playing in my journal

I've a lot of report writing to do this weekend

so decided to start the day with a quick play in my journal!

I sprayed through a couple of stencils with shades of green and a splash of teal, then turned the alphabet stencil over and printed with it.  I then inked up a floral stencil with distress ink and stamped with that too!

There's some Tim Holtz tissue tape in there, along with some stamping and rub on letters.

And finally, I found some architect paper that I used to stitch flowers onto using my sewing machine before cutting them out and gluing them directly to my page.  Voila!!

ps thanks for all the lovely comments about my article in Art Journaling :)

almost jumping up and down with excitement!!!

It's a tough week this week, getting reports and assessments finished at school, so I was so, so, so, so happy when I came home to this!

My copy of Art Journaling with my article inside :) :) :)

I'd seen the draft copy but it's quite different seeing it in print, amongst so much gorgeous work!

It's lovely to be featured alongside another northern journaler ;)  the lovely Kate Crane (who's work is on the front cover, how cool is that!) [edit: just discovered Gail Milburn's in here too!  So that makes three of us!]

Right, back to the report writing, will treat myself to a good browse later on!  Wendy, down at The Stamp Attic has copies of Art Journaling if you want to get your hands on a copy - I can highly recommend it ;)

a woolly gathering

Chris, our good friend Sarah and I headed 'up North' last night to Woolfest, Cockerham, Cumbria..  We stayed the night in Chris' caravan, where the view included a lake! [ It doesn't usually, it's just rained a lot (a month's rain in one day yesterday apparently!) ]

From there we made our way to the wool focused event this morning and had an aMaZiNG time :)  Woolly inspiration everywhere!

I'd love to be able to wear a hat like this one on the right!  Gorgeous!!!

I am definitely going to have a go at wet felting with other fabrics and bits and pieces included.  Every bit of nano felting caught my eye, I just love the wrinkled effect produced on the silk/organza.

I'm even tempted to have a go at some weaving after seeing this work by Eta Ingham Lawrie, it's just STuNNiNG!

One of the fab things about the event was that it included everything about wool, from the sheep (this is a Wensleydale - I have some curly Wensleydale locks but didn't realise they were exactly like that on the sheep lol!  Except mine have been dyed blue/green)  through carding and spinning to knitting/felting/weaving. It was great to appreciate the whole cycle.

Chris showed off her knowledge of wool by declaring "Isn't that blue leicester Sarah?  I'm sure it is!"  It was.  Who knew there were so many funky breeds.  I now have some black shetland wool to needle felt into penguins :)  I even got some projects started on the journey there and back -

granny squares on the way, 'big' crochet on the way back (but that photo didn't transfer from my phone for some reason so will share another day).

And now for bed, it was a looooooooooong day, but a good one.  Thanks Chris!

a different kind of journal page...and a little adventure

I decided to have a go at making a journal page with JuST my watercolours and my watercolour pencils and any patterns had to be ones I created.

I started the page with splashes of colour, much like I usually start a page.  Then added dots of various colours, sizes and textures.  I like dots, and they're easy to draw!

The red 'flower' started off as dots and evolved in a doodle-like fashion.   I added some more dots the other day, sort of 'stamen-like'.

This page doesn't feel finished yet, and it felt like 'hard work', with lots of thinking, rather than the relaxed playing around I usually do in my journal...because I was using all my own ideas and not using stencils, stamps etc I felt I was over thinking it but I wanted to try and just use my own designs so...

 I can't say I'm keen to do this again, but maybe doing it more it will flow better...we'll see.


And my adventure?  Chris, of Pearshaped Crafting fame, and another friend and I are off to 

http://www.woolfest.co.uk/

in Cumbria tonight and tomorrow :)

summer weddings...

I'm very late with one of these cards (for my lovely friend Ruby over at Ruby2Shoes), and exactly on time with the second one!

Both started off with a bit of stencilling for the background.  I then layered up some papers and dried, painted baby wipes.

I added a few pinks and reds (via some wool and another baby wipe!) to a felted piece I had on my sewing table.  My poor embellisher now has paint splodges on it, just like my sewing machine!  I stitched the heart shape before cutting it out then stitching it onto the card.  Then added a few more lines of stitching :)

Right, I'm off to a wedding :)

life after...

applying for a job, getting it, ofsted and tonsillitis!  I sooooooooooo needed this two week half-term holiday!

In between ofsted (that's school inspectors) and tonsillitis my daughter and I went on a one day course down in Stafford with the lovely Emily Notman.

It was a gorgeous, sunny day and we spent the morning dying and bleaching a variety of simple fabrics, including lace.

The afternoon involved putting all our pieces together to create a wall hanging.

 Mine is still a work in progress, but a nice one. I can take it out and add stitching or beading to it according to my mood!  Sophie's is lovely and it was great to do something like this together!

One of the great things about doing a workshop at Unit Twelve Gallery, Stafford is the gorgeous exhibition space which is always filled with delightful things.

clever wire work by Louise Wilson

 love these floral collages by Heather Burgess

 Katie Almond's ceramics are always fabulous

Well out of my price range but absolutely stunning work by Lauren van Helmond

 and I so wanted one of these landscapes by Sarah Jane Brown but the one I liked was sold

fabulous textual pictures by Rachel Hazell

This current exhibition, entitled 'word play', runs until 28th July 2012 and I can highly recommend it if you live near enough!

My great friend Julie Murray is hosting a huge celebration, with giveaways, as she's now been blogging for three years.  Check out her blog here, it's so worth it :)