circles on a journal page

I am very happy with this journal page spread!

It started off as a bit of a rubbish gelli print which I painted over with some turquoise brusho, thinking it might lift it - it did!!

Then I started playing around with Daniel's circles cube from Stampotique

and lots of variety in text and numerals.  The background numeral piece is from my scratch paper on my worktable; it's how I clean my stamps - by stamping them repeatedly on scrap paper!!

Add some doodling ... and Sarah is a happy art journaller!!

Stampotique Stamps used:

Daniel's circles cube  #6184  by Daniel Torrente

Romantic Text  #10028  by France Papillon

Numeric  #7164  by Amy Wilson Wellenstein

Baroque Background  #7109  by Amy Wilson Wellenstein

Antique Description  #7228  by Amy Wilson Wellenstein

more doodling in my journal

That nasty chest infection I had meant I was floored for a good couple of weeks and spent the time sleeping, reading and pinning (on pinterest!).  Oh, and I finally got to watch the Lego movie!  All that time off work and no energy to play with my art supplies :(   

The second lot of antibiotics meant I started to pick up and I managed some brusho backgrounds (I can recommend brusho if you're not feeling 100%, or if you've lost your mojo!)  I have a glass worktop protector and I just sprinkled the brusho powder on it (having made a hole in the lid of the pot with a thick safety pin), sprayed it with water, then took a print from this with copier paper.

Some stenciling with white paint and my paper was ready for some doodling, which was easy to do in front of the tv or in bed with my newly devised transportable art journaling kit! (see Tuesday's post).

What does make me smile is that I got the date wrong with my date stamp.  Not the only thing I got wrong whilst I was ill!!  I am now fully fit and back to my usual self, thanks for the best wishes many of you sent :)

doodling on an art journal page

For aaaages I've wanted to make my art journaling more portable.  I tend to do a whole spread in one go rather than work on previously prepared backgrounds.

I've also been on a mission to include some of my own 'marks' rather than always relying on rubber stamps.

Well, I've found that I'm quite happy doodling on brusho backgrounds!  They have so much texture anyway that adding a few pencil marks is quite therapeutic.  

I made a pile of brusho backgrounds, chose some to add to my journal, packed a little bag of scraps of brusho background paper, scissors, a pencil, a fineline pen, a white pen, a pritt stick and a couple of coloured pencils and was able to transport my art journaling to different parts of the house and beyond!!

tagging some celtic dreams

Still playing with my new dies from Lavinia Stamps and Imagination Crafts.  This tag took a bit of playing around with though,

and in the end,

I had to take photos

and look back at them later

to decide which design I liked best.  In the end I used the coloured toadstools on the front of my sketchbook (see yesterday's post) when it accidentally fell there and I thought 'ooo I like that!'.  

As the tag felt a little dark I added some stars with silver embossing powder, sprinkled it elsewhere on the tag (and heated from underneath), and edged the tag with it too.

Loving these dies :) 

celtic dreams of brusho and pixies!

Last weekend saw the release of the new dies 'Celtic Dreams' from Lavinia Stamps and Imagination Crafts. These dies are a brilliant size for card making and using on tags, 11.5cm,  ...  just love them!

Whilst waiting for the dies to arrive I made myself a stack of papers using my brusho inks.  My idea was to use the dies to cut black paper and lay the cutout against the colourful papers.

The dies are so beautifully designed they are exquisite just as they are, but they also look stunning against the strong colours of brusho.

I also used the dies to cut out some of the papers ... love 'em :)  Now you know me, when I make cards I usually end up having to add extra elements to cover up the inky splodges that are an inevitable part of my card making ...

... not anymore!!  With these dies I just used a spray adhesive to attach them to the brusho paper and card and hey presto, quick, easy, clean but very pleasing cards!

Of all of them the above is my favourite but I did enjoy enhancing the brusho papers with embossing powders and stamping for this one ...

I will definitely be making more of these cards!

and have plenty more ideas for using them (watch this space!!).    I particularly love that the little tiny fairies ( small pixies or three dancing fairies) fit behind the windows of the toadstool so they look like they are busy in their little houses.  I've put mine on the front of one of my sketchbooks and will share a tag tomorrow :)

I'd love you to let me know you visited by leaving a comment below, it's a great way to 'meet' people!!

a discombobulated pony

I know I've said this before ...

... but I just love how Roc Nicholas' images lend themselves so beautifully to paper piecing!!  And her new ponytail is no exception!

Stampotique stamps used:

Ponytail  #2434  by Roc Nicholas

  Barcode Text #2   #10025  by France Papillon

Daisy daisy  #3002  by Jo Capper Sandon

brusho in my journal

I have been playing ...

... with my latest toys - the brusho inks that everyone is using!  Who knew that this stock item in every primary school art cupboard could be so much fun!!

Whenever I use something new I start with my favourite colours - just lovin' that turquoise!!  Because it's an ink powder, splashing spots of water on the page and dabbing it off (one of my favourite techniques of the moment) doesn't work once the ink is dry, but I managed to catch it before it dried and got a lovely effect.  I'm happier splashing water on my pages than bleach!

I think Nina looks right at home on this double spread journal page, and Daniel's circles give lots of choice for a sun!

Stampotique stamps used

Nina  #5824  by Magda Polakow

When I grow up  #8993  from Carol's Collection

Circles cube  #6184 by Daniel Torrente

Daisy daisy  #3002  by Jo Capper-Sandon

romantic text  #10028  by France Papillon

2 nuages (Fr)  #9248  by Janet Klein

autumn colours in fairyland

I have been suffering from a very nasty chest infection, with a dreadful sore throat :(  Haven't been able to do much so this journal page has come together over a week, just little bits at a time.  

This month's Lavinia Stamps challenge is to use autumn colours so I decided to have a go with my new Brusho inks.  We have had these in the art cupboard of every school I've ever taught in, but I'd rarely used them ...til now!  

I'm still getting to know them really, but for this project just sprinkled the pages with a variety of autumn colours, sprayed with water, then blotted it off a little with some spare paper.  I have to say, I'm loving the blotting sheets often more than the original!

I've added some 'ink caps', 'dandelions', 'zen plant' and 'angelic words' in the background, and borrowed the windows off the silhouette house pods to  transform the 'spotty toadstools' into fairy dwellings.

I'm particularly pleased with the washing line suspended between the toadstools :)

And whilst they wait for their wings to dry, the fairies are catching dandelion clocks floating on the wind.

Lavinia Stamps have a very exciting new product launch tomorrow - that should cheer me up!!

an art journal page with a french influence!

This journal page just kind of evolved; it started off as a scrap piece of paper but the sponged ink through the stencil took over and I love how many of France Papillon's new release for Stampotique made it onto the page!

I was also thrilled to discover that France's romantic text refers to a visit to a chateau, which I thought co-ordinated brilliantly with her chandelier  and made for a great collection of collage images.

Stampotique stamps used:

France's chandelier  #10023   France Papillon

romantic text  #10028  France Papillon

optique  #10027  France Papillon

ticket for paris  #10026  France Papillon

text block 3  #7140  Amy Wilson Wellenstein

numeric  #7164  Amy Wilson Wellenstein

baroque background  #7109  Amy Wilson Wellenstein

lavinia stamps challenge #9: add some ribbon

I'm really pleased that you can see the sparkle on this tag :)  It's starburst stains sprayed over a gelli print made using paint.

This month's Lavinia Stamps challenge is to 'add some ribbon'.  I added mine to my tag but as my sewing machine is still at the shop after being serviced I used my embellisher to give a textured effect to the ribbons and lace.

I used fine white detail embossing powder on the main images, and used some Stampendous chunky white embossing powder to add some background texture ... love that stuff!!!