Jazz and Blues Festival

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Blackpool Jazz & Blues Festival, the musicians and singers were so amazing that I created this page to remember them!

I started by fussy cutting a trumpet from an old magazine and positioning it onto the page so I could draw wavy lines to create sections as if music was flowing out of the trumpet. I then removed the image and coloured the different sections with Kiwi, Butter Cream, Acqua Dolce, Watermelon, Guava and Peach Faber-Castell Gelatos; I did this by scribbling them onto the page and smudging the colour with my finger which I had dipped in water. I also blended the gelato colours across each section to soften the edges. Next I stamped butterflies by Crafter’s Companion and music notes by Docrafts using black Archival Ink so they looked like they were flowing out of the trumpet and over the page.  I chose butterflies because an amazing singer, Lauren Dalrymple, had butterflies on her top. Between the stamped images I added the names of some of our favourite singers and musicians from the festival. Next I fussy cut an image of a musician playing a saxophone from the festival programme, the name of the festival from a flyer and a treble clef (which incorporated a piano keyboard design) from a magazine. I added a piece of thin green washi tape to the left-hand side of the page and then the saxophone image which like the other images are stuck to the page with a UHU Stic. I then added a piece of piano keyboard washi tape and treble clef to represent the amazing pianists at the festival. The festival name is edged with a black Faber-Castell Big Brush marker and stuck down using double-sided foam tape. I used black and white Uni Posca paint pens to add dots to emphasise the wavy lines, add definition to the names and also details to the butterfly images that I had stamped. I also outlined the saxophone image with the white Uni Posca paint pen so it stood out more. To finish, I added some pearl gemstones that matched the gelato colours to give more interest.

As we always look forward to the festivals that take place over the summer, I’m pleased to be able to join Bleubeard and Elizabeth from Altered Book Lover for the “Summertime Love” challenge over at Art Journal Journey.

Blackpool Jazz & Blues Festival is a non-profit event and all proceeds are donated to Trinity Hospice. Over the last 3 years this festival has raised over £11,000 for this charity and as we love live jazz and blues music we always go along to support this great cause. Musicians and singers from all over the country come and perform here on a completely voluntary basis.

Lauren Dalrymple is a very gutsy and soulful singer who simply wowed us with her amazing voice! She sang an incredible rendition of “Bye, Bye Blackbird” as well as her own composition Walking in Lille  – she is a truly astonishing singer songwriter!

This is CDF# , this group consists of the three members Christopher Hodder (Guitar), David Minshull (Drums / Percussion) and Frank Flynn (Piano / Keyboard).  They are very talented and have a wonderful respect for each other’s musical ability, and by far my favourite piece of music that they play is St. Thomas.

I have to say I have never heard such spectacular sounds resonate from a guitar before, these guys from a local band called Shotglass were fantastic!

As it’s T Stands for Tuesday‘s 4th Anniversary today, I’m so glad to be able to offer my heartfelt congratulations and join Bleubeard and Elizabeth’s T party with a pint of Amazon Amber beer by Bowness Bay Brewery in the Lake District. This is a lovely refreshing English Bitter 3.8% abv (alcohol by volume) which is light in colour and has a distinctive flavour with hints of oranges and spiced berries. I’m celebrating and saying a big cheers to the T Gang – wishing you all a very Happy T Day!

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:

• Faber-Castell Gelatos (Kiwi, Butter Cream, Acqua Dolce, Watermelon, Guava, Peach)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Uni Posca Paint Pens (White, Black)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Black 199)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.3mm)
• Crafter’s Companion Signature Collection by Sara Davies Photopolymer Stamp Set – Just for you (Butterfly Lullaby S-BL-ST-JUS)
• Docrafts Creativity Essentials A5 Clear Stamp Set (Musicality DCE907112)
• Dovecraft Essentials wooden alphabet stamp set (WDN ALPHA STMP DCVW0050)
• Festival programme and flyer
• Old magazines
• The Works (3 Washi Tapes, Washi Tape Set 7x3m)
• Trimcraft Simply Creative (Adhesive Pearls SCDOT056)
• UHU Stic
• The Range double-sided foam tape

Carnival

Every summer we attend our local carnival weekend and we always have so much fun watching the parade that it inspired this page! I’m pleased to be able to join Bluebeard and Elizabeth at Altered Book Lover again for the “Summertime Love” theme over at Art Journal Journey.

I started by cutting different decoupage and design pad papers into squares and rectangles to create the background. The papers I choose have seaside theme images and colourful patterns to represent our town, the carnival atmosphere and the fun we had. They are stuck to the page using a UHU Stic and I incorporated some pretty patterned fabric tape into the background design as well. Then I added vertical black lines along the edge of some of the papers using a Uni Posca paint pen. Next I added all the embellishments with the aim of layering them and to only use one of each item or design on my page so that I created an eclectic feel to represent the parade and give the page contrasting pops of colour. This was also a good way to use up bits and pieces I had leftover in my craft stash. This included some cardboard bunting with buttons on from Poundland and glittery bunting from Poundworld, which represent the bunting we saw along the parade route. As there were lots of bands taking part and music played throughout the parade I also added some music note washi tape, along with some camera film washi tape as we and many others were taking photos. There were vintage vehicles in the parade so I added an image of an old vintage car which is a Victorian tag embellishment. I added some pink circle stickers with palm trees and flamingos by The Range and lots of different flowers to represent some of the floats we saw during the parade; the flowers included a lovely sunflower border by Docrafts, a mini white flower, a red rose (for one of the bands) by The Range, a 3D sticker, a blue organza flower recycled from a gift bag and some glittery blue flower rub-on transfers. I also used some foam craft stickers from Wilko; a flower shape, a star, a balloon and lollipop which some floats were giving out to children, a crown to represent the carnival queens in the parade, a lion to represent the jungle theme of one of the school floats and an ice cream as there were bicycle ice cream carts. I especially liked the lorry carrying children from a local football club who had water guns. Needless to say they were having great fun covering everyone in water, so I added a foam football to the page with a half circle of tear shaped gem stones to depict the water droplets from their water guns (grin!). There were actually many children taking part in the parade from schools, clubs and community groups, they are represented by “A,B,C” and “1,2,3” mini gel stickers that I added to my page. As well as the “Sand; Sea; Sun” wording on one of the decoupage papers, I added more words that I associated with the carnival using stickers from Craft Planet, rub-on transfers and a “Hidden Joy” fabric sticker by Little Yellow Bicycle. The garland flag and ticket represent the fun rides and stalls that were in the park as part of the carnival. To finish, I added a glittery heart, some buttons, a couple of ribbons that I had tied into bows and lots of gemstones to add sparkle and interest.

Thought you might want to join in the carnival fun so here’s our Town Crier opening the parade, as you can see we had beautiful sunny weather.

There was lots of music throughout the parade and my favourite was this New Orleans style brass band; they are called Red Rose and played great music, I also enjoyed watching the gentleman with his umbrella, he looked so happy dancing in front of his band!

If you prefer there was also a traditional UK brass band.

Or even bagpipes for those of you who prefer more of a Scottish vibe which was loud and fabulous too.

This is one of the many vintage cars that took part in the parade.

There were quite a few horses in the parade this year and the carnival queen was travelling in style in a Cinderella coach.

Here’s the children from the Football Club, don’t they look pleased with themselves squirting the spectators with their water guns.

There was also a troop of local gymnasts performing in the parade and if you look at the photo closely you can see one of them in mid-air.

I was in awe of the work that must have gone into all the wonderful knitted car – isn’t it amazing!

As we were walking by Anton’s café, we saw some friends sitting at one of the tables outside and they kindly asked if we would like to join them.

Of course we were delighted to and had a great time chatting and enjoying the sunshine. So as T Stands for Tuesday I’m saying a big hello to the T Gang and wishing you all a very Happy T Day! Our drinks were a pot of green tea for me and a hot chocolate for my hubby, you can also see our friend’s cappuccino in the background which I’m sure will please any coffee lovers in the T Gang, namely Valerie and Elizabeth (grin!).

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:

• Uni Posca Paint Pens (White, Black)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.1mm)
• Trimcraft Deco Mache Decoupage Papers (Tiled Seaside FEDEC102)
• VivaGade Decoupage Paper (Helsinki)
• Craft Sensations Design Pad (Soft Sweetness 154897)
• The Works (Fabric Tape)
• Poundland (Handmade Embellishments 138127)
• Poundworld (Paper Lace U-83197)
• The Works (3 Washi Tapes)
• The Works (Victorian Style Embellishments PO/19702)
• Docrafts Papermania Signature 3D Floral Borders (Sunflower Stickers PMA801100)
• The Range (Craft Stickers CR1243)
• Home Bargains Special Occasion (Mini Decorative Stickers 22740)
• The Range (Rose Garland CR0951)
• Free & Easy (3D Stickers 002157)
• Royal & Langnickel Rub-on Sentiments (SYN14709, Summer #ROY-505 Rub-on)
• Blue organza flower (recycled from gift bag)
• Wilko Little Steps (Safari Foam Stickers)
• Graham & Brown The Wall (Adhesive Jewels)
• Home Bargains (Mini Gel Stickers 30287)
• Craft Planet Metallic Waterfall Stickers (Beach PO#9622)
• Little Yellow Bicycle Stickers (Fabric Favourites PD-220)
• Trimcraft Garland Flags (Fun Fair HCGF001)
• Ticket
• The Works (Glitter Heart Stickers)
• Buttons
• Ribbon
• The Range (Adhesive Craft Gems)
• Poundland Self-adhesive gems (504 Gems 128133)
• Hobbycraft Gem Sticker Strip (Assorted Pink Squares 5971461001)
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• 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

Fred and Ginger

This page was inspired by my friend’s silver necklace which originally belonged to her mother; she calls it “Fred & Ginge”. I thought the outline of the dancers would be perfect as a centre piece for my journal page and it would be a lovely tribute to these iconic dance partners.

As my friend’s necklace is silver, I started by applying silver metallic acrylic paint to the page with a brayer and leaving it to dry. I then added black Faber-Castell Big Brush marker ink by applying it to an acrylic block, spritzing it with water and pressing it on. Next I stamped a Script stamp by Kaisercraft using black Archival Ink. For the roses I used a stencil by Craft Sensations and Liquitex red acrylic paint which I applied using a baby wipe. To shade the rose petals and add texture I then added some Black Soot Distress Ink to the roses using a blending tool and I stippled more red paint over the top using a paint brush. I removed the stencil and added further detail to the rose outlines using a black Uni Pin marker and a white gel pen. I also applied the same Black Soot ink using a blending tool to the grey areas of the page, where there were no roses, to darken the background and emphasis the metallic paint. I flicked some water over this ink and blotted it with a piece of kitchen towel to create light coloured splatters. Then I used a Shabby Harlequin stencil by Creative Expressions and the Black Soot ink as well as a Musicality stamp by Docrafts and black Archival Ink to add more detail to the background. I took a photo of my friend’s necklace, and printed a large image to use as a template to draw around onto music paper, which I cut out, edged with the black Big Brush marker and stuck to the page using Liquitex Matte Gel Medium. Once the medium had dried I outlined the silhouettes using a black Uni Pin marker to add some shadow.  I added three silver music notes using silver brads and lots of different sized crystals to add a touch of glamour. The larger crystals were linked together on a wire thread so I cut them individually, created swirls with the wire, stuck them to the page using Glossy Accents and placed a smaller crystal on the end of the wire to give a neat finish.

I’m happy to be able to join Gill from gibbyfrogettcraftations again who is hosting the “Elegance & Grunge” challenge over at Art Journal Journey and the  “Dancer” theme over at Moo-Mania & More – Challenge.

I have always loved musicals and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were both incredible dancers who had natural style and grace. If you are interested, here are some fun facts:

• Between 1933 and 1949, Astaire and Rogers appeared in 10 films together.
• Their first screen pairing occurred in 1933 in the musical film “Flying Down to Rio”.
• “The Barkleys of Broadway” (1949) was their only film shot in Technicolor; it was their last film and was shot after a 10 year hiatus.
• The pair had an on-screen chemistry so magical that Rogers became Astaire’s most famous dance partner.
• Their films followed a set formula where Astaire specified how many minutes could elapse between the beginning of the film and its first musical number, as well as how many minutes of comedy, romance, and drama there should be between dance numbers.

As T Stands for Tuesday, I think cocktails would be an appropriate drink for this famous duo and when “stepping out with my baby” for my birthday we enjoyed a few cocktails with our friends! Maybe you would like an Apple Caipirinha or Cosmopolitan or a bottle of Italian beer or a glass of Prosecco. I’m inviting the T Gang to join us and wishing you all a Happy T Day!

Or a Mint Julep (to make this cocktail muddle 2 parts Bourbon whiskey, 12 mint leaves and ½ dash Gomme syrup with crushed ice and top with soda) or a Citrus Rum Cooler (1½ parts Havana Club Rum, ¼ part Cointreau/orange liqueur and 4 parts orange juice shaken with ice and poured into a glass).

Or even a Big Easy (1½ parts Southern Comfort, ¼ Cointreau/orange liqueur and 2 parts orange juice shaken with ice, strained into a glass over ice and topped up with Ginger Beer). Of course if you prefer soft drinks, tea and coffee are available too. By the way all these cocktails were actually half price so we got to try a few different ones between us – cheers!

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:

• Poundland Metallic Paint (Silver)
• Liquitex Artist Color Acrylic (Cadmium Red Medium Hue/Red Lacquer)
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Black Soot)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Black 199)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.3mm & 0.5mm)
• Uniball Signo gel pen (White)
• Docrafts Papermania Creative Essentials A5 Clear Stamp Set (Musicality DCE907112)
• Kaisercraft clear stamp (Script CS752)
• Craft Sensations (Deco Stencil Set 154892)
• Creative Expressions Mini Stencil (Shabby Harlequin CEMSHARL)
• Music of All Nations Sheet Music
• The Works (Musical Note Charms)
• The Works (Jewel Stickers)
• Home Bargains Special Occasions (Decorative Chain 26253, Decorative Stickers 22740)
• Small silver brads
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• Liquitex Matte Gel Medium

Hotel Majestic

Today’s page reflects back on a time when the Hotel Majestic was one of the finest treasures in St. Anne’s on the Sea. Alas it has been demolished now, so I created a page in its memory!

To cover the background I collaged torn sewing pattern pieces onto the page using Liquitex Matte Gel Medium. Once they had dried I applied black and gold Spectrum Aqua Marker ink by scribbling the marker onto an acrylic block, spritzing the block with water and pressing and dripping the ink over the page. I like the way the gold colour is more concentrated at the edges of the collaged paper emphasising the layers.  Next I stamped various stamps by Hampton Art using black Archival Ink; these included a palm tree, crowns, art deco borders and a postage mark which tie into the era and décor of the Hotel Majestic. The Majestic was also known for its music and grandeur so I added some washi tape music notes and black decorative tape, then I used gold size to adhere the gold leaf. I found an old picture of the Majestic in a local magazine and added a gold border, the hotel name and the dates that it stood in our town; which are all outline stickers. I used photo corners and double-sided foam tape to adhere it to the page. To finish I added gold chain and “style” outline stickers to the background and some gold sequins which are stuck down using Glossy Accents.

I really like the vintage art deco look of this page and I’m very pleased to join the lovely Gill from gibbyfrogettcraftations again who is hosting the “Elegance & Grunge” challenge over at Art Journal Journey.

The Majestic Hotel was originally called the Imperial Hydro which opened in 1910, you can still see the initials IH on the two brick archways which are the only parts remaining of the hotel. It was renamed the Majestic in 1920 and many stars appearing in Blackpool shows stayed there over the years.

I love this old photo of the Hotel Majestic, it looks such a grand and stunning building! If you look closely you can see the archways on the right hand side of the hotel, they look quite small in comparison to the building itself. The hotel was built between the pier and the town Square, it had 200 bedrooms, tennis courts and was the height of luxury. Here’s an interesting link on YouTube that shows the old brochure of the Hotel Majestic with photos and descriptions of the facilities and interior.

The hotel closed down in 1972 as the costs of modernising it made it unsustainable. Sadly, it was demolished in 1975 and replaced with these five storey flats. What a shame as it must have been an amazing place to stay during its heyday.

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 (Gold, Black)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Hampton Art Cling Mounted Rubber Stamps (Graphic 45 – Tropical Travelogue ICO134 & ICO135, 7 Gypsies – Birdsong ICO151)
• Style Sewing Pattern
• Local Magazine
• Gold Leaf
• Hobbycraft Outline Stickers (Gold Harmony 934031001)
• Magenta Style Outline Stickers (Daisy Gold)
• Dovecraft Peel-off Stickers (Alphas Caps Gold DCPO-05)
• Poundland Decorative Border Tape (Black)
• Poundland Assorted Sequins
• Annie Sloan Water Based Gold Size
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• Liquitex Matte Gel Medium
• The Range double-sided foam tape

Robin

Whilst walking along the Lancashire Coastal Way at Cockerham Sands we were lucky enough to see robins along the hedgerows. As my friends and family will tell you, I love robins and so seeing them gave me a great excuse to create this page.

The background is covered with a script decoupage paper and is stuck down using Liquitex Matte Gel Medium. Next I ripped pieces of a blue decoupage paper and stuck them to the page, and then I layered another piece of the same blue paper on the top to give more depth and dimension. Next I added ripped pieces of a music note design paper by Craft Sensations and edged them with a grey Faber-Castell Big Brush marker, sticking them down with a UHU Stic. The music washi tape reminds me of the robin’s song that we heard on our walk and also matches the quote I used for my page. Next I used a stencil to create the leaves; I did this by using the same music note design paper, stamping a circular geometric shape using Rich Cocoa Memento Ink through the stencil onto it and outlining the edge of the leaf design with a Chocolate Spectrum Aqua marker. Then I removed the stencil, fussy cut the leaves and stuck them to the page using a UHU Stic. Once the glue had dried, I outlined them with a black Uni Pin marker and a white Uniball gel pen. The beautiful quote is a rub-on transfer by Royal & Langnickel. To finish the background I added splatters of black acrylic paint. The spade handle is fussy cut from a calendar and I coloured it with Spectrum Aqua markers and added more detail with the black Uni Pin marker. The stem of flowers is a chipboard embellishment which I stuck to the page using a UHU Stic.

To make the robin, I cut a robin shape from a piece of card and collaged leftover pieces of paper over the top to create the feather design, keeping the paper pieces in place using matte gel medium. I stuck the papers so they overhung the edges of the card and when the glue had dried I cut around the bird shape to give a clean finish. I used Spectrum Aqua Markers to add detail to the feathers and colour the robin’s legs. I then edged the robin with the grey Big Brush marker and coloured the eye using a black 3D Pearl Effect by Dovecraft and then Glossy Accents by Ranger. I also added a white dot to the top of the eye with the white gel pen. I love the way this robin turned out and this is a great way to use up all those little bits of papers you have leftover. Although it’s a bit fiddly arranging the papers, I think the result is beautiful.

I’m also pleased to join Gill who is hosting the “Elegance and Grunge” theme over at Art Journal Journey.

We walked along part of the Lancashire Coastal Way towards Cockerham Sands, which is close to Cockersand Abbey.

We saw this robin on our walk, he was sitting on a post and looking at us over his shoulder.

He lives in a beautiful spot at Cockerham Sands overlooking the estuary of the River Lune leading to Glasson Dock.

On the beach front there are quite a few farms and we saw this anchor sitting in one of their gardens.

Doesn’t this rusty buoy look fabulous looking out at that wonderful view!

Here’s a close up especially for Elizabeth as I know she loves all things rusty.

Talking of Elizabeth, as T Stands for Tuesday I’m sharing the green tea we had after our walk and saying a big hello to the T Gang!

We went to the Lantern O’er Lune café again and if you’re good you can have something from the Naughty Board (grin!).

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 (Crimson, Burgundy, Spice, Fawn, Chocolate, Charcoal, Slate)
• Memento Ink (Rich Cocoa)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Cold Grey IV 233)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.1mm & 0.5mm)
• Uniball Signo gel pen (White)
• Docrafts Papermania Mini Cards & Stamp Set (Capsule Geometric Krafts PMA105308)
• Craft Sensations (Deco Stencil Set 154892)
• Design papers – leftovers
• White card
• Trimcraft (Decoupage papers SCDEC064)
• Poundworld (Patch Paper DS9454)
• RSPB Calender – old
• Hobbycraft Decorative Tape (Assorted Black & White 5971471007)
• Royal & Langnickel Rub-on Sentiments (Spring #ROY506 Rub-on)
• Craft Sensations (Chipboard Embellishments 154887)
• Dovecraft 3D Pearl Effects (Brights – Black)
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• Liquitex Matte Gel Medium
• UHU Stic

Beauty and the Beast

With my Birthday fast approaching, my hubby took me to the cinema to see the new live action Beauty and the Beast film as an early present. I loved the film and have been singing the songs ever since, so I created this page.

To represent the song lyrics and story, I stamped a Script stamp by Kaisercraft over the page using Rich Cocoa Memento Ink fading the image as it reached the bottom left hand corner by using secondary stamping. I then covered the whole page with a thin layer of white gesso to push the stamped image into the background. Choosing colours to depict the constant snowfall and candle glow from the castle scenes in the film, I diluted ink from a grey Faber-Castell Big Brush marker by scribbling it onto an acrylic block and spritzing it with water, I then pressed and dragged the block horizontally across the page. I repeated the same technique using Paris Dusk and Pottery Clay Memento Inks. Next I stencilled more diluted Pottery Clay ink with a blending tool using a Swoosh mask by Creative Expressions. I stamped tree branches and cogs on the top of the page using Docraft clear stamp sets and the Rich Cocoa ink, these link to the castle grounds and also to Cogsworth who is one of the enchanted characters. The cutlery, chains and other images are paper cut from a Vintage Classic Design Pad by The Works and I stuck them to the page using Liquitex Matte Gel Medium. I added some sparkly swirls, dots and flowers using gold Glitterations outline stickers. Using the same stickers, I outlined a picture which I cut from the Cinema booklet and my cinema ticket which I coloured using Spectrum Aqua markers and stuck them to the page using a UHU Stic.  To finish I fussy cut a rose that I had stamped on some of the same Vintage paper using Burgundy and Moss Spectrum Aqua markers and coloured the image further by pulling some of the colour from the stamp outline using a wet paintbrush. All of these elements remind me of the cutlery, china and rose in the film.

As we were out at the cinema, I’m pleased to be able to join Yvonne from Meggy’s Way’s theme “Out and About” over at Art Journal Journey.

Our local cinema is independently run and not part of a chain. It is situated on the beach front and has 4 screens. It’s quite small, but with only 6 rows of seats, it has a great atmosphere, we really enjoyed the film. At less than half the price of a multi-plex screening, there is plenty left for popcorn!

To tie in with the film, my hubby surprised me with these lovely roses too! He knows how much I love the story; we have seen the animated film many times and we’ve even been to see the Broadway Musical when it came to London, which was amazing! My favourite song has to be “Little Town”, it’s the opening number in the film and I’m always singing the lines that Belle sings about her book:

“Oh, isn’t this amazing?
It’s my favourite part because — you’ll see
Here’s where she meets Prince Charming
But she won’t discover that it’s him
‘Til chapter three!”

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
• Memento Ink (Rich Cocoa. Paris Dusk, Potters Clay)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Cold Grey IV 233)
• Spectrum Aqua Artist Marker (Desert, Slate, Burgandy, Moss)
• Kaisercraft clear stamp (Script CS752)
• Creative Expressions That Special Touch of Mica Masks (Swoosh)
• Docrafts A6 clear stamp set (Build a Tree DCE907130)
• Docrafts Creativity Essentials A5 clear stamp set (Steampunk DCE907125)
• Unknown wood mounted rubber stamp (Rose)
• The Works Design Pad (Classic Vintage CRO707/TW7)
• Docrafts Papermania Giltterations (Gold Flowers ANT8181020)
• Anita’s Giltterations (Frame Circle – Gold ANT8181028)
• UHU Stic