Buses....

No word for months and then two posts come along in a week! I just had some enforced time inside, due to the terrible weather here, so I have had time to do some playing in my journal. I was inspired to create the little character by one of the children at work, who has the most adorable pair of gloves, just like this. I think I'll be drawing this little fella in a few different poses, or even carve him into rubber, so watch this space.
This page was nearly entitled 'less is more', because I felt I'd gone a bit over the top with it, but having come back to it a few times, I've decided I like it. You may be able to pick out a new stamp that I've carved as well? The concentric circles were inspired by an old bathmat I was putting down to catch the mud off the dog's feet!

Remember me?

I can't believe that it was August when I last posted on here. I imagine most people think I've given up! Sometimes I can't understand that as the children get older, and I have more time to do things for me, in theory, I don't seem to have any more time! I have still been journaling though, and teaching and have finally finished the house (apart from the kitchen), so I have been busy. Standing in front of paying customers and extolling the virtues of journaling does make me feel a little bit uncomfortable when I haven't exactly been prolific in my creations! I have though, kept up with my calendar journal, as you can see here.

I have been struggling a bit for inspiration and new resources, so I decided to see if I could create my own images and stamps. The green pear on this page is my first attempt at carving a stamp, and I have to say, it is immensely satisfying. I have since carved a couple more and I'm sure you'll see the evidence as I get back into this blogging malarkey!

Olympics!

This will be a brief posting as I am doing it from the tunnel terminal on our way to France. The car is loaded to the rafters, four people, five bikes and associated kit, as well as all the camping gear. I may have snuck in a little bag of art supplies....
My August page reflects the Olympic mania that has taken over our house, we are all completely hooked. In a house full of keen cyclists, you can only begin to imagine the excitement that the Tour de France, followed by the cycling success of team GB at the Olympics has caused. The keen eyed amongst you will spot that my podium athletes all sport Bradley Wiggins lamb chop sideburns!
Well, about to depart underground for two weeks of cycling and lake swimming and mountaineering, so enjoy the rest of the Olympics everyone! Bye!

Monsoon?

Jubilee-tastic!

It's all happening here! Our village is decked out with bunting and flags (needs careful inspection if you are a horse as I discovered tonight on my way to a riding lesson - Mary was most put out by the number of flags, bunting and people on ladders rigging up their decorations!)As I write this, my children are on the first leg of a weekend of adventure; they are been taken all the way from rural North Yorkshire to the big smoke - London in all its glory and no doubt thronging with people. My parents are very bravely taking them to watch the flotilla on Sunday, whilst Mr H and I indulge in a grown-ups weekend in Glasgow with Jude and Paul!

So, my page for this month pays homage to the massive celebration that is taking place in the UK this weekend. I must admit, I am fairly ambivalent as far as royalism goes, but I do like a good party, so enjoy everyone!

Stampotique Designers Challenge - Family

So, this week's challenge on the Stampotique Designers Challenge blog has set by Kate Crane and is on the subject family. It got me thinking about the last family gathering we had recently when my husband's cousin was back from New Zealand and twenty one of the immediate family gathered for a noisy get-together. As is 'de rigueur' at these events, we had to have one of those awful family photos, where everyone stands a bit stiffly and posed, and as the photographer had had a few glasses of wine by this point, the latest picture featured quite a lot of wall, and not much family! I decided that the Daniel Torrente characters from Stampotique made an even motlier crew than we are, and I thought a police style line-up photo might be appropriate! I coloured the figures with pitt pens and a paintbrush, and used some dylusions spray inks on a gessoed vintage book page, wiping a little off through a stencil for a slightly grungier background. I created a frame from white card edged with black distress ink for an 'instagram' kind of look. The line up height markers are in black paint applied with a ruler.

Playing catch up!

I've been in a bit of creative desert recently, and I think like a lot of things, it's a case of doing more to be able to do more. I locked myself in my art room to do my May page, because otherwise, the month was going to be over and I would have done NOTHING! I'm not wild about this page, but it got my creative juices flowing and I have been like a woman possessed ever since, completing next month's page, doing a couple of journal pages and even prepping some journals for a kids class that I am running at artisOn in the summer holidays.

Even when you are feeling a bit 'numb' creatively, you can't help but create something pleasing with a stencil and some Dylusions sprays! This started as a bit of warm up, but I decided that I liked the less is more approach and kept it simple. There's been a lot going on in my life recently (isn't there always when you are a working wife/mother/daughter!) and some of the recent events have made me think about how I deal with situations out of my control, so this page is to remind me that I am going to change!

These are the journals that I have prepped for the kids summer classes. As a parent, I dread the 'holiday diary' that the children are encouraged to keep every summer holiday, but last year I took my two out to buy a notebook and rather than pages of dry writing, encouraged them to paint, stick and spray their holiday experiences instead. It was sooo much easier to motivate them, that I though I would run it as a class to see if other children might be inspired too!