A JOURNAL JOURNEY

A couple of years ago, I handmade and bound myself a book. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but in the end, decided to use it as an art journal and I really liked the Rusty Pickle paper I'd used to cover it. I did about 2 pages and then forgot all about it.


This last week, I decided to take up journaling again but now, I really didn't think the cover was suitable as styles have changed so much. So...I altered it.

Front Cover.

Back Cover.

Now, I love it, lol. I so enjoyed doing the cover, that I've also done a couple more pages as well. All my backgrounds were done with acrylic paints (have yet to try spray inks) I used brushes and my fingers to blend it. Paint has also been flicked and thrown on to make some of the marks. I took the bull by the horns when I decided to doodle and hand write things too, lol. I'm not sure if I like that part, but hey! it seems to work OK. :o) Images by Dyan Reavely and Ten Two Studios. I also used some background stamps by Andy Skinner.


This 2nd page has Sylvia Plath's Mirror poem written on it. My fave all time poem and I'm sure one that many of, as we get older, can relate to, lol.


Entering into:
JACKSON'S DIGITAL EXPRESSIONS #9 - Anything or Altering.
CRAFTS AND ME #89 - Anything goes.
SIMON SAYS STAMP - Anything but a card.
TANDA STAMPS #198 - Splish,Splash,Splat. (plenty of that here, lol).
ART WITH NO BOUNDARIES - Anything goes and/or Performing Arts.
MAKE IT MONDAY #94 - Anything goes.

BACK TO THE 50'S

I'm suffering here. I had to have a tooth out this morning and it was a difficult one. The anaesthetic is wearing off now and boy, am I sore.

Anyway, it's challenge #122 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS this week and the theme is the 50's. Our sponsor is LETRASET with a pack of Promarkers for the winner. Not having a lot of imagination, I really struggled with this, but then...Just Inklined provided some free images, including this one of Liz on her bike. I thought maybe she was happy about being queen (then thought, maybe not) but as I couldn't think of anything else, I put the date 1952 on some bunting and that's pretty much it, lol.

You should pop over to the blog and have a look at the rest of the teams cards though. They've all come up with some brilliant takes on the theme.


Entering into:
CRAFTS AND ME #89 - Anything goes.
INKY IMPRESSIONS - Red, White and Blue.
OLDIE BUT A GOODIE - Banners or Bunting (embossing folder is old).

WHAT A HOOT!

A week or so ago, I spent the day with my grandchildren and I took them to a little wildlife park that I discovered while googling for somewhere to take young children. Mia's 4 and Aidan is 2. Anyway, we had a lovely time and this is the first of my layouts from that day.


Entering into:
HAPPY SCRAPPERS #2 - The Great Outdoors.
INSPIRE ME FRIDAYS #63 - Anything goes.
FOREVER FRIENDS #38 - Anything goes with an animal.
LITTLE MISS MUFFET #37 - Loads of layers. (not sure if LO's are eligible)
FRESHLY BREWED #100 - Anything goes.

VIVA LAS VEGAS

Well, it looks like the weather has taken a turn for the worst again doesn't it? What happened to Flaming June? Still, I did manage a full day's gardening on Sunday. I also managed to fit in cooking a dinner. So what? you may ask. Well, at 5.30 I dished up this lovely looking (and smelling I may add) casserole, only to bite into a solid carrot and potato. My oven broke half way through cooking!!! lol. Microwave meals for a while now methinks, lol.

Anyway, onwards. I am honoured this week to have a GDT spot over at JACKSONS DIGITAL EXPRESSIONS. *inserts big smiley* This week they have a challenge theme 'Inks & Such' so I used plenty of inks on my birthday tag. The image is one of Robert Jacksons that I chose as part of my prize last week. These images are really all African American but I've coloured my lady white (only because I don't know how to colour any other skin tone, lol).


My background is done with my distress ink pads and then run through my bug with T.H's bingo embossing folder. The corners are stamped with a Paper Artsy stamp. I did the text strips myself, printed them off and then inked them too. The image is coloured with Promarkers. The other embellies were in one of those Jolie's packs that must have been in my drawer for about 6 years and I've never had a use for it. I've still got the slot machine left too, lol. Do you remember when these packs were the best thing since sliced bread? How tastes change eh?

Entering into:
MAKE IT MONDAY #93 - Anything goes.
LEXI'S CREATIONS #67 - Birthday.
CRAFT YOUR PASSION #114 - Anything goes.
SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW - Anything goes.
CRAFT PUNKED #23 - Birthday. WINNER
GUYLOUS INIMITABILITY - Large tag. WINNER
INSPIRE ME FRIDAY #62 - Anything goes.

WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?

It's week #120 over at I LOVE PROMARKERS and this week the theme is all about little girls. Sugar and spice and all things nice!!!! Hmmmmm, maybe lol. Anyway, you have to make a card (or other project) for a little girl. Our sponsor is LILI OF THE VALLEY and the prize is a £10 gift certificate.


I had a little trouble with this card. First off, I don't have any LOTV stamps, so a google search sent me to ebay and found me a pack of 20 that had been a free gift in a magazine some time ago. God knows what card they've been printed on, but it's appalling and certainly no good for Promarkers. The colours bled really badly and it took me an absolute age to lift all the mess with my blender pen. It's also a little TOO pink methinks, lol.

I have used dies by Memory Box and Cheery Lynn and the papers are from a pad that a friend bought me 4½ years ago for my baby Granddaughter layouts. Some flowers, ribbon and pearls finished it off.

Entering into:
CRAFT ROOM CHALLENGE - Birthday.
JACKSONS DIGITAL EXPRESSIONS #7 - Anything goes.
OLDIE BUT A GOODIE - Anything goes. (papers are over 4 years old)
PAPERTAKE WEEKLY - Anything goes.
CRAFTY BOOTS - Anything goes.
MAKE IT MONDAY #92 - Anything goes.
MAKE MY MONDAY #52 - Birthday with pearls.
OOH-LA-LA CREATIONS #106 - Make it girly.
CUTIE PIE CHALLENGE #19 - Die cuts and punches.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX.

Following on my Andy Skinner's Book of Secrets workshop, when I made THIS, I've altered another box. I had a few problems with this one, the paint just wouldn't do what I wanted it too, lol. Bad workman - blaming tools springs to mind, ha ha.

I used Decoart Traditions and Americana acrylic paints in Red Iron Oxide, Deep Burgundy and Glorious Gold. Gesso and Texture medium gave me the textures. The stuff on the lid are some Tando Creative compasses and cogs I had left over from my last box and Tim Holtz cogs from his Ideaology range. The red text tape is 7 gypsies gaffer tape and the paper inside was a piece buried in my stash (both of which I've had for a couple of years) which I inked with Ranger Distress Ink 'Aged Mahogany' and the stamps used are Andy Skinner's 'Steampunk Accessories' and 'Tempting Textures'.








Entering into:
JACKSONS DIGITAL EXPRESSIONS #6 - Anything goes with some Tim Holtz. WINNER
BUNNY ZOES #24 - Anything goes.
QUOTH THE RAVEN #9 - Red death. (not sure it fits the challenge, but it IS red?)
JUST KEEP ON CREATING #2 - Anything goes.
SCRAPALICIOUS - Alter something.
EVERYBODY ART #195 - No cards.
TOP TIP TUESDAY - Use something old (papers and gaffer tape).
FASHIONABLE STAMPING #22 - Steam Punk.

GOTTA USE A DIGI.

Time's flown by again and it's already time for another challenge over at I ♥ PROMARKERS. This week is #119 and you've got to use a digi image. Our sponsor is the fabulous DIGI DOODLE SHOP with a $10 spend in the online store to our winner.

I did something not as shocking as last weeks, lol. My image, from DDS of course, is Little Sweeper and my papers are Prima Almanac. I've spent the last 5/6 days in the garden so had to rush this card yesterday afternoon to get it to the challenge blog in time. Not a flower or ribbon in sight...arghhhh!!!! I'll be using this as a birthday card but it could also maybe be a new home card? What do you think? A new broom sweeping clean and all that.



Entering into:
CRAFTING FOR ALL SEASONS #28 - Many layers.
DIVA'S BY DESIGN #37 - Anything goes.
PENNY'S PAPER-CRAFTY #80 - Anything goes.
CELEBRATE THE OCCASION #64 - Anything goes.
CRAFT ROOM CHALLENGE #27? - Birthday.
CRAFTY SENTIMENTS - Anything goes.
PARTY TIME TUESDAYS #70 - Anything goes.

OOOEEERRR!!!!!!!!

Time for another challenge over at I ♥ PROMARKERS and this week (#118) it's to use die cuts. No biggie there eh? I reckon we all use them all the time now. We're sponsored this week by DIE CUT DREAMS and the prize is a lovely selection of die cuts.

So, maybe I'm a bit off beam with this one, but when I saw this image over at Redonkulous, I just couldn't resist him. It is sooooooo my sense of humour, lol. I made it for a friends birthday on Monday and he cracked up when he opened it. I knew he'd like it..tee hee!


The tree is a Marianne D die and the border is done with a couple of Edgeabilitity dies. Papers are MME Lost & Found 'Breeze'.

ENTERING INTO:
SENTIMENTAL SUNDAYS #103 - Whimsical.
BEARLY MINE #36 - Anything goes.
PASSION FOR PROMARKERS #150 - Birthdays.
BUNNY ZOE'S #24 - Anything goes.
MAKE IT MONDAY #90 - Anything goes.
GREAT IMPRESSIONS #3 - Anything goes.
JOANNA SHEEN - Birthday.
ONE STITCH AT A TIME #114 - Anything goes.
ROBYN'S FETISH #108 - Anything goes.
CRAZY4CHALLENGES #137 - Birthday.
CHOCOLATE, COFFEE AND CARDS #13 - For the boys.
HOTSHOT CRAFT #8 - Use die cuts.
INSPIRE ME FRIDAYS #59 - Anything goes.
CRAFTY CREATIONS #170 - Male birthday.
SOUTHERN GIRLS #44 - About the boys.

My Little Book of Secrets..

I'm doing yet another amazing online workshop with ANDY SKINNER (my 3rd) called THE BOOK OF SECRETS. I've completed my first 'book' and I am sooooooooo pleased at how it turned out. You all really should sign up for some of his classes..they're brilliant.

We started with this blank box. I got mine from The Craft Barn. I also got my Tando Creative chipboard elements from there (cogs, compass...) Stamps used are by Andy Skinner.










And this is the back which is much plainer.


I'm off to get my stuff out and do another one now!! lol.

Entering into:
TANDO CREATIVE - Alter it.
CRAFTING WHEN WE CAN #18 - Steampunk.
FASHIONABLE STAMPING #22 - Steampunk.
PIXIE DUST STUDIO #127 - Steampunk.
JACKSON'S DIGITAL EXPRESSIONS #4 - Alter it. TOP 3

HANDBAGS????.

A year or so ago, I came across some instructions for making all sorts of lovely things. I had forgotten all about them although I had made some things up. I'm sure I've never shared them on my blog, so I thought that now, I would.

This first one used 'Blue Awning' papers by K & Co. I love these papers, they were my fave at the time and I really didn't want to cut my pad up, lol. Still, no point in buying papers just to look at is there? :o)






I can't remember what paper I used on this next one, but it had a definite vintage feel to it, so I thought it was perfect.



Anyway, I hope you like them and big thanks to Becky Roberts.

Entering into:
JUST KEEP ON CREATING #2 - Anything goes.

PIN IT UP!

Wooohooo!! I'm back. Missing from blogger again for a couple of weeks as I've been to Cyprus to visit my daughter. Anyway, it's challenge #116 at I LOVE PROMARKERS and the theme is to use hat pins and/or a charm. Our sponsor is our blog boss Karen and she is offering a selection of her pins to the winner. All the DT used hat pins made by Karen.
For my card I chose this fabulous image from Teddy Bo. I really enjoyed colouring her in and I added all sorts of layers to my card. It's actually quite different from my normal style, but much more the style that I'd like to do (when doing cute that is, lol).

I used an Edgeability die to cut round the image, Martha Stewart border punches and punch around the page, blossoms from WOC and Marianne, 2 square doilies, Marianne dies, ribbons, pearls and some gorgeous net/grid type stuff that I recently bought. My papers are from the Cosmo Cricket 'Delovely' pad and finally, the hat pins.

Entering into:
CRAFTS AND ME #83 - Punches and die cuts.
JUST KEEP ON CREATING #2 - Anything goes. (closes 18th June).
PAPER SHELTER #63 - Anything goes.
CREATIVE CRAFT CHALLENGES - Anything goes.
SASSY CHERYL #114 - A stitch in time.
TWISTED TUESDAY #6 - Birthday and ribbon.
CREATIVE MONDAY #7 - Anything goes.
MAKE IT MONDAY #88 - Anything goes.
JOANNA SHEEN - Flower Power
TAMMY'S SCRAPIN' CORNER #9 - Punches/Die cuts.

LET'S GO SHOPPING!

It's challenge #113 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS this week and it's all about shopping. Our sponsor is CRAFTY EMMA and the prize is a £10 voucher for the online store.


I need a birthday card for a friend who likes to shop and I felt like doing some sort of scene and I thought "what better place to shop than Paris", not that I'd know of course, 'cause I've never done it, lol. My Paris cafe background image is from Make It Crafty (just love their stuff) and 'Shopping Diva' is from Redonkulous (both digi). They were coloured separately and the girl was attached with 3D foam pads. Papers are from the divine Glitz. Both the dies are Cheery Lynn and the sentiment is one of my own.

Entering into:
CHEERY LYNN #24 - Birthdays.
CRAFTY SENTIMENTS - Use a digi.
PRAIRIE FAIRY #76 - Anything goes.
INSPIRE ME FRIDAY #54 - Anything goes.
WAGS 'N WHISKERS #77 - Anything goes.
CRAFT YOUR PASSION #106 - Die cuts and punches.
INCY WINCY #142 - Digis only.
LEXI'S CREATIONS #63 - Die cuts and punches.
MAKE IT MONDAY #85 - Anything goes.
WHOOPSIEDAISY - Anything goes.
WHIMSY STAMPS #35 - Punches or Die Cuts.
JUST KEEP ON CREATING #1 - Anything goes. FEATURED ARTIST
PAPER PRETTIES #202 - For a girl.

DISTRESS FOAM STORAGE

I use the same piece of foam for each colour of my distress inks. For ages I've been using a little chest I made but as my collection of inks has grown, I needed more storage. The foam never dries out in my little drawers and each piece lasts for ages. I often use bits of Cut 'n Dry but I did buy some proper Ranger foam pads...and I've gone and lost them!!!!

I cut all the matchboxes on my Robo. The paper is actually a paper bag that something came in recently, but I can't remember from where. I printed my labels on SAFMAT and the little ruler stamp is from the fabulous 7 Gypsies 'Ephemera' set. The drawer handles are a size 3 seed bead with a brad in the middle, glued on.



The paper bag was quite pale, so of course, I inked it all to darken it up. I used Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, Black Soot and Spiced Marmalade. Just got to put all my foam bits in it now.

SPRING IS IN THE AIR...

Well, it was, not so sure now lol. So, this weeks challenge over at I ♥ PROMARKERS is #111 with a theme of Spring and we're sponsored again by the lovely JOANNA SHEEN with a £10 spend for our winner.

I struggled with this, had no idea how to interpret Spring and this is not my first attempt, lol. Anyway, I stuck with Tilda in the end as Lambs are about as spring time as I could get lol. The colours I chose are bright, fresh and springlike too.


Papers are Basic Grey's 'Kyoshi', tree is Marianne, swirl is Memory Box and the top and bottom borders are Cheery Lynn which I've just treated myself to. The sentiment is from Sentiments 4 You.

Entering into:
ANYTHING GOES #64 - Anything goes.
CREATIVE CARD CREW #7 - Spring.
FLOURISHES (TIMELESS TUESDAY)#163 - Birthday.
PAPER AND SUCH - Spring or Easter.
PAPERTAKE WEEKLY - Anything goes.
MAKE IT MONDAY #83 - Anything goes.
CRAZY CHALLENGE #113 - Spring.
COME AND GET IT - Spring.
FASHIONABLE STAMPING #18 - Spring.
OSAAT #107 - New (my Cheery Lynn dies)

I hope you all have a very HAPPY EASTER.

A BIT OF BEADING.

It's challenge #110 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS and this week the theme is 'Bead It'. We want to see beads on your projects. Not sticky back pearls (well, you can use those too) but proper beads of some sort. Our sponsor this week is the lovely Judy at DIGI DOODLE SHOP with a $10 spend for our winner.


I used the image from Digi Doodle Shop 'Girl Sewing' as I thought it would be perfect and I wanted to keep the colours to a minimum. I hand stitched magatama beads onto my image along her cloth and one near her fingers, and then used seed beads and magatamas along the ribbon too. The borders are punched with a M.S. punch, the corner flourish is a Memory Box die (with a sticky pearl on), computer generated greeting and my papers are K & Co's 'Julianne'.

Entering into:
DIGI DOODLE SHOP #101 - Friendship.
DO YOU STACK UP #65 - Sew it.
CRAFTY PURPLE FROG #37 - Anything goes.
SIMON SAYS STAMP - Anything goes.
PARTY TIME TUESDAYS #61 - Anything goes.
CREATIVE MONDAYS #4 - Anything goes.
LOLLIPOP CRAFTS #73 - Anything goes.
MAKE IT MONDAY #82 - Anything goes. FEATURED ENTRY

Grrrrrrrrrr!!!!

Blogger is really peeing me off. Error pages, timeouts when trying to post comments and my spanner/pencil has disappeared too so no quick edits for me. Gmail seems to have hijacked my normal email address too. NOT A HAPPY BUNNY HERE!!!!

PARIS NIGHTS

Challenge #109 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS this week is to use 3 different papers. Not too difficult as many of us use 3 papers regularly, so lets see lots of entries. We had an amazing turn out last week and it was great to see so many of you joining in.

Our sponsor is THE STAMP FAIRY with a $10 gift certificate as our prize and the DT all used a Stamp Fairy image.


My papers are from the GCD Paris Nights. I paper pieced her dress and coloured the rest with my PM's. A memory box die gave me a bit of contrast behind the image and I added 3 black gems and made a double bow from seam binding to finish it off.

Entering into:
MY MUM'S CRAFT SHOP - Use a digi.
THE PAPER SHELTER - Paper Piecing.
SCRAPBOOK SISTERS #76 - Anything Goes.
SISTERHOOD OF CRAFTERS - Birthdays.
WHIMSY STAMPS #31 - Anything goes.
EVERYBODY ART #185 - Friendship.
DAISY DOODLES #55 - Tie it Up.
LOVE TO CREATE #7 - Anything goes.
STAMP AND CREATE - Paper Piecing.

YAY!! TREASURE...

Wednesday again already!! I'm getting old too quick, lol. This weeks challenge #108 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS is Anything Goes and we are sponsored by the lovely JOANNA SHEEN with a £10 spend in her store for our winner. I didn't really have a plan for this card, but I was going through all my digi images and not having used these before settled on a pirate theme. The images - girl, map and chest are all from the fabulous MAKE IT CRAFTY and my background paper is from a K & Co pad I've had for absolute ages. After colouring the images with my Promarkers, I inked the background and the map with a walnut stain distress ink pad. I also used a Martha Stewart border punch and a Memory Box flourish corner die. I did my own computer generated sentiment.


Entering into:
TOTALLY PAPERCRAFTS #107 - My favourite things. (Dies and punches)
MAKE IT MONDAY #80 - Anything goes.
SIMON SAYS STAMP & SHOW - Anything goes.
THAT CRAFT PLACE - Anything goes.
FOREVER NIGHT #30 - Pirates. TOP 3
GINGERSNAP #142 - Border punches. (closes 8th April)
OSAAT #104 - Use a digi.

SLACK ALICE

I've been a slack Alice with my blogging again. I didn't post last weeks I ♥ Promarkers card with the theme ribbons and bows so gonna post it now. I've also made myself a box with compartments from scratch, which I have to say, I'm proper pleased with. It's now storing all my Tim Holtz Ideaology stuff, charms, laser cuts, keys and other stuff I use for altered art and ageing things. I did a tutorial for the box which you can find over on 'Make Something Nice' (link in sidebar) if you're interested.







Entering into:
CRAFT ROOM CHALLENGE - Shabby Vintage.
CREATIVE CARD CREW #6 - Vintage.
LADYBUG CRAFTS INK - Anything goes.
BUNNY ZOE'S #22- Vintage
CREATIVE MONDAYS #3 - Anything goes.

And, here's my card. Not, in my opinion, one of my best efforts lol but hey ho! The camera lit the gold up a bit too much too, it's not this bright really, in fact, it's a lovely fairly subtle gold card. Quite a difference in styles between this and the box I'd say, ha ha. The image is from Lili of the Valley. I cut a square doiley in half and added some die cuts.



Entering into:
THE STAMPING BOUTIQUE - Gold.
MY TIME TO CRAFT #175 - Doilies AND Flowers.

A THANK YOU, A BIRTHDAY AND A SKETCH...

I'm a bit late with my post this week, but never mind eh? Better late than never. First, I'd like to thank PARTY TIME TUESDAYS for picking me as a winner the other week. I got THIS lovely stamp as my prize from Stampendous today and I'm well chuffed.

Then I'd like to say Happy Birthday to my Oscar. He's a year old. :o)



Right, onto the sketch. It's challenge #106 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS and Karen has designed this sketch for us to follow. Our sponsor this week is the lovely Judy from DIGI DOODLE SHOP with a $10 spend for our winner.


For my card I used a couple of the Bodytot images and combined them in Photoshop. I tend to stick slavishly to sketches so there's not much more to this one at all. Actually, I'm quite pleased in a way 'cause there's not a flower or a flourish in sight, although I have so say, she doesn't look too pleased with his serenading lol.


Entering into:
PIXIE DUST STUDIOS#116 - Buttons.
SASSY STUDIOS #114 - Seeing Green.
SHELLY'S IMAGES - Seeing Spots.
DIVA'S BY DESIGN #24 - Spots and Stripes.
SCRAPALICIOUS - Anything Goes.
THE SISTERHOOD - Use a Digi.
CREATIVE CARD CREW #5 - Humour.
PARTY TIME TUESDAY #57 - Anything Goes.
SASSY CHERYL #104 - Seeing Spots.
SCRAPBOOKING QUEEN #6 - Anything goes with a bit of Green.
MAKE IT MONDAY #78 - Anything Goes.