Journal Journey's Ch05

This is a sticky and will remain at the top for November. Please look below for new posts thank you.

Well October has gone already and it's now November. I think this year has gone so fast. Being November I can officially start talking about Christmas on my blogs lol.  Again more wonderful work form every one who joined in, I really wish I could give you all some thing. Thank you for playing along and I do hope you will play again this month ;0)

Okay on to this months challenge, I really hope you're up for this....................

New Look!

New look mmmm what do I mean? Well something very simple actually, I would like you to use a photograph of your self or like me you can use magazines all cut up ;0) paint your self what ever you like. Then give your self a different look. Now I concentrated on the hair but you can go for the full body new look. Have you ever wanted to be a punk, clown or an imaginary being even? I haven't really pushed the boat out here, I have kept it pretty basic. However,  you can really go as far out as you like, so go off and journal you have a month so get creative. I hope you like this as subject, just go out have fun let your imagination run riot and knock your self out ;0)

Okay, this is my little effort. I hope I've inspired you to go out and have some fun with this months request. Please remember to put a link in your post back to this post. And when linking remember to link to the post you're entering not just your blog, as the challenge lasts a whole month it could take some time for me or others to find your post. I hope to see your journal pages soon love Dawn xx

Journal Angel

Hello, how was your weekend? I had my grandson James all weekend so it was super busy and tiring ;0) I did manage last week to do a painting in my journal though. I was inspired by an artist called Cheryl Irwin she shows a video of how to paint angels and I was inspired immediately.  I did this in my journal and then I used a 9x12 canvass Here on my other blog.

It's a great technique and one I think I may use in other paintings in the future. Pop along to the link for the video and have a go ;0) I hope you have a wonderful week. Love dawn xx

Journal Journey Ch04

Hello, hello my journal friends. I have decide to make challenge post stick to the top position so please look lower down for new posts, thank you. We had a drop in numbers last month which was a little sad. However, the quality of the work was far from down. I saw all your journal pages and I was really impressed by all your work and how many techniques you all know. This really impressed me a lot. 

So on to the Journal challenge for October. I do hope you will all join in and spread the word, I have a blog button on my side bar if you haven't added it to your blog already. I love Autumn, October is a time of many changes in nature, many colours, leaves and flowers also a time of new birds to take flight to warmer places and others to get ready for the colder weather ahead. So I would like you this month to do a page/spread on:- 

'Nature & Autumn'

So if it's leaves, trees, or birds, flowers, animals (of any kind such as squirrels, dear or foxes) or sky's I really would love to see all the things you associate with Nature & Autumn. This is really a very wide subject, I do this to give you freedom to choose as a journal is so personal to so many. However, if you would like me to give you an additional thing to include my answer is STENCIL use a stencil somewhere in your page/spread. Below is my example to get the inspiration flowing I hope this helps.

I hope you find my journal spread inspirational in some small way, remember I am still learning and getting used to what my very own style will be, so don't be afraid to have a go your self. I hope you decide to pick up an old/new journal and express the nature and colours of Autumn in your very own way. Remember you have a whole month. Love Dawn xx

Please remember to put a link in your post back to this post and when linking your journal page please link to the post not just the blog. As this challenge lasts a month it could be time consuming to find your post. Love Dawn xx

All new posts for October are below this post thank you for looking ;0) if you like any of my post you can now +1 just click on the +1 underneath each post thanks xx

Pride & Prejudice plus lavender

This is one of the most simple looking pages but I really didn't think it needed anything else. I love it. Every time I go out to charity shops or where ever I always buy (if I see one) a second hand Jane Austin copy of Pride & Prejudice, so you can imagine, I have a few copies, I also have about 3 copies of the BBC version of  Pride & Prejudice, well you never know if one will get lost or damaged. 

Anyway, This is painted in light Neo11s as well as gesso. I then Used another free image, (still using no budget for crafting materials.) this beautiful lavender image which is from The Graphics fairy. I then transfered one to each center of the page using the matt medium technique, finally adding my journaling. Thank you for stopping by. If you can take time to click on the plus one underneath this post or add a comment that would be wonderful. Love Dawn xx

Circus Fun with Paint Party Friday #33

I have been sadly missing from PPF which is a shame because there are always wonderful things to catch up on and the art is simply amazing. I am sharing a journal page this week, not usually my kind of subject but this just grew out of my control and I kinda like how it finished out. keeping up my NIL BUDGET on crafting material is prooving to be rather inspirational lol.  I used a freebie download (the lady with butterfly wings) Some packaging for the back ground (Bubble Wrap) some coloured pencils I haven't used in ages.

This is a stamp set I bought and don't use very often, but it's really fun to get it all inked up lol. I have been collecting old books to use for ripping up, painting and stamping on which I did here with this odd girl with wings. I drew her face/head myself. This is me splashing in puddles ;0)

And this is to represent one of the stars of the show (I wasn't going to start drawing elephants & clowns) I used to go to lots of Circuses when I was really small and they were a wonder to me. That was when they still had animals as well as high wire acts, clowns etc. So this is basically I child hood memory that invited it's self on to the page. I hope you can also join in with the Paint Party Challenge. Love Dawn xx

Cracking Copper!

Hello journal friends. It's almost the end of the month, why not enter this months Nature/Autumn challenge there is still time;0) and there will be a brand new challenge on the 1st of the month ;0). So to this Journal Spread. I thought I would try some of this paint on my Journal pages and see how it worked. ;0) It worked fine. I love colour and texture, so I try to make sure my pages have both in abundance ;0)

Isn't this Croco paint effective? I have had it ages, I am trying to use things I have lying around as I am on a NIL BUDGET for craft items for this next few months, I have a couple of Birthdays and Christmas coming and my son is at University in London and needs our support, so I am stretch too thin and my craft budget has gone. I think it's a challenge I am going to enjoy, I have plenty of things in I can use and I have an imagination would you like to join in to?  For example on this page I have used left over kitchen roll from clean up. The wings & body image are from a free supermarket magazine, the lady with the top hat was a free download and the music sheet was a greasy marked piece of paper ready for the bin but with a stamp and some ink it is now grungy and useful.

 

I have also had this frame for about a year. If you want to join in too, just pop by and leave me a comment in whatever post is the most recent and tell me what amazing things you have found in your stash or what you have got for free to make your journal spread. I think it will be inspirational for all of us. We can each stop by and see what you're creating. Love Dawn xx

Disabled-Movement

Hello my journal buddies. Thank you for stopping by and thank you twice if you commented as well ;0) I wanted to share a personal page with you today. Just to show one of the many reasons I love to journal. It is here for me always and I can put in there my fantasy's and real life. Real life can be joyous and really happy like when my grand son is here. other times it can be difficult as I suffer with Fibromyalgia.

Here is a close up. The words on the left is how I feel every day, the words on the right is how I would like to feel each day lol it's not all bad as I said I have lots to be greatful for and many are far worse of then my self but my journal is for me, and some timed I want to have a winge and it's perfectly OK Love Dawn xx

Autumnal Mushrooms

I thought I would have another spread for Autumn/Fall just to help inspire a little as we don't seem to have many people joining in with the Monthly challenge. This makes me a little sad :0( so I do hope to see more of you joining in. I have reached amazing 60 followers and I want to thank you all for joining in leaving comments and just being there. However I would love to see more of you joining in the challenge I hope this spread inspires you a little.

This started off as just a light coloured spray of colour wash to get rid of the blank space, then I pulled out a stencil and sprayed even more colour wash over that (opening another page reversing the stencil and brayered over it, so the colour wasn't wasted and also another background is already begun for next time ;0) (how cool?) Then to give depth I added the heading and reused some letters to draw round so I could give the appearance that the letters were further back (you can see this clearer in the top photo) Some rub ons and then some fabby stamps from Stampotique (Jo Capper-Sandon) I placed my journaling around the shapes of the mushrooms and that was that. What do you think? Have I convinced you to have a go at the monthly challenge yet? there is still time to play around, Hope to see you back soon. Love Dawn xx

Mileage

My Son is now settled in Uni halls in London. After a very long drive some misunderstandings with payments and general scary moments my son is now settled and I am now free to think about my art again. So I hope to be playing again soon ;0) I don't think I have shown this before and if I have I appologise but I really wanted to show some art and after the goings on of this week end 'Mileage' seemed to be appropriate lol. Gosh and I have I done some this week end. Not just driving mileage but emotional mileage too! It was like him being four years old again going off to school for the first time only this time it's he is an young adult and over 200 miles away. I know he is prepared for the living alone. He knows how to use a washing machine and cooker, get a food shop on a budget (we have give him money each week to budget his own food) as well as all those other thing you teach them, so we have done all we can. He just has to get on with it and work hard so scary isn't it? not just for us but for them too!

So my Angel baby is off to fly hi all alone lol we are at the end of the phone but we can't go running up to London if something goes wrong every five minuets. Any way enough of my mother hen flapping around here is some journaling hope you like it and I hope you have had a much more serine week end than I have lol. Love Dawn xx

There's a hole in my page!

Hello every one I hope your having a wonderful weekend ;0) The Inspiration for this was found from Christy's art geeks on the Wild Precious group I bought some roses this year and was looking forward to growing them so this challenge was particularly nice. Christy had drawn the roses and suggested cutting through a journal page then putting the roses on the other side to. So here goes I thought for the first time I cut a large heart through the page transferred a Victorian woman in to the page after colouring the back ground with my trusty neo's Then drawing a thought bubble with the hopes of my new growing roses experience. 

And on the reverse side you can see the heart and more of the roses through the heart only coloured differently. Again I used neo's as back ground and then doodled more roses And stuck on a previous butterfly I had created among them with a wee bit of journaling. I found it very enjoyable I wonder if you have cut holes through a journaling page before? Well I enjoyed my first time, thank you for stopping by to have a look and share your experiences. Dawn xx

And here is a photo of how one of the roses turned out, I have six blooming bushes and I have really enjoyed the scents and colours just as I hoped ;0) Dxx

Journal Journey's Ch03

Hello and good morning to you all where ever you may be ;0) Well can you believe it's September already? The months are flying by and already there is talk of the C word (Christmas) Stop! I don't want to face that so early please! ;0) All the children will be back at school any day now, so your really excited or really sad. Some will be going off to big school and others, school for the first time it's all too much for us mothers. One of my babies is off to university so we will all be traveling from Manchester to London to drop him off. Sad but happy moment. Any way enough natter from me. I hope September is good to you ;0) And what of this months Journal Challenge?

This month I would like you to think of:-

Inclusions/Tags

I do hope you are going to have fun with this, I would like you to add an inclusion (something stuck to the middle of a spread that you can see both sides of when turned over) or a tag. Here is a little inspiration from me below.

I went a little mad lol So, have any of you done this before? If not don't be put off. I have added a large tag which I put a list on & decorated and just use some clear sticky tape, then I have used two smaller tags and also attached with some clear tape. There are wonderful tapes that are on the craft market or you can just use electrical tape, sew it in or even use glue. I hope to see lots of variety this month as it's a technique!  It would be so nice if you could add my button to your blog to spread the word so others can come and play too ;0) Love Dawn xx

The winner of the fairy book from last months fairy challenge was Joanne please e-mail me Joanne.

Please remember to include a link to your post not just your blog and also a link in your post to my blog thank you Dxx

Paint Party Friday

No this isn't one of the best journal pages I ever did, actually it may be the worst! But I was in hospital with limited supplies doodling and this was what I cam up with. I hope you don't mind me putting this into our lovely PPF with all your wonderful pieces because it really cheered me up when I was in hospital to get ink and paint on my hands even thought I was poorly sick ;0) Love Dawn xx

Transfers

Morning peeps ;0) I couldn't sleep tonight so I thought I would just get some journaling done and here is what I have come up with.

After I took all the photos I decided to add another transfer with hot glue on the right to fill in the space and it's the first time I have used HG and it worked so well I will be using it again!

Here is a CU of a stamped image (Archival ink) over transferred images and with paint rings on top, I think you can see that this spread is about lots of layering as well as the transfers.

I found this image in a magazine (newspaper freebie) and I just loved all the geometric shapes in it I had to spread bits of this all over to bring the spread together. All these were Gel Medium easy to do and really enjoyable rubbing all the paper off to reveal this beauty. I love how all the paint, stencils & stamping shows through underneath.

And as I write in the journaling, I don't know why or what this page conveys and sometimes I don't think we need to know, do we? I just loved getting this work down in all its glory and I really liked how it looked when it was finished. I don't think all art has to mean anything it's simply come in to being and therefor is art of my creativity just the same but with know start or end point. It just simply is. Love Dawn xx

Grungy Monday 20

Hello to all my fellow bloggy journal buddies ;0) I am back from hospital and I am feeling well. A big thank you to those of you who left well wishes I am touched. Grunge Monday with Linda is one of my fave challenges because of it's lovely grunginess.   We celebrate Tim Holtz  & his ideas for products & Techniques and the twentieth week is all about a product Distress Stickles. This is a muted more vintage looking glitter and I have to say I love it. And over at Simon Says Stamp & Show the theme is 'Bling' now mine is muted but it's very bling ;0)

I have used stickles every where both to highlight texture in the back ground and used really neat to add some texture to her dress and hair piece. You can see the subtle glitter effect it has on the back ground.

And here where the cuff is more intense Stickles. This is actually a journal page I have been working on for some time. I have put so many layers on this with stamping and tissue paper and brayering etc I hope you like this finished item and come back to my journaling blog again, maybe you would like to join in my Journal Challenge for this month (August)  it's fairies. Do pop back if you get time to play and as always thank you for taking time to stop by. Love Dawn xx

Hello Bloggy friends. Just a short post to let you all know I am off to hospital for my operation ;0) I will miss your beautiful talent for the week I am gone. 

Not to be morbid but if for what ever reason I don't come back (which I am sure I will But just in case) You have all given me the best time. I have had such support and love and I hope I have given such as well.

But fear not I will be back with some more art work and to visit you all again very soon. I will really miss my usual challenges and talking to you all. However, I have packed some arty stuff to take to hospital and I will share this with you on my return. Love Dawn xx

Texture Paste

Well it's very warm here, although the rain has come it's so warm and muggy, but with a shower and windows open all  over the house ' I will survive' as the great Gloria Gaynor once said lol. I have been playing with my texture paste, stencils and  colour wash sprays again, bliss! I bought some of this TP ages ago for something (I forget what) any way I was at the wild precious ning group (link on my side bar) and came across a new  free group. and Christy was using this TP and so I thought i would play around with it too. Oh so easy and really effective don't you think?

Here's a wee close up for you. I have also used some lace, you can see it down the centre of the book under the inclusion. On the back of the eyes I have written the instructions of this technique, so as to remember to use it again in the future. The new group within Wild Precious is called Christy's Art Geeks Another FREE group. Lots of fun techniques going on here, so pop along and have a nosy. I do hope you will come back soon. Thank you for those who are putting the Blog button on their blogs. And you can also get to this months challenge through pressing the button on the side, I do hope you will join in and don't forget there is a little gift this month to. Love Dawn xx

This is the latest member of our family ;0) DUKE isn't he adorable? This lovely character came in to our life a couple of weeks ago. James mum had got him and finding out she was pregnant again decided it would be too much (some people really don't think long term) any way she asked us if we new any one (having many pets of our own) Michael just had to have him. we have the room, all our boys are leaving us sniff sniff and so here is Duke along with Lola our other rescue dog and the seven cats we have. (three rescue and 4 kittens) so I think we are full for a while at least lol I hope you will welcome him as we do. Love Dawn xx

Elements class wk 04

Hello my lovely journal buddies. Here is this week elements class, it's all about water this week and boy the healing part was tough but I am so happy I have done this part as well as creating a lovely journal page. If you have been popping by you will know I am taking a class Elements by Effy Wild. We're all enjoying this so much. It a very supportive group and lots of help and support on hand for everything we are doing within the class.

We did another exercise and from this we did some writing then covered over it and made something positive and this is what I came up with. I really enjoyed playing with my new sprays 'Colour Wash' from ranger I got them all and they are rich & vibrant, they are in the same colours as the first lot of alcohol inks so I imagine there will be more ;0) I have also used one of my new Prima stencils I wouldn't be with out them they are fantastic and lots of variety to choose from in both 12x12 & 6x6 some gesso and a 2" brayer to soften edges. The sentiment was stamped out with hero art alphas, I have a couple of these sets I really like them and I find I am using them alot. If you want to know anything else about this just ask. Thank you for stopping by and any comments you leave are very appreciated. Love Dawn xx

Journal Journey's Ch02

Hello and welcome to my second challenge woo hoo. I am so pleased with all of you who joined in last month and thank you for being with me lol. Lets hope some more of you will get the bug in August to come and play along. Please help spread the word by adding my button to your blog if you haven't already thank you.

So August is the holiday season but I have completely ignored the obvious lol and this month we'll have a mythical theme I do hope you will all join me for:-

FAIRIES

Yes fairy month. And as usual you can stamp draw put photos in your page/pages, calender pages? What ever you would like to do and mediums? well anything you like ;0) paint, collage, ink, etc. If you want more of a challenge why not try to use something you have had in your stash that's sitting there a wee bit unloved. Let me know in your comment if you did the added challenge, and what you used ;0) 

I used the transfer technique to make my fairies, from some photos off the web. However, I have altered them lots. And I thought I would use something I find hard to use as an extra challenge GLITTER. Don't get me wrong I love glitter but I always find it really hard to use ;0)

You can see the glitter here a little, the paint I used for the skin of the fairies also had a lovely sheen to it so their skin looked magical to ;0) OK now it's over to you, begone, go, create *sends you off with happy smile*  You can always ask questions in the comments I look at this most days and there is always my e-mail. Just remember I am learning all the time and DO NOT know all there is so come on, learn along with me and have some fun at the same time Love Dawn xx

I have been reading some books By Julia Kagawa about fairies and silly me, I bought two of the same one (I do this alot so dizzy;0) any way I thought you may like to have my extra copy ;0) It's called the Iron Daughter. If you would like to be put in the draw for this book, please leave me a comment to let me know you're interested when you  have entered this months challenge and I will make a draw at the end of Aug and announce the winner on the 1st of Sept along with the next challenge ;0)

Please leave a link in your post back to this post so others can find me and hopefully join in the fun. Thank you. I look forward to having a look through all your entries Love Dawn xx

Paint Party Friday

I have started to take my small sketch book with me when I go out for the day and make some sketches. This is a very new way of doing things for me and I have yet to be comfortable doing it but I did it and I am pleased with the result.

I have missed a few PPF And I have really missed looking at all your work as you are all so full of inspiration. Hence me taking a wee sketch book with me when I went out for the day to Harrogate recently. We had been in the famous Betty's Tea Rooms for lunch, and later was sat out side with my hubby talking to a lovely local man. As we were chatting I quickly, no pauses, sketched this picture with a 0.05 uni pin ink pen. When I got home some time later I coloured it in with some WC pencils and Neo2 pastels I am not sure if I should of just left it at first but it needed something. Maybe I should of used WC paints and very lightly gave a little colour but we live and learn and maybe next time this is what I will do, who knows. The important thing is I broke the barrier of drawing out side and I am pleased I did.

Maybe next time I may try and sketch the whole thing but this time, small baby steps ;0) You can see the corner of the square and the flowers I drew so quickly out side the tea rooms top photo. It took about 2-3 min I wanted it to look fluid and not detailed. And I fully recommend the tea rooms service and food are wonderful. Any way it's done thank you for stopping by. Love Dawn xx

Cosy Times

Hello hello, hope I find you well this week end, the sun is out and I am in the house playing and I don't care ha ha. I have been playing all morning and so I thought I would share something.

I love this new Journal for several reasons

1. It's price (£2.50 Asda) Part of Walmart so you may be able to get it in USA?
2. It's quality (really good)
3. Great size (A5)

Where can you get a great journal like that for this price? I haven't seen any anywhere else. It's an A5 size and they come in three types un-ruled, ruled and graph. I bought two to start off. I have splashed water on the pages (a lovely cream colour) sprays and paints and they hold up pretty well. I would say the spays showed through the other side so I glued two pages together but this is my must buy art buy.

 

I have been using a transfer technique, tissue paper, and paint and gesso and brayer and, and, well you get the picture, lots of layers and this book held it's own very nicely ;0) I am playing along with Wild Precious group 52 Pages group and the word Cosy was the word to inspire. I have used these hot chocolate cups to list some of the things I find make me feel cosy. I hope you like my pages. Love Dawn xx