Journal Journey's Ch 22

Hello Everyone, I must apologise for being so late but it is STILL the 1st of August. (just) Wasn't July HOT!  lets hope it continues. Summer is truly here now as the children break up from school & university and we have our family home. I've hardly had time to breath with all the fun things we have been up to. I hope you are having fun wherever you are and managing to enjoy the weather.

This month's challenge is.....

WHAT SUMMER MEANS TO YOU!

How appropriate, don't cha think? lol Next months GDT member is Gina, COOL so, Gina can you e-mail me for next months prompt, really thrilled I do hope you are able to accept. 

So, what does Summer mean to YOU! is it a beach holiday, hot weather trees, day trips, flowers, horse riding, gardening, sport, what? I really want to know and please share through your art journaling for the month of August.

This is the lovely Jeanett's GD piece and I am so grateful she had time to participate as Guest Designer this month. Thank You Jenny xx

Here is what Summer means to me. Children, fun and laughter. No matter what we're doing, cinema if it's raining, day trips out if it's warm.  What does it mean to you? Camping, dog walks, Alton Towers, Royal babies. What ever it is I hope you find time to share with us. Dawn xx

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

ARC March

There is a link in the side bar for this monthly challenge, I have been meaning to join in since Feb. when I found it but time got the better for me, I was going to put April in the title but it seems we run a month behind. Any way I usually read at least two books a month and so far I have read three this month but I am going to talk about this amazing book today 'The Vintage Teacup Club' by Vanessa Greene.

Now this is not my usual sort of book at all. But, it had some really good reviews from people, so I went for it, and I am so glad that I did. This is about three beautiful (as people) women and they meet at a car boot and all of them fall in love with a vintage tea set. They decided to share it and their relationship begins there.

The three women are called Jenny, young works in an office & soon to be married, Maggie, single has her own flower shop and Alison, who crafts from home and has a family. What is not to like about these women? They are all of differing ages & experience in life and this is where the book is so good each helps one another in the different problems that they begin to experience. They all want the teacup set for different reasons, Jenny wants them for her wedding theme, Maggie because a client want's an AIWL wedding and Alison wants to make candles out of them.

So Now you know why AIWL theme in my journal. Vanessa writes so beautifully, I could imagine everything and I love it when this happens with a book (well it always happens). Beautiful imagery came to mind and I loved being part of their world and I felt like a friend to them all by the end. This is a 10/10 book for me. I have a board on pinterest with lots of book reviews if your interested. I really enjoyed playing in my journal for this challenge, thanks Darcy it's a great idea and I hope to play again next month. Love Dawn xx

I'm feeling...

Spring like today (just). And I always want to make things nice when the sun shines. I have been tidying the surfaces of my craft area, it's taken most of the day (I'm not that mucky really). And boy am I tired now; so hubby kindly offered to do the tea while I put this post up and have a much needed brew. So here is a double A5 spread to celebrate my cleaning madness.

Some close ups. The quote says 'Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels beneath her, still she sings away all the same; knowing she has wings' Victor Hugo. Isn't that a beautiful quote. You can still join in this months journal journey challenge for April which is Quotes. Hope to see you there (link in the side bar). So many of you have joined in this month I am so pleased to see so many new faces as well, this in turn has brought lots of lovely new followers, how exciting. Thank you for taking time to stop by, Hope you are enjoying the Spring where you are. Dxx

P.S. There is also a small candy give away over on my other blog Crafty Dawn if you would like to join in. And if you follow my FB page Crafty Dawn there is soon to be a crafty giveaway there as well so do stop by :) Dxx

Quick journal quotes

 I was playing with quotes and in my previous post Here I had thought I had heard something similar to it before, and here it is. S.M.I.L.E. is something to remind us that being Spiritually Minded Is Life Eternal 2Nephi 9:39

And I really liked this quote by Winston Churchill as well. So I thought I would do both on the same spread with some zingy paint (like lemon & lime) and take my posca pens and kind of make posters to remind me of these things. Like I said really quick. Dawn xx

Bright mind

Morning, The sun was out all day yesterday, but if you stepped outside it felt like waking in to a freezer! Lets hope with the longer days it will soon warm up :)

I found this quote on Pinterest and thought I would re-work it into my journal. It also fits really well with the monthly challenge over at Art Journal Journey this month it's all about 'Landscape within you' So I used a quote as a starting point. The quote says "If you want to know where your heart is. Look to where your mind goes when it wanders" I have done a shorter version.

Well, I think all our minds wander to places we rather not be sometimes. So I thought of bright paints & flowers and got to work for this challenge. The flowers are from google all cut out and added to a well painted journal spread. This also fits in with my challenge this month which is 'Quotes'  Here   If you would like to join in just click the link for more info. Thank you for stopping by and having a look, hope to see you again. Love Dawn xx

Journal Journey's Ch18

Hello everyone and welcome. Wow, another month gone. I believe some struggled with last months challenge? But you still joined in and created some fantastic spreads. Be proud that you faced up to the challenge and won! :) This month is not nearly so difficult. I am enjoying that the clocks have gone forward and so the days are longer!

I hope you had a wonderful Easter and enjoyed the long Bank Holiday in the UK. The weather is very cold still, but at least the sun is out and the sky is blue instead of grey. Lets get on with this months challenge shall we? Yes that's why we're here to join in a challenge and express this in our art journals. This month I would really like to see:-

QUOTES!

So what are your favourite quotes? I want to see them in your art journals. They are to be the main focus. No matter the type, maybe a religious one or something some one famous has said. Something from a poem or book. Why not a great quote from your favourite film. This is your chance to quote away and you can do this as many times as you like as always I want you to have fun and play in your journals. Here is my example to kick start you off.

And I have just noticed I missed a letter out Oops! oh well none of us are perfect and I now what it is supposed to say lol Please join in have some fun, leave your link at the bottom and spread the word. Love Dawn xx

Special Moments

I have scanned this page not sure I like it scanned as the colour doesn't seem right but I thought I would try if for this post. I am entering this almost too late in to the lovely monthly challenge that is Art Journal Journey which for the rest of this month is about special moments.

I keep thinking of the sun, which is still yet to arrive. Snow we have in March yes and April is all about rain but I need my sun & blooms. So I made my very own :) I painted, inked and stamped & drew my own garden with lots of wild flowers and warm sky's so it would cheer me up. Lots of you have played along on this challenge I hope you can stop by for my Journal Challenge on the 1st of each month. Dxx

Is family important?

This sentiment just came to me and I went with it, if you think of family History (family tree) this is really true. I think family is Really important. They make us who we are in some ways, What we teach our children now this is what we give to the future. So we best make it good lol It's alot of responsibility when you think about it.

I really liked the paint stamping of one word. I wanted in the back ground I do this alot but in this case it felt more important, both with the words and the clock because all make a difference to each element of family. Well this wasn't suppose to be a deep post but these journal pages really moved me and I felt my heart agree with the sentiment, so there you have it. Dxx

Can you stand it?

More Journal pages from me that is? lol I have been beavering away like a good un lol I have so many pages done and I have to say I am LOVING IT!  So with out further ado. I thought I would have a go at the theme over at Art Journal they do a monthly challenge just like me, (how cool) I was sad not to get round to the one last month 'Crowns' But I may have a play with this word soon. No, this month it's all about the word 'Peace' and what that inspires so here is my spread hope you like it Love. 

I used Pride & Prejudice book paper (have lots of copies of this book) as back ground paper, gessoed, painted & stamped, then drew some hearts & books on more P&P sheets and then got the neo2s out and coloured them in added water and that's about it really, oh a bit of doodling and hey presto, enjoy Love Dawn xx