A poem by me

 

On the Razor’s Edge

prompt from @poetry battles

making steel

stealing time

feeling tough

it’s gonna be rough

as the oceans get hot

ice caps melt

haven’t we felt the edge of the blade yet?

encased in plastic

still sharp

feel it before the edge disappears

tears raining down

drowning the ground

washing away dreams

streams turn to rivers

raging torrents

disturbing the balance

tipping the scales

ripping away the future

the dream is now a nightmare

beware the razor’s edge

 This is my Spread in Louise KirbysWhjmsical Creatures Journal my last journal had so much fun doing the Journals this year cant wait to get mine back to see all the wonderful spreads untill next year have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year lets hope 2021 will be a better year Hugs To All Robyn xxxxx

Deb Clarke's Memorable Movies - Before I Go to Sleep by Janie O'Brien

• Collaged fragments of movie scenes representing Nicole Kidman's character - Christine's fractured memory. This movie has stuck with me since I saw it sometime after it was made in 2014. I had read the book of the same name by SJ Watson and been impressed and was very impressed with the movie which often don't live up to their original books. Nicole Kidman's acting was phenomenal and I always love Colin Firth. If you enjoy the mystery/thriller/suspense genre films,  then you must see this; it a winner.

 

Jenny's Paper Dolls

My  pages in Jenny James Paper Dolls Journal - downloaded paper doll cutouts from Pinterest, changed the head on the doll, made wardrobe from scrapbook paper.  Hope you like it Jenny!
 

Janie's Australia

 by Lisa for Janie

Janie's journal theme of Australia is a very broad one! There are some lovely spreads in it, and I had thought to do something to go with Dorothea Mackellar's My Country, but someone else beat me to it!  Not sure who, as they didn't sign their page...😢

Instead, I remembered an Australian song that I LOVE, by Redgum.  Great Aussie folk/political band of the 70s and 80s - even if you think you don't know any of their songs, you'll know I was only 19.  Every time I hear this song about the Vietnam War, it really gets to me.  I had an Uncle who fought there, and returned with PTSD.  I've been to Vietnam 4 times, and have seen what this country went through.  

But this is not about that song.  Another of my favourite songs on Redgum's album Caught in the Act is The Diamantina Drover.  It's just a beautiful ballad about the country, and the old days.

I started by adding recycled teabags to both pages, in wavy strips, to represent the land and sky.  These were adhered using matte gel medium applied over the top of the teabags.  

Once dry, I added teabag strings to represent hills and valleys, again using my trusty matte gel medium.

Next I added watercolours.  Tasman blue for the sky, and Pilbara red, Australian red gold, and yellow ochre for the land.  I love these Australian colours!  The blue ended up too blue, so I added a whitewash of gouache over the top to tone it down.

Next I added the chorus from the song:

For the rain never falls, on the dusty Diamantina

The drover finds it hard, to change his mind

For the years have surely gone

Like the drays from old Cork Station

And I won't be back when the drovin's done.

Lastly an old dead tree in black pen finished it off.

And the complete spread:

Here's a link to the YouTube video of a live recording of the song.  Please watch it and you'll see how beautiful it is! 💚

Hope you like this spread Janie; I really enjoyed putting it together and singing this song over and over again. 😄

Happy Arting all!

Cheers, Lisa xx

For Sass's Bohemian Floral - by Janie O'Brien

I first prepared my spread by making a dark metallic background with Lindy's Sprays. I found a variety of images I was happy with on Pinterest and made a collage I was happy with. I sure hope things are picking up for you Sass, and I hope you enjoy this, cheers Janie

Lisa's 80's journal

The 80s was the decade when we singles became couples, there were marriages, mortgages and lots of dinner parties. 

We worked hard and played hard. We were upwardly mobile. 

It was the decade our music went from Lp's ,vinyl to CD and Olivia Newton John encouraged us to get physical. 

When a shy teenager, Lady Diana turned into a princess and a fashion icon.

There were frills, legwarmers and lace.  Which was quite a lot to convey in one small spread. Hope it works for you Lisa. 

Gypsy Soul for Rebecca-Lee Fisher by Janie O'Brien

I wanted to sew this pretty trim around the end of this work, so I made the entire piece on tyvek and stuck it in Rebecca-Lee's journal.  It is all collaged pieces. I hope you enjoy it Rebecca-Lee.

 

Resilient

 

I find this band quite inspiring.

I love the stong women and the harmonies and the instrumentation and the lyrics, I guess I respond mostly to the lyrics in the music I love.

I appreciate the quiet power of sisters Chloe Smith, Leah Song and their band and music like this, is inspiring me through these times we are living in. 

Home

 My spread in Sallyanne Scholefields Journal done with a digital program hope you like it xx

Memorable Movie Time!

 by Lisa for Deb

I really enjoy watching movies and have so many favourites, that it's kinda hard to pick just one!

In the end I thought of a movie that I'd rewatched recently, and could watch over and over again (along with its sequels!) - The Hangover.  If you haven't seen it, I definitely recommend it for a good laugh!  Yes, it's inappropriate, and there's lots of swearing and a bit of (funny) nudity - but what a great story!

As usual, no progress pics, except one.  I decided to complete this spread using Derwent pencils - not my usual go to, but a change is as good as a holiday, so they say...

I drew the boys on their adventure in Las Vegas, and added Mike Tyson's tiger that they somehow stole.

Then, while I was adding the background - a failed attempt at night lights and bokeh - I decided that it just wasn't bright enough and needed some zing.  Enter Copic pens.

I ended up going over the whole spread - except the background blue - with Copics, and in the most part I was pleased with how it turned out.

My husband keeps telling me I'm shite at drawing people and should stick to animals... He may be right, but you're never going to improve if you never try, right?

So above are the Wolfpack members - Alan (holding Carlos, long story....!), Phil, and Stu who woke up missing a tooth.  Plus failed bokeh lights. 🙄

And the tiger looked much improved after adding Copics.

And here's the whole spread, including the movie name banner in lights, and that famous Vegas saying: What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!

Hope you like it Deb!

Happy arting all!

Cheers, Lisa

Sallyanne's Home Journal

 Sallyanne's Home Journal.

This is my spread in Sallyanne's home journal. Home to me is a beautiful, crazy colourful place full of never ending excitement. With two daughters my house is colourful, noisy, a little hectic and a lot of fun. 

As i sat in my craft room i was inspired by the art and colour that surrounded me. 

The night before i had watched Tim Burtons The nightmare before christmas so i knew i wanted to create something with crazy twists and turns, black and white stripes, bent buildings, way too many ideas.

I started out by covering the page in a good layer of gesso. I then got out my box of sharpies and a pencil and started drawing out my cray city. This was honestly the best fun i've had with sharpies in a long while. I really let my imagination run wild. I couldn't find the right shade of blue so i did use a little acrylic paint but wasn't happy with it, so i stopped mid way through. My sharpies took over from here.

Almost finished. I really loved the creative process of this page. I was completely drawn in. I started coming up with little stories about the crazy little characters that could live there. What jobs they could have, where they would hang there washing, where is that green bridge leading too...... a roof top garden, public park? It really was a joy to work in this journal.

There you go, my crazy, colourful town. My home. 

Bohemian Florals

by Lisa for Sass

This journal is full of lovely flowers, so it was nice to be able to add to it!

I didn't take any progress shots, but I found a great source pic in Pinterest and went from there.

I did my background first in different shades of pink and peach acrylics, then added a flower garland.  I wanted the flowers to have more texture, so added some white gesso with a palette knife.  Once it dried, I added colour to the flowers, and then some greenery in between and around the flowers.

Lastly, I added a lovely quote that I found on Pinterest - Her soul is made of wildflowers.

And that was it!  Hope you like it Sass!

Happy arting all. 

Cheers, Lisa xx

Janie's Australian Nature journal.

Australia is the land of the most extraordinary flora and fauna but if you asked  anyone to name an Australian animal you would probably get one of two anwsers. 

Kangaroo or koala, probably in that order. So I decided to go with the Kangaroo. 

Unfortunately this spread came together so quickly I forgot to take many photos.

The background was a layer of scrap papers which was covered with Atelier green black acrylic paint. 

The lovely kangaroo image ironically came from a children's book about a ladybird. 

( Lazy Ladybird and Greedy bee, by Isobel Finn and Steve Smallman,  Illustrations by Jack Tickle)

I wanted to add a bit more of an Australian feel and give the spread a bit more pop,so painted the letters in various shades of red and added traditional dots.

 

The boomerang was made by my friend Jenny out of some scrap paper and leftover paint. 

And all done. 

Dance

 

Ballet is one of those things I have always admired but never really got to know. Attending a big ballet priduction has always been on my bucket list just never acheived in my real life.

I  love the drama and costumes and sets and greatly admire the athleticism and discipline of the dancers. 

The closest I came was when my youngest son attended a ballet school at 3 or 4, he was naturally elegant and coordinated and we went to one performance night  I was super uncomfortable with the sexy aspect of the young girls so we never went back.

Robyn Osborn's "flower" journal "A garden" by Janie O'Brien

Who doesn't love flowers ! I loved putting together a flower garden for Robyn to enjoy. All fussy cut images; such fun - cheers Robyn.
 

Finding My Gyspy Soul

 By Lisa for Rebecca-lee

When I received Rebecca-lee's journal, I had no idea what Gypsy Soul actually was - so to my trusty Pinterest I went!

I found quite a few images and quotes that inspired me to do my spread.

Firstly I gessoed the pages, then drew a girl sitting in a meadow.  I did take a pic of her, but being pencil it was a bit light.  So I won't share it!

Next I watercoloured her.  Sometimes you get great effects watercolouring over gesso... and sometimes you don't.  I quite like how her dress turned out though! 💗

I also watercoloured the background, which turned out a bit wishy washy.  No matter though, because of the meadow flowers I was adding with acrylic.  Firstly though, I added a black outline to my girl, because I thought she may not stand out enough amongst the flowers.

On the other page I added the quote that I had found:

Wanderlust consumed her; foreign hearts and exotic minds compelled her.  She had a gypsy soul and a vibrant hope for the unknown.

Then I added lots and lots of pink, purple and orange flowers around her, and the quote.  

A big blue sky with some clouds, and a big yellow sun, and I called it done.

Hope you like it Rebecca-lee!  Happy Arting everyone.

Cheers, Lisa xx

Imagine...

 This is my spread in Wendy Hannas Inspiring Music Journal I did John Lennon's Imagine song the words are so beautiful and inspiring background done with oil pastels googled Image and words to song hope you like it, Wendy    

Movie Magic for Deb's.

I wanted to do a tribute to Mr Disney, who brought so much colour and magic into my childhood. There was Snow White, Peter Pan, The Jungle Book and many more.But my favorite was Fantasia. Walt Disney brought together the wonders of classical music and fabulous animation. 

If I close my eyes and listen to Fantasia, I'm transported back in time to the dress circle of the Guildford Odeon with my Grandmother and younger brother Peter.

For the background I was going to just paint black but the night sky is made up of so many hues. I used Blue Violet, Prussian blue hue, Diox purple, and Red black. Once dry I had great fun flicking warm white and a very pale blue to create the stars.

I found Mickey in a children's book on manners.

And decided to paint the mops free hand. 

Lastly just to paint the one word that sums Fantasia up for me - magic. 

So thank you Deb's for 

A) coming up with such a great topic. 

B) for allowing me to work in your journal. 

C) bring back such happy memories. 

MAGIC!

Jimi Hendrix, Purple Haze

 Memorable Music Art Journal...

JIMI HENDRIX

I started my covering the page in a light purple acrylic paint. I then used a royal blue arcylic paint through a really cool stencil.

I then used Pink acrylic paint through a similar stencil, however the patterns didn't really show through as much as i wanted. I then used a circular pattern with Orange acrylic paint. 

It was at this point i started listening to Jimi, especially the song Purple Haze. This Amazing song reminded me of relaxing t home when it's rainy outside, so i decided to show this in the page. I love drip art, so fun and messy. I used Finnabair Liquid Acrylic Purple watered down and lindy's squirts Purple for the rain. 

I used a print out of Jimi from a Google search. I was going to attempt to paint him but didn't want to ruin that Strong image.

I created a Purple Haze around Jimi using Sprays, ink and Watered down Acrylic paint. 

I used a very opaque white posted paint to write words that describe Jimi. I came across an Amazing Image taken from The Jimi Hendrix Park Foundation.  This image is of words that Jimi's fans used to describe this Amazing artist.

I borrowed some of these words for my page. 

Interesting fact about Jimi Hendrix.

Funniest Misheard Song Lyrics Ever. Purple Haze.... "excuse me, while i kiss this guy", in stead of the actual Lyrics "excuse me, while i kiss the sky"

Jimi died at the age of 27, his career only lasted 4 years.

Jimi was only known by the name Jimi in 1966, he was born as John Allen. Once his father returned from WW11 he renamed him James Marshall Hendrix. Jimi was first spotted at a cafe where he started playing his Guitar with his teeth. Chas Chandler, the Bassistfor the Animals apparently said "wow, i can do something with this" and suggested to start using the name Jimi to start an amazing career with this unheard of kid. Jimi could not read music and taught himself to by ear. He would often use words and colours to describe what music he wanted to play and what emotions he wanted to portray.

I really enjoyed creating this page in The Memorable Music Journal.

I really loved creating it.