If you should ever find yourself in need of just the right phrase or quotation for your art work, check out Ed's Other Side of the Moon Blog. She posts some really cool stuff almost every day ...
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Sunday, 24 August 2008
My Soul Journal ...
It has taken me the last three hours or so to work out how to create a slideshow, but very loud drum roll and fanfare - here it is over on the right - just in case you miss it ....
Each page was made on one side of a single sheet of paper. To create the back to back pages of the Journal I stitched the pages together. The covers are bare chipboard, covered with gesso and acrylic paint and dabbed, smeared, swooshed and everything else. The first and last pages were stuck to the inside of the two covers, so as to keep the double page spreads running. All the pages were then bound with the Bind It All.
I didn't really want to call this My Soul Journal and everything else I thought of didn't seem right. I thought that No. 1 could be the first of many ....
I really am quite proud of this and even now I keep adding bits and pieces to it.
I hope you all like it too.
Each page was made on one side of a single sheet of paper. To create the back to back pages of the Journal I stitched the pages together. The covers are bare chipboard, covered with gesso and acrylic paint and dabbed, smeared, swooshed and everything else. The first and last pages were stuck to the inside of the two covers, so as to keep the double page spreads running. All the pages were then bound with the Bind It All.
I didn't really want to call this My Soul Journal and everything else I thought of didn't seem right. I thought that No. 1 could be the first of many ....
I really am quite proud of this and even now I keep adding bits and pieces to it.
I hope you all like it too.
Les Petites Dolls .....
Looking at a Blogland friend, Linda's blog, I have signed up for an online course called Les Petites Dolls which is all about ....... Drawing !!!!! There is loads of other stuff too but mainly Drawing. For someone who (thinks she) can't draw - I must be mad - lol. Mind you, as Suzi says - You Can Do This ....
The course is great, there are videos and PDF's to download and 24/7 support from the message boards, discussion threads and the other people all over the world doing it.
Last night, while I was waiting to give the gorgeous Fin his last feed, I started messing about with a piece of paper and a pencil. You have to bear in mind that I haven't started the course properly yet because I need to get a circle template and a sketchpad but I have watched the two videos ....
You also have to bear in mind that the course is quite structured (which suits me fine) and you have practice homework to complete before the next stage .... I shall be sitting on the naughty step because my messing about went a bit too far - lol. These two little sketches are the end result in the middle of a page full of the most dodgy eyes - lol (that's why you need a circle template ..... but I am soooooooo pleased with myself .........Last night, while I was waiting to give the gorgeous Fin his last feed, I started messing about with a piece of paper and a pencil. You have to bear in mind that I haven't started the course properly yet because I need to get a circle template and a sketchpad but I have watched the two videos ....
Do tell me what you think - honesty appreciated - lol
Proud ....
The gorgeous Fin played by Nanny's rules last night and was an absolute sweetheart. After he had gone home I sat down to watch the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, which was absolutely stunning.
When it came to the handover to London, I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride in the city and country of my birth and the achivements of those excellent men and women over the last 16 days. I am not a political animal and I thought that Boris Johnson did a terrific job on the rostrum - he only put his hands in his pockets once - bless. While I was watching I spared a thought for Ken Livingstone who had done so much for the Olympic Bid. Didn't Jimmy Page rock and as for David Beckham - well !!!!
The coverage then moved to the London 2012 party on The Mall. Great stuff. I have been to mass outdoor events in London and I bet the atmosphere was electric. These are things we do well - very well. Michael Phelps, although probably tired from his Olympic achivements looked slightly bemused but impressed at the huge ocean of faces in front of him.
The swell of pride came again with the Red Arrows fly past and watching Heather Small sing Proud ....
I know that there are many, many critics of the 2012 Olympics - for various reasons, political, economical and just because they are plain negative; but I really do hope that there are more who, at the beginning of the next four years, are proud of what we will achieve and positive about the 2012 Games ....
When it came to the handover to London, I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride in the city and country of my birth and the achivements of those excellent men and women over the last 16 days. I am not a political animal and I thought that Boris Johnson did a terrific job on the rostrum - he only put his hands in his pockets once - bless. While I was watching I spared a thought for Ken Livingstone who had done so much for the Olympic Bid. Didn't Jimmy Page rock and as for David Beckham - well !!!!
The coverage then moved to the London 2012 party on The Mall. Great stuff. I have been to mass outdoor events in London and I bet the atmosphere was electric. These are things we do well - very well. Michael Phelps, although probably tired from his Olympic achivements looked slightly bemused but impressed at the huge ocean of faces in front of him.
The swell of pride came again with the Red Arrows fly past and watching Heather Small sing Proud ....
I know that there are many, many critics of the 2012 Olympics - for various reasons, political, economical and just because they are plain negative; but I really do hope that there are more who, at the beginning of the next four years, are proud of what we will achieve and positive about the 2012 Games ....
Saturday, 23 August 2008
Nothing Stays The Same ....
Couldn't sleep so I thought I would change the Blog template. I might change it back again in a couple of days.
What do you all think?..........
What do you all think?..........
The Last Bank Holiday Before Christmas ....
Well, well, well - where is the year going? Here we are at the last Bank Holiday weekend before Christmas and I bet it won't be long before some bright spark somewhere comes along and tells us how many shopping days there are left ......
Partly to share with you all and partly to act as a 'To Do List' here is a run down of what I will be doing ....
1. Friday Night (now Saturday morning)
The intention was to have an early night but got caught up with two things - firstly another of my passions - my Family Tree. A couple of days ago, I got a couple of interesting emails from a popular re-uniting genealogy web site, that looked as if they had the potential to fill a couple of gaps. Bit of an understatement - they proved to be very interesting and I've been exchanging a flurry of emails over the last 24 hours. The last one, being sent by me, was more of a Barbara Taylor Bradford novel and when I had finished it, I decided to save it to draft but while I had been waxing lyrical, the internet provider connection had timed itself out - so I lost the whole lot. That will have to be re-done tomorrow - or rather today - lol. Not having much luck with the IT skills at the moment - lol.
I also managed tonight (after a bit of a dodgy start) to get signed up to the Suzi Blu online course - Les Petites Dolls and take a sneak preview at the 'lessons'. It looks great fun and I can't wait to get started - but this will have to wait until Sunday - because ....
2. Saturday
Saturday night I am doing my second overnight baby sitting stint, to the continually gorgeous Finley William !!!! Those of you who have been here before will remember the hunt for the Triple 6's and the photo of the sunset. This time we are playing by my rules - I insist !!!!!
Before he comes the following jobs have to be done -
1. Friday Night (now Saturday morning)
The intention was to have an early night but got caught up with two things - firstly another of my passions - my Family Tree. A couple of days ago, I got a couple of interesting emails from a popular re-uniting genealogy web site, that looked as if they had the potential to fill a couple of gaps. Bit of an understatement - they proved to be very interesting and I've been exchanging a flurry of emails over the last 24 hours. The last one, being sent by me, was more of a Barbara Taylor Bradford novel and when I had finished it, I decided to save it to draft but while I had been waxing lyrical, the internet provider connection had timed itself out - so I lost the whole lot. That will have to be re-done tomorrow - or rather today - lol. Not having much luck with the IT skills at the moment - lol.
I also managed tonight (after a bit of a dodgy start) to get signed up to the Suzi Blu online course - Les Petites Dolls and take a sneak preview at the 'lessons'. It looks great fun and I can't wait to get started - but this will have to wait until Sunday - because ....
2. Saturday
Saturday night I am doing my second overnight baby sitting stint, to the continually gorgeous Finley William !!!! Those of you who have been here before will remember the hunt for the Triple 6's and the photo of the sunset. This time we are playing by my rules - I insist !!!!!
Before he comes the following jobs have to be done -Shopping for chocolate, more chocolate and more chocolate
and a nice bottle of red for when he goes home
Putting the newly purchased travel cot together
(that should be a laugh)
Doing the minimal housework I usually do at a weekend - lol
Having a nap before the gorgeous one arrives - lol
Re-doing the email that an american internet provider stole from me
and a nice bottle of red for when he goes home
Putting the newly purchased travel cot together
(that should be a laugh)
Doing the minimal housework I usually do at a weekend - lol
Having a nap before the gorgeous one arrives - lol
Re-doing the email that an american internet provider stole from me
3. Sunday
Catching up on any sleep that I might have missed out on the night before! Taking photographs and making the slideshow of my Soul Journal. Then I will take a deep breath and start my Dolls Project. I have already downloaded and had a sneak peek at the videos and the pdf files and it looks really good - can't wait ....
4. Bank Holiday Monday
4. Bank Holiday MondayMonday is the 25th of the month and time again to Scrap Your Day ..... This is a great idea - you just take photos all day long of your day and then put them together as a record of your life, your surroundings, special events and anything else that Makes Your Day. You then put them together over a double page spread and at the end of the year you have a snapshot in time of that year.
I should also do something about cleaning my car - inside and out - it is a rather fetching shade of blue and grime - lol. I should also put some oil in it and windscreen washer stuff, so that it runs smoothly and I can see where I'm going .....
What are you going to be doing? .... Hope you're all going to have as much fun as me !!!! ....
I should also do something about cleaning my car - inside and out - it is a rather fetching shade of blue and grime - lol. I should also put some oil in it and windscreen washer stuff, so that it runs smoothly and I can see where I'm going .....
What are you going to be doing? .... Hope you're all going to have as much fun as me !!!! ....
Thursday, 21 August 2008
I Broke It ....... and had a Tantrum ....
Just in case you were wondering, I have been well and truly engrossed in working on my Soul Journal for the last few days.
Then you will never guess what happened .... I broke my Blog ..... boo hoo and yes, I blubbed like a baby - lol !!!!I was trying to be ever so clever - just like fellow Soul Journaller - Linda Vincent - and create a Slideshow. I found out how to do it and thought I am using too much Picasa space for the photos already on my Blog and deleted from the Picasa Blog Album the photos that I thought were duplicates and guess what - I deleted loads of photos throughout the blog and ended up with loads and loads of little rectangles where the photos were !!!!
The air was a range of very pretty blues, I can tell you, and the tantrum was reminiscent of the little girl who screamed and screamed until she was sick !!!! I was so angry with myself and upset, that I nearly hit the delete button for the whole Blog !!!!
Still, Stephen in the office saved the day. He's taught me a little bit more about html and I have spent the afternoon putting the photos back. They aren't the same size but at least they are there.
Anyway, the Soul Journal is complete and I am going to make a Slideshow, which I will post in the next couple of days.
The air was a range of very pretty blues, I can tell you, and the tantrum was reminiscent of the little girl who screamed and screamed until she was sick !!!! I was so angry with myself and upset, that I nearly hit the delete button for the whole Blog !!!!
Still, Stephen in the office saved the day. He's taught me a little bit more about html and I have spent the afternoon putting the photos back. They aren't the same size but at least they are there.
Anyway, the Soul Journal is complete and I am going to make a Slideshow, which I will post in the next couple of days.
Monday, 11 August 2008
Soul Journal .....
I found Sarah Whitmire and her Soul Journalling Project last week, through my friend, Ed's Blog and was absolutely hooked as soon as I started reading about the Soul Journal.
The Project takes shape through a series of daily prompts. Needless to say, I found the Project on Day 14 !!! On Day 18, Sarah went on a week's trip to New York - great I thought - catch up time. I did try - despite the interferences of daily life like going to work, housework, going to bed and the like - and even to the point where I took a couple of days off work but you know how it is - the best laid plans and all that ..... But despite that, I would like to share with you what I have been doing on this Project so far ......
Page 1 - Claiming Your Journal ....
Page 2 is your Soul Armour .... what you need to shield you from outside criticism and your inner critic; and what you need to protect and nourish your inner spirit ......
Pages 3 and 4 are based on Pictures of specific items from Magazines and following Sarah's journalling prompts, these are they ..... I loved doing this as it is so totally different to other things I have done - in fact it took me back to being a little girl again, cutting pictures out of magazines and sticking them in those sugar paper scrap books.
Page 2 is your Soul Armour .... what you need to shield you from outside criticism and your inner critic; and what you need to protect and nourish your inner spirit ......
Pages 3 and 4 are based on Pictures of specific items from Magazines and following Sarah's journalling prompts, these are they ..... I loved doing this as it is so totally different to other things I have done - in fact it took me back to being a little girl again, cutting pictures out of magazines and sticking them in those sugar paper scrap books.
Pages 5 and 6 I had great difficulty getting my head around. The prompt was to fill the two pages with small writing starting "I Forgot To Tell You ...." Deep, dark, confessional secrets, things never said, an imaginery conversation, talking to yourself - wierd. Wierd, because when you finished your writing you were asked to cover it all up with tape - any kind of tape, parcel tape, electrical tape, duct tape, masking tape - and then apply gesso and wipe it off, and then paint and wipe that off too. I have to say though, despite the wierdness, the end result is beautiful - I have two almost fabric like pages. As I am using loose paper for the pages at the moment, I might make two more of these pages for the covers, or even use these two ....
In Pages 7 and 8 we Recreate Our Home complete with our Paper Doll Family ..... These two pages are still 'under construction' and if they look like Sarah's then I apologise. I can't draw to save my life - not even a wavy line - but I do have some original ideas now that I have the basic layout! ....
Pages 9 to 14 are three double page spread Collage Pot Pourris. Each double spread has a number of prompts as to what is to be included in each spread but they have to be done in a random order. For a relative novice at this sort of abstract thing, initially this was quite difficult but once I got into it, I just went with it, so much so that for someone who is a bit of a conformist, I found myself breaking some of the 'rules' ....
Pages 9 and 10 are complete (?) ......
Here are a couple more of this batch of six pages - all still 'under construction' ....
Sadly, the Project is at an end now. There are still a number of other pages to do but I will continue working on them until my Soul Journal is complete, but then will it ever be complete .... you can always change and add stuff to it.
So there you have it - one very messy kitchen (I worked there because there was space to spread out), one tub of gesso down, one set of Sharpie markers acquired, glue and acrylic paint everywhere, a pile of torn and ripped magazines - but one very happy lady !!!!
Congratulations to all who have read through this very long post and I hope you enjoyed it ....
In Pages 7 and 8 we Recreate Our Home complete with our Paper Doll Family ..... These two pages are still 'under construction' and if they look like Sarah's then I apologise. I can't draw to save my life - not even a wavy line - but I do have some original ideas now that I have the basic layout! ....
Pages 9 to 14 are three double page spread Collage Pot Pourris. Each double spread has a number of prompts as to what is to be included in each spread but they have to be done in a random order. For a relative novice at this sort of abstract thing, initially this was quite difficult but once I got into it, I just went with it, so much so that for someone who is a bit of a conformist, I found myself breaking some of the 'rules' ....Pages 9 and 10 are complete (?) ......
Here are a couple more of this batch of six pages - all still 'under construction' ....
Sadly, the Project is at an end now. There are still a number of other pages to do but I will continue working on them until my Soul Journal is complete, but then will it ever be complete .... you can always change and add stuff to it.So there you have it - one very messy kitchen (I worked there because there was space to spread out), one tub of gesso down, one set of Sharpie markers acquired, glue and acrylic paint everywhere, a pile of torn and ripped magazines - but one very happy lady !!!!
Congratulations to all who have read through this very long post and I hope you enjoyed it ....
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Dans ma maison il y a ....la mer
Dans ma maison this week is .... the sea ....
The images are all from Stamp Addicts - Postage Frame, Seashore Cube and Carol's Cube; and the song is from the Beside The Sea set from Rubbadubbadoo. My house is made of corrugated card, painted with gesso and acrylic inks and finished off with some very nice raffia mesh.
Hope you like it ....
The images are all from Stamp Addicts - Postage Frame, Seashore Cube and Carol's Cube; and the song is from the Beside The Sea set from Rubbadubbadoo. My house is made of corrugated card, painted with gesso and acrylic inks and finished off with some very nice raffia mesh.Hope you like it ....
Sunday, 3 August 2008
Thank God It's Friday .... Numbers
The TGIF Challenge this week is Numbers ... so while the Tags were out, I made another one ...
The Tag was sponged with Versamagic Eggplant and Malted Mauve. The images are the Hampton Arts Bingo Card, I've Got Your Number from The Queens Dresser Drawers and Tick Tock from B Line Designs. The two lines of numbers are from Paper Artsy.
Hope you like it ....
The Tag was sponged with Versamagic Eggplant and Malted Mauve. The images are the Hampton Arts Bingo Card, I've Got Your Number from The Queens Dresser Drawers and Tick Tock from B Line Designs. The two lines of numbers are from Paper Artsy.Hope you like it ....
Tag you're It Challenge .... Colour Theme
Here's another Challenge I found yesterday over at the Weekend Taggers ....
The Colour Theme is Lime, Teal and Black. Lime and Black were OK but I had to visit that shaggy dog paint site to check out Teal - teeny weeny problem not a lot of Teal in my stash - but not to worry .... onwards and upwards ....
I used one of those extremely large Luggage Tags and covered it with a Teal(ish) card. To make more Teal I edged the Tag with Versacolour Pacific ink- sorry that was all the Teal I could muster - lol. The image is by Inkadinkaoo and the lady's hat was stamped again on Lime Green card. The tickets are all by Invoke Arts and complete the Lime Green element. All the stamping was done in Black with a bit of Black ric-rac.
I have to say, I love this one ... I hope you do to ....
I used one of those extremely large Luggage Tags and covered it with a Teal(ish) card. To make more Teal I edged the Tag with Versacolour Pacific ink- sorry that was all the Teal I could muster - lol. The image is by Inkadinkaoo and the lady's hat was stamped again on Lime Green card. The tickets are all by Invoke Arts and complete the Lime Green element. All the stamping was done in Black with a bit of Black ric-rac.Arty Girlz Challenge .... Blue
This week's Arty Girlz Challenge is Blue ....
The image is another one from the new Paperbag Studio's plate - Knowing. I am so totally unsure about the flower - lol. It was an ivory Bazzil Bling flower, which I dragged over with Broken China, Faded Jeans and Tattered Rose Distress Ink.
What do you think? .....
The image is another one from the new Paperbag Studio's plate - Knowing. I am so totally unsure about the flower - lol. It was an ivory Bazzil Bling flower, which I dragged over with Broken China, Faded Jeans and Tattered Rose Distress Ink.What do you think? .....
In My Pocket ...There is a Message of Love
The In My Pocket Challenge this week from Hels is a Message of Love ...
The stamps are from the new Paperbag Studios plate - Knowing, which I got a couple of weeks ago from The Stamp Attic; and the tied bundle of letters from the Oxford Impressions Plate - Travel Poste. And don't you just love Michael Buble ......
Here is the inside ... Hope you like it ....
The stamps are from the new Paperbag Studios plate - Knowing, which I got a couple of weeks ago from The Stamp Attic; and the tied bundle of letters from the Oxford Impressions Plate - Travel Poste. And don't you just love Michael Buble ......Here is the inside ... Hope you like it ....
Theme Thursday .... Tags
Gosh - there's a Challenge (and if the truth were known more than one) for every day of the week. I found Theme Thursday while I was looking for something completely different but c'est la vie .....it all adds to the excitement ....
This large Tag was made for my first ever Challenge entry back in the mists of time in June this year and I thought I would revive it !! For anyone who missed it this is what I wrote - " ... coloured with Shabby Shutters Distress ink and then stamped all over with the Stampendous Marble Texture Cube in gold The check pattern is B-Lines Checker Board stamped in Olive Green Staz-On. The main image is Classmates by B-Lines, stamped on glossy card and then dabbed with Lettuce and Butterscotch Alcohol Inks, with just a touch of Stream; and mounted on black glossy card. A 7-Gypsies Friends tab is at the top of the image and a pink flower and black ric-rac was added to finish it off".
Hope you like it - again .......
This large Tag was made for my first ever Challenge entry back in the mists of time in June this year and I thought I would revive it !! For anyone who missed it this is what I wrote - " ... coloured with Shabby Shutters Distress ink and then stamped all over with the Stampendous Marble Texture Cube in gold The check pattern is B-Lines Checker Board stamped in Olive Green Staz-On. The main image is Classmates by B-Lines, stamped on glossy card and then dabbed with Lettuce and Butterscotch Alcohol Inks, with just a touch of Stream; and mounted on black glossy card. A 7-Gypsies Friends tab is at the top of the image and a pink flower and black ric-rac was added to finish it off".Hope you like it - again .......
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