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!

Another one ready to go...

I know I should be doing the dreaded housework, and I have been, but I have the odd ten minute escape to pop up to the spare room where my patch of creative space is, to do a little more in my journal. I now declare this page ready to be written on.  Not sure what about though yet.

Sorry the picture is a little wonky, I decided to scan it.  That meant having the scanner perched on my lap as the PC is on Chris' desk...and as he's been away working most of this week, I have my crap all over his desk...hence said scanner perched on lap.  He's due back tonight so maybe I'd better clear my stuff away so he can have his desk back.

Rosie is in nursery tomorrow so under the guise of getting Jamie a new water bottle for school, I'll be popping into Paperchase York and may happen into an art shop or something while I'm there as I've decided to do JYC this year, but you guessed it, as an art journal. Just need the journal now.... 

Got that Friday feeling...

well, almost even though it is only Wednesday.

I've finally got round to scanning the border designs for my art journal.  At the moment they are just line drawings, but please feel free to download a copy here if you think they will be useful to you in some way, be it as idea's for your own borders or to cut out and use directly in your journals. If you do - can you let me know if it worked ok as i've not done this before so it all could go terribly wrong!

I do intend to do a colour version of the designs, and have some idea's for other bits and pieces, all things I want to use.

Have fun!

All fired up…

…even though I’m shattered.  When Chris left for work just before seven yesterday  morning I got up and headed to my desk to start a new page in my art journal before the kids woke up.  I think I have been bitten by the bug after this weekend.  I found it hard to get to sleep as the ideas for pages were bouncing round in my head.

I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and it gave me permission to do “something” with the pages I’d prepared in my journal. It could well have stayed a book full of backgrounds, not there is anything wrong with that, but that’s not what I did it for.  So far the three pages are all about me but I' don’t think that there will be a theme for the book.  I’ve already planned to create or buy a smaller book to work in and have dug out old art supplies from my college days which saves a few pennies.  Having said that I have a huge paint shopping list now…eeek.

So, quickly, here’s a page I started while at AFTH. 

And one I was working on yesterday making use of the new goodies I picked up while I was there.

And finally another quick page I did this morning. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with this one but then the words just seemed to flow.

On top of the huge shop I did over the weekend for some things that quite honestly, I needed, I’ve been on to Amazon this morning and ordered a couple of books to help give me a bit more of a creative boost.

So there we have it, the beginnings of my art journaling story and I’m loving it.