Category Archives: art journal

Art journal week 52: Achievement

art journal, ukstampers weekly challenge No. 52
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Do you recognise the background page then?  I used the background I made in the previous post: photographed it, altered the colour saturation and levels, added a grunge mask (Jessica Prague), text and ink blot to create my final page of last years ukstampers weekly challenge.

The prompt was achievement:

  • Did you finish the journal?
  • Did you achieve your goals for the year?  If not will they be on the list for next year?
  • Sum up this journal in less than 10 words.

I did achieve some of my goals and finishing this art journal was one of them.  I found it challenging, fun and difficult.  I did manage to blog almost every week but a couple of weeks when I was poorly I did not.    Now though I must finish the cover for my journal pages and blog that.

Art journal earthy colours

art journal, Strathmore, Traci Bautista
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This is the first page in my new art journal inspired by the Traci Bautista online workshop over at the Strathmore site.  It didn’t start out quite like this as I had sprayed a lovely elderberry colour over some stencils first but by the time I did a bit of washing over the entire surface it took most of the elderberry out.  Never mind, I love the effect I achieved eventually.

Inks:  India ink
Paint/sprays:  Adirondack color washes Terracota, Pesto, and Butterscotch, Chroma jewels Elderberry (most of this came out), Dylusions acrylic paint Avocado, Cornflower and Tangerine and Purple, Lumier Sunset gold (mixed in with the Tangerine)
Card:  Strathmore visual journal  (140lb)
Other:  white inksential pen, black Pitt pens, orange and green Sharpie poster paint pens, oil pastels to highlight areas

Art journal week 50: Toys

art journal, toys, week 50
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Still doing last years weekly challenge on the ukstampers forum and week 50 is about Toys:

  • What toy do you remember from childhood, what was your favourite toy?   Was there a toy you wanted and never got?
  • Do you still have any of your childhood toys?  Have you any toys that have been handed down to you?  If so what do they mean to you?
  • Use some vintage images on your page.

Gosh where do I start with toys I remember; there have been so many over the years.  I remember a dolls house that my mum made, lots of dolls and girly stuff, roller skates, pogo sticks, sledge, bike, board games, crafty things, colouring books, cot, pram etc.  I also used to play with my brothers’ toys like hot wheels, garage, cars, mecano and many more.  At Christmas time we would always get a Broons or an Oor Wullie annual which we couldn’t wait to read.  I don’t have any of these toys now as sadly none have survived and many were given away for someone else to enjoy.

Inks:  Memento Tuxedo black, Distress inks Frayed burlap and Old paper
Card:  white card
Stamps:  See D’s Christmas: Alphabet, Traditional and Vintage, Basic Grey Flourish corners
Other:  clear embossing powder and ink, black, white and red pens, Inktense pencils to colour, Diamond glaze, green and red gelly glaze pens

Art journal week 46: Astrology

art journal, astrology, week 46
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Week 46 of the ukstampers weekly challenge (last year) prompt is Astrology:

  • Do you believe in astrology, how do you feel about it?
  • What star sign are you and do you read your daily horoscope?
  • Include your star sign on your page.

I used to believe in this kind of stuff; after all if the moon can exert a force on all living things then why can’t other planets?  We are all linked by subatomic particles like neutrinos that we are just finding out about so who knows truth if any lies behind astronomy?
I do sometimes read my horoscope in the daily newspaper by it is always rubbish.  If I did read something that was true then I would put it down to coincidence.  I am a metal rat according to Chinese astronomy.
I embossed the sun and moon the sprayed the background.  While this was still wet I sprinkled over some salt and let it dry.  When the page was finished to add to the starry effect I used a toothbrush to spray some white acrylic paint over it.

Inks:  Memento Tuxedo black in, Adirondack colorwash Denim
Card:  white card
Stamps:  Inkadinkado Zodiac, Non-sequitur Oriental love letters (moon), Unknown Alice in wonderland collection (sun)
Other:  salt, white and black pen, clear embossing powder, white acrylic paint, copic pens to colour

Art journal week 51: Christmas tree

art journal, Christmas tree, week51
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Nearly there now, only a couple more pages to do.  This is week 51 of the ukstampers challenge (last years) and the prompt is Christmas tree:

  • Do you own a real or fake Christmas tree?  Do you change the theme each year?
  • Are there certain things that have to go on your tree?  Do you have any family heirlooms for the tree?
  • Stamp a tree on your page.

We have a fake tree that goes up each year and as bit fall of it, it gets a little smaller each year.  The same old decorations get hung on it which are of no sentimental value whatsoever.  Any decorations that didn’t break the previous year get hung on the tree, along with any I have made (but there are not many of them).  I used to love counting the trees I saw in peoples windows as I passed in the bus as a child.  We have a fake tree as I don’t like the waste of growing all these real trees just to get thrown out after a couple of weeks.

Ink/paint:  Memento Tuxedo black ink, Red, Moss and white acrylic paints
Card:  watercolour paper, white card
Stamp:  Stamp-it Home for Christmas Cherish, Dylusions Around the edge
Other:  Black and white pens, Stickles Xmas red, Lime and Platinum, glitter pen

Art journal week 49: Tradition

art journal, tradional, week 49
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Just a quick one before my next lot of visitors arrive.

Week 49 of the ukstampers challenge is about Tradition

  •   Do you have any [particular festive traditions?  If you do have they been passed down or have you started them yourself?
  •   Are there traditional things you particularly like or dislike?
  •   Include some traditional festive stamped images on your page.

We do like to have a fairly traditional dinner at Christmas but I would much rather have a goose or duck than a turkey.  Mum and dad used to host the boxing day bash but that has now passed on to me which I really enjoy (even more than Christmas day).  One of the best things about Christmas is the festive cooking!  I love the traditional Christmas spices in things like the mincemeat, mulled wine and Christmas cake but I do prefer a clootie dumpling than a Christmas cake.  Dad used to always get cigars or pipe tobacco as gifts so these smells remind me of Christmas but he doesn’t smoke any more and I have even been known to smoke a cigar just to get that smell and Christmas-past memory.

Inks:  Memento Tuxedo black, Distress ink Fired brick
Card:  Nitwit collection Cookin’ cookies, white card
Stamps:  Nitwit collection Cookin’ cookies
Other:  copic pens to colour, green brad

Art journal week 48: Wisdom

art journal, week 48. wisdom
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I am still in catch up mode from last years challenge so here is week 48 for the ukstampers weekly challenge prompt is: Wisdom

  • Would you class yourself as a wise person?  Have you got wiser as you have gotten older or do you act your shoe size and not your age?
  • Are there any wise words you would like to pass on?
  • Stamp an owl on your page.

I would say I can be fairly wise and philosophical at times but can still be incredibly stupid at times too.  I have definitely learned more by making my own mistakes while also learning from other’s mistakes.  Getting older has certainly made me wiser.

Inks:  Brayed background with Stampinup Not quite navy, Distress inks Black soot and Frayed burlap to colour the owl and skeleton. Memento Tuxedo black
Card:  white card
Stamps:  Tim Holtz Urban tapestry, Aspects of design Grave tidings, Rubberstamp tapestry owl
Other:  white pen, black pen

Art journal week 47: Generosity

art journal, generosity, week 47
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Week 47 of the ukstampers challenge prompt is: Generosity

  • Are you a generous person?  What is the most generous thing you have ever done?
  • Have you ever been the object of someone’s generosity – what was it?
  • Be generous with your stamping on your page.

Yes I would say that I am a generous person.  Even as a child I was always giving things away.  Over the years I have been involved with many a charity even and have been a volunteer with a couple of charities.  I have also benefited from other peoples generosity and one that sticks in my mind is when an ex-boyfriend co-ordinated a whip round at our local race track which enabled me to buy my first light weight wheelchair.  I am a firm believer that there are many more kind people in the world than bad.

Inks/paint:  Memento Tuxedo black ink, white, Ballet pink and wedgwood blue acrylic paint
Card:  watercolour paper, white card
Stamps:  Aspects of design Daisy flutter (or daisy daydreams?), Sugar Nellie Flowers, Paperbag studios Scrap journal, Scrollworks Netting, Tim Holtz Mini muse
Other:  Bo Bunny rub-ons, copics to colour little girl, white pen, Zig painty twin pen Soft blue and soft pink

Art journal week 45: Patience

art journal, patience, week 45
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Week 45 of the ukstampers challenge prompt is: Patience

  • are you a patient person?  Do you lose it at the drop of a hat?
  • What in particular drives you potty?
  • Use some contrasting colours on your page.

Normally I am a pretty patient person but I do get irritated by stupid questions or when people say they can’t find something when they haven’t bothered looking.  I don’t like rude people and with all these new phones about people endlessly playing with their phones when they are in company.  I tend to have to wait around a lot: on deliveries, taxis, post,  and other people.  I say other people because if I require help in any way I need to wait for other people to have the time and inclination to help which is very frustrating.  When it comes to crafting though I like to see the finished article fairly quickly.

Ink/paint:  Stazon black, Lagoon, Turquoise, Silver, Tangerine, Black and White acrylic paints
Card:  watercolour paper, white card
Stamps: Scrollworks Mesh, Stampotique Smushasha
Other:  Orange fluorescent marker, black, white and silver pens, orange oil pastel

Art journal week 42: Coicidence

art journal, coincidence, week 42
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Week 42 for the ukstampers challenge the prompt is: Coincidence

  • do you believe there  is more to things than coincidence?
  • do you have any strange coincidence stories?
  • include some numbers on your page

Lots of things have happened in  my life that I have thought were a coincidence but really, statistically they would probably have happened anyway.  Coincidences are just events taking place that may appear at first to be spookily uncanny but there are usually other events or circumstances that link them.  Therefore coincidences are inevitable, spooky or otherwise.

Ink/paint:  Veracraft black, white and black acrylic paint
Card:  photofabric cotton poplin, white paper, black paper
Stamps:  Paperartsy Man of numbers
Other:  white correction pen, computer generated words