THE END OF 2012

Well as far as the weather in this country is concerned I am glad to see the back of it, not that I can see much improvement in the coming months, however, on a more positive note I have just completed my 3 years of Kate Cranes Art Calendar Challenge. I don't often look back at what I have done but my 2 Grand-daughters love reading the calendar. December is up to date and January is ready to go. For 2013 I have made my own calendar journal under the watchful eye of the lovely Christine whose idea it was. January's background was done using my Gelli Plate with Golden Acrylic paints. My journal squares are cut from Basic Gray paper and the images are Stampotique.

THE MAYOR OF LONDON

I decided to do some art journalling today as I managed to grab a little me time and I had this image of Boris Johnson which I thought would make a good journal page, so here it is. The page is in my Dylusions art journal which everyone needs. For the background I used my new Distress Stains which my husband bought me as a stocking filler, gorgeous colours. I sprayed through a Dylusions stencil using Dylusions inks then stamped here and there using Archival Cobalt blue. The stamps are from Stampers Annonymous and the border stamp is one of Dyan's as is the quote. The lovely and very talented Kate Crane very kindly sent me the Washi tape as she knew I had been desperate for the black and white for ages. I am quite pleased with this page although the photo is not very good that's the problem with taking photos late in the evening.

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN

I can't believe we are into December, where has this year gone. Today I am blogging my November and December pages of Kate's art calendar challenge. I completed November  on time but just did not have any spare time to post it and December's page I have just finished today, I shouldn't complain as I lead a very busy and full life as you probably know if you read my journal squares at all. I noticed Kate hasn't posted her December page yet, come on Kate lets see it lol. I have now completed 3 years of the Art Calendar challenge, I am not sure if I will continue with it into the 4th year, if I do I may not post it on my blog it depends on how many other things I have in the pipe line.

Why do I always get the photos the wrong way round and then don't know how to change them round LOL. The colours on this page are not the true colour, the top part looks orange whereas in real life it is red. I used Dylusions Christmas inks Berry and Holly which are pearlised but it doesn't show on here.

MEN IN A BOX

Another double page spread in my A3 journal Men in a Box. This page started life as a mop up page, I am really pleased how it turned out. I had mopped up some orange and blue paint at some stage and yesterday I sprayed through stencils with  Dylusions ink spray in Navy blue, the chicken wire stencil I sprayed with Dylusions Amber. I stamped here and there using Archival coffee and a Tim H stamp. The borders are stamped in Archival Cobalt blue and again using Tim's border stamp. You may think the magazine image is too near the top of the page but I made a big mistake with the top border so needed to cover my sloppy stamping. I have placed strips of Washi tape here and there, stamped white circles and used an old credit card to make some white splodges. When I saw the magazine image I knew straight away what quote I could use with it. Hope you like my page.

LADIES WHO LUNCH PLAY DAY

Hi everyone, hope you are all good. Last Friday was our monthly play day and I chose the project which I found in one of the Somerset magazines called Workshop. Dina Wakley features a number of times in this mag and this was one of her step by step projects. When I saw "The Tag Art" I thought to myself that I would really like to have a go at this but luckily all the other ladies liked it too and decided it would be our project for this month. A big thank you to Dina for the easy to follow step by step instructions and for giving us a fantastic play day, we had lots of fun.

I LOVE APPLES

I really do love apples and they are good for my cholesterol levels and being a teacher (was) what could be more appropriate as a journal page than "an apple for the teacher". I created this page in my large A3 journal   I know I am still trying to fill this journal but it is a long process especially as I don't like this journal, could tear some pages out I suppose but my OCD wont allow it. Hope you like the page I do.

OCTOBER CALENDAR PAGE

I am somewhat late with my calendar page hosted by the very lovely and extremely talented Kate. I didn't really know what to do this month but it all seems to have fallen into place.

GARDEN GRUNGE

Hi everyone, I made this little accordian book just before I went on holiday but didn't have time to post it on my blog.I found a tutorial by Dina Wakley on Stampington &Co blog featuring this Garden Grunge book and I just had to make it. There are lots of layers from old book pages,spray inks, stencils and stamps. The stamps are from Dina's new range called "Garden Grunge" and they are gorgeous. The inks and paints are from the Dylusion range. I love everything about this little book I hope you do too.

SEPTEMBER AT LAST

Here is September's page for the Art Calendar hosted by the lovely and talented Kate Crane. This page turned out completely different to what I had planned. I began by spraying my pages with Dylusions inks turquoise and lime and then using the herringbone stencil sprayed black through it, didn't like it at all so I covered it with 2 coats of Gesso et voila I love the effect it has given, so muted. The journal pieces are tickets cut  from Tim's die on my Vagabond. I stamped the September directly on to the page using Archival black. Next week I am going to New York for 8 days so my embellishments at the bottom are NYC themed, the apple stamp I bought at the Ink Pad the last time I was in NYC, the New York sky line I cut from a Making Memories Die, the flag and big apple words are from a magazine. Hope you like it

WAY OUT AUGUST

I can't believe the speed this year is going already we are at the end of August and so here is my calendar page all filled in . September is still a work in progress but hopefully I will be ready to post it on my blog tomorrow.

STAMPOTIQUE DESIGNERS CHALLENGE 262

The lovely Gez is hosting this weeks challenge over at Stampotique Designers and the challenge is to design a one layer card. This is mine using a stencil to represent rain. The stencil is a Julie Fei-Fan Balzer design for Crafters Workshop. I applied the colour using cut and dry foam and a Jennie Bowlin ink pad Soap Powder. I stamped the Stampotique tree and put Grumpy the dog underneath supposedly sheltering from the rain, because there are no leaves on the tree so he gets wet he grumpily says "Whatever" Bla, bla,bla. The border is also a Stampotique designed by Jo Capper-Sandon I think and can't remember the name of it. I coloured the tree and Grumpy the dog with Rusty Hinge Distress marker.

JULY OUT AUGUST IN

Hi everyone especially those who take part in Kate's 365 calendar challenge. Here's my July page all filled in and my August page ready to go. I am afraid my calendar is very regimented, boring and no little drawings that I keep thinking about doing but only think about it, so all you get is written journal squares.

AN ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Here's another journal page which I completed yesterday. The Elephant is from Elusive Images which is now under another name Chocloat Baroque I think, I coloured him with Distress inks and stood him on a piece of Washi tape. The background colour is done with Paper Artsy Fresco paints. I used white paint through a stencil also sprayed through a Dylusions stencil and stamped here and there with a Dylusions Basic Background stamp. The N numbers in the circles are from 7 Gypsies. Must get on now and complete another page.

AN ART JOURNAL PAGE

I did this page in my large A3 journal, I don't like this journal the paper is not very good all the paint and inks seep through to the other side but Dyan said not to abandon it but glue pages together so I am doing this and trying to complete this journal quickly so you maybe in for a lot of journal posts.
I used Dylusion inks, stencils, stamps, paints and quote. The borders are Dylusion and Stampotique and the image is from a magazine. I used a Posca pen for the dots. I quite like this page now it is finished, hope you do.

ANOTHER PAPER BLOCKING CANVAS

I am really into this Paper Blocking technique that I found on Hels blog also on One Lucky Day blog. It's so much fun to do. I made this canvas using Tim's papers again but this time it is the pinky tone paper, after sealing it with Claudine's Multi Matt Medium I rubbed here and there some of Golden's Iridescent red paint. I mixed pink paint into the texture paste before scraping it over a stencil. The figures again are all from Stampotique one boy and four girls. I made this canvas for a friend who is not having a very good time at the moment, she has one son and four daughters represented by the Stampotique images. I gave this to my friend tonight and she loved it.

PAPER BLOCKING TECHNIQUE

I saw this technique on Hels Sheridan's blog, recently and really liked what she had done using this technique. I had a spare 8"x10" canvas board so I thought I would have ago. I used Tim's papers in blue and the greyish/beige colour, sorry I can't remember what the paper stack is called and have lost the front cover. I glued all the papers to the canvas using Liqutex multi-medium, when dry I gave it a coating of Claudine's Blank canvas paint mixed with water to make a "wash". I used texture paste through a stencil  to give an added layer of interest and cut out paper cogs from one of Tim's dies. The two boy images are from Stampotique. The words are from the Rolf Harris song which I thought appropriate. It is a friends birthday this week, she has 2 little grand-sons so I made it for her I hope she likes it. You can also see this technique here on One Lucky Day blog

JULY ART CALENDAR

Here is July's page for the Art Calendar challenge. I started this challenge in January 2010 and here we are July 2012 and I am still in there, now and again I am a little late but life gets in the way sometimes. Pop over to Kate Cranes blog The Kathryn Wheel where you will be able to see all the other entries.

A BIRTHDAY CARD

I made this card for my youngest Grand-daughter she is 15 years old today, time flies it doesn't seem so long ago that I was looking after her as a small baby. We are very close probably because I looked after her everyday until she went to Primary school. I made the background using stencils and Dylusions Sprays, the butterfly is a Wendy Vecchi stamp and the image is a Suzi Blu stamp this I coloured using a mixture of Tim's Distress markers and Distress inks.

I am sorry the photo is the wrong way round, it is my camera that keeps doing this and I don't know why, I have changed it on my PC and got it the correct way round but then when I went to upload it here it has gone back, so frustrating. I took my camera to my local camera shop for the owner to help me but he wasn't able to sort it either and he's the expert. Well you'll all just have to stand on your heads LOL.

WHERE DID JUNE GO

This month has absolutely flown, I don't know where time has gone but I wont be sorry to see the back of June it's been nothing but rain, rain and more rain. We have 2 months left of Summer so lets hope we get some. Here is my page for the Art Calendar challenge set by the lovely and VERY talented Kate Crane. My page is complete all filled in but difficult to read because of the shiny paper I used for the journal squares. Now I need to get on and finish the page for July as it is nowhere near ready.

ANOTHER MOP-UP PAGE

Another journal page in my A5 Pink Pig Mop-Up book as promised. The paints are all Dylusions which we can no longer get but I have quite a stock of them. The background stamps and flowers are Dylusions, the number stamp is from Dina Wakley's new stamps, the quote and image are Stampotique. All of these can be bought here. I really enjoyed doing these two pages and can't wait to do another one.

A NON SCARY JOURNAL PAGE

When I go to AFTH Dyan always has a "show and tell" quite often I have nothing to show possibly because I don't have the imagination to do a page in my journal plus it is so scary doing a page in the proper journal but today I picked up my "Mop Up Book" and it totally flowed. I think this is a psychological thing, because it is a mop up book it didn't matter and I just threw myself into it and you know what I really like this page and not only that but I did another one which I will show another day. I used Dylusion stamps, stencils and quote, the "Grunge Flowers" at the bottom of the page are from Dina Wakley's new collection. The figure is also one of Dina's.

ANOTHER JUBILEE CREATION

Hi I hope everyone has had a good Jubilee weekend inspite of the weather. Up here in the north of England it hasn't been too bad, it poured with rain continually on Saturday but since then we haven't seen rain but it is a bit chilly for June. Yesterday I went for lunch chez my friend Ann (Flutterby Crafter)and a very nice lunch it was too, I spent a lovely day with Ann and her husband my, DH is in Spain so has missed all of the celebrations. I took Ann this ATC which I made to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, the two of us do a monthly swap this month it was good to have a theme.

JUBILEE MONTH

This is a quick one as I am off to the "Ladies Who Lunch Play Day". Here's my Art Calendar page for June the Jubilee Month. I thought it appropriate to do the background with the Union Jack which I drew and then coloured with Tim's new Distress Markers. My journal squares are cut from some glittery wedding paper which I thought suited the occasion and the stamping is from IndigoBlu.

MAY IS HERE!

May brought with it a few problems besides the rain. I had my page ready to post, used a stencil and black pen for the year and put 21 instead of 12 so now I have an ugly blotch at the top of my page where I have tried to rectify the mistake. Then blogger decided to change everything again, each time I went to post my tool bar was missing anyway tonight hopefully I have sorted it. So here is my April page completed and May ready to go. For those of you who don't know this is for the 366/12 challenge set by the lovely and very talented Kate Crane. I have used Pan Pastels for my background and Dyan's very cool stencils for a border. The little boy in the mac, the woman in swimming costume and the quote are all from Tumble Fish

APRIL ALREADY

I can't believe we are into April  already and it is beginning to get cold instead of warmer, last week we had an heat wave that was probably our summer been and gone. Well here are my pages for Kate's Art Calendar challenge and I have chosen a nice warm colour for the background-paint by Dylusions which you can't buy any longer luckily I have plenty. The little animals, egg and flowers are all from the Octopode Factory. The border is again from Dylusions-Inbetweenies. It is not quite midnight but I have filled in my last journal square for March and with any luck I will be able to post both pages.

LADIES WHO LUNCH PLAY DAY

It is a while since I posted anything, to be honest I haven't done very much as I am doing Tim's on line class "Creative Chemistry" so I am busy trying to keep up with that on a daily basis. I did this canvas on the 1st of March at our Ladies Who Lunch Play Day. Our inspiration was taken from Ellen Vargo who is now on Dyan's design team, go and take a look at her blog she produces some wonderful art, here is  a link to her blog ten thirty-six arts and crafts.
The canvas is a 10" x 6", gessoed, painted and stamped with stars and dots using a roller stamp which can be bought at Happy Daze. The houses were cut from Grunge board using Tim's die, covered in Ten Seconds Studio pearl metal which were embossed using various cuttlebug folders. I sanded mine and rubbed blue paint over the top and embellished with all sorts of Tim's ideaology. I finished it off by going all round the edge with a silver Krylon pen. I was going to give the canvas to a friend but now it is finished I like it and have decided to keep it.

SHE ART ATC

I do a monthly atc swap with my friend Ann Flutterby Crafter, this month I made her a mini "She Art" canvas. We are both doing the on-line She Art course so I thought it would be appropriate. I used Claudine's sticky back canvas which I stuck to grey board then I created the background using paints, rub-ons,tissue paper,stamps and white paint through punchinella. The She Art Girl I cut out of old book pages and Basic Gray papers. I thought it was quite cute in minature, previously we have used 6" x 10" canvases, quite a difference in size.

FULL OF GOOD INTENTIONS

I started well but fell at the last hurdle, my back ground was prepped and ready and then the time ran away and I didn't finish my March page until today. This is for the Art Calendar challenge that the very talented and creative Kate Crane set for us all.

HERE COMES MARCH

Well I am a bit ahead of myself today as I have managed to do the background for March. In case there are some peeps out there who don't know this is for Kate's Art Calendar Challenge. I have used Dylusions paint and sprays, the stamping you may be able to see in white and black are all from Dyan's new stamps Dylusions for Ranger, these are Background Love and Doodle Parts. Of course the page is nowhere finished I have yet to add embellishments and journal squares but hopefully it will be complete by Thursday.

LADIES WHO LUNCH PLAY DAY

Yesterday was our monthly get together and we had a fabulous day, we all made a canvas using paints, sprays, stencils and rub-ons. They were all so different as we used different colour schemes etc. My grand-daughter Elena has taken mine to hang in her room but it doesn't matter as I can't wait to make another one and of course I will have to make one for Isabel my other grand-daughter.

FEBRUARY 365/366 CHALLENGE

The beginning of February already, I think this year is going to go as quick as last year if not quicker.Well here is my page for Kate's 365 challenge although this year it is 366 as we have a leap year and I did remember to give February an extra journal square.

JANUARY 2012

Hi everyone, well that's January nearly over so time to show the completed January page of the Art Calendar Challenge that the very talented Kate Crane invited us to join. There are soooooooooo many "crafty" people joining this year that it's almost impossible to get round them all. Well here's mine completed and tomorrow I will show you the February page which is all set and ready to go.

METAL MIRROR

Tomorrow it is my Grand-daughter Elena's 16th birthday and as part of her birthday present I have decorated an Ikea mirror for her. She particularly likes black and has black shiny furniture in her bedroom, (it would give me nightmares) the mirror will go well in her room. I used Ten Seconds Studio silver metal, embossed with Cuttle Bug folders put through the Vagabond, then painted with Dylusions black acrylic paint. I sanded the metal to allow the silver to show through and then attached all the squares with Hummungo Tape, it was finished off with the strips of silver metal tape. I am quite pleased with it so will probably make another one as I have 3 Ikea mirrors in my cupboard.

GINGERSNAP CREATIONS CHALLENGE

Stampotique Design Team are sponsoring Gingersnap Creations this month and the challenge is to use Green. I already had a page in my journal which I completed at the end of December and thought it was appropriate for this particular challenge, my page is "Green with Envy". The image is Karin from Stampotique, I used Dylusion paints (the old ones no longer available) for the background.

NOT ALL LITTLE GIRLS ARE ANGELS

Good morning from a very wet and cold north of England. The weather is lousy and my husband is away so I have taken advantage of this by working in my various art journals. This journal is my mini 3"x5", I love working in small journals. The background on this page was created using my gorgeous Pan Pastels which I bought recently from Dyan at AFTH, they are so easy to blend and when it was finished I sprayed with Ranger Perfect Pearl Mist which gives a gorgeous shine to a page. The images are all from Stampotique including the "happy happy happy" border at the top. Spider girl I thought suited the computer generated statement I have made. The borders which are perfect for mini journals are from Paper & Gluestix. Ok must get on as I have an idea for another page never mind cleaning the bathroom that can wait as I am having fun.

SMILE ART JOURNAL PAGE

Another art journal page in my A5 Moleskine only one more page to go now and that journal is complete. Here I used Dylusion sprays and paints, Crafters Workshop stencils, I love the herring bone one it always works so well.The bottom border is a Dylusion "Further Round The Edge". The image is Dylusion's "Doolally Doris" The heart and key are from Invoke Arts. Even after all these years of Art Journalling I am still reluctant to write personal stuff and prefer to use quotes. I quite like the finished effect of this page, I hope you do too.

AN ART JOURNAL PAGE

Here is a page I did in my A5 Moleskine journal. I began this journal in September 09, I am trying to finish the journal completely, only 3 more pages to go. The backgrounds for these pages were finished ages ago so it's just a question of deciding how I am going to use them. This page I felt would look good with black and white so the first addition to the page was the Dina Wakley silhouette script which I stamped on to an old book page and added the red heart. The bird and Moon girl are both from  Jo Capper-Sandon's Stampotique range. The borders are from Teesha Moore digi sheets. The background I created using Dylusion sprays and Crafters Workshop stencils. I might add to this page later but for the moment this is how it is.

ART CALENDAR CHALLENGE 2012

Happy New Year to you all, I hope 2012 brings lots of good health and happiness for everyone.

This is my 3rd year taking part in Kate's 365 Art Calendar challenge. This year I have had to get a new book as my last one was full, only a few pages  left after using it for 2 years. I thought I was going to really like this book as it is a 12"x12" but when I started putting the page together I realised there's not much space to add images etc so for future months I might use 2 pages and then end up with too much space LOL. I really enjoyed making the background using Dylusion Paints and sprays together with Crafters Workshop stencils, I liked the finish result so much that I didn't want to cover it with journal squares etc but of course I had to or start again, no time! Any way here it is I hope you like it I'm not too happy with it but I never am.