Friends

I enjoyed creating this page and would like to dedicate it to three of my best friends who are going through hard times at the moment.

Having only the quote in mind, I sought inspiration for my page from some great blog challenges that I wanted to join. I always find that these challenges really capture my imagination and I have such a fun time incorporating them all into my design, and this page was no exception (grin!).

I started by colouring the background with Faber-Castell Gelatos; I did this by scribbling Bubble Gum, Orange Soda and Lemon gelatos onto my page and then smudging them with my finger. These bright colours make me happy as they remind me of some flowers that were bought for me recently so they are perfect for Yvonne‘s theme of “Colour in my World” over at Art Journal Journey. I kept the gelatos thick for the next technique, where I used a baby wipe through two different stencils to remove some of the gelato colour.

I like the way the bubbles and crosses are twinkling over the page and to enhance this look I added some Wink of Stella clear glitter to each bubble, which was inspired by Monday’s “Shimmer and Shine” challenge over at Simon Says Stamp. Next I stamped the heart and circle design by Sugarloaf Inc. using black Archival Ink, I love this stamp it’s one of my favourites. Then I added more shiny elements in the form of Designer Vinyls by Craftime which have a black high gloss finish and detail intricate designs of friends at play. These images were inspired by the “My Friend” theme over at Try it on Tuesday and works perfectly with the quote. I printed the word “Friends” from my computer, fussy cut the letters out, coloured them black with a Faber-Castell Big Brush marker and stuck them to the page using a UHU Stic. They are outlined with Dovecraft black Pearl Effects and more shimmer was added to the centre of each letter using the Wink of Stella glitter brush. Then I used an alphabet stamp set from Docrafts with black Archival Ink, to stamp the rest of the quote, which reads:

“Friends fill your life with joy, your soul with sunshine and your heart with love”.

I added more shimmer and shine using some pretty glitter butterflies from Poundland and also some glossy hearts and flowers from the same Designer Vinyl set. Then I stamped a border by Hampton Art around the edge of the page using the black Archival Ink and added the neon orange border over the top which is from a pack of 3D Border Glitterations by Docrafts Papermania; I really like the glitter effect and their transparency as you can still see the stamped border beneath them. To finish, I added a black Glitterations border on the inner edge of the orange border to frame the page with a sparkly black line too.

Here are the beautiful flowers that coloured my world, they were a gift from a family member who stayed with us recently, I chose similar colours for my page as they make me so happy when I see them – aren’t they stunning!

I love creating my art journal pages using mixed media so I’m also pleased to join the “Anything Mixed Media Goes” challenge over at Mixed Media World.

I also really enjoyed incorporating some of my favourite stamps for the background, border and quote on my page, and taking inspiration from Majo who used quotes on her artwork over at Craft Stamper, I thought it would be fun to join their “Anything Goes” Stamping Challenge!

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 (Bubble Gum, Orange Soda, Lemon)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Black 199)
• Zig Memory System Wink of Stella Brush (GL Clear 999)
• Dovecraft Pearl Effects (Brights – Black DCBS92PD)
• Uni Posca Paint Pen (Black)
• Uni Pin Fine Point Marker (Black 0.3mm)
• Craft Sensations (Deco Stencil Set 154892)
• Anita’s Sugarloaf Inc. wood mounted rubber stamp (26645)
• Docrafts Creativity Essentials A5 clear stamp set (Alpha Folk DCE907115)
• Hampton Art Doodlebug Inc. cling mounted rubber stamps (Borders ICO160)
• “Friends” computer printout
• Craftime Designer Vinyls (B/W Boy & Girl PBDV02)
• Poundland (Mini Glitter Embellishments 59409)
• Docrafts Papermania Glitterations 3D Borders (Neon Orange PMA818103)
• Docrafts Papermania Glitterations (Black Borders ANT8181015)
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• UHU Stic
• UHU Glue Pen

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Aspire

Today I’m sharing another page inspired by my trip to Blackpool Central Library, and this time I have taken another one of the fabulous stained glass windows that depicts the word “Aspire” as my inspiration. My design includes the arrows and words that can be found etched into the window design, as well as the meaning of the word “aspire” which was cleverly defined through the images that can be seen on the window.

I started by stamping a cog image from a Steampunk stamp set by Docrafts using black Archival Ink to create clusters of cogs. I then used the same ink to stamp a series of arrow stamps by Hampton Art; this replicates the arrows pointing upwards that were etched on the window panes. I also added diagonal stripes to the largest arrows that I had stamped using a black Uni Pin marker to further match the etched glass design. Next I painted diluted Fawn and Topaz Spectrum Aqua markers onto the page, by scribbling the ink onto an acrylic block, spritzing it liberally with water and then applying it to the page with a paint brush. I gradually built up the colour so that it was more concentrated around the edges of the page. I like the way the clean finish of the background mimics the transparency of the glass window.

To give a metal look to the cogs that I had stamped, I coloured them with Fawn, Topaz, Desert and Chestnut Spectrum Aqua Markers. Then I added Ranger Glossy Accents to the cog and arrow images that I had stamped to give them some dimension so that they appear like glass shining from the page. Whilst the Glossy Accents was drying I created this card to depict the word Aspire and the meaning of it that can be derived from the window itself. I used a card by Docrafts Papermania which I cut to size and coloured the dark blue elements of the pattern black using black Sharpie and Uni Pin markers. I took an old dictionary and cut the page containing the word ‘aspire’ and glued it to the front of the card and also to the inside using a UHU Stic. Then I covered both pieces of dictionary text with a thin layer of gesso, aged it with Tea Dye Distress Ink using a blending tool and distressed the edges using the Fawn and Chestnut Spectrum Aqua Markers smudging the ink with my finger to give a vintage look. I stamped the word “ASPIRE” onto the front using a Docrafts alphabet stamp set and black Archival Ink.

Then I also added the definition from the Collins dictionary onto the inside of the card using an alphabet stamp set by Dovecraft and the same black ink. To finish the card I added some pretty coloured rub-on transfers by Kaisercraft to the front and inside of the card which reminded me of stained glass window designs, and then I stuck it to the page using double-sided tape. I also added the hot air balloons which are also rub-on transfers and the saying “Up, up and away” to symbolise the word “Up” that was etched on the glass and also the space rocket lifting off on the window design. To compliment the images I had stamped and to accentuate the illusion of upwards movement, I added black lines of Glitterations stickers and copper gemstone borders to draw the eye upwards. To finish, I embellished some of the stamped cogs with bronze gemstones to add more sparkle and edged the page with a black Faber-Castell Big Brush marker.

As you may have discovered in my two previous posts, which you can find here and here, this library dates back to 1911. In 2011 to mark the centenary the interior was refurbished and eight new stained glass windows were installed. Here is the beautiful “Aspire” window which inspired my latest page.

Having used these beautiful natural colours as well as different mixed media on my page, I’m pleased to be able to join Yvonne from Meggy’s Way for her “Colour in my World” challenge over at Art Journal Journey and the “Anything Mixed Media Goes” challenge over at Mixed Media World.

With the metal cogs and copper gems, I’m also pleased to join the “Metal” theme over at Country View Challenge.

I’m pleased that the clean finish and simplicity of my design also fits the “Clean and Simple” challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

I really like the steampunk feel that I created too, so I’m joining in the fun over at SanDee and amelie’s Steampunk Challenges with their “Anything Goes – Steampunk/Industrial” theme.

I enjoyed using all the different stamps to create this page, so I’m also pleased to be able to join the September Challenge of “Anything Goes: (must include stamping)” over at Craft Stamper.

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)
• Spectrum Aqua Artist Marker (Fawn, Topaz, Desert, Chestnut)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Black 199)
• Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Marker (Black)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.5mm)
• Pébéo White Gesso
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Tea Dye)
• Hampton Art Bella Blvd cling mounted rubber stamps (Sand & Surf ICO226)
• Docrafts Creativity Essentials A5 clear stamp set (Steampunk DCE907125, Alpha Trad DCE907116)
• Dovecraft Essentials Alphabet Stamp Set (WDN ALPHA STMP DCVW0050)
• Docrafts Papermania Mini Cards & Stamp Set (Capsule Geometric Krafts PMA105308)
• The Oxford Pocket Dictionary
• Docrafts Glitterations (Black Borders ANT8181015)
• Kaisercraft Rub-ons (Up, Up & Away collection RB870, Lush Collection RB868)
• Docrafts Forever Friends Opulent (Adhesive Dome Borders FFS351111)
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• UHU Stic
• X-Press It double-sided tape

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

Rise and Shine

In our beach themed room we have a little plaque that our friends from America bought us when they came to stay, so I thought I’d pay tribute to it for the “Poetry in Motion” challenge over at Art Journal Journey. I’m sure those of you who know my love for walking will think this saying is very appropriate …

I started by prepping the page with a thin layer of Pébéo white gesso to give a smoother finish in readiness to apply the Faber-Castell Gelatos. Once the gesso had dried I scribbled patches of Snow Cone, Lemon and Lime gelatos onto my page to represent the beach; the blue for the sea and sky, yellow for the sand and green for the grassy dunes. Then I dipped my finger into water and rubbed the gelato scribbles to blend the colours; I didn’t use too much water as I wanted a heavier coverage of gelato for the next technique. I covered each of the different coloured areas of the page with a different stencil by Creative Expressions. I rubbed the gelatos through the stencils with a baby wipe to remove and lighten the colour; the stencils I choose were of dots to represent the sea breeze as we take our walk, birds in flight as we often see birds on our beach walks, cogs and a clock face to represent time which ties into the saying. I then used the stencils again to apply Black Soot Distress Ink using a blending tool, lining up the images so they were slightly off centre to add contrast and depth. Next I secondary stamped some arrow images by Hampton Art, using black Archival Ink, to depict the different directions that we can take on our beach walk. Then I used the same ink to add the saying using a Papermania alphabet stamp set. The page is edged with black and white polka dot washi tape which I ripped the tape in half to create an uneven edge. To finish, I added some paper flowers and three wooden polka dot butterfly buttons which I had tied black paper twine through; they are all stuck down using Glossy Accents.

We feel very blessed to live right by the sea so we often go for a walk along our beach. There are lots of different directions that you can choose from … you can walk over the dunes and to a pebbled coastal path.  On the right of this picture are the mudflats where we often see birds (see previous post).

If you walk along this path or through the dunes it leads to Fairhaven Lake.

Go the other way and there are beaches and a promenade with lots of things to see and do such as beach huts, pitch & putt golf, cinema etc.

Eventually you’ll reach the pier, this is my hubby with one of our friends from America when they came to stay – hence why they bought us the sign (grin!).

Of course sometimes the tide is in, the structure on the left of the photo at the end of the pier used to be attached to the pier at one time; in Victorian times it was where ships dropped off their passengers unfortunately it was claimed by a fire.

And when the tide is out you can even walk out to sea, that’s the pier you can see in the distance! It actually feels like you are on another planet the way the sand blows in ripples across the surface of the beach (grin!).

Here’s the plaque that inspired my page; it always makes me smile when I see it and it’s a lovely reminder of our forever friends! In case you’re wondering the lamp in the background is made by my hubby out of drift wood that we collected from our beach too (isn’t he clever!).

So as you can see with all the different walks we have to offer, it’s so easy for us to say “Rise and shine it’s beach walkin’ time!”

“Poetry in Motion”

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
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Black Soot)
• Faber-Castell Gelatos (Snow Cone, Lemon, Lime)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.1mm)
• Uniball Signo gel pen (White)
• Papermania Alphamania A-Z Clear Stamps (Leftovers Alphabet PMA9071102)
• Craft Sensations (Deco Stencil Set 154892)
• Hampton Art Bella Blvd cling mounted rubber stamps (Sand & Surf ICO226)
• Poundland (Washi Tape 156456-GE16)
• The Works (Butterfly Wooden Buttons)
• The Works (Mini Paper Flower Embellishment)
• Wilko (Paper Twine)
• Ranger Glossy Accents

Snapdragons

Snapdragons (antirrhinums) are one of my all time favourite summer flowers and as they are in full bloom in my garden I thought I would create a page. With my love for this flower I’m pleased to be able to join in the fun with Bluebeard and Elizabeth from Altered Book Lover with her “Summertime Love” theme over at Art Journal Journey.

I started with Potter’s Clay and Rich Cocoa Memento Ink which I applied to an acrylic block, spritzed with water and painted onto the page using a paintbrush. Then I stippled the same inks through a brick design stencil and also a wood grain stencil; these designs remind me of the area in our garden where the snapdragons are flowering. Next I tore up a page, that contained information about plant biology, from a Pear’s Cyclopaedia and layered the paper pieces onto my page using a UHU Stic. Once the glue had dried, I applied Butter Cream, Watermelon and Earl Grey Faber-Castell Gelatos and edged the papers with a black Sharpie Marker, smudging all the colours with my finger. I splattered the background with black acrylic paint using a paint brush and once dry I covered the whole page with white gesso. While the gesso was drying, I used a baby wipe to remove it from the papers and some of the brick and wood grain designs allowing the writing and colours to show through. The snapdragons are from a wallpaper sample which I fussy cut and stuck to the page using Liquitex matte gel medium. Once the gel medium had dried I outlined them with a Derwent Graphik marker and added shadows using Desert and Slate Spectrum Aqua Markers. To show my love for these flowers, I used some pretty pink heart brads. I pushed them through the page and then covered the back of each brad with a piece of masking tape to prevent any damage to the next journal page. I drew a very faint green circle around each heart using a Moss Spectrum Aqua Marker and then I added splatters of the Moss and also a Chocolate Aqua marker using a paintbrush; I did this by scribbling the Aqua markers onto an acrylic block and spritzing the block with water to dilute the ink. The “snapdragon” wording is made up from some leftover Cardstock Stickers by Little Yellow Bicycle that I had in my craft stash, and as I didn’t have the full complement of letters to spell out the word, I also made some of the letters using card and Uni Posca paint pens. The antirrhinum definition is cut from my old school dictionary, it is stuck to the page using a UHU Stic and outlined with a Charcoal Grey Derwent Inktense pencil and a black Uni Posca paint pen. Next I edged a pink “Love this” sign by The Works using a black Sharpie marker and stuck it to the page using double-sided foam tape. To finish, I added some gold flower outline stickers, green pearls and green lace trim.

Here are the lovely snapdragons in our garden! These flowers are also known as “dragon flowers” and their Latin name antirrhinum means resembling an animal’s snout.

They bring back the most wonderful childhood memories of when I used to play with these flowers and make the dragon open and close its mouth by gently squeezing either side of the flower head– well in actual fact I still do this, it is such fun (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:

• Pébéo White Gesso
• DecoArt Crafter’s Acrylic (Black)
• Memento Ink (Potter’s Clay, Rich Cocoa)
• Faber-Castell Gelatos (Butter Cream, Watermelon, Earl Grey)
• Spectrum Aqua Artist Marker (Desert, Slate, Chocolate, Moss)
• Uni Posca Paint Pens (White, Black, Brown, Pink)
• Derwent Inktense Pencils (Charcoal Grey 2100)
• Derwent Graphik Line Marker (Black 0.05mm)
• Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Marker (Black)
• Craft Sensations (Deco Stencil Set 154892)
• The Pocket Oxford Dictionary
• Pear’s Cyclopaedia 2007-2008 Edition
• Wallpaper sample
• The Works M&C Boutique (Vintage Die Cut Shapes)
• Little Yellow Bicycle Cardstock Stickers (Fresh Verse PD-140)
• Docrafts Anita’s Outline Stickers (Flower Blossom – Gold ANT810143)
• Trimcraft Simply Creative (Adhesive Pearls SCDOT056)
• Docrafts Papermania Botanicals (Adhesive Lace Trim PMA358334)
• Brads (Hearts – Pink BRHEP1)
• Liquitex Matte Gel Medium
• UHU Stic
• The Range double-sided foam tape

Dragonflies and Stars

This page is inspired by two things; firstly by some very magical water reflections under a bridge on a recent day out in Garstang and secondly by the most wonderful quote by an unknown author on one of my friend’s posts – so thank you Kristah.

“May you touch dragonflies and stars, dance with fairies and talk to the moon”

This page started with a background gone wrong, so I covered it in a thick layer of Pébéo white gesso and I rolled a clean brayer over the surface to create a textured effect. Once the gesso had dried, I scribbled Earl Grey and Caramel Faber-Castell gelatos over the top. Then I dipped my finger into some water and rubbed the gelato to smudge the colours. Next I dragged a Hickory Smoke Distress Ink pad over the page and also used a grey Faber-Castell Big Brush marker and blended them both onto the page with my finger. I like the way the gelatos and ink bought out the texture that I had created previously with the brayer on the gesso. Then I vertically stamped the rows of dots by Craft Sensations using black Archival Ink and I used the same ink to stamp a circle/heart design by Sugarloaf Inc. and also a small script texture stamp by The Works.  I used a circle stencil to add modelling paste to the edges of the page using a palette knife and when it had dried I painted it with white acrylic paint so it stood out from the background better. Then I used an acrylic block and a paintbrush to add splatters of white and black acrylic paint. I added the white circles by drawing round a tube of tape using a white Uni Posca paint pen. For the dragonfly circles, I used a circle cutter to cut three circles from some pre-stamped paper (this is the paper I create whilst completing other journal pages as I always test my stamps before using them on my pages). On each circle I stamped a dragonfly by Eco Green Crafts using black Versafine Ink and applied black Papermania embossing powder over the top. Then I shook the excess powder onto a piece of scrap paper and tapped the circles 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. I used a black Faber-Castell big brush marker to draw black circle outlines and stuck the dragonfly circles over the top using a UHU Stic. Then I drew a dot border around the edges of these circles using the white Uni Posca paint pen again. I stamped the quote using black Archival Ink and I went over the wording with a black Uni Pin pen to make it stand out more. The stars are outline stickers which I coloured with a black Sharpie permanent marker. To finish, I coloured some paper flowers using a Red Violet Spectrum Aqua marker by liberally colouring the centre of the flower and then applying water with a paintbrush so the water spread the ink across the petals giving a shaded effect and once they had dried I stuck them to the page with Glossy Accents.

I’m pleased to be able to join Rosie who is hosting the “Circles” challenge over at Art Journal Journey.

Garstang is a lovely old market town in Lancashire, here you can see the view up the high street, and the gentleman in blue is sat under the Market Cross. The town is steeped in history and there has been a market here for over 200 years and we always enjoy looking around the weekly outdoor market stalls that wind their way up the high street.

We always go to The Royal Oak Hotel for lunch, which is a 17th century coaching inn situated opposite the Market Cross in the centre of the town. The pub is made up of several small rooms which are decorated in a traditional pub style with beamed ceilings, wood panelling and stained glass, along with china and brass adorning the walls. We sat in this little room off the bar which has a very cosy feel.

As T Stands for Tuesday, I’m sharing a beer called “Pint of Thrones” by Robinsons Brewery. It’s pictured with our usual choice of prawn sandwich with chips (shrimp sandwich with fries for my friends in the US) – so yummy!

After lunch we like to walk along the Lancaster Canal and also the River Wyre. We walked about 5 miles looking at the boats and scenery.  This white bridge is the Fylde Water Board Crossing and carries a water pipe across the canal which is so pretty and quite elaborate considering its rather mundane task (grin!).

There were quite a few boats along the canal as it was a hot sunny day. There were many narrow boats and we had just walked round a corner when we saw this one coming towards us – don’t worry though, it’s not going that fast, they are limited to 4 mph. I think my hubby secretly wants a narrow boat!

Then we made our way back along the canal approaching the Cathouse Bypass Bridge and I think dragonflies may well enjoy these reeds and iris.

We love the wonderful views and countryside in this area. At the Wrye Aqueduct, which is a bridge taking the canal over a river, we turned down some steps to continue our walk along the River Wrye. This aqueduct was first used in 1797 and is still going strong today!

As we passed under the aqueduct, we saw the most amazing circular reflections on the ceiling. These are caused by a few drops of water from the canal above dripping down into the river below.

The background of my page reminds me of these walls and the wonderful circle reflections that we saw. The circles were so magical, it’s as if fairies were dancing on the water – just like Kristah’s quote!

We then followed the path alongside the River Wyre through the trees and back into town. We always have such a lovely time in Garstang, it’s a beautiful place!

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, Black)
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Hickory Smoke)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Tsukineko Versafine Ink (Onyx Black)
• Spectrum Aqua Artist Marker (Red Violet)
• Faber-Castell Gelatos (Earl Grey, Caramel)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Black 199, Cold Grey IV 233)
• Uni Posca Paint Pen (White)
• Sharpie Permanent Fine Point Marker (Black)
• Uni Pin Fine Line marker (Black 0.5mm)
• Papermania Embossing Powder (Black)
• Pébéo Modeling Paste
• Craft Sensations (Clear Stamps CR0274/16R2)
• Sugarloaf Inc. Anita’s wood mounted rubber stamp (26645)
• The Works (Clear Stamps CR0274/TW3)
• Eco Green Crafts Recycled Rubber Stamps (Petal Party #04309)
• Dovecraft Essentials Alphabet Stamp Set (WDN ALPHA STMP DCVW0050)
• Creative Sensations (Deco Stencil Set 154892)
• Pre-stamped paper
• The Works M&C Boutique (Mini Paper Flower Embellishments)
• Outline Stickers (Gold Stars)
• UHU Stic

Be a Flamingo

This week I’ve had loads of fun experimenting with my super new Faber-Castell Gelatos, so I thought I’d use them to create a background with one of my favourite techniques – using a stencil. Having found some flamingo fabric bunting in my craft stash, I was inspired to use the brightly coloured gelatos to create a tropical look on my page.

I started by covering the page with a thin layer of Pébéo white gesso in readiness to apply the Faber-Castell Gelatos; I’ve found out that to achieve a smooth coverage on my textured mixed media paper, then prepping the page with gesso first is a must. Next I scribbled Bubble Gum, Orange Soda, Limoncello and Mango gelatos onto my page, dipped my finger into water and then rubbed them to blend the colours. I didn’t use too much water as I wanted a heavier coverage of gelato for the next technique. I covered areas of the page with a Distressed Dot stencil by Creative Expressions and rubbed with a baby wipe to remove and lighten the colour producing a lovely effect. Next I mixed some acrylic paints into a turquoise colour and applied it using a blending tool through a Dutch Doobadoo Mask to create different circles on my page. I also used the blending tool as a stamp to add circles of the paint straight to the page. Then I stamped tiny circles, tropical flowers and a postage mark using black Archival Ink. As I stamped the images directly onto gelatos I was able to remove some of the ink from the flowers by dabbing the images with a baby wipe and then I stamped the images again, this gave more of a layered 3D look. I used the same Doobadoo mask to add a grid of dots using Black Soot Distress Ink and Pébéo Modelling paste. Once the modelling paste had dried I painted the dots with white acrylic paint to intensify their brightness. Next I added circular shiny pink flamingo stickers over each of the turquoise circles and also added some rub-on flower transfers to the page. To finish, I used a piece of fabric flamingo bunting and arranged it on the page with some card embellishments and pretty pink buttons so it looks like it is hanging on a string of bunting. The saying on the flamingo bunting makes me smile, it reads “Be a flamingo in a flock of pigeons”.

As my background features lots of circles, I’m pleased to be able to join Rosie who is hosting the “Circles” challenge over at Art Journal Journey.

With all the interest that was generated from my previous post, I thought I’d share some of the techniques I have been using with my gelatos as well as my tips and learning so far. In the photos the mixed media paper I used is prepped with white gesso and the gelato colours are Red Cherry and Passion Fruit, so firstly let’s look at some of the ways you can use gelatos:  

Scribble on paper and smudge

Just scribble gelato onto your paper (which is a nice effect in itself) and then rub it with your finger. I have found dipping my finger in a little water first then rubbing the gelato works best for me. There are several ways you can smudge gelatos and the simplest one seems to be with your finger however you can also use a paint brush or a wet wipe. As you can see from the photo above you get similar results regardless of how you smudge them and all give a heavier coverage. Although you can achieve a more translucent watercolour look or a more opaque look depending on how much pigment you use and how much water you add.

Use like Inks

As gelatos are activated by water, I experimented by using the gelatos like I do my Aqua Markers and Distress Inks. So I scribbled the gelatos onto an acrylic block (acetate would work as well) and then I spritzed them with water and pressed the block onto the paper.

Use like paint

You can also pick up the colour with a wet paint brush and paint with them so it looks similar to watercolor. I found you can even use it straight out of the tube by touching a wet paint brush right up to the gelatos. Both of these techniques resulted in a softer colour which could be intensified depending on how much pigment is used and how much water is added.

Drips and splatters

For this technique, I applied a thick layer of gelato onto the top of my paper and then I sprayed it with water and tipped the page to make drips. Although, I found that I preferred to add the water with a brush to make the drips because I could use less water and therefore control how the gelatos blended to get a more vibrant colour. I accidentally found out that you can also create splatters of colour by flicking a wet paintbrush over the end of the gelato straight from the tube (grin!).

Use a Stencil

This is the technique I used on my page, in summary just scribble gelatos onto paper and smudge the colour. Then cover with a stencil and use a baby wipe to remove the colour. The colour can be lightened to varying degrees depending on how much you rub off with the baby wipe giving a great tone on tone effect. If the surface is prepped with gesso first, you’ll be able to remove more colour getting a higher contrast effect.

Stamp with it

This is where you apply the gelato right onto the stamp, spritz with water and stamp. You can also colour areas of the stamp with different gelato colours that may blend together a bit when stamped or you can apply the gelato by picking up the colour with a wet paintbrush and painting it onto the stamp to give a softer look.

Tips and learning:

• If you want smooth coverage, then prep your paper with gesso first. I have found that it gives the mixed media paper I use a much smoother surface, which helps to smudge and blend gelatos more easily. Plus if you are using cardstock, a layer of gesso helps the paper withstand water and rubbing.
• I have even experimented prepping the page with Matte Gel Medium which gives a slicker surface and is great when misting with water to blend the gelatos and create drips.
• Remember they are water based so when using a baby wipe be careful not to wipe away the gelato accidentally.
• If you make a mistake or don’t like you what you have created on gesso prepped paper, then you can just wipe the gelato off straight away with a baby wipe and some kitchen roll and start again.
• If you contaminate a gelato by getting another gelato colour on it, simply rub it off on a piece of paper.
• Cleaning up after using gelatos is very easy as they are water-soluble, so just use a baby wipe or a wet cloth to get everything clean.
• Unfortunately (for my hubby) these gelatos are nothing to do with ice cream!

Overall, I love the look you can achieve with these new gelatos and it’s been fun experimenting and learning what they can and can’t do. I really enjoy learning and I still have more techniques to try, I hope you have had fun 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:

• Pébéo White Gesso
• Faber-Castell Gelatos (Bubble Gum, Orange Soda, Limoncello, Mango)
• Liquitex Artist Color Acrylic (Christmas Green, Swedish Blue)
• DecoArt Artist’s Acrylic (White)
• 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 0.1mm)
• Pébéo Modelling Paste
• Hampton Art Graphic 45 Cling Mounted Rubber Stamps (Tropical Travelogue ICO134)
• Sugarloaf Inc. Anita’s wood mounted rubber stamp (26631)
• Creative Expressions That Special Touch of Mica Masks (Distressed Dots)
• Dutch Doobadoo Dutch Mask Art A5 (Geometric Tiles)
• The Range (Craft Stickers CR1243)
• Poundland (Homemade Embellishments 138127)
• Royal & Langnickel Rub-on Transfers (SYN1470G)
• Aldi Kirkton House (Bedroom Bunting)
• The Range double-sided foam tape