Purple Rain...

It must have been PURPLE RAIN that we had because since then my garden is a profusion of purple:

 (looks pink here but its actually purple!)

I must have been subconsciously inspired by the all the purple around me and decided to give this lady, on one of my journal pages, PURPLE hair ;o)

My new FAVORITE quotation:

"Happiness is an attitude of mind, born of  the simple DETERMINATION to be happy despite all outward circumstances."
-J D Walters-

Hand-made art journal fun...

Hello everyone!!!
soooooo.... what have I been up to lately?
Mostly art journals, art journals, art journals...
Here is a mini art journal I made over the weekend (acutally I made 3 - 2 were gifts for friends and 1 for me)
The cover is made with fabric, ribbons, braid etc sewn onto a firm cardboard.
The pages are all different kinds of paper ie: scrapbook paper, sugar paper, pages from old dictionaries, pages from an old atlas etc etc.... The book is hand-bound (sewn at the spine with strong thread) and the "fluffies" on the spine are tied onto the binding stitches.

finished journal -cover

finished journal -pages

the 3 journals in progress

but that's not the end . . .  all the pages still have to be decorated and journalled on!
Here are some pages that I  have made a start on:

 machine sewn  heart.

 fabric heart sewed on with sewing machine , stamped background

 Favourite cartoon strip and a dictionary page decorated with word stickers

 atlas page (still to be decorated) and a page with a polka dot ribbon and large flower sticker (incomplete)

page with a pocket made from a tiny envelope plus a tag, an acetate butterfly and "love" sticker


This is another   art journal    that I made recently from scratch.  I used white cardboard for the pages - but folded some pages in , cut some pages shorter than others etc.  This one is also hand-bound the same as the others.The cover is covered with fabric which is then painted and stencilled onto with acrylic paint. It is decorated with a  stamped butterfly, lace,  vintage flowers and handmade beaded flowers. I added stickers and definitions that I cut out of an old dictionary.  It contains scraps of fabric on all the pages at the spine to reinforce it so that the pages wont tear out.

Some of  the inside pages that I have been working on:

 This page was hand painted by me - inspired by the Flora Bowley art book that I just bought - delicious book!!!

I painted this sweet lady straight onto the journal page -just love painting lady faces.

And then. . .

I have also been playing around with some DOODLING  - I love doodling (didnt know that it is an actual art-form until just recently -  how interesting!) I hand painted the backgrounds using fluid acrylic paints and a "credit card" technique - doodling done with a black Sharpie pen:

 

"Anything you're good at contributes to happiness."
-Bertrand Russell-

Scrapbooking Inspiration

Hello all you wonderful creative people !  Here is a sneak peek.  This is tomorrow's Scrapbook lesson.
I have used a beautiful patterned background sheet from "The Pocket full of Posies" range from Provo Craft.
For the handbag I used a Bazzill Basics apricot pink cardstock sheet, some paper flowers, pink ricrac, leaves, stickers and some gorgeous die-cut butterflies :

(please feel free to leave a comment at the end of this post :o)

"If nothing ever changed - there would be no butterflies..."
(anon)

10 things I'm loving right now...

 
1.    RAIN ! RAIN! RAIN!

2.    Being more mindful of all there is in life to be GRATEFUL for

3.    dirtyfootprints-studio.com FREE e-course (on fearless painting) called: TOTAL ALIGNMENT

4.   Springtime !

5.   Art  journalling for self-expression and inner healing

6.   Wearing sandals again - yay!

7.   Painting my heart out

8.   The way that Bear and Shadow have bonded

9.   Two fabulous new art/journalling books that I got today in the post -  whoopee-do!!!!

10.   This fabulous blog:  jennibelliestudio.blogspot.com - AWESOME !

As I promised here are some more of my art journal pages to keep you inspired:

(unfinisihed)

(unfinished)

TOTALLY random quote today - but I just loved it:
"If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you'd best teach it to dance."
-George Bernard Shaw-

Scrapbook Friday...

This is tomorrow's scrapbooking lesson :

Its made in four separate sections and then glued onto one background piece.  Click on the photo to see a larger image.  I was very bold with my colours this week:  cherry red and brite lime green - who knew it could look so good??! Also I used black and white photos which I haven't done for a while- and its quite refreshing!!!!

This weekend I will be posting some more of my art journal pages and also some great art journalling links that I have found.  WATCH THIS SPACE :oD

Have you ever asked yourself this question: 

                       "What am I HOPING for?"

Wonderful wonderful wonderful RAIN !

How grateful we are for the wonderful rain this week!  Its been sooooo dry here.  Everything looks so "clean" after the rain. And now I can plant my pumpkin seeds (that I saved from the most delicious home-grown pumpkin given to me by my friend, Linell).

So what have I been up to lately?  Well, today I will be posting sum YUMMY photos of some of the crafts and art that I have been working on.  Hope that it inspires you to get out those paints and have some messy colourful FUN !!!!!

These are Vinyl bookmarks.  I painted on the back side of the vinyl - using the techniques I learned on my recent e-course - taught by the wonderful Regina - of Creative Kismet website.  The words are stamped on using a rubber stamp.  I am going to be doing a LOT more of these - such fun!!!

These are GRATITUDE BEADS - also taught by Regina at Creative Kismet. I havent had such fun with beads in a looooong time. The tassels are also hand-made.

O gosh - sorry - this photo is a little "discombobulated".  Anyhow - you get the idea. These are fridge magnets and and keyrings made from 6mm MDF wood and hand painted with my own original designs.

These are Heart shaped keyrings which I bought at the craft store (blank) and they are painted with my original designs.  Loving these........

Some canvasses with the backgrounds prepped and ready for me to paint something wonderful on-
will post pictures of the finished paintings soon ....... WATCH THIS SPACE :o)


I am hoping that you will have a blessed and creative week.

"What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?" 

-G.Elliot 1819-

Art Journal Inspiration. . .

Today I thought I would inspire you with some more art journal pages.  Art Journalling is very therapeutic and healing.  For more info on this wonderful subject just google: "art journalling".  Give it a try even if you think you're not artistic.  Remember how much fun you had with that box of crayons when you were young - you can still have fun with crayons - who is going to stop you???

"Give crayons. Adults are disturbingly impoverished of these magical dream sticks."

-Dr. S. Wolf-

 (Click on picture for a larger view.)

What was the last BRAVE thing you did?