Pairs Journal - Sarah and Shirley

It has been quite a while since I last worked on Sarah's Journal! Due to illness I have not been able to get into my craft room very often since last October. Luckily the pairs journals have no time constraints on them and Sarah has been very patiently waiting for me to get active again. It has been a bit of a slow return, with only 30 minute visits to my desk being allowed at any one time! Hopefully this situation will change over the coming months.

Here are the pages I have been working on:

Sarah did a stunning painting on this page, therefore, I treated the page with caution making sure I did not get any unwanted paint splashes suddenly appearing on the page. These do happen to me occasionally!

On this page the colours Sarah had used and the circles she had placed on the page just called out flowers too me. Now this caused me a bit of a dilemma as at the beginning of doing our journals together Sarah had said 'no flowers please.' Although I know Sarah meant no pages looking like someone had sneezed flowers onto the page, I was aware of the request but no matter how I tried I just HAD to do flowers. I tried to think of something else but the flower idea stuck! So I have warned Sarah she was getting flowers anyway but also said she could always gesso over them if she felt the urge!

The next 4 pages are completely mine and they are now waiting for Sarah to add her creative art to them.

This page has a mix of dreamy colours to match an image I have had for a while.

On this page I used a new technique to me that I learnt at a class with Any Skinner using paint, alcohol and perfect pearls. Goodness know how that fish appeared!

I loved this image and just had to use it. The background was not the original one I had started out with as we are getting near the end of the first side of the journals pages it is getting a little bit heavier and when I picked up the journal to carefully move it for the background to dry it split slightly on the fold! So I had to do a slight repair and collage some papers onto the background. in the end I was pleased

with the result.

This page is a page in its raw form with some colour wash already for some more art to be placed on it.
I hope it has been worth waiting for Sarah...it will be in the post this week. YAY

Shirley's pair journal update.

Sorry it has been a while since I last posted here but I have at long last got around to doing so.

I have added a flower rubon to the corner of the page that Sarah painted this great lady on.

She really sang to me when I opened the page!

On the reflections page I placed a moon using various colours of Treasure Gold. 

I also added in the seahorses and water plant.

Sarah gave this page a lot of texture so I added more by using a texture paste for the word 'Home.'

Collaging on the houses and adding the flowers across the page.

Following on from Sarah's textured page I used a thick gesso and corrugated card stock to give my 'Love' page lots of depth.

Using a weathered wood technique that I learnt at an Andy Skinner class I created an icy looking background and added the baby angel image.

Finally I have produced this background using lovely warm colours.

I did intend to add some stencilling and stamping to it but having my right arm in sling slowed me down. I am sure Sarah will work her magic on the page and hopefully have some fun too.

I will be getting this into the post to you this week Sarah.

I have your journal sat on my desk ready to do but not sure exactly when that will be as the problem that required me to have a sling is still there. I am hoping to see a consultant this week and get things sorted!

Sarah & Shirley pair journal - round 4

This stage has been done a lot quicker than the last one for me, I have a busy August so thought I would get organised especially has I had a couple of ideas as soon as Sarah's lovely journal arrived. I just love the fact that there is no pressure of time -scale to get these done. Just the freedom of having fun.
Sarah's oriental page was beautiful and I know she loved it but I could not resist popping the Koi carp into the water and adding the eternity rubon.



This page was done on Sarah's gorgeous background. The apple and hand just went together along with 'Nothing tastes better,' which definitely goes with Forbidden fruit! What I could not decide was if this naughty caterpillar needed to go on the page too ... so I have placed him in the pocket at the back of the book and thought Sarah could take on that decision for us. Especially has I kept placing him on and off the page!


This page was done completely by me but I am sure Sarah will be able to add something to it.
Finally I started a background ready for Sarah to create her magic on.
Like I say a quick turn around this time, made even quicker by a husband who saw the package and has already to posted it for me!

Have fun Sarah.

Sarah & Shirley pair journal - round 3 part 2

Between us Sarah and I have a lot of colour happening in our journals, I just love the way the pages work so well next to each other.

Sarah's Mystery project sticker page did not need very much added to it at all.

I swiped some white paint to the right of the page and put the word Strength on top using a rub on. A man with 2 pairs of arms must be pretty strong, I also gave him some swirls at his feet and a heart.

Sarah's background was perfect for these ladies, they have been lurking in my box of cut bits and bobs for ages.

This page I collaged some torn out pages from a book I have, I just loved the faces peeking through the layers of paint.

Did you notice this little fellow peeking out?

The next page has lots of texture. I used builder's scrim and a pulled apart serviette below lots of paint and then stencilled and added more layers.

Finally this page is in its very early stages, with torn up book pages and paint. I had to stop there as I had already done more on the previous page than I originally intended to do!

I will be in the posting the journal to you tomorrow Sarah.

Have fun adding to any of the pages.

Song bird mail art

this is the beautiful song bird card that flew through my letterbox
it is gorgeous - thank you Shirley   Love the technique you have used

Pair Journal Sarah and Shirley....update

It was with some trepidation that I approached adding anything to Sarah's page but once I taken the first step I did not feel so nervous........

Then I really went for it with the Golden light molding paste/stencils/paints/inks and stamps!

Sarah might have her own additions to this page as well.

Finally leaving this page for Sarah to carry on with.

I will be popping this in the post to you soon Sarah.

Mail Art from Shirley

The Royal Mail has been busy with Mail Art this weekend, this lovley piece winged its way thru my letterbox yesterday, thank you Shirley, its perfect. Love the silhouette!

PS, Whats the stamp you used on the back with birds on a 'wire'? Think I NEED it for my collection

Pair Journal - Sarah & Shirley

Coincidently Sarah and I have both chosen the Moleskine Japenese album for our journals so it will be interesting to see how they develop over the coming months.

I am not going to protect my cover but let it become artistically decorated over time.

My intro pages that can be added too.

Partially prepared pages.

The pouch at the end of the album for a selection of words that can be used in the journal.

Looking forward to seeing the art that Sarah adds into the journal.

This will be on its way to you very soon Sarah.

Shirley

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MAIL ART FROM SHIRLEY - THANK YOU

Morning all, I couldn't fathom out whether it would be the person who created the mail art or the recipient that would post on here, so I've trawled back through and realised that Sarah had posted Shirley's mail art that she received, so apologies for the delay!

This gorgeous piece of art dropped through my door this week, I love it, what the photo doesn't show is all the awesome textures and the depth of colours in amongst the art.

So a massive thank you Shirley for distracting me from the normal envelopes that drop through the door containing bills and providing me with a gorgeous piece of art which is now sat on my crafting table for inspiration!

Gorgeous mail art from Shirley

Thank you!  I love it :)

Can't beat coming home from a busy day at the office to happy post :)

Sarah

Introducing.......Shirley

I am Shirley, I have been dabbling in many crafts for a very long time and have recently discovered the delights of mixed media. I live in Oxford with Colin my husband of 43 years, he is very excepting of the painty/inky mess I seem to make when I am creating my projects.

This is from a CJ I am involved in, I have left space for the

recipient to add their own words.

A selection of close up shots for a Book of Secrets made for a swap

this year.

A journal page made for the UK Scrappers Art Journey.

My first ever 'Sold' piece of artwork.

A hand pieced and quilted wall hanging.

'Tumbling Blocks'

4'x 3'

1987

I have a number of blogs but my crafting one is : http://doneatlast.blogspot.co.uk/

Many thanks to Sarah for inviting me to join in with so many creative and talented people.