Music makes my heart sing

I love listening to music when I’m crafting and have quite an eclectic taste, for when I feel like classical music, then Johann Strauss II is by far my favourite with his joyful polkas and waltzes, his music seems so happy to me (grin!)). What could be better than listening to “An der schönen blauen Donau” (The Blue Danube), which inspired my colourful musical vintage page today.

I started by experimenting with a new technique of adding Liquitex Matte Gel Medium to the whole page as a base for Faber-Castell Gelatos. Once the gel medium was dry I scribbled Snow Cone, Lime, Boysenberry, Margarita Mix gelatos over the top and used a wet finger to blend the colours. This was really easy to do and the gel medium created a slippery surface for the gelatos to glide over and is definitely a technique I would try again. Next I used various stamps to create the patterned background using Memento Inks. This included a Diamond Background stamp by Art Impressions using an aptly named Blue Danube ink, a circle and heart stamp by Sugar loaf Inc. using Bahama Blue, a Flower Tile stamp by Rubber Soul using Grape Jelly, a Serpentine Background stamp by Art Impressions using Summer Sky and a 4-Point Star Background stamp by Art Impressions using Lilac Posies. Then I rubbed some of these stamped images with a baby wipe to remove some of the ink and gelato which created a beautiful translucent effect. To finish the background, I added the roses, moulding, ballerina, music sheet and script images from a stamp set called Musicality by Docrafts using black Archival Ink. I really like the layers of stamping and the translucency of the colours and I enjoyed experimenting with all the techniques I used to produce them. Next I covered the page with a thin layer of gel medium to seal the colour and to allow the rub-on transfers to adhere easier to the page as the gelato has a tendency to coat the back of the transfer stopping it transferring to the page. I used an alphabet letter set of rub-on transfers to create the wording and went over the letters with a white Uni Posca paint pen so they stood out more. The hearts are wedding place cards from Dunelm which I stuck to the page using a UHU Stic. I used a paper punch to create the flowers using some sheet music, coloured the edges of the petals using Kingfisher and Peacock Blue Spectrum Aqua Markers and stuck a pearl Gel Stone Sticker in the centre.

I arranged the flowers on the hearts with some lace flowers, silver metallic ribbon and a blue enamel Vintage flower from Poundworld using Glossy Accents. Then I added some pieces of wire pearl decorative chain which I also used to swirl across the page using Glossy Accents to stick it into place, this finished the page.

It’s a new month and I’m pleased to join the lovely Yvonne from Meggy’s way over at Art Journal Journey for her theme “Colour in my World” with my colourful page and I think music colours my world too – Happy September!

As I used metal decorative wire and metallic ribbon on my page, I’m joining in the fun over at Country View Challenge where the theme is “Metal”.

With the vintage look and feel I created on my page, I’m also joining the lovely Astrid who is part of the Design Team over at The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge for their “Vintage” theme.

A few weeks ago I was talking to Susi about the Vienna Opera House in Austria and my love for Strauss, which inspired this page. Does anyone else watch the Vienna Philharmonic’s famous New Year’s Day Concerts?  It’s televised here in the UK and I always watch it – I love it! Of course Austrian composer Strauss always features at the concert and you can watch the “An der schönen blauen Donau” (The Blue Danube) being beautifully played by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at the 2011 New Year’s Concert on the YouTube link above.

If you are interested here are some facts about the music:

• “The Blue Danube” is the common English title of “An der schönen blauen Donau”, which is German for “By the Beautiful Blue Danube”.
• Johann Strauss II (1825 – 1899) is part of a famous musical dynasty being the son of Johann Strauss I. He wrote more than 400 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, operettas, a ballet and other dance tunes. He is also known as “The Waltz King” and he composed this particular waltz in 1866.
• Strauss adapted it into an orchestral version for the Paris World’s Fair in 1867 and it became a great success.
• Words have been written to accompany the music but the instrumental version is by far the most commonly performed today.
• When Strauss’s stepdaughter, asked the composer Johannes Brahms for his autograph, he wrote down the first bars of The Blue Danube and “Leider nicht von Johannes Brahms” which means “Alas! not by Johannes Brahms”.

As T Stands for Tuesday I’m sharing a drink with the T Gang and wishing you a Happy T Day!

We currently have family staying with us for the week, so I’m sorry that I haven’t had any time to blog and visit everyone recently. We had a fun weekend and I thought this photo matched the look and feel of my page, so here’s my Green tea and for those of you who are coffee lovers a cappuccino (just in shot on the left-hand side) at a local café we visited (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:

• Faber-Castell Gelato (Snow Cone, Lime, Boysenberry, Margarita Mix)
• Tsukineko Memento Ink (Danube Blue, Bahama Blue, Grape Jelly, Lilac Posies, Summer Sky)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Spectrum Aqua Artist Marker (Kingfisher, Peacock Blue)
• Uni Posca Paint Pens (White)
• Art Impressions wood mounted rubber stamp (Diamond Background T-3335)
• Sugarloaf Inc. Anita’s wood mounted rubber stamp (26645)
• Rubber Soul Sylvia Yu 2006 wood mounted rubber stamp (Flower Tile 1539-K)
• Art Impressions wood mounted rubber stamp (Serpentine Background T-2773)
• Art Impressions wood mounted rubber stamp (4-Point Star Background G2983)
• Docrafts Creativity Essentials A5 clear stamp set (Musicality DCE 907112)
• Dunelm Wedding Collection (Place Cards)
• Bosworth Violin Studies
• Royal & Langnickel Rub-on Transfers (Old English White #ROY-864 Rub-on)
• Poundworld (Vintage Stickers 54748)
• Home Bargains Special Occasion (Decorative Chain 26253)
• Home Bargains Sticker Mania (Gel Store Stickers 74749)
• Lace border
• Metallic Silver Ribbon
• Floral Paper Punch
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• Liquitex Matte Gel Medium
• UHU Stic

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And they swam …

This month’s theme over at Art Journal Journey is “Poetry in Motion” so I was inspired to create this fun page based on a nursery rhyme from my childhood which we used to sing at school, you may know it …

I added turquoise coloured tissue paper to the centre of the page using Liquitex Matte Gel Medium, then sprinkled on Ultramarine Colourcraft Brusho powder. I applied more matte gel medium to activate the powder pulling the Brusho colour across the page, as I did this I also wrinkled the tissue paper to add texture so it looked like the sea. I like the way the Brushos added different depths of blue colour.  Then I painted Pébéo white gesso over parts of the page using my finger to push some of the colour back and splattered the page with a paintbrush dipped in black and white acrylic paint to look like air bubbles. Next I arranged the fun orange fish, which are brads, so they appeared to be swimming in shoals across the page.  I pushed each brad through the page and then covered the back with a piece of masking tape to prevent any damage to the next journal page. To finish, I stamped the speech bubbles onto white tissue paper using black Archival Ink, fussy cut them out and added the wording from the rhyme; they are stuck in place using a UHU stic.

Of course there were only “three little fishies” in the original rhyme so I applied some artistic licence when I created this page (grin!).

  Me and my hubby both enjoy snorkeling and diving whilst on holiday, so we have spent many happy hours swimming with the fishes in the sea.

 These pictures were taken in Cyprus where there are always plenty of fish to see.

It always makes me smile when I imagine the fish swimming along singing this song (grin!) – you can find the full lyrics here.

I’d like to thank everyone for their amazing support and participation in this month’s “Poetry in Motion” challenge over at Art Journal Journey and I’m really pleased that you are enjoying the theme so much!

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
• Colorcraft Brusho Colours (Ultramarine)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Hampton Art Doodlebug Design Inc. cling mounted rubber stamps (Thankful ICO162)
• Dovecraft upper and lower case alphabet stamp set (WDN Alpha Stmp DCVW0050)
• Tissue paper (Blue, White)
• Fish brads (Orange)
• Liquitex Matte Gel Medium
• UHU Stic

Always find a song

Today my page for the “Poetry in Motion” theme over at Art Journal Journey was inspired by a Swedish Proverb. I love the optimism of these simple words:
“Those who wish to sing will always find a song”.

I covered the page with white and pastel shades of blue and green acrylic paint using a brayer, waiting for each layer to dry before adding the next colour. I then sprinkled Ultramarine Colourcraft Brusho Crystal powder onto the page and spritzed it with water and just watched the magic as the colours burst into life. I wanted a slightly muted tone and as the Brusho was so vibrant I decided to cover the page with a thin layer of white gesso and the same acrylic paints again, this time painting them on with my finger. I like the way the Brusho powders add pops of colour through the paint. Next I added a pattern which I copied from a dreamcatcher that is hanging in my craft room and outlined it with a black Uni Posca paint pen, which took quite a bit of time as there were so many sections. Then I masked some of the sections and stamped a music stamp using black Archival Ink and a delicate flower outline stamp using Danube Blue Memento Ink. I found the blue ink was a bit distracting so I toned it down by dabbing with a baby wipe. I stamped the proverb using an alphabet stamp set by Hampton Art and black Archival Ink, and I added some white dots to the letters using a Uni Posca paint pen. The sections are embellished with blue gems and paper flowers and I used more of the same gems along the edge of the circular design. To finish, I added a little felt bird into the centre of the sections so it looks like it’s song is radiating across the page to depict the quote. You may also notice that the little bird is the same colours as the Swedish flag tying into the origins of the quote that I used too (grin!).

As birds often sing in my garden, I am also pleased to be able to join the lovely Eileen who is Guest Designer for the “In my garden” theme over at Try it on Tuesday. I think my little bird is happy to provide some music for Eileen’s ‘Miss Froggy’ ballerina to dance too (double grin!).

As a proverb is often metaphorical, I believe it means you will find a way to do the things you want. Of course it can be taken literally too, and my hubby will tell you that I can find a song for any occasion and I’m often found singing around the house. Music makes me happy (grin!).

  I love all sorts of music and have quite an eclectic taste, so I thought I’d share with you some happy music moments, from this month, as we have attended quite a few music events and festivals being held in our local parks (grin!). The picture above is of the bandstand at Stanley Park where during the summer they have a different band playing every weekend, so we took a picnic and sat around the auditorium to listen to them.

This is our favourite local band called ‘Ska Face’ and it’s the first time they have played at the park. We usually go to see this band two or three times a year at local festivals and pubs. They are a ten-piece ska band from Blackpool who play and sing classics from Madness, The Specials, Bad Manners and The Beat. This type of ska music is known as the ‘2 Tone‘ genre which began in the late 1970s. A checkerboard motif is associated with ‘2 Tone’ which explains this saxophone player’s stylish suit.

There was another band playing before them called ‘The Flash Hearts’, who played rock songs and I was singing along to their rendition of ‘Dead or Alive’ by Guns and Roses and ‘My Sharona’ by the Knack.

We also went to a local music festival in Ashton Gardens just down the road, it was fun cycling there on our tandem and listening to the various bands throughout the day. This band is ‘Eye the Bomb’ who are a five-piece Alternative Rock band from Blackpool who fuse together elements of Rock, Funk, Hip-Hop and Punk. They played their own music and a few covers including ‘Give it away’ by The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

This band is ‘Paper Mountains’ whose songs are influenced by bands like Nirvana and Killers.

It was fun partying in the park and creating this page! I hope you are enjoying the “Poetry in Motion” challenge over at Art Journal Journey too, where you are invited to create a page inspired by a poem, saying or quote.

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
• DecoArt Crafter’s Acrylic (White)
• Aldi Script (Ready Mixed Pastel Paints)
• Colourcraft Brusho Colours (Ultra Marine)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Tsukeniko BandMemento Ink (Danube Blue)
• Uni Posca Paint Pen (Black, White)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.2mm)
• Docrafts A5 clear stamp set (Musicality DCE907112)
• Hampton Art Mini Wood Peg Rubber Stamps (Alphabet Set #1037)
• Dovecraft Essentials Alphabet Stamp Set (WDN ALPHA STMP DCVW0050)
• Poundland (Accessories Pack 60911)
• Home Bargains The Craft Set Company (Gems Jewels 63283)
• Home Bargains Craft Time (Felt Stickers 57877)
• Ranger Glossy Accents

Bring Me Sunshine

Morecambe & Wise are a well-known comedy duo here in the UK and I have fond memories of watching their famous TV shows. So you can imagine my delight when we heard their songs outside the Winter Gardens whilst we were shopping in town. On investigating, the music led us to a wonderful bronze statue of them both that has been unveiled in the foyer. This inspired me to create a journal page of them that includes the title of their signature song “Bring Me Sunshine”.

Having quoted this song on my page, I’m linking to the “Poetry in Motion” theme over at Art Journal Journey. Hope you’ll join in the fun too by creating a page that is inspired by a poem, saying or quote (maybe from your favourite song).

I started by stamping a star burst stamp onto the middle of the page using grey Memento Ink and extending the starburst sun pattern using a ruler and pencil. Then I painted alternating sections with a yellow and then a gold Spectrum Aqua marker which I scribbled onto an acrylic block and diluted with water using a paintbrush. Next I stamped “Bring Me Sunshine” using a Papermania Leftovers Alphabet stamp set and black Archival Ink. I added two washi tapes to the top and bottom of the page, the film and music note designs depict their television shows and songs. The Morecambe & Wise photo is cut from a magazine and shows them in their younger days when they appeared at the Winter Gardens itself. Next I added some metal music notes attaching them to the page with silver brads. I finished the page with smiley star stickers which reminded me of their comedy and how they make me smile.

This is the Morecambe & Wise statue that greets you when you enter the Winter Gardens and with the songs they are well-known for playing in the air it fills you with a lovely sense of nostalgia. Blackpool is considered their “spiritual home” as they performed six summer seasons and over a 1,000 shows here. This statue marks the 75th anniversary of their debut performance as a double act, which was at Liverpool’s Empire Theatre in 1941.

Their 43-year partnership started in variety theatres where they honed their performance before making their famous TV shows on the BBC and ITV. Their Christmas specials were one of the highlights of the festive season and in 1977 they attracted over 27 million viewers. Guest stars included The Beatles, André Previn, Shirley Bassey and of course Des O’Connor (grin!).

Morecambe & Wise always made me laugh as a young girl growing up and still do today as there are always reruns of their shows at Christmas time. Their songs and dance numbers are fantastic and always make me smile, here’s a rendition of “Bring me Sunshine” from one of their shows – so funny!

There have also been some other happy reminders of Morecambe & Wise of late (grin!). This time of year we often cycle up the prom on our tandem, here I am on the Comedy Carpet in Blackpool and I’m standing by their section of the carpet with the lyrics of this song in front of me! If you are interested, here are some fun facts about the song:

• “Bring Me Sunshine” is a song written in 1966 by the composer Arthur Kent, with lyrics by Sylvia Dee and it was first performed by American artists.
• In the UK, the song is synonymous with Morecambe & Wise after it was adopted as their signature tune in their second series for the BBC in 1969. Here’s the lyrics of the song in full.
• The song was played over the duo’s closing credits and they only ever sang the first verse, the second one being purely instrumental with Eric and Ernie performing a “skip dance” to exit the stage.

We have also been to quite a few local beer festivals lately and when I saw this beer I just had to have a pint of it. It’s called “Morecambe’s Sunshine” and is brewed by Cross Bay Brewery which is located in Morecambe; the beer is light in colour, 4% abv ( alcohol by volume) and has a lovely smooth malt taste – yum! I’m saying a big cheers to the T Gang over at T stands for Tuesday and wishing you all a Happy Sunshiny T Day!

The pump clip shows the bronze statue of Eric Morecambe in his famous “skip dance” pose. This statue is on my list of places to visit and is located on the seafront at Morecambe, it’s actually designed by the same person who made the bronze sculpture of them both (above).

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, Gold)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Papermania Alphamania A-Z Clear Stamps (Leftovers Alphabet PMA9071102)
• Blackpool Heritage magazine
• The Works (3 Washi Tapes)
• The Works (Musical Note Charms)
• Small silver brads
• UPIKIT Stickers (2166005)
• UHU Stic

Be Happy, Be Bright, Be You

When I started this page I didn’t have any real direction, so I asked my hubby to choose the media and some random colours for my background. He chose a set of brightly coloured Distress Inks; I’m not surprised that he chose these colours as he always prefers vibrant, bright ones. His choice linked perfectly with a saying that always makes me smile “Be Happy, Be Bright, Be You”, so I created this page to link to this month’s theme “Poetry in Motion” over at Art Journal Journey.

I started by stencilling a piece of white card and also the page with modelling paste using a Viva Décor Universal Stencil called Past Times. The paste is mixed with black acrylic paint to turn it black and was left over from a greeting card that I made. Once you add paint to modelling paste it becomes wetter and takes longer to dry, so I left it overnight to dry out completely. Next I took Peacock Feathers, Picked Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade and Mustard Seed Distress Inks that my hubby had chosen and applied patches of colour to the page using a blending tool keeping the colour in vertical stripes. I also applied the ink pads directly to an acrylic block, spritzed the block with water and pressed it onto the page allowing the different colours to blend where the stripes joined.  Using the block again, I dripped diluted inks onto the page, so they pooled and ran down between the modelling paste when the page was tilted to create channels of colour. I fussy cut the cogs that I had stencilled on the white card and then applied the same Distress Inks, they are stuck to the page using double-sided foam tape to add more dimension. The words are stamped using black Archival Ink on craft tags, which I coloured with the same Distress Inks using a blending tool as well as diluting the ink with water and flicking it onto the tags using a paintbrush. To finish, I added gemstones to the cog centres.

Of late I have been thinking of our Annual International Kite Festival which is normally held on our local beach in August, but this year it’s been scheduled for September instead because of the tides (being a beach event this festival is completely tide dependent and so they choose dates when there is a low tide). As always I’m looking forward to the festival and this colourful and happy page reminds me of the festival’s Samba Sunday and in particular this dancer, who we saw last year – doesn’t she look fabulous!

Here’s the Samba procession as it winds it way down the promenade to the beach and pier. It is fun to watch the dancers, listen to the music and follow the parade; aren’t the costumes amazing!

The band is wonderful and the music is very uplifting. If you are interested, here are some fun facts about samba:

• Samba music is carnival rhythms which originate in Brazil.
• The Samba dance is lively, rhythmical and full of energy.
• The music is played with different instruments, this includes: Bass drums (known as surdo drums) which are used to keep a steady beat; Snare drums; A whistle called an apito which is used by the band leader to begin and end sections of music; as well as other types of un-tuned percussion and different bells.
• The musicians move along with the dancers. As such most samba drums are made of very light material so that they can be carried through the streets for hours on end.
• The music is very loud, which is similar to other drumming bands, so it attracts listeners.

I think the Samba dancers and band also encompass the words “Be Happy, Be Bright, Be You”.

I would just like to offer a special thank you for all the lovely supportive comments I have received, and for the wonderful pages that have already been linked to the “Poetry in Motion” theme over at Art Journal Journey! If you want to join in the fun too then all you need to do is link a page that you have created which has been inspired by your favourite poem, quote or saying. I look forward to seeing 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:

• Pébéo Modeling Paste High Density
• Liquitex Artist Colour Acrylic (Ivory Black)
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Peacock Feathers, Picked Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush artist pen (Black 199)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.1mm and 0.8mm)
• Viva Décor Universal Stencil (Past Times 9002 703 00)
• Docrafts A5 clear stamp set (Alphas Folk DCE907115)
• The Works (Assorted Craft Tags)
• Poundland (504 Gems)
• White card stock
• The Range double-sided foam tape

Dancing is an art

I’m so excited and honoured to be hosting Art Journal Journey this August and for this month’s challenge you are invited to use your favourite quotes, sayings and poems to inspire your designs for the theme “Poetry in Motion”.

As some of you may know I really like to create pages with meaning and I’m often inspired by things I see and do, including quotes and my page today is inspired by these wonderful words:

I started by painting patches of white gesso over the page then I added Peacock Feathers and Cracked Pistachio Distress Inks by applying the ink pad to an acrylic block, spritzing with water and then pressing the block onto the page. I also dragged the ink pads over the edge of the page to concentrate the colour. With the quote in mind, I stamped some filigree images by Hampton Art using London Fog Memento Ink. Next I sprinkled Ultramarine Colourcraft Brusho Crystal powder onto the page and spritzed them with water and just watched the magic as the colours burst into life. I then added pieces of washi tape, which I had torn so the edges didn’t have such straight lines and flowed with movement.  I stuck down some torn pieces of music paper using Liquitex Matte Gel Medium and also dragged some of the Brusho colour from the page over the edges of the music to blend them in.  I added plasterboard/drywall tape to add more texture and then I layered on torn pieces of a baby wipe which I had previously used to mop up some acrylic paint. Before applying the baby wipe I stretched it so it looked like fabric and used matte gel medium to stick it down so the wispy edges danced across the page. The beautiful dancer image is fussy cut from a leaflet and stuck down using a UHU Stic. I stamped the words onto some paper by Craft Sensations, fussy cut it out, edged the paper with a black Sharpie permanent marker and stuck it to the page using double-sided foam. To finish I added two cream Button Heart embellishments.

I love the way this page has turned out and I feel the words could be applied to my art journaling and to the creation of this page.

I do hope that you are inspired to get creative by the “Poetry in Motion” challenge over at Art Journal Journey too! I’m looking forward to visiting you to see all your wonderful creations.

As T Stands for Tuesday, I’m saying a big hello to the T Gang and wishing you all a Happy T Day! Today I’m enjoying a refreshing drink of apple juice with ginger beer, in my craft room while creating a new journal page (grin!). It’s served in one of my favourite glasses, which I bought during a tour of the Maine Mead Works in America whilst there on holiday.

Mead is an alcoholic drink made from honey, hence the bee which greeted us on their fabulous sign! If you look closely you can just make out this bee symbol on my glass too (grin!). The mead that they make is a modern style of mead which is similar to wine and is light and refreshing, whereas I think of mead as a winter drink served hot with spices. Both of which are delicious!

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

“Poetry in Motion”

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

• Pébéo White Gesso
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio)
• Tsukeniko Memento Ink (London Fog)
• Colourcraft Brusho Crystals (Ultramarine)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Hampton Art 7 Gypsies cling mounted rubber stamps (Birdsong ICO151)
• Dovecraft upper and lower case alphabet stamp set (WDN ALPHA STMP DCVW0050)
• Music Book (Bosworth Violin Studies)
• Craft Sensations Design Pad (Endless Love CRO260/A)
• Used dry baby wipe
• Leaflet
• Crelando Decorative Tape
• Home Bargains Self-Adhesive Button Hearts (Sweet Hearts 22809)
• 151 Adhesives Plasterboard/Drywall Tape
• Liquitex Matte Gel Medium
• UHU Stic
• The Range double-sided foam tape

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