Hope is a waking dream

I was inspired to create this page for the “Poetry in Motion” theme that I’m hosting at Art Journal Journey using my favourite colours, some pretty dream catchers and a wonderful quote by Aristotle:

“Hope is a waking dream”

I started by stencilling feather shapes using a grey Faber-Castell Big Brush Marker and London Fog Memento Ink with a blending tool. Then I added large splatters of pastel blue and green acrylic paints and also small splatters of black acrylic paint using a paint brush, letting each colour dry before applying the next. The silver feathers, small dots and diamond-shaped border are stickers by The Range and they are arranged on the background with strands of plasterboard/drywall tape that were left over from a previous project. To make the tags, I used three different sized tags by Docrafts Papermania and Poundland which I covered in layers of white, pastel blue and green acrylic paints using a brayer. Next I sprinkled the tags with a small amount of Ultramarine Colourcraft Brusho Crystal powder and spritzed it with water and just watched the magic as the colours burst into life. Then I added fine splatters of black acrylic paint to the tags using a paintbrush. Once the tags had fully dried, I used the same set of stickers by The Range to add the silver dream catcher and star images and I also added some sparkly hearts from Home Bargains and pale green paper flowers from Poundland using Ranger Glossy Accents. I outlined the holes of the tags using a silver metallic pen and then used double-sided foam tape to stick them to the page. The leaf is from The Handmade Paper Company and is dyed using the pastel green acrylic paint, I then placed it behind the small tag in the middle of the page using Glossy Accents. I made the sentiment using paper from a Design Pad by Craft Sensations and rub-on transfers by Royal & Langnickel, it is edged with a black Sharpie marker and stuck to the page using double-sided foam tape. Next I added a couple of larger pale green paper flowers using Glossy Accents which tied everything together and finished the page.

I’m also pleased to join the “Blues and Greens” theme over at Country View Challenge.

As T Stands for Tuesday, I’m sharing a glass of water that I had at the hairdressers last week, it was served in the most amazing glass so I quickly took a picture to share with the T Gang – Happy T day! I think it looks a bit like a totem pole carving, what about you?

I’ve been overwhelmed with the participation and support shown for my theme over at Art Journal Journey, thank you! There are still a few days left to join in the fun by creating a page inspired by a poem, saying or quote. 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:

• Aldi Script (Ready Mixed Paint – Pastels)
• DecoArt Crafter’s Acrylic (Black, White)
• Colourcraft Brusho Colours (Ultra Marine)
• Tsukeniko Memento Ink (London Fog)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Cold Grey IV 233)
• Script Metallic Pen (Silver)
• Brayer Ranger (Small 2¼ inches)
• Craft Sensations (Deco Stencil Set 154892)
• Docrafts Papermania Capsule Collection Tags (Elements- Wood PMA 174318)
• Poundland (Die Cut Tags 117106)
• Craft Sensations Design Pad (Vintage Glory 154878)
• Royal & Langnickel Rub-on Sentiments (Positive Quotes #ROY-554 Rub-on)
• The Handmade Paper Company (Nature’s Touch Art)
• Home Bargains Special Occasion (Mini Decorative Stickers 22740)
• Poundland (Gem Florettes 117128)
• 151 Adhesives Plasterboard & Drywall Tape
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• The Range double-sided foam tape

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The Possibilities are Endless

I hope you’re all enjoying this month’s theme “Poetry in Motion” over at Art Journal Journey.  Today I have created a steampunk page using leftover materials from previous projects to depict “Dream, hope, believe … and the possibilities are endless”.

I started by applying the inks onto the page, which were leftover from a 21^st birthday card that I had made; this involved dripping the remaining diluted blue Distress Ink from an acrylic block onto the page and letting it dry, then applying the leftover black Distress Ink that was on my blending tool using a Viva Décor stencil that I had also used for the card. As you can see, I moved the stencil around the page to produce a lovely shaded effect as the leftover ink was gradually used up. I then added leftover letters from a set of rub-on transfers by Letraset to give a grunge look to the page. Next I stamped three frames, some postal marks and texture stamps by The Works and a key image by Royal & Langnickel using black Archival Ink. To start my sentiment I added the words “dream; hope; believe” which are rub-on transfers by Royal & Langnickel. I stamped the rest of the sentiment onto a piece of white tissue paper using black Archival Ink and stuck it onto the tag using a UHU Stic. The tag was also leftover from a previous project; I had stamped a Kaisercraft Script stamp using black Archival Ink over the whole tag, edged it with Tea Dye Distress Ink, drawn a stitched look border using a black Uni Pin marker and tied on some paper twine which I distressed using the same Tea Dye ink. I also stamped the texture and key stamps onto the tag so it matched the page background. I outlined the edges of the tissue paper and the letters on the tag with a white Uniball gel pen and stuck it to the page using double-sided foam tape. Then I used the Royal & Langnickel rub-on transfers again to add the “dream; hope; believe” definitions around the sides of the page. To finish, I sourced three postage stamps from my hubby’s childhood stamp collection that tied into the steampunk feel. They are all from Great Britain and I placed them inside the stamped frames using double-sided foam tape.

Here’s the 21^st Birthday card that I made for one of my godsons, like my page it has a steampunk feel to it. I find like many of my projects that I had some bits and pieces left over, so I was inspired to create a page from leftovers to demonstrate that the possibilities are endless!

I hope you also think that the possibilities are endless for this month’s theme “Poetry in Motion” over at Art Journal Journey. I’m so looking forward to visiting you and seeing your creations. 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:

• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Black Soot, Peacock Feathers, Tea Dye)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Black 199)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.1mm)
• Uniball Signo gel pen (White)
• The Works clear stamps (CRO274/TW3)
• Royal & Langnickel Clear Choice Stamps (Journey MIN-CCS104)
• Viva Décor Universal Stencil (Past Times 9002 703 00)
• Kaisercraft clear stamp (Script CS752)
• Dovecraft lower case alphabet stamp set (WDN ALPHA STMP DCVW0050)
• White tissue paper
• Hobbycraft (Kraft Medium Luggage Tag 5776581000)
• Letraset Transfer (Helvetica Bold Condensed 5mm RDC0251)
• Royal & Langnickel Rub-on sentiments (Motivate Sentiments #ROY510 RUB-ON)
• Postage stamps (Great Britain 1972, 1975)
• Wilko (10m Paper Twine 0314169)
• UHU Stic
• The Range Double-sided foam tape

Dream

I had so much fun creating this page for the “Letters or Numbers or Both” theme over at Try it on Tuesday and the “Circles” theme over at Art Journal Journey. I chose the word “dream”, the grunge design and some of the colours from a sign that adorns my craft room wall.

This grunge look took sometime to create and it started with a mop up background of Red Cherry and Passion Fruit gelatos which I covered in a thin layer of white gesso to tone down the colours a little. I stencilled the clock and some numbers using two stencils by Craft Sensations and black Versafine Ink with a blending tool; I wasn’t very careful in applying the ink and didn’t mind the splodges of ink that formed around the edge of the stencil as it added to the grunge look. I applied black Papermania embossing powder over the top of the ink and then shook the excess powder onto a piece of scrap paper tapping the page against the table to make sure I’ve removed any stray powder. Once the excess powder was safely returned to its container, I used a heat gun to melt the embossing powder. I swept the gun over the images, taking care not to direct the heat in one area for too long until the embossing powder changed to a glossy finish becoming smooth and dimensional. Next I scribbled a Coconut Faber-Catell Gelato onto the page and I dipped my finger into some water and rubbed the gelato to smudge the colour. I removed the gelato that had gone over the embossed images straight away with a piece of kitchen towel returning them to a glossy finish. I added some small leftover pieces of torn black and white polka dot washi tape to the page and then I applied Pébéo modelling paste through a Shabby Harlequin stencil by Creative Expressions.

Once the paste had dried I used Dark Sepia, Sanguine and Cold Grey Faber-Castell Big Brush markers to add more colour to the modelling paste and the background; I did this by scribbling each marker onto an acrylic block, spritzing the block with water and then pressing and dragging it across the page. I then painted some white gesso onto the page using my finger. I applied a Snow Cone blue gelato to the pieces of washi tape and to the top of the modelling paste which highlighted the texture and shape wonderfully. Then I used the Dark Sepia marker to outline the stencilled shapes.

I drew the larger circles and shaded them using the blue gelato and edged them with white and black Uni Posca paint pens. I used the blue gelato again to add the smaller circles using a Dutch Doobadoo mask and when it had dried I added some detail to the edges using the Uni Posca paint pens.  I used black Versafine ink to stencil cog shapes using a Viva Décor stencil and also stamp a circular postage mark using a stamp from The Works. Then I stamped a Kaisercraft Script stamp using Rich Cocoa Memento Ink. To add more depth of colour to the clock, cogs, circles and background around the modelling paste, I used Gold, Fawn, Desert and Chestnut Spectrum Aqua Markers by applying the ink to an acrylic block and using a wet paintbrush to pick up the ink and apply it to the page.

To finish, I added some circular and small cog shaped sequins using Glossy Accents, some 3D butterfly stickers from The Range and the letter buttons from Home Bargains to add the word “dream”.

Here’s the sign that is on the wall of my craft room, I love the sentiments it contains and to me it’s a wonderful reminder of how to live and enjoy life to the full! As you can see the design is a bit worn and grungy just like my page (grin!).

I often listen to music while I’m crafting and when I created this page a particular song by Elvis, called “If I Can Dream”, caught my imagination. Here’s a link to Elvis singing this song as part of his famous 1968 Black Leather Comeback Show – I love the lyrics:

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:

• Pébéo White Gesso
• Tsukineko Versafine Ink (Onyx Black)
• Memento Ink (Rich Cocoa)
• Faber-Castell Gelatos (Coconut, Snow Cone)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Dark Sepia 175 B, Sanguine 188 B, Cold Grey IV 233)
• Spectrum Aqua Artist Marker (Gold, Fawn, Desert, Chestnut)
• Uni Posca Paint Pen (White, Black)
• Papermania Embossing Powder (Black PMA4021006)
• Pébéo Modeling Paste (High Density)
• Kaisercraft Clear Stamps (Script CS752)
• The Works (Clear Stamps CR0274/TW3)
• Craft Sensations (Deco Stencil Set 154892)
• Creative Expressions Mini Stencils (Shabby Harlequin CEMSHARL)
• Duth Doobadoo Mask Art A5 (Geometric Tiles)
• Viva Décor Universal Stencil (Past Times 900270300)
• Poundland (Washi Tape)
• The Range (Craft Stickers ST5256)
• Home bargains Love Letters (Self Adhesive Letters 22738)
• Poundland (Assorted Sequins)
• Ranger Glossy Accents