Art Journaling February Challenge - Inspiration Cards

This months challenge over at Jennibellies Art Journaling page was to create 4 inspiration cards of our own choice to add to our art journals at a later date or to simply have on the wall to inspire future work.

I really wanted to try a different apporach and i tthink i may have moved forward with my drawing and painting.

I used watercolour paper for this one and watched lots of Youtube tutorials as I was looking for a more fairytale look with Sproinng coming and some of the books that my daughter and I have been looking at from her younger years.

This is something that i am striving for all of the time and this year I want to try and achieve it on a higher level that i am at present.

Just for the fun of it.............Spring is coming and flowers aare starting to bud and bloom.

One of the reasons for joining this group was to take my art and drawing further whilst still at home and trying to fit it in with my day job.  Also it does give me a chance to drift off  with my paints etc.

Anyone can join this group and you can take part as much or as little as you wish.

Take Care .

xx

Happy New year 2016!

Happy New Year to you all!!

Oh dear! It has been about 4 months since I was last here.  Been busy with Facfebook, Instagram and my workshops but I hope to be back here more often

I realise that i have probably lost aa lot of people as a result but sometimes you have to have a break from something to learn or develop something else.

So I have just uploaded my first Art Journal Challenge since May and the December 2015 theme was to make an Art Journal for loose pages.  I swapped this a little to work with what I tend to create, so I made this...............

I used some vintage fabric that I found at a Fair at bedruthan Hotel in October.  I used acrylic paint to highlight some of the flowers and leaves.  Added a tie and pelemt vilene to add a bit of strength.

I added a hand drawn and hand stitched label to the front.

To the inside I added a strip of elastic so that I can add sketchbooks, loose paper etc.  Not started using it yet but I will over the coming year.

Just a quick post but i do have things to post about from the Vhristmas break including a card swap with twiggy and my Santa Sacj swap partner.  

I also have some blogs to catch up with too.

So lovely to be back and I hope that you all had a lovely Christmas and a happy New Year!

Best wishes and take care.

xxx

Image Transfer Tutorial

It has been quite a while since I have put a tutorial on my blog so I thought I would add something that I did with my GCSE group this week.

Image Transfer using an inkjet image and sellotape.

Materials needed:

Image which has been printed out using an inkjet printer (not laser jet).

Sellotape.

Water.

Scissors.

1. Firstly you need to trim down any excess white paper so that yo are not wasting sellotape and time rubbing off areas you are not going to need.  Next cover the front of your image with a layer of sellotape.  Make sure that the edges overlap slightly and check that the image is well and truly stuck to it.  I actually left it stuck to the table while I went and had my dinner!

Next I submerged the image under water.  As you can see I used the sink for this.  I left it for a couple of minutes and judging this time takes a bit of practise.  If you then rub the back of the paper and it seems to some off then take the image out of the water.  Try to rub in a circular motion as this evens out the pressure and you will not rub too hard and take your image off as well.

As the paper backing starts to rub away you should see the image left behind which has transfered to the sellotape.  It will be quite transparent.  If the paper seems to be drying out them add a few drops of water to the paper to continue to rub away the paper backing.

I hope that you can see this alright.  I have put the still damp image up against the glass of my patio windows and the light is showing through.  

The image has really kept its colour and I do not have any holes in the image at all.

All of the students who tried this all got equally successful outcomes.  You can still see the sellotape but i suppose you could turn the image around.  If you put on top of water soluble fabric then you could free machine embroider on to it.  This technique is very easy and would be ideal for transferring photographs (after they have been scanned and printed on an inkjet printer) and scrapbooking/art journaling.

Sophie was really impressed and we are going to see what else we come up with during the half term break.

Have a go!

Let me know if you have any success or if you have any questions.

Branching Out- Creative Monthly Challenge Group -March

Creative Monthly Challenge with Jennibellie for March was Branching Out and this time I was determined to finish it in the right month!  

So on Monday I did a little housework (well it had been staring at me since Friday) and then rewarded myself with a couple of hours putting the above Art Journal page together.

I started by adding a sheet of tissue paper with text on it then a layer of Gesso which i moved around with a damp cloth.

I needed to get some more brown paint after using most of mine up for my A level exam (can not believe it is nearly a year ago since I did that).  I was certain about the background but not so sure after that so I decided to get out a cheap sketchbook and do a bit of doodling.

I felt that some sort of tree was needed as I felt that was the right thing to do but not what it looked like.  I came with a couple of ideas and then moulded a couple of them together.

I wanted to use my Midori Travellers Notebook for this challenge and when it is opened up it is nearly square in shape.

I lightly drew on the tree and painted it with brown acrylic.  Sponged on some blue in the background, making sure that some of the Gesso and text tissue paper showed through.  I added words along the branches with a fineliner to journal my own link to the challenge and added both water colours paint, soft pastels and oil pastels to give further detail.  These were are linked to the additional changes and challenges that my day job has included this year.

Not all of it shows up in the photograph and I nearly forgot that I added some skeleton leaves which I had in my sewing room for some time and I added texture by running pastel along the veins.  White pencil to lift the brown areas and at this point I decided to stop as the voices started to say "stop before you ruin it...." began to kick in.  Does anyone else get those voices?

I am really pleased with this and whilst doing a load of washing etc during the making it took about two hours which is pretty quick for me.

I wonder what next month's challenge will be?

I really want to make the Flag that was one of the tasks for the Birthday Bash on Inspiration Station but I was away visiting and did not have anything with me.  Wonder if it is too late?

Thank you for visiting.

xx

Creative Monthly Challenge - What does your Heart Look Like?

Better late than never, but this is my entry for the Creative Monthly Challenge with Jenniebellie and the theme was "What does your Heart Look Like?"

I was not entirely sure what to do and then things cropped up at work so it was put off until half term but then that past.

I found this lovely sun catcher on Suzysitcom.com which I thought was lovely and there is a post on her website which you should go and read.

I felt that the use of wire would represent the combining of lots of different aspects of my life and how my love of making has gone from a hobby to a job and with off shoots such as my Art Journaling and website.

I bought some wire from Hobbycraft and created a heart shape and then criss crossed thinner wire in the centre.

Taking my blog name which has featured in my life for the past 7.5 years I found a range of blue fabrics and woven then through the thinner wire.

I teach textiles, so a few buttons were added.  I am trying to teach myself crochet hence the little flowers.  i also teach Art but struggled to add anything that would actually stay on so painted glass beads took its place.  I have made intricate beaded wedding bags so I felt it worked!

Many things make up my heart, including my hubby and daughter and all three of use have creative hobbies.

I also added lots of little silver beads around the edge using the thinner wire and tied on lots of organza strips.

It looks even better than the photograph suggests and I have it hanging up by my chair in the living room  Eventually I shall take it upstairs and have it by my sewing machine.  I really enjoyed making this once I got going, it is just a pity it took so long to get there!

xx

Create a little Patterning

There is a blog post by the lovely Jennibellie whereby she used recycled wall paper designs to create a gorgeous art journal page.

This has been on the back burner for me for ages as I have tried to find some papers that I could really be inspired with.

Eventually I found this Decoupage tissue paper in an art shop that my daughter asked to visit.

Armed with my favourite set of stackable water colours I set to work.

I cut out some of the shapes from the tissue paper and glued them on to the journal pages in different positions.  Then using a pencil I extended the design and shapes to fill the pages.

At this stage I have started to added colour to the background in light blue and then to the drawn shapes.  I thought that I would use other media but to be honest I just enjoyed selecting the different colours in paint and  the whole idea of this Art Journal is to relax, switch off and bit and have just enjoy making the pages.

I love this set of little paints, the colours suit the tissue paper designs perfectly.

This is at about the half way stage  and I wanted to try and include a few other colours such as orange into the patterns.

Some red crept in there as well along with some white using a paint pen as my white acrylic has dried up!

I had a lot of fun creating this page and I thank Jennibellie for giving me the inspiration to come  up with these pages.

Give it a try, see what patterned paper you might have and see where it takes you.

xxx

Art Journal Page - Blue

After creating my Blue ATC cards and I still had all of the materials out I thought another page in my Art journal would be a good next step.

A double page spread using the same shades of colour.  I stuck the pages together and put a blue watercolour wash on the background.  On the left hand side I added coloured tissue paper using decoupage glue and once dried i ran some blue oil pastels over the surface to show up the creases.

The lettering is cut out of thick blue craft paper and attached with tacky glue with white pen to look like stitching.

Behind the lettering i added some textured fabric and metal gauze.

On the opposite side I put a copy of one of the ATC cards which I transferred on to card and added behind that some more of the blue silk and metal gauze.

For the first time I added to text as well.

Around the edge I added some Aqua crayons which I did not add any water to but left looking a bit sketchy.

I am still not sure if the right hand page might need something else but then to clutter it up would perhaps detract from the overall appearance.

Not many more pages to go in this book and I have started another page which links to patterns.  I have not yet finished that so more on that another time.

xx

Valentines Day Art Journal Page

Last weekend I found a little time to create another a

Art Journal page on the theme Valentines and it seemed like a chance to sue different colours and materials.

Using inspiration from You tuber France Papillion I used my large heart shaped cutter and cut out lots of hearts using white card.  I then attached them to the pages using Decoupage glue.  This did take a while to dry so I went off and did the ironing (I live such a glamours life).

Once dry at then added a coat of white Gesso and at this point I did wonder if I had done the right thing.  I then added a layer of pink ink which I then reduced down a bit with water and rubbed some away with a baby wipe to blend the bright colour.  Dried with a hairdryer and then added much smaller card hearts which I painted separately with red and pink ink.  

Splats were added for interest and 3D heart gems were glued on using Tacky Glue and this contrasted with that of the card hearts.

The large hearts were highlighted with red oil pastel and a flash of white acrylic paint.

The opposite page features a collage of different materials including tissue paper, enphemera and raffia ribbon.

A very different journal page and I am now half way through the book and seeing as I am half term next week I intend on trying to do another in between planning my lessons.

Maybe something to do with pattern design.

Take care All.

xx

Monthly Challenge Group- Word of the Year 2015- HAPPINESS

Monthly Challenge Group

For the firs time I have signed for this months challenge as I thought that the start of 2015 would be a good time to start.

The challenge is to design and make a postcard which features a word that means something for you during the year of 2015.

I have decided to pick the word

HAPPINESS

Due to various things over the past 4 years this is not a state/position/feeling that I always find myself with.

However, I have found this a little harder than I thought and I have ended up with two entries and I need to narrow it down to just one.

Firstly 

Option 1

 This postcard has been created using Aquacolour crayons and water.  Plus cutouts and water colour pencils with fineliner pen.  The word is added with a marker pen but I hit a lumpy section and the second "S" I think looks like a number 5?  Blast!  Does it notice too much?  I suppose it does now that I have mentioned it.

I added blue mulberry paper to the top third and pastel to show up the water colour paper.

Option B

This is also on water colour paper with paints and highlighted with a black finer liner.

The word has been created using a stamp on to painted water colour paper and then attached to the surface of the postcard.

They are both completely different and both have an organic theme to them.  I like being outside but not if it is too cold!

Brightly coloured flowers in gardens, flower shops etc always put a smile on my face then of they are scented even better.  I love Dahlias, but so do the slugs where I live, but big displays of these flowers at National Trust venues are a must for my camera.  As are roses and just about any kind of plant.  

Sissinghurst Castle is a must to visit near Cranbrook in Kent UK.

So....... which one do you think?

I need to upload my chosen entry or flip a coin by the end of the week, so any opinions would be gratefully received.

I need to get in the swing of this a bit more I think, but I do like a theme or a goal to work to.

The current Le Challenge theme is DOTS.  Still thinking about that one...................

xx

Doodle Blot to Art Journal

You may remember that I created this ink blot back in December HERE.http://indigo-blue-designs.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/doodle-blot.html

 Then with a sharpie pen I added some Doodles.

Which resulted in the above drawing.

Well after that I was not really sure what else to do with it so it has been sitting in a plastic wallet in the sewing room.

Then I decided to throw caution to the wind and just "Do" something with it.

I Gessoed some pages and them added spirals and other simple details taken from the background of the initial drawing.  I used a white pastel and purple and lilac watercolour paints over the top.

I then ripped out the drawing to form a jagged edge and added ink to the very edges of it using more purple coloured ink.

Once it was stuck down with Tacky Glue I started to add some more details to the background using these.....

The inktense pencils are not quite the colour I was expecting from the pencil cover so I advise you try it out in a scrap piece of paper before adding to work, just to be sure.

I am quite pleased with how it turned out considering it was a piece of scrap paper used to protect the table beneath.  I am not sure if it needs a little something else adding to it, but because I am not entirely sure what that something else is I think that perhaps for now I shall leave it as it is.

Have a good week.

xx