Mother Nature

This page layout in my altered book art journal was inspired by found words in the original printed text "Mother Nature".

I have used these pages to record copies of two previous projects, my first Mandala & my Fresh as a Daisy Stampbord twinchie, as well as my remaining inchie project, Earthworks from a couple of years ago.


The background pages were coated in gesso before being coloured with gold & green paints. The two found words were protected from the paint by drawing gum. There are a couple of stamped butterfly images hidden in the background.


I reproduced the word butterflies from my mandala project & punched three butterflies from a green skeleton leaf using a Woodware paper punch.


I added three small glass Glintz domes to add further texture.


One was placed in the centre of the Stampbord flower image.


For the other two, I used small images from an Eco Green Crafts collage sheet.


I spritzed a fine mist of water over the project, using a Mini Mister, before sweeping a brush of Perfect Pearls (Heirloom Gold & Green Patina), which highlights the background texture.


To finish, I rubbed a little gold Stickles around the page corners & inserted the top of the skeleton leaf to act as the page tab.

Embracing Imperfection

More pages from my altered book art journal, using an old collection of inchies.


Layers were built up from clear gesso, various blues, silver & black paints, Distress Stickles (Broken China) & a little doodling with my black Sharpie pen.


I stamped the text image "embrace imperfection" & the coffee mug stains with Archival Ink (Jet Black). The mini images are both by Tim Holtz.


The inchies were roughed up a little by sanding around the edges. The original inchies can be seen here.


Some of the original printed words still show through as they were protected from the initial paint layers by using drawing gum.

A Little Inspiration

Captivating, creative & totally inspiring.

All cut up

I took a piece of 3x3 inch square mountboard & rounded the corners.

I drew a border & string figure with a pencil, then used a Sharpie pen to go over the pencil drawn string.


On the back, I drew a grid to divide it into 9 squares, numbered them from 1 to 9, then cut them up.


I took each piece to work on individually, rubbing out the pencil lines once each piece was finished.


The pieces were put back together.

In Zentangle speak, this is called an ensemble.

Z is for Zip

This is my inchie for letter Z of the Inchy by Inch Alphabet challenge.


The image is from Art Creations Friday & the words are torn from an old English Dictionary.


The image was printed on white card & adhered to a mountboard base. The edges were sanded. The dictionary words were inked with Distress Ink (antique linen) & then added to the inchie.

To see a slideshow of this set, please click here.

Here they are all together ...

Sharpie Zs

Strange how things come back around.

I purchased a couple of black fine point Sharpie pens in the supermarket this week ... just because ... didn't need a reason.

Then something else happened which prompted me to create Zentangles again.

For the first one, I followed the strict rules, bar one. The size of my z tile should be 3½ inches square, but I made mine 2 inch square, commonly known as a Twinchie. My tile is made from white mountboard.


I draw the grid & string image lightly with a pencil, then picked up my Sharpie to play.


I rounded the corners (as instructed) using a previous unused pair of nail clippers to snip off the sharp edges & smoothed them with my craft emery board.

The process of rounding off the corners & the fact that I was using a permanent ink pen, draw me into picking up a domino & away I went ...



I really need a ultra fine point to work on small pieces like this ... I need to find my stash of blank drinks coasters ... now where did I put them?

Zs are perfect for holiday crafting, as all you need to take with you are some blank tiles, a pencil, eraser (to rub away the grid lines) & a pen.

Summer Dreaming

The weather has been so beautiful lately,

that thoughts have turned to summer holidays, to travel, sun, sea & sand,

so this week's project has been to alter an unwanted cd into a summer decoration.

I used papers from the K & Company Travel Vacation collection,

designed by Tim Coffey.

The colours are so soft & fresh, with vintage images.

I sanded the edges to add a little a touch of faded age.

Both front & back were covered & decorated,

so as it spins & turns in the gentle summer breezes,

it looks good from any direction.

I added a couple of stamped images using Non sequitur rubber stamps (postcard & postmark)

with Distress Ink (brushed corduroy).

I covered the coin images with Glossy Accents.

I punched a hole through the top, using a Crop-a-dile

& used string to create my hanging loop.

Then I made a travel tag, using mountboard to add strength.

This was attached to the cd through another hole with more string.

Where will you be going this summer?

Will there be blue skies, sandy beaches,
heavy luggage, foreign coins,
boat trips & trees swaying in warm tropical breezes?


Will you take photographs,
send postcards home to loved ones
or will they be there with you?

Will there be adventures & new experiences?

Ripping & Tearing

The crusade this month for the GPP Street Team is to rip our papers.

I took two of my blank journal pages & adhered hand torn pieces of patterned paper

from Brenda Walton's Maison paper range, by K & Company.

The journaling was typed up, printed out & ripped up.

The white paper was aged with Distress Ink (antique linen)

before adhering to the covered pages.

I added a couple of clear round dome stickers

& edged the pages with black ink.

My theme for this journal page spread is 4th July

& memories of that day.

Once I have completed a few more pages,

they will be bound together to form my handmade art journal.

Y is for Yarn

This is my inchie for the letters X & Y of the Inchy by Inch Alphabet challenge.


The image is from Outsider Artists & the words are torn from an old English Dictionary.


The image was printed on white card & adhered to a mountboard base. The edges were sanded. The dictionary words were inked with Distress Ink (antique linen) & then added to the inchie.

To see a slideshow of this set, please click here.

Laughter with Trinchies

I've been able to closet myself away today & work on my art journal. I've found the courage to plough into this now & am really enjoying the process. Today, I revisited a page spread I began two years ago.


These words were printed in the book, so to protect them from the original layers of clear gesso & paint, I used drawing gum, which is rubbed off easily once the layers have dried. These words formed the theme of this layout. I included a printed copy of a favourite Moo (the original of which can be seen here).


Interest was added by including a cut through to the next set of altered pages, which has the full stamped image of Tim Holtz mini Be Yourself girl, which I use as my avatar. Through the hole you can read the text on that image, be yourself.


The harlequin art doll was placed here because it always makes me smile & now it has a safe place to live.


So what to do next. I had another group of inchies, an unfinished project, yet unmounted & gathering dust in my craft drawer. I cut each one in half to create triangles (trinchies maybe) & sanded the edges to give each one a white border.


This page began with a brown base, but was overpainted with purple, gold & green acrylic paints to match the inchies, with splashes of Distress Ink (dusty corduroy).


I love the mix of textures; the rough surface of the gesso, yet it's translucency revealing the type print underneath, the sheen of the acrylic paints & watery drops of deep colour.


The inchie triangles were adhered & coated with matte Studio multi-medium, around the existing work.


I added a word definition, torn from an old dictionary & aged with Distress Ink (antique linen), a couple of butterflies, a few coloured dewdrops & as they say, Voila!