Pre-Journalling & Coloured Nightlight Jars

I've been extra creative today, not only have I got one project to show you today, but two!  For the first project, I had another go at doing a 'pre-journalling' page:

To make this (its 1 page), I used various thicknesses of white paint markers to make random spirals and then also did one in silver. Then I coloured over the top and in the area around them with coloured markers - just using ordinary thick felt tips, the water soluble type. I've never looked at journals properly so wasn't sure quite what or even how people write in them so I just started writing random things inside and around the spirals with a black Sharpie pen (I think in a proper journal, you're meant to write about your feelings!) On the black colouring pen part I used white, silver and gold gel pens.  I really enjoyed doing this exercise, and could definately see me doing this in a journal for real.

My second project today was some coloured glass candle jars. I saw them on this blog yesterday and fancied making some.

First of all I frosted the glass jars using an acrylic frosting medium on a soft sponge:

I then added food colourings to an outdoor Mod Podge:

I made several colours. Here I've popped a nightlight in and the room lights are on:

 

..and then the room lights were switched off:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think I prefer the 'room lights are on' effect but I'm sure they'll all look great outside and when I take them camping with us later on in the year.  Thanks to the original blogger for the idea.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I'll see you tomorrow!

qwiksave

x

Mini Celebration!

Woohoo! I've got 50 followers!  I would like to say thanks to each and every one of you (oh, get on with it!) for joining me on my 2010 journey of creativity (and for those of you that just pop in from time to time, you are most welcome too!)

I know other bloggers offer milestone blog candy but I'm not really in a position to do that so I have chosen something different to offer you, something for everyone that has popped in today, should you want it.

What I have are 3 images taken from a book.  This book, which some of you may have read or maybe just seen, is called :59 SECONDS by Professor Richard Wiseman * and in it there is a section on Creativity and ways in which you can be more creative.

At the end of the section on Creativity, the author has given us some creative patterns which you can use..

"to help produce original ideas. They can be turned into examples of modern art and used to adorn the walls of boardrooms and meeting spaces.  Alternatively, they can be loaded on computers as wallpaper or even used as subtle background designs on the pads people use to scribble their ideas."

These are the three designs, copy them if you like (right click and save to your own computer), and maybe they will help with your own artistic creativity:

(I haven't tried them out myself yet, these have simply been scanned from the book, but do let me know if you find them helpful!)

On to today and what I did for my project today was to make a bookmark out of that background that I made a couple of days ago.  The background was made using Spray Starch, Irridescent Acrylic Paints and Pearl X.  It did look really different when it dried, but I love it!:

  

(Click on images to enlarge view)

Here's the close up:

I think it makes an interestingly creative bookmark!

And finally for today, we've had another enjoyable day with the sunshine in the garden and I took these pictures:

Don't you just love Spring?!

(*£2.99 from The Works)

See you tomorrow!

qwiksave

x

Practice Journal

Something else I've fancied doing (as if I haven't got enough on the go!) is to make an artistic journal.  I absolutely LOVE the journals created by Dina Wakley (another one with a great blog) and it would really appeal to me to do something along those same lines. 

Today I've spent a lot of the day in the garden. It's finally been sunny enough here for me to venture out with the boys (all the messy details to follow) so I didn't get a lot of crafting done today.  Not that I've been doing any gardening, I've just been clearing up all the assorted plastic toys and gubbins that little boys leave around.  My husband usually mows the lawn and weeds the path  but with him being away, I fear I may end up having to do it myself!  (Wonder where the lawn mower is? lol)

Quick craft done today, not even finished, was a doodle. A 'pre-starting-a-journal' page:

I love the effect of resist - this was red felt tip on top of a white paint marker:

(with some drawn pencil lines)

That resist effect could look interesting as a background on a journal page, maybe I could try different colours?

WARNING: Messy, dirty photos below! :-O

THIS was my boys having fun today!:

What is it about boys that means they just can't resist Mud and Water?! (I remained mostly unscathed! :-)  )

See you tomorrow!

qwiksave

x

To Scrapbook...or not?

I got myself the new Scrapbook Inspirations Ideas Book/Magazine yesterday (using my 10% off voucher from WHSmiths) and I've been looking online at loads of scrapbooking sites and blogs and it has really inspired me to seriously have a go at documenting my life for my children.  I am, (ahem), no longer a Spring Chicken and I really would like my two boys to know what life was like for me when I was a child and  to let them know about the life I have led. 

I also want them to know about my parents, of whom they never really knew as both of them are sadly no longer with us.  I have told my boys elements of all kinds of things, (because they think I lived at the time of the dinosaurs!) but it would be so much better to have it all documented for them.  It is something I would have loved to have of my parents - what life was like in the wartime and the 1940's and 1950's for them.

I am only at the stage of sorting through loads of boxes and piles of photos, writings and assorted paraphernalia so all I can show you today are bits and pieces of things I have found whilst sorting:

I am also a bit nervous about starting the actual pages. I have seen very minimal pages which I like, but I also like the 'really busy' embellishment filled pages too!  And journalling - you want to tell the story but could  it crowd the page too much?  Also, what type of paper do I use? I am working towards getting Retro pages (in fact I've ordered some of the new Tim Holtz -Woo!)  for my history, but I also rather like the idea of painting my own.  Embellishments too. I consider myself to be something of an artist so almost begrudge the idea of paying for someone else's 'stuff' - but then again, printed stuff looks so much more professional.... (and lets face it there's some great stuff out there!) 

Sorry to ramble, it just helps me to get it down on paper screen!  I really need to stop procrastinating and just get on with it!

qwiksave
x

Painting with Fairy Dust

Whilst browsing on my Facebook recently, I spotted an arty post some mixed media artists were speaking to each other about.  They were raving about this new technique they had discovered, using Spray Starch and watercolour mediums.  I investigated further and found a blog with this lovely technique on it, and of course I had to have a go!  I managed to purchase some Spray Starch (which you are meant to use for ironing! - pah!) in Robert Dyas. I used irridescent acrylic paints & Pearl X Mediums scattered onto glossy black card that had been sprayed with the Starch. The starch was also sprayed on top of the paint and mediums.

I have done this craft really late so again, its not dry, but all that pink and blue is pure glittery shimmer! It looks great whilst its wet and I'm sure it will look dazzling when it dries.

Here's a close up view where you can kind of see the glitter.

(Click images to enlarge)

This was a second one I did, a 'work in progress' shot, brushing all that 'fairy dust' around.   Technical note: DON'T brush it all around, (even though its fun!) the colours are best kept separated!

Think I will use these either as a background for some altered art or maybe as bookmarks.

WARNING: Photos of squirmy, slimy things coming up! :-O

My husband has gone back to China so its up to me to entertain the boys again, even if their interests might be the squirmy, slimy, dirty things discovered in the garden!:

(Can you please get it to munch all those weeds on the garden path?)

See you tomorrow,

qwiksave
x 

Inspirational Blocks

My 100th post - yay!

You remember those old building blocks I bought last week? Well today I started on my first bit of altering:

I think they look great just as they are, I've been painting some, sanding them and inking them.  But if I leave  them around on my craft table I may find further uses for them, do some more alterations.. maybe make them into magnets...?

As its the tail end of Easter I couldn't not have an Easter related post so I 'spotted these and thought of

you' (as the ad says!):

Aren't they a hoot? They were found in an old (1970's) craft book:

(Copyright 1978 Octopus Books Ltd)

..along with this felt appliqued bedspread and matching 'headboard' picture. It has step-by-step instructions in it too! :-)

(For lovers of vintage images, like myself, do check out this blog:  http://doecdoe.blogspot.com/  )

See you tomorrow,

qwiksave

x

WOW! You did it! Congratulations!

Today I had a go at a craft that I haven't done before - quadruple embossing! I watched this video this morning and thought I'll remember how to do that when I come to do it later.  It was a great technique that makes ordinary card look like metal.  My first attempt went all bubbly but this one kinda worked:

This shows the 'Wow' stamp I used:

I haven't put it on a card yet but am thinking of adding these other stamps and stars to it.  Not sure yet....

My embossed piece doesn't look like the one in the video but I still like the effect and I distressed the edge with black ink. 

It's good fun to try new techniques and you challenge yourself when you do.  Loads of ideas and techniques can be found on other people's blogs, the web and youtube.  Have a go at trying something new!

qwiksave x

Happy Easter and Get Well Soon (Aunty)!

Remember the Cadbury's Caramel rabbit? lol, that was a while ago! 1980's I think..?  I made up this picture using a photo I took when we took a trip around Cadbury World last year.

 

These dyed eggs were not done by me but by a relative of mine living in Belgrade, Former Yugoslavia.  I think they were done using onion skins and have traditional patterns on them.

Today, for my craft, I have made a Get Well Card for my aunt who is in hospital with a bad back at the moment:

I used some old Papermania paper from a 6" pad, a Brand New DoCrafts Butterfly stamp with gold paper and a rubber stamp with the Get Well message.

Get Well Soon Aunty and

Happy Easter to All!

qwiksave

x

Pastel Flower Doodling

I only had time for a quick craft today, we've had visitors for most of the day.  My inlaws have been here and they have taken my boys away for the Easter weekend. They are all going to go on the Severn Valley Railway tomorrow and my older son LOVES steam trains so is delighted to be going (again). 

These were just quick made-up sketches that I made with some oil pastels. They aren't quite finished, 'work in progress' I believe they are called.

This is the two of them together:

and this is the green one in more detail (sorry, I can't show you details of the blue one, the photo I took is out of focus, oops!)

My boys have been enjoying having their dad home for a few days (he's going back to China on Monday) and he has had fun doing things with them.  Today (before his parents came) he was entertaining us all with a humorous singing and dancing rendition of 'Singing in the Rain' (very appropriate) inside with a brolley - which was amusing us all until he accidently stepped on one of my son's pride and joys - a big Lego Star Wars model - oops! [You'll have to use your imaginations here, no photos, sorry!] 

Enjoy your Easter Weekend

qwiksave x

Milk Bottle Treat Bag

I've decided to show you what I did today and will catch up on the previous day's crafts bit by bit. 

This was today's craft:

It's a treat for my boys - it has milk bottle sweets in the packet!

To make this I first of all needed  to draw a cow. I do cartoons myself but thought I'd look up a reference of how to do a cow on google and found this website - A guide on how to draw a cartoony cow! Perfect! I used it as a guide and adjusted it a bit.

I s-t-r-e-t-ched him out a bit and changed his tail and details.  I also added a 3-d flower, lettering and drew some grass and sky.  I then added the packet of milk bottle sweets.

He will be a nice Easter companion to the other Easter treat packet I made a while back:

Have a Happy Easter and I'll see you tomorrow!

qwiksave x