Springtime

Our new challenge over at Try it on Tuesday is Springtime.

As usual, you have two weeks to create your art, you can use any medium and digital is always welcome. Don’t forget to check out the wonderful inspiration provided by the Design Team over at the blog too!

Inspired by springtime flowers, I collaged the background of the page using Tim Holtz Collage Paper and some white paper that I had stamped using a lilac stamp; they are stuck in place using Liquitex matte gel medium. As I was experimenting stamping the lilacs using Magenta, Purple, Moss, Bud Green and Chocolate Spectrum Aqua Markers to give a watercolour effect I thought I would use them on this page rather than throw them away. Then using black Versafine Ink, I stamped the “springtime” wording using an alphabet stamp and also added some clocks, both from Docrafts, as well as some bees and butterflies from Hampton Arts. The daffodils are fussy cut from an old flower book and stuck in place using Liquitex matte gel medium. When the gel medium was dry, I outlined them with a black Uni Pin marker. To finish, I coloured the wording using light green, yellow and pink Uni Posca paint pens and then covered each of the letters with Ranger Glossy Accents to give a 3D effect.

Whilst out walking around Glasson Dock for my birthday we saw lots of beautiful daffodils along the roadside.

These daffodils look just like the ones on my page (grin!).

As T Stands for Tuesday I’m sharing our pot of green tea that we had at a lovely café in Glasson Dock – Happy T Day everyone!

Challenges

I’m glad I found out about Challenge Blogs, like Try it on Tuesday, as I enjoy taking part, they provide me with inspiration for my pages and are a wonderful way to meet like-minded arty people. So here are the challenges I’m joining today:

I’m pleased to join the lovely Wendy from Wendy’s Art and Craft Journal  and her Having Fun challenge over at Art Journal Journey as my page links to having springtime fun.

I’m happy to be able to join the Easter and/or Spring challenge over at Country View Challenges with my springtime page.

I’m also joining in the Beautiful Blooms challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge with the stamped lilacs and pretty daffodils on my page.

Over at The Artistic Stamper, their challenge is New Growth, so I’m pleased to join this challenge too with my springtime page.

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Here is a list of all the materials used to create this art journal page:

• Spectrum Aqua Artist Marker (Magenta, Purple, Moss, Bud Green, Chocolate)
• Versafine Ink (Onyx Black)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.2mm)
• Uni Posca Paint Pen (Light Green, Pink, Yellow)
• Docrafts Papermanina Tina Higgins wooden stamp (Lilac PMA9061108)
• Docrafts Creative Essentials A5 clear stamp set (Steampunk DCE9071102)
• Hampton Art Graphic 45 cling mounted rubber stamps (Tropical Travelogue ICO134)
• Hampton Art 7 Gypsies Vintage cling mounted rubber stamps (Birdsong ICO151)
• Lion White Paper
• Tim Holtz Collage Paper (Halloween #TH93727)
• Oxford Book of Flowers
• Liquitex Matte Gel Medium

Advertisements

Thank you – Hello Springtime at AJJ

As it’s the end of the month, I’m sharing the last page for the Hello Springtime challenge over at Art Journal Journey which I’ve been hosting this March, so thanks very much to everyone who joined in the fun!

I appreciate all your kind comments and support throughout the month and thoroughly enjoyed visiting your blogs and seeing all your wonderful Hello Springtime artwork so I created this page to remember you all and to say thank you!

I used my garden as inspiration for this page as it is coming to life now springtime’s here, so I decided to create a garden wall with pretty flowers to showcase all the names of the people who joined the Hello Springtime challenge this month at Art Journal Journey (AJJ).

I started by covering the page with a thick layer of Parchment Liquitex acrylic paint and sponging a mixture of Christmas Green and Swedish Blue Liquitex acrylic paint over the top. Once the paint was dry, I stencilled a brick design using a mixture of red, yellow and black acrylic paint to create the brown colour and when dry I loosely outlined the bricks with a black Uni Pin marker to give them more definition. Then I used a texture stamp from Tim Holtz using Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink to give a grungy look to the areas not covered with the brick design. For the foliage, I stamped Cottage Ivy Memento Ink using a stamp from Kaisercraft. Then I used my Dymo LetraTag label machine to create all the names of the people who joined the challenge this month which took some time as I cut each of them out and then stuck them in place along the brickwork. For the “thank you”, I stamped the banner and thank you using a couple of Hampton Art stamp sets using black Archival Ink onto some card by Docrafts. I fussy cut the banner out and gave it more of a worn look using Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink and a blending tool. I cut the AJJ logo out, and stuck it and the thank you banner in place using double-sided tape. I also added the “March 2019” and “Hello Springtime” labels that I created using my Dymo machine and then to finish, the sparkly flower embellishments using Ranger Glossy Accents.

I’d also like to that Gerrina who entered my challenge after I photographed my page. I have now added Gerrina’s name to my page too (grin!).

I had so much fun creating all my pages for this challenge and I hope you did too!

I’d like to say a special thanks to Susi and Bleubeard & Elizabeth for asking me to be a guest host, they provided such valuable support and encouragement, thanks so much!

I have also been overwhelmed with everyone’s participation and lovely comments; it has been such a pleasurable experience – thank you all! Jo x

Tomorrow is a new month and brings a new challenge at Art Journal Journey and I can’t wait to see what the new theme is and say hello to our new host – I hope to see you there!

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Here is a list of all the materials used to create this art journal page:

• Liquitex Artist Color Acrylic (Parchment, Christmas Green, Swedish Blue, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red)
• DecoArt Crafter’s Acrylic (Black)
• Tsukineko Memento Ink (Cottage Ivy)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Brushed Corduroy)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.05mm)
• Kaisercraft clear stamp (Magnolia Grove CS822)
• Tim Holtz Collection Stampers Anonymous (Urban Tapestry CMS061)
• Hampton Art cling mounted rubber stamps (7 Gypsies Vintage – Birdsong ICO151, Doodlebug Design Inc – Thankful ICO162)
• Craft Sensations (Deco Stencil Set 154892)
• Dymo LetraTag Label Maker and White paper Labels
• Art Journal Journey logo – computer printed
• Docrafts Papermania Capsule Collection Tags (Elements Wood PMA174318)
• The Range (Craft Embellishments CRO824)
• Stix2 double-sided tape
• Ranger Glossy Accents

Spring in the Garden

With the sunny days we have been having of late, I have found myself pottering around in the garden. Weeding my flowerbeds, planting seeds and preparing everything for summer, so I created this page to celebrate using some pretty crafting goodies that my dear friends Nan and Eileen sent me – thanks so much!

I applied Begonia, Blossom and Peach Spectrum Aqua markers to the background, by scribbling the individual colour onto an acrylic block, spritzing with water and pressing the block onto the page.  Then I covered the edges and middle of the page with some Apricot Liquitex acrylic paint using a baby wipe. Next I added the large “spring” wording which is a rub-on transfer by Royal & Langnickel and created a blue border to the page using a Cold Grey Faber-Castell Big Brush marker, a Navy Spectrum Aqua marker and a black Uni Pin marker. To create the tags, I stuck some pretty spring stickers from my friend Nan onto some pink tags which I recycled from some lingerie and also onto some flowery tags by Docrafts. They are edged with the Navy Spectrum Aqua marker and stuck in place using double-sided sticky tape over some white thread. I embellished them with the different coloured pastel enamel dots and three wooden craft flowers. The bird boxes and blue bird are from the same rub-on transfer set and to finish I added the three pieces of washi tape, around the edges of the page, which were gifted me by my friend Eileen.

Challenges

I’m pleased to join the Hello Springtime challenge that I’m hosting over at Art Journal Journey with my spring in the garden page – I hope to see you there!

I’m joining in the Play with Paint challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge as I had fun applying paint to my page using a baby wipe.

I’m also joining Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge and their Anything Goes challenge with my spring page too.

As I included flowers on this page, it also serves as a reminder for our Say it with Flowers challenge over at Try it on Tuesday where you have until next Tuesday to join in the fun!

I feel blessed to have received such kindness and gifts from both Nan and Eileen:

Here’s the happy mail that I received to welcome spring from the lovely Nan, thank you so much I really enjoyed using the beautiful stickers to create this page – perfect!

Here’s the happy mail that I received to celebrate T Stands for Tuesday 5^th Birthday from the lovely Eileen along with some wonderful crafting goodies too – thank you so much!

Their cards and ATC have pride of place in my craft room – thank you from the bottom of my heart (grin!). It was so wonderful to think of you as I was creating this page too and I hope that you like it as much as me!

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Here is a list of all the materials used to create this art journal page:

• Spectrum Aqua Artist Marker (Begonia, Blossom, Peach, Navy)
• Liquitex Artist Color Acrylic (Peach)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Cold Grey IV 233)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.05mm)
• Recycled Pink Tags
• Docrafts Papermania Capsule Collection Tags (Elements Wood PMA174318)
• White thread
• Spring Stickers – thank you Nan!
• Royal & Langnickel Rub-on Transfers (Spring is Coming #SUG666)
• The Works (Pastel Enamel Dots, Craft Flowers)
• Washi Tape – thank you Eileen!
• Stix2 double-sided tape
• Ranger Glossy Accents

One Spring Night

As I’m hosting Art Journal Journey this month I have created another springtime page for my Hello Springtime theme. I hope you are enjoying the theme so far, we have had so many amazing entries and there is just under a week left for you to join in the fun, I hope to see you there!

This page was created using a pretty greetings card of a hare sitting in the moonlight, and as it reminded me of a tea service that I had seen in a local shop I was also inspired to create an abstract design for this page.

I started by masking off three areas of the page with low tack masking tape and then I painted some pastel blue arylic paint  which I blended with Swedish Blue Liquitex acrylic paint; I chose blue to match the dots on the tag and it was also one of the tea service colours. When the paint was dry I removed the masking tape and edged the blocks of colour using some gold outline border stickers. Then I added some gold flower tiles to the white area of the page and some gold flowers and circles to the blue areas, all of which are outline stickers. The hare moonlit image is fussy cut from the greetings card and the spring daffodil tag is from a wallpaper sample; they are both decorated with a piece of gold outline border sticker and are then stuck in place using double-sided tape which finished the page.

This is the tea service that I saw in one of our local shops; as you can see it influenced my abstract design with the blocks of soft pastel colours, little animals and pretty gold accents.

It must be fun to drink your tea or coffee and see the bunny rabbit at the bottom of the cup (grin!).

As T Stands for Tuesday I’m saying a big hello to the T Gang with my drink related post and sending you all Happy T Day wishes!

Challenges

I’m joining in the Play With Paint challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge as I had fun creating the blocks of colour for this page using masking tape and paint.

As I included flowers on this page, it also serves as a reminder for our Say it with Flowers challenge that is running for another week over at Try it on Tuesday – I hope to see you there too!

Here is a list of all the materials used to create this art journal page:

• Script Ready Mixed Acrylic Paint (Pastels – Blue)
• Liquitex Artist Color Acrylic (Swedish Blue)
• Docrafts Anita’s Outline Stickers (Straight Line Borders Gold ANT8101016)
• Elizabeth Craft Designs Outline Stickers (Gold – 0157, 0442)
• Recycled greetings card – National Trust Moonlit Wood by Caroline Gordon
• Wallpaper sample
• Stix2 double-sided tape

Change

Our new challenge for the next two weeks at Try it on Tuesday is Inspired by a Word – please note on your blog post which word you used for your inspiration.

Please check out the creations and words that my Design Teamies chose over at Try it on Tuesday too; we hope to see you there!

This time I got my hubby to choose a word for me which was “Change”, so I created a page based on the changing winter to spring seasons (grin!).

I started by stamping a letter stamp from Carabelle Studios using black Archival Ink onto the page, concentrating the letters at the bottom of the page to depict the ground. Then I covered the page with thin layers of Windsor & Newton watercolour paints using a baby wipe; I coloured the left-hand winter side of the page with Payne’s Gray and the right-hand spring side with Ultramarine watercolour paint. Then I covered the Payne’s Gray with Platinum Planet brilliance Ink which gave it a lovely shine of frosty grey and the Ultramarine with a wash of Salty Ocean Distress Ink so it was a sunshiny blue. For the foreground I added some white DecoArt acrylic paint to my winter scene and some watered down Cottage Ivy and Dandelion Memento Ink to the spring scene. Next I stamped the two trees from Docrafts Build a tree stamp set using black Archival Ink which gave an outline of the tree shapes.

For the winter tree I stamped lots of snowflakes from three different stamp sets using Bahama Blue, Summer Sky, Paris Dusk, Danube Blue and Teal Zeal Memento Ink. I coloured the tree trunk and branches using a Dark Sepia Faber-Castell Big Brush Marker. Then I die cut some snowflakes from glitter paper and arranged them onto the tree with some silver snowflake relief stickers and some clear and blue gems. To finish the tree I stamped a festive ornament and tiny star from one of the branches using black Archival Ink decorating it with a blue gem.

For the spring tree I stamped the leaves and flowers using the same Tree stamp set from Docrafts using: Cottage Green and Dandelion Memento Ink for the leaves which I blended together on a blending mat before applying to the stamp; Rose Bud Memento Ink for the flowers. I coloured the tree trunk and branches using the Dark Sepia Faber-Castell marker and then I added a couple of pink flower paper embellishments and some pink gems. To finish the tree, I stamped a bird house using black Archival Ink and decorated it with a blue gem.

Next I die cut the “Change” letters from some recycled black packaging paper using a Folk Alphabet die set from Docrafts and my Big Shot machine. They are stuck down the centre of the page using a Zig Memory System glue pen. To finish, I stamped the Carabelle Studio letter stamp using black Archival Ink over the bottom of the tree trunks so they blended in more, and added two Kaisercraft stickers with the words to describe the change in the seasons as it was a “Happy” Winter and I “Love” Spring (grin!).

As T Stands for Tuesday and with the change in the seasons I changed my drink choice when I was out and about with my mum recently; so instead of drinking my normal hot chocolate (pictured on the left), I enjoyed a chocolate frappe (pictured on the right) – yum! Wishing you all a Happy T day!

Challenges

I’m pleased to link my art journal page to the Hello Springtime challenge that I am hosting over at Art Journal Journey as it depicts the change of the seasons from winter to spring. I hope you are inspired to say hello to springtime too, it would be lovely to see you there!

I’m pleased to be able to join the Letters and/or Number challenge over at Country View Challenges with the letter background that I created and die cut lettering.

As I used snowflakes to represent winter and sunny blue skies to represent Spring I’m also joining Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and their Whatever The Weather challenge too.

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Here is a list of all the materials used to create this art journal page:

• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Colours (Payne’s Gray, Aquamarine)
• Tsukineko Brilliance Pigment Ink (Platinum Planet)
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Salty Ocean)
• DecoArt Crafter’s Acrylic (White)
• Tsukineko Memento Ink (Bahama Blue, Summer Sky, Paris Dusk, Danube Blue, Teal Zeal, Cottage Ivy, Dandelion, Rose Bud)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Dark Sepia 175 B)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.05mm)
• Carabelle Studio Art Stamp (Background – avec des letters SA60233)
• Docrafts Creativity Essentials Clear Stamps (Build a tree DCE907130)
• Free with magazine Embossing Folder & Stamp Set (Winter Wonderland)
• Sheena Douglass Stamp Set (Winter Woodland) – free with Creative Stamping magazine Issue 62
• The Works (Clear Stamps CRO274K/TW1)
• Kars Clear Stamps (Christmas Hanger 180009/2024)
• The Works M&C Boutique (Cutting Dies, Mini Paper Flower Embellishment)
• Docrafts XCut A5 Dies Set (Folk Alphabet XCU503286)
• Recycled black packaging paper
• Poundland (Glitter Sheets 116432)
• Crelando Relief Sticker Set (IAN289011)
• B&M Craft Goody Bag (Turquoise 321451)
• Hobbycraft (Rose Gem Stones 5666091006)
• Kaisercraft Sticker Sheet (Secret Garden SS283)
• Zig Memory System 2 Way Glue (Dual Action Glue Pen)

Hello Springtime

I am so delighted to be hosting Art Journal Journey this month and the challenge that I have chosen is:

Hello Springtime

Now it’s March, spring is just around the corner so along with Susi, Bleubeard & Elizabeth, I would like you to join in and say Hello to Springtime. You could include flowers, blossoms, new foliage, birds, birdsong, butterflies or any other nature on your designs or perhaps capture the changes in the season with sunshine and blue skies or even new beginnings as spring is a time of change!

For my background to depict springtime sunshine and blue skies, I scribbled Yellow and Aquamarine Spectrum Aqua markers on a blending mat, spritzed with water and pressed the mat onto the page. Then I stencilled a trellis design from Creative Expressions using Tea Dye, Frayed Burlap and Black Soot Distress Ink with a blending tool. Next I stamped a Music Sheet stamp from Woodware Craft Collection, a Script stamp and a Vintage Circle stamp both from Kaisercraft using black Archival Ink and painted some Pébéo white gesso using my finger on parts of the page to add some contrast.

I then die cut the “Hello Springtime” wording from some Tim Holtz design paper which I stamped using a blossom spray stamp from Stampendous and the black Archival Ink; the letters are stuck in place using Liquitex matte gel medium and once dry edged with black Uni Pin marker. Then I created the different springtime scenes which included: a little bird sitting on a branch and some feathers from Kaisercraft Anthology Collection with a Tim Holtz Pocket Card featuring Nest & Eggs; a pretty butterfly tag to which I had tied a piece of white thread; a Tim Holtz Pocket Card featuring trellis-work and yellow flowers and a little butterfly sticker from Kaisercraft; four clocks cut from a Tim Holtz Pocket Card, a tag from Kaisercraft Anthology collection which I tied another piece of white thread to and the Eiffel Tower from a die cut set. They are all edged with a Dark Grey Faber-Castell Big Brush marker, stuck in place using double-sided tape or a glue stick and accented with some pretty pink, blue, yellow and white die cut blossoms that we see at springtime. To finish the page, I added all the springtime words which are created using Tim Holtz idea-ology Label Letter Stickers stuck to some strips of a neutral coloured design paper from American Crafts.

I hope that you are inspired by this month’s Hello Springtime theme too and are able to join in the fun. I am really looking forward to visiting you and seeing all your wonderful springtime creations!

It has felt like spring the last couple of weeks as the weather has been unusually mild. This has meant we have had spring flowers appearing in our garden, birds visiting our bird feeders, blue skies and lots of sunshine. I’m not sure that it will last but it definitely felt like springtime to me (grin!).

Challenges

I’m glad I found out about Challenge Blogs, like Art Journal Journey, as I enjoy taking part, they provide me with inspiration for my pages and are a wonderful way to meet like-minded arty people. So here are the challenges I’m joining today:

I’m pleased to join the Vintage/Past Times challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge with my vintage styled springtime page.

I’m pleased to join in the fun over at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge and their Anything Goes challenge with my Hello Springtime page.

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Here is a list of all the materials used to create this art journal page:

• Spectrum Aqua Artist Marker (Yellow, Aquamarine)
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Tea Dye, Frayed Burlap, Black Soot)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Pébéo White Gesso
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Cold Grey IV 233)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.05mm)
• Creative Expressions That Special Touch of Mica Masks (Moroccan)
• Woodware Craft Collection Clear Magic Singles (Vintage Circles FRS665, Sheet Music JGS111)
• Kaisercraft Clear Stamp (Script CS752)
• Stampendous! (Cling Blossom Spray CRP136)
• Docrafts X Cut A5 Die Cut Set (Folk Alphabet XCU503286)
• Tim Holtz idea-ology Paper Stash (Halloween #TH93712)
• Tim Holtz idea-ology (Pocket Cards #TH93208)
• Kaisercraft Collectables (Anthology CT938)
• The Range (Craft Tags CRO740)
• Kaisercraft Sticker Sheet (Fly Free SS289)
• K & Company Susan Winget (Floral Die-Cut Cardstock)
• Tim Holtz idea-ology (Label Letters #TH93072)
• American Crafts Papers (DIY Shop 366665)
• Liquitex Matte Gel Medium
• Stix2 double-sided tape
• Pritt Stick

Dark Side of the Moose

Today’s art journal page pays homage to one of my favourite beers at the Beer Festival earlier this month, which is called Dark Side of the Moose. It’s brewed by Purple Moose Brewery in Wales which I have visited a number of times – such fun!

To start, I positioned some circular templates by Inkylicious onto the page to depict the moons and painted the sky background using some watered down Elderberry Memento Ink using a paintbrush. I left the templates in place so I could also add a heart and circle design stamp by Sugarloaf Inc. using Grape Jelly Memento Ink; to shade around the moons I used the ink that remained on the template after stamping, wiping the ink in a circular motion around the edges whilst the template was still on the page. Then I used the corresponding circular stencils from the Inkylicious template and stencil set to colour the moons; first with Scattered Straw and Mustard Seed Distress Ink and then by adding a Tim Holtz texture stamp using the Elderberry Memento Ink again. The Purple Moose sticker is taken from the hand pump clip which came with the beer from the brewery; the writing surrounding the moose details the name of the beer in both English and Welsh. The moose and trees are die cut using the Merry Moose Thinlets by Tim Holtz from Sizzix and my Big Shot Machine. I used some purple paper for my moose which I shaded with the Elderberry ink and then some brown paper for the trees which I edged with a Dark Sepia Faber-Castell Big Brush marker. They are stuck to the page, like all the paper elements, using a Zig Memory glue pen and I used some ripped pieces of red dot washi tape for the ground beneath them. To finish, the hearts were created using the same red dot washi tape which I stuck to white paper and then cut using a Tonic Studios paper punch.

As T Stands for Tuesday I’m saying a big hello to the T Gang and sharing my Dark Side of the Moose beer. This is delicious dark ale with a ABV (Alcohol by Volume) of 4.6%, it has a deep malt flavour and a fruity bitterness, and is brewed by Purple Moose Brewery in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, Wales – wishing you all a very happy T Day!

Challenges

I’m pleased to be able to join the lovely Rike from rike’s art and her The Colour Yellow challenge over at Art Journal Journey with the yellow moons I added to my art journal page.

Over at The Artistic Stamper, their challenge is Heart It!, so I’m pleased to join this challenge with all the stamped and paper punched hearts that I added to my page.

I’m also pleased to join A Vintage Journey and their Heart’s Desire challenge as I was inspired by my love of beer and used stamped and paper punched hearts to create my Art Journaling style page.

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Here is a list of the materials that were used to create this art journal page:

• Tsukineko Memento Ink (Elderberry, Grape Jelly)
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed)
• Faber-Castell Craft Stamper Big Brush Pen (Dark Sepia 175 B, Black 199)
• Inkylicious Stencil (Sun & Moons)
• Sugarloaf Inc. Anita’s Wood Mounted Stamp (48721)
• Tim Holtz Collection Stampers Anonymous (Urban Tapestry CMS061)
• Sizzix Thinlets Tim Holtz Alterations (Merry Moose 663103)
• Tonic Studios Paper Punch Accent (Hearts Sider 830E)
• Pump clip – Purple Moose
• Craft Sensations Design Pad (Bright Colours CRO730/R)
• Poundland Design Pad (Changing Seasons CRO701/16PL1)
• Docrafts Papermania Capsule Collection (Spots & Stripes festive PMA462302)
• Zig Memory System 2 Way Glue (Dual Action Chisel Tip Glue Pen)
• Sizzix Big Shot