....

Don't know where to post this.... But I've posted my journal onto Irene today.



And it has arrived with me;it's fabby,and,I'm really looking forward to adding to it. My book is in the post to you Effie

mail art

This is the unique card I received from Sarah - it certainly brightened up my day
I love it!

Pair Journal Effie & Irene

Just finished my journal for the pair swap.....it's small only 4x41/2"

2 pages done but any additions welcome.

Effie.

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!

Pair Journal - Sue & Sami

 I made a start on my journal today..............

 I am using a school exercise book.............when I was at school we had to cover our exercise books so I used a sheet of paper off the pad I work on to cover my book....

 I put my name inside................

and I made a page to start with......does it need anything more or is it done?? 

Over to you Sam!
Sue.

Thanks Sue!

Well I have made a start!

I made the journal as I couldn't find anything suitable. I used a piece of canvas for the cover and painted and sprayed it. Inside is about 30 pages of cartridge paper.

 Here is the first page (sorry the photos are a bit blurry). I used bits of let over canvas to stamp the letters on.

Here is the second page with room for stuff to be added if you fancy?!

I really wanted to get another page done before I send it off but am busy all weekend, let me know when you want to post!

Sam x

Introducing Poshscot aka Lou

Hello, I’m Lou. I love to lose myself in the process of creating and I’m really keen on ‘up-cycling’, mixed media collage and textile art.  My ethos to creating is to start with a blank canvas and make it mine, size doesn’t really matter, big or small it’s all good. 

I’ve been swapping internationally for over 10 years now and find it really pushes the boundaries for me.  

This textile piece is based on a roundabout not far from my home.

This collage was an experiment with ink and wax.

Buddhism plays a major part in my inspiration and well being.

Surround Yourself with Inspiration.

Pat - Lorraine paired art journal

My colour and texture art journal has been created ..... and some pages prepared for Lorraine's creative input

the cover is a mixture of fabric paper tissue and texture paste with a lining of tyvek inked and stamped

the pages have been left fairly blank - ready for action.  I haven't experienced a shared journal and can't wait to see before and after pictures of each journal

Pair Journal - Lorraine & Pat

 I had a surge of creativity today so did loads before it disappears again!!!  I have had one of those acetate chipboard book things for ages so have added canvas pad, watercolour and sketchbook paper to it and it now has approx 20 pages in it.  My theme is layers so had a sudden brainwave to use transparencies on the front...so this is the cover

this is the underneath or second page..to save you craning your neck the journalling reads "just enjoying watching the birds and the wonders of nature taking time for myself just to be me".

this is the third or welcome page for Pat.  Looking foward to what she adds as I love all the layers that she puts in her art..hoping to pass this to her at the Aintree craft show on Friday!  Looking forward to seeing everyone elses journals....

Lorraine

Incoming

This arrived on my desk, delivered by a slightly bemused postie :)

Big thanks to Flo, I wonder where the inspiration came from.....

Introducing: Donna Louise Rodgers

I make things, i do things, you may know me as 'Doings of Doone'

I like working in three dimensions and will often have a clay or salt dough figure in some partial stage of making.....

I do crazy mixed media art - on all scales,
 the love of my life is portraiture, every week I do life class, In class we work to the discipline of a single medium, I love faces, I love making faces,

So most of my mixed media work will feature some kind of face, my second love is books - making them, altering them, reading them,

I love sharing and hope to swap lots of art with you all, I am really looking forward to being an active part of this group.


I really enjoy journalling and making small pieces of mixed media nonsense I hope when you open something from me I can make you go 'wow'

lastly - and it's not every one's cup of tea, I make videos - so you can see me in full crazy life....( here's one of the book I made for Darcy)

thanks for making part of the group,

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 Pat

I am part-time child minder and part-time crafter  Love all sorts of crafts but lean towards the mixed media and altered styles  I am thrilled that Lorraine introduced me to Collabor-ART and excited to be able to join in some swaps 
I was recently able to join Beryl Taylor on a holiday course ( I love her attention to detail) and  now have a wall hanging to remind me of the holiday ( and she is my new BFF)

I also love all things steampunk  and enjoy making things with clay - like these

and altering stuff

................but I like getting messy too!

Introducing …. Sherry

Waving to you all from my craft room.
I sometimes wonder why bother having other rooms in the house as this is where I spend most of my spare time.
I wouldn’t say I’m addicted, although the carpet underneath my craft chair has almost worn away!

I’m 51 and live with my husband in Romford (Greater London, almost Essex) He goes to work and I go to craft.


Although I like most crafts I’m not mad keen on
card making, scrapbooking or journaling.

My main passions are altered art and mixed media - oh
and making paper dolls.

Although not great at sewing, I do love a sewing / dressmaking theme

and I really enjoyed making some 'She-Art' recently

I’m excited to be part of this group and look forward
to getting to know you all and joining in with some

new and challenging projects!

Thanks to Sami for telling me about the group
and to Sarah for inviting me in!

My blog is called

Sherry's Simple Blog

More mail art

How's that for an original title?

Two postcards are now at the mercy of Royal Mail. This is how they looked when they left here.....

Journals

Today I went shopping to get "something" to use for my pairs journal........I found these cool school exercise books and then this hard backed journal that I just had to have because of the cover:) 

I also bought some more alphabet rub-ons that I seem to be obsessed with at the min!

 Easily amused I am:)

Mail Art Trail

Hello have finished some of my mail art cards that am hoping to post tomorrow. These started out as acrylic paintings but then decided to cut the canvas paper up and make cards out of them..have added collagey bits, sewing and a thin layer of wax over them. Really liked making these for a change and hope the recipient likes them too:) Looking forward to seeing everyone elses mail art..love this idea

Introducing ~ Sharon

Introducing ~ Sharon

Waves to those who know me.......... And hello to those that don’t My name is Sharon, and my scrapping name is MAGPIE.

Not sure where to begin as writing about myself freaks me out

But I will sure try to give it a go.

I work full time in a motor company in accounts, and do my husband’s bookwork for him. So my crafting time is very precious I love to see what everyone else is doing and feel sure we each inspire one another.

I am married to a very understanding husband who really loves me to craft, even to the extent of giving the odd idea.

My blog has been left behind of late (Life gets in the way) I must start putting bits and bobs on again..

I have done soft furnishing, followed quilting which I still love to do but takes forever,  machine embroidery, cards, scrapbook pages, mixed media arts, messing with paints, beading, knitting.. the list goes on,

I love to do metal work, and above all making something from nothing. Then came  journaling which is a little out of the comfort zone but fun........ and I keep having a go.. 

Phew

Introducing Virginia

Morning all - I'm late had intended on doing this much earlier - but work gets in the way - quite literally!  My name is Virginia and I'm a craftaholic.  I'm 39 (don't wanna be 40) year old living back in my hometown in Yorkshire!  I've been crafting pretty much all my life,  I was taught cross stitch at primary school, I always had the sewing machine out in my teens constantly altering and changing things, I used to play on my Mum's knitting machine although I never got along with actual knitting.  But I've never been an artist - my art teacher agreed because I couldn't draw a person (or a decent bowl of fruit come to think of it) and gave me permission to tidy the store room during art lessons rather than attempt anything (I kid you not).  Into adulthood and I dabbled with lots of different crafts some successful such as embroidery, some not so much encaustic art (where I was reminded that I can't draw LOL).  But I persevered then in March 2004 I found scrapbooking and I was hooked.  However, soon I realised that although I adore scrapbooking it provides something of an idyllic view of our lives as I don't scrapbook the hard stuff.   So I went looking and found art journaling and at last I had my balance.

I love my scrapbooking because I get to document life, something I've been obsessed with since 16 when my Dad passed away, he was only 40 and we have such few memories - written or photographed to recall him with, so scrapbooking is my way of leaving a bit of me behind for future generations.  My art journaling is just for me, I love being able to get down on paper my mood, whether it be good or bad - its just me, more often than not I don't write to re-read my work, I write to get down my frustrations and emotions onto a page and if I can make it look pretty all the better!

This is me at a very difficult time in my life, I was off work, I was something of an emotional wreck and I decided to document down my frustrations and upset on a canvas that I had - the therapy was a huge - as the smile on my face confirms!

So this is me and this is my art journalling - the first two are A3 in size (I love to supersize pretty much everything - I thought everyone worked on this sort of size)

 This is an altered beer mat (really pushed my buttons working on something so small)

 This is out of my permission journal

 And these three are from Darcy's 52 words journal - I'm finally on word 51 - almost done (even though it should have been finished at the end of 2011, I think I've got to a point where I don't want to finish it!

I have a blog Celtic House that documents my crafting life and life in general - I do a weekly "Rocking Your World Friday" post where I focus on the positive in life (because it's all too easy to dwell on the hard stuff) and I have a faithful small following of fabulous Rockettes that join in each week! 

And finally in case you were wondering - why Celtic House - we tattooed our last home (not this one - YET) with Celtic Knotwork, problem was when we sold it we had to paint over all our hard work!  And before you ask it was 8 coats of cream paint on that aubergine coloured wall to get it that colour!

 This one took hours and hours and hours!

So there you have it my introduction, I'm so pleased to have been asked by Sarah and I've been delighted and amazed at what a hugely talented bunch of people are involved!  Can't wait to get to know everyone even better and before I sign off I'd best warn you - I am also sometimes known as Little Miss War and Peace - so forgive me if I go on a bit!