The Author

The Craft Barn has revealed the next letter in the Alpha Challenge, which runs throughout 2013.

The next alpha is A.

This is the front of my tag.

This is the reverse side.

I have used patterned papers Life's Journey Pansy by K & Company, Distress Ink (antique linen) & an image from The Crafthouse Press.

I am creating a tag for each letter of the alphabet & you can see more detail here.

Words

The Craft Barn has revealed the next letter in the Alpha Challenge, which began in January 2013.

The next alpha is W with the added twist of circles in the design.

This is the front of my tag.

I choose word as my word & added the dictionary definition.

I already use a circle for my capital letters, but added two more cut from the word definition. There are also circles from the postal cancellation stamps. There are also wings on the postal stamps.

This is the reverse side.

The word is mightier than the sword

I have used patterned papers Life's Journey Pansy by K & Company, Distress Ink (antique linen) & a pen nib.

I am creating a tag for each letter of the alphabet & you can see more detail here.

2013 Journal Update

Time to catch up with my 2013 journal, in which I take time to reflect each week

& document a memory of a new experience, a new place I visited,

a new recipe (whether successful or not)

& recording those surprises that delight along the way.

So a quick update on my February pages,

starting with the finished spread for early February,

when I visited an art exhibition & joined a walking group.

The small copies of the instant camera style photographs are taken from my photography blog.

Then we celebrated Valentines Day & made Carrot Muffins.

I have started to reinforce some of the pages with tape,

using Nostalgic tissue tape by Tim Holtz from the idea-ology range,

which combines function with beauty.

I resisted buying his tape for so long

& finally gave in when I saw this set which was perfect for this project.

And I love it.

Then I had the lovely surprise of an envelope arriving from

Buckingham Palace

& attended a First Aid course.

The little pocket contains a copy of the Certificate,

which adds an interactive element to this page.

March started with a visit to a new coffee shop ...

& Banoffee Cupcakes, then we celebrated Mothers Day.

The recipe tag is held in place by a band of grosgrain ribbon.

The picture below shows the reverse side of the tag

I attended an art class with Andy Skinner

learning how to get the best out of the Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate,

which was great fun getting messy with paints.

A trip to somewhere new came next.

You can call it a memory keeper or a scrapbook,

as it does contain little pieces (scraps) collected,

you could call it an art journal,

as I am using it to try out new ideas or record new techniques learnt,

but I just call it

my journal.

Listen to your Heart

The final page in my monoprint journal.

The patterned papers were created using a Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate.
I have also used Rangers gel medium (Studio multi-medium matte),
charcoal, chalks & black pens.

The acetate butterflies are from Crafthouse Press.

Dare to Dream

Another page in my monoprint journal.

The patterned papers were created using a Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate.
I have also used Rangers gel medium (Studio multi-medium matte), charcoal & black pens.

The head image was from Michelle Ward.

Hope

Another page in my monoprint journal.

The heart & background papers were created using a Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate.
I have also used Rangers gel medium (Studio multi-medium matte),
charcoal, chalks & black pens.

The acetate butterflies are from Crafthouse Press.

To Love

Another page in my monoprint journal.

The main image was created using a stencil designed by Andy Skinner.

The background was created using a Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate.

I have also used Rangers gel medium (Studio multi-medium matte),

chalks & black pens.

The acetate butterfly is from Crafthouse Press.

Break Free

This is my first spread in my monoprint journal.

The background was created using a Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate.

I have also used Rangers gel medium (Studio multi-medium matte),

Inkssentials opaque white pen, charcoal, chalks & black pens.

The acetate butterfly from Crafthouse Press has broken free,

spread it's wings & is flying away from the page.

Postcard Art

The Liberate your Art project, organised by Kat Sloma, is a way

for artists to share their own artwork with like-minded artists.

Participants reproduced copies of their original art in postcard form, sending five copies to Kat, who then mailed five postcards back from five different artists.

If you click on the button below you will find a list of those taking part this year, with links to their artwork.

In tribute to the project, I have made my own postcard sized image.

I photographed a page from my altered book

then added the words from a poem I wrote back in 2010.

Here are the details of how the original background was created.

The book page was first coated with a layer of clear gesso.

Once dried, I added colour using Eco Green Crafts acrylic paints

(Pistachio, Tide Pool, Waterfall & White).

Whilst the paint was still wet, I sprinkled Ranger Perfect Pearls

(Blue Patina & Green Patina) 

& splashed some diluted Ranger Distress Ink over the top (broken china).

The layers shown are watercolour paper coloured with

four Ranger Distress Inks

(pine needles, broken china, peeled paint & weathered wood).

The glass is a Robin's Nest Dewdrop.

Some of the original printed words still peep through the coats

of gesso, paints, inks & powders.

I love the blended colours of watery blues & greens,

with the varying textures from the gritty gesso base,

the torn & cut watercolour paper to the hard glossy glass.

The light bounces back from the glass & is caught by the iridescence of the powders.

Monoprinted Journal

After a fabulous class on monoprinting with Andy Skinner, using a Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate, I was left with quite a few plain printed pages which I have made into a journal.

These are the inside pages.

This is the cover front & back.

Reading improves the mind

The Craft Barn has revealed the next letter in the Alpha Challenge, which began in January 2013.

The next alpha is R.

This is the front of my tag.

On the reverse side.

reading improves the mind

nourishes the soul

& 

fires imagination

I have used patterned papers Life's Journey Pansy by K & Company, Distress Ink (antique linen) & an image from The Crafthouse Press.

I am creating a tag for each letter of the alphabet & you can see more detail here.