Monday 30 August 2010

Granny squares

It seems all about the crochet today on everyones blogs so I thought I would post my work in progress as well!
I run friendship groups for ethnic minority women here on the IOW. One of my groups wanted to learn how to knit and crochet so we found someone who could come along and teach them. While we were waiting for our sessions to start with the tutor that crochet magazine came out so I thought I'd pick up a copy and have a go thinking if I knew some of the basics I would be able to help the women as well. ( most of them have since surpassed me!)
It was a lot more difficult than I thought but I persevered! I got some help from my sister who started at the same time but seemed to be able to understand how to read the pattern (they totally confuse me!)
I am making a granny square blanket, in various colours. I'm doing 3 squares with the same colours, rotating the colours on each of the 3 squares then moving onto the next 3 with another combination of 3 colours, iykwim! So far all the sets of 3 are different colours.

I am going to make some crochet flowers as well and put them on random squares when I am finished.


I need 100 squares and since january I have made 67! Its a long process but I am determined to get there! I have no idea how to stitch it all together so will be calling on my sisters help as she finished her blanket months ago!
TFL
Sami x




Sunday 29 August 2010

Trying new techniques

For this page I tried a new technique...image transfer. I have never done this before but was quite pleased with the results. The face and hands were from a magazine and I used gel medium to transfer the image onto my journal page.
I then coloured it using water soluble crayons and felt pens. The background was acrylic paint, the photo has not picked up the colours very well.
For this page I used a photo of my daughter taken yesterday, sitting on some rocks by a beautiful waterfall. Paige said she looked like a mermaid so I turned her into one!
I printed the photo out onto normal printer paper and then made a mermaids tail with fantasy film. I used a white pen to draw the scales on. The tail is more purplely/pinky than the photo shows. I used collage for the borders.
Thanks for looking
Sami x


Saturday 28 August 2010

Believe in yourself

Another journal page.
The background was done with my water soluble crayons then I used collage from magazines, pastels and my white poster paint pen to journal.
TFL
Sami x

Monday 23 August 2010

Art journalling with the kids

I have been playing around with my new water soluble crayons, creating some backgrounds for my journal pages.
They are so free and easy to use and the colours come out even more vibrant once you add water.
Trying out some different border designs and page backgrounds with water colour pencils. I thought I might scan these these so I can cut them up and use them on other journal pages.

More with the crayons



For the page on the left, I drew a design with water colour pencils, gave it a light wash and then applied some masking fluid on the brown swirls and some random circles. Then I gave the whole page a wash of green arylic paint and rubbed the masking fluid off. The background of the right page was done with the crayons and then I added a border with black pen and a white poster paint pen, drew the letters, painted around the ouside of the wings then re posistioned them with a heart in the middle. Some of them I'm happy with, some not, but thats what I love about art journalling, I don't have to create perfect work, I can experiment and play about and not worry about the results!
I had to go into town this morning and get the rest of my son's school uniform. It was peeing with rain, the kids were asking 'what are we going to do today?', so I popped into Smiths and picked them up a cheap sketchbook each. When we got home I cleared the dinning table and got all my art stuff out. ' Lets art journal' I said! I gave them a sketchbook each, explained a couple of techniques to them and sat down and joined them! Four hours of creativity, fun chatter and laughter. They were engrossed!

Busy, busy, busy!

Some of Caleb's pages





Some of Shelby's pages



I am so impressed with everything they did in their journals! Caleb is 13 and quite a perfectionist like me so it took him a while to just loosen up and go with it, in the end he was scribbling with crayons all over the page to create backgrounds. Shelby has just turned 10 and wanted to try every technique. She used a bit of collage, masking fluid and arylic paints and crayons. It was so inspiring to watch them create. They came up with their own ideas and filled page after page, complaining when we had to stop and clear up for tea! Although both of them draw a lot and caleb has done some paintings and has watercolours and an easel, I think they liked the freedom of the journal. I told them it didn't matter if they messed a page up, just turn the page and do something else. Hopefully we will spend many hours creating together.
I also joined the sketchbook project (see the link top right). I have been looking at this for a while umming and ahhing over it and I finally thought 'why not?' and paid up. I chose my theme and I get sent a sketchbook to fill on that theme. I post it back by Jan 15th 2011 and then it tours America finally ending up at the Brooklyn art library where people can sit and look them. Every time someone checks your book out(to look at there, they can't take it from the museum) they send you a text or email to let you know. I don't know how my book will turn out as I have only just started art journalling, but how cool to be part of such a great project??!!
TFL
Sami x

Thursday 19 August 2010

Another day, another journal page

I finished another journal page today.
The page was pre painted with acrylics then I used magazine pictures for the collage. The legs and butterfly wings were freebie downloads (sorry can't remember which site as I downloded quite a few yesterday!)
I cut the triangles out of scrapbook paper and drew some more trees with watercolour pencils. I extended the ribbon from the mag picture by drawing it in with pencil. I used glimmer mist on the trees and a purple ink pad to add some depth. I am really pleased with how this one turned out.
I was a bit naughty yesterday and ordered some Caran D'ache watersoluble crayons and they arrived this morning so I'm going to have a play with them later.
TFL
Sami x

Tuesday 17 August 2010

Art journal pages

I have been playing in my art journal over the last couple of weeks. I have been looking at loads of art journal sites and found a lovely one called willowing.org I shamelessly copied a couple of her faces for future inspiration. I love the colours and style of her faces.

The two photos above I copied but the page underneath I did all by myself!


I have found loads of inspiration in this great book. Its filled with artists personal art journal pages.

I worked on these two pages on Sunday and Monday. I painted the pages first with acrylics, added some torn pages and painted again and then used PP or magazines for the collage. I used stamps on the pink butterfly one and then used watercolour pencils to colour in and do the journalling.
I used gel medium to stick the collage down and then went over the whole page with it. I also added a bit of stickles.



My sister picked me up an expedit unit from Ikea on sunday! I have wanted one for ages but had to do some major tidying, throwing out, and moving around to fit it into my little craft room! I bought 3 of the Drona baskets for it as they are only £2.99 each. I managed to fill the baskets with crap and they hide it beautifully! I have put my Cricut on the top to use as my die cut area!

Thanks for looking,
Sam x

Sunday 15 August 2010

Scrap with us

Scrap with us wk 24 was accsessorize
My DD had her ears pierced for her 10th birthday a couple of weeks ago. She has wanted them done for ages but each time I agree she changes her mind! I didn't think she'd go through with it this time but she was very brave and only whimpered a little! When I phoned to make the appointment the lady said to me 'we have a special on today, double piercing.' 'No, no I said she only wants one set of holes.' ' No' the lady said, 'what I mean is, there are two of us today so we pierce both ears at the same time, for minimum discomfort.' I thought this was a really good idea as seeing my DD's face when they pierced her ears, I don't know if she would have let them do the other one, then she would have been a bit lopsided!
PP was Echo Park and the journalling circle was My Minds Eye. My DD came up with the title which I so didn't get until I was sticking it down!
Wk 25 was Guilty pleasures
I had no idea what to do with this one. I thought about my guilty pleasures, taking a little nap on the sofa under my handmade quilt when no-ones about, my passion for peanut M&M's, my addiction to Twighlight, but I didn't know how to scrap any of that. We went out for lunch with the kids on friday and ended up having a pudding each as well. We never normally buy puddings if we eat out, it bumps the bill right up! When they arrived they looked so yummy that I took a photo of them!

PP was Cosmo Cricket material girl and October afternoon.
Wk 26 was Life's a beach
I took this photo on monday which was our first trip to the beach this summer! Living on an Island with the beach surrounding us, we tend to take it for granted. I must admit to prefering the beach in the winter, walking the dog on it when there are no holiday makers about!
Our friend from Sweden was down with her two boys, and my nephew was here for a week aswell though so we made an exception and took them to the beach. I love this photo with all their bums in the air while they concentrated so intently on digging their way through to the earths core!
PP was Echo Park and KI lace card stock. I must apologise for the photos as it is so dark and dismal today It was hard to get my LO without the flash bleaching out the photos.
TFL
Sami x


Wednesday 4 August 2010

A Painting

I have been busy the last three days doing a painting for a friend.
I did a painting 5 years ago that I copied from a card I bought on my first trip to Glastonbury. The artist is called Tiana and you can find her work on www.slipperyjacks.com and the painting is called 'Binding of souls'.
The painting I copied is the only art work of mine I have ever displayed. My friend saw it the other day and asked if I would do the same one for her. I have not done a painting on canvas in those 5 years so I was a bit worried in case I messed it up!
I think it turned out all right.
I have now bought another canvas and thought I would have a go at doing my own painting, something I havn't copied this time! I will let you know how it turns out!
TFL
Sami x