March Calender page

 Hi Everyone,

How are you today then? I was lovely to get a nice sunny day for once it has been so long without one.

Today I am continuing with Kate Crane Calender Challenge which the deets can be found here http://thekathrynwheel.blogspot.com/2012/03/march-is-here.html  basically you do a little journaling each day for a month and you upload your before and after shots to Kate"s Blog. So far so good i am managing to keep up although you will see that i have forgot to add March as a title on my page.....this will be rectified by the end of the month......

So here it is ....March......

 I liked how this page turned out the colours are bright .....wishes of the nicer weather to get here quicker and as you can see i used a fair amount of Dylusions stamps.....infact i think apart from the gesso and the small squares it is all Dylusions.....the sprays and the paints are so vibrant and they keep their colour wonderfully ....here is a close up .......

Don't you just love her ......she is one funky I said FUNKY chick.

And just to prove my feb pages are all complete here you are ......although it makes for very boring reading....how come other peoples doings sound better than your own..!!

So  last month I was going to Art from the Heart for a class with Dyan Reaveley well i did that and i have to say it was Fabbbbberrrrrroooooonnnnnnnneeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy. (do you think i liked it!! if you would like to see what kind of things we did its on the previous post!!)  Also last month both my children got star of the week (proud mum).

This month  I have another class scheduled for beginners art journaling with Dyan and also next week i have a class booked with Dina Wakely ( oh happy days springs to mind!!) Although the class for the next beginners art journaling is on mothers day ........mmmmmm spoilt for 20 mins of kids or spoilt for the day going to class .....what is a girl supposed to do ........yep you got it.... leaving for class at 8 am that means girls have from 0630 to 0745 to spoil mummy !! Well it is mothers day can we not do what we want??? I will leave you with that .....what do you think??? 

Anyway enough rambling from me catch up with you soon .....Thanks for stopping by ...take care Mandy xx

Art Journaling Beginners

Hi there,

In Dec i booked to take some beginners Art Journaling classes at Art from the Heart with the lovely Dyan Reaveley. These were to take place once a month in Jan and Feb and March. Unfortunately unto unforseen circumstances the Jan class was moved to Feb. I have not done a lot of Art Journaling just bits and pieces really not sure about what to do. 

I attended the class in Feb and it was FAB had a great time and only have to wait a few weeks until the next one. I learnt about colour and collage and how to grab words from everyday magazines but there was a catch you did not choose your own words or pictures. 

 This background was done in class the rest i did not have time to finish so finished it off at home. I can't resist doing a bit of doodling ! I think i waffled here without any meaning at all i just wanted to write ......

 Then i ventured out on my own and tried to do the colouring as i was taught ......i just can't seem to get the blending right but i will keep trying......i never used collage in a magazine i used all bits and pieces from different dylusions stamps ....not conforming to body or hat (body made out of spiders web hat out of text circle it was a lot lot of fun .....another day spent at work........

 The above one was done at work and it was Whitney Housten's funeral which i watched or rather had on in the background .....such a great singer such a shame......

 Then i was feeling a bit down i did the collage from the magazine but wanted something else and thought Dina   Wakely stamp looked good .....i actually liked this page and had a good moan about missing my friends from Scotland. ............ The next two are on going ............

The above i don't know what happened i tried to go beyond what i was shown with colour and it was such a mess but then i got good again .....I struggle to find images that i like in the magazines but discovered the tattoo magazines have some fantastic images in so i think i am mainly drawn to them........This page needs finishing with some writing but have been so busy of late or not done anything worth writing about.......

I love this image i need to bring a bit more red in i know and its still in progress.

As i said this is new to me so I am enjoying just playing around with it all at the moment . I have another class at Art from the Heart next month with Dyan can't wait for that and also with Dina wakely so am keen and eager to learn some more.......its nice to meet new people as well and i always like to chew the fat with different people ...so this is right up my street

Thanks for stopping by ......let me know what you think warts and all ......catch up with you again real soon
Take care Mandy xx

Simon says show some Ideaology

Hi There,

Well today i am entering the Simon Says Stamp and show some Idea-Ology. Deets here :http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/2012/02/simon-says-stamp-and-show-idea-ology.html I have not done this challenge for a while as been busy busy busy but its great to join in again......

The funny thing about this challenge is that I was at work all weekend (12 shift 0730-1930 Sat and Sun) with not a lot to do so I came up with doing Tim Holtz book of Compendiums Vol 1 each and every technique. You see i bought this book about 2 years ago but did not have all the products to try the techniques. Alas it does not take long to collect all products and then some !! lol !! Anyway I did all the techniques on Sat and thought that was good what am i going to do with all this stuff i have made now ......hence said configurations box ........box of techniques and Ideology....Perfect for sunday stint at work!! and even more perfect for Simon Says

 So  I used the smallest configurations box and covered it with tissue tape...I actually tried to put lost and found paper stash on the outside but did not like it so covered it completely in tissue tape. The bird and the key and the SIMPLIFY tag were all covered in alcohol inks and adhered to the front of the box.
The bottle is filled with letter dice and a peg .
The second compartment is a collage fragment made and above that is fragments made from paper stash game pieces and dice were added. then on to the next compartment i pushed some craft wire through the top and attached the bird cage at the bottom of this at the top i hooked on a swivel clasp and hung a philosophy tag to (its under the lid ) Below the bird cage is a bottle top with "Oh Happy Days" words and an epoxy sticker i never had any of the type charms but thought this worked just as well.

 On the bottom shelf the background is done using the masking technique and another homemade fragment stuck to the side with a few charms picked up somewhere random. and the last compartment was the Industrial grunge technique done to a cog with a coloured metal flower attached .  I should have bought the big printers tray and i would have been able to fit it all in .......another project maybe as i have another weekend shift coming up.

It is either craft at work or watch mind numbingly boring TV all day as i am stuck in an office by myself. Anyway i have gone on long enough and have to post some art journaling so will leave you for now......
Thanks for stopping by catch up with you soon  Mandy x

Cheery Thought

Hi There, 

Today I am entering the Stampotique designers challenge the deets here:

http://stampotiquedesignerschallenge.blogspot.com/2012/02/sdc49-purplepink-with-black.html 

You can only use Stampotique stamps and your creation needs to be purple, pink and black. This is what i have come up with

 There is a story behind this card, i actually made something similar yesterday and was quite pleased with the outcome only to find that the colours were not blue and purple as i thought but pink and purple .....that will teach me to read the instructions!!!

The idea for this card started out as the square she is wearing and i immeadiatley thought billboard!!

You know the type you see in american films with the poor bloke walking around with said bill board down to his feet and it always has a cheery message on it !
 Since this is the only stampotique stamp I own (need to rectify this i think ) i had to make the background without stamps.  I used Claudine Helmuth paints for the first layer ........but did not like it......then i used some chipped saphire DI.....and did not like it ......then onto some Dylusions bubblegum spray.....through a stencil then flipped it ......getting a bit better......then i put black gesso through the stencil .....oh my god ruined it ....such a mess .....quick cover up with text circles a few ranger dabber black paint circles and lines and it starting to look a bit better.

stamped girl onto cardstock and cut her out and attached bill board with craft wire and wrote some words out albeit not the most cheeriest of words granted but fitting for a bill board.
I am sorry my camera work is a bit shoddy .....i keep getting a pesky reflection.

Well thanks for stopping by i will catch up with you soon ....i have beginners art journaling to upload tomorrow ...see if i am on the right track.  Bye for now Mandy xx

Tims 12 Tags (feb)

Hi there Folks how are you doing i hope you are all well and that you have a little sunshine in your lives. Roll on the good weather! Well today i am entering this new idea that Tim Holtz has come up with called 12 Tags.... http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2012/02/12-tags-of-2012-a-new-direction.html (find all the details here ...I would have had the blinkie in my sidebar but alas i don't know how to do it .....so if any of you lovely people can help it would be much appreciated.) So i digress....This new 12 Tags is a fabby idea as for the  Christmas 12 Tags i managed up to day 7 i think then had to fold and bow out gracefully( due to work, panto, children, mummy duties, Christmas shopping, baking you get the idea.........!) So his new scheme is simple you have a month to create a tag ......Yipee... So here is my tag for this month 

 I used a large Manila tag and fire brick DI and then did the stamping of the text in the back ground with the same colour I then used the Paper Arsty stamp for the foliage and a Wendy Vechi stamp for the swirl and embossed these elements.

 I love this sentiment i think it says an awful lot and can be used in so many ways. This is one of the Dylusions sentiment stamps .....just fab.

For the hearts i used the Crafters workshop basic hearts set and then covered the large one with Claudine Helmuth sticky back canvas .....i like how that turned out it gives the whole tag texture.....the other two hearts are covered with washi tape that i picked up somewhere. Of course a tag could not be complete without some Tim Hotlz Bling on it hence the key hole and the pin!!

I think without realising it i managed to cover quite a few of the ranger designers there!! Oh well that will make up for not having the angel with the bow or that lovely honeycomb paper ......saw the vid (if you haven't its worth a watch as you can make all sorts of little embellies ) honeycomb paper on my wish list as is them little pearly dangly things that Tim Holtz released as i think that would have just finished my tag of nicely .....oh well a girl can't have everything!!! Anyway i must be off got kids to pick up from school.

Catch up with you soon thanks for stopping by Mandy xx

P.S I went to Art from the Heart ...........FAB ER OONEY.  loved the beginners art journaling!!!!

xx

February Page and some Journaling

Hi Everyone, 

How are you doing? I have had a busy old month to myself so no blogging for me .....but hope to rectify that in FEB. I have had time to visit the many blogs but just not managed to do any myself. 

Today I am showing my completed Jan Page for Kate Cranes challenge of doing a little bit of journaling everyday the deets are here : http://thekathrynwheel.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-bring-it-on.html. I had a great time filling it in but have to confess:

 That i made the page for february at the same time as making Jan's. I just could'nt stop when i started!! As you can see i have already taken the liberty of filling in 2nd Feb. A special day in our house as my beautiful twin girls will be 5 and growing up so quickly. The quote is from a clarity stamp that i thought was apt for this month. The girl is a magnolia stamp and the frog from Dylusions as are the inks and paints.

 A little closer

 And closer still......i just love this stamp it makes me smile everytime i use it or see it.

 Last month i said i was going to a beginners class for art journaling at Art from the Heart well unfortunately it had to be cancelled it has been rescheduled for this month so uber excited about that this month not long now.

In the meantime I was looking at my blank pages of my journal this month and for some strange reason i got the urge to draw a face .......I have never in my life drawn a face (well maybe at school but that was cough cough years ago !!) or had the slightest inclination to ever do so but hey that's what happened and i have to tell you i enjoyed every last minute of it . I know it won't win any prizes for depth and colouring but i liked the way it came out.....so have been drawing some more.......and my little girl has been colouring them in for me as she wants to help mummy in my special book.......will post the out come next week they are funny!!!

 And here are is another page that came out with ......I wanted to try and use pan pastels not sure what i am doing with these or not sure how you layer them yet but I like playing with them. I like that there is no drying time . I think i will have to look on U tube for some help.  The stamps are from Dylusions.....

 And finally a page in progress using pan pastels again......I liked this tag that i made last year and did not want to see it end up in the bin so decided it needed to be added to my journal.  By the time i get to art from the Heart i will have no pages left to work on!!!! buy another i hear you say ......well i have 5 on the go at the moment!!!! Its really addictive...

Anyway sorry to go on and on but just wanted to post a few things .....thanks for stopping by the next post wont be so long I promise.......Off now to make some birthday cake ......and then to look at all the completed pages for Jan and the new ones for Feb .........take care Mandy x

P.s Thanks for joining my site you are too kind....... i will try and blog more than this month x

January Page

Hi Everyone,

Happy New Year to you all i hope 2012 brings you all that you wish for.

I have taken a break from the challenges for a couple of weeks to concentrate on my family during the festive period. What a great time we had. I hope you did too.

Today I am entering into the 366 day challenge of Callender Journaling , details can be found here: http://thekathrynwheel.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-bring-it-on.html. The idea is it gets you doing a little bit of journaling every day....so here's to a new start.

I just have to mention though that this page may look familiar to you, it's because i was copying all the instructions from a Kate Crane's article from the Craft Stamper magazine, obviously there are a few differences as i did not have all the equipment and same stamps as her so the credit goes to this creative lady. Feb is different and is all my own .....what can i say i had so much fun making Jan that i went ahead and made Feb as well!!!!

Journaling is something new for me I have not been doing it for very long only since the beginning of  December.I love it  .....You can only make so many cards and tags and in the end most of them get chucked in a box, so this is a great way to experiment and you get to get things of your chest to boot which can't be a bad thing ....I am Scottish and i do love a good rant!!!!! I have booked up to go on art journaling for beginners at Art from the Heart so looking forward to that, it starts in Jan so can't wait. well i think i have went on enough for one post thanks for looking catch up with you again soon  Mandy x