Saturday 31 March 2012

Can you believe it?

It's the end of March already.  A whole quarter of the year has passed!

I've been keeping my Art Every Day Journal going through March.




Here is the completed March calendar


And ready for April:


Thursday 29 March 2012

Scrapboook Life Journal for March

It was my intention to make the Ashes to Beauty course my focus for March and I did really well for the first two weeks.  Then we went away (see this post) and I didn't ever make it to the start of Week 3.

On Tuesday and today it was my intention to work on the questions from Ashes to Beauty but procrastinated instead.   However not my usual style of procrastination - as in time wasting or catching up on all the programmes I've recorded and not watched!  No, this time I filled my time with creative projects - either my Art Every Day journal or my Scrapbook Life Journal.

So although March still has a couple of days to go I am pleased to say that I have finished all my entries in my Scrapbook Life Journal for March.   You can find more information about my Life Journal here, here and here.

So, on to March.
This is the March divider page.
 The focus for this month was Talents and Abilities.  Last year I did an online course called 'She has 3 hearts' during which I asked my friends and family to describe me in 3 words.  I used their words for this page.

 I have continued to walk each week.

 This poem was used in session 8 of the Freedom in Christ course and I it really 'spoke' to me so I thought I would include it.
 I had a minor tantrum about the fact that I had 'killed' my phone and had spent hours trying to revive it.   A friend had put this as her Facebook status and I really needed to read it! So to remind me I have included it in my scrapbook.
 And my last two walks for March.



If you want to find out more about Ashes to Beauty please read Nana's blog.  If you go to her page and sign up please let her know you found her from my blog.  Thanks.  And do come back and tell me you have signed up.  It is well worth it.  I can tell from how much procrastinating I'm doing!!!

Saturday 24 March 2012

Happy Mail

We've been away for a few days and what days to choose!  Who knew from last Sunday's weather forecast for the week that we would end up with a day like yesterday where it was nearly 20 degrees (C).

We had been to Pembrokeshire and whilst there did Walk 12 of my weekly walks.  We walked round Dinas Island - which isn't an island, just a headland.  We started the walk at somewhere unpronounceable and walked along to another unpronounceable place called Cwn-yr-Eglwys which my family call Eggwhisk.  (Apologies to any Welsh readers at this point!)

Eggwhisk is one of my favourite places in West Wales


This was part of the path we walked along!


And this was us at the topmost point.

And just to prove that I was there, rather than just my camera!

 And this is my favourite photo from the walk.
On our way home yesterday we stopped off at Lydney Harbour which is on the River Severn.  However the tide was out and the river flows on the other side of the estuary.

 Then we called in at Westbury Court Gardens which is a restored 17th century Dutch water garden.


And went a 1 mile walk from the gardens to the River Severn.

When we got home there was a lovely parcel waiting for me.

This was some Happy Mail from Ruth.   Read about her postings here. And inside were some lovely cards to use.  Thank you Ruth.


Wednesday 14 March 2012

Ashes to Beauty

I wasn't sure about signing up to the Ashes to Beauty online class because as you know I am not renowned for finishing these things.   Anyway Nana assured me that she would hold me totally accountable for finishing it - facebook messages, skype calls and emails were threatened!!!

It is a 4 week course with a preparation section before week 1.  It also includes creative exercises.   I made another journal like the one I made at Dina's class so that as different things are revealed during the class so they are echoed in the journal with the pages covering hidden nooks and crannies!

I made the cover with the title of the course.

Here are the first two creative exercises


 which sit like this in the journal

Then the third creative exercise.

Here's the last creative challenge for week one which is now finished.

Of course I should be half way through week 2 by now but I shall keep focused on it.

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Scrapbook Life Journal February pages

I love this idea organised by Stephanie Ackerman.  She is so generous with her artwork and her weekly prompts.  Plus you can do it your way if you want!

I have been recording my weekly walks in this journal - they are not scrapbook pages so you scrapbook purists may have to look away now.  The background for the page is whatever sheet of paper comes next in the folder and as I used papers I wasn't likely to use for scrapbooking they are not always suitable for the occasion but never mind!  It was a great way to use up 80+ sheets of scrapbook paper from my stash.

The walks:








The Febraury pages based on the word for the month: Surrender

Stephanie supplied us with this doodle to colour and to personalise.

She gave us artwork to print out and use in whatever way we chose.

Another piece of Stephanie's art


We were asked to doodle about surrender but I chose to use this verse from a song.
The paper didn't have a border across the top and down the righthand side.  I used one of Dyan Reaveley's new stencils and mynewly acquired Pan Pastels to produce the flowery border and then drew the black lines on afterwards.

The focus for March is 'Owning Your Talent'.   Come back to see what I make of or from that!

Saturday 10 March 2012

Design Team News

Exciting stuff!

I have been chosen to be on the Design Team for Faithful Hearts Papercrafts.  This is an online shop which also has a regular kit.

A member of the Design Team is given  a particular kit with a particular Bible verse and is asked to produce layouts with instructions for hose who buy the kit.

My kit arrived this week and is based on Travel and Rest.  Here's a sneak peak of some of the kit.  i obviously can't show all of it to you!


I'll let you know when my work is displayed on the website.  And you know I love minibooks so there might just be a minibook and a layout!  Or 2 layouts or ........

Watch this space!

Wednesday 7 March 2012

Do you have to do what I say?

"No!"

That was Dina Wakley's mantra over last weekend.  Dina is a great teacher and had produced this fabulous idea for a book.  The class was called 'Poetry in Motion' and took place over 3 days at Art from the Heart.

On Friday and Saturday we painted backgrounds, stencilled, used Dyan's new stencils, learned about Pan Pastels and did lots of other painty, messy, playfilled activities.  Such fun.  We were encouraged to fondle other people's work although I think we were probably quite restrained and only looked and were inspired.





On Sunday we assembled the book.  Did I get it right?  No.  Did it matter?  No!  I had listened and then put the page the wrong way round.  Not wrong! Different!  However I did add an extra sheet (which means 5 more pages to decorate).

On each day we were encouraged to dance. Not always a pretty sight!  But encouraged to move because we were making a book that moves.  I didn't completely finish at the workshop.  Had I done everything Dina had said to do?   Say it with me: "No!"

Dina had provided us with sheets of poetry which didn't really appeal to me.  (Sorry Dina).  However since I didn't have to do what Dina said, I printed out some words from songs we used to sing at church (well apart from Lord of the Dance), that were dance related.











Is the book finished?  Well it is for now because I have lots of other stuff to finish.

Will I add more stencilling and stamping to it?  Maybe. 

Did I enjoy the workshop?  Definitely.

Will I go back for more?  I really hope so.