Tracy Scott workshops - Whimsical Houses

Hi guys!!!

As I said in my last post I haven't had much time recently to be creative in my own craft room and it doesn't look like that's going to change this month  - but I did manage to attend 2 workshops at AFTH last month, and one of them was with Tracy Scott.

She showed us 2 different ways to create our whimsical houses.

This is my first, I decided to do it on a background page that was already in my journal.  So I went for something a touch of fantasy!!!

For my second page I used an existing clean off page that I already had in my journal for the base.

This was how it turned out!!

I had a lovely relaxing day and with a few added touches when I got home I was really happy with the 2 pages I did.  

They make me smile when I look at them, which is always a good thing .....right!!

Thanks Tracy as always for a great day!!!

Have a great month guys!!

xxxx hugs xxxx

Regular Art Journaling with Kate Crane - April

Hi Folks 

I hope that you are enjoying spring and are managing to find some time to be creative.

I don't seem to have had much time lately to get creating at home, so I love doing  Kate Cranes regular journaling class at Art From The Heart earlier this month.

We made one of her wonderful colourful, multi layer  backgrounds and......

added some detail!!!

I totally loved doing it and I never thought I would be able to work with such a busy background - but I did and I love the feel of the finished piece.

Thanks Kate for a workshop!!!

AFTH has loads of fab workshops on at the moment so its worth going to have a look so you can go yourself to one of these wonderful day!!!

Happy creating everyone!!!

xxxx hugs xxxx

Tracy Scott workshops - Artful words & Doodle Journal Pages

Hi guys!!!

Just a quick post about the 2 workshops I did last weekend at AFTH with Tracy Scott.

First day we looked at letters and words to form patterns to create a page!! 

This was my page - I had intended to do more to it at home but each time I go to do anything I think I rather like it as it is!! so for now it will stay like this!!  

The second day Tracy showed us different ways to set up a page to create doodle art!!!  I was a bit worried about this one as I don't really doodle much - I wish I did more but I'm not very good at it!!  But as I never practise its hardly surprising that I don't get any better lol!!!!

I only had the basic colour shapes and about 4 sections doodled when I took it home.  So I sat it on my craft desk and expected than I would do nothing with it and it would end back on the shelf with my other journals!!!!

For once I was wrong.  

Every day during the week I would sit down for a few minutes and add a little bit more to it.  Until today when I decided 'I think its done'!!!

I have to say I am rather proud of myself as I never thought that I would ever doodle a double page spread and actually like it!!! 

Well I have!! 

There are bits of it I don't like and bits that I love but as a whole I think it works.

I have definitely found some doodles that I really like doing and now I just hope that I will keep doing a little bit on other pages so that I build up a bank of doodles that I love to do!!!  That way when I feel that a page I'm working on needs some doodling I wont feel daunted and walk away!!!

Thanks so much Tracy you have really helped me with my doodling skills!!!

Have a great day guys!!

xxxxhugsxxxx

Art workshops - Marta Lapkowska weekend of workshops

Hi folks!

 I thought I would just pop in and show you what a great weekend I had at the Art Workshop at the beginning of the month!!

Our amazing tutor Marta Lapowska did 5 classes for us over the Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday!!

Here are my creations!!!

'The Power of Freedom' Coloured Journal Page

We used Marta's own stamps on these - they were great!!

Me working on the journal page.

'Library of souls' Altered Journal Cover

I loved the techniques we used to add all the texture to the background of the cover of this journal!!

'Abstract Harmony' Art Journal Page

I was really struggling with the technique on this page and just couldn't seem to get the hang of it!! As shown by the expression on my face lol! The lovely Sue wasn't going to post this picture but I thought it was too funny not to!!!

Also its a great picture of Marta trying to sort me out!!  Which she did!!

I had gessoed 3 pages and some how ended up using page 4?!?!? it was one of those days!! hee hee!!

Marta thank you so much for your patience and skill!!! x

So rather than finishing the first I did a second page just to make sure I had got the technique sussed! 

So I have 2 double page spreads that I will find time to finish!!

'Tiny Art'

Partially done.....

Finished project!  Love it!!

'Captured Memories' Mixed Media Page 

I had to do some finishing touches when I got home because I ran out of time and energy in class!!

I am so pleased the way it turned out!! 

It was a fabulous weekend filled with friendship and fun; creativity and chocolate; laughter and loveliness!!!

Thank you so much Sue and the A team for looking after us to your usual high standards and Sue I have to say I am so please that you talked Marta into coming to us for her first teaching experience in England!!!

Marta you are an amazing lady and I cant wait until we can do it all over again!!! Hugs xx

If you would like to see more of Marta's creations check her out on youtube at Maremi SmallArt  

If you would like to see what other amazing tutors Sue is going to bring to the North East check out her facebook page HERE or message her to see if there are any places left on up coming workshops!!

I hope you all have a very creative weekend!!!

xxxx hugs xxxx

Art Workshop - 'Lets go on an adventure' with Tracy Easson

Hi folks!!

The day after I did Sandra's Bothams atcs class I was back at another crafting workshop but this time is was at Middlesbrough and was taught by the wonderful Tracy Easson!!!

Tracy had come down to teach several workshops in our area last year but unfortunately I had never been able to get to any of them so I was delighted to finally get a chance to meet her and to take one of her classes!!

Sue Tucker the awesome organiser for Art Workshops had arranged a new venue for us at the end of last year and I was looking forward to seeing it.

It is an amazing space to create in, very light and airy and windows all around with the view of the river!!! fab location!!

Tracy got us going by starting the background on our boards.

While we were waiting to paint to dry Tracy had us trying our hand at using our paints to create little watercolour pictures!!! Here is my little play - so fun to do!!

After lunch we got stuck straight back into our projects!

Here is my final piece.  I still want to do loads of doodling on it but I love the way its coming along. 

 I even managed to paint in a little dog! Sort off lol!! 

Thanks so much Tracy for an amazing class!! I can't wait to see what you will have for us the next time you decide to venture to our side of the border!!!  

I hope its soon hun!

Thanks Sue and the A team for your high quality organisation skills!!!

Thanks Lady's for a lovely chilled out day!!!

Happy creating everyone!!

xxxx hugs xxxx

Mini ATC Book - Sandra Botham

Hi Everyone I hope you are having a great week.  

Last month, a week after we got back from our hols, I jumped straight back into doing my workshops at AFTH. My creative year was started off wonderfully by being taught by the lovely Sandra Botham!! Go check out her blog HERE as she has today put on a great step by step showing you how to create a scrumptious Dylusion's tag!!!

the lovely book that I made and did actually add to it when I got home!!!

Sandra has our total attention...

Thanks ladies for starting my crafting off with such a fun day!!! 

Happy creating everyone!!

xxxx hugs xxxx

Regular Art Journaling with Kate Crane - January

Hi Folks just a quick post about the workshop I did with Kate Crane at AFTH the end of last month!!! 

As Kate quite rightly said this time of year can feel a bit dismal with the dark long dark nights and while waiting for spring, so she decided to get us in the mood by showing us how to create these wonderful, bright pages!!

They were great fun to do and it really did brighten up my weekend!
Thanks Kate as always for the instruction and inspiration.

Hope you all manage to add some colour to your life while waiting for spring!!

Have fun!

xxxxxx

Happy New Year!!

Hi Folks!

Belated Happy New Year to you all!!
I hope 2016 has been gentle to you so far!

I had a wonderful start to the year as we went away for the holiday of a life time for my 50th birthday!!  We went on a 2 week cruise round the Caribbean!!  It was totally amazing but coming back to British weather after being in 28+ degree heat was a bit of a shock to the system!!

Ok so holiday fun over, now Im trying to get my head back in the right place and get stuck back into the real world!! lol

I have quite a few plans which I hope implement this year and some of them do involve trying some new creative stuff so I'm really looking forward to that!!

I am going to try to be a bit better with my blogging as I realised the last time that I posted was in October!!! gulp! how does the time get away from you so quickly!!!

Through those last few months of 2015 I did a lot of fabulous workshops which I had planned to blog..... but as you can see that never quite happened! I am going to try in the next couple of weeks to do some quick snap shots of the workshops I did with some amazing tutors and then get back on track and keep you up to date with what I'm up to!!

Ok, take care everyone!!

xxx hugs xxx