Travelling Journal

Phew what a busy week it's been.  I've had a day out just for me then a day out with some ladies for a networking lunch, Saturday I went to the Stitch and Craft Fair in Manchester and today I added my page to a travelling journal.  

What is a travelling journal?  We are a group of ladies from all corners of the world (UK, USA, Germany) who are collaborating in each others journal.  The idea is to make a piece of art in each others journals by posting them to each other over a course of a couple of weeks - in an ideal world this would work perfectly but as we are reliant on our postal system to get the journals safely to their next destination it we have had a few hiccups along the way but this has added to the experience.

Our journals measure 5 x 7 inches everyone has sent a page to be worked on by each member of the group.  Some have made specific requests, some have given an idea of what they would like to have for example their favourite colours.  But the main focus is to put our own mark on the journal.

Here are some of the pages I've worked on.

Anita

I'm linking up with Handmade Monday and Creative Mondays  I hope you'll pop over to these lovely blogs and see what other crafters are getting up to.

Silent Sunday

Silent Sunday

Manchester Market

I've had a totally chilled out day today.  First on the list was an hour and half of complete indulgence at the Clarins Spa set inside Selfridges I had one of their Rebalancing massages which I'd booked well before my holiday.  You really don't want to have to leave the spa it's like being in your own little cocoon but all things have to come to an end.  

After my massage I set out into St Anne's Square in Manchester where they are holding the Manchester Markets.  There weren't as many craft stalls on today but there was food and drinks which is always welcome.  After walking around and sampling some of the food on offer I finally decided to have my lunch at Elsie Mays which is a pop up tea room serving afternoon teas and cake - you can follow them on twitter.  I'd already bought a small bruschetta with tomato and goats cheese but indulged in a glass of Pimms at Elsie Mays - well it would have been rude not to especially on a lovely day as today.  I was looking at some of the food which was being served at Elsie May's and I think when I'm in Manchester again next week I might try one of their food selection instead as they looked really nice.  

One of my finds today was a stall selling handmade marshmallows I love marshmallow and this was just scrumptious.  Well who can resist Champagne and Blackcurrant, cookies and cream and cherry bakewell.  You can see more of these goodies on their facebook page Sugar 245 

So do you want to see photos?  Here you go - 

I'm off to have a marshmallow or two

Anita

Back From My Holiday & Design Team Announcement

Hey lovely peeps I'm back from my holiday in Rochester NYC.  I was there for an art convention with 26 other artist who I know from ATCsforALL.  We had a weekend of making and trading art - although I'm sure there was much more socialising being done than art as most of us had made our art for trading before we arrived in Rochester. 

Now onto the Design Team - before I left for Rochester I applied to Oak House Studio's call out for new Design Team members and while I was on holiday I received an email from Lynnda who owns Oak House Studio to say I had been successful.  Now to keep quiet about it for nearly 3 weeks has been really difficult - but yay now I can shout it out to everyone and I can tell you that you are in for a treat as the stamps and inks are just lovely and I get to play and get creative with them.  So don't forget to subscribe to this blog or get email notifications to keep up to date with what's happening and not to miss out on the tutorials/instructions I'll be posting.

Before I go here are some photo's from the art convention.

Huggles with Sarah 

Outside the Brainery with Cindy, Ann, Sarah and Karen

Collage of the art room and the artists 

Take A Hand or Two or Maybe Even Five

Do you remember when you were little and you traced around your hands and then coloured them in?  Well this is the same thing only you now have bigger hands and the art is a bit more sophisticated.

Why am I tracing and decorating my hands?  Well why not it's just another shape of paper/card on which to create art and you might as well make it unique............right?

I've made these for a swap over on ATCsforAll (Artist trading card site).  It's nice to have an alternative shape other than your basic shapes.  I think they add a different aspect and design element and also makes you think about how and where to place your designs.  I can't wait to see what I get back in return.

So what do you do with them I hear you ask?  Well you can make them into an altered book, add them onto a ring binder or even hang them up as a mobile (hence the decorated backs) or string them like you would bunting. The possibilities are endless -I've had mine on my art wall before packing them up - I'm hand delivering these to the host of the swap..................yes your eyes aren't deceiving you - I'm off to Rochester NYC in a few days for a weeks holiday and art weekend with around 20+ artists.

So here are my hands all using mixed media - acrylic paints, neo II colours, rubber stamps, etc. there are too many to list.

Even the backs have been decorated.

See you all soon.

Anita

Hearts, Hearts and more Hearts

Well all the challenges have finished and just in time for my holiday - yay Rochester NYC here I come.  I can't wait to meet up with my artist friends from AtcsforAll and iATC - both sites are related to Artist Trading Cards and other types of altered art.

The weekend will consist of making and trading art.  There is no schedule we just turn up in the art room and make art, get to know the other artists in person.  I very rarely end up making much art because I end up moving around the room chatting and having fun with everyone.  So with that in mind I make my art before I go.  One of the things we're making this time is heart art which just happens to be one of my favourite things to make.

My hearts are mixed media and are approximately 2 - 3 inches big,  I've used rubber stamps, paints, neo ll colours etc.  I've tried to make them different so that everyone gets a unique heart.

These are some of the hearts I'll be taking with me to Rochester.

A close up of some of the hearts.

This is the meetup I went to in January Mesa Arizona.

Last Week Of The Summer Of Colour 4 Challenge

The last 6 weeks have been great fun and definitely challenging - for me last weeks colours were most certainly difficult but I managed to make something with the colour palette.  

This weeks colours were one of my favourites Raspberry, Tangerine and a dash/splash or yellow.  I decided to go with another heart theme again this week as I've been working on some heart art for my trip to Rochester NYC in August.  It's not very big - approx 3 inches.  I'd just like to thank Kristin from Twinkle, Twinkle Like A Star for hosting a fabulous challenge and I'm sad that it's ended but will look forward to the next one. 

Oh and before I sign off a quick yay to me for winning last weeks prize from the challenge.  I didn't even realise until a couple of the girls pointed it out to me.  I'm having it sent to a friend in California who will then bring it to Rochester with her in August.  I can't wait to play with them.  Thank you again Kristin.

This weeks colours - Raspberry, Tangerine and Yellow

My heart art - Only a question of time.

The goodies I won 

Here all 6 together

Challenging Colours

It's week 5 of the Summer of Colour 4 challenge hosted over on Twinkle Twinkle Like a Star.  With only one more week to go I and some of the other artists are already getting withdrawal symptoms.  

This weeks colour challenge was Royal Blue, Red and a splish, splash or dash of light blue.  Now lovely as the colours are on their own they were a definite challenge to me.  This really isn't a colour scheme I would ever choose to use.  But as this was a challenge I went a head and did some research and then played with the colour palette and this is what I came up with. 

I tried to keep the design element simple by using my all time favourite - hearts.  I used neo-colourII as the main colour medium.  Then I stamped the face and swirly leaf design in the light blue.  I still think it needs some other elements adding to it but for now I'm happy with what I've made and it fits in with this weeks challenge.

Red, Royal Blue & Light Blue

Rubber stamped images by PaperArtsy and Woodware.

To see what the other artists have created with this colour challenge why not pop over to 

Twinkle Twinkle like a Star 

Anita 

Pink, Apple Green and Dark Green

This post brings me up to date with the Summer of Colour 4 challenge which is being run by Kristin over on Twinkle Twinkle Like A Star 

The colours for this week is Pink, Apple Green and a splash, splosh dash or Dark Green.  I really like this colour combination and is one of my favourites.  The image I used was from Paint My Photo.  I really liked the shape of the fallen palm leaf.  I hadn't started this as an abstract but that is exactly what it has turned into if a little bit alien.  I have it sitting on my wall as I write this and I keep looking at it wondering where and how my mind was working whilst I worked this painting.  I guess sometimes you just have to let the unconscious mind take over.

Colours for week 4 Pink, Apple Green and Dark Green

This is the image I used a Fallen Palm Leaf by Andrea Muller 

 

Here is my version of the fallen palm leaf.

Abstract Art From Photographs

I'm a week behind with the Summer of Colour 4 a colour challenge at Twinkle Twinkle Like a Star.  This post is for week 3. 

The colours for week 3 were Lavender, Grey and a dash of Plum.  For a change I thought I would try water colour pencils on a 6 x 6 inch wrapped canvas a change to my usual mixed media paper.  I found it interesting to work with not sure I'd use water colour pencils again but it was a good experience.  The image I've used is from Paint My Photo a site which allows you to use the photographs as reference for your artwork without worrying about copyright issues if you want to sell your work.  The image I used was of a Halgon lamp and laminator which had been photographed and adjusted - you can see the details here of how this was done.

This is the image I used by Barbara Tester 

and this is my interpretation.