Another month, another CJ....

....and this month it was my absolute pleasure to contribute to Virginia's desert island discs box.

But before I got to work on my own entry, I of course had fun defacing enhancing everything that had gone before :)









The box itself - I added some highlights to the wording in a butterscotch-y colour paint to complement the purples, and then stencilled a dotty pattern around the edges of the box in the same colour:

Next I added some black and white geometric washi tape to both the front and back of Virginia's page for Roxette's The Look (as the journalling was about a black and white dress):

I *carefully* added some colour to Donna's gorgeous drawing of the pregnant lady:

I wasn't sure what I could add to Sherry's fab page featuring Motley Crue's pretty boy frontman Vince Neil, as the page was already pretty full.  But then I remembered he was not one to leave the house without lipgloss, so out came the Diamond Glaze :)

Don't worry it doesn't look this heavily applied in real life, I just took the photo at a glary angle as from full on you couldn't really see the lippy






Next up, Pam's Pink page - I added a border in oil pastels to ground the two hands a little, and then a line round the perimeter with a purple paint pen:

And finally, my own page and sign in tag:

Not the best photo but this was the one that best captured all the sparkle and shimmer from the metallic and interference paints.

The song is One Last Breath by Creed, one of my favourites.

Purely Collaged Postcards

Hi everyone,

Sorry for my late post. These are the glorious postcard backgrounds I received from Bex.

Both already pretty fabulous and I was so worried I would ruin them. This is what I did before posting one on to Virginia and one to Sam... That yellow fish was what caught my attention most. Then I found a vintage advert on an old newspaper page I had. It read something along the lines of "if fish could read they'd buy this bait"(I don't think they would somehow...) but it tickled me so that's what I went with.

Next up, that brown square looked like a window to me and the woman looked a bit scared. Found a vintage dinosaur comic strip in my box o' bits and it pretty much made itself . The wording all came from a fabulous "Wonderland of Knowledge" encyclopaedia that my partner's Mum gave me... he had told her to charity it! Flipping cheek. It's a treasure trove of gorgeous colour plates and interesting articles.

If you'd like to see the postcards I received - I've blogged them here. Irene and Jazz I couldn't get your blog links from the sidebar to work but if you can let me know them I'll make sure you are linked in my post.

I really enjoyed this challenge, it pushed me out of my comfort zone and I now have huuuuuge respect for purely collage artists. I will play more with collage now I think... but also mixed with paint and ink. 

Thanks for reading :)

Desert Island discs - Sherry

Ye gods & little fishes! I'm actually ready to post on time (now I just need to actually get it in the post).

There could have been a dilemma over which page to do for Sherry's list, but Sarah had sorted that by taking Baker Street, leaving me the superb Leonard Cohen.

The Background is spray inks and distress inks, through a mask, and the dancers are acrylic.

Paired journals (Darcy and Clare)

Here are the first photos of the paired journal swap taking place between myself (Darcy) and Clare.

The 2 signatures, made by Clare are just held together with cord for now. We plan to make several signatures, I shall make the next set, and then once we have a few completed we will take off the cord and bind them into books.

We decided to exchange signatures rather than full books, to make the packages lighter and cheaper, plus this way we can use all kinds of different papers in each signature.

So here are the 2 that just arrived from Clare.

The same but slightly different..

with the start of backgrounds and decorative gilding..

No idea yet what I will add to them, but I am looking forward to playing in them both. 

Archived: the Exquisite Corpse project

The Exquisite Corpse Project

NB posting dates changed to give everyone a chance to catch up after a patchy start...

Sign up by: March 15th 2013
Minimum number of participants: 3
No maximum number

First posting: April 1st
Second posting: May 1st
Third posting: May 15th
Fourth and final posting: June 1st

Now that everyone has (hopefully!) fully recovered from the purely collaged postcard swap, I think it’s time for a new quick-turnaround challenge, what do you reckon?

You might remember me mentioning this idea ages ago in one of the Collabor-ART newsletters, and I have been reminded of it recently by taking part in an Art House Co-op project along the same lines – let’s play a good old fashioned game of Consequences!  (or, to give it its fancier and altogether creepier name, the Exquisite Corpse)

A quick Google Images or Pinterest search on ‘exquisite corpse’ will bring up a ton of examples, but I am sure you all remember how this works from playing Consequences as a child:

• one person draws the head, and folds the paper down leaving a tiny bit of the neck showing,
• the next person draws the upper torso, and folds it down
• and so on until you have a complete picture
• then the paper is unfolded and everyone falls about laughing at the funny picture
• and mum criticises your older brother for drawing boobs on his part of the drawing, that kind of thing :)

So it’s still collaboration – but this time we’re going in blind!

How this is going to work?

First of all please sign up below, and let me know if you would be prepared to take part in more than one group in case we need to make up the numbers

Sign ups:

1. Sarah (Flo) – happy to take part in up to 2 groups
2.Pam (psychodiva) I'll do two also if needed 
3. Donna (up for two seeing as I ducked out of the collage and flags)
4. Rebecca (happy to do more than one if needed)
5. Karen (more than 1 if needed)
6. Lou aka poshscot,  one for me
7.Pat Beaumont - one for me
8.Jas (Jazz27)- I'll do however many you need :)
9. Sherry - happy to do more than one.
10. Carmen - up to two if needed :-) 
11.  Virginia - I'll do two if needed as well! 
12. GlitteryKatie -happy to do more than 1!
13.
14.
…..

Once sign ups are closed, I’ll divide us up into groups of no fewer than three and no more than five, and let everybody know how big their group is and who they are posting to – postings will be in a round robin style, like a circle journal, you always post to the same person.

Each person needs to think of a theme – NB the theme is individual to you, there is no over-arching theme per group:

Theme suggestions:

• Figures/people always work well with this kind of thing – woman, man, ballerina, zombie, steampunk dude, etc
• Or you could go with a structure – building, machinery, robot
• Or an animal or otherworldly creature – giraffe, bird, fish, monster, alien
• Or anything else you think will work!

The next step will be to take a sheet of cardstock or watercolour paper – around 12” x 8” would be a good size for a figurative picture, but feel free to alter the dimensions to suit whatever you have in mind for your theme – and cut it up into pieces – one for each member of your group.

Put each piece into an UNSEALED envelope, and label the envelope accordingly – for example for a zombie picture split into 4 pieces from top to bottom, you might label them “1. head”, “2. upper torso”, “3. lower torso” and “4. legs/feet”

Then you need to complete the first piece – usually the head

Any style of art goes – drawing, painting, stamping, collage, a bit of everything – no restrictions

Once the first section is finished, put a couple of little marks on the next section of card to show the next person where they need to continue from – and then seal up your piece in its envelope.  This will stay sealed until the big reveal at the end.

You’ll then post your parcel containing one sealed and a number of unsealed envelopes, plus a covering note specifying your theme, to the next person on the list.

(a collaboration between me, my other half and my 10 year old)

Person number two will complete the second section – in the example above, the upper torso – put continuation marks at the top of the 3rd piece of card, seal up their own artwork in its envelope and post the whole lot on to the next person, and so on

Once all sections have been completed, the package of sealed envelopes will be sent back to its originator for the big reveal and assembly of the finished piece


I hope all that makes more sense than my collaged postcard instructions which were a disaster! :D

I think that this will be a lot of fun, I’m hoping a few of you agree with me and want to join in, as it won’t be much of a game of Consequences on my own…..

UPDATE - here are the three groups:

Group 1:

Karen received from Jas, posted own and Jas's to Sarah 19/4

Sarah - posted my own to Carmen 29/3 / received Karen's and Jas's together 20/4 / posted Karen's to Carmen 25/4 posted Jas's to Carmen 13/5 posted Carmen's home on 28/5 - and mine came home 21/6, so that's me all done

Carmen - posted to Jas 8th April - sorry for delay Jas. Received Sarah's. Received Karen's. Posted Sarah's 9th May  Received Jas's, Posted Karens 20th May, My monster is home :)

Jas - posted Carmen's to Karen 26th April. Rec Sarah's 11 May, rec Karen's and sent Sarah's 22 May, bit late but Karen's complete and sent 18/06 that's me all done :)

Group 2:

Pam

Virginia - posted 6 April - received 11 April 2nd posting sent 1 May received both Katie's and Rebecca's corpse 1 May and resent on the 3 May because I'd done them.  So I've now completed all of the ones in this group WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Rebecca - posted 22/3 - received 11 April :) Posted 26 April: 10 May received Pam, Katie and my corpse back completed 21 May, sent Pam (for Katie to finish) and Katie's complete one. I'm all finished now too :)

Katie-posted 10/4

Group 3:

Donna - MAILED Sherry home and Lou's to be finished 2nd May

Sherry - Posted Donna's to Lou 06/04. Received Pat's from Donna 12/04 - Posted Pat's to Lou 18/04.  Posted Lou's own one to her 13/05..

Lou - as at 18/5/13  rec'd mine (will blog today)  and posted Donna's to Pat 10/5/13 still to do Pats.

Pat  -  I have posted Donna's and Sherry's 18/4 Honey I think you will recieve Donna's cos you mailed me ( donna) Lou's and Sherrys
Pat - Donna's arrived while I was on holiday so I will get it finished asap

Please update the list to let us know when you have posted and received, thanks

The illusive circle journal

Sarah and I have been in communication about Karen's CJ.

I have had quite a time getting it into my studio, in fact, had it been left on a desert island for me to pick up and rescue I would probably have felt less stressed.

Long story short?  it got misdirected and because I mail in and out a lot, a very kind Postie did some investigating for me before we went along official lines...

I've now done my work, and am thinking, rather than tempting fate, I am going to send it my Hermes signed delivery,  because Sherry and I haven't had a problem using my Hermes, and because I use it often the Drivers get to know my packages & routes (they like my art!!!!) and a lost item is less likely.

So I learnt two lessons -

external mail art on the packaging is nice for the Postie,

BUT

  never draw circles over numbers...

I have added to every Karen Joural page and completed my own:

First entry (feels like I'm dong the radio One Pop Charts!)

bird gerhl - I added some background collage and used light and shade to make the face POP

next was Pat's  Sweet Child of Mine, so I added in an embossed 'mother and child' stamp

 

embossing looks odd in the image

 Karen has asked each participant to write what they did on the back:

In at number three:  Ave Maria, I embossed over Virginia's addition of the two crosses in Vintaj Copper Emboss Metal

Four:  Virginia's Purple Rain
I added the rain drop and accented the lettering to give it more POP

 

And Last up (and half way around the rotations) at Number 5:

my very own Pink Floyd Final Cut :  graphite on mount board, sealed with gesso and matte and gloss varnished, 'lifted and lightened' and then accented with blue watercolour.

 

Hi there and Purely Collaged postcards

Hi I'm Jasmine.

Although I've been a member on here for a while, I've never managed to fathom out how to post an introduction or update other than to leave a message and even then not as successfully as i would like, so here goes.....

I've always dabbled on the artistic side and trampled my way through all different types of crafting and art, and although I love the beautiful nature of the chaotic and freestyle and would like be able to produce anything half as good as everyone here, I haven't yet managed to find the freedom myself, so my work ends up just teetering on the safe side, but I am trying and apparently that counts too..


Recently I've been doing the purely collaged postcard challenge swap, halloween coasters, circle journals and altered sardine tins, which I've added a taste of below.

Irene's before

After - sent to Rebecca

Irene's before

After - sent to Carmen .

I hope I can keep up with all your gorgeous work, and thanks for having me.
Jas x

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

Pairs Journal - Palma & Vicki

I am so very very behind working in Palma's fabulous journal.  I will admit to initially feeling a little intimidated, but then then it got put to one side as life, loft conversions and recently illness have taken over the Abrathat household. 

I promise to be better Palma! 

So Palma's journal now has a few pages looking like this.... 

...and a couple of pages I've played with.

 adding some alpha stickers (I just loved the background and wanted to compliment it)

and an almost complete paint out of Palma's original background.  I didn't intend to cover so much but once my fingers got painting they kinda took on a life of their own. 

In all honesty there are quite a few of Palma's pages I just didn't want to touch this time round as they are just so beautiful. 

Mail Art Trail

Mr Postie has delivered two fab postcards this week for the mail art trail. The first is from Karen and I love the quote. I'm planning to take it to work for my desk I think so I can have a smile on a rough day.

The send is from Rebecca and it arrived very quickly from France having stood up to the postal service well. The background is great and I have been having a good study of it so I can recreate it. In fact I have been doing that with both the cards. It's nice to see these things up close in the flesh for inspiration.

Thanks you ladies for the lovely mail.

Purely Collaged Postcards

Mine are a little late in wending their way across the Channel but they have finally gone today. Hopefully they will make it to their new homes fairly unscathed!

Firstly, here are the fabby backgrounds I got from Jaz. Sorry about the wonky scan but it's the best one I have.

And here is what I did with them.

I really enjoyed doing this, even if it was a really struggle not to add just a little ink or paint!