does he have a shock coming to him.

Being a guest

This month I’m a guest, in this case a guest designer for A Trip Down memory Lane.  It was a real privilege to be asked, especially as ATDML was the first store I ever did any scrappy shopping with.  I loved the papers that I was sent to work with and simply put - I ran out of time to use them what with out trip away and all the chaos that comes with coming home again. I’ll be sure to share more layouts with you when I get five minutes to scrap.

The December gallery is now live, so head on over and take a look.  There are, as always, some fabulous creations there, and I’d really like to say Thanks to Mel & Jill for inviting me to join their talented team of designers this month.

Thanks for stopping by!

Just can't concentrate!

It's driving me nuts that I can't seem to concentrate on a blooming thing at the moment.  Never mind restless legs from running, I have restless everything from being on holiday and am seriously struggling to get back into it, and worse sort myself out for Christmas.  I have half idea's for projects running round in my head, a pile of presents to buy and make, food shopping to do and a house to sort out.  I've even walked past the post box a dozen time with a huge pile of Christmas cards in my bag and forgotten to post them .  I'm panicking and that means I come to a full stop!  Not the best really.

So this very quick and probably dull post, is to apologise for the lack of blogging taking place.  I have crafted for my crop, I have tons of photo from New York along with tales of parades and sparkly rings (twas a very special 40th) and I have created layouts for an upcoming guest DT spot,  I will share these things with you soon.  That is as soon as I have sorted myself out and feel properly back in the grove!  Until then thanks for stopping by.  Normal service will resume in January!  Promise.

Been at it again…

 

Yes, more scrapping.  Think it may have something to do with a pile of “school” photo’s that have been sitting waiting to be scanned in, and that fact that once again my little craft space seems to be shrinking so I must use up my mountain.

This layout is one I created for a class I held at my local crop. Thankfully all the ladies that took part seemed to love it – big phew!

And after all that scrapping, I’ve managed to do a little art journaling as well. How could I not? 

One background ready to work on, all done with acrylic paints.

And a finished pages, stamped and doodled in my mini journal.

That’s probably going to be it from me now until December as Chris & I are off to New York soon for our annual “just us” break that happens to coincide with my 40th, and that means packing up my journaling travel kit to take with me.  I think that is going to be harder than packing clothes!

Thanks for stopping by!

A good bad photo

Rosie is asserting her independence this week in a way that, at times, has been painful.  Painful to me that is. She started out the week making her own sandwiches, or is that butterwich?  The aftermath was, shall we say, interesting and took some cleaning up.

I decided to take some photo’s of her to mark this new found independence. This is the only one that is out of focus, but a perfect moment catching that cheeky little face full of pride showing of her yummy “butterwich”. This is definitely my good bad photo of 2010.  So, what’s yours?

Are you sitting down?

I think I'm still in shock.  Last night I had a sudden urge to scrapbook, and here's the evidence.  

I've used the October Scrapagogo kit, with no inking or distressing, not a doodle in sight.  Totally unheard of for me! I have never scrapped straight from a single kit but I think I used a good chunk of it on this layout.  So, finally, with all the art journalling I've been doing, I've made a dent in the ever growing stash mountain. Hurrah.

Thanks for stopping by!

eeeyuk..

Bugs and diseases have hit our house again and it hasn't made for much fum over half term.  Neither has there been much going on on the crafty painty inky front so a very quick post to share what I have done.

This little lady may well be headed for my mini art journal, but the (cute) couple below are in an altered book I'm working on for the art, heart and healing course over on Willowing.

That's it for now.  Off to light the pumpkin we carved this afternoon!  Happy Halloween !

What's your current favourite?

I love finding new products to play with.  New to me that is, and it's even better buying them when you get service with a smile.   A couple of months ago I treated myself to some Tim Holtz tissue tape but I really wanted to get my hands on some Japanese masking tape, and here is one set I ordered from Papermash. Yep, I did order more than one set.

I just love it.  It's sheer and silky and is slowly appearing in my art journals and scrapbook pages. I received fantastic service from Lynne at Papermash, so if you're looking for some interesting tapes pop over and give her a visit.  There are some new Christmas tapes in store....

Thanks, as always, for stopping by!

Another first...

A new page in my journal based on the second project from Art, Heart & Healing.   This one is is my art journal rather than the project we are working on for the course.

I've drawn and hand coloured the little girl and whats more I happen to rather like her.

One wonky eye and a Moustache

Neither of which I have in real life, well, I don't think I do, but here in my self representation (it's not a self portrait as it's not very like me, at all) I do!  What's more I don't much care.  I have thoroughly enjoyed creating the page for the class and as a result keep pinching Jamie's note book in the evening a doing a few faces. Practice makes perfect, or better at least.

So having completed my first page in my medium sized moleskine, and having done one in my small molkeskin, I decided to have another go but this time in my A4 journal. 

Biggest regret here is adding the necklace but tis done now.  At least she doesn't have a moustache! By miracle of all miracles I even managed to fit the stamped journaling around the hairline without suddenly having to stop or changed what I had planned to say.

 And finally, another play, this time in my sketch pad - or should I call it my experiment pad.  A simple line drawing having a go at doing a different style of face.  I haven't been brave enough to colour her as yet.  Having said that there are a few supplies I want to get my hands on first.

This week it's an altered book, with transfers and whimsey's.  I've been playing in my "experiment pad" for the drawing of the whimsey's but with it being half term it may be a few days before I get the chance to work on the book itself.

First one...

About two weeks ago I joined postcrossing.com and have since sent postcards to the USA, Bahamas, Finland, Russia and new Zealand, but today I received my first postcard. Yay!   It was so nice to see it on top of the pile of post we had delivered. 

This one is made from a photograph taken by the sender and has travelled 4645 miles from Texas.  I won't share every single post card I received - that could be more than a bit dull to you, but forgive me if I share the occasional one.

Willowing along...

Yesterday was the start of free Art of the Heart class over on Willowing.ning (there's a link over on the right if you'd like to join in).  The class runs for four weeks and each week is a different project.  This weeks project is an art journal page - see why I joined!

Part of the class is drawing a representation of yourself on the page.  I have never been much cop at faces, feet yes, faces, no, bodies yes, faces no.  So I had a little play in my mini AJ first and here is the result....

Not bad, but by no means great, but more importantly I thoroughly enjoyed doing it.  I'm almost done on the double page spread in my bigger journal, although (don't laugh too loud) I have wonky eyes and a moustache on that one....hmmmmm.  maybe my inner self is trying to tell me something I hadn't realised...I'm wonky or have a facial hair problem.  I've certainly never noticed the latter, and I'm sure Chris would have offered me his shaver if that had been the case, so it must be the former.

So after this expect to see more of "me" on my pages.  I love it because it's yet a different style.

Small and beautiful

I seem to be in the land that migraines forgot but cluster headaches relish at the moment.  With both kids out of the house today I have pretty much slept most of it, but I did have a lucid hour to eat and relax whilst trying to come back to the land of the living before this afternoons school run hit.   While relaxing I decided to have a play in my mini art journal.

The book I'm using is a small moleskine sketchbook which measures 14 x 9 cm.  Its got 80 pages in it apparently, at least half of which have now got paint on them. This is the first page that is now ready to journal on.

I think this could well be one of my favourite pages yet and I thoroughly loved working on a small scale.

Sheesh…

Oh Lordy, like life isn’t complicated enough.  I thought I’d use Windows Live Writer for this post as it’s often quicker than using blogger….  not today.  An update is available… Why or why did I just not say “good for you!” and ignore it?  Twenty minutes later and much faffing, I finally get to use it. Oh and MS – I prefer the old version.  Do you think that’s just my age and the increasingly sense of disliking change creeping in, or more of a if it ain’t broke don’t fix it attitude?

Anyhow…. finally to share with you the second page I have completed this week.  This is a sad little page recording how much I hate Sundays now as it’s the day Chris has to pack his bag and get ready for a week away.  Just one of those pages where I had to get it off my chest before it burst (do you feel sorry for me yet?  sniffle)



Yes, I know my writing ran out of painted lines, but I needed to write and lack of lines wasn’t going to change that. Plus, I don’t care and that is one of the many reasons i have taken to art journaling – it just doesn’t matter.

I also know I’m not the only person who’s beloved works away, and I’m lucky that he’ll be home for two weeks over Christmas, he was home for most of August, and it was great to have all that time as a family.  It was like Sunday morning every day.  Maybe I’ve been spoilt this summer and that’s why it makes it harder now.

Ho-hum, life goes on.  I feel the need for a good cuppa now.

Thanks for stopping by!

The time thief is about again...

I can't believe it's been two weeks since I last did a blog post.  Chris has been working away the last couple of weeks and I swear he packed some of the hours from my day in his suitcase before he left.  I'm not doing anything other than being a Mother and a housewife but blimey!  

In the last couple of days though, once the kids have gone to bed I have managed to spend some time slapping a bit of paint down in my art journals.  Shame I've only had chance to take a photo of one though and this is it (rather obviously...)

This page has now been journalled on where the lines have been painted, but it's private journalling so you'll just have to imagine the finished page with my scrawl across it.  The quote is one of the many I've started to collect... "It's never too late to find out who you want to be".

Fingers crossed I'll get chance to scan the second page tomorrow and find the time to pop back and share it with you. 

How ever hard you try....

Since I started art journaling I have been collecting a few phrases as sometimes I don't want to pour my heart out on a page, but I still want to create something that has meaning to me.  This is one of those phrases "However hard you try you end up like your Mother" .  I would like you to note the stamping on the page though "results may vary" and "potential side effects".  I consider myself a very different creature to my Mother and wish to remain like that.

A few more learnings....

For starters, these quick pages are brilliant for me.  It's meant that once I've decided what my lesson for the day has been, I whip out the alpha stamps and ten minutes later the page is finished!

So, my lessons from the 3rd to the 6th then....

Oh - a day of deep cleaning some of the rooms in the house.  Far too long have we put this off.

On Saturday evening we went to the theatre.  Nothing too cultured you understand...we went to see Rhod Gilbert.  During the interval I was astonished by the number of mobile phones that appeared.  As soon as the word interval was mentioned by the support act (sorry - Andy something...he was funny though), a plethora of back lights appeared as people reached to switch on their mobiles.  I'm not sure what they were all going to achieve in 15 minutes, in fact a lot seemed to be playing games on them. What did people do before mobile technology? Oh yeah, I know - LIVED THEIR LIVES!

 Sunday - the perennial dilemma faced me in the form of a quick shopping trip to buy a new purse.  I think Chris thought I'd lost the plot but was glad I chose one in the end and didn't walk away with two.

By Monday I had relaxed and was fully enjoying a weekend without the kids. Oh how I miss peace and quiet. 

That's all from me for now.  Thanks for stopping by.  I'll do another LSNED round up at the end of the week.

So good so far!

I'm keeping up!  OK - so it's only day two but that's good given my track record with these things.

Yesterdays lesson then.  "There is no adult space in this house".  I was merrily minding my own business, happy in the knowledge that the TV was switched off (for a change), and I could hear no bickering.  The joyous sound of my two playing happily together was ringing through the house.  I then realised the sound wasn't coming from it's usual place, i.e. their bedrooms.

Our bedroom door was closed. O-Oh. 

I opened it to find Rosie rolling round on the bed, Jamie sitting in a moses basket (one that's usually home to Rosie's soft toys and in her bedroom) and our carpet transformed into a toy factory.  

My question is this... Did you ever dare go in your parents bedroom?  I know I didn't, and Chris didn't.  It was a sacred place, an adult only space.  You didn't play in it. If you were lucky you may have sneaked in the occasional bounce on their bed, but generally it was off limits.  Even now as adults it seems wrong to go in your parents bedrooms.  So how did this happen? The kids have taken over and we need to reclaim our space.  I don't think it's going to be a tear free affair.  Wish us luck!!

Learning Something.....

Yesterdays lesson - Nothing makes me smile like the sight of the delivery van driver pulling up outside.  Nothing makes me frown quite like opening the door to the Royal Mail "you were out" card.  Not sure if it's strictly a lesson on this page, but I'm planning to write a note about the day's lesson to pop inside the envelope.  Maybe today will sound more like a lesson... think I still have my art journal head on!  Onwards and upwards!

From making a very simple book I've ended up making very inky, messy collage style pages for my LSNED book.  Last night I sat and started to created pages ready to go up to the 4th September, aided this morning by some new 7Gypsies stamps and my trusty Tim Holtz tissue tape.

Right, I'm off to wash my inky fingers now!  Thanks for stopping by.

Love her or hate her...?

I know I have literally just posted but I left blogger to check my email where I found one from Waterstones.  As a book lover who likes to eat (more than she should!) I had to check it out and I can't tell you how excited I was to see that there is a new Nigella Lawson book due out.  I know a lot of people hate her, but I love her.  She a cook who looks like she eats! Yay!!  I hate skinny cooks.  I have a collection of her cookbooks and have yet to have a recipe fail me, so you can imagine just how keen I am to get my hands on this.  I won't blindly order it though, I want to read through it first.  Looks like a trip into town then.  Oh no, what a chore.

I'll leave you with the blurb about the book.  If you get your hands on a copy before me, pleeeease let me know what you think, especially if you are a Nigella fan!

"A big, compendious, comfortable, informative and utterly engaging book, "Kitchen" brings us feel-good food for cooks and eaters, whether Express-style and exotic-easy during the week, or leisurely and luxuriating (in the spirit of How to be a Domestic Goddess and Feast) at weekends or for occasions. Divided into two parts - Kitchen Quandaries and Kitchen Comforts - Nigella gives us the wherewithal to tackle any situation and satisfy all nourishment needs. But real cooking is often about leftovers, too, so here one recipe can lead to another...from ham hocks to pea soup and pasties, from chicken to Chinatown salad. This isn't just about being thrifty but about demonstrating how recipes come about, and giving new inspiration for last-minute meals and souped-up store cupboard suppers. As well as offering the reader a mouthwatering array of new recipes, both comforting and exciting - from clams with chorizo to Guinness gingerbread, from Asian braised beef to flourless chocolate lime cake, from Pasta alla Genovese to Venetian carrot cake - Nigella rounds up her kitchen kit must-haves (telling us, too, what equipment we don't need) and highlights individual ingredients - both basic essentials and modern-day life-savers. But above all, she reminds the reader how much pleasure there is to be had in real food, and in reclaiming the traditional rhythms of the kitchen, as she cooks to the beat of the heart of the home, creating simple recipes to make life less complicated."

I wasn't, but I am now....

In the last six to eight weeks I am guilty of doing no scrapping at all.  Not even the tiniest bit since my last crop which always at the start of the month and we skip August.  Hmmm, Art Journaling has seriously taken over my crafty time, my me time.  It's generally all I think about and I feel cheated if I don't at least get a doodle in on a page.  This is the reason, along with not getting any further than day six last year, I had decided some time ago that I wasn't going to take part in this years Learn Something New.  

That was until I got today's prompt.  It's all changed now.  When I read the prompt I loved Shimelle's idea of using envelopes, and guess who has a box of hundreds, all leftovers from my old card making days. So, i whipped out 31 of them and the back of an old notebook.  Had a quick rummage through last months scrapagogo kit and knocked this together....... 

I will confess part of me wasn't going to join in because i couldn't be bothered to make or prepare a book for it but this took me a grand 15 minutes to put together.  I know I've copied, or should that be lifted, the idea for the book from Shimelle but I sure she wouldn't mind at all, and it's an idea I think I'll use again after all I do have at least 169 envelopes left!  All that remains to be seen is if I can get past day six this year.  Wish me luck!!

Made with....

Yesterday afternoon I got some time to lay down some paint for my JYC Art Journal, I know it's early but I love painting the backgrounds.  While I was waiting for a page to dry, Rosie who is 3, came to join me and asked to sit on my lap.  She then asked if she could do some painting with me as she was eyeing up my baskets of paints. What was I to say other than yes and let her choose the colours....oh it had to be pink!  I added a pale background wash and then let her do the rest.  Admittedly she only helped with the background but I've used the page to record the moment.

Does this mean I'm a bad scrapper..?

We've just (and I mean just) got back from a couple of days in London with the kids....and i didn't take one photo.  Not one.  Didn't even get the camera out. I think I may need to address this issue as I can't actually remember the last time I did take a photo.  I know i haven't scrapped for a few weeks and i have felt like scrapping, it's not a lack of mojo, more a lack of desire.  Don't worry though - I'm not about to sell all my scrapbooking stash.

In the meantime, during this art journaling interval I seem to be having I'll share a couple of backgrounds I have done recently. 

That's it from me for now.  Thanks for stopping by!

Another page...

I've started a couple of new journals using some moleskins, the ones you can get in packs of three.  The paper is quite thin so I've been spending some almost therapeutic time gelling the pages together and then giving them a coat of gesso.  They have a soft leathery feel now which I love. I've got two journals like this now, one for general use and one I'm preparing for this years JYC.

This is the first page in the "general" journal, all ready to go with my winged girl.  I think this journal may be used for rants and out pourings so, in the main I'll only be sharing the "before" and not the afters with you.   The scan isn't great but I love the wings made from patterned paper.  I knocked them back with gesso and went over the pattern with a sakura glitter pen.  Maybe I do have a girlie side after all.

Life brings...

...for now, another page from my art journal.  I don't intend to share every single page I do with you, just the one's that aren't "private".  So far I'm not producing any private pages.    I forget where I saw this "Granny" in her pink punk outfit, but I loved her.  It also wasn't what I intended for the black & white background, but ho-hum, going with the flow again.   All I thought when I saw this image was what great attitude, which led to the phrase along side it.... " Life bring experience, experience brings attitude" (you have to read the experience twice). Gotta love a bit of attitude.

I do have some LO's to share...still trying to find them.  Odd that, but I'll be back with photo's as soon as I do.

Thanks for stopping by!