Wendy's layout in Sharon's Mermaids and Seahorses

This was a fun little journal to work in. I had no idea where I was going with it until I found some stamps and dies of some cute little seahorses, so that's what I went with. I gessoed the page and then added some blues, purple and a touch of green as the first layer of paint. Trying to get a more 'bubble' feel to the page, I used the square end of a make-up sponge and made some circles and then finished off the background with a smaller bubble stencil using the colours I had previously used.

While my background was drying, I stamped a heap of images which I added some watercolour paints too. Then when the images were dry, I then used some clear embossing powder and coated all the images with it. It gave them a lovely shine and also a protective layer.

Then I placed all the images of the seahorses, shells, star fish and coral onto the page where I thought they looked good. I added a little shading around the images and also a small saying, "LIVE FULL THE LIFE YOU HAVE IMAGINED" and then called my layout finished.

You can also view the whole process in the video below...hope you enjoy!

Jan's spread in Joanne's Fairy Tales

Well, when the themes were first announced I had heaps of ideas but then the time came and I had a blank. But i started with some stencils and lighter colours and it progressed from there.

But it got a bit darker after that and I ended up wanting to use a couple of  favorite Stampotique stamps.

A slightly darker theme but i hope you like her and her little companion.

They kind of flow together when side by side. I used several home made stamps too.

Janie O'Brien's creation in Roz's Silhouette Journal.

 I found Roz's topic challenging, but once I got into it, I thoroughly enjoyed the process. I hope you like the result Roz.
Firstly I made the background from a palette of pinks, oranges and gold. I think stencilled in a pair of trees, choosing light shade to highlight their outlines and define the sky.

next, I added some gold textured highlights

then I added some branches, top left & right from adjoining trees.

next, I added some silhouettes of birds, flowers & a fairy and a vague definition of plants 

I heavily stencilled in some undergrowth and added another fairy.

Finally, I worked the right hand tree to give it more definition and added a Lyre bird bottom left.

AASG Colleen's page in Lisa's journal.

Lisa's journal theme is Homage to Art & I decided to pay homage to Dyan Reaveley as she is the flavour of the month due to her recent visit to Australia. 

I started by using the Dylusions sprays in orange, yellow & pink shades, & then put a stencil on top & wiped with a baby wipe to remove some of the colour.

Using a few more stencils I sprayed again using the same colours, just like Dyan does. I even found myself cleaning my stencils just like she does. Ha ha.

I then stamped a border using a dylusion stamp.

I then did a lot of background stamping & also stamped & coloured the figures separately, then cut out & glued to the pages.

I enjoyed doing these pages so much & I hope you like it all Lisa.

Lesley's page in Joanna's Journal.

Fairytales.

When I received Joanna's Journal it wasn't really a hard decision to work out which fairy tale I was going to do.

" Alice In Wonderland"

I started my pages by doing a small amount of zentangle patterns in the middle of each page.

I then added some color to the background using Distress oxide inks.

and then adding some acrylic inks for an extra splash of color.

I then made a mask of Alice and cheshire cat . I put down the masks and

brayered over the top with some dylusions paint

I then used a stencil to add the heart layer and added the quotes. I also collaged some 

book paper around the edges that I took from an actual vintage copy of

Alice in Wonderland.

"Not all who wander are lost"

"I'm not crazy, my reality is just different to yours."

I hope you like your pages Joannaxx

Lesley's page in Colleen's Journal. Things with wings.

So this month it is my turn in Colleens gorgeous journal and her theme is "Things with wings".

Last month I was lucky enough to attend an art journalling class with the very talented and funny Dyan Reavley.

So Of course this month my page was going to be inspired by what I did in her classes.

I started off with a basic background using Dylusions paints and stencils.

I then used some collaged images "flying fishy ladies"

I think by now most have realized my style is a bit grungy and definitely I love things that are a bit quirky.

I also added some doodling using a black marker and some stamping.

I then decided I would add an extra "WINGED" flap to my pages.

adding some of Dyans stamped bird images and a quirky quote

"The early bird can keep the worm because worms are gross and mornings are stupid"

I then added the flap pages onto my double page.

The extra pages added in.

the left side.

"Refuse to be average, let your heart soar as high as it will."

The right side.

"Untill you spread your wings you have no idea how far you'll fly."

I hope you like my pages colleen I definitely had fun making them xx

October = House.

This month it was my pleasure to receive the beautifully made art journal belonging to Joan Mannix.  Joan's theme was House.  She included some notes for guidance and it was time to put my thinking cap on.

I discovered a quote I liked and set about working out how I could illustrate it and this is what I did.

I began with a background process I discovered on You Tube and liked. Included scraping paint and using stencils.

 Added some stamping.

My focal point is my cat, cut from a gelli print I had made at some time and some interesting handmade paper for a welcome mat.

Then came my quote....Home is where the cat is.  Mind snap!!  Home not House.  Sorry Joan.

Close up of my cat guarding the front door.

My quote.  

I do hope you like it Joan.

Two for the price of one

Firstly I would like to apologize for taking so long to blog about the journals I have worked in, so many technical difficulties.

                But moving forward

Sharon's Journal

The background was made with blue, turquoise and aqua India ink around the sketch of the mermaid. I then finished the mermaid and the seahorses using inktense pencils, I added sparkly ink for her tail.Finally I collaged the fish and quote.

Roz's Journal

 I did a watercolour wash of the first silhoette.

I then worked out the placement of the second silhoette. I then darkened the first one with repeated washes. I used india ink for the second silhoette

I then did the background using indian ink, gesso and a Donna Downey stencil.

to finish it off I wrote a song lyric that inspired the whole page.

I enjoyed working in both journals, but not so much the blogging. Hopefully the next time I go to blog I wont have to deal with so many difficulties.

My entry in Wendy's "WORD" Journal

Well I completely forgot to do photos as I went along...sorry!!
I really had trouble deciding on a word so I just started by adding torn pieces of napkin to the page after doing a layer of gesso. I also had some scrap paper in there. Next I painted over everything with some pinkish paint and then added some gold on top of that.I used my fingers to add some texture with the gold paint. STILL NO WORD!!
Next I added the Buddha which came from a napkin and then the bird from another napkin. I did some outlining with a black pen. STILL NO WORD!! I added some stamping just to break up the gold. I had to add a flower beside the Buddha as there was a gap so I decided to add more flowers...they are all handmade by me. FINALLY DECIDED ON THE WORD and had "fun" getting it on the page. I then added the butterfly in the top corner and it is a butterfly that came all the way from Greece....TY Eleni!! The little butterflies are wooden and I coloured them with gel pens. Lastly I added the fibres around the outside.
Hope you like it Wendy.