A creative 2010

I am looking foward to 2010.But i have had a hard time thinking to deciede on some creative new years resolutions, cause there is just so much id like to do in 2010 and i would like to approch the new year openly and just take it as it comes, so I have just thought about some categories id like to inprove on or just continue;

ART JOURNALING:I want to just get better at it and find a nice balance between acctual art and writing, i dont just want to paint a bacxkground andf then write on it i want to add a picture.But then again I would also like to do a little more with watercolours in 2010 and as i got lots of pitt pens and neocolour foe christmas i want to use them alot in 2010.Also I want to try art journaling in a difrent format and on a homemade journal and on an old book.Oh and Id like to broaden my sight of art journaling and try journaling on a bag, tshirt, mug and candle...

RIDING:Id like to work on being on the right stride and getting my hands down when cantering.Also i want to learn more about horses and work on drawing them aswell

BLOG:I want to get better at putting together posts and try to add some extra value to my readers.I also want to aim to get 5 followers.So a little help?

CROCHET AND KNITTING:I want to do more of both of these and get better at them.I want to learn all the crochet stiches and learn how to cable knit.Oh and id also like to try doing a big project such as a blanket or iteam of clothing.

WRITING:I want to keep writing in my diary daily and also start a inspiration book.

STYLE:I want to pimp my clothing to suit my style ala DIY:

So that covers all the stuff i want to do in 2010.What about you?PS i made the bow cool eh?

HAPPY NEW YEAR

What materials to use?part 1

When I first started ar journaling, the only thing I

had to go by was one two paged artical in craft magazine.It gave me a rough idea of what art journaling was but just staded use any materials you feel happy with and you have on hand.Now this is a very valid point and I do agree that you should use whatever materials you have and love, but still when you start out this can be hard.mabey you havent done much art yet and you want to learn about what materials are good to use.So in this post i hope to help any newcomers to artjournaling to find some cool art supplies and to show you all what materials I use.A while ago i did post some good videos from youtube on tthis , as you may wish to check out:http://makealifeandmore.blogspot.com/2009/05/supplies-4-art-journal.html

so here we go:

PAINTS: I use two kinds-Watercolour and acrylic paints.I use the Studio Lascaux acrylic paints(http://www.lascaux.ch/english/farben/studio.htm) in dark red, bright red, yellow, lemon yellow, bright blue, dark blue, magenta(pink),black and a huge tube of white which also doubles as my gesso.I hayve a small palette of waterclours(see picture).

BRUSHESand other application methods:I use a bristle brush in size6,a size 11 and 13 0f those normal round ones,two one inched flat brushes for painting walls(i use for backgrounds), a small palette knife,an assortment of brushes in the sizes 6,6,10,4 and some unlabeld, a flat brush in size6, a middle sized waterhandeld brush and a sponge roller.

TO BE CONTINUED...

TUTORIAL:Last Minute Pressie:Collaged bookmarks

So just incase you have still got to get a few lastminute gifts but you have no idea what to make and acctuly you really feel like art journaling , why not make these cute collaged bookmarks?5 or 6 of them in a little set make a lovely gift along with some choclats.

1.Start off by cutting out some bookmarks from cardstock, they can be any size you wish!

2.Using watercolour crayons or pencils colour the whole bookmark

3.Using water paint with it

Now...

4.Either collect some pretty papers and stick them on or doodle a design on top of the painted surface

5.Now go over it in any colours you like, i picked black and whit, and sponge them, drip them , use handcarved stamps, use wine corks to get the round shape....

6.Write a quote on a piece of paper, either all in one block or in seperate lines...

7.Now you may want to outline the text boxes with a pen(I used artists pitt pens, brush)

8. glue the quotes down

9. add stickers and embellishments

10.Done!!!

Now this is just one way of doing it and i not saying its perfect or anything its just ment to inspire you!!!

Merry christmas!!!

PS:I found this really cool website , its got a tutorial for toiletroll angels, felt cookies....http://alisaburke.blogspot.com/

My latest artwork

I feel that in the last month or so, my writing skills on my blog and also my art has gotten better.Also I have sterted to work a bit more outside of my artjournal. I am working on a collaged jewelry box and 10 collaged bookmarks as christmas gifts.Yes I am still working on them.I know i should get a move on but I think art should not be rushed.When i am done I will post some photos though.
But for now I leave you with three photos of some of my latest art work.
1.My very first attempt to make an artists trading card.I loved making it. What do you think?
2.Is a journal page.The women where inspired by the volturi in new moon.I know theres not much visual reseblance but its more the feel i got when drawing them.
3.The first picture in the series of three pictures i want to hang up in room. Divided onto each it will say Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.So for the second I am going to paint a big eye.

Merry christmas!!!!

Workshop:layers

Right now i am really in to learning things about layers and also to try them out in my art journal and have lots of fun.It is going to be one of my new years resolutions to get better at layering.And I thought I may as well share it with all my blog readers.So this is going to be the first part in the series.You will learn along with me, about layers. Some of the tips will be from me but others will bw from around the web and books.
One thing I have already learned is that a good way to strat is with colour and then gesso, this starts of your page nicely.Next just keep adding not covering with every layer.I got this very good piece of advice from one of suzi blus videos.So for now i will leave you with the 3 best videos i have found on the subject:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1U_DB4UFmk

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You may also like:
http://makealifeandmore.blogspot.com/2009/12/pretty-layers.html This is one of my first layered pages i every did:
(I have decided to give you one or two links to other related posts on my blog to get you seeing all the work i have put in on older posts)

Merry christmas!!!

100 creative things i want to do in 2010(and a few makes)

To start above you can see the before and after of my pencil holder, i painted.Second i made a get well sooncard and a pretty doodle page from my art journal.

I am in a bit of stress right now trying to get all my christmas presents but i got distracted and made a 100 creative things i want to do in 2010 list.Every so often i will tell you how far i am on it once the new year has started.I wonder if ill do them all.Some take longer than others, but I thought it woild be fun to share my progress.So here is the complete list:

1.Start a series on my blog about art journaling

2.Buy some FIMO

3.Decorate a mask

4.Make some 3Dfaces out of FIMO

5.try bookmaking

6.make and fill a travel journal

7.Carve my own stamp

8.Create a project using ties

9.Collect patterned and intsresting paper

10.make a zine and share online for free

11.make some of my own art supplies

12.Create a monthly calender collage

13.collage on a canvas

14.sew a plushie

15.Celebrate day of the dead and make a shrine

16.Use music lines in my art journal

17.Learn how to create deeper(feeling)backgrounds

18.Find a cool art journaling mag and subscribe¨

19.decorate school books

20.Make lots of badges and decorate school bag

21.Create some art quilts¨

22.throw a crafternoon

23.Learn how to cable knit

24.Collect buttons

25.Make my room artsy

26.Have a go at styling my old chucks...

27...and Then on my new ones and wear them

28.Find oout aabout the history of art journaling

29.Try knitting a shrug or sweater(well just a big project)

30.Collect paper scraps

31. Experiment

32.Make FIMO friendship necklace

33.Create a colour palette

34.buy a brayer

35.Journal a t-shirt

36.make a mixed media doll

37.make my own buttons

38.Try embroidery

39.Join the non stop artjournaling month(in november or call a random moth my nanojomo)

40.Make ice cream

41.Sew or buy a tutu

42.Make resin knitting needles

43.Make some scrappaper out of scraps

44.buy some crayons

45.sew a qulted blanket art journal

46.make some sweets

47.Make journally easter eggs

48.writ for a zine

49.make some cat toys

50.Collect quotes in a nice way

51.Make a mosaic using shmashed plates

52.make some atcs

53.Learn about history of FIMO

54.Buy some creatîve books

55.decorate a mug

56.get some depth in^to my art journal

57.make a resin bracelet with my art in it

58.Buy a bigbag

59.Buy a handbag( thats small but big enough for my art journal)

60.Draw a map

61.Buy some 3d paste

62.¨make my own art journal

63.try doing art on paper and then binding to a journal

64.Have a go at making my own paper...

65.But first buy supplies

66.Find a creative penfriend

67.read a GOOD book

68.watch a GOOD film

69.make a necklace with chunky beads

70.Play with shrinky dinks

71.Burn some songs and make a cd with cool cover art( mabey one a month)

72.Try dyieng hâir diffrent colours in wash outs

73.Sew a collage necklace

74.collect words

75.Collect prompts

76.try felt mosaic

77.Journal on fabric and sew a bag

78.make a page in art journal, 1 week 1o things

79.Take part in non stop journaling ,month and

80. non stop writing month

81.Find out about creative festivals

82. and celebrate

83.Buy new pens and have fun

84. make a ginger bred house

85.Make some earrings

86.Buy some glitter

87.Find an old book to alter

88.Buz gelmedium

89.Iron plastic bags

90.and make a bag

91.Create a fairy jar

92.Make some mosaic tiles from fimo

93.and use them

94.Buz some black flats

95.sew a journaled pillow

96.Create an art journaled candel

97.buz special paper thin wax to do so

98.collect vintage papers

99.buz some paperdolls to use in art

100.collage a few book marks

Merrz x/mas

My fave Art journaling prompts on the web

If you are stuck for ideas of what to write just check out this website.it has more prompts than yourever be able to write about:http://www.squidoo.com/journalwritingprompts.

Tips on how to get started and great resources and more http://daisyyellow.squarespace.com/abstract/art-journaling-101.html

A Heart prompt here.http://www.ihanna.nu/blog/?p=754

A whole page of promptshttp://www.journalgirl.com/journalprompts/

7 tips for when you are baking cookies

1.Add a pinch of salt to your cookie dough, salt will make the aroma strOnger.

2.When rolling your dough out, sandwich it between two coolbags instead of using floor

3.To give it a nice shiny finish mix icing sugar with milk.4

4.If you want a chocolate topping add some coconut fat to you choclat to make it more shiny

5.if you are alleergic to nuts just add some fine oats

6.Dont let your cookies cool down for to long as they may start to crumble apart

7.If were talking gingerbread add a piece of apple to the storage box as this makes it stay fresh longer.

A new cover for my art journal, a primitiv stamp and my New Moon journal page

What do you think of my new art journal cover?It was so simple to make, i simply cut out random bits of paper and glued them on and them coverd the whole thing with cellotape.The tool thing(is it called a spatula?)on top of it is new and im hoping to do marie antoinettes hair withit.

I really intrested in making my own stamps so i tryed a super caveage version of it, by simply sharpening the top aof a wine cork and them stamped it using black on my journal page.But I do think it is really effectiv.Last but not least my new moon page.I did it after seeing the film and the journaling is about what the story is about.

Happy journaling!!!!!

Tutorial: Felt Bookbag with free style applicate

Okay so sorry the pictures are not in the correct order , but its hard uploading on blogger.:)Anyway here comes a cool Tutorial:

1.Cut out a circle of felt and get some random felt scraps handy

2.Arrange them and sew on

3.Draw round a book and add a few inches on another piece of felt

4.Cut out some 2 inch wide straps

5.Sew bag(sew straps to sides and sew 3 of the four edges of the main pieces)

6.Add buttons to felt circle and sew on

7.DONE!!!!

This would make a great gift to any book lover on your giftlist or you may want to make one for yourself.It took me about one and a half hours.

Merry christmas!!!!!!

Gift Guide: 12 days tell christmas

So with twelve more days tell christmas you shoule get a move on making presents , so here is a quick roundup with links and ideas pf my own to make and buy.Merry Christmas!!!

For...

...Your best friend:
How about these pretty FIMO friendship necklace?;http://www.cutoutandkeep.net//projects/clay_best_friends_lover_necklaces
Or some nice bath soaks or something(search in google)

...Your Mum,Grandma...
This cute http://bugsandfishes.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-to-appliqued-succulent-sachet.html sachet

...Wrapping paper
http://ilovetocreateblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/knit-print-wrapping-paper.html cute!

...Your gameaddictat friend(joke)
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Case-for-Your-DS-Lite-Games/

....Yourself
this fab skirthttp://soyouthinkyourecrafty-tuts.blogspot.com/2009/11/when-it-comes-to-being-turkey-its-best.html

...Knitting Friends
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=285832.0

...Your cat
my cats have tested these toys and love themhttp://myfantastictoys.blogspot.com/2009/05/cat-toy-plushies.html

...Your Tee loving Friend
http://weefolkart.com/content/tea-wallet-little-birdie-branch so they can take their teabags everywhere

...Any one who loves cts and tea
make them a catteacosyhttp://bustleandsew.blogspot.com/2009/11/sleepy-cat-tea-cosy-tutorial.html

....a lovely gift
This shrinky dinks necklacehttp://lilblueboo.blogspot.com/2009/11/teeny-tiny-shrinky-dink-leaves-necklace.html


So get crafting!!!

Book review : Journal revolution,Rise up and create

Authors: Linda Woods and Karen Dinino

I really like this book.Its message is to get down to it and create personal art journal pages.It starts off by showing you some cool techniques to use in your art journal such as how to do faux spray paint and how to distress with tape.Then we move on and learn a tone about what diffrent fonts can mean diffrent things but still say the same.This like every other chapter starts off with 'Theory' , then moves on to a project and finishes witha gallery.Alot of this book is aboût finding your personality in art .There are also fun ideas to do like spy on yourself and use your information to make a journal page.Lots of ideas and tips are shared in this book about how you can journal outside your art journal to for eg.On aa paper plate or a paper bag.

In a nutshell: This is a fab book for anyone who wants to learn how to journal the truth, get comfy outside of your art jôurnal and learn lots about art journaling.

Level: Anyone will love it!

Where to get it: Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

Happy journaling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pretty Layers

This is my latest art journal page.Its done with loads of layers.Ive been watchîng lots of art journaling video, reading lots of books and surfing the web a lot.Many people are posting stuff about layers, so I thought id give it ago to.And this is what came out.

My layers:

1.I cut some pages out of an old book and after cutting em done to fit on the page i glued em down.

2.I painted over it with a watery gesso (just add lots of water)

3.Then I coverd the page with some light pink ink from my ink pad

4.And stamped down a celtichorese design in dark pink.

5.I dripped some blue paint down

6.I added two layers of blue paint, not painting over the stamps

7.Next I added some tipex stars and some pencil stars

8.Then using artists pitt pens I drew the girl and gave her a tipex bow

Done!!!!

To get more inspiration about layers go to:http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=art+journaling+layers&search_type=&aq=f

Have fun and Happy Art Journaling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are some cool prmpts for your art journal:

1.Did you see a good film lately?Journali about it, add colours that make you think of it, add your ticket from seeing it and write what the story was about.

2.Experiment with diffrent new mediums like crayons or shading with coloured pencils

3.draw mandalas

4.Draw people and add your fave quotes.

5.Make a page with pictures of all your favorite stuff.Use your fave colours and photos ....

6.Design and plan new projects or partys in your art journal.

7.Grab a magazine and use it in your page in some way.

8.Make cool backgrounds and cut people out of an old book page and go from there.

9.Use photos of yourself

10.At the beginning of a new month makew a page with goals you haave for that month and tick em off as you go

11.Go overboard with your fave stamp and add glitter

12.Simply doodle

13.Cut out random words stick em on the page and get inspired from that.

14.Next time you go to an art gallery, make notes and buy postcards . Then make a journal entery about it.

15.If youre in abad mood.Go grab your art journal and express yourself in colour and words .It helps!!!

16.Draw
17.Doodle while you listen to podcasts

Happy art journalin!!!