Playing with layers in the chaos

I have a couple of days leave – replacement days for working Easter – so have been creating all kids of things in amongst working on the newspaper and some other bits that I need to get done.  As you can see, when I get really into creating mode my desk can get a bit overloaded. Mind you, a friend who is moving countries once her house sells just gave me a huge pile of beads and glitter, which hasn’t helped the state of chaos because I’m not sure where to store them in my stash yet! (thanks Doris – I appreciate it and will love using it all up)

The journal page was inspired by one of Donna Downey’s Inspiration Wednesday videos  I love the way she works in layers, her videos are always fun to watch and she’s really good at explain both her thought process and her art process. If you want to check out her videos a quick search of Donna Downey on YouTube will do the trick.

Trying out a new process

This morning I have been Gelli printing onto heavy water colour paper that I prepared with a faux Chine Colle technique last night. In many ways, just fancy collage.  I love the results I’m getting  and can see lots more experimentation coming. I am thinking about adding words to these, but am not sure yet. As much as I love some of them, I don’t quite see them as finished pieces. Here’s what I have so far:

I crafted!

And this is what it looked like in the middle of the crafting storm:

Time out – Gelli Plate play

Today Tony was super tired and went back to bed about 11.30 (healing after two major surgeries is hard work). I decided to get out my Gelli Plate, some Golden Fluid Acrylics, stencils, old lace and some texture plates. Oh, and a random pile of paper. Hours later, here’s just a few of the papers I now have tucked away for card making, collaging, art journaling and other fun stuff. And there’s a wee supply on it’s way to an arty/crafty friend!

Art calendar challenge 2014

When I saw the art calendar challenge 2014 at The Kathryn Wheel blog I knew I had to join in; you can find all the details by following the link. I love Kathryn’s examples and we share a name, so how could I resist! I am working on loose sheets, 2 A4 pages at a time, and will bind them at the end of the year. I’m finding my work is increasingly detailed and fussy, which is not really me at all, but I’m enjoying it so who cares…

For these pages I used Dylusions ink spray and a Donna Downey stencil, then gesso and Tim Holtz Distress Paints with one of Michelle Ward’s stencils. I used archival ink to stamp some text here and there, and to add a fine black border round the outside edge of the pages. I used the Dylusions again,with two Tim Holtz stencils, the bubbles and the stars. I cut a bunch of 1.5×1.5 squares, edged them with black archival ink, wiped gesso across the centres, and wrote in the dates with a Stabilo pen. I stamped the month and year with black Archival and some old Memory Makers foam stamps, then added some details with a White Signo pen.

Working in my art journals

This year I am organising an art journal round robin, so spent last night and this morning starting to decorate the cover. This involved gesso, Dylusions inks, stencils and gold heavy body acrylic. Then today I have been preparing a couple of pages in another journal and, guess what? Yes, I used mainly the same supplies… I’m consistent if nothing else! I find a page that has paint, gesso and a bit of texture is often enough to get me writing, and then all kinds of thoughts spill out onto the page.

All coming back to me now…

A few days ago I commented that since Mum died I haven’t achieved much, and have done plenty of art journaling etc but no real painting. Tony was away last night, due back late today, as he had a medical appointment in Hamilton, so it’s been just me and the furkids.

I decided to prepare some canvas and see what happened. Not push it, but just give myself the chance to really paint. I’m not sure where these are headed but I have a sense that I might be starting to paint again. That would be so cool and Mum would be pleased. No doubt she is watching me and mumbling about the mess I make 😉

My wee painting companion

Tim’s 12 tags of 2013 – June

I’m having a slow, relaxed, arty sort of Queen’s Birthday weekend. We were heading away but Tony’s had a couple of ‘off’ days so we decided it was better to stay close to home. Every month Tim Holtz holds the Tim’s 12 tags of 2013 challenge. He demonstrates how to make a super cool tag using his products, complete with detailed product tips and techniques = awesome stuff. This month’s tag features Distress Markers.

I don’t have any Distress Markers (yet 🙂 ) but have plenty of Distress Ink and Distress paints, so adjusted the instructions to suit my stash. I don’t mind not having all the bits ‘n bobs because it makes me think about the process and what the look is we’re trying to achieve. I’m pleased with the final results. One of these will go in my art journal, the other will become part of a greeting card.

I have a very sick staff member, she’s already been in hospital 2 months with plenty more to go, so I write to her every week and try to use handmade cards for a bit of colour and variety. Tony watched me draw a tree, leaves and bird on the envelope for a card I wrote her today; he shook his head, muttered something about the poor postal service, and wandered off. He makes me laugh…

Stencil, spray, stamp

Tony is in Christchurch for  long weekend, having some Granddad time with our gorgeous grandson Rory and his parents, Yasmine and Adam. He also had a day out with his brother Roger. Which means I am looking after the animals and making art. When Tony’s away the tv never goes on, the bed doesn’t get made, the meals are whatever’s quickest – and I tidy up just before he comes home 😉 Faith, Goldie and I spend our days in my home office – me at the computer or art desk, Goldie on the sheepskin and Faith on the mohair rug in the lazyboy. How good is our life? Here’s a little of what I have done over the last couple of days.  The green one is a card, the rest are in my art journal. I also did some scrapbooking but they’re a pain to scan or photograph, especially at night.

An art day to soothe my soul

There’s nothing like a day getting messy to soothe my soul. I have cut new leaf stencils and masks, cut a Heartagram stencil, inked and layered and glued and…  I am really enjoying this larger format landscape journal. The pages stand up well to the way I work and I like having more room to ‘do stuff’. I just wish my wrist was stronger, but it’s getting there.