Incomiiiiing!! Mail art from Jean

I came home from work today after a stressy day in the office to find this lovely card on my doormat from Jean.

I'm not sure how lucky that cat looks, "scheming" is the word I would have used ;)

thank you Jean, I always love to receive happy mail :)

Sue and Sam journal

 I made this page with printed tissue in the background, added the figure and he just seemed to be saying "sshhhh" to me!

 I added a pocket to this page with a printed paper bag.....................

 Sam sent me some note book pages with "note to self" and "pro and con" on them.....I used them to make an extra little journal that fits inside the pocket.........

I added alphbet tabs to the edges of the pages.

Finally I glued some braille paper to these pages and brushed over some gesso.

Over to you Sam!!!

D&V Round 3 Part Two

Oh I was a bit slower off the mark than Donna, the first post to do with this swap of the pairs journal is here where you get to see the latest additions Donna has created for my journal.  This post however is the additions I've made to Donna's journal.  The thing that has amazed me about pairs journal is the freedom, the lack of stress and worry the ability to add to each others work.  It isn't something I've really had before even though I've taken part in circle journals they have always been stand alone pieces that I've created.  So to have the freedom to add to a journal as we want I've personally found it incredibly liberating!  Plus Donna enjoys the quick turn around which always keeps me motivated so this is definitely a win win for me!

Now any of you who come along to my blog may know that I possess a time turner (a replica of the one form the Harry Potter films), added to that we've now got a rescued pendulum clock that hubby has fixed that now rings the hour every 17 minutes (I kid you not) so my definition of an hour has strangely got a little mixed up!  What I'm going to show you now is Monday evening's work give or take a whole day on the pendulum clock and only an hour on my time turner!   This is the first page of Donna's journal

and I've added little buildings onto the map!

 Stamped hearts to the hexagons

 Fabric labels from Paddington bear to the fabric page

the layers page - is now feeling more layered

 The flowers page now has some additions, hand stamped, painted with acrylics and attached to the page

 Donna created two gorgeous pages that had a very ocean like feel to them so I added a the bottom part of a mermaid adorned with sequins Donna sent me - and yes my time turner was required for this!

 The opposite page I've painted a turquoise which really makes the clay piece Donna has created and the sea horse pop from the page - don't you think?

 I've extended the picture on the B Movie Style Page that Donna created - don't ask me why it's just something I enjoy doing so the picture reaches the edge of the page on both pages

 And then had a go at creating my own B Movie Style page - not sure I managed it Donna

 Another brand new page

 A canvas page with geometric design that I've started painting with acrylics!

 Another brand new page up close again I've extended the picture on this one!

 Now this was sent on it's merry way yesterday so fingers crossed Donna will get it today or tomorrow.  And I arrived home to the little red card from Royal Mail - so chances are mine's waiting at the sorting office!

MAIL ART FROM PAT

Oh it's so lovely receiving mail art isn't it - it's the fact that no matter how big the pile of bills with a piece of mail art sat on top you just have to smile!  Look at this gorgeous card that landed on my doorstep yesterday morning!

It's gorgeous the yellow on the page really pops, machine stitching adds to the texture and what you possibly can't see is the wax droplets that adorn it - utterly utterly gorgeous!  Thank you so much Pat - it truly brightened my day!

Sue and Sami-pair journal update

Just a quick update on our pair journal.

 Sue had added doilies to this page. I wanted to try and bring out the detail of them so used watercolour paint which didn't really work, then went over them with oil pastels. I hand drew the dream-catcher and have left space for Sue to add to it if she wants.

 This page is a mix of brown wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, spray ink, acrylic ink and texture paste.

 Water colours and stencils and plenty of space for adding stuff.

 Sue had done the text background and the border on this page. I have added circles of texture paste and drizzled acrylic ink down the page.

 I loved the 'holey' pages that Sue created and to me it looked like a tunnel leading into a dark magical place!  I added the trees to the right hand side with inktense pencils. I wanted some sort of pop up images so I stamped some hares, birds and a mushroom on plastic with  black staz-on and left a little tab on each to attach to the back of the page.

On the left hand side I used a tree stencil and Dylusions inks, more texture paste through a leaf stencil and some acrylic paint. I have also started a bit of a story here which I am hoping Sue will add to!

It reads:

the harvest moon hung like a golden disc as she stumbled in circles, lost in the woods. She was afraid for she did not know what she would encounter...in the deep, dark woods.

Ready when you are to swap again Sue!

Sami x

Shirley's Pair Journal - an update

I've been busy beavering away in Shirley's "one word" journal this week - and here are the fruits of my labours

First a couple of minor changes to Shirley's existing pages - I added some rub ons to the intro page (above)

And a deep sea diver to the "words" pocket at the end of the book (below)

Next I got a bit carried away on a page that Shirley had started for me, and turned this:

into this:

Next up, a page to illustrate the word "balance" - I've left plenty of "white space" on this one for Shirley to add to if she gets the urge:

This next page was supposed to be just a background....but then I decided it was the perfect home for the mask I used to make my "Mystery Project" stickers last week, so I stuck him on there.  I've no idea which word this page conjures up - I'll leave that decision to Shirley!

And finally, a background started off with some spraypaint and a stripey paper bag....who knows where this will end up?

This collaboration thang is FUN!

In the post to you tomorrow, Shirley ....

D&V - round three

Virgina will be adding to this posting in a couple of days, but we have been emailing and she couldn't wait to see what I had done with her book, so here it is - lots of images... and I wanted to draw your attention to some of the colours and details: So there are some specific shots to show you how quickly this thing is becoming a real work of Art...

on the cover I reenforced the holes and moved the tag, adding a steam punk cog, 'lifted' the textured surface by using colours to push pull the cogs into foreground and background.

This shot is so you can get a feel for the intensity of colours we are using:

Inside front cover - heart smoke from house chimneys added

 remember the rabbit from Virginia's last post?  well he has to be cross at the Cheshire cat doesn't he? - so I drew the cat 'disappearing' except for his smile,  and then drew Alice on the opposite page:

under Alice is the 'Naked' page I added more journalling to this page - "his' tattoo 'thief' and her response to his unwanted? embrace...

remember the 'on reflection' page from last time?  Just a another subtle layer added

And the apple page?  well it has to symbolise temptation for me...so I added 'her' to the opposite page

I painted a nymph opposite the fairy page

and we go from risque to temple arch in a three page spread...

then I burnt the book - sacrilege!!!

 a minor addition but so very pretty now...

 and finished with a face sketch

not bad for one hours work eh?
there is a theme emerging me thinks, lets see where Virginia takes it next time....