Circles

Thats right I bought a circle punch. I was passing by hobbycraft on the way to a meeting in Greenford and I had some time to spare so I wandered in looking for one and I found a nice 1" punch for £2.99 but it was even better because when I got to the till, it was half price so I only paid £1.50. That made me very happy. Well I was busy over the weekend with my Dad visiting however I was up in Rugby Sunday night as I had an early morning meeting the next day and I had a little play with it. It was fun and I made sure to use lots of colours. Now I am thinking of all the other things I can do with it. Magazine pages and such, I could create such interesting patterns. I can see lots of fun to come in the future.

I also did a page on the way home from Greenford on Friday. This one is about weight and eating and I created the pattern to look a bit like a timeglass. It is a work in progress at the moment as I plan to add colour inside the patterns. This page was more about getting off my chest how I felt.

Zens

Thats right I was zening it up last night and created my very first Zen ATC's. I decided to go a little bit different so used black card and silver pen. I really liked the effect it created. I have been worried about creating these before as I just wasn't sure what to create and was worried they would look rubbish. However I have seen many pictures with the rest of my blindswaps group having been making loads over the last couple of months and last night I just fancied it. I got started and really enjoyed it. Rather than worry about what designs I was going to do, I just went with the flow and followed my idea's as they came. This made it very peaceful and enjoyable. And so I give you my zen ATC's :)

Works in Progress

So many journal pages I have started and that as such are works in progress. The first was created as a background as such and I have never put anything else over the top. It doesn't necessarily need anything else but I am sure I will.

The lady did not turn out as she should have at all. This was me experimenting with the pastels my friend bought me and I was going for a lady in a flowing dress with flowing hair - almost fairy like. It did not work, in that the whole overall look didn't turn out right and the face is awful. However I am not giving up on this page. I will do something with it, even if it is to write about how it didn't turn out right.

Then you have the garden one which I started as part of an illustration friday and since the deadline passed I have done no more with it. I love the idea when I first started as admitedly it didn't turn out as I had originally in mind I still liked it. I do plan to continue this and then to decide whether to add colour or not. I was umming and ahhing at the time as to whether I would and now I definately have more time to decide.

Finally this journal page is one I started on a train when I was on my way Coventry. It is part zentangling and part bits of conversation from the 4 american youths playing cards. I found aspects of their conversation funny and captured tiny snippets to intrigue the reader. I do plan to add a little colour to this. I only had my biro at the time so I did as much as I could and I have never got back round to adding the colour. Again this is something I will do.

Treats from the States

I had family visiting for a couple of days from the states and Angie brought gifts for me. Some crafting treats for me. They all have sticky pads on the back so I am looking forward to making use of them in the future. Apart from that its been quiet in my crafting world. I have been busy, what with having a couple of days off to spend with my family, then 2 day meeting in Rugby with work and a birthday party this weekend in London. I was on the travel for 4 days and forgot to take my journal with me. So I got on with other things but no crafting. Clearly I will have to try and make that up this week :)

Journals

I want to work in journals, I feel a need to work in journals and yet none are coming my way at the moment. Its been a bit slow on the swap I am on but I know one is heading my way. I have been looking on 1001journals.com and signing up for a couple more journals but the couple I had already signed up for are going nowhere. Odd because you would think I could just work in my journal and I can but somehow I feel more committed to work in a journal that is only mine to work in for a couple of weeks. To have one I can work in anytime does not push me to work in it. Admitedly over the last month I have worked more in my own journal but somehow it is still not the same. I am thinking about setting up my own journal on 1001journals, because it would be nice to see strangers work. But it seems to take so long for sign ups to take place and get going. One I signed up for is closed now, I was the last spot so hopefully the person will send it out soon.
I don't know what I would write in my journal - I see to shy away from writing person stuff in my own journal because then I'll have to look back at it and see it where as I have no problem putting it in someone elses journal and sending it off for people I don't know to read. Weird but not weird I guess. Who knows maybe I will work in my journal this weekend or maybe someone elses journal will turn up to work in.

Grafitti Postcard

On my mixed media group we are doing a grafitti postcard swap at the moment. When I started I wasn't sure what I was going to do as my grafitti but I was going to have it on a brick wall. I started to colour paper brown to make a wall when my other half pointed out it wouldn't really work like that. So I drew my grafitti first and then drew the wall around it so it looks like actual grafitti on a wall. This is my first one, I wasn't sure what to do my grafitti and this is what first came to mind. As sam pointed out my lines are a bit too sharp for grafitti but I liked it how it was. For my next one though I am going to try and make it more rounded but will do the wall behind again. Its time consuming but it makes a really good effect I think.

Journalling it up

I was journalling it up at the end of last week as it was just me in the house. The first page is making use of my pastels again. Then I did electro city page. This was making use of bits of a birthday card. I love the colours and the black felt on it so wanted to make use of it somehow. I had already cut an ATC background out of it which I have not used yet and decided to make use of the cut off's. I just started laying them on the page and it made me think of tower blocks and such. Thus electro city was created. The side bits are supposed to be liked bits of cloud coming out of the pipe.

Making use of a zen doodle I did on the train to Leeds over a week ago, I created my Zentangle page. I put the original doodle on and though about how I could extend it. I wanted there to be a difference between the

small page and the large page which lead to the using felt pen instead of pencil. I like the effect it created and the hypnotic feel to the page.

I haven't been doing much paper crafting/journalling this week as have been working on a cross stitch piece I am doing. A noah's Ark for my nephew's birthday in June. I started ages ago intending it for his birthday last year and just didn't work on it for ages so am getting on with it and getting it done.

Spring Inchies quilt

Thats right my spring inchies quilt has arrived. So all those inchies I made have been put into everyone's quilts and now I have lovely inchies from all these other people. I really like the quilt, its very nice but I do wish I could see which are everyone elses. I am now not sure what to do with. Some people are going to frame theirs, I feel like it would make a good coaster but it is too big and I don't want to cut it up. Hmm somethinking will have to be done.

I also completed my Unusual Alphabet ATC's to send to Rixta and they are now on the way to her in Australia. I was having a look through all my card and such looking for an image to go on a great background I had found and instead found this paisley card. It inspired me to make a paisley themed card as P for Paisley certainly is unusual. I really like the colours, more interesting than some paisley you find :)

Journal Joy

Thats right, I have started a new journal, this one to be used in my swap with Lia. We are going to trade our journals every few weeks so that we end up with a journal with eachothers work in. On my trip to cardiff yesterday I decided I would find a journal and after a small exploration found a great arts store that sold the perfect journal. Smaller than I have worked in before but perfect for putting in your handbag and therefore a take along plus makes it easier to send. Its got a feely cover which I like.

So to celebrate I got started straight away last night, doing a couple of pages plus the background for another. I wanted to have a play with my acrylic paints for creating backgrounds and although myfirst page didn't turn out a originally intended it has taught me a lesson on acrylics and this journal. Its a sketch journal really for dry use and the use of a paint on it had impact on the page. I think If I want to do that again in the future I will do it on paper first and stick into the journal for the background. The yellow you can see through the brown but then I was watering it down a little so thats probably why. I kinda like and dislike my first page as I think it could look better but then it is a learning experience. At the moment I have just done the otherside in purple acrylic but not continued plans yet.

I then was inspired to do my 2nd page by the starting titles of the mighty boosh. Was watching loads last night and loving it which created this page of fun. I found it fun to make and liked the bold colours with the white. The lines make a bold statement which I might use for a background in the future.