Spring has sprung

Hello
A quickie today for the next #craftingwithgiogiochallenge a doodle on an old alcohol ink background. I used the back of photographic paper that doesn't have any branding on it.

Actually I even cheated the doodle by using stencils to get the main shapes.

Just quick snaps today. All this self isolating is very tiring. Time for a small nap...

Thank you for taking the time to look xxx

Pick of the pockets

Hello
Today I'm bringing you the latest in the #craftingwithgiogio challenge on the theme of pockets. I decided to make two pockets at the back of my journal where I could keep all the lovely tags I've received from Giovanna Zara when I have bought stencils.

I cut down two pages to make the front of the pockets and stencilled gesso to create a resist.

 

The backgrounds were coloured with Gelatos, one half with a warm palette and one half with a cool palette and I used a baby wipe to blend the colours together. The gesso resists the pastel to leave paler areas. To give a little more interest, I rubbed more Gelato through a stencil and used a baby wipe over the top to blend it on to the page.

Next step was some stamping and white highlights with a paint pen.

 

I painted Giogiocraft laser cuts and added light stamping for extra texture. These help to strengthen the pocket. The pockets were joined with strong red line double sided tape.

 

 

I had fun doing something a bit different. It's not too late to join in if you fancy a challenge #craftingwithgiogio or just take a look to see what others have been up to.

Thank you for stopping by. Take care xx

A seasonal hare

Hello
Just a quick post with the third project in the #craftingwithgiogio challenge on Instagram. It took a long time, with a lot of mistakes. I think I went out of my comfort zone in too many ways and ended up messing around with too many media.

The theme was seasonal.

I dislike it so much I've only taken one photo with the phone. What I did like though was using gesso through stencils to get the clouds and patterns in the fields. Will need to experiment some more.

I'll add some journalling...but not today...

Constructive comments gratefully received. Thank you for stopping by.

Materials used:

just about anything I could lay my hands on

Giogiocraft stencils lots of them

Pink Ink Designs love is in the hare stencil

Hobby Art lino cut hares stamps

gesso

Faber-Castell gelatos

Archival ink

Distress Oxide ink

PapaerArtsy Fresco Finish acrylic paint

watercolour pencils

acrylic paint pen

 

Home sweet home

Hello
Hope you are doing OK and keeping physically and mentally safe and well in these strange times. I find crafting helps clear my mind and also gets me standing up and moving around....so more crafting I think!

I've joined #craftingwithgiogio on Instagram to shake things up a bit and do something different. Having said that for the 3rd April prompt, home sweet home, I've gone back to some old favourite stamps.

These chaps always make me smile.

Take care and thanks for stopping by xxx

Colours and Rainbow

Hello
Today is day one of the craft challenge set by Giogiocraft on Instagram #craftingwithgiogio. I have tried to combine the theme of colours and rainbow together with my art journal.

Rainbows are made of small raindrops. 

Happy lives are made from acts of kindness.

Amit Ray

The background is made with Inktense pastels, Distress Oxides through a script stencil and white acrylic paint through a cloud stencil. I then cut a paper skyline to use as a stencil with Distress Ink, and added a little pencil shading.

I then drew around the Giogiocraft balloon die cuts and painted in the backgrounds, before stamping the compass and script. Turn your face to the sun and the shadows will always fall behind you - Walt Whitman.

Finally the die cuts were added and the quotation written around the balloons.

Following a craft challenge is a good way to keep things fresh and try something you wouldn't otherwise do. Next theme is home sweet home...need to get my thinking cap on.

Hope you are all keeping safe and well. Thank you for looking xxx

Faith in humanity

Hello
Hope you are all bearing up wherever you are in the world in these very strange times. I'm sure like everyone, I've had my ups and downs, but crafting really is a great distraction.

I've been continuing to try new things as the novelty, and the extra concentration it takes, really make time pass quickly. I tried Dina Wakley's faces tutorial but I'm not ready to share those just yet!

So here is this week's attempt at journalling with a quotation from Mahatma Gandhi.

 You must not lose faith in humanity. 

Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty

the ocean does not become dirty.

Mahatma Gandhi

Deciding I needed a few tips I've ordered myself a magazine on lettering and some pens.

I'm off now to reconnect with some blogs that I had lost touch with. Take care and thank you for stopping by xxx

Nature's masterpiece

Hello
Like many I am having to work from home at present which has given me flexibility and bonus time when I am not commuting. I'm trying to use this positively...which mostly means crafting...and also trying to do something I wouldn't have been doing otherwise.

A friend and I got together and started off some backgrounds in a journal at the start of the year, well I reckon now is the time to do something with it. I am challenging myself to try lettering and doodling to get a little out of my comfort zone. I'm also going to use my precious laser cuts from Giogiocraft, that I have been saving for something special. To keep on track my friend and I are video calling each week to share what we've been up to.

First up...

'The family is one of nature's masterpieces'

 - George Santayana

Sending lots of love to you all. Stay resilient and stay well xxx