Wanderlust wks 5-7: Castles

Its been really fun on Wanderlust (a year long online class) the last few weeks.  The Theme for February is Castles and we have had to do all sorts of different things from watercolours to making our own journal. 

We  had to paint a castle in watercolour and this was a huge challenge for me because I am not an artist and had never ever done a watercolour before.  Yes I had used watercolours on my stamped cards etc but never to actually paint a picture.  I enjoyed it so much I did two in the end.  Here is one of Lindisfarne Castle which is on Holy Island in Northumberland:

and this is Huntly Castle:

Next we had to make a Castle Gates journal.  I used paper from my stash which I had had for a long time for the inside pages and then used the scraps in a paper patchwork for the covers:

We had to bind it using kettle stitch:

For this week's class we did a journal page using a photocopied picture of a castle wall which we had to colour.  We had to include a picture and words and add a story or journaling.  The castle walls spoke to me of prison, hardship, problems, etc.  And the lovely vibrant colour spoke to me of hope and faith and the power that Jesus gives us to overcome whatever comes our way:

I used a picture of my husband and kids on a walk in Wales.  I tore a hole in the page and added the journaling behind the picture:

The castle wall was printed on plain photocopy paper so we had to use medium first and then in between the layers of colour.  I used Portfolios:

It was really great doing this page and remembering all the times that Jesus has helped me through some very difficult and even impossible situations.  When I trust in Him He is always there to help, strengthen and give wisdom.

We've had a couple of other activities to do in our art journals but I'll save those for another post.

Blessings to you.

Wanderlust wk 4: A Life in your Hand

This week on Wanderlust, a year long online class, we had the wonderful Kasia Avery on art journaling.  First of all we had to do a collage using pictures from old magazines which spoke to us about ourselves and our lives.  Then we had to write down things about our past, present and future on a separate piece of paper.  We cut all the sentences and words into strips and selected from these pieces to make a poem which we stuck over the collage.  On the other side of the art journal we drew round our hands and doodled three sections representing our past, present and future:

I thought the poem would be hard but I am pleased with how it came together and it really does show where I am at.  Kasia encouraged us to do our own handwriting and mine is very messy!

The collage was fun to do and I noticed, AFTER I had finished the page, that the words seemed to go with the pictures quite by accident!  eg 'the flowers in my garden' is over the picture of the bouquet of roses and the 'going deeper' is over the spade:

The hand was really fun to decorate.  Loved doing the doodling and I coloured it with watercolour pencils:

For the border we had to scrape gesso and then medium and make patterns in it with a skewer.  After leaving to dry Kasia used distress crayons to colour it which I don't have.  I managed to resist rushing out to buy some!  and I used my Portfolios instead.  The idea was to work the colour into the grooves of the patterns.

This was such a great class and as well as all the fun creating it was good to think about our path, where we had come from and where we are hoping to go.  I feel I'm in a season of waiting at  the moment - waiting for grief over the loss of my Mum to pass; waiting for a hip replacement; waiting to be able to do the things again which I haven't been able to do for ages because of the state of my hips; waiting for spring.  However, God meets me and keeps me in the waiting so all is well, very very well :)

Blessings to you.

Wanderlust wk 3 Mandalas

Over on Wanderlust, a year long on-line class, week 3 was with Jennifer Lee who showed us how to make Mandalas out of paper cut into different shapes.  I love playing with paper pieces and glue so I simply loved this class. 

Jennifer showed us how to do two different ones.  The first was a manadala bloom using three different sizes of circle cut by hand rather than a die or punch.  I chose warm colours for this one after sifting through my big box of paper.  I made a backround with collaged torn paper pieces, with gesso painted over.  You start by placing the large circles all around the outside and then build the layers inwards, going with the smaller circles on each layer.  I added doodled dots and dashes to highlight.

We had to make a compass mandala out of paper pieces cut from maps for the next one and I initially didn't have a clue how I was going to do this one.  However, after raiding all our travel books and even an old atlas I got to it.  For this one we worked from the centre out.  The starting point was a circle with four large, long triangles placed around it.  Then I took out my punches and had a play.  This is what I came up with and it was so much fun to do.

Using the different maps was fun:

Lastly I doodled a border the North sign:

I enjoyed the mandalas so much that I made another bloom one, this time as a flower shape in cool pastal colours:

I made another collaged backround and cut out the petal shapes in two sizes :

This was a really fun week on Wanderlust.  Its been a big help to have this to concentrate on - as I said in an earlier post, I lost my Mum at the beginning of the year and am devasted.  I've been really touched by all the messages of condolences and support, both from my friends in the real world and here on blogland.  Also on a Facebook craft group I belong to called Maremi's Creative Cafe which is a really great group where we can share all our creations whatever they are.  People are incredibly supportive, so come along and have a look.

I'm linking up  at:
Try in on Tuesday
Country View Crafts
Creative Every Day

Bye Bye Mum

My lovely Mum passed away early in the New Year and I am missing her so much.  She was 90 and all last year she was fading and had clearly had enough.  The last month her body started to pack up and we knew it was the end.  So we knew she was going to die and I thought I was prepared for it.....
But I wasn't!  I've been taken aback at how upset I have been - because I knew that she was dying and thought I had grieved and accepted it already.  I guess nothing prepares us for losing our mothers.  I am finding it hard to think that I am never going to see her, never talk to her, never share anything with her again - the pain of searing loss. 

When I was clearing away her things I came across loads of the cards which I had made her and which she kept.  I couldn't throw them all away so I hung on to a few of them.  This is the one I made her for her 90th birthday which she loved.  I sponged the backround with distress inks then stamped these Paper Artsy stamps which I love.

Grief is a painful thing and we've just got to let it run its course.  I take comfort in all the wonderful memories I have of her, of her kindness, generosity and love.  Also that I was able to pray with her towards the end and it brought her comfort and peace.

I'm entering this in the That's Crafty Feeling Blue challenge, very apt!
Also in the Country View Anything Goes challenge
Craft Stamper Take it Make it challenge
And Create with Joy

Thanks for stopping by.

Wanderlust 2018

I am really excited to have signed up for the Everything Art Wanderlust 2018, a year long journey in mixed media and art journaling hosted by Kasia and Jamie Avery with 2 guest teachers every month.  Its going to be really challenging and I can't wait!

I decided to make my own art journal for this.  I picked up an A3 acrylic paper pad from Hobbycraft for only £5!  I cut the pages down to size leaving several with flaps to make the pages:

I sewed these into an old book cover which I had painted.  I'll decorate the cover when the journal is complete:

Then I made an envelope to stick in the inside front cover.  I brayered several colours on a 12x12 piece of scrapbook paper:

I made a template from an envelope and used this to make the envelope:

I also added a few other pages using some papers which I  had in my stash made after taking Kasia' earlybird Dynamic Paper Painting class which was amazing fun:

We also had some freebie inserts to add to get our journals personalised and ready.  Here is my inside front cover:

I am so enjoying creating and sharing again after a long break.  Its good to be feeling better and able to do it again! 

I'm linking up at:

Art Journal Journey
Country View Challenges