Art and Sole

Postcard Challenge 2012

2012-01-30T08:00:00.001Z

Here we are again, week 5. Last week saw some fabulous cards, great twists in story-lines and a wealth of information about China.

We also came to the end of the first month, and as such i decided to have an end of month giveaway, scroll down and have a look in yesterdays post to see the little competition and to place your vote.

So where shall we go this week..hmmmm

ooh la la...

let's go to FRANCE

See you back here on Friday to link up ...the winning January card will be announced on Sunday.

Mister Linky is still active, so if you haven't linked up your China cards then you still have time.

Postcard Challenge 2012

2012-01-29T04:19:00.000Z

Well its the end of the first month, well done to everyone who has joined in. As I type this 253 cards have been made..how AMAZING is that!!!

So to say thanks I am giving away a small prize, and it is small lol don't get too excited. I wish I could send great art gifts but I simply can't afford to, so I have these DERWENT sketching pencils to send out to one of you.

I looked through every single card that has been made in January and I picked out my fave 45.

Austria - Amy..Dee..Donna..Leialoha..Marie..Mary..Nicki..Norma..Rose..Sandra..Tammy..Wendy ...Rozelle

Spain - kimber..Manon..Rachael..Catherine..Claire..Eveline..Helen..Jackie..Joyce..Lisa..Sheri..Steph....Sue...Tracey

Brasil - Debbi..Joanna..Natasha May..Cynthia..Jamie Lynn..Kathy..Kerri..Shelle..Alison..Valerie..Crafty womble

China - Dede..Janet..Cazro..Anna&Janet..Jenny..Lulabelle..Magaret

It was difficult, but that was the smallest i could get it to..so I brought in outside help...

someone who is not a member of the challenge chose 10 finalists from that list of 45.

Here are the 10 finalists...

1..AMY - AUSTRIA

2..DEBBI - BRASIL

3..DEDE - CHINA

4..JANET - CHINA

5..JOANNA - BRASIL

6..KIMBER - SPAIN

7..MANON- SPAIN

8..NATASHA MAY - BRASIL

9..RACHAEL - SPAIN

10..ROZELLE - AUSTRIA

Everyone who has taken part over the month of January gets ONE VOTE each. You CANNOT vote for yourself lol

Leave a comment saying who you are voting for, the card with the most votes by next Sunday evening (UK) will be the winner

Postcard Challenge 2012

2012-01-27T08:00:00.004Z

Week 4 CHINA...

My page in my book, this week I have another envelop page. I first stamped the ying yang motif all over the page, then I coloured it, doodled round the edges and finally rubbed gold wax over the whole page.

The card inside the envelope..

The front of my card. I drew the Chrysanthemum first, then drew the dragon and coloured with promarkers, then the background coloured with promarkers. I then masked off the flower and the dragon and used a Chinese text stamp for the background.

The back of the card...these 2 really are not giving much away..possible meetings...packages left for each other, often not in 'safe' places...hmmmm

So let us see your cards from China...

THIS IS WHERE YOU LINK UP...

come back on Sunday for a small giveaway...

Life Book

2012-01-25T16:09:00.000Z

Week 2. The aim of this week was to create a dream board, which would showcase our dreams and aspirations for the coming year. At first I wasn't inspired by this lesson, as it was mostly magazine clippings and photos collaged together. I don't mind a bit of collage, but it isn't my favourite thing to do, so I planned on giving this lesson a miss. Then I saw that Tam had painted her dream board, instead of collaging, and I was immediately inspired and knew what I would do.

So sorry I completely forgot to take a photo of the sketch, obviously I got too excited and started to paint.

So here is the first photo, the fairy girl is already painted and I have started on the background.

More added to the background...

and finally the doodling and finishing touches..

Postcard Challenge 2012

2012-01-23T08:00:00.001Z

Another great week, with some astonishingly vibrant and colourful cards, from dancers and parrots to beautiful green eyes. Intrigue and mystery, more romance and even a severed finger!!!

So are you ready to grab your passport again?

Off we go ...to...

CHINA.

PLEASE READ...

the links in the last post will stay active all week up to Thursday evening which is when I get the code ready for Friday, so you still have plenty of time to link up and visit each other. When I make the new linky code the previous one is just 'hidden', it does not disappear completely. You can click on the word 'HERE' in the text that replaces the linky and that will bring up the list. Once the list is hidden, you can no longer add your name to it, but you can still use it to visit all the other blogs...

Postcard Challenge 2012

2012-01-20T08:05:00.001Z

Here we are week 3. I am really looking forward to seeing all your postcards from Brazil.

Here is mine.

This is how the page looks in my book, it is an envelope with the flap cut off.

the trees were lightly sketched then coloured with black acrylic ink.

Here with the card inside... the outside edge is just a thin wash of watercolour with a doodled line around done using a stabilo pencil.

The front of my card with carnival girl. She is super,super sparkly, it just doesn't show well on camera.

She is hand drawn onto very smooth card, then coloured with promarkers. The glitz was added using sparkly gel pens that were in a set i got from the supermarket. if you are in the uk , ASDA, I think they were £3.60 for a pack of 30 pens, some regular, some metallic and some sparkly. I wasn't sure how well they would work, as they are not a named brand like sakura or signo...but they actually work really well. a really cheap way to add sparkle.

I drew the feathers in last with prisma pencils..

and finally the back....what is it these 2 are up to i wonder...hmmm

HERE IS WHERE YOU LINK UP... Add your name and link to the specific blog post where your photos are to make it easier for people to find. Then have a fun week visiting everybody and leaving lurve.

The link will stay active until next Friday.

life Book

2012-01-18T01:45:00.002Z

I am taking the year long Life Book course, run by WILLOWING..

For our first lesson we had to draw and paint a goddess.

I chose to do the Norse Goddess Freyja, she is a goddess of love, she also carried the dead from the battlefields. She wears a cloak of falcon feathers and rides a chariot drawn by cats. By her side is a boar, and she sprinkles dew drops on flowers.

I took some of those elements, such as the love hearts..the dew drops on flowers..and the feathers ...and I made my page.

Firstly my sketch..

next I started shading the face..

more shading..

next i detailed the eyes and started on the hair and the flowers.

more detail in the hair, another layer on the flowers and the first wash over the helmet.

another layer on the helmet..

details on the helmet and final details on the face..

flowers mostly done and background started..

white acrylic rolled over the background and parts of the hair,helmet and flowers,main images masked off with scrap paper and script stamped onto the background...

dew drops added to flowers and hearts painted in.. finished..

2012-01-17T18:42:00.001Z

Engagement card...

First I drew a rose and gave it a quick wash with watercolour paint.

then I shaded it with prisma pencils. Next I colored the background using neocolours which blend so beautifully. I then masked off the rose and stamped a script image all over the background.

I added 2 small kraft tags and a heart and lace at the bottom, and rubbed some silver wax around the edges. Finally i mounted it all to a square,white card blank.

Postcard Challenge 2012

2012-01-16T08:00:00.008Z

hello fellow globe-trotters..

Last week was fab again, as I write this we have had 58 cards linked up in the post below. Great sketches, beautiful paintings, fabulous collages, very clever use of stamping and some gorgeous cards with 3D elements that i just want to reach out and touch.

Don't forget we have a facebook group HERE, feel free to join us. Also there is a Flickr group HERE.

So are you ready for destination number three...

BRAZIL

Have a great week exploring this new country and I will see you back here on Friday to link up.

Postcard Challenge 2012

2012-01-13T08:00:00.003Z

Week 2. Spain.

Hope you have all had a good week, travelling around Spain.

Here is the page in my book.. this week I have used clear photo corners instead of an envelope...

Here is the front of my postcard..

and the back....

and this is how the card looks once it is tucked into the corners on the page..

THIS IS WHERE YOU LINK UP... please add your name and a direct link to the relevant blog post to make it easier for people to find your card from Spain. PLEASE DO NOT link up until your card has been blogged or is on Flickr.

NB. I know it looks like the links have gone, they are still there I just cant have them displayed once I make the link for the new week. Click on the word 'HERE' in the next bit of text and it should take you to the links.

These links will stay active all week, please visit each other and leave some lurve.

See you all on Monday for country number three!.

Circle Journal

2012-01-11T21:11:00.000Z

So last week it was posting time again for the circle journal girls.

This time i was making a page and a tag for Marie, after stalking her I found out she loves the beach...so I decided on a Seahorse themed page.

I sketched the seahorse first..

then inked the main lines in..

and coloured it with watercolour pencils.. before cutting it out...

I sprayed the book pages..

and then painted a couple of iridescent glazes over them.. at this point I also tangled the seahorse..

next I drew and coloured some underwater plants and fishies.. I stamped some bubbles and then allowed some paint to drip down the pages. i went over the drips and the plants with glittery gel pens.

Finally to make the seahorse sparkle i added some silver leafing, he kinda looks like he has barnacles stuck to him now lol

Then I stuck the page together and added my title, which is the name of a song from the film The Water Babies.. i also added some rays of light coming down into the water just using a white prisma pencil.

Finally I coloured the tag and added this quote..

Postcard Challenge 2012

2012-01-09T08:00:00.001Z

Here we are week TWO already.

At the last count last night we had 74 people on the master list and out of those 58 made postcards from Austria. How amazing is that? I am blown away by all the effort you have all put in.

See the post below for winners of the postage stamps.

The destination for week two ...

is...

SPAIN

I had no idea I would learn so many random facts about last weeks country, wonder what Spain will have for us???

have a great week everybody. See you here on Friday to link up.

P.S The list of blog links inside the Mister Linky box in last Fridays post should stay active till next Friday, so you have all week to visit each other and leave some lurve.

Postcard Challenge 2012

2012-01-08T23:03:00.000Z

Well...what can I say, but a huge Thankyou!!! I had no idea this challenge would capture the imagination of so many.

This first week, our adventures took us to Austria, and as I type this 57 of you have made cards and linked up. I have had so much fun looking at all the art work and reading the first installments of your stories. There is a lot of mystery and intrigue out there, with a little romance thrown in.

We have had meetings on station platforms, and addresses left in books and brochures, people writing to relatives and strangers falling in love, circus acts and homesick doggies, a possible murder? and even some fairies....WOW!

Here is a short video from Kerri, showing you how she made her book and her first card..

So as promised here is a little giveaway of some postage stamps, i can't remember exactly how many I put in the packets, around 20 i think, also a couple of airmail stickers and some clear photo corners for you to try out.

This is a screenshot of all the names that took part this week.

First winner. Esther.

Second winner. Craftywomble

Third winner. Gina.

thankyou again for playing, can those 3 people please email me

darcydotneedles@hotmail.com

send me your full name and address so I can post your stamps out to you.

Come back tomorrow to find out destination number TWO.

Postcard Challenge 2012

2012-01-06T08:00:00.003Z

Here it is folks, the first show and tell...

This week the country was Austria.

I decorated the page in my book, with the flag, some music and an Edelweiss flower.

The postcard slips into the envelope..

The front of my card shows a town in Austria with the mountains behind.

and here is the back, the start of my correspondence..

So let us see yours!!

Upload your photos to your blog or the the Flickr group and then leave your name and a link in the Mr. Linky widget thing...come back later and visit all the blogs that are linked up and leave some comments.. you have all weekend to visit each other.

Country number 2 will be posted on Monday.

Check you are also linked in the master list <--- over there on the left, if you aren't let me know in the comments.

On Sunday I will do a small giveaway of some postage stamps. I will draw 3 names from those that have played this week.

CLICK THIS TO ADD YOUR LINK

Ice cube Mandala

2012-01-04T23:39:00.000Z

As it's getting frosty I made this icy cold mandala.

Drawn first in pencil,

then I started to ink in the lines and colour in the shapes using Flexmarkers and Promarkers.

Finally I added the patterning.

Postcard Challenge 2012

2012-01-03T22:18:00.001Z

ok in this post I will try and answer questions that are cropping up. If you have a question, ask in the comments and I will keep editing this post to answer them.

1. Are you taking requests for countries?

A. In short, no. sorry but I do not have the time to petition for countries or set up votes, it would just get all too complicated. The countries were all chosen approximately 3 months before I announced the challenge.

2. will there be a different country each week or a different kind of prompt?

A. Each Monday I will post a new country, that is your inspiration for the next card. There will be no other types of prompts.

3. Are the cards being sent to or from the chosen country?

A. The cards should be decorated in a way that is inspired by the chosen country and sent FROM that country to a home address.

4. How can these people be travelling around so much?

A. Well that depends on what job they do...but also just because we are making these cards each week, does not mean you have to date them weekly. maybe your people send cards to each other monthly or maybe only a couple of times a year. You do not have to use 'real' dates.

We will make 52 cards in 1 year...but maybe your story/conversation will actually span years/a whole lifetime of these people. You can have your people growing up, getting married, moving around the world, growing old...all within your story.

5. Where do I post photos of my cards?

A. On your blog or in the Flickr group. Each Friday I will make a blog post containing my photos and a Mr.Linky widget thingie When your card is made and photos are posted come to my blog and add your name to the Mr.Linky along with a link to wherever your photos are that week please link to a specific blog post or directly to the flickr group so other people can find your photos easily.

6. Where and when can I see all the other cards?

A. Visit this blog between Friday and Sunday each week to see who has linked up, then go visit them, see there cards and leave some lurve. Also there is a master list over there <--- on the left side bar of all the people who are taking part.

7. Where can I find used postage stamps?

In the UK, a shop called WHSmiths sells packets of stamps starting around £5. I am sure other countries will sell them for collecting purposes too. Also try Ebay for packets of used stamps.

you can also print out sheets of collage stamps for free.

FREE POSTAGE STAMPS COLLAGES

8. How big should the postcards be?

A. they should be 6x4 inches.

9. Do I have to make a book?

A. No, but if you plan to read your story/conversation again in the future, or give to someone else to read then keeping them in a book will keep them in good condition and more importantly they will stay in order.

10. What time on a Friday do I need to post my photos?

A. you can post your photos anytime you like between Friday and Sunday, but you won't be able to link it on my blog till I have made my blog post which will include a Mr. Linky widget. I hope to have my post up on a Friday morning UK time, as soon as it is up you can link in it. I hope most people will link up on a Friday, that way we will all have all weekend to blog hop and visit each other and leave lurve before the new country is posted on a Monday.

11. Are these 'rules' set in stone?

A. No of course not, at the end of the day do whatever you want. I cannot change the countries, they are already chosen. The only request I have is that the artwork reflects the chosen country...that is the challenge.

Postcard Challenge 2012

2012-01-02T08:00:00.002Z

Drum rollllllll.......

perhaps a small fanfare....

The first country is...

AUSTRIA

So off you go to your craft spaces, run,run,run...go make your postcards. You have until the weekend.

Begin your characters conversations...

what will they say to each other?

Don't worry about what the story should be, or how it will develop rather let it happen by itself, enjoy the week by week meandering, listen to the flashes of inspiration that prod and poke you into different directions. This journey should be full of surprise and discovery and not fully known ahead of time.

Above all, don't worry about whether it is right or wrong, good or bad...just dive right in.

Do not post your cards before Friday..

On Friday I will show you my card front and back, in that post I will include a Mr.Linky widget thingie, so you can link up when your card is done. Just put your name and a link to where your card can be found, either on your own blog or on the Flickr group.

Keep visiting here from Friday to Sunday to blog hop around and see all the cards.

on Sunday evening I will randomly draw 3 names from the people that have joined in and linked up, those 3 people will receive a lil packet of postage stamps from me. Also some air mail stickers and some photo corners to try out.The stamps will correspond with some of the countries that we will visit.

If you wish to use stamps on your cards, and don't have any then

take a look here... they are free collage sheets that you can print out.

2012-01-01T00:51:00.001Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU.

thankyou to each and every one of you that visits here and leaves comments, it means so much to me. For those of you joining in with my postcard journey...HUUUUGE thanks. I had no idea so many people would want to play.

ONLY ONE MORE SLEEP...

Check out the ever expanding list over there of all the beautiful people who are joining in.

<-----

just let me know in a comment if you are playing but are not yet on the list and I will add you.

NB: I can't add you to the list if you don't have either a blog or a flickr account. You have to let me know where to find you before i can add you lol

Come back tomorrow Monday January 2nd to find out the first country.

Postcard Challenge 2012

2011-12-30T22:09:00.001Z

ONLY 3 MORE SLEEPS UNTIL WE FIND OUT THE FIRST COUNTRY!!!

THREE MORE SLEEPS...

*giggles*

can you tell I am excited???

Are you ready...Are you?

Tell all your friends, let's get everyone involved right from the start.

All the info is here...

woyww

2011-12-28T06:30:00.004Z

Here is my desk today, pretty tidy and devoid of anything creative. I have been making stuff but as it is for my new weekly challenge I can't show you yet.

The book on the desk were xmas gifts. as was the fabric and the dvds. I also got new spray inks, they are on the blue stand at the back, and I got some new acrylic inks too. I decided there was just too much stuff loose on my desk so I bought a third set of drawers from Ikea and now its all tidied away, though actually i might pick up a fourth set next time i go, as I have filled 18 little drawers and still have stuff left over.

The suitcase is full of small alpha stamps, the case has needed decorating for several years now, I will get around to it one day.

hanging up on the pin board is a gorgeous set of 3 mini canvasses, in turquoise and blue with a giraffe on them. I received them as part of my secret santa gift from the circle journal group.

Close up of the secret santa that i received from Marie..

..speaking of which we took a month off , but now the journals need to be posted on again...I need to crack on and get my page done. I have made a start, but my time has been taken up with

THE POSTCARD CHALLENGE 2012 <--have a read and maybe you would like to join in.

To find out more about woyww, and why we show our desks on wednesdays, pop over to JULIA'S PLACE

So now you have seen it tidy i can get stuck in and mess it back up again...

Postcard Challenge 2012

2011-12-26T18:48:00.003Z

only one week to go till the first country is revealed...OMG I am soooo excited.

Do you have 2 names and 2 addresses?

Do you have a book ready?

have you cut your postcards?

This is my book..

an alternative would be a book made from file folders like this one..

VISIT HERE to see the book that Jay made.

AMY'S BOOK is here.

GINA MADE an awesome book here.

SHIRL has made the most gorgeous pockets, go see them,

FRAN has her book here.

leave your name and link to your book post here so we can come and visit.

Truffles...

2011-12-23T18:54:00.000Z

First off make truffles..use THIS RECIPE that I posted last year. Depending on how big you make them you end up with between 70 and 90 truffles.

ok..so you have a mega ton of truffles now, right!..you could just eat them all, and they are super yummy so why wouldn't you...

or you could give some to your neighbours, think of it not as Christmas cheer, but more as a way of saving your waistline.

A couple years ago my lovely friend KIRSTY gave me a home made mince pie in a really cute lil box, obv I saved the box and took it apart to make a template for it. So this is totally not my idea..but this is how i made mine...

Cut some medium weight cardstock. 11inches by 6inches.

score 1 inch in from the edge on all four sides...

then score 2 lines 1 inch apart across the middle, (so 1 at 5inches and 1 at 6 inches measuring from one end)

my card was plain white..

make a 1 inch cut on the 4 score marks on each of the long edges.

I glued some shimmery copper paper to the outside of my box, just cos..you don't have to..

Fold the cut tabs to the inside and secure with double sided tape or glue dots.

You now have a little box with a joined lid.

here they are folded and closed.. they measure 4inches x 4inches now, and they are 1 inch deep.

Cut or punch some scalloped circles, and some holly leaves and berries..

Attach the leaves and berries to the circle, i flipped one of the leaves over on each one, as my paper is dark on one side and I liked the contrast. Add your message...

Attach them to the boxes, so they are half on and half off...

and finally fill with truffles, you can fit 9 truffles in each box...

as for the cloth that is on my coffee table..i made that years ago using Hardanger Embroidery.

52 Pages 2011

2011-12-20T23:13:00.001Z

Page 52. Anticipate.

so here it is the final page.

I did the front of my page as a road, leading into the future and lined with love....have you any idea how complimacated it is to do hearts in perspective..jeez...

So I started with prisma pencils...

then added some watercolours... I also added some gel transfers of hearts at the top.

added my title...

on the back i used water soluble pencils..

then printed out my journalling..

so that's it, all done.

Thankyou so much for playing along.

I will revisit these pages sometime in the New Year when I get around to making a box for them, as they kind of outgrew the one I had them in.

52 Pages 2011

2011-12-19T21:00:00.000Z

Page 51 . Celebrate.

this prompt was all about Christmas, and if you celebrate or not, if you are looking forward to it or not. I am pretty sure that you can guess from my page how I feel about it.

Drawn straight onto the page..

start to colour with prismas..

onto the green stuff...

blimey, he's really very green...

bit of white for the hat, with a few strokes of a sparkly gel pen.. and some snowflakes...

more snowflakes on the back, with the all important journalling.

2011-12-18T23:10:00.000Z

So tonight I had a skype session with the crazy girl Amy, she wanted to make the folder book that I showed 2 posts back. So I talked her thru it, and while she measured and folded and stuck...and unstuck...lol and ran back and forth hunting for maroon string..

I made this... it is totally made on the same design principle as the folder book, but for this I used 12 x12 scrapbook papers. Of course not being as long as a folder, you can only make one fold ,creating 2 pockets..instead of the double fold that makes 4 pockets.

I had this xmas papers in a box, god only knows how long they have been there, so I thought I would use them up.

I only had 6 sheets, so to bulk it out I made anther 4 pages using plain Bazzill.

I used a different brand of paper for the cover...and strung the pages in with red perle cotton.

I braided the loose strings and added a xmas tree button.

I have plenty of leftover patterned strips that I can use to make tags and cards to slot into the inside pockets.

52 Pages 2011

2011-12-17T23:52:00.001Z

Here are the last 2 prompts for the 52 page 2011 Challenge.

Page 51. Celebrate

Definition= to observe (a day) or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities.

IT’S CHRISTMAS…how will you be spending the holiday, do you even like Christmas, or do you find it a chore to be endured?

Page 52. Anticipate

Defintion= to expect; look forward to;

What are you looking forward to in the year ahead?

Postcard Challenge 2012

2011-12-17T02:07:00.002Z

In the INTRODUCTION POST I showed you the book that I had made to hold my postcards, I also mentioned a link to a ustream show, hosted by my good friend Dede, in which she shows how to make a book from file folders.

Her show is HERE.

All you need is 14 cardstock folders, available from Staples. To have enough pockets for 52 postcards you will need to use 13 for the pages and 1 for the cover.

I thought I would give it a go to see how easy it is...and oh my it is sooooo easy, and totally perfect for our postcard project.

here it is, you can see I used Kraft folders, you could use any colour.

There is no glueing, sticking or sewing involved. The pages are merely held in place with a piece of string/perle cotton/crochet cotton/ribbon whatever you want to use. It is wrapped over the page and around the spine. You can see I tied all my cotton ends off and added a bead.

Inside you can see all the folded folders, you can use folders that have tabs on or not, again it is up to you. I think it adds interest.

The postcards fit in perfectly...

The best thing about using string or ribbon to hold these pages in, is that if you need to for any reaso, you can slip in another page.

Here you can see I cut a page from an old map, and just slipped it in under the string inside the book.

Here is a close up, you can see the string, it is fairly tight, but slipping a page under it is no problem.

I did strengthen the cover by putting a piece of thicker cardboard inside.

I can't wait to see what books you buy or make for this project.

52 Pages 2011

2011-12-15T19:51:00.000Z

Page 50. Utopia.

I drew my image directly onto the front page, sealed it with a little matte medium then coloured the background with neocolor crayons. Finally printing and adding the title.

I coloured the back using neocolours and a little gesso in between layers of colour. Then printed and glued n my journalling.

52 Pages 2011

2011-12-12T01:39:00.002Z

Page 50. Utopia

Definition= an ideal place or state.

Describe your ideal world.

Postcard Challenge 2012

2011-12-11T19:29:00.000Z

So our 52 Pages is almost at an end, and many people have asked me if I am doing a prompt challenge next year...well I am...sort of. I will try and explain what I am going to do, and then if you would like to join in that would be wonderful.

I have a gorgeous set of books, 6 of them, in a wooden box by NICK BANTOCK , the books are the Griffin and Sabine series. I urge you to read them if you have not already, they are truly beautiful books. The theme of the books is two people who correspond by postcard and the books are full of the postcards.

Here is a link TO THE BOOKS on Amazon, you can look inside them.go and look they are beautiful.

I have loved these books for a long time, and decided that next year I am going to make my own book of postcards and create a story to go with them.

There is a button that you can grab, over there on the left...

So here is the challenge, based totally on the Nick Bantock books.

Step one ...create 2 characters, and 2 addresses.

now they can be 2 guys, 2 women, a man and a woman, 2 kids, 2 old people...whatever you want. the address can be anywhere in the world as long as they are fictitious. All you need to start with is a name for each person and an address for each person

Step two... cut out 52 postcards. You can use whatever you want, plain card, textured card, patterned card, watercolour paper...whatever you want, as long as they are 6inches x 4 inches.

If you wish to join in every week you will need 52, you may only want to join in fortnightly, or even monthly in which case you need less cards.

Step three...make or buy a book. you need enough pages for all your cards, depending on how often you are joining in.

Step four...decide how you will attach the cards into the book, you must be able to take them out..so you could use a pocket on each page...an envelope...or bought/hand made photo corners...

that's all you need to do for now.

On Monday 2nd January the challenge will begin. You will need to visit here to find out

...the first country...

this is a really long post, click to see the rest of it.x

each week I will post the name of a country. You then take inspiration from that country to decorate the front of your postcard. In whatever way you wish. you can stamp..collage...draw..paint...whatever you want, as long as it ties in somehow with that weeks country.

On the back of your postcard, make it look like a real postcard. A space for a stamp, some lines for an address..

then write your postcard....from one of your made up people(person A) to the other made up person(person B)

on week two....your postcard will be sent from person B to person A...and so on.

Now what do you write on your postcard?....well that is up to you.

your 2 people are strangers, so how do they have each others addresses? maybe thru an advert? maybe one found the others wallet and it had an address inside? maybe thru a penfriend organisation??

each week you will write from one to the other, asking questions, maybe answering questions, giving snippets of information so these 2 strangers can get to know each other.

perhaps one is a glamorous model, and will talk about her job...maybe one is a travel journalist and will write about the country...maybe one is a spy and will be mysterious...think how your people are able to travel so much...

here is a list of possible peoples to help you;

military..retired people..actors..travel journalist..secret agent..politician..author..designer..event organiser..lottery winner..food critic..dancer..muscian..athlete..researcher..pilot..flight attendant..cabin crew on a cruise...archaeologist..wildlife photographer...spokesperson...time traveller...

IT IS UP TO YOU...have fun with these characters, make them flamboyant, silly, adventurous.

I don't want you to panic and think...OMG I cannot write a story...this is going to be a series of short conversations between 2 people, grammar and composition is not important.

Have you ever picked u a really old postcard and read the message on the back and wondered who this person was, who were they writing to, what kind of life did they have? I am fascinated by these little glimpses into strangers lives. you can make your 'story' elaborate if you want, adding in names of families and details of jobs etc, or you can keep them simple. have fun...fun..fun playing with these characters and their lives.

when your postcard is written post a photo of the front and the back on your blog, this should be done sometime fri-sun each week, ready for the new country to be posted the following Monday.

We will all want to visit each others blogs to read the unfolding stories each week.

and then pop your card into your book. The reason for keeping them in a book is so they are always kept in order, should you want to read them again in the future.

If you want to decorate the page of the book too that is up to you. If you do I suggest using the country as your inspiration for that too.

So are you interested???

My friend Dede has a fabulous show on making a book from file folders which would be perfect for this project. Watch her show HERE...

this is the book that I have made..

I stitched signatures together...

Made a book cover and covered it with wrapping paper in a travel theme.. I added maps to the inside covers.. I then glued an envelope on some pages and stuck photo corners on other pages..

It is already chunky....love it...

I super glued an old belt around it, to keep it closed and to make it look like an old travel journal...

here is the back of my postcard.. I have a bagful of old postage stamps from around the world, so on most of my postcards I will actually be able to use a real stamp from that country.

and here it is in the book. I still need to decorate the page around it.

you will have to come back in January to see the postcard properly and to read the start of my story on the back.

So are you interested in joining in? I do hope so. I would love to come visit your blogs, to see your cards and to read your unfolding story between your 2 characters.

52 Pages 2011

2011-12-10T01:01:00.000Z

page 49. Evolve.

Firstly I took an old book page and glued that to my page. It is very soft absorbent paper, and as I wanted to colour it with water soluble crayons, I decided to seal it with matte medium first.

Next I added a strip of patterned paper along the bottom. Then I coloured the page using neocolours. because I was working over matte medium, it meant I could push the colours around lot to blend them, instead of them sinking into the paper. It does mean that the colours are always vulnerable, even when dry...if anything wet touches them, they will wipe off. To seal fully you would have to use a spray varnish.

I drew and added a chrysalis, and then I did a butterfly transfer using a printed image and mod podge.

I added the title..

I used the same colours and patterned paper on the back.

I decided that this week I wanted my journalling to be private, so I wrote it out and popped it into a book page envelope and glued it to the page.

52 Pages 2011

2011-12-06T00:46:00.002Z

Page 49. Evolve.

Definition=To develop or achieve gradually

We are almost at the end of the year. Think back over this year specifically, how have you changed, if at all? What happened to make you change?

52 Pages 2011

2011-12-04T00:58:00.000Z

page 48 floating...

Totally unlike me I had this page done early, like days ago. Wednesday in fact, but since then I have had a killer migraine..

so here it is..

clouds done with neocolors and white acrylic paint..

on the back I used a little gesso, swiped some distress ink over it then stamped the border section with a Lost Coast border stamp and the middle section with an old background stamp, sorry no idea on the manufacturer.

I added my title to the front, edged each piece with a graphitint pencil.

and typed up and printed out my journalling for the back..

Free classes

2011-11-30T19:00:00.002Z

So today I want to tell you about a couple of friends of mine, both of whom are offering free art classes.

The first is AMY...<--- that is her blog. She also has a NING SITE. there are currently SIX free workshops/classes/weekly challenges going on at the ning site.

The newest class is a mixed media portrait class, you can watch a trailer for it here.

watch the trailer then go to the ning site and sign up to the class where you will be able to download parts one thru to five of the class...thats 6 pdf's and 18 videos...parts 6 thru to 8 will be posted over the next three weeks.

Amy also hosts a facebook group for mixed media artists, you can find it HERE... join up and show us what you can do...and learn from all the other great members.

Finally, there are live shows over on Amy's Linqto Channel...these are different classes to those on the ning site. All the shows are recorded, so you can catch up for free. Sometimes there are guest teachers....and it is all FREE...FREE...FREE...

************
and so onto my second friend....

His name is BLADE...<--- that's his blog.

Blade is currently building a studio in his hometown, and hopes to open to the public soon, offering classes and workshops and spaces for artists and groups to come and be creative.

The studio has a facebook page...CLICK LIKE... to keep up to date with all the happenings there.

Blade has set up twice weekly art lessons. On tuesday nights. it is drawing class(.6pm his time...12midnight for us in the UK) and on Wednesday nights it is painting class (same time) These lessons take place on the OASIS USTREAM CHANNEL the classes are free to attend live, they are also recorded and free to watch for 4 weeks. After that there is a nominal fee to download them.

So how do you get in...well if you go to Blades blog, you can sign up for the FREE NEWSLETTER if you do that you will receive the newsletter by email, and in it you will find the password for the class channel. the password changes each week, so be sure to sign up for the newsletter and read it each week. You can also sign up to be a paid member, that way you can download all of the classes and watch them at your leisure. The link to do that is on the blog.

Watch one of his crazy

CRAZY TRAILERS HERE

In addition to the classes Blade also does a free weekly art journal show (different channel) again this is on ustream, it is free to join ustream, and you don't need a password to watch the show. make sure you do sign up and log in so that you can take part in the chat too. This art journalling takes place on THURSDAY NIGHTS...again 6pm his time and 12midnight for us in the uk. Don't worry if you can't stay up late, the shows are all recorded and you can catch up anytime, though it is great to watch live as you can chat along with everybody else who is watching.

So do please check out these two lovely friends of mine, who put so much of their free time and talent into creating these FREE resources for you.

52 Pages 2011

2011-11-28T18:27:00.002Z

Page 48.floating

Definition= having little or no attachment to a particular place; moving from one place to another.

You are sitting atop your very own cloud, who is sat with you? You may pick 4 people from anytime, past or present, who are they, why have you chosen them?

52 Pages 2011

2011-11-27T01:09:00.001Z

page 47. Gratitude.

I started by drawing a really quick image of sunrise with a purple sharpie...

then I coloured it with promarkers as my base.

over this i put a thin watered down coat of gesso.

and then I coloured it with prisma pencils..

on the back i used gesso and acrylic paint, and did my journaling with a stabilo pencil.

Tangled chameleon.

2011-11-26T18:58:00.000Z

I made this birthday card for someone who loves chameleons.

first I drew the bug eyes creature on some smooth 160gms white card, and coloured with LETRASET promarkers. I used them wet on wet so the colours would blend.

then using a black fineliner I started the tangling patterns. I began with the tree branch, using curve patterns.

Then I filled in the chameleon, choosing patterns to suit each area. Click thru for a closer look.

Finally I carefully cut out the chameleon and his branch and stuck them down over a piece of Basic Grey which was then mounted to a square card blank.

Alcohol Inks

2011-11-24T16:58:00.000Z

I needed to make a new home card. I pulled out a square card blank and cut a piece of photo paper slightly smaller. Then I had a play with my LETRASET alcohol inks.

I dripped and blended and smooshed around and dripped more and blended more...I love getting messy...

I ended up with this piece. I used poppy,cobalt blue,baby pink,meadow green and moss. you only need a little, seriously these colours are VIBRANT..

The more I added and blended I noticed this cracking around the edges... so I added more, blended more to make the cracks bigger. I love them....what a happy accident. Anyone who reads my blog knows how I love texture, love cracks and bubbles and I often heat things up to distort them.

Now I have no idea how this cracking happened, was it the ink? or the amount I used or the photo paper? I tried to replicate it on another piece of photo paper and it didn't happen...not a single crack no matter how much ink I added...pfft..slightly disappointed hahaha

so it must have been the particular brand of photo paper that I used, and I can't even tell you what it is, because it was just a random off-cut in a drawer. Grr don't you hate it when you make something fabby and you can't work out how to do it again.

So I have my piece of inked and cracked paper....I drew my design straight onto the photo paper.

and then I filled in the shapes with a little basic tangling. No complicated patterns, nothing too dense as I wanted the colours to be the focal point.

Finally mounted to a card blank and it is ready to send off.

Mandala.

2011-11-22T02:18:00.000Z

So, I signed up for the free mandala class over on WILLOWING... the class is being taught by the beautiful GUADALUPE...

you should check out the class, it is so relaxing watching her work. Making mandalas is very much like tangling, and you can combine the two.

I drew my mandala first in pencil on watercolour paper...

Then I coloured using Inktense pencils...

I went back in and added some shading with Graphitint pencils...

And finally added some doodling...

52 Pages 2011

2011-11-21T22:02:00.002Z

Page 47. Gratitude

Definition = a feeling of thankfulness or appreciation, as for gifts or favours

Has someone given you a special gift lately? What are you grateful for?

52 Pages 2011

2011-11-19T19:34:00.000Z

Page 46. Grow.

in the theme of the last post i drew another lil girl, holding some flowers. The dress is BG paper and the background is Dylusions inks, painted on rather than sprayed. The poem is written on using black acrylic ink. Glass dew drops added at the end.

I covered the back with more BG paper, then did my journalling.

Lil girls luv christmas...

2011-11-14T23:02:00.004Z

On Friday the wonderful MANON...very generously gave us a free class over on Amy's channel. Manon showed us how she paints her little girls, and we all had a go at them. I have to say it isn't easy arting along, trying to find the right colours, and watch and listen and type in the chat box ....but we did have a great time.

This is my lil girl from that night, so easy and lots of fun to do.

I am making an altered book along with Amy, OVER HERE...why don't you come and join us...

I tipped my lil girl into my altered book..

I wanted to make more lil girls, and decided to make some into Christmas cards. Having done the larger one in the class, it was easy peasy to do them again on a smaller scale.

The first two..

I love them...so I made another two...

Seriously I freaking love them....two more...

uh oh...cannot resist...must make more...lol

hee hee just can't stop...

ok these are the last ones, I swear...

Why don't you go watch the class then you can make them too.

Manon will show you how to draw the face, colour it with promarkers, blend out with gesso and shade with promarkers.

I don't think shading over gesso is a good idea with promarkers though, I have tried it before and it kills them, so I have changed these up slightly and I do my first layer with promarkers, then gesso then shading with prisma pencils.

52 Pages 2011

2011-11-14T00:44:00.000Z

Page 46.Grow

Definition=To develop and reach maturity

Do you feel mature? How have you grown lately. Are you watching children grow, how have they amazed you? Maybe you grow veggies, do you have green fingers and prize pumpkins?

52 Pages 2011

2011-11-12T23:01:00.000Z

Page 45 Listen.

sorry no WIP shots, I forgot...and I was drinking wine...and I was watching x-factor..

Front...

Back...

testing watercolours

2011-11-11T00:12:00.003Z

last Saturday i was at the NEC and managed to pick up a water colour set for £19.99. It is the Windsor and Newton Cotman half pan studio set. It has 45 half pans. I have seen it other places with prices ranging from £35-£65...so I think I got a good bargain.

So I wanted to try them out, and after watching a video demo by RHOMANY I decided to try them out along with prismas and Inktense pencils.

Now i had no intentions of blogging this, it was just meant to be a practice piece, but even though there are lots and lots wrong with it, I decided to show you anyway...I mean why not right?

so I quickly drew my girl...I should have reworked her to get her right, but I was too eager to play with the paints...

her shoulders are too big and round, waist too narrow, eyes too big and close together...but i was impatient, so I inked it..

and started colouring with prismas, using watercolour washes over them.

I kept adding layers...

and more layers... i did the hair with Inktense.

more layers... and a wash over the background.

I added more layers to the background, including some mod podge transfers.

added a transferred word, some bubbles ....a frame and its done...

Looking for Models...

2011-11-08T03:54:00.000Z

You remember the Viking from THIS POST...well here he is again...

he is looking for models, but you don't have to actually 'be' a model... he has recently done a couple of paintings in a 'fairytale' style, and has been approached to make a full calender, featuring 12 paintings in this same style.

here are the 2 that he has already done.

So, do you fancy being painted in a fairytale....go to his blog...HERE... to find out all the details of how you can take part.

52 Pages 2011

2011-11-07T20:03:00.002Z

Page 45. Listen

Definition=To make an effort to hear something

The world is a noisy old place, imagine a world of silence. What sounds would you miss? What did you listen to today?

52 Pages 2011

2011-11-03T21:32:00.000Z

Page 44. Spark.

So what sets me off, what is 'like a red rag to a bull'...

this made me think of bullfighters, which made me think of the Paso Doble...tenuous link I know.

I used to be a dancer, for years and years. I love dancing. I hate to see it messed around with.

I love watching SCD on tv, but when they prance around instead of doing proper steps it really winds me up, also I hate,hate,hate the weeks when they use props. Len is the only judge worth listening to, and when he yells severrrrrn, it makes me laugh.

I break lots of rules in arting/crafting....but there are just some things in life that should be done properly, and Ballroom dancing is one of those things.

So , I covered my page with scrapbook paper, then painted over that with faux lumiere paints. I added some dimensional paint...and was then stuck while it dried...

while waiting I drew and cut out a number '7' and a couple of dancing silhouettes.

I added my title and the front was done.

on the back, I painted with faux lumieres..and white acrylic..

next I added some torn scrapbook paper, the same as that used on the front...

I painted over the edges of the torn paper, and then cut out and painted 2 feet. Adding more dimensional paint.

Finally writing my journalling straight onto the feet.

52 Pages 2011

2011-10-31T21:29:00.000Z

Page 44. Spark

Definition=A vital, animating, or activating factor

Most of us are pretty good at keeping our cool, but sometimes all it takes is one little thing..often it comes after many other little things, and it becomes ‘the last straw’ what sets you off, what really makes you see ‘red’?

..................................................................................................

Only 8 pages to go, how are you doing? are you keeping up?

Tangling with Letraset

2011-10-29T15:59:00.001+01:00

Doodles,patterns,zentangles,zendoodles..whatever you call them, it amounts to the same thing. Filling in shapes with patterns. The word 'zentangle' has been copyrighted, so I tend not to use that term.

Instead I 'Tangle'....I love tangling, and in fairness I do sometimes end up in a tangle with them. Sometimes there are no 'zen' qualities involved as I get frustrated with a particular pattern, but on the whole it is very absorbing and relaxing. many 'tangles' are black pen on white paper, and stunning they are too, but I do love a bit of colour.

So here is my latest tangle..

I started with a freehand pencil drawing of a tree....ok so I know it's not like any tree you might actually see on a Sunday afternoon stroll, but it works for this purpose...and totally proves you do not have to be an artist to create a recognizable shape.

For the circles I used bottle tops and lids....obviously you can use a compass, but you know household objects work just fine. Using a ruler I found the centre of each circle, this was just so I could plan out my patterns.

I inked the whole of the outline using a fineliner.

Then I started to colour each of the shapes using mainly Letraset promarkers with a few Flexmarkers used too. This was just a base colour, so I blocked in the shapes with just one shade.

Colours used:

Promarkers -
oatmeal - tan - khaki - meadow green - lime green - sky blue - lemon - blossom

Flexmarkers -
soft aqua - aquamarine

Next I shaded each of the areas, on most areas I used the same shade as the base layer.

extra colours used for shading:

Caramel - cinnamon - soft green - duck egg - cobalt blue - marsh green - rose pink

Once all the shading was done the tangling could be done.

I worked on the tree branches first and then the tree trunk. Then I filled in each circle one at a time. I used a 0.3mm fineliner for most, with a 0.1mm for the smallest areas.

Remember to vary the intensity , use both small and large patterns...use dense patterning but also leave more open areas to allow the colour to play its role. think about the shapes you have created and use your patterns accordingly. Note how the bands on the branches curve around to signify the curve of the branch. I also used mainly curving patterns on the foliage/flowers to give them a fluid more natural look. If, say I had drawn a building, I would have used patterns with much straighter lines.

I hope you will give coloured 'tangles' a try. Get out your promarkers and flexmarkers and see how effective just a little shading can be.

52 Pages 2011

2011-10-28T16:30:00.000+01:00

Page 43. First.

My first, is about the first gig i went to in the 80's. So I coloured my page neon green,yellow and orange...most certainly not my favourite colours at all, but they were the colours of my socks back in the day.

next I went rummaging in the attic and found the program from that first music gig....I photocopied a page and stuck that on the back .

yes the first gig I went to was a Wham! gig. I went with my friend Karen, so i found out a photo of us both taken that year and scanned it. I added it to the front with the dates of the gig.

At the time I had a white tshirt with big blue letters on the front that said 'Go-Go' I know I had a photo of me wearing it somewhere but I cannot find it, so I stamped the words 'wake me up before you go-go' over the front of the page.

I typed up my journalling and added it to the back.

Circle journal

2011-10-25T19:02:00.000+01:00

So it's that time again, the circle journals are once more changing hands. this month I worked in Catherine's book. I had a tricky start, apart from deciding on pink and blue, I really didn't know what I wanted to do.

So I gessoed the page a little, and added neocolours.

Then I sprayed dylusions inks through a stencil..

and then I completely changed my mind, added different colours, some white acrylic, some bubble wrap stamping, some lines of black and silver acrylic, and some gesso stars at the top.

next i drew a birdie, based very loosely on a hummingbird..it is coloured with necolours and prismas, a little stamping on the head and glossy accent dots added to the wings. All the feathers are cut out separately and stuck on.

For the tail feathers I used 3 layers, a solid bit with text stamping on it, a stamped and cut out swirl , and some stamped acetate.

All the pieces were glued to the birdie.

Then i drew and cut out a birdcage in cardstock. I painted it gold, then added 3 layers of UTEE in golds and in verdigris, when cool I cracked it and rubbed navy wax into the cracks.

I added the cage and the bird to the page, along with some lace under the cage, and some stamped and cut out flowers..stamped on book text.

It looked all the same colour, and needed something more. I made some 'thistle' type flowers from cardstock covered in cosmic bondable film, and lines of embossing powder..

Once everything was glued in place i added the printed title and rubbed some silver wax over the bird.

Close up of the bird.

and keeping in the same theme, this is the tag i made to go with the page. Coloured first with neocolours, small leaves punched out for the edges, they are coloured with promarkers. I drew the tree, coloured that with promarkers and cut it out...yes I cut out all those tiny green leaves.

The bird is cut with a die, the birdcage was done on the cricut, and covered in UTEE.

52 Pages 2011

2011-10-24T01:00:00.002+01:00

Page 43. First

Definition=The beginning; the outset

Think about all the ‘firsts’ in your life, first kiss, first driving lesson,first house, first glass of champagne. Pick one and tell us about it.

52 Pages 2011

2011-10-23T17:23:00.001+01:00

Page 42 Direction.

I started by glueing a map to my page. I added an image of the magic 8 ball.

I then pushed gesso through some arrow stencils, and once dry I painted it. I then added some dimensional paint.

The title was printed and glued on.

On the back I added another map, and wrote my journalling over it.

Website review.

2011-10-18T22:30:00.003+01:00

This is twofold. Firstly have you heard about Willowing's Life Book online course. This is a year long course, starting in January. Please take a look at that link and treat yourself, the cost is low considering what you get in return, and supplies needed are minimal too. you will have a wonderful year, learn so much, meet and share with over 200 other people who are doing the course...and it will be fun!

I have signed up, and I cant wait to get started in January. In preparation I ordered some new crayons.

Now you may have noticed how I adore my Neocolor IIs, watersoluble crayons. They are gorgeous crayons, beautiful to work with and the results are always pleasing. If you decide to do the Willowing Life Book, you will see that Tamara uses these crayons too. They are mentioned in the supplies list as are Derwent Inktense pencils.

I am very lucky to have the tin of 84 Neocolors, but there are in fact 126 colours, so I searched online to find some single colours to add to my collection. I did first try a local art shop, with no luck.

So I googled 'neocolor crayons uk'...several sites came up and I checked them all out for prices, and came back to the second on the search list which was ..

Pencils4Artists

I ordered my crayons, late at night..and within 3 working days they were here. I popped them away in a drawer, pleased with the prompt delivery and price. The problem came when I went to use the new ones. I selected a blue crayon, used it on a project and then proceeded to blend with a damp paintbrush, only it wouldnt...blend that is. Kinda puzzled, I started the project again, got to the same point, used the blue crayon and again it wouldnt blend. Only at this point did I read the label, and was gutted to see it was a Neocolor I.

Neocolor do two types of crayons. The I's and the II's. The I's are just regular wax crayons, the II's are watersoluble.

So I was a bit annoyed to say the least and quickly sent off a letter to pencils4artists, explaining the problem and asking them to replace the blue crayon. I checked the rest of the delivery, and they were all correct.

Now this is the reason why I am blogging about what happened.

The next day I received an email from Alan at pencils4artists . The email was very courteous and apologetic. Alan explained he had checked his stock and all of that particular shade were Neo I's, not only annoying for me, but hassle for them too as they don't even stock the Neo I's. He very generously offered to send me 10 other crayons to make up for the blue being incorrect. I thought this was above and beyond the service I would have expected. So I emailed back with a list of colours and within 2 working days they were here, all correct.

So because of their excellent customer service I wanted to tell you all about them. Not only are their communications polite, their delivery is prompt and their prices are very competitive. In fact taking into account postage/minimum spend, I couldnt find anywhere cheaper for single crayons.

so I urge you to take a look at their website

The site is very well laid out. With the UK postage displayed clearly at the top. I do find it very annoying when I have to search for shipping charges, but here it is the first thing you see.

UK postage £1.95 no matter how much you buy.

next you see the different sections, Clearance. Pencil Type. Accessories.

Scrolling down you see the sections for 12 different brands of pencils. Followed by a further 4 sections for other types of pencils/crayons.

Each section, has a clear photo and main heading, making it easy to decide which area to explore. Within each section are subsections, again all clearly defined. The text for and within each section is clear and concise, with good grammar and punctuation.

Although the look of the website is a little stark, with a plain white background, it is very easy to navigate...and quite frankly ease of use is far more important to me than a fancy background. Also this is very clearly a 'shopping' site. It is not exclusive to working/qualified artists, but effectively targeted at those who love and use these products, whether they be professional artists or crafters.

The checkout procedure is easy, and delivery is prompt. The option to contact the company is also very easy to find, and as was proved in my case they reply very quickly.

If you are planning on doing the Willowing course then you would be hard pushed to find a better site for your pencils and crayons.

The Neo II's are £1.06 each, a tin of 40 crayons comes in at just under £50.

In the CLEARANCE SECTION you will find the complete set of Derwent Inktense pencils in a tin for £68.99 ( while stocks last)

All in all my experience with this company was excellent, and I am more than happy to recommend them to you.

52 Pages 2011

2011-10-17T00:45:00.003+01:00

Page 42.Direction

Definition=A course or area of development; a tendency toward a particular end or goal

Have you followed true to one direction in life, or have you meandered. Do you feel you need a new direction? Are you afraid to change course?

52 Pages 2011

2011-10-16T03:33:00.000+01:00

Page 41. Desire.

Firstly I sprayed the page with ink, then I masked off the word 'Desire' and inked again. next I pushed black gesso through a heart stencil.

Then I ripped up some book pages to make hearts, and doodled around the edges of them. This pic looks dark as it was taken at night.

Then I doodled a large heart and filled it with lots of patterns, highlighting it with white gelly roll pen.

These are the true colours, photo taken in daylight.

On the back I sprayed ink, and edged with black.

Then doodled some wavy lines and wrote my journalling.

52 Pages 2011

2011-10-16T03:22:00.000+01:00

Page 40. Invoke.

I coloured my page, both back and front, using neocolours and white acrylic and versa magic chalk around the edges.

I then drew genie and coloured her with promarkers, adding highlights with a white gelly roll pen and a clear star gelly roll pen.

I added my title, stamped with midnight blue stazon, and rubbed silver wax around the edges of the page.

I wrote about my wishes on the back, one from childhood, one for now and one for the future.

52 Pages 2011

2011-10-14T15:59:00.002+01:00

Page 39. Crayon.

I brushed over the front of the page with distress ink. Then I cut off some chunks of wax crayon...just regular kids wax crayons. I heated the page with a heat gun and stuck the chunks of wax to the top.

Next I stood the page up and heated the top, so that the crayons melt and run down.

I then brushed on some matte medium to help seal it, though it doesn't stick over the thicker wax dribbles.

I stamped and cut out my images ( Lost Coast Designs) and stuck them on, along with my title. I finished it off with some white acrylic.

On the back I first stuck on a photo of a rainbow that I took last month. I distressed the actual photo with sandpaper and rubbed brown ink into the scratches.

I added red and black faux lumiere paint to the edges, and some white acrylic to match the front.

Finally I added my journalling either side of the rainbow.

52 Pages 2011

2011-10-14T00:30:00.003+01:00

Page 38 Author.

I coloured the page using alcohol inks , because it is just card stock the ink soaks in pretty quick. i created the patterns on it using splashes of water and also blending solution. No need to colour the back as the ink soaks straight through.

I used the fabulous new alcohol inks from Letraset, more about those another day, when I have more samples to show you.

I then drew and cut out the shape of an open book, and glued to it images of fantasy characters.

On the back I splodged (technical term) lots of matte medium, dried it with a heat gun then rubbed gold wax over it.

I glued the book images to the front and added my title, and rubbed a little gold around the edges.

Finally I printed out my journalling and added that to the back.

52 Pages 2011

2011-10-10T00:08:00.000+01:00

Page 41. Desire

Definition=a longing or craving, as for something that brings satisfaction or enjoyment.

What do you long for? Are your desires ever fulfilled? Do you feel desirable, is there someone in your life that makes you feel desirable?

Gift Bag

2011-10-09T17:54:00.001+01:00

So I needed a little gift bag ...

I took a Kraft coloured file folder. Cut in half, one side will be slightly wider, use this one.

Find the middle of the long side, fold one half in about 1cm past the middle point, then fold over the second half. They will overlap slightly, use double sided tape to stick along the bottom edge and the edge where they overlap.

Score a line along both sides and along the bottom. I scored 2.5c in, however wide you do this will determine how wide the sides of your bag are.

Turn the whole thing over and score exactly the same on the reverse..

Put your hand inside the bag and pop out the sides, creasing the edges so they stay out. Fold the top over and pop some holes in using the cropodile.

Decorate the front of the bag.

On the bottom of the bag fold in the triangular ends, stick them down securely to make a flat base.

Add a ribbon and a little tag and you are all done.

Perpetual Calendar

2011-10-08T21:34:00.002+01:00

A good while ago my lovely friend Sue posted this link on F/B..click here ..l liked the look of this simple little calendar. I have always been rubbish at keeping a diary, although I can talk for England, I never have enough to write in a daily diary.....so just writing one line each day really appealed to me.

I decided to have a go.

Firstly I downloaded this ledger paper and printed it out onto white card, both sides. Sounds like a lot of printing , it was..but I had an old printer that i wanted rid of, but it still had loads of ink in it that needed using up....so I did lol you could just buy index cards.

So I printed and trimmed... I also ran a burgundy promarker around all the edges.

I stamped dates on all the cards.

and on the front card for each month I added a tab for the name of the month.

Sheesh...how many cards....it took me ages...

I bought 12 postcards from a local shop to use as dividers, they all have vintage scenes from my area,

and here is how it works. Write the year on the left and use one, or two if you have to,line to make a quick note of that day.

At the moment they are stood in a boring little box which needs decorating...when I get around to it...

52 pages 2011

2011-10-03T23:44:00.002+01:00

Page 40.Invoke

Definition=to call for with earnest desire; make supplication or pray for.

You just rubbed the lamp and the genie has appeared, what are your three wishes?

Blank canvas

2011-09-29T22:33:00.001+01:00

anything you can paint on can be a canvas right....of course it can.

Take for instance this washing powder box...

I made a loop from really stiff wire and poked the ends through the back of the box, twisting it and taping it down inside.

I glued the box lid shut and then covered the box with masking tape. Wrapped one way and then a second coat the opposite way.

making sure the wire loop at the back stays free.

Finally i added some thick gesso, leaving it deliberately rough. of course you could put it on smoothly if you prefer.

You can hang it up or have it free standing..
now just need to think of what to paint on it...any ideas???

Circle Journal

2011-09-28T15:25:00.000+01:00

So at the beginning of the month Tracey's journal arrived at my house. (click on her name to go have a nosey at her lovely blog and learn all about her wonderful shop)

I made a list of things that I had worked out about Tracey, from her stuff on F/B and on her blog. Things like pink,blue,hearts,flowers,butterflies and zentangles...her only dislikes as far as I could see are yellow and orange.

So I started thinking pinks,blues and butterflies....and this is what I came up with.

I sprayed the page with Dylusions inks and added some Brilliance ink pads.

I lightly stamped some large foam flowers into the background,added a text stamp,next I pushed some gesso through a flower stencil.

I sprayed over the flowers with more ink, and finally sprayed some Shimmerz spray over the page.

Next I found a butterfly poem and tried it out for size on scrap paper.

It just fit, so I copied it out onto the pages.

next I drew a large butterfly and once I was happy with the shape I copied it onto watercolour paper.

I folded the paper again and cut out some sections.

I coloured the front with water colour pencils and added definition with a black pen and white gelly pen.

I coloured the back just using ink pads blended together.

The whole thing was quite flimsy, and my idea was to paint on 3-4 coats of matte medium on each side to strengthen it. however i knew brushing on the glue would smear the watercolour pencils, so first I gave it a light coat of spray varnish to seal it. Then I added 4 coats of clear drying matte medium to each side.

Finally I glued the body part of the butterfly into the book, leaving the wings loose so they can be lifted to read the poem.

side view..

The wings do lie completely flat so that the book will shut, but their weight makes them bend slightly when the book is stood up which makes them seem more 3D.

This is the tag I made to go in the pocket.

the book has now been sent onto the next member of the group and I await another journal to work in...

52 pages 2011

2011-09-26T16:47:00.000+01:00

Page 39.crayon

Definition=a pointed stick or pencil of colored clay, chalk, wax, etc., used for drawing or coloring.

What colour crayon are you? What does this say about you? What will you draw/write?

2011-09-24T23:59:00.002+01:00

I have been meaning to show you some awesome happy mail that I received from the equally awesome Donna-do-dah ..just lookie what she sent..

First up a seemingly random little booklet full of knitting patterns, however i happen to love this bag pattern, so I think i will make it. Also one of Donna's beautiful arty faces made into a laminated postcard. I just luuuuurve her faces..

Next up an assortment of giraffy goodness and ultimate glee..

Just look at that wee stubby pencil, it has gone in my bag of giraffe 'stuff' that will get made into a giraffe book one day. The giraffe with the huuuuge feet is now hanging on my painting bag, he's prollly high from the fumes by now.

But the large giraffe was handmade by Donna herself, now admittedly he's not a very conventional looking giraffe, but then Donna isn't conventional..thank goodness...and she know that neither am I.

I am a little worried about his lack of eyes, so I will add some..

finally the most fabulous junk/smash journal ever...

It is jam packed full of treasures, hidden pages and pully out bits...i cannot even begin to describe just how cool it is., and these photos do not do it justice. I may have to make a short video showing you just how marrrrvelous it is.

go HERE ... to see Donna's photos of the insides.

52 pages 2011

2011-09-23T02:04:00.000+01:00

page 37..Release

Ok I am almost back up to speed, just this weeks to catch up on now.

So first I gessoed my page, good and thick with ridges.

Then I coloured it with neocolors and pencils to resemble painted wood.

look at that yummy texture..

On separate paper i drew some linked chain and a padlock. I coloured them using prisma pencils. i glued the onto the page and added my title.

finally i printed my journalling and glued that to the back, before putting a blue wash over it with neocolors.

52 pages 201

2011-09-22T00:39:00.000+01:00

Page 36. Unique...

First I gessoed both sides of my page with black gesso...it is super scrummy, inky black stuff...but a nightmare to clean up..

Then I drew some DNA strands..

I coloured them using pearlex watercolours and metallic pencils. Added some 'cells' and 'chromosomes' in the background...or as I like to think of them, blobs of glue and some pencils...

Then I made a magnifying glass...I used card and acetate. I wanted to use a glass watch face, but try as I might I could not get the watch to fall apart...

So what do you see when you take a magnifying glass to my unique DNA...

52 pages 2011

2011-09-21T00:31:00.000+01:00

Page 35. Wilderness...playing catch up here.

I started by printing this photo that I took in Barnard Castle 3 years ago. I glued it to the page and washed over it with green.

Then I stencilled over it with green acrylic, using this new tree stencil by Crafters Workshop.

Next I added some leaf masks and dabbed more paint over them. I did the leaves on the back of the page too.

this is the back...

I then printed out the original photo again, and cut out the doors and windows, adding them to the leafy page.

I added a little white acrylic around the doors and windows then added my stamped title.

I printed my journalling, edged it with a trusty brown promarkers and glued it to the page, adding a little colour wash over it.

52 Pages 2011

2011-09-19T03:57:00.002+01:00

Page 38. Author

Definition=a person who writes a novel, poem, essay, etc.; the composer of a literary work, as distinguished from a compiler, translator, editor, or copyist.

Have you ever thought about writing a book, maybe you started one, did you finish it..if not why not? Who is your favourite author?

Letraset Flexmarkers

2011-09-18T19:22:00.001+01:00

I have been a fan of promarkers for a couple of years now, and I am lucky enough to have the full set of 148 colours. Father Christmas has been very good to me lol

so I was super excited to be asked to try out the new Letraset Flexmarkers. I was sent the first 24 colours to be released , had a play with them and then was asked to demo them at the Great Northern Papercrafts Extravaganza in Harrogate last weekend.

these are the new marker pens..

There will be 72 colours eventually, 24 are available now in 4 packs of 6 colours.( Packs of 12 will be available in November) An added incentive to buy these for your marker collection, is that 51 of these colours will not be available in Promarkers....

None of the first 24 colours are available in Promarkers, so you do not need to worry about doubling up on colours that you may already have.

Here are the first 24 colours.

How pretty are they? perfect shades and tints to complement the main Promarker range.

So what makes these pens different apart from the colours? Well they still have the chisel end, but the new Flexmarkers have a brush end. They are roughly the same length as Promarkers, but chunkier.

You may have seen other brands that also have a brush end, here is a photo comparison. With these Flexmarkers you get a lot of pen for your money!

So what do I think of them? Well I could just say I love them and leave it at that, I mean I was given them freely and under no obligation to make this blog post....but I actually do love them.

I was a little wary of the brush end. I am not a great fan of Copics, I bought 5 to try them and quickly decided to stick with my promarkers. So I was very surprised to find the new Flexmarker brush easy to work with. Very little effort is needed, the brush does all the work for you. The clue is in the name, they are very flexible...

How daunting is it to pick up a real brush if you are not a trained artist..it is to me. These pens give you the feel of the brush, while still giving you absolute control.

As much as I love the bullet end of my Promarkers, these new brush ends are perfect for blending wet on wet, by that I mean a layer of one colour laid down and while still wet another colour is applied next to it or over it and the two blended together. The shape of the brush means you can also achieve some beautifully fluid lines and shapes.

these new pens also have colour coded dots on EACH end, making each pen easily identifiable.

They use the same coding system as the Letraset Tria pens. If you are interested in learning about the coding system go HERE ..however you do not need to know how this works in order to enjoy these pens. Give yourself a chance to play with them and you will very quickly work out your favourite colours and how they work together. I can see how for dedicated artists, these colour codes would be handy, but us crafters are driven by inspiration and instinct.

Are you thinking end dots would be a good idea for your Promarkers? have you, like me, sat for hours punching out little sticky dots and colouring them in to put on the ends?

well look at this fab new product, soon to be available from Letraset...click here...

So what can you do with these pens? well pretty much anything you can think of. The ink is exactly the same as Promarker ink, so you can use the new Flexmarkers on all your favourite projects. You can also use both Flexmarkers and Promarkers in the same project.

here are the samples that I took to Harrogate.

As you can see, not only can you colour in your stamped images...use a Memento ink pad for best results... you can also use your pens to colour in ribbons,lace,buttons,brads,flowers,stick pins.peel offs and stick on pearls. you can even make your own bakers twine!

Each project you make can be fully colour coordinated, no more searching for the perfect shade of ribbon...

White is your best friend.

Smooth white paper no less than 100gsm

Smooth white cardstock around 160gsm works well

White ribbons, sheer,cotton,velvet,lace,satin

White buttons and stick on pearls and stick pins

Silver peel offs and silver or white brads

White crochet cotton

It is very important to use smooth card or paper, the best that you can afford, the beauty of these pens is the ability to layer and blend them. If you try this on cheap paper you will soon find the paper fluffs up, on a better quality surface you will achieve a smooth,streak-free image every time.

Obviously these pens will appeal to professional artists and designers...especially those who love Manga. I am a fan of drawing Manga, I love the eyes, and the costumes but I was running short on time before the show, so I asked an artist friend to draw these for me.(See some of his other work HERE ) I coloured them using the new Flexmarkers.

One thing I must tell you about the brush ends, is that some of the paler colours do need 'priming' by this I mean you need to work them in a circular motion onto scrap paper for a few moment to get the colour flowing. Otherwise you will start to use them and think they aren't working as there is no colour. I promise you, the colour is there and will come through if you give it chance. You should only need to do this the first time you use them. My tip is to colour a little swatch with the chisel end, this should give you the true colour. then colour next to it with the brush end until the 2 swatches match in colour depth.

All in all these pens are a fabulous addition to my Promarker collection.

See the official page of Flexmarkers HERE...

So armed with my samples I went off to Harrogate. I was there as the doors opened, so I could find the 3 stands at which I would be working...it also gave me a chance to pick up a few bargains.

My first demo was with Tabbykat Designs after that I spent an hour with Stamp Addicts. After a quick lunch I demoed with Stamposaurus before going back for a final hour with Tabbykat Designs.

The day passed so quickly, all the retailers that I worked with were very friendly and generous with the space they gave me, and all made me feel really welcome. I wasn't quite prepared for how busy it would be, and I had a sore throat by the end of the day lol

This was right at the end of the day, when the place had started to empty.

My best buy of the day was some of the Promarker Ultra-fine nibs. I had not had a chance to try them out before, so I treated myself to a couple of packets...They are fabulous..wow I am so glad letraset brought these out. You get 3 nibs in a pack, each one clips over the bullet end of your Promarkers to give you a fine liner.

They effectively give you 3 thickness with each pen.

They are easily flushed through, so you can swap them from one pen to another.But in all honesty they are so cheap it is worth buying a few packets and having one nib for at least each main colour group.

Freebies

2011-09-17T01:35:00.000+01:00

How would you like 450 freebies.. oh you would, well here you go then.

I have spent far too much time cutting up books, cutting out words and phrases and glueing them down onto sheets of card...

All for you!

Here are the original sheets, all gluey ...and believe me it wasn't just the sheets of card, the desk, the cutting mat and pretty much most of me was gluey too.

Here they are scanned and printed out. Firstly see them printed out onto white...you can either choose paper or cardstock....they don't look very interesting do they, I mean they are ok, but I don't love them...

But when you print them out onto cream....which I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND...all of a sudden they have so many possibilities...

450 possibilities....all these words and phrases for you to print out and cut up. use them on cards, on canvasses, in journals.... whatever you like.

Remember,print onto cream, they will look so much better. I am not sure how to explain it, on white they look like photocopies, on cream they look a bit more professional/arty...anyway, print them out and see what you think.

open this photo up, they really do look great.

And here is where you can get them. If you download them, please do let me know what you think of them.

DOWNLOAD LINK

They are free to download, and free to use in whatever you make. However please DO NOT resell them. Also please do not embed the download link anywhere, instead please direct your friends to this blog to get the link. Thanks.xxx

52 Pages 2011

2011-09-11T22:07:00.000+01:00

Sorry I have been mental busy, I will catch up on 3 pages this week.

Page 37. Release

Definition =to free from confinement, bondage, obligation, pain, etc.; let go:to free from anything that restrains.

Do you have children? How do you ever let them go? Remember their first day at school, how was that? Maybe they have just gone off to university, or moved out into their own home, or got married? They say the ultimate love is to let them go, but it is hard.

52 pages 2011

2011-09-05T01:27:00.002+01:00

Page 36. Unique

Definition= existing as the only one or as the sole example; single; solitary in type or characteristics

What makes you unique? What do you bring to the group that is different from everyone else? Do you like being different, or do you prefer to blend in.

52 pages 2011

2011-08-30T02:14:00.002+01:00

Page 35. Wilderness

Definition= a wild and uncultivated region, as of forest or desert, uninhabited or inhabited only by wild animals; a tract of wasteland.

Do you sometimes feel you are wandering in the wilderness, afraid and lost, without direction? Or are you an outdoorsy type, do you relish being outside in the countryside. If you were a wild animal what would you be? Maybe you are a delicate flower instead, battling the elements?

52 pages 2011

2011-08-28T16:36:00.000+01:00

Page 34 Tribal.

To me, the word tribal always makes me think of tattoos. I love them, either bold or delicate, I just love them. I prefer black and grey tattoos, I really don't care much for coloured ones. I would love to have a tribal tattoo on my foot one day, with the word 'explore' within it.

I started by gessoing my page. I had just got some black gesso for the first time ever. OMG it is black, I mean really,really inky black. In fact it is quite mesmerising, if the tub was bigger i would get in it for a paddle.

I drew a tribal heart with a white gelly roll pen.

then I painted this with my home made faux lumiere paint in red.

Normally at this point I would cover up the background with my main image, but I really liked this one so I just doodled the edge.

I did pretty much the same on the back, but a slightly different design, this one based on a friend's real tattoo.

Again coloured with red.

The edge doodled.

and a little text added.

Circle Journal

2011-08-24T18:32:00.000+01:00

I know, I know I said I would never do one....BUT..after doing the MIMM journal with Kirsty and a fab bunch of girls, 10 of us got together and decided to do a circle journal. So I set up a little f/b group for just the 10 of us, we all ordered the same size Moleskine journal, and got started.

I chose a red journal, they are also available in Kraft,blue and black from HERE, they are cheap as chips, around £6.30 for a pack of three, and free postage.

We each have decorated our front covers, inside cover, first page and 1 tag. The books then get passed on and the next person will do a double page spread and 1 tag, before passing on the book again.

The main reason i have not joined in a circle journal before, is all the rules and specific themes that people insist upon. Apart from a few colour dislikes we don't have any specifics in these journals, the theme is free style, which is great!

The pages in these Moleskines are a bit thin to take paint, so they were glued together in pairs to make them stronger, then each pair was glued to the next pair, leaving the top open to create pockets for the tags. You start with 40 pages, and end up with 10 pages and space for 10 tags.

I gessoed my front cover,I put the gesso on really thickly in parts to create ridges, then started to paint it.

I used the faux lumiere paint that I made, which has a gorgeous sheen to it. I used green,purple and blue. then used dimensional paint to stencil the diamonds.

Next I added some stamped text.

using a stencil as inspiration i cut this girl out of printer paper and started to colour her, part way through I decided to give her a patterned paper dress.

She was glued to the front cover, I then added a small stamped bird and birdcage and the title. I don't know why but she just looked like she should be hula hooping....so after much trial and error..and bribery...I worked out how the elliptical circles should look...drew them softly in pencil then glued bakers twine down with matte accents.

I decided to do my inside cover and first page as all one spread. I painted the background again with lumieres. I added some drips and also pushed some gesso through an alphabet stencil and then colouring it once dried.

I printed out a black and white horse on printer paper, cut it out and then painted it with neocolors, adding a horn to make it into a unicorn. I then stencilled some seed head flowers to the page, added the unicorn and glued some stamped flowers in the foreground. I printed the title onto lightweight cream card and cut it out.

For my tag, I again painted using lumieres, did some stencilling and doodled a border.

On one side I added circles and this quote.

and on the other side I stuck a photo of me and some info.

and thats it all done. I now need to mail it out to the next person. I won't see this book again for 10 months, I will be so excited to get it back and see what everybody else has done inside it.

close up of stamped flowers.

close up of bakers twine hoops and singing birdie.

52 pages 2011

2011-08-22T17:08:00.000+01:00

Page 34. Tribal

Definition=displaying loyalty to a tribe, group, or tribal values

Who is in your tribe, your family? Are you close knit and loyal to each other, or spread all over the world. How do you keep in touch?

52 Pages 2011

2011-08-22T00:21:00.000+01:00

Page 33 Bargain.

I am not convinced this page works at all, well I know it doesn't...but at the end of the day these little pages are a good place to play and experiment with different techniques. I do hope you don't come here expecting to learn something or to see an amazing finished page lol goodness knows I have nothing to teach lol So I am not happy with this as a page, but I do love the techniques used.

I started with my hot glue gun, not used this in ages, I drew my pound and dollar signs on the pages and applied the hot glue on top. If I had any patience i would have made them neater. I do not have patience, so they are messy, but I like that.

The glue dries almost instantly, so you can paint straight away. I decided to gesso first, just to give a little tooth over the glue itself.

Then I started adding paint.

I watered down my lumieres to make washes and added several colours, building the layers.

Until I had the colours the way I wanted them, on both sides.

I also added a little dimensional paint and some gold wax.

At this point I was really happy with it, and would uses the steps to here again.....but this was only meant to be a background, so I had to keep going to build the page.
I added some painted paper strips.

I still really liked it, and actually it would work as a stand alone piece just like this.....

but I had to add the images for this weeks words, I used old receipts and sale labels.I pressed them in and around the raised glue bits. I rubbed more gold wax on and uses some alcohol ink on one of the labels. then I added my title.

For the back the treatment was the same at all stages, with the journalling being printed out and being glued on last, again pressing it down inbetween the raised glue parts.

2011-08-19T00:47:00.000+01:00

My MIMM with Kirsty Wiseman is finished.

Page 14, about my handbag.

page 15, about my makeup.

page 16,about my handwriting.

page 17,about music.

page 18, about my family

page 19, about my friends.

page 20, about food.

and finally inside the back cover.

in the photos you can see lots of prompts and blank spaces, these have all now been filled in with my journalling.

There are also 20 tags, hidden in the pockets made by sticking pages together at the sides. I coloured the tags and added some texture.

Then I decorated each tag and added journalling.

here is the book all finished, really thick and colourful.

Take a look at Kirsty's journal classes, you will really enjoy playing with them.

52 Pages 2011

2011-08-16T15:53:00.002+01:00

Page 33. Bargain

Definition= an advantageous purchase, acquired at less than the usual cost

Are you a bargain hunter? What has been your best bargain? Do you save coupons? Have you fought over bargains with other mad-eyed shoppers?

52 Pages 2011

2011-08-13T02:52:00.000+01:00

Page 32 Discover.

I coloured the page front and back using distress inks.

On the front I added a photo of me at school. I was about 6yrs old. I printed the photo on regular photo paper, then sanded it. After gluing it down, I added more distress inks to the areas that had been sanded.

next I added white acrylic, more distress inks,some alphabet stamping and a couple of apples for the teacher.

I printed put my title, snipped it apart and glued it on, edging it with pencil and pen doodling.

On the back i stamped these pencil images, cut them apart and glued them on.

then I added my printed journalling.

Edge punches as stencils.

2011-08-10T00:45:00.000+01:00

I have a couple of edge punches, well 5 I think...that's not really a lot in the world of edge punches, so when a lovely lady i met through Ustream offered to punch out some strips for me I jumped at the chance.

These are the strips that she sent, all just using lightweight cardstock. I decided to paint them all both sides with white acrylic paint.

I gave them a good couple of coats each side and left them to dry.

Then I tried them all out on a journal page, I sponged thru each one using distress inks.

As you can see they make fabulous stencils.

Obviously they got all inky...

but because they were well coated in acrylic paint, they are easily wiped clean and ready for use again. They are a little stained, but this doesn't effect them.

It is important to seal the strips either with paint or PVA glue, otherwise the strips will just get soggy and fall apart.

52 pages 2011

2011-08-08T10:00:00.000+01:00

Page 32. Discover

Definition= to see,get knowledge of, find or find out

How was your education, did you love or hate school? Do you continue to learn? What was your greatest discovery at school?

52 pages 2011

2011-08-08T01:18:00.000+01:00

page 31 Compromise.

I started with a stencil, some spray inks and lots of blotting.

Added a little gesso.

added a black and white photo of a 'push me pull you', which I gessoed and coloured. Exactly as in the self portrait of the previous post.

Then I stamped and cut out my title, edged it and glued it on.

for the back, I was playing around with Inktense pencils. I wet the page...with tea, cos that happened to be next to me...then I shaved off some of the Inktense pencil. I just used a craft knife and scraped at the point of the pencil and let it drop over the damp page. Not for any real purpose, other than to see what would happen.

I am sure it would work with clean water too...lol

I printed out my journalling , edged it and glued it down.