Go Green

Posted on March 7, 2023 by Let's Art Journal

It’s time for a new challenge over at Try it on Tuesday, which is Go Green; please use the colour green and/or recycle.

I’d also like to send a warm welcome to the lovely Helen, who has re-joined our Design Team – yay! Please be sure to check out her blog and show her some love!

I started by covering the page with Light Green, Deep Green, and Phthalocyanine Green Liquitex Basics acrylic paints blending the colours together with a paint brush. When dry, I stamped a Mister Fox stamp set by Kaisercraft using black Archival Ink and a Tiny Dot stamp by Kaisercraft using Moonlight White Brilliance Ink. The flowers were cut, from white cardstock using a Large Stems Sizzix Bigz die set by Tim Holtz. They were stuck in place alongside the wording, “Take time to do what makes your soul happy,” which was a sticker from Kaisercraft. To finish, I added some white Glitterations dot stickers.

For more inspiration please pop over to Try it on Tuesday to see the amazing creations from our Guest Designer and the rest of my Design Teamies (grin!). I hope you are inspired to join our challenge; it would be lovely to see you there!

I hope that you are staying safe and well!

Many apologies that I haven’t been visiting you and your blogs lately; I have a lot going on with family at the moment!

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

Challenges

As well as Try it on Tuesday, I’m pleased to join the following challenges:

Art Journal Journey which is being hosted by the lovely Valerie of Bastelmania and her Anything Goes challenge with my art journal page.

MIUCB #64 – Anything Goes + optional Distressing over at Mix It Up Challenge Blog with my distressed green background page.

Triple B Challenge where everything is about Birds, Blooms and Butterflies so as their March challenge blog was launched this month, I’m joining them with the white blooms on my page.

Double D Challenge and their Everything is Coming up Green challenge with my green art journal page.

Be Calm, Be Strong

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Let's Art Journal

Over at Sparkles Monthly Challenge, we are launching a new challenge today which is Men Only.

This journal page was created using Sir Vagabond in Japan papers and Backgrounds papers by Stamperia. I started by cutting a piece of blue paper, from the Sir Vagabond in Japan – Backgrounds paper pad, to fit the page. Then I layered some leftover Japanese written plaque paper pieces and the Japanese warrior over the top; he was fussy cut from the Sir Vagabond in Japan pad. The circular dragon was a topper from Hunkydory Crafts and the words “Be Calm, Be Strong” were from a Kaisercraft sticker sheet. To finish, I added the pretty gold flowers which were outline stickers.

I hope you’ll join us at Sparkles Monthly Challenge too, for more inspiration please check out the amazing papercraft projects from my Sparkles Buddies in the Design Team too; we would love for you to join us. Please be sure to check out the rules here.

I always find it hard to create masculine pages, but I had so much fun using these Stamperia papers to create this page and I love how it turned out; I hope you like it too!

I hope that you are staying safe and well!

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

Challenges

As well as Sparkles Monthly Challenge , I’m pleased to be joining the following challenges:

Art Journal Journey which is being hosted by the lovely Erika at her BioArtGal blog and she has chosen Seeing Red as her challenge; my Japanese warrior is wearing red.

Challenge #67 – Anything Goes over at Ally’s Angels Challenge Blog with my papercraft page.

Love

Posted on February 3, 2023 by Let's Art Journal

It’s a new month so we are launching our first challenge of the year today over at the Creative Artiste Challenge Blog, and as always the theme is Anything Mixed Media Goes.

Happy New Year everyone! For my mixed media page I used lots of leftovers that I had in my craft stash – yay!

I started by collaging leftover papers onto the page using a glue stick; this included torn pieces of recycled sheet music, leftover pieces of Aviary Collage Paper by Tim Holtz, some bits and pieces of plaid and ruler design papers. When the papers were stuck in place, I covered the edges of the papers with some Liquitex matte gel medium and left it to dry; this allowed me to smudge the black Faber-Castell marker ink that I added around the edges, more easily, with my finger. Next I applied some Earl Grey, Coconut and Caramel Faber-Castell Gelatos by applying them to the page and then smudging the colour with my finger. I added two hearts and the “love” wording which were also leftover. To finish, I splattered the page using both white and black DecoArt acrylic paint.

For more inspiration please check out the amazing creations from our Guest Designer and my fellow Design Team members over at Creative Artiste too. All you need to do is to use three different mediums on your projects to join our mixed media challenge; I hope you are inspired to join us, it would be lovely to see join you there!

Recently, there have been some beautiful cloud formations and colours in the evenings; the sunset pinks, creamy yellows and greys all look so pretty together (smile!). I thought Bleubeard & Elizabeth might like the view of the silhouette palm trees in our back garden too.

Hope that you’re all staying safe and well.

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

Challenges

As well as Creative Artiste , I’m pleased to be joining the following challenges:

MIUCB #63 – Anything Goes + optional no stamping over at Mix It Up Challenge Blog with my Love page which was created with no stamping.

Double D Challenges and their Hearts challenge with the two hearts I added to this page.

More Than Words challenge and their Love Letters challenge with my Love page.

Enjoy Today

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Let's Art Journal

It’s the first of the month so it’s time for a new challenge at Country View Challenges which is Be Sentimental.

The lovely Jane is hosting and she would like to see your crafting makes which include a sentiment and/or some inspiring words.

I started by covering the page with Antiqued Bronze Distress Paint and when dry I stamped a couple of Fragment stamps from a Stamper Anonymous stamp set by Tim Holtz using Moonlight White Brilliance Ink by Archival and Peeled Paint Distress Archival Ink. Next I added the torn pieces of paper and the pretty flowers which were from an Idea-ology Worn Wallpaper Scraps set and then to finish, I added the wording and frames from an Idea-ology Metallic Sticker Book by Tim Holtz.

For more inspiration please see the amazing creations from my fellow Design Team members over at Country View Challenges.

We are looking forward to seeing your makes and you never know, you might even win a £20 voucher for the shop, Country View Crafts! Before you enter your project though, please read the rules!

The flowers on my page reminded me on the Wild Prickly Roses (Rosa Acicularis) which can be found on one of our beach walks; they smell divine in the summer when in bloom and form rose hips later in the year which stay on the plant throughout the winter.

Stay safe and well! x

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

Challenges

As well as Country View Challenges, I’m pleased to be joining the following challenges:

Challenge #66 – Anything Goes over at Ally’s Angels Challenge Blog with my Enjoy Today page.

Art Journal Journey which is being hosted by the lovely Erika at her BioArtGal blog who invited me to join her Seeing Red challenge after seeing the flowers on my page; I’m so happy to join you with the touches of burgundy red on the flowers.

Thankful Everyday

Posted on January 24, 2023 by Let's Art Journal

It’s time for a new challenge over at Try it on Tuesday, which is Winter Blues.

My page today was created with lots of blue scraps that I had in my craft stash which included recycled papers from greeting cards, recycled envelopes, recycled book pages, leftover stamped tissue paper, old calendar pages, recycled foil from sweets and a photo from an old magazine. I simply collaged everything together using a glue stick and some Liquitex matte gel medium after edging them all with a black Faber-Castell marker. To finish, I added some measuring tape designed washi tape, a blue washi tape flower and the “Thankful everyday” sticker from Kaisercraft.

For more inspiration please pop over to Try it on Tuesday to see the amazing Winter Blues creations from our Guest Designer and my Design Teamies too (grin!). I hope you are inspired to join our challenge; it would be lovely to see you there!

As T Stands for Tuesday, I’m sharing my pretty blue mug of tea with a piece of spiced apple cake made with apples from my garden (smile!) – Happy T Day everyone!

Hope that you’re all staying safe and well!

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

Challenges

As well as Try it on Tuesday, I’m pleased to join the following challenges:

LTSCB #159 Anything Goes over at Love to Scrap Challenge Blog with my paper scraps collage page.

Art Journal Journey which is being hosted by the lovely Mia from https://craftartista.blogspot.com/ this month who has chosen Use a Photo; I used pieces of sky and rocks from a photo in a magazine as part of my collage papers which you can see here:

Friends are the flowers

Posted on January 15, 2023 by Let's Art Journal

Over at Sparkles Monthly Challenge, we are launching a new challenge today which is Friendship.

I had fun creating this page inspired by some beautiful summer roses in my friend’s garden (smile!).

I started by applying a piece of neutral paper over the background detailing lots of flowers. Then I added a flowery border sticker, along the left-hand side and right-hand side of the page, from a Floral Shoppe Graphic 45 Sticker Sheet. I stamped two flower heads onto some mixed media paper using a Flower Garden stamp set from Tim Holtz and black Archival Ink. Then I painted the flowers to match those on the Graphic 45 stickers using Lemon Yellow and Rose Madder Kuretake watercolours. I fussy cut the large flower head and die cut some buds using a Bloom Colourize Sizzix Thinlits set along with some leaves from some green Kraft Cardstock – Classic by Tim Holtz. I arranged them onto the page with a pretty tag, that was from the same Graphic 45 Sticker Sheet, adding a green satin ribbon; the tag reads “Friends are the flowers in the garden of life”.

I hope you’ll join us at Sparkles Monthly Challenge too, for more inspiration please check out the amazing Friendship designs from my Sparkles Buddies in the Design Team too; we would love for you to join us so please be sure to check out the rules here.

My dear friend loves gardening and here is one of the beautiful roses that she grows in her garden (smile!).

I hope that you are staying safe and well!

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

Challenges

As well as Sparkles Monthly Challenge , I’m pleased to be joining the following challenges:

LTCCB #159 – Anything Goes over at Love To Scrap Challenge Blog with my papercraft page.

In With The New

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Let's Art Journal

Over at Try it on Tuesday we are launching our first challenge of 2023, which is In With The New.

Please join us using a new product or a new technique or like me maybe you’re welcoming in the New Year too (smile!).

I started by covering the page with Silver Extreme Sheen Metallic DecoArt paint and then stenciling the starburst lines over the top using Black Soot Distress Ink through a Steampunk Mixed Media Stencil by Stamperia (new). The “Happy New Year” wording was die cut from some black glitter cardstock using an X-cut Folk Alphabet set. I used the same glitter cardstock for the black stars, which were die cut using a Snowy Stars Thinlits set by Tim Holtz. I added some silver glitter foam star stickers (new) and lots of circular black and silver outline stickers. To finish, I splattered the page using black DecoArt acrylic paint.

As T Stands for Tuesday, I’m sharing a selection of Brewdog beers; my sister kindly gifted my hubby for Christmas a box of their “12 Beers of Christmas” which he was delighted with and we have been enjoying throughout the New Year – Happy T Day everyone!

Happy New Year and I hope that you’re staying safe and well!

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

Challenges

As well as Try it on Tuesday, I’m pleased to join the following challenges:

Stencil Fun Challenge and their January Stencil Fun – Anything Goes (as long as you use a stencil) with optional Winter challenge the Stamperia stencils that I used to create the starbursts on my page.

LTSCB#159 – Anything Goes over at Love To Scrap Challenge Blog with my Happy New Year page.

Fairytale of Brew York

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Let's Art Journal

Today I have a page to share that I created by recycling a beer can label; we enjoyed this yummy beer over the holidays – Cheers and Happy New Year everyone!

I started by extending the label image over the page using a pencil and then colouring the different sections using Speckled Egg and Rustic Wildness Distress Paint and white acrylic paint. For the sky section, I used was Brushed Brass Distress Paint mixed with white acrylic paint. Next I die cut some fir tree branches, from some green Kraft Cardstock-Classic, using a Holiday Greens Thinlits set by Tim Holtz and some snowflakes using a Paper Snowflakes Mini Thinlits set by Tim Holtz from some white cardstock. I stuck everything in place using Liquitex matte gel medium and then splattered the page with white acrylic paint. To finish, I added some stickers from a Christmas Sticker Book by Tim Holtz.

We really enjoyed the beer, which was a Gingerbread Milk Stout – wishing you all Happy New Year and as T Stands for T Day sending you Happy T Day wishes too!

“Fairytale of Brew York takes a warming ginger spin. Rich gingerbread, cinnamon spice and heaps of creamy vanilla combine for this Christmas stout”.

Hoping that you all stay safe and well! x

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

Challenges

I’m pleased to be joining the following challenges:

Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge #31 and their Christmas Anything Goes Challenge as my deer and reindeer matches their photo inspiration and also celebrates a Fairytale in Brew York Christmas.

Merry Little Christmas Challenge and their MLCCB #48 – Anything Christmas Goes challenge with my Christmassy page.

LTSCB #159 – Anything Goes over at Love To Scrap Challenge Blog with my recycled beer label page.

Thank You – Snowy Winter

Posted on December 31, 2022 by Let's Art Journal

As it’s the end of December, I’m sharing my last page for the Snowy Winter challenge over at Art Journal Journey which I’ve been hosting this month.

Thank you so much to everyone who joined me; I really appreciate all your kind comments and support throughout the month and have thoroughly enjoyed visiting your blogs and seeing all your wonderful artwork (smile!).

_{Please note: I took this photo earlier this week and will add any names I’ve missed when the challenge has finished (smile!).}

My page celebrates all of you who joined in the fun and I chose to design a page full of gifts, like you’re artworks were this month. I started by die cutting lots of squares from different Christmas design papers by Docrafts and arranged them onto the page with some blue square stickers. Then I painted some Cracked Pistachio Distress Stain between the squares giving it an icy snowy look. When dry, I added lots of stickers to the squares and background; they included tags, presents, bells, snowman, trees, snowflakes and stars. Next I printed the names of those who joined the challenge using a Dymo LetraTag Label Maker and once stuck in place, I decorated them using some silver Stickles glitter and a sequin snowflake.

I hope you had as much fun as I did, I enjoyed creating snowy winter pages for this challenge whether it was in my mini journal or …

… in my A4 sized journal.

Thank you all for your participation and lovely comments, you made it such a joy to host this challenge!

I’d like to say a special thanks to Bleubeard & Elizabeth and the rest of the AJJ Team for asking me to be a guest host; it’s always a pleasure to join you!

Not only is tomorrow a New Year, it’s the start of a new month which brings a new challenge at Art Journal Journey and I can’t wait to see what the new theme is and say hello to our new host – see you there!

I hope you’ve had a safe and happy Christmas. Wishing you all the very best for 2023! Hugs Jo x

Thanks for joining me and if you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Let's Art Journal

Today I’m sharing another page over at Art Journal Journey for the challenge theme Snowy Winter; like me all you need to do is add snowflakes or include snow to your page.

I started by covering the chipboard page with a used baby wipe that was stained blue using mop-up inks from previous projects; like all the paper elements it was stuck in place using Liquitex matte gel medium. The blue snowflakes were created from blue tissue paper using a Paper Snowflakes Mini Sizzix Thinlits set by Tim Holtz; they melted into the background beautifully. The deer was cut from some white cardstock using a Reindeer Bigz Die by Tim Holtz; it and was coloured using Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy and Vintage Photo Distress Ink and a Dark Sepia Faber-Castell Pitt Pen. When stuck in place I added his nose which was a red mini pom-pom. I added some glittery foam snowflake stickers and some white glittery stars which were created using a Snowy Stars Sizzix Thinlits set by Tim Holtz and covered in Clear Sparkle Embossing Powder Glitter by Wow!. To finish, I added the “up in the clear sky” wording which was from a Tim Holtz Christmas Sticker Book.

I hope that you are inspired to join in the fun this month too! I’m really looking forward to visiting you and seeing all your wonderful Snowy Winter creations (smile!).