Stampotique Challenge Red Yellow and Orange and what the dog did next!

When I read the prompt to use Red Yellow and Orange for the Stampotique challenge I just had to give it a go as it tied in with an idea I had for a journalling page about Wildlife for UKS. The prompt was about animals, pets and asked us to use an animal print so a (very impressionist) Tiger print was chosen for various reasons. As I had just finished reading "The Tiger's Wife" I was thinking about Tigers and would recommend it as a great read. You might be wondering about the tape down the side and the bite marks. That was our puppy, Jasper, aged 9 months. I was reading outside and popped in for a cold drink stupidly leaving the book on the table and came out to find it severely damaged.

I initially created layers with water coloured kitchen towels and and glued them to my page but it was too wishy washy so I dived in with liberal applications of dylusions acrylics. The first verse of William Blake's "Tyger, Tyger" was running round my head so I added that. I stamped Stampotique's Oh Dear and Angel Boy onto acetate and then added them. I also added some scrap copper metal that had been through a texture plate and some more paint.

WHAT THE DOG DID NEXT...

It gets worse

Since I photographed this I have added more journalling about what the dog did next (yesterday afternoon). I was dying my hair upstairs and my visiting mother was in the garden with the dog or so I thought. Unbeknown to both of us Jasper had sneaked up onto the work surface and stolen my glasses case with my very expensive varifocal specs - these are a sign of my advancing years. Now they look like this but how he managed to open the case I don't know.

For those that wear glasses you will understand how unusable they are now. It is a visit to the optician's for me tomorrow as with my old specs I have to take them off every time I want to read something and as a teacher that is constantly reading and looking up and reading again it just doesn't work. Not sure what the insurance company will say.

Art Journal - Me Myself I

This prompt asked us to describe you in 5 words, use a fingerprint and the difficult one for me - rubs on and stickers. Like most of you out there I have a box full of stickers and rub ons but then never really know what to do with them. I wanted to keep more white on the page after my black experiments (more to come but latest layer still drying...)

Last time I used inks and the TH Mask I had mopped up the leftovers on the mask and printed onto the page to use another day and this was it. I then added some American Craft rub ons and 8 yellow fingerprints.

I used up some of the many alpha stickers to create my heading, loyal, messy, strong, creative and quirky. That is just how I feel today - ask me tomorrow or next week and it will be a different set of words. I also used some Moo Stickers and various random stickers. Finally I added some more lush dylusions inks.

Art Journal - Commitment, I'm still hanging in there, Afth 10th Birthday

This prompt was all about Commitment - think Efemera wondering if we can all stay the 52 weeks. I had got quite far behind with this but I have another 2 in progress (taking ages to dry) and after that just two more catch ups until the next prompt post on Sunday. I used a dictionary definition from a 1950's dictionary and the meaning was all about committing a person to a place, a cause or to bind yourself to another page. Now the word commitment is constantly bandied about in terms of relationships and has now derivatives such as commitment-phobe. Oh dear wandering back into English teacher territory and I am still on holiday. I used a great deal of paint and Banana Frog's Paisley pattern stamps with more paint. I do love the dylusions paints and am beginning to run low on some colours.

The blue green background was one I had made a while ago when I was trying out ways to apply paint but I decided I did not like it and decided to act a coat of black paint.

I then stamped over the black and I was ready for my journalling - that is another thing that is running out - my white Sakura gelly roll pen which I always seem to reach for. Then I didn't like the dictionary definition left so pale so washed on some more paint.

 The Paisley Pattern just seemed to lend itself to journalling around and I added in some more lines. I'm not sure about anyone else but I never seem to create the page I had in my head to begin with - it just sort of evolves. I take so many pictures to remind myself of what I do so I can look back over the ones that do and don't work. Just noticed some of the photos are landscape but it makes it easier to see some of the journalling - at least that is my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

One last thing I wanted to remind people that Art from the Heart have 10th birthday celebrations coming up and have lots of fun taster sessions. (Lens Guy are you reading this, hint, hint...)

A Bird Pincushion from old clothes - Just for Fun

I am a bit of hoarder and hate to throw anything out - especially favourite old clothes that have developed holes through long wear. August is birthday season in our household with 6 family birthdays and I have decided to make some presents. Efemeraink's blog always features stunning creations and a few months ago I fell in love with this Bird Pin Cushion. She very kindly sent me a copy of her pattern and it languished on my to do board for a while. Inspiration struck when I saw the old clothes pile and wondered if I could use it to make a bird. The original was done in felt and there is a reason for this - linen, denim and stretch hoody material do not work in the same way.

 As I have yet to get to grips with eldest daughter's sewing machine which she left with me before departing to Singapore for 2 years I decided to hand sew it. As I am also (yet again) giving up smoking I felt occupying my hands with sewing rather than chocolate would be a good move.
After cutting out all the pieces I realised due to the fraying on the denim wings blanket stitching two pieces together would work better. I need to work on this stitch as it is a little wobbly.

I did not have any bakers twine to wrap round the cushion so threaded a large scrapping needle with ribbon to create a similar effect.

The beak is a piece of foam and the ric rac crest evolved to hide some of my  uneven areas and to make it easier to stuff the bird through the head. 

He is a little different from the original and my sewing needs work but I love him and now don't want to give him to my quilting mother in law. I think I have caught the bug and went out and found some felt today and I have drawn a pattern for a mouse on cheese pin cushion which will be next and I have plans for an aviary of birds...

I have entered this in the Just for Fun Challenge Blog - check out the inspiring ideas and creations here.

Journal pages in the garden

It is such a beautiful day I just had to craft in the garden. Looking at the 5 prompts I still have to catch up on the prompt smell seemed very appropriate. The background from this page is very muted is what leaked through from the page on the other side.

I like the idea that when all the pages are bound together the journal will smell of lavender from my garden picked when I created this page.

 I decided just to stamp blossoms around the  edge, add some lavender and twigs and some of the Tim Holtz bird. I then added a layer of oil pastels to the background and created a floralish shape to journal about my favourite smells.

Art Journal - Celebrity, fame and homemade stamps

Celebrity seemed to morph into fame as I tackled this one

Ambitious some of the time but very driven

I had fun creating these two on my hols as I attempt to catch up with all the weekly challenge prompts on UKStampers. The first one began with a background using dylusions paints and my fingers.I then emphasised the swirls with white paint and created a journalling space.

The prompt required a star stamp and having none I created one out of foam that brads were stuck into. It gave an uneven print with paint but I quite like that messy effect.

I used vellum strips to give more star like journalling. 

The other prompt was about ambition - this made me think but in the end I decided I was driven and not ambitious (well only a little). This began with a drawing of a head from the Times newspaper that I added aqua pro marker journalling and water to. I also added a shiny finish by stamping with Claudine Hellmuth stamp and tore around the head and then reinked over top with distress inks.

Very messy but I think the inside of my head is a little like that

Trying to catch up with my art journal challenge - Random

Random 

As well as not blogging I had stopped crafting so last week I decided to get work catching up on the prompts from UK Stampers. I have missed 8 prompts but managed three so far and I am planning a day of craftiness tomorrow even if the sun is shining again. Five Random facts about me include the facts I love live rock music, colour, am unitidy, love the Wire and one you may not know...since my hip replacement 18 months ago I have grown two centimetres. Unlike others who may shrink in later life I have started growing in my 40's.
This one did not turn out how I imagined as I was using random scraps of paper left over from an ATC Swap and thought gluing them on with Mod Podge was a good idea. If you have ever tried to stamp onto a shiny slippy surface you will understand my problem. I like the crinkly effect on the page but the stamps and paint did not take too well but that is what I enjoy about this process.

Sorry I neglected my blog and hope you are still out there

Sunset over the point of Sleat

Eek - not blogged for almost 8 weeks and I come back and Blogger has totally changed. I have been trying to navigate my way round. This is what happens when you leave your blog unloved and abandoned. What can I say? Life got in the way. My lovely computer went into melt down when Lens Guy tried updating the software and took weeks to fix. June was crazy end of term stuff (much earlier holidays in Scotland), the usual end of term illness, taking a school trip to Stratford and much more. At the end of the month we fled up north to Arisaig and apart from a trip to T in the Park that is where I have been. I have crafted a little but not a lot and I took many many photos. Apologies for all the photos but I just wanted to let you know I have been busy.

The sea really is that colour

Jasper loved the beach 

Evening clouds over Eigg

Moon nights

T in the Park was fab even if I am getting to be an old rocker.

Lens Guy playing air guitar (should know better now)

Primal Scream - amazing

It was very muddy

Flares 

Recognise this lady - oh if only I could look this good in my 60s

Youngest daughter and friend

Crafty posts to follow...