A little haul

Do people like Hauls videos? I don't know. I do because I find that I get lots of ideas and find out about products that I didn't know otherwise. For me also it is just another look into what makes a person tick and that just fascinates me as you well know! I wasn't sure if people looked upon them and just thought that was a chance for people to show off or not? Being in the UK I watch loads of haul videos from my YouTube friends in the States and I get so envious because they seem to have such lovely stuff that isn't so readily accessible to us here in the UK and if it is, it usually comes at a great price!!

So anyway here is a little haul from me. My first ever haul video!!

What is in an Art Journalers bag

You all know by now that I am incredibly nosey. I am it is so true, I love a good nose. I love it when people share their lives, I find it so interesting but then I did study Sociology at University. I just love finding out about more people, I guess that is why I watch so many YouTube videos.

So you can imagine my squeals of delight when I saw the "what is in your bag" tag going round. Fabulous! I find it even more interesting when they are journalers as I like to see what they carry around with them to create their pages etc.

Of course I did my own video so here we are, this is what is in my bag.

July's craft space envy

July's craft space envy

So lovely and bright and Summery. I am not sure if I could live with it myself as it might be too bright but I do love just looking at it and drooling.

I can look at art and craft room pictures in the same way I can pieces of art. Sad I know!

Another old art journal flip...

Yet more art journal juciness found whilst unpacking random boxes. This time they are loose leaf pages and they are old. Not sure how old though!

Enjoy the flip!

My filofax needs help!

I have used a filofax for years and years now but as a diary and nothing more. I need to kick myself into gear and get more organised. I have been watching a lot of YouTube videos lately and I love what people are doing with their filofaxes and I so want in!

My filofax - it needs some help!!

Here I am showing you my filofax that I have had and used for years and years. Well about 6 lol! Anyways, I have seen the filofax craze or revolution on youtube in the journaling community and I want in! Help me! Mine is dull and boring as you will see. Please leave me a video response or a link to see your filofax for inspiration and I will love you for ever!

http://youtu.be/XDvdF11YuFI

Always a journaller!

I have been journalling for a long time, ever since I was a small child in fact.

Another added bonus of moving house is rediscovering all your possessions that you had forgotten you had and in that batch of such items, I found a load of old journals.

Now most of them are just written journals with doodles and such like in them but they are just far far far too cringeworthy for me to share them with you. I just can't bear it! So instead here is a small sample of pages spanning the journals from 1991 when I was 10 years old to 2000.

Super cringey no? lol!
Well that is all your are getting ha ha!!

July 2013 Book Review - Drawing Fairyland

If you like anything to do with the Fae or Fairies and Fairyland then you are going to love this book. It is rammed full of beautiful illustrations from the fabulous Linda Ravenscroft.

It is a beautiful feast for the eyes. Want to see inside?...

Art Geeks JUNE 2013 mail art swap

I love swapping art with people, as it not only gives me an excuse (as if I need one) to get the paints out, but I love the idea of a little piece of you winging its way to someone else.

I am taking part in the Art Geeks mail art swap which is a group of people who swap mail art 1:1 on a monthly or bi-monthly basis to a theme.

The swap theme for June was Juno (the Roman Goddess) or the Solstice. You were free to interpret this how you wanted.

We had a very sad day on Monday and I am still sad three days later. We lost our darling Bertie. It is still hard, he was such a little character full of a zest for life that it is so hard not to be sad and miss him. He was a very old boy though, the vets called him a geriatric as six and a half is old for a guinea pig but at least I like to think he was happy. Trouble is we have only had four years with the little guy as he was a rescue. Still we will always take rescue / rehome animals where we can as we find it very rewarding and like to give them a loving home for the rest of their lives and with Bert we did just that. We knew it would be soon, we could see him slowing down but even so it is still sad, at least I was cuddling him until the very end telling him that we loved him very much. The vet seems to think he was hanging on until we moved to see the new house and make sure Betty settled in OK. Our blind little girl is pining like crazy and whilst it is still so raw for us, our first priority is her so we are going to find a friend for her.

Just a very short time after Bertie had passed our postman arrived and delivered a sunny happy piece of mail which gave me a lot of hope and a reason to smile. This is another reason why I like mail art swaps, I like to think I am helping people on the other end too. I don't think my mail art swap partner will fully appreciate how I was feeling and what I felt when I saw that bit of post. Believe me, art does heal, even if you are not doing it yourself just receiving it heals.

So do you want to see what I was lucky enough to receive?

Here we go...

Envelope - Front

Envelope - Back

Decorative chipboard embellishment pieces

Beautiful hand made paper

Beautiful hand made paper

Hand made journal made from a map

Hand made journal made from a map

Thank you so so much! I can't wait to start working in my new journal!

And of course I sent something out to my partner too. This is what I sent:

I decided to go with the Solstice theme particularly the aspect of the longest day and the shortest night. I opened an envelope out and divided it in half. I stamped with a text stamp with purple in on the day side and blue on the night. Then I gesso'd with a stencil: swirls on day and harlequin on night. I then used oil pastels to create the suns and the night sky. I blended them using a baby wipe for a little gesso resist on the stencil. I then used glitter on both the moon and the suns and some white paint for stars.

 I then folded the envelope back up again and you can see how it looks front and back:

Solstice to me I thought sounded like a girls name so I painted a picture of a girl on cardboard to go inside.

Oh the pressure I felt creating this! I started and restarted so many times. We had literally just moved in so things were a bit chaotic and I only had the bare minimum art supplies out so I was really testing myself. So much stress but I did enjoy the process too. I just hope the recipient like it too.

Will we see you on the next swap?

Pro Markers "skin" set

I am quite frugal when it comes to art supplies and I try and make do with what I have so as not to waste money on loads of gimmicks and gadgetry. I also believe that limiting yourself also pushes your creativity.  All that being said I do like to have a little spend now and then!

I have a smallish selection of Pro Markers that I have picked up every time I see them on sale or at a good price but I have been wanting the "skin" set for ages and last week I just bit the bullet and splurged £13 on the set of six. 

I had a little play with them and created a little whimsical character rather than a more human like face. I love Pro Markers generally but I think it might take a bit of time and a lot of practice with the skin ones. I have to say I wasn't as pleased with the set as I thought I would be. I thought they were all either on the darker or pinker side and I was hoping for a really light colour too. Maybe it is the way I am using them? I ended up adding a "satin" that I already owned into the mix.

I dunno, I am just not quite happy yet. At least it was a nice sunny day so I had the excuse of sitting in the garden with a cold Diet Coke happily colouring in.

I need to keep playing I think and watch some YouTube tutorials until I get the hang of it.

What do you think? Do you use them?

June Roundup of what's going on with me.

 

Well it has been a busy old month for me but I did manage to get some journalling in amongst the chaos.

Well this has been just about the busiest month I have every had I think. We hadn't planned anything for months as we just didn't know when we were moving and the only month that we had things booked in, wham we moved. Oh well, it makes for a more interesting life right? Anyway this is what I have been up to!

I spent most of the first half of the month packing up boxes. On the 7th we went to see Jools Holland and Fine Young Cannibals in concert at Burghley House. The concert was fab but oh so cold. This is supposed to be Summer folks! It was an outdoor picnic concert and there was us all bundles up in our coats and scarves. No picnic for us, we had to just grab some chips there as we were too busy packing and moving boxes into store to make up a picnic!

Then the weather started to warm up and it was time to find out the flip flops and vests. Yay!

On the 13th we said goodbye to our first home together. It had been a lovely home for 9 years, two months and we loved that little house but it was time to move on and move we did.

We both love our new house and have settled right in. I have shown you a tour of my new office / art room and I can't wait to unveil the after but I am still working on it! We are slowly getting through the boxes though. I am finding it hard (but I am sure I will cope) with views of this every day...

It is hard see!

I told you it was busy as on the 15th we went to Thetford Forest to see Blondie in concert which was fabber than fab could be. I love her!

I have been getting on the instagram band wagon lately and getting in on the selfie thing lol! It is actually quite good fun and journal fodder!

And along with Wimbledon the Strawberries came out all gorgeous and juicy so of course I have had a couple!!

I have been spending some time with my Daddy and I have been filming him whilst he has painted, we are editing the footage this week and I can't wait to share the speed process with you all. Dad has only just recently gotten into painting and he is really good at it. A born natural!

See you soon

Much Love

A xx

My Dad paints too...

Hey guys, I had a lovely day with my Daddy and we got the paints and the camera out and had a blast. Dad painted and I recorded him doing it! We had a right giggle and I love his painting. Dad is new to painting, only just picking up a brush a couple of months ago and he loves it already. I can't wait to see what else he paints and I am so happy to have a painting buddy!

Have your art and craft space feature for Craft Space Envy!

As regular readers will know, I have a feature on my blog on the 29th of every month and that is Craft Space Envy where I show you a different photo(s) or a video of an art space / craft room / office that is really inspiring for its beauty or its design or its organisation style etc.

Until now this how just been from what I have found on my internet searches but I am now opening it up to you the readers so....

If you would like your space featured on Craft Space Envy just get in touch! I am looking for either photos and / or a video and some blurb about your room.

I look forward to hearing from you xx