Playing with charcoal & faces

What better way to  play/experiment than in your journal?  So, I thought I would show you how I have been playing with faces.

I prefer the simplicity of the top one 'Candy Girl' to the intensity of the bottom two. But the background on the 2nd is just from excess inks from my stencils then gessoed over, how cool is that? Dxx

Mix it Monthly

There is a new challenge with my lovely friend Conny and it's called Mix it Monthly. She gave us two pictures to use as we saw fit. These are shown below.

She gave us beautiful examples and a vid to help out. I am not a big Picaso lover to be honest well certainly not all the cubist stuff just not for me but this was still a fun challenge I got to play with.

Conny also said she wanted to see lots of yellow. I did the whole background yellow. I started with book pages then painted it then added scrapbook paper also yellow and then as Conny did I cut up her Picasso  style painting and popped that in the back ground as well. I really like the colour pallet of Conny's work so I focused on the primary colours in that as well. I will pop a quote on the right-hand side at some point just not found what I want yet :)  Below is a close up of the lovely lady.

I hope you have time to join in Mix it Monthly all the details are over there so stop by for a look Dxx

Journal Journey's Ch20

We have had some glorious weather in May we actually had some sunny weather on a Bank Holiday in the UK and we Brits know how rare that is lol. Looks like we have some more followers (Fabulous to see you) and we have had lots of people joining in again. Hooray! We have lots to get through so lets push on to this months Challenge.

This month's challenge is....

NUMBERS

You may recall that last month I started choosing, (with random generator)  a special monthly Guest Design Team (GDT) member. It's really easy to do, just join in each month and one person randomly will be picked out to design for the next month. You can send your photos to my email add and a couple of sentences as to why you like to craft. The idea is along the way we all get a turn at being a GDT member & find out a little more about each other.

Susi Our very first GDT said "For me Art Journaling is the best way to relax, to try out new techniques and to be messy with colours, stamps and glue. I have to create to stay healthy and happy." Thank you Susi I totally agree with you. And a big thank you for being our very first GDT member.

I wish I had a button I could give out. Does anyone know how to make one? If you can and you would like to make one for us that would be super :) Just e-mail me with the details thank you.

Last months winner of GDT was Susi. And hasn't she done a fantastic job? Thank you Susi.

This months winner is..... No. 15 That's Bridgit
Please contact me via e-mail for next months Challenge details :)

Here are my pages to help inspire along with Susi's. So remember 'NUMBERS' is the theme, have fun with it this month and please pop your link to the post of your entry in the linky below. Dxx

ARC - Book Review

This months Book review I am sharing with ARC  Is; Jo Nesbo's The Redbreast. These books with Harry hole are growing on me. I read The Snowman last month and then this one (they are out of order) but I don't know if I will read them all. I like the detective, Harry Hole. In this book I can get a better idea of him from the beginning. This is a fascinating story. I love the history this book shares of the war although brutal (isn't all war) this is where we get to know about the person Harry is looking for although you don't know which one it is. There is some references to Nazis and prejudice in there, but there has to be as there was in the war years.

I liked the backwards and forwards though history. A lot of books are like this now, I have read a few and am currently reading another one like this. It seems authors like this at the moment, although some times it's confusing I feel that is more the authors fault, as others are better written and are much easier to follow through time and others just become confusing. Cloud Atlas, for example, is very confusing but the film made it all very easy because of the visual aspects and the book failed to explain these connections. But when written well like The Hundred year old man who....... I find them exciting. And this is no different, it keeps you reading along at a good pace. I enjoyed the book and the ending was okay. I have to say though I much prefer Camilla Lackberg to Jo Nesbo, is that a woman thing? I don't know. But her novels I care more about the characters as there is much more effort put into the everyday life as well as the case that the detective is involved with.

Any way if you read through this far well done, give your self a gold star lol On to the art part of  ARC.

I was really stuck art wise when I came to it, but I then got to thinking of the snow and the German uniforms and that's where I started with grey & white acrylic paint smeared all over the gessoed pages thickly with a pallet knife. There is a lot of snow and it's quite a large part of the story in the past. There are a couple of love story's going on in the book love for country, love for comrades and love for a special woman. I focused on one part of the story that is focused in the past. 

Here a solder wants to impress a woman and books a table in the best restaurant in the city. The air-raid siren goes off and people desert the restaurant to go for shelter but the couple stay and as the bombs fall so close that, the lights go out and the candles on the table are the only lighting in this huge posh restaurant. The plaster falls down, they do not move, the chandeliers begin to sing as they shake and the crystal with it. When all around them is in chaos they drink the best wine & dance together. 

Not everything in this story is black and white there are many shades of grey this is also part of this journal piece. As I read this part of the story I could totally picture the sound the crystal would make and this was so poignant. I searched German crystal chandeliers and got this picture from google printed it in black & white and cut it out and glued this to the page. I then got some ink and a pen to write some of my review  on the pages. I hope you like the explanation to this (what may look simple) piece. I am also sharing this with PPF Dxx

P.S.  I forgot to add what next months review will be; this is because I am not sure I have just finished the new book by Dan Brown Inferno But I have also started a book by Lucinda Riley The Light Behind The Window. So it will be one of these two :) Dxx

Loss!

I have been very sad since November last year. I didn't know if I should share this but I feel as I am in a safe place here I can share this with you my dear friends.  James is my grandson. Here he is:-

These photos are from Nov 2012 the last time we had him at our home.

This is my beautiful ANGEL and I can't look at his photographs with out crying! I am BEREFT 

This may sound strange because he is still ALIVE. But his mother has been with another man and had two children to him and has now moved house and never told us. We went round to pick him up as we have done for the last four years. I was there when he was born (I actually assisted). We have been an integral part of his life from his birth. It didn't work out between our son and her but still she allowed us to pick him up every fortnight. Anyway, time passes and a couple of boyfriends came and went. Then Ryan came on the scene she quickly became pregnant and then another pregnancy followed he was good with James and we had nothing to negative to say apart from he didn't want a relationship with us never spoke to us etc and we suspected that this day may come, put prayed it wouldn't. We have no legal rights we can enforce, our son can not get access as there is no legal aid now for him to claim.

So we haven't seen our beautiful boy since November 2012 the month of his birthday. I ache with longing for him. I think it's some times worse than him being dead, because he is out there somewhere and I can't do anything to find him. Then I think don't be stupid he is ALIVE and out there somewhere and that is better surely.

So here is a page for James Michael Anthony, My Grandson I love you so much be safe and god protect you my angel boy where ever you are love Grandma & Granddad your uncles Shawn & Matthew who also miss you loads and the rest of your family who miss you.

I found this poem for the loss of a child and this is how I feel:

The Cord

We are connected,
My child and I, by
An invisible cord
Not seen by the eye.

It's not like the cord
That connects us 'til birth
This cord can't been seen
By any on Earth.

This cord does it's work
Right from the start.
It binds us together
Attached to my heart.

I know that it's there
Though no one can see
The invisible cord
From my child to me.

The strength of this cord
Is hard to describe.
It can't be destroyed
It can't be denied.

It's stronger than any cord
Man could create
It withstands the test
Can hold any weight.

And though you are gone,
Though you're not here with me,
The cord is still there
But no one can see.

It pulls at my heart
I am bruised...I am sore,
But this cord is my lifeline
As never before.

I am thankful that God
Connects us this way
A mother and child
Death can't take it away!

Author Unknown

We love you James. Your Uncles love & miss you as does all our family. We pray one day we will see you again that you will remember some of the times we have spent together, that we love & wanted to see you no matter what you are told by others. I pray you will be safe and protected and that one day we will see you again God bless you my dear boy Gxx

Texture!

Just thought I would show some of the pages in my texture journal. Dxx

Only just realised this is my 102nd post went right past 100 with out realising, thanks for being with me on this journey in to ART JOURNALING and long may it continue Dxx

Beautiful Bonnets

I have been playing with stencils & paint and I had loads of fun, what is not to love about that? I used mostly new things stamps stencils etc. But I have committed to using up old things, things I thought were too precious (papers/elements) I had decided it was better to use them finally, instead of hoarding these yummy treasures. So I have used some Tim Holtz 'Grunge Board' the swirls you can see. I painted it to match the bonnet.

Some close ups. All I could think of when I started to add the images was a silly song from forever ago, called 'Tip toe through the tulips' by Tiny Tim,  made me laugh. I had to look it up on you tube and here it is hope you like the journaling as well as this barmy song.

There is still plenty of time to join in with Journal Journey's ch19 Which this month is 'BIRDS' please join in we all love to see what you have been up to Dxx

FishBall

I wanted to try something different for me, a challenge indeed to use NO stencils & NO stamps! This is for the challenge over at the wonderful Art Journal Journey.  I am glad I challenged myself to do this, I still prefer to use stamps, stencils but this was difficult but rewarding. Thank you for the challenge Susi. I will also add this to the PPF Ch.

I drew each individual fish my self and it took forever lol.  I have often watched nature programs of how animals like whales, seals & dolphins herd these fish and it fascinates me. This is the inspiration for this journal spread.  How so many fish try to become invisible. I think these fish-balls are beautiful although, inevitably, it usually has a sad ending as they all get eaten. But I guess that's nature beautiful & cruel at the same time. Thanks for looking, I hope you have time to challenge your self this month. Dxx

Journal Journey's Ch19

A big thank you to those who joined in last month challenge. Looks like I really hit on something everyone really enjoyed, so much so some of you entered more than once Woo Hoo. I have to say I have written down some of the wonderful quotes you used to put in some of my future work. I had a blast visiting you all old and new players. We also smashed all records for entires and we have now more than 100 followers, How cool is that? I really hope you have all come back this month to play again.

NEWS

I thought it would be nice to pick a random person each month to be a special Guest Designer (GD) for the following month. The winner would write a little about why they craft perhaps (optional) and will also have their work for that month shown in the challenge post. I hope you like the idea. 

This months winner is

Lucky 13 Susi

Susi if you would contact me, I can give you the details for Ch20. 

To me you are all amazing, this is not who has the best art journal spread. I believe you are all super, this is just a random recognition, getting a little lime light and we all get to know a little more about the people who are joining in the challenge each month. You do not have to be a GD if you do not want to (no pressure is involved at all) just let me know and Random Generator can have another go.

Now on to this months challenge

BIRDS

I love all things to do with Birds, nests, eggs, feathers, chicks. Whatever you like, just make the focus of your page BIRDS. As always I am excited to see what you come up with again. All are welcome even if you have never done any art journaling before, we're a really friendly bunch here, there are no criticisms only love. Here is my silly story spread for this month :) Dxx

The journaling says; "This is the story of King Tweet. Top Hat Harry would steel kittens & pups, making them perform as jesters against their will." I made up a whole story in my head about these sparkly evil birds lol I had my friend who visited in stitches lol I have a vibrant imagination lol. Have a great month looking forward to seeing your work and getting to know you all better.

Please enter the link to the post for the challenge in the linky below :) Dxx

ARC April & PPF

Hello, It's Friday horah! I love these challenges. ARC & PPF wonderful challenges and hosted by very talented ladies. It also gives me the chance to have a good nosey through lots of blogs and see what people are creating, which is a bonus!

So my book review is on a book called 'The Preacher' by Camila Lackberg. This scene is how I imagined the opening few pages of the book. There is a little boy who goes playing 'knights' down at the beach in the caves near his home very early in the morning (unbeknown to his parents) and he finds a sleeping woman, or so he thinks, sadly she is never going to wake up. Later as the police arrive and remover her body, two skellington's are found as well which are later to be discovered are two young girls that have been missing over 20yrs. And were dreadfully tortured before they were killed. Is the same murderer back? And what are the family secrets between two related family's one of which was a chef suspect 20 yrs ago but hanged him self, so why have these murders started again and how many more will go missing?

I love a good murder lol I also love that this carries on from a a book called the 'The Ice Princess' that I read last month. Same detective. But I love that in the books life is still going on, it's not all about the murder. Other little real life dramas are going on as well. Erica his girlfriend is pregnant, her sister has left her abusive husband from the last book etc but they are also really good stand alone books, you don't have to read the whole series to know what on earth is going on unlike some. If you like thrillers then yes I would recommend these, but thankful there isn't a lot of detail in the actual violence part so not as horrific as some thrillers and not loads of bad language. But it's no Miss Marple either. I give this book 8/10.  I am also really getting in to Jo Nesbo's Harry hole books, maybe I will review one of these next month lol.

OK on to the journaling. I used some Basic Gray scrapbook paper as a beginning  (Finally trying to make a dent in my paper-stash from my scrap-booking/card-making days lol). I added to it with neo2s I tore some papermania paper up for the main images as I didn't want tidy edges, love the texture this created. Then coloured them in with neo's and a water brush. I then wrote a small review in the sand to remind me of this book. I will hopefully catch up with you throughout the week, in the mean time Have a great week end. Love Dawn xx