DLP Week 13: My Unique Elements are Blooming...

So for this weeks DLP 2015 I decided to play around with marbling on paper using nail polish to create my unique 'custom elements'. Chalk that one up to experience...it's a first and a last. It turns out its a very stinky process (I guess I could have figured that out) and the results were not terribly satisfying! However, not wanting to waste anything, I went ahead and used the flower shaped post-it notes on which I had tried the technique and added lots of doodles with paint markers and black and white pens.

  

What's that...

...yup, I smell Spring in the air!

DLP Week 11: I Can't Stop...

Do you ever find yourself in a mood to doodle...always being able to add a little more detail...a few more marks to the page?

This week's Documented Life Project challenge was to use a border, so that's where I started. I randomly drew a border using the inspiration of lines from a French curve. I traced that line using a parallel pen to get thicker and thinner parts to it.

I always start the page by using washi tape to create the journalling part of my page, so using the washi tape for colour inspiration, I painted the outside of the border line in the pink. The inner area  was then randomly painted in patches of the other colours represented on the washi tape.

Again using the parallel pen, I did some marks along the border edge line and then added a few circles within the larger space.

Using a combination of black pen, white pen and paint markers I continued doodling and adding text around the border...Help me...I started doodling and I can't stop!

DLP Week 8: It's Worth Repeating

Sometimes things just don't go as planned...

Funny that the text I had used on this page makes sense with the 'journey' I took in doing this page! I started by laying down some layers of Gelli printing and then glueing torn paper of the words in the message onto the page. That's probably where it started going wrong because I was then forced to work around the text. Anyway, the doodles of the little doily type flower motifs kept popping up and I ended up adding them in a variety of ways (thus the 'repeating' theme). 

At one particularly ugly stage (and often there are those ugly stages in the process) I was losing hope of being able to salvage the page so I added some smaller text at the bottom...

Not a great spread, but a good 'journey' none the less.

If you're interested in joining the fun and FREE Documented Life Project, it's not too late to get on board!

DLP Week 7: Going Under Cover...

I love how the weekly prompts in DLP 2015 get me thinking outside of the box and trying new things while incorporating some old favourites that I haven't used for a while.

This weeks challenge was to 'cover up the good stuff' so I started by using Sakura Gelly Rollers to journal some thoughts in overlapping 'patches' of script on black gesso.










I then used some hand-marbled paper and a piece of scrapbook paper to tear strips to cover some of the journalling.












I cut some hearts out of the lining of an envelope that had the word love repeated in a variety of fonts. I drew in the lines suspending the 'love' hearts using a Liquitex paint marker and with a black water-soluble stabilo pencil, I added some shadows to give more of an illusion of depth and layers. A red Neocolour II crayon accented some of the circles on the marbled paper and the doily heart.



Finally I added a bit of doodling in black and white and called it done!

My Awesome Year...

The other day, I picked up a new journal and I had a great time using up a bunch of recycled bits and pieces, as well as some wonderful techniques as suggested in Creative Jumpstart 2014 (it's not too late to sign up!).

I love to hang on to all sorts of bits of paper from postage stamps, to tissue paper (especially the pretty printed ones), envelopes (especially pretty decorated ones...thank you Betty Franks!!!), old book pages, maps, music paper, newspaper text, magazine text, Gelli plate prints, pretty tea bag papers, etc., etc., etc...

Once the collaging was done, I got out the acrylic paint to add some colour and blend away some of the harsh edges.

Then I added some magazine text...a feature phrase on the front cover and several others on the back.

When I was pretty much happy with it, I added the title using Liquitex Paint Markers in white and black.  I used a black NeoColor II crayon and a water brush to create shadows for the text, a couple of extra doodles and now I'm ready to journal for 2014!

I'm hoping to do a lot more art journalling this year...after all, I've got to fill up this journal before the year is over...

Paint Doodling...

While working on another journal page, I was cleaning my brush off on this page...I hate wasting paint!

It was all about doodling with the remaining paint on the brush and palette when I finished with the colour on that other page.

When all of that paint was used, I was left with this...
Clearly it needed something more.

And so, I took out my Liquidtex paint markers and continued doodling.  A bit of additional details were added with a Micron pen and I called it done.  I'm not sure I like it, but it sure was a relaxing, stress reducing exercise!

Blog Hop Featuring Cecilia Swatton's StencilGirl Designs...

I'm participating in another fun StencilGirl Blog Hop, this time featuring stencils designed by Cecilia Swatton!  I'm using Cecilia's "Swatton Grid" and "Mimosa 6" stencils today.

6" x 6" Swatton Grid

6" x 6" Mimosa

Sometimes you have to work smarter, not harder, so today I'm doing just that.  I'm thinking ahead to the busy Christmas season, and I want to make my own gift tags this year.  I also want to get my November art journal calendar spread done, so in comes the 'smarter'.  

I cut a bunch of these little tags out of card stock, hole punched them and then pulled out may art journal calendar.  

I spritzed some yellow Dylusions ink spray on the page and used a baby wipe to swirl it around a bit.  

Then I arranged the tags onto the page and the fun began.

Since November can be such a dark, gloomy month, pulled out my bright spray inks and sprayed through Cecilia's stencils to create some beautifully colourful patterns on the page.

Here you can see me spraying some grass green through the "Swatton Grid" stencil.

After creating all of that fabulous background colour and texture, I removed the tags and set them aside.

I pulled out my Liquitex paint markers and added some outlines and numbers, etc. to the calendar spread.

Then I added some extra texture to the journalling blocks by stencilling some white through the stencils, alternating  "Mimosa 6" and "Swatton Grid" 

I added the name of the month and the year and the calendar spread was done.

And now to get back to those Christmas tags I was making... I added some doodles to the beautifully patterned tags using a gold Pearl Pen and all they need now is a pretty bit of gold yarn and they're ready to go!

I hope you've enjoyed your stop here!  Remember there's a giveaway on the 

StencilGirl Talk blog and Cecilia will also have a giveaway of her own on her blog.  

ALL comments in the entire hop are eligible to win. 

The more blog's you comment on (one comment per blog please), 

the more chances you have to WIN! 

The giveaway will close on Sunday, October 27th at 11:59PM Central Time.

StencilGirl Talk

Cecilia Swatton

Linda Kittmer-you are here

Linda Cain-hop over here next...

Carolyn Dube

Corrine Gilman

Judy Shea

Kirsten Reed

Jessica Sporn

Maria McGuire