To Love & Be Loved

The challenge at Art Creations Friday was to use the two beautiful images provided in one project. I decided to create a digital collage.


In addition to the two images provided, I added a printed page image from The Vintage Moth, textures from Flickr member Bea Pierce & an overlay from a Sande Krieger kit from Two Peas in a Bucket.

Enjoy the Journey

I had a lovely surprise today when I found that the Make a Moo or Two challenges

had recommenced after an extended break.

The challenge theme this week is

Travel.

After cutting out some blank moos from white mountboard,

I started on my first Moo in months.

Oh how I have missed these cute little fellows!

They are just 28mm by 70mm.

I covered the blank with a scrap of old printed paper designed by Shabby Princess

& sanded the edges.

The car is from The Graphics Fairy.

I cut out the window & added a tiny piece of acetate behind.

The tickets are from the Craft Stamper.

I punched a hole through the top with my Crop-a-dile

& threaded through a small piece of string to hint at a luggage label.

Recycled Journal Pages

During January, I have been taking part in an online workshop run by Pam Carriker in conjunction with Strathmore.

I am yet to lay my hands on a Strathmore Visual Journal, so for this workshop I used the last page in my Altered Book Art Journal.

The aim of the workshop was to take copies of old journal pages to create something new. I used printed copies of the front of my art journal, a journal page background (created for a Green Pepper Press Street Team Crusade, with the colour altered before printing) & my whimsy Paper Daisy.


Week 1
So with all the elements assembled, the printed background was torn into strips, then I journalled on the back of each strip.

This was my planned layout.


The pages had already been coated in clear Gesso, with two found words protected with drawing gum. To finish preparing the pages, I added a light coat of diluted white acrylic paint, to tone down the printed words.


I added the journal strips, clouds & flower to the page & coated them with a mixture of clear gesso & a touch of white acrylic paint.


The original printed girl did not survive the wash of gesso, as the printer ink bled out, so I removed her & replaced her with a copy of the original line drawing.

Week 2
I started to add shading (using a dark brown watercolour pencil) & colour using oil pastels.


I also revealed the two found words ... Creative Art



A gesso wash caused all kinds of problems with the watercolour running, so I re-coloured with oil pastels, this time using blue.


I purchased a charcoal pencil to help with the shading, alas this also caused a complete mess.

I needed to rescue the project (again) & take some time out!

Week 3

This week I have added more colour & texture using Stickles (Silver), Distress Stickles (broken china), Perfect Pearls (Pewter) & Liquid Pearls (White Opal).


I used a graphite pencil to empathise the fine detail.


My girl is now looking a little gothic.


I love the texture, although this was not part of Pam's lesson. Guess I was nervous about adding acrylic paint to an already delicate project.


The light catches the glitter particles & bounces off the opal liquid pearls.


I added four more flowers to add visual interest to the piece.


Week 4

This week was about adding doodles & details.


My creative theme for January is Refresh, so I added copies of word definitions & a quotation.

"To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye,
to restore it & render it more fit for its prime function of looking forward"

Margaret Fairless Barber

Review of the Year 2010

As 2010 draws to a close, it's time for a look back over my crafting year.

It's been a different year. A year of coming together, of things falling into place & making sense. A year of quality not quantity.

Art Journal
I have thoroughly enjoyed developing my altered book art journal; incorporating past projects, playing with colour, texture & new products. My favourite layout is this one.


Maybe because it's the most recent one or because it resulted from a creative workshop in which I gained the confidence to draw or because my oil pastels finally got put to good use.

I only have one set of pages left to fill, so early in the New Year I will need to find a new source of inspiration ...

Altered Art
My favourite project is my altered frame . It took time & patience to complete. It used some of my favourite papers & created the perfect setting for my steampunk Twinchie.


Altered Media
I really enjoy altering unwanted CDs (or more accurately DVDs). I have surprised myself in choosing my favourite. The Valentine decoration is pink & fluffy ... not really me!


Matchboxes
Something new for this year is altering matchboxes. I love the small scale & the challenge of working three dimensionally.

I can't choose a favourite, so click here to see them all.

Inchies
Inchies played a large part of my crafting again this year. The Inchie Alphabet has to be my favourite.


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

Digital Art
With one of my favourite colour schemes, this digital collage easily wins it's place in my heart.

Greeting Cards
I have always struggled when making cards to give to my friends & family. I suppose it's to do with the internal struggle of making something to please someone else, rather than creating to please myself. Does that sound selfish? Anyway, so earlier this year I gave up the battle, being happy to buy them instead.

Of those I did make, my favourite is this Easter card.


I love the combination of colours & the shape of the bunny. I liked it so much, I altered a cd into a hanging decoration, so I could have the bunny on display over the Easter period.


Scrapbooking
I didn't realise how little scrapping I had done this year! With only one layout


& one project to show.


Mandala
My Winter Snowflake mandala currently decorates my work space. It sparkles as the light catches the gems & glitter, brightening the dark Winter days.

Shabby Snowman

A quick card inspired by a Christmas project on the Shabby Princess blog. 

I also used papers from a Christmas kit from a few years ago.

Both the project & the papers were free to download

& can be used for personal use only.

I decoupaged the snowman image, using Pinflair's Glue Gel to create dimension.

Art Journal: Strength

I have been continuing to work on my art journal. This time, I took the work I did for Tam's workshop. The original project can be seen here.

I cut the text page up so it would fit nicely on the page, but the portrait was just the wrong size. To remedy this, I scanned the original, then reduced in size before printing out a copy on white card. I tore the edges to give it a white border.


So to the background pages. I wanted to match the colouring of the original watercolour project. The base pages had already been coated with gesso & a wash of blue paint. To this I added Eco Green Crafts paints (Orchid, Rose & White) & a little purple acrylic paint.


I stamped the butterfly image from Eco Green Crafts Garden Chic recycled rubber art stamp set, using Distress Ink (dusty concord) & also splashed a little diluted ink over the surfaces.


To tone the colours down & to give a more dreamy effect, I used oil pastels (Pale Blue, Pale Orange & White), blending with my fingers. Perfect!


I printed out letters to spell the word strength & added Glossy Accents to the butterfly.


I printed out two butterflies (original image from Dover, with the colour altered to match the project). I muted the printed colour using the white oil pastel. I used one butterfly as the page tab.


To finish, I added three old buttons.


I love the mixture of textures, materials & how they blend together.

Art Journal: Believe

This week I revisited a past project,

a journal page created on watercolour paper entitled Believe,

as I wanted to add it to my altered book Art Journal.

The background pages already had a coat of clear gesso applied.

I added colour using Eco Green Crafts acrylic paints

(Pistachio, Tide Pool, Waterfall & White).

Whilst the paint was still wet, I sprinkled Perfect Pearls

(Blue Patina & Green Patina)

& splashed some diluted Distress Ink over the top

(broken china).

To finish I stamped a dot border on some of the page edges using white ink.

You can see the border in this photograph going across the top of the page.

I cut my journal page up & used a strong wet glue

to adhered the pieces onto the painted background.

One advantage of using an altered book as the basis of an art journal,

is that you can incorporate found words into your layout.

The two I found on this page are creative & imagine.

Before I covered the pages in gesso,

these two words were protected with a coating of drawing gum.

Once the final covering of gesso, paints & inks are completed & dried,

the found words are revealed by removing the protective gum layer.

Those of you who are frequent visitors will know that these words

together with the name of the original piece, Believe,

form my artistic motto,

Imagine Believe Create.

I have had this blank page layout ready for work for over two years.

Moral of the story ... take time, do not rush & everything will fall into place.

I love the varying textures, from the gritty gesso base,

torn paper to the glossy dewdrops; the layering of materials,

with some original words still peeping through

coats of gesso, paints, inks & powders;

the blend of colours of watery blues & greens.

Please click on the photographs to see more detail.

For the finishing touch I added a few more dewdrops to tie the two projects together.

Believe that the world is good
That peace will conquer turmoil

Believe that you will succeed
That faith will see you through

Believe in true love
That hope will never end

Believe in yourself
That you will be all you want to be

Believe in all that is kind & good
That is wholesome, pure & true