Teabags and Envelopes

Hello Folks! 

Today I used some recycled envelopes and gelli printed teabags in my art journal, for my Recycle and Collage challenge at Art Journal Journey. 

I tore strips of differently patterned envelopes, and cut my gelli printed teabags into quarters. I collaged them onto my page, scraped some DecoArt Crackle Paste over, then added stamping with a Visible Image stamp and jet black archival. I finished with some splatters of Claudine Hellmuth's Classic Teal acrylic and a little journaling. I really love my new Marvy Reminesce gel pens! I was so tempted to add orange drips, but I held back! Lol!

Hope you've had a creative day too,

Alison xox

A Bit of Art Journaling and Teabag Art

Hi Everyone! I'm back! That head cold knocked me sideways! It's left me with a bit of a cough, but I'm much better.

I felt well enough yesterday, to decorate some teabags for week 16 of ihanna's 365 Somethings challenge. I used a small round Gel Press plate, with punched shapes and the waste, sequin waste and some old Claudine Hellmuth paints that hadn't solidified (I've had them years!!) I had fun building the layers, then used a journaling pen to outline the leaves.

Next I made a page in my journal for my Recycle & Collage challenge at Art Journal Journey. I'd been stamping my little round gelli plate off on this page to build up a background. I'd also decorated some other teabags to use. I was using an old envelope as under paper, and this came in handy for the collage strips and circles. I finished with some marks, journaling, and a phrase that appeared in my head. 

I'm hoping to finally enjoy the sunshine this afternoon, before it goes away.

Happy Sunday,

Alison xox

Bloom!

Hello Folks. 

I started feeling a bit under the weather this morning. Dear Hubby has passed his cold onto me, so generous! I thought I wouldn't get this page finished today, but paracetamol has done its work, and here is another page for my Recycle & Collage Challenge at Art Journal Journey. It also fits with Try It On Tuesday's new Nature's Beauty challenge. I used Gelli Prints, ladies cut from a clothing catalogue, and some doodles.

Hope you're well, and having a creative day,

Alison xox

Beautiful Chaos

Hello Folks. Here's another page for my Recycle & Collage Challenge at Art Journal Journey. 

I started with torn Gelli Prints, then added some paint, stenciling, collage circles, paper lace and marks. I used a blue Scribble Stick to outline the collage circles. Acrylic paint drips were added, then the quote and Paper Doll. I finished with some pencil shading and splatters. Chaos indeed!

Happy Tuesday,

Alison xoc

AJJ - Recycle & Collage

Hi Everyone!

Wow! I can't believe how April is flying and we're already halfway through my Recycle & Collage Challenge at Art Journal Journey! Already 75 entries! Thanks to everyone who has taken part!

Here's another page I made for the challenge...

It's getting really difficult to use the left-hand pages in my journal, I had to remove the last signature! Anyway, on this page I scraped on a couple of DecoArt Media paint colours, then used a baby wipe to remove some colour through sequin waste. I adhered pieces of music sheet, a gelli-printed teabag, and some paper lace. I added drips, marks, scribble journaling, and splatters, then because it was on my desk, I sprinkled on some Seth Apter Patina Baked Texture and heat set it.

Hope you're all having a lovely, creative Sunday!

Alison xox

Abstract Journal Page

Hello Folks!

I've used a few pieces of Gelli Plate prints again on this page for my Recycle and Collage Challenge at Art Journal Journey. I also added some of the hand-cut oval masks I had used when mono-printing. If you look closely, you can see that I used some of my paper round sheets for the masks. I finished off with a few marks, using my new Marvy journaling pens from Ally Pally. 

Happy weekend,

Alison xox

Bits and Bobs Page

Happy Friday Everyone!

I have created another page for my Recycle and Collage Challenge at Art Journal Journey.

I used lots of bits and bobs on this page, a teabag, mini playing card, scraps of gelli prints, packaging and magazine page, and I used multiple staples to attach everything. It's all mounted onto one of my old paper round sheets from when I used to deliver papers in Downe Village (home of Charles Darwin no less). I used a fan brush to add splatters, and also some of the marks around the edge.

Here's a closer look at the teabag collage...

I'd already made the following 7 teabag collages for week 15 of the 365 Somethings Challenge on Instagram, and couldn't resist making one more.

Update on the sweater quote about female artists from my page a couple of days ago, it was from a fashion page in a magazine, and coincidentally, on the following page was an article on Frida Kahlo!!!

Have a creative day,

Alison xox

AJJ - Recycle & Collage

Hi Everyone!

Having spent the morning getting a quote for solar panels for our roof, something we've wanted to do for a while, I found time this afternoon to cut up a magazine and make this page for my Recycle & Collage challenge at Art Journal Journey.

Just noticed that the woman's sweater says 'why have there been no great female artists?'! Off to find the page I cut it from to see what that's all about!

Hope you're all having a good day!

We put a deposit down on the solar panels BTW.

Alison xox

Ally Pally Craft Show April 2018, and Collage at Art Journal Journey

Hi Everyone!

It's been a busy few days. I've been adding lots of new shawls to my Etsy Shop CraftytrogsYarnArt for a start. Then on Saturday I went up to London, to the Alexandra Palace Craft Show. It may be the last time I'll go, as it was my favourite shop PaperArtsy's last time there. Such a pity, as it's a lovely opportunity to meet up with other PA fans who are good friends of mine.

Here are my purchases. Not a lot, but I stocked up on journaling pens, succumbed to one of Seth Apter's pots of Baked Texture EPs (Patina Oxide if you're interested), a couple of bargain wooden box sets, paints, re-inker, and Tim Holtz Paper Dolls.

I met the lovely Tracy Evans, who I've known in Blogland forever. She was demonstrating on the Aall and Create stand with her new stamps, and doing some impromptu make & takes. She very kindly gave me a few rusty nails, pictured above, and here is my version of her lovely artwork. I just adore her stamps, and this combination of Dina Wakley paint colours, Cheddar, Fuchsia and Turquoise!

And, I finally found time yesterday to create another page in my art journal for my Recycle & Collage challenge over at Art Journal Journey.

Hope you're all having a great week,

Alison xox

PaperArtsy Challenge - Banners & Bunting

Hello Everyone! 

I'm thrilled to be sharing some bright and funky bunting over on the PaperArtsy Blog tonight. Here's a peek at my project. You can see it in full with my tutorial HERE.

I do hope my bunting inspires you to create some of your own to enter in the PaperArtsy Banners & Bunting Challenge!

Alison x

Collage and Crochet

Hi Everyone! 

The weather has been kind the last couple of days, and I took advantage of the sunshine to photograph 20 or so shawls I've crocheted for my Etsy shop. So far I've added 5 more to my store.

And, this morning I took some time out to make another page for my Recycle and Collage challenge at Art Journal Journey. I used some gelli prints, a teabag, some Carabelle Studio stamps, and a bit of scribble journaling. It reads 'Don't try so hard to fit in, when you were born to stand out.'

It's really thrilling to see so many people joining in with the challenge, thank you to everyone!

Have a happy Friday,

Alison x

Collage Galore

Hi Everyone!

I have another page to share for my Recycle & Collage Challenge at Art Journal Journey.

I used Gelli Printed music paper and leaf, tea bag of course, and a receipt from Barnardo's charity shop, which I popped into this morning after coffee with a good friend. I found some sewing patterns, 29 pence each, and a couple of novels. I finished with some stamping using PaperArtsy Sara Naumann stamps.

I have some more teabags to share for week 14 of the 365 Somethings challenge. These have stencilling with acrylic paint, hand-cut painty circles, buttons and stitching on them.

I'm going to need a bigger box soon!

I'm linking up and celebrating with Elizabeth/Altered Book Lover's Tuesday T-Day!

Have a lovely day,

Alison x

Art Journal Calendar - April 2018

Hello Folks! 

For my April calendar pages, I decided to tear up some of my Gelli Plate primary colour prints and collage them, so that I could link up to my Recycle and Collage Challenge at Art Journal Journey. I also added some Spring lambs and white splatters. I think the white helps to bring the spread together. 

Here's a peek at my March pages, all filled out.

Have a happy and creative Easter Monday,

Alison x

Happy Easter!

Hi Everyone! Hope you're all having a wonderfully blessed Easter! Here are my Easter projects. I used some of my recent Gelli Plate prints.

An art journal page...

And some Easter cards for my family...

Until tomorrow,

Alison x

Art Journal Journey April Challenge - Recycle and Collage

Hi Everyone!

I so excited to be hosting for the first time at Art Journal Journey! My challenge for April is 'Recycle and Collage'. I love to use collage in my art journal, teabags are one of my favourites, as well as book, music and magazine pages, junk mail, postage stamps, and any scraps of painty paper I have lying around.

Here's my first Journal page for the challenge.

I used part of a cereal box for my base, then added scraps of book and music page, teabags and a postage stamp. I finished with some stencilling, art marks, and a piece feathery yarn.

I do hope you'll be joining me on my challenge! I can't wait to see some cutting, ripping and sticking on your pages. And if like me, you took part in Birgit Koopsen's Instagram Gelli Printing challenge last month, why not use some of your Gelli Prints too?! Have fun!

And a Happy Easter!

Alison x

Water Soluble Crayons, Primary Colours and A Green Bough

Hello Everyone!

It's the final day of Birgit Koopsen's Gelli Print Challenge sadly. It's been such a fun month, trying out different mediums and techniques on my Gelli Plate. Here are the final two prompts.

Day 30 - Water Soluble Crayons - this took a bit of practise, and experimentation, and inspiration from other people. Laying down a stencil, scribbling with Gelatos through, then blending with my fingers, then applying white acrylic and taking a print worked well.

Some ghost prints...

Dry drawing on the plate with Gelatos and using white acrylic to take a print, not such good results. Water is definitely needed to activate the colours better.

Then I spotted Sarah Anderson's idea of applying black paint, laying a stencil on it, taking a print to remove the black design, then using a wet crayon to colour in the stencil spaces. I used Scribble Sticks, and I love the stained glass effect.

And I also spritzed water onto the Gelli Plate, and drew a design with Gelatos, following a tip from Ruth Mescall.

Day 31 - Primary Colours - Not colours I would normally choose, but I loved the effects of the colours overlapping.

And finally, I created a page in my art journal, using one of my Gelli Plate prints. I'm entering it for the last day of Rosie's 'Spring' challenge at Art Journal Journey.

Have a lovely weekend,

I'll see you tomorrow with my Easter makes,

Alison x

Cardboard, Comb and Egg Cartons

Hi Everyone!

Here's a little catch up with my Gelli Prints this week.

Day 27 - Cardboard - corrugations of course, plus the edges are interesting, and cutting a comb for some squiggles

Day 28 - Combs - I used a comb tool, and also cut some others from old store cards

Day 29 - Egg Carton -The bottom makes an interesting pattern

Only two days left, I'll be sad to finish this challenge, but looking forward to using my prints for other projects.

Have a creative day,

Alison x