So they say

This project was an idea to use up some patterned paper

I had leftover from other projects.

It was from a docrafts Papermania range called Madame Payraud's.

so they say

Together with a selection of Tim Holtz Paper Dolls,

I cut out sentences from my Pride & Prejudice book

to complete each page.

be ready for anything/we will not expose ourselves

There is also a little ribbon & some washi tape.

and very pretty they were

There are 6 pages in total,

each measuring 3 x 6 inches.

perfectly indifferent

They are bound together using 6 Tim Holtz Mini Book Rings.

all wondered who he could be

To find the right caption for each page,
I search through the pages of the book
to find words that speak to me.

she remembered everything perfectly

I add a heart shaped gem on her belt.

he was the wisest and best of men

The next one needed a cover up as I realised,
once I had finish it,
that the printing on the dog had been misaligned.

he had a very good opinion of himself

More paper & a different dog to the rescue.

All were struck with the stranger's air.

The last page.

let me persuade you to walk up and down

Click below to watch a flip through of the project.

I hope you enjoyed looking through this little project with me.

Be daring

This is another collage page in my Wanderlust journal,

prompted by Eliza's Art Jar on the new theme of Trees.

Be daring

My inspiration was a photograph of my Silver Birch tree.

I used Eliza's images from her collage collection,
(free when I purchased the online course at the Early Bird price).

The pages are from my Wreck This Journal book by Keri Smith.

The paper is quite thin, so today I printed my collages elements on
premium inkjet paper 160 gsm.

This thickness allows me to sand & distress the edges of each element,
whilst giving the collage page more strength.

I used a sanding block by PaperArtsy
& a Tim Holtz Paper Distresser by Tonic.

I also added a little black smudging
with a Stabilo All pencil.

A Summer of Creativity

The annual Index Card a Day creative challenge starts on 1st June.

It runs throughout June & July.

This year I am using 4x6 inch ruled index cards,

which came from WH Smith in their own clear plastic 2 ring binder.

I am still in my paper collage phase,

so I am planning to keep with what makes me happy

& gives me the most enjoyment.

The aim of ICAD is to be creative each day,

thus forming a habit which you carry forward.

Look out for the following tags on Instagram

#dyicad2018

#ICADchallenge2018

By the Sea

The theme on Wanderlust 2018 this month is the

Sea.

This page in my collage journal captures memories of recent visits to the coast.

I used four of my photographs to create this layout,

including the one for the background.

This photograph represents the sounds of the seaside.

The familiar calls of the herring gulls.

The waves breaking on the shoreline.

The pier with it's noisy attractions,

bustling with people.

The promenade as visitors stroll, jog, ride & skate along,

people walking their dogs

& prams being pushed.

This photograph represents the smells of the coast.

The distinctive damp seaweed aroma

that immediate reaffirms where you are.

The last photograph represents the different textural surfaces found at the seaside.

Weathered wooden boardwalks,

pebbles, both big & small, smooth & sharp

& gritty sand.

I looked briefly for seaglass

but sadly I found none.

This one page transports me back there in as instance.

I can almost hear the waves & feel the sea breeze on my face.

Be sure to follow me on Instagram for first glimpses

of  my creative projects.

Simply Charming

This month's
To Do List
inspired by a regular feature in The Simple Things magazine.

Each month they publish a list of things to try.

My prompt card can be used

to think about starting something new,

give focus in my journaling,

lead me on an adventure

or just spark my imagination.

I have taken their words,
adapted them as needed,

typed them onto background images
from Emily at Sweetly Scrapped

& adhered them to Tim Holtz Resist kraft card.

.
They measure 7.5 cms by 5.5 cms

Wishing with all my Heart

This is an impulse mixed media project,

made because I had an overwhelming urge to be creative.

I found a 3 by 4 inch canvas in my project box.

I had previously painted it pink, don't ask me why.

I took it back to my desk & added a rough coat of

DecoArt Media Black Gesso,

using a spatula.

Once dry, I picked up my paper scraps folder

from the floor next to my desk

& had a quick rummage.

My inspiration for this piece came from that folder,

the butterfly image, torn handmade paper, printed pattern paper,

corrugated card, the string,

including the precut image of the girl,

which for some reason had been discarded

I turned to my copy of Pride & Prejudice

for the focal words 

& finally added leaf metal fragments by Eberhard Faber.

Where did you find your creative inspiration today?

Cherish those you love

This is my One Word card for May.

My chosen word is

Cherish.

My father celebrates his 80 birthday this month,
so my focus for the next few weeks
is to remind myself daily of those I cherish
& find new ways to show them
how much they mean to me.

This project uses scraps of paper
for the background,
hand stamped letters with Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
on Dina Wakley Media Tape,
word definition patterned paper,
a Tim Holtz Paper Doll &
Glossy Accents on the heart.

My previous One Word cards

Begin - August 2017
Change - September 2017
Inspire - October 2017
Believe - November 2017
Joy - December 2017
Thought - January 2018
Love - February 2018
Grow - March 2018
Explore - April 2018

The sky is the only limit

This is another collage page in my Wanderlust journal,
using a blank page from my Wreck This Journal book,

prompted by this months theme of

Sea

I love being by the sea,

listening to the Herring Gulls overhead,

the rhythm of the waves breaking on a pebble beach

& the sound of the small stones rattling together

as the water flows back to the sea.

I always take a moment to close my eyes,

take long deep breaths of the salty sea air,

as I listen & absorb the essence of the place

& feel the fresh sea breezes on my face.

Here I am rooted.

The background is a picture from a magazine.

I used images from Eliza's collage sheet
 (the butterfly, the label & elements of text).
gold glitter tape recycled off a parcel from my sister
& some MT washi tape.

a quiet word or two

Those of you among us who already receive the daily email

A Little Bird Told Me

from Melody & Kathy at Brave Living,

may have seen that Melody has started a weekly newsletter called

a quiet word.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with the last two weeks worth of prompts.

I turned Melody's graphics into inchies,

1 inch by 1 inch little tiles.

These are for when you feel doubt.

These are for when you are weary.

I used mountboard for my bases,

which I had already cut out & were lurking in my Project drawer.

The background uses patterned paper from past Brave Living projects,

again found lurking in a drawer.

These were both backgrounds for Truth Cards.

All I needed to do was print out Melody's artwork from her newsletter

& put them together.

I love the calming  relaxing nature of fine cutting

& sanding the edges. 

Now I need to finish off writing in my journal,

before the next edition arrives.

The Morn Awakes

This is another collage page in my Wanderlust journal,
using a blank page from my Wreck This Journal book,

prompted by this months theme of

Sunrise

A line from Pride & Prejudice asks the question.

 The lines of poetry are taken from a poem written by Phillis Wheatley.

I used printed text &
images from Eliza's collage sheet

Patterned paper & card from Brave Girls Club
with gingham fabric tape
& a drop of Glossy Accents for the bright eye of the bird.