Category Archives: art journal

Art journal week 13 Superstitions

art journal, superstitions, ukstampers weekly challenge No. 13
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Well now I am catching up slowly but surely on the ukstampers weekly art journal page challenges.  Week 13 is about superstitions and this sparked off a great debate at home with hubby Harry and my mum.  Are we or are we not superstitious?  No we don’t think that anything bad will happen to you if you break most of the superstitious rules except perhaps the logical ones like not walking under a ladder. Even though I have a lucky number it has never actually been lucky, it is just a number that I like.  Harry always says ‘morning my lord’ when he sees a magpie but that is just something he has done since childhood.  We all say ‘touch wood’ as we are trying to avoid tempting fate.
Harry was born on a Friday 13th.  I broke my back on a Friday 13th (unlucky I had an accident but very lucky as it could have been a whole lot worse!).
So are we superstitious?  Can you be mildly superstitious?

We had to include in our page:

  • are you superstitious and why/why not?
  • do you have any particular rituals
  • include a charm

Inks:  Memento Tuxedo black
Card: white
Stamps:  Cute Companions Patchwork numbers, Le chat noir free with craft stamper mag,  Inkadinkado Chinese coin, Hero Arts Tiny Chinese wishes
Other:  black pen, ladybird charm, lots of doodles

Art journal week 12 Home

art journal, ukstampers weekly challenge No. 12
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Week 12’s challenge for the ukstampers art journal page challenges prompt is Home:

  • what does home mean to you?
  • use a picture of a house on your page
  • use a heart stamp on your page

For me my home means independence.  There really is no place like home when it comes to being independent.  It is the only place I can do what I want when I want by myself.  I don’t feel disabled at home.  It isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination.
I really am a home-bird because of this and it is only when you are away from when you realise just how wonderful your own home is and how much you miss it and all it’s little imperfections.

Inks:  Memento Tuxedo black
Card:  Old patterned paper painted over.
Stamps:  Hero arts A friend forever (hearts only), Flower soft The gate (little birds), alphabet (unknown)
Others:  white gesso, acrylic paints: Spa blue, Turquoise, Sap green and Crimson red, Cosmic shimmer mist Aqua lagoon, white, black, red and green pens to doodle and copics to colour the sparrows, lime crayon, Bird house picture from arbor castle birdhouses

Art journal week 11 Scary

art journal, scary, ukstampers weekly challenge No. 11
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I am lagging behind with my journal pages as I have been busy with other things but I will hopefully catch up soon.  This is for week 11 Scary, to include:

  • what makes you scared – list your top 5
  • use a scary colour on your background
  • use paint to stamp with

In real life this actually looks quite bright yet dark IYKWIM but this photo makes it appear rather washed out (is it because I have used a black backdrop?)
What is the difference between being worried about things and being scared?  I worry about many things including the health and well being of my nearest and dearest, my own health, getting old and what the future has in store for me.  Loads of things make me anxious and nervous like going to the dentist, being trapped in a confined space, flying, public speaking but these I can confront or avoid where possible. But I think the things that are most scary are the ones we have less control over: nuclear war, biological war, destruction of our planet, and more personally – crime, and being buried alive.  Superbugs/resistant bugs are pretty scary too but the list will get longer and longer if I don’t stop there.     I drew the Scream (original by Edvard Munch).

Inks:  Distress inks Black soot, Pumice stone, Barn door, Rusty hinge, Faded jeans and Frayed burlap, Memento Tuxedo black
Card:  ivory card
Stamps:  tree silhouette (unknown), Non sequitur Grave tidings,  Tim Holtz Urban tapestry
Other:  Black and Vermilion acrylic paint (for the tree), black pen, white pen and grey copic pen

Art journal week 10 – week

art journal, ukstampers weekly challenge No. 10
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Week 10’s prompt for the ukstampers weekly challenge is: week
for week 10 you had to include:

  • list 7 things you did last week
  • provide evidence for at least two of them
  • use an old calendar as your background

For most of week I was mending the dogs toys (sewing them up after he had ripped the stuffing out of them), darning my favourite jumper (that is the wool stitched over the tear in the page), spring cleaning, numerous phone calls and arguments with a company who delivered the wrong item.  I dined out with previous work colleges, had dinner with our wonderful friends and neighbours (John & Lizzie) then on Saturday night went to see Yes Prime Minister!   The journalling did contain all 7 things but I cut it down to 6 just so it would fit better and still be legible.  The calender part is a perpetual calendar I made using a template (Inka stamps 2007)  it can be as old or new as you want.

Inks:  Distress inks: Brushed corduroy, Forest moss, Spiced marmalade and Old paper, Memento Tuxedo black 
Card:  white card, white paper 
Stamps:  date stamp, Crafty individuals CI-255 
Other:  theatre ticket, darning wool, Tim Holtz spinner, brad and pin, gold pen

Art journal week 9 Fashion

art journal, week 9
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Week 9 for the ukstampers weekly challenge theme is Fashion.  You have to include:

  • what was/is your fashion disaster and what was/is your favourite piece
  • use some fabric on your page
  • use a picture from a magazine

For someone who is most comfortable in a jumper and trousers and not at all fashionable this was a little tricky.  I do love Helena Bonham Carter’s style which is quirky, a bit goth, a bit steampunk, a bit hippy but at all times very feminine.  I am rather boring and practical in my dress sense and I go for comfort and warmth instead of fashion or style.  My worst fashion disaster was when I was in my twenties and had no money and had an invite (via my mum) to the Queen’s garden party.  I had nothing that would do so I went to the sales and picked up an outfit that I could afford.  It was a kind of pale green and off-white skirt and blouse affair along with a white hat, sling-backs and a handbag.  A granny would have looked very smart in it.  The hat was weird – not quite a bowler and had a dent in it like a cowboy hat.  My favourite piece in my good old Belstaff jacket that has seen better days.  These jackets get better with wear and get nice and comfortable and mine has a certain smell that invokes lots of memories of my biker days.  Sadly it now lives in the loft (I won’t throw it out).  The lace I used for this is the same as that on my wedding dress but I painted it with black acrylic paint then highlighted areas with gold wax on some of the embroidered bits.  I don’t buy fashion mags so the picture of Helena Bonham Carter is from the Radio Times.

Inks:  Tuxedo memento black
Card:  Handmade cotton rag paper
Stamps:  Stampotique Gooseneck  (Daniel Torrente)
Other:  lace, black and vermilion acrylic paint, dark red emulsion, gold pen, black netting, lime stickles, gold wax, picture of Helena Bonham Carter

Art journal week 8 Books

art journal, books, ukstampers weekly challenge week 8

What a difficult challenge this one has been.  The ukstampers week 8 challenge prompt was Books and you had to include:

  • list your top 5 books, what and why
  • use a quote from one of them on your page
  • use an old book page as your background

So here is my page: although I did not use a quote from one of my chosen books I added an old Chinese proverb instead.

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Inks:  Memento Tuxedo black, versamark with clear embossing powder, Distress inks Black soot, Fired brick, frayed burlap, old paper, Forest moss
Card: Old page from torn from My altered book project (a PD James one I think), white card, parchment type thick paper
Stamps:  Non sequitur Grave tidings, Graphicus bookmarks
Other:  Adirondack color wash Pesto, Chroma jewels Slate and Forest, Walnut ink, Metallic rub-on gold

As a child I enjoyed reading books, as a teenager my reading fell by the wayside as I had far more sporty and outdoor things to do.  It wasn’t until I had an enforced and rather long stay in hospital that rekindled my affection for reading.  Buying new books is such a pleasure but I don’t have room for any more so I have made a rule that if I buy a new book then I must give one of my old ones away.  These 5 books have made it to the section of books never to be given away (amongst quite a few others).

Around 1986 I found The Way of Wyrd, Tales of an Anglo-Saxon Sorcerer by Brian Bates.  A Christian scribe is given a mission to learn about Pagan beliefs and to accomplish this he becomes a Shaman’s apprentice.  This is a fascinating account of some of the beliefs around that time.

Aztec by Gary Jennings is an epic adventure story of an Aztec man.  It took me ages to get through it and in places I found it rather difficult but it is a fascinating account of the way Aztecs lived.  There is a bit of everything in it.

Then comes Post Mortem by Patricia Cornwell. Kay Scarpetta uses forensic science to track down killers.  I was studying Biological science at the time I found this book and very nearly chose forensic science as one of my subjects.  This was the first of many crime thrillers I have now read.

Ship of magic: The Liveship traders by Robin Hobb.  What can I say  – each and every one of her books (written as Robin Hobb) is magical and transports me away to another world of magic, mystery, dragons, serpents, Rain Wild River…..

Mort By Terry Pratchett.  Need I say more… the Discworld series is amazing and I read this one first  where DEATH takes a vacation and he takes on Mort as his apprentice.  This is so funny and makes you want to read all the rest of the Discworld books in any order.

I wanted to add Delia Smith’s Complete Illustrated Cookery Course too as it is my most used, most dog-eared cook book.  The trouble is I have many more ‘favourite’ books that I couldn’t give away too numerous to mention.  I enjoy reading cookery books and gardening books just as much as I do novels.

Art journal week 7 Colour

art journal, ukstampers weekly challenge No. 7
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And here is my week 7 art journal page for the ukstampers weekly challenge.
Week 7’s prompt was Colour:

  • what is your favourite colour and why
  • use this as your main background for your page
  • add a doodled border to your page

Ok if you haven’t already guessed my favourite colour has to be green.  I have to have a plant in every room so that I have some greenery to look at.  If I don’t have a plant then I have a picture of  a plant (is that sad).  My favourite room in the house is the conservatory which used to be pretty full but I am trying to cut down on the number of plants now and most of them are ferns.  Although I love flowers I like foliage even more for the fantastic array of shades of green.

As I was making this I learned the hard way that if you use masking fluid on cotton rag handmade paper it just rips the surface off when you try to remove it (I should have known that really, just wasn’t thinking).  Still I just carried on and the ripped surface just adds more texture.

Inks:  Memento Tuxedo black, Brilliance Pearlescent ivy, Adirondack Lettuce, Distress ink Peeled paint
Card:  Cotton rag handmade paper
Stamps:  R.S. Tapestry clear Fern
Other:  Acrylc paint Sap green and Pistachio, spray inks Adirondack color wash Pesto and Ecoline Charteuse, Distress stickles Peeled paint, Thistle stencil (leaves), red pen, white pen, black pen, Tim Holtz mask Flourish, masking fluid

Art journal week Friends

art journal, friends, ukstampers weekly challenge No. 6

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As you have guessed the prompt for week 6 on the ukstampers weekly challenge is Friends.
Your page has to include:

  • Who, when, where
  • what is your most memorable friends story
  • use some kind of stencilling

The story behind the page.
I met Mairi while working at Debenhams restaurant and on the night of 10/03/85 we went out to a night club.  This night is memorable for the fact that I lost my memory due to a head injury!
We didn’t have much money – enough for 1 drink and a taxi home.  We left our drinks at the table, went up to dance and the next thing I remember was waking up in hospital.
Apparently: ‘I walked into the hospital alone and told the nurse that I didn’t know what happened or where I had been.  There was bruising to the left side of my mouth, swollen lip and graze on my forehead and left hand.’  How I walked into that hospital I don’t know because I didn’t know it even existed.  I didn’t know who I was or anything.  When my memory did start to come back the first memory was pink and purple stripes.  Mairi had been wearing stripy trousers!  The next memory confused me for a while as I remember having a duvet but I knew that I didn’t actually own one.  Mary (another workmate) had just given me one of her spare duvets after learning how cold I got at night.  Eventually more memories came back but none of the actual night out.
What happened – I wasn’t drunk as I only had 1 drink.
Theories:

  • drink may have been drugged (Rohypnol)
  • fell whilst hailing a cab
  • face clipped by a wing mirror of taxi/ambulance/bus

Mairi told me later that we had had a good night out and I had gone for a taxi and she went home.   We haven’t seen each other for years now as she works abroad but we do intend to meet up again as soon as she is back over here.

The grey background with white webbing spray portrays my little grey cells and the cogs are me trying to remember.

Inks:  Memento Tuxedo black, Adirondack Currant, Encore silver with clear embossing powder, Distress inks Tattered rose, Black soot and Pumice stone
Card:  White card, white paper
Stamps:  Stampin up Sense of time and Wonderful words, Oxford Impressions Steampunk (little cogs), Technique Tuesday Hanging by a thread, Girls just want to have fun – unknown
Other:  acrylic paint, white webbing spray, Tim Holtz stencils, mica (coloured pink using copic pen), white pen

 

Art journal week 5 Perfect day

art journal, perfect day, uk stampers challenge 5
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At last I have made up my mind what to do for my perfect day page….I chose a perfect day in spring.
This is for the ukstampers weekly challenge and as you may have gathered I am a bit behind.  The prompt for week 5 was – Perfect day and the page had to include:

  • what is/would be your perfect day
  • use some stamping
  • include an image

My image is a photo of cherry blossom on our patio which I used as the background for the page.  In photoshop I added the text and a grungy mask (there is actually a pale pink background behind the mask but that doesn’t show up well here).  The stamped images are the flowers in the top corner, 3 little frogs on the right and small leaves on the left.
The text reads:  ‘the sweet scent of blossom drifting in the light breeze…soft fluffy clouds…little birds chirping all around…croaking frogs splashing in the pond…the fresh green of newly opening leaves…time to do nothing but simply enjoy…the perfect spring day!’

Inks:  Memento New sprout, Stampin up Regal rose (stamped off)
Card:  white card, white vellum (small flowers)
Stamps:  from the Rubber stamp tapestry range
Other:  Diamond glaze, tiny amount of flower soft on some stamens, photo of my cherry tree blossom, grungy mask from Jessica Prague, Prima pebble, dots of gold glitter, fabric butterflies

Art journal week4 Sweets

art journal, sweets, week 4
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Last weeks prompt for the ukstampers weekly challenge was Sweets from your childhood.
I definitely had a very sweet tooth and loved sweets.  Floral sweets or fruity sweets would have been my first choice.  Here are a few of those I remember:  Aromatics, floral gums(or was it gems?), cherry lips, refreshers, parma violets, Turkish delight, sherbet strawberries, sherbet straws – well anything with sherbet in them really, love hearts, tooty fruties, candy necklaces, Vienna fruit bon-bons, penny chews, Bazooka bubble gum (didn’t these used to have skin transfers like tattoos in them?), lucky bags, lollies, liquorice all sorts ………
I can’t remember individual prices but an old sixpence would get a lot of sweeties!

I used the back page of my first journal page for this and added a Prima notecard to the top.  Some pink vellum for the central flower with the names of a few sweets printed on it.  Prima flowers, button, sweet wrappers, a sixpence and a stamped Alice (I used to have long blonde hair when I was little).