Altered Book - April Showers

What better way to remember all the rain we've had this month. Hoping the umbrellas stand out as the dominant features in this spread as I didn't manage that principle last Altered book Lesson. I do believe I have included the design element of "texture" from the current lesson as I used texture folders on all the umbrellas plus a bit of ink and embossing powder too.
Really enjoyed painting the background over 2 coats of gesso and also used gesso to mix the blue colours and finally I have managed to obliterate the words on the pages. RESULT!

Finding Fun - Raindrops

Finding Fun started today and my husband and I went out for a walk in the rain. I loved watching the concentric circles created by raindrops in puddles and was amazed to find that each one didn't really distort a previous one but just added it's own mark ontop.

Sketchbook365 - May Challenge

Here is my entry for the Scrap365 Challenge.I had been saving the Official Royal Photos by John Swannell for something special and this months sketch fitted the bill 100%. I used my Do-crafts 6x6 Portobello Road papers and their co-ordinating ribbon bows. I great addition to my patriotic scrapping for this Diamond Jubilee year. (See previous post for tag book where I am collecting photos of our Queen for the tags).

WOYWW #151

Hi everyone, can't believe I haven't blogged for a whole week now! Good job there is WOYWW to keep me going. Thanks to everyone who commented on my desk last week, I didn't realise how busy it would get with a lower number - LOL! I was hard pushed to just reply to all the comments let alone have any time to go visit myself! And remember I DO play badminton on a Wednesday too!

So here's my desk this week. I am working on a scrapbook page using the official Diamond Jubilee photographs by John Swannell. I am going to enter the Scrap365 magazine challenge and am using their latest sketch. They have just moved their monthly challenge from their website to a new blog called Sketckbook365. I will post my finished page in a separate post next so they don't get confused - LOL.

I don't have many drawers to store stuff so the little set of 4 (top right)  just sort of jumped into my trolly at Asda last week. My trusty Cuttlebug is away and keeping my Altered Book flat, my laptop is at the ready and I have my favourite drink to hand - hot Ribena - YUM!

WOYWW #150 - Tools of the Trade

Ah yes - that day is here yet again and thanks to Julia we can have a peek into the workings of a crafter and their desks! Here is my trusty Cuttlebug which is quite happy to cut Sizzix Bigz dies, Quickutz, Nesties and the like. My Fiskars paper trimmer one of my first purchases all those years ago, along with my cutting mat. My glasses which I can't seem to do without these days! Oh and my green laptop with my Altered Book on top. My Cuttlebug and Laptop have to do a change of positions every time I need to do some diecutting.

I'm currently doing a scrapbook page and have actually made my own backing paper this time. Old Paper Stain to cover the white cardstock, inking and stamping a bit of grunge. It's geting there, still needs sticking down though. Thanks for stopping by, BJ.

Altered Book Part V (Still Lesson 6!)

On this cold and rainy day here in the UK I decided to get out my sunny Springtime magazine pictures and make a collage for my Altered Book. I just wanted to cover the words and have fun with this.  I
used quintessentially British pictures and inked the bare bits with Peeled Paint. Now that had cheered me up.

Altered Book Part IV (lesson 6)

Had this page milling about in my head for a few weeks now so just had to make it. Found lots of pictures on the internet to depict our 3 Saints Days which fall in Spring. I even opened up my new acrylic paints for the first time and had a go at painting the pages. 

Firstly, St David of Wales. I grew up in Wales from the age of 9yrs and dressed up like the picture in national costume for Eisteddford's in school to celebrate the day. The yellow and black flag is St David's flag the dragon is the Welsh flag. The leek is the emblem of Wales along with the floral version of the daffodil. I made a pathway using daffodils through the spread.

Secondly, St Patrick of Ireland. I lived in Dublin when I was 18yr-19yrs and studied the Irish Leaving Certificate there. Always wanted to play the harp and hoping there will be one reserved for me in heaven along with those big fluffy white wings!!

Lastly, St George of England. I was born in The Midlands and now live in Surrey in England, although I'd never think of myself as English, always British as that is what it says on my passport, I do speak English though!!

As for the design principles - now that is a diffucult one. The Movement one certainly grabbed me so the pathway of daffodils hopefully makes you wander round the page as it were. Contrast, well the colours are quite striking! Repetition, the flags and also the row of stamps with the little girl adding more contrast there. Not sure about its Rhythm nor Dominance but I have done a page of the Saints and I'm happy with it.

Stampman Challenge - Vellum

Oh My! Vellum. Back in 2005 when I found QVC on Freeview, there was alot of talk about this stuff called Vellum! I had no idea what it was so ordered a few sheets to find out.

Must admit it isn't my favourite paper to work with as being translucent it has the eternal "how to stick it down" challenge all of its own.

In this card I have tried to show some different uses and fixing techniques. It diecuts (top butterfly), it punches (boarder), it tears and rolls (mat). Attach it with eyelets (or brads) or sneak some glue (pinflair) under the parts which don't show.

Best put it back in the cupboard now............

WOYWW #149

Ah - Here we are again, having a snoop about people's workdesks. Join the fun @ Julia's. Here's what I have made this week. My Art Journal is turning into more of a Tag Store! Every other double page I am sticking in the month's tags and writing a bit about them too. The ATC on the easel is made with the left over pieces of another tag I made for this month's UKPC SWAP. The theme for our SWAP is Easter/Spring colours including Buttons and Beads. Last but not least is my "GOTH" scrapbook page. We'd been chatting on UKPC about whether we wore make-up or not and I happened to mention I used to wear a bit when I was a goth. This sparked surprise as to why I hadn't scrapped any "Goth" photos but alas it had been before my scrapping days. Anyway, I took some photos of my photos and have since printed and scrapped them. Gosh that was some time ago..... I even used to wear the black lace on the page in my hair! Sigh..........  

OK - So not exactly on my desk but I couldn't resist sharing the bunny-egg which came in my Easter Flowers. Looks like he'd be easy to make. The felt for his feet is heart shaped but sadly no fluffy bunny tail.

Well that is me for this week - BJ

Hallelujah - He has Risen

Happy Easter Everyone.

I made a few ATC's this Easter and decided to put them in my Art Journal. Firstly I have always had trouble spelling Hallelujah so thought some crafting might help. Then I googled it and found there are quite a few different spellings - no wonder I was confused. The other two pictures I had left over from my Altered book spread and Easter cards. The barbed wire frame was inspired by Julia's "Wheels" card, and as I made this on Good Friday, it seemed quite fitting as I remembered Christ's Crown of Thorns. The broken glass stamp showed how Christ was broken for us, the words "Special Love" speak of His sacrifice for us and the footsteps for how He walks beside us now. The crosses speak for themselves and I hope the empty tomb does too.

Hallelujah - Praise the Risen LORD!

TH#4 - April Tag

OK - now let me see - What Timmy products did I have? Oh Yes - "some" of the distress inkpads! That was IT! Oh well a valient attempt, if I say so myself, under the circumstances. So - What did I use then?

Ripped the first page out of the dictionary I bought at our Scout Jumble Sale for such purposes as this. Considering the Easter season I went to the "e" section and there was "egg" right at the top, how could I resist?

Embossed frame made from a small freebie Christmas Tree folder where I just put the edges of the tag in and had to emboss 6 times to get the edge pattern.

Bird - Marianne die (sans it own branch)
Branch - Quickutz die (2 parts)
Leaves - from Tim's Regal Crest die
Plaque - Tim's book plate from Tag die
Crown - metal embellishment from "The Works" here in the UK. Had to cut the brad ring off the top - now that was fun!

On reflection I really ought to have made the bird BLACK in honour of the Blackbird which has taken up residence in my garden and promptly starts singing his little heart out around 5am and continues 'till 9am and then returns in the evening. I think the novelty has worn off now!!! BJ

Stampman Challenge - Bingo

Really wanted to enter The Stampman Challenge this time but was having Bingo Block! So I just went ahead and made a tag anyways and hoped the ingredients would "find themselves". I love green so that was a good start, then flowers too but swirls just didn't make it into the mix.............. My ribbon is polka dotted but I guess you can't count that as fabric aswell - hmmmmm. Then - eureka - I realised the button is a circle!! YIPPEE So Green, Circle and Ribbon it is then, with a few polka dots and flowers thrown in for good measure - LOL. And some alcohol inked acetate butterflies with bead bodies (set using pins to hold beads in place - been wanting to try that for ages). My forsythia is in full bloom at the moment so just had to use that paper today too. Phew - think I have made it by the skin of my teeth.  BJ

WOYWW #148 (AB:Part III-Lesson 5)

Gosh EASTER seems to have happened on my workdesk this week. Mainly due to the fact that the next Altered Book Lesson came out on Monday last and I have been beavering away. Oh and it happens to be Holy Week which makes it really appropriate to do an Easter spread in the Spring section of my Seasons themed book. There are also the garden gloves and wooden hen I got for my Mother (she especially said NO chocolate and requested the former). I got the little lime gingham hen for myself! My latest photo batch arrived and includes a photo of the roses my son got me for Mother's day too.

Elizabeth, our Altered Book Course Tutor, has had us looking at the Principles of  Design concentrating on Harmony, Unity, Balance, Proportion and Emphasis. Homework was to produce a page showing each, but having a smallish book I decided to try to show all five in one double spread. Pages may yet get updated (last lesson's have already!!) but I think I am there.

Harmony - Common theme of the page is Easter.
Unity - Repetition of the colours from the sunset.
Balance - There is symmetrical balance left/right and asymmetrical top/bottom.
Proportion - Smaller palm tree made from the larger diecut one to give proportion.

Emphasis - I think the main cross and title say it all really.

Hope you all have a peaceful Easter.

BJ

PS Here's what was on my desk last week after I had posted my WOYWW.

Thanks Julia, have pinned it on my little Rudolph, so he is taking care of it for me.