Mix It Monthly

Oh what fun I had with this challenge over at Mix It Monthly this month I really enjoyed getting started in a new journal (which I can't find anywhere, I do wish people wouldn't move my things) Any way lovely new journal (A gift from a friend). I will also join in with Paint Party Friday - PPF I loving playing around with paint and as it is Friday why not!

Isn't it pretty? It's A5 or there about's, it's all lined paper but that doesn't matter to me when playing in any journal. it also has a lovely little magnet fold over and I just thought this will become a problem actually mmmm. Any way I thing it's beautiful even though it has a oriental feel (which I am not keen on) Full of blossom.

I printed off the things from Conny's Challenge page. Flowers & pendant. I thought it was really clever what she did with the pendant, I am SO NOT computer savy when it comes to things like that.

I painted the background randomly with the colour pallet we was asked to use Then cut some parts of the flowers & pendant out and stuck them randomly around the pages and then I started to add things :)

Some doodling and journaling and then not much later.......

The finished spread I hoped you liked this look through my process for this challenge. It was fun. Thank you Conny For another lovely challenge Dxx

ARC & PPF

I love to get a new book, get excited about it, guess what may happen and get involved with the characters. This was a great book for this. ARC with Darcy is a challenge for readers & artists of any skill. If you have lots of books you have been meaning to read this challenge is a chance to do that.  You read a book in a month, review it then do some art for that review. I read a lot any way, so I may not be reading books off my shelf as I have read them. I am constantly buying new or second hand books. I really like this idea of reviewing it with art as well.

 

This is for a book called Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. (Click the link for further information or to buy from Amazon)

The Review This is about a married couple, the wife goes missing and the husband is suspected of a hand in her disappearance. and it all goes on from there. The author uses diary entries from the wife to show how the wife views things and the present time is how we see things from the husbands point of view. 

I didn't like either character, both were less than perfect as in real life we all are. So I couldn't root for the hubby to be vindicated and I couldn't care less if the wife was found or not as she seemed a devious cow from the get go. But having said that, I think this is how the book is meant to make you feel. (although this could just be me). Wifey each anniversary sets up a mystery treasure hunt, each clue is given at the answer to the previous clue. (hope that makes sense?) hubby does this with out telling the police and as he finds each clue ....... Can't really tell you any more with out spoiling the book. But even though I didn't like the characters I wanted to know what was going to happen to both of them. I really liked the book actually and I thought it was very cleverly written. The heading at the beginning lets you know where you are and in what time reference so it's easy to follow. Over all I gave this 10/10 after reading it, I really enjoyed disliking the pair of them. They were made for each other and in my opinion it has a good ending.

The Art I found some resist paper I had forgot I had and decided this would be the base for my journal pages, as it had a writing feel to it. This would go along with the written diary and clues given. I made some envelopes out of card and wrote the clues on there and added lots of ink all over. I wrote my own review and popped that in the pockets I have made for this Journal, for book reviews. I have quite a few finished now and I am behind with a couple of others I have read as well.

Next months book could be 'If' - by George Kempis' a freebie e-book from Kindle I read on my phone. Here's the link so you can read this if you like as well. Or I may just review Granny Squares by Susan Pinner I haven't reviews a craft book yet and I read a fair few lol.

Finally I would also like to add this entry to PPF and join in with all the wonderful artist there as well. Have a lovely weekend Dxx

ARC & PPF

Time to share another book review already. I have read a few books this month but I thought I would share my review on the new Dan Brown novel Inferno. I had high hopes for this as I have really enjoyed Dan's Prof. Robert Langdon series.

The Review - And I have to say I was a little disappointed to say the least. I didn't like the story much and the way we started with Robert having no memory and working backwards to find out why he was in his currant situation. This is on the first page or two, so I am not giving anything away. But I read it and still give it a good 7/10 still imaginative. It was much easier to put down between sessions than previous books from Dan Brown.

I started a new Journal for all my future book reviews, even if they don't all make it to the wonderful challenge with Darcy that is ARC. I have really got into doing this and I enjoy it lots. 

Okay The Arty Bit - The background for the page is tweed Prof. Robert Langdon is well known for his tweed jacket. This is also echoed in the chevrons as well as the purpose of direction, as he doesn't have a clue which way to turn. The silhouettes are to represent him running this way  & that in the book, as with ALL off these books time is an issue! I also printed off a photo of Florence this is the setting for much of the book. I used a lot of  Fresco paint & stencils as well as splatter with a tooth brush. I have also created pockets for each review,  as you can see in the last photo. I can write my review and pop it in the pocket between the pages.

I would also like to include this in the challenge PPF And I hope to catch up with you all throughout the week 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

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

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

All children are wise

I have been journaling & painting loads, I love this quote. I have heard something similar about give me a child until he's seven & I''l show you the man. This is put better though I think. 'It is easier to build strong children than to repair a broken man/woman' I think of the times I was called a 'Dummy/Stupid' as a child and it still effects me even now. Hence, the little boy with the hat on (I didn't want to put a D for dummy/dunce on even now) because I truly believe all children are wise and it is for us to nurture and show them how truly wonderful they are and what they can become.

I am linking this to PPF & Art Journal Journey. Have a wonderful weekend and show any children you meet how precious they are, even if it's just a big smile you give to the kids in the shops. Love Dawn xx

Blue & Orange?

As it was Easter I went a bit mad on religious quotes so here is the last one (for the time being ;) I worked hard on the back ground, layers & layers of stencils, stamps, paints, texture paste & doodling. All good fun I loved the contrast between the blues & orange.

You can't really see the texture in these photos. But I thought that Blues & Orange really worked on this spread. I am etering this in to Paint Party Friday PPF Thank you for stopping by to see & any comments you have left 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

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

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

Paint Party Friday

This is a wonderful day art wise. I am becoming more & more practised because of this blog as I know I have to have something ready for play time over at Paint Party Friday (PPF). This is a fabby challenge there is no set theme just come and share anything you have put paint to. And because the way this challenge runs you get to see all sorts of art. I hope you will pop along as there is so much variety and talent.

Last week I did some journal pages about bullying Here  my challenge was to turn it in to a positive. So many of you left beautiful comments to thank you. This week it's all about celebrating, not trauma (phew) ;0) And so I thought of lots of things in my life I could celebrate, my boys (my three children, all young men now) my art even But I have to say my Marriage and my Grandson are pretty cool things to celebrate ;0) And I really enjoyed creating these pages I just couldn't take the smile off my face ;0). Can I please remind any visitors that in July (my B'Day month) I am beginning a challenge of my own. I am so excited about it and I would really love it if you can join in. I will be having a journal challenge each month starting in July. I now have a  button so you can help spread the word, you can become a follower now so you don't miss the start ;0) I would really love to see you. Love Dawn xx

Paint Party Friday

Hello my fellow PPF friends. I think I saw most of you all last week and I found out so much and I wrote some ideas down to try in the future as well. I have some news I want to share with you as well..... I will be starting my journal challenge in July, (my Birthday month). I am so excited about this. It will be one challenge per month so plenty of time. If any of my dear followers knows how to make a blog button so we can spread the news I would be so grateful to the person that can help with this. Any way back to painting. This week, practically everything I have done has had paint on ;0) and that's such a good thing. This is page 3-4 of my altered baby board book Pg.1-2 can be seen here and the front cover is almost ready to. Gosh did I have fun with this.

The girl in the orange is a representation of me in high school and part of my healing process was to think of a child hood trauma and make a positive thing instead. So I went for my bullying experiences, this effected me in many ways, I was lonely, alot of the time and had many negative things said. So this spread is me having lots of friends and having trust & love. Although it was sad to think of the sad times as a child, I was really made happy by giving the younger me lots of friends ;0) And I am really happy with the painting parts of this so much.

 

I can't Thank Tam and her Free Class enough. I feel I am really getting the hang of painting these little Wimseys. I have talked about this so much if you want any information just click the links (in side bar as well) So I altered the back ground of the book and then sketched and painted the figures on water colour paper and cut them out and stuck them on and added more paint and inked some stamps up and just had lots of fun creating this. Thank you for stopping by and any comments you have left I will be visiting lots of you again soon Love Dawn xx

Paint Party Friday

Hi It's late Friday evening, and I wanted to share some little sketches I have been doing in my little sketch book. Some time the ideas make it into a journal or they can inspire other things, this little sketch book is also very personal to me. A lot of things are just for my eyes only but I really wanted to share this with my non-judge-mental bloggy friends. Because, I know just how full of love you all are. ;0)

The first sketch is obvious, kind of. I sketched free hand and then used a mixture of paints and and water colour crayons (I adore my new set yummy 'Carand'ache') I can't even pronouce it. But Easy mane is my neo 2s, and they are perfect. The second is a stamp (one of my very new faves from wood ware) I stamped and then painted and crayoned again. Obviously I created the back ground first, I used some spray paint/ink from Dylusions, (love these too) Any way I am going to have a good look over the weekend at your paint, master, pieces, I honestly find looking at all of your work so inspiring. Love Dawn xx

P.S. I have had a little colour change, to help people see better, I hope this helps, I am always happy of feed back and where I can I will make changes. Thank you my bloggy friends Love. Dawn xx