Took Time To Get This Right!

"SHARE TIME TOGETHER" 

Journal Page Created With My Best Friend And Twin!

YOUR HEART AND MY HEART ARE VERY OLD FRIENDS anon

This journal page took some time to create. Not because it was difficult, but because I didn't know how to complete and finish it so that I felt happy!

My Twinnee and I decided to follow a tutorial and create a mixed media journal page in our lovely Dylusions journals. We scouted around on Pinterest and YouTube for inspiration and finally decided on the latter, a tutorial by Pringle Hill Studio.  This tutorial was how to create a special background for a Documented Life Planner.

The materials we used were:

Dylusions Journal
Homemade stencils
Card stock
Gesso - white
Acrylic paints - teal, white, black -
Crayola Twistables Slick Stix - orange, green yellow, purple -
Medium round paint brushes
Sharpie marker pens - green, orange, black -
White marker/gel/chalk pen
Baby wipes
Circular shapes for printing

Prep pages with white Gesso and allow to dry.

Twinnee and I worked together preparing the background and had such a lot of fun in the process!



To begin with we used the Crayola Slick Stix.

Both examples of start of backgrounds.

What we did:

We used the Crayola Slick Stix to add blocks of colour.  After each colour application we used a damp baby wipe to soften and work the colour around the area.  It is important here not to rub too hard as this would lift all the colour back off!

Once we were happy with how it looked, very bold!, using the teal acrylic paint, we painted some freehand circles randomly and in different sizes about the page.

Finished background.

We made sure the Crayola Slick Stix and the acrylic teal circles were thoroughly dry before moving onto the last part of the background.

Using white acrylic paint we painted star like shapes onto some of the teal circles.  Then using a kitchen roll tube we dipped it into the paint and printed white rings onto the page.  Next we added
lots of white dots around the page and some orange ones too, using a piece of wooden dowel.  For the white rings and circles, you could use any object, such as lids, pencil tops, finger tips, for example.
Using a marker pen,  we drew round some of the teal circles

Finished!

To be perfectly honest both Twinnee and I were horrified with the end result, we just couldn't visualise this as a serious piece of journaling and were so disappointed!


It was a few months later, once Twinnee had gone back home to the U.S., that we decided to revisit and complete this piece..  Each week we try to Skype with each other and while catching up, we journal at the same time.  Anyway, I had my idea as to how I would alter and finish mine, but Twinnee had decided on more drastic measures!  She had already Gessoed over hers and was ready to restart and create a whole new piece!

For me I decided to dedicate mine to us and the time we so enjoy being and sharing together.

What I did:

I made some templates/stencil shapes out of card stock, they were a few different sized hearts and an outline of a photo taken of Twinnee and me sitting next to each other.

Next, I placed the templates onto the pages and then using black acrylic paint I covered all remaining parts of the pages.  Once dried I used a white chalk pen to doodle over all the black and journal my quote.  I also wrote in black across the figures.  I now love my journal page.

Thanks for reading my blog.

See The Process Tutorial

BE INSPIRED

At the beginning of the year I treated myself to a beautiful Dylusions Art Journal and this was the first piece of mixed media art I created in it, inspired by MixedMediaJenn.  In fact my twin also treated herself to the same journal and bought it with her when she came to visit me this year.. We followed the YouTube tutorial and each produced our version!  This is my finished piece!  Twinee's, although very similar, did look quite different.  I have posted a picture of both pieces at the end of this post.

- Being Creative Souls -

I thought it would be nice to show you the process using pictures, so here goes.

Materials We Used:

Dylusions Journal
Watered down acrylic paints to go in spray bottles - blue, jade, purple -
Black acrylic paint
White acrylic paint
Twine
Tissue papers - orange, pink, purple -
Gel Medium
Coloured card or paper - pink, white -
Alphabet stamps
Stamp pad - black -

Step one - spray paint

1.   Using the three acrylic colours which have been watered down. Spray across the centre of the double page.  Note - practise on paper first to get the look you like as the effect is different depending on how close or far you are from the paper.

Step two - black vertical lines

2. Squeeze black acrylic paint into a flat paint pallet, then using a credit card, or something similar, dip into paint and then press onto journal page until you have the desired effect.

Step three - white vertical lines

.

3.  Same as step two, but this time use white acrylic paint.

Step four - twine

4.  Using a gel medium, glue areas of the page and then choose a coloured twine, I chose yellow, to snake around the page and stick down onto the gel medium.

Step five - tissue paper.

5.  Cut out shapes from your chosen tissue paper colours and glue on top of twine and areas of the pages.

6. Using alphabet stamps, decide on your quote, mine was Being Creative Souls, and stamp onto paper, tear out and mount on a contrasting colour, then glue onto picture.  Date and sign piece.

Here are both mine and Twinnee's finished pieces.  You can see how different they look!

HIDDEN MESSAGE ...

Dedicated to my son and daughter.

The prompt for this piece was to write something, anything in fact, then cover it, just leaving one word on show.

I decided to write a few quotes and some of my thoughts that I could dedicated to my beautiful children.

Family - where life begins and love never ends
To My Children 
Remember always. . . if you need me,
just call me. I don't care if I'm 
sleeping, if I'm angry with you or if I'm 
having my own problems - just call me
I will always be there for you, no
matter how big or small your need is. . .
I will be there

I may not always be with you BUT
when we're far apart REMEMBER 
you will be with me 
right inside my heart.

F  ather

A  nd
M  other

I

L  ove

Y  ou

Moments to remember, treasure them always.
REMEMBER -  the love of a family is life's greatest blessing

Once I'd finished writing, I took a photo of the pages and folded it up to fit snuggly into the pocket I'd constructed into the spine of the page.  I then created my abstract picture of our family over the top, covering all my words.

Secret pocket now has the message inside. The right hand page shows us, the parents, as being in the background giving warmth and love to our two children, who are being encouraged to stand out and be seen. It also shows them holding onto a heart and in deep thought, as they know our family's love is strong and we will always be there for each other.

I have tried to disguise the pocket by incorporating it into the main painting.

Materials Used:

Acrylic paints

Gelato (water based wax colours)

White gel pen

Black ink (to write message initially)

White Gesso to cover words prior to painting picture

THANKS FOR READING MY POST, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT! 

Deep in Thought

On the morning of my daughter's holiday travels I was lucky enough to capture a photo of her in a world of her own!  I knew she was feeling quite anxious as she isn't that keen on flying and her flight was looming.

I think although she was racked with worry, the photo is beautiful because she was so excited too, and this positive happy feeling shone through the most, like happiness always does.

Weeks 4/5 - INCHIES JUNE JOURNAL

Finished!  June's inchie journal

What a fun packed, busy month June was for my family!

We had 3 birthdays to celebrate, my return to work following spinal surgery earlier in the year, 4 trips to the airport to take and collect Kamilah with Danny and Jono with Seb, going on their long awaited and well earned summer vacations, to hubby and me swimming most days and reorganising our garden.

I like the look of my Inchies June Journal and feel I'd definitely like to carry on into July, but with another theme, still just journaling a small part of a double page each day.  Since my last post, when I mentioned perhaps writing a word a day, I've had some further thoughts and ideas as to what to do!  I quite like the idea of maybe drawing a small cactus or succulent plant each day to represent the hottest part of the year for us here, plus the flower bed hubby and I are completely redoing is south facing and I'd like to put in these kinds of plants there.  Another idea would be some kind of montage, but I'd need to consider how I'd go about planning and setting it up, it'd be fairly tricky.  Ideas keep popping into my head all the time but its decision time!

I had a go at sketching this month and completed a small watercolour of my beautiful daughter deep in thought on the day of her holiday travels. I've posted this on a separate blog post.