I'm in love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wasn't feeling great on Thursday (suffering with sinisitis and waiting for my antibiotics to kick in - they now have - hurray!!) so when the postman knocked on and gave me TWo parcels, I was very excited, and they cheered me up no end :).  The first was from the lovely Dyan at Art from the Heart, and inside, a gift of her yummy new inks.  So I had to have a play straightaway - expecially with the granite one, I've wanted a grey ink for aaaaaaaaaaaaaages!

Then my favourite blues and greens:

which I then sprayed over using 'burnt orange', masking with a torn envelope.

before dabbing the envelope edge elsewhere on my page.  So what has made me fall in love with these inks?

well,

the colours are vibrant

they spray in a grungy way, a mixture of fine mist and splatters

you can overlay them

and best of all, you can work back into them with a baby wipe (or a wet rag/paintbrush) just like the Adirondack sprays

so watch this space for more play and journal pages :)

I can't share much of my second parcel as it contains highly classified play date cafe material ;), but will share what I can tomorrow.

Meanwhile, had a bit of a shop (ok, five carrier bags full over 2 days lol) on Thurs and Fri.  Since my painkillers weren't working, I decided 'distraction' might work against my headache, and went out to my local antique and collectables place to get some hardback books for my texture workshop at The Stamp Attic in Wantage on Saturday (click here for deets)

Some other bits n bobs happened to join the books in my pile :)  I can't wait for the workshop, we'll be playing with texture which makes for a great journal cover, but also looks fab on Maya Road die cuts or even around the edge of a picture frame.  [great for Chrissy pressies] 

Then yesterday, Sue Roddis asked if I'd go with her to her local antiques and collectables place and not to disappoint a friend I dragged myself there [ok, my antibiotics were working so I sang along to my music on the way and bounced into Sue's ;)  ]

and came home with this little lot and more!

birthday happiness

Just at the top of this photo you should be able to spy some bunting!  That was my creative output this weekend just gone. 

My sister had asked me to make some to brighten up her nursery, and I particulary wanted it done for yesterday as we had a birthday lunch there for me!

[

[I have a balloon behind my head as my sister said we needed some behind me to add to the party atmosphere of the photo!!!  Hmm]

 Jacqui, my sister, had baked me a rhubarb cake which I have to say was truly delicious!  And look at all the arty presents I got :)  I really do have lots of wonderful friends :) :) :)

 [I chose the papier mache vases and felted heart myself, they're off my fabulous husband, 

but the rest of the gifts are from people who know me very well :)]

How cute is this little mouse sitting on a toadstool?!!  My Mum found it at a teddy bear fair she was exhibiting at.  The toadstool is made from an old reel of thread.

I had a really brilliant birthday, full of happiness and good wishes, to which I am truly, truly grateful as I love birthdays and last year's was just miserable.

ps sneak peeks on their way for my back to back art journalling  classes at the Stamp Attic on 10/11th April; and looking forward to my first art journalling class at the Cubby Hole this Saturday :)

catching up

I had such a busy week last week I was exhausted for days!!  But I really wanted to share some of the things I was up to.  The most recent was the second of my Art Journalling workshops, imaginatively titled 'Art Journalling 2', which I taught it at Paddy's Stamping Place. [now on tour in Crewe and Wantage ;)] 

Look how studious my students are, bless them!

Art journalling for me is about taking time to play, so we spent time exploring fun and unusual ways of adding colour and texture to our journals.

I officially lost my marbles that day!  But what a fabulous effect :)  How cool would journalling look like written on those yellow lines?

And although the shaving foam was a bit messy, it smelt delicious :)

Unfortunately my camera battery died on the second workshop, but masking over these delicate stencilled patterns with a strong colour is just stunning, I promise you!

Then there's stencilling through a sink drainer mat..

..and through a potato masher.  Later we spent time playing a game that resulted in us adding different layers to our pages in random order.

This resulted in some very different pages, as well as lots of relaxed and happy people.

These pages are still works in progress, but you can already see how exciting they will be!

The best thing about teaching art journalling though, is seeing how people relax and start to enjoy the materials they are using.  Thanks everyone, I had a GReaT time :)