Thursday 28 February 2013

March Calendar Journal Page

Hi Folks here's another calendar journal page - but there is a bit of a saga behind this one, so I apologise in advance for the long post.
This is the finally finished page!


At the beginning of the month I decided I would do my calendar page for March and make something to enter for an 'Inspired' challenge.  I thought if I got started at the beginning of the month I would have no problem getting both of them done!!! Who was I kidding?!?!?
Anyway started on the background for the calendar page and got it done very quickly, but first problem arose - one you have heard from me before - I really REALLY liked it and when I went back to add all the squares I couldn't - so I walked away and left it for a few days, then for a few more!!! 
Here's the first background.

By the middle of the month my health decided to take a downward turn but I didn't panic because I knew I still had time!!!
A way to move forward at this point was suggested by my husband, who said - 'do another one, as close to that one as you can make it!! that way it wont be unique and you wont be so precious about it'!!! superb advise.  That's what I did!
Here's the second one!
But wait - there's more!!
While doing the second one I thought I would try doing it on a canvas - I said I wanted to do more work with canvas this year and this seemed like an ideal time as I could use all the stuff I already had out on the desk.  So I did - but got rather carried away!!
Liked it so much, tried it on some small canvases to make journal covers.


 
Sanity then set in and I realised I had to get the actual page finished as I still hadn't done anything for the inspiration challenge.
So I tried to finish the page.  I couldn't think what to put on it - I had decided the squares I would use but couldn't decided on a feature piece or quote.  
Time went by!!
The inspiration hit - I had spent so much time during the month looking at clocks and watches feeling that I didn't have enough time!
So that set the theme.  
Only problem was I tried to finish the page on a day when I really wasn't well enough and manage to make a right royal mess of it!!!
So back to the beginning - make another background.
So make the last background and surprise surprise I think I liked it the best out of all I had done!!
It this point I told myself to get a grip and get the page finished.  Which I finally did, on the 28th of February!!!  So much for my plans of being ahead this month and doing two challenges.
But then I realised that I had managed to do both challenges in one - is this page was inspired by time - or in my case the lack of it so I'm going to add it to the 'inspired' challenge at the 11th hour and hope that its ok.
So a quick run down of the technique used, Dylusion ink sprays, sprayed in sections across the page, quite a lot - it was very wet.  Tilling the paper to make the inks run into each other and occasionally blowing through a straw to help it along!! Then splatters of gold mica spray.  I then added some rock salt and let it all  dry naturally.
The up side of this rather long saga i,s I now have 1 12 x 12 page, 1 large canvas and 3 sets of small canvases to use on other projects.  And I will probably cannibalise the remains of the first version of this page as I still like the background!! LOL I never throw anything away!!
As for the finished page - I think the writting takes over a bit but I will write in the square with a white pen and that will balance it out nicely!
Well if you have managed to stick it out this far and very impressed.  Hope you have a go at this one - its really quick but WARNING very addictive!!!
Have a great month!
Xxxx hugz xxxX

12 comments:

  1. This sounds like what I went through this month! Your pages turned out glorious!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, I'm in love with your backgrounds...Have you used dylusions inks?? Gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes its dylusions inks - with the very old rock salt technique totally love it!! am running out of inks now though LOL x

      Delete
  3. They are ALL beautiful. I would have a hard time using that paper, too. And since I'm a big bird fan, I loved how you added the birds to this March of time!! The rock salt was the perfect addition to these backgrounds, too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I LOVEEEEE these bright acid-ey colors. I haven't ventured into working with spray inks yet. I keep trying to get super bright colors from my watercolors, but I think I need to make the leap over to inks. I also love your birds. Happy March!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, I just LOVEEEE these bright colors. I need to get some bright spray inks. I also love the birds and the effect you get with the rock salt. Happy March! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I happen to LOVE color so these projects with their glorious colors are FAB!!!! Great March page!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your backgrounds. I always have a hard time covering up the backgrounds with the date squares too. I stopped creating elaborate backgrounds for that very reason. Your calendar is great!

    ReplyDelete
  8. all fabulous love them... well done on doing so many xx

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi there...I hopped on over from fb. I enjoyed reading about your journey so much. And I don't blame you for not wanting to cover up those gorgeous backgrounds! The finished result is wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Fantabulous backgrounds - I can see why you fell in love with them! I forget the salt trick, must do it again soon! lol

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for leaving a message - I really enjoy reading them! x