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!