circus

I've created this page after watching Kasia's Wanderlust lesson about homemade inks.

This isn't made using homemade inks, but ecolines instead, but I'm definitely planning to explore this further. 

I'm not sure whether this page is finished, but the more I look at it, the more I believe it is.

box inspired by Andy Skinner

Hello,

Another one of my creative goals this year is to complete the 2016 Wanderlust lessons as I only managed to do a couple last year. 
So instead of enrolling me for this year I'm going to complete the rest of last year's lessons first.

When I saw Andy Skinners' lesson, way back in April, I knew I wanted to create a box with this technique for my husband's birthday, which is in July. 
But... July came and went and I didn't manage to create the box in time. 
So instead I made it as a Christmas present. 
The box is actually "our" box where we can put suggestions for date nights, because that is yet another one of my goals for this year: spent more quality time together as partners and not only as parents. 

It started out as this plane wooden box

which I gave the Andy Skinner treatment with some substitutions on the way

Isn't it just FAB?
Initially I wanted to add a picture of us both in the insert, but I had created this card as a practicepiece for the technique before starting on the actual box and it was just perfect

some detail shots

one down, a lot more to go.

WOYWW 373

Hello WOYWWers,

My desk didn’t change that much since last week

However, I did manage to finish my underwater canvas and I am pleased with it.

And I must admit, BJ, the glittery scales were indeed inspired by the rainbow fish J

Here you can see the progress the canvas made

and here is the fish in more detail

Off deskhopping now in the hope I will get inspired to do some crafting, because still on the low side.

WOYWW 372

Wednesday again, yes, it's WOYWW time and we are back at our regular meeting place over at The Stamping ground of Julia.
Another week has flown by in which I managed to do a little bit of crafting, I started on one of the many lessons I am behind on for Wanderlust 2016, Magda Polakow's hidden memories.
This is my take on it so far, it is an underwater scene, I drew the fish myself of which I'm prety pleased, I also like how the scales have turned out.

You can't see it on the picture of my desk (because it is in the attic and not near the window)  but we are having some fabulous weather this week, today up to 34°C. 

So I'm off, my son is waiting to go for a swim. So I will be later with my visits today but I promise I will come by. Have a nice day.

Circus

Yesterday it was Ascension day so we all had a day off and the weather was beautiful.

I wanted to craft as it was a while ago since I did anything, but didn’t want to sit inside with such nice weather, so I grabbed my brushes, paints and canvas and painted outside.

I actually don't have an easel, so I used my son's drawing board instead.

I followed the instructions of Flora Bowley's Wanderlust lesson on intuitive painting, it was so much fun.

Here is a picture of the progress the painting made

And here the “finished” painting.

I say finished but I’m thinking of adding some collage elements to it.

My husband sees a circus in it and now I do too, and the hearts are like a guirlande.

This painting is actually a joint effort together with my son because when he saw me painting he just needed to join in

he made the hearts

and in the right corner wrote 'lieve mama' which means sweet mum in the purple heart.

and he signed the canvas with both are names

spread love, not war

For this month’s Wanderlust challenge we needed to be inspired by a pattern and use markers and/or pens.

I found the pattern on these candlelight holders interesting and inspiring.

So I set to work and came up with this.

Because the pattern has an oriental feel to me, I used my mosque stencil, which is a handcut, very whimsy stencil (these were the days before my silhouette cameo).

Here is a step by step:

First I glued down some pieces with Arabic text on it and applied a layer of blue with the playcolor sticks.

I stencilled some bubblegum pink Dylusions paint through a floral stencil of which the pattern is similar as on the candlelight holders.(  I haven't used the paints in months, not since I moved back to my attick studio, although they are just next to me on display on the shelves so I guess this spread also qualifies for this months let's play theme of neglected supplies.
)  Next I applied black paint to the mosque stencil and I wanted to use it as a stamp, but failed, it just left some black marks as can be seen on this picture. 

Instead I just stencilled it, love the texture that came through the black from the layers underneath.

When everything was all dry I took my posca paint pens and started doodling.

All of a sudden a heart appeared in the tower. So I will be entering this in the Craft Barn challenge, hearts and no red. 

This heart lead to the title of the page: spread love, not war.

be free as a butterfly

For the January Wanderlust 2016 challenge we had to create a journal page inspired by the quote Sometimes what you're most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set you free 
and follow the rules of composition explained in lesson 2.
I selected papers that represent free to me: music, books, a map 

and collaged these on my page.

Added some gesso, stencilling and spray inks.
Typed out the quote and aged it with some DI and added my focal image, a beautiful butterfly (because what is more free than a butterfly?), according to the rules I believe.

break away

The Craft Barn is revisiting the alpha/dictionary challenge held in 2013, which in fact was my first ever challenge I participated in. I only joined in in September, so way behind, but did manage to complete my whole dictionary. 
All the rules for this year's challenge are explained here, I am going a little of the beaten track as I will not use a dictionary (as said did that in 2013) but created an accordeon booklet with one page for each letter 

and I will be creating an alphabet of happiness.
Our first letter is B which stands for break away in the alphabet of happiness.
I created the background following my second Wanderlust lesson.
Added a doodled sun, because going on holiday to the sun is a break and the doodles fit in with the mark making lesson.

WOYWW346

Hello,

A very late entry from me this week, usually I am one of the first.

But there was not a lot to show as I haven't been doing anything the last couple of days but today I started on lesson #2 from Wanderlust.

This is how my desk looked like when I left it just a minute ago.

A close up of my mark making page for later reference.

That I haven't been doing anything the last couple of days is not completely right, I must say haven't been crafting for me as I am in the midst of a project with my son. Sunday morning he saw an episode of Art Attack on the Disney channel and came up to the craft room inspired and ready to make a bee postbox. Whoever knows Art attack and  their projects will know that in practice it is the adult that executes the project while the kid can't wait for it to be finished. Here is our postbox so far, still need to paint the yellow stripes though, this will probably be for our crafting session tomorrow. 

My visits to the other desks will have to wait till tomorrow, because I'm off to bed now.Till next time.

WOYWW345 - Wanderlust 2016/1

Hello and welcome,

Wednesday again, time to show our desks and what is on it.

Here is mine

I must say I’m pleased that it is still in such a good shape, the correct storage is helping me keeping it that way.

What is on my desk?

My first finished page from Wanderlust 2016.

Can’t take you through it step by step though, sorry, need to respect the rules.

Our prompt was to create a page around the word that describes us today (just that day, or broader like this year)

Kasia choose change and I must say that applies to me too, this year will be marked by a change on the work front, either I will move locations (much further commute L) or change job all together.

But I didn’t want to just copy her word so I also choose grow, because I want to grow in my art, as a person... and I found just the quote with both words in that describes it perfect:

If we don't change,

we don't grow.

if we don't grow,

we aren't really living.