Kasia's Advent Calendar Journal : Days 6-8

Hi again - expect more regular posts from now on. Only 2 more work days for me and lots more creative time ahead. I am going to try and catch up on this project because I love it so much. This is how my journal looked this past Tuesday  after completing Day 6

Day 6 : White on White. This was really limiting the colour palette! I've been finding it hard to use black and white and silver as my base for my pages which was my original intention. There's a lot of pink and green so far because I just adore colour....this was my chance to play with textures instead of colour. First {too many!} gatherings

No chance this is going to be a one pager....Got carried away without process photos! The hardest thing was stopping before I overdid it. Some close-ups of the gorgeous texture before the reveal of the full spread

Subtle texture with modeling paste through drywall tape on the left, then placed the drywall on the right. Butterfly serviette. My word "SHINE"

More modeling paste - less subtle texture ♥ The hearts represent my husband and boys

Day 7 : Tea Time. I don't often drink tea, I'm usually a coffee girl. But I do have fruit teas and happily made myself a cup of peach and pineapple for this prompt. 

I used 2 tea bags so that I could colour my background and have plenty of tea bag paper to tear apart in that perfect lovely pink that fits right in with my colour scheme! 

I also knew I had some old tea bag tags that would be appropriate, and I've been saving those found words for the perfect project

First lovely layers (which I obviously didn't photograph after all!) then print a simple outline of teacup and saucer - lay on the back of your work and scribble trace with free-motion machine stitching. The bobbin is the thread that will show

I go over mine a 2 or three times to make it look really sketchy, but don't do too much or you cut through the paper. This is how it looks on the front

A little watercolour within the lines

Adding words and a little hand stitching

and the spread is complete

Day 8 : Snowflakes and Doilies. I live in New Zealand. Snowflakes just do not make sense right now, but doilies can be included and I liked Kasia's talk about being present in this moment. I decided to make this a gratitude spread. Began with a pink dylusions spray - WAY TOO PINK and a silver doily

Although I sprayed with workable fixative, this pink is so water reactive it comes through. I tried to tone it down with a mandala stencil which I thought fitted the doily idea but the white modeling paste quickly turned pink....I could either start again or just go with it. 

I added some tape, paper, found words, lace and then used some recycled circular tags as a setting for things I am grateful for right at this moment. I was able to machine stitch these down like hanging baubles

Some white and then green metallic paint for some less pink accents and I really wanted to call this spread done.  

But it wasn't. A break away from looking at it and when I came back I quite quickly found the elements that were needed to make me feel happy that it's finished now.

Find all my posts about this project HERE or just look at the photos in my Flickr Set.
I hope you are managing to fit in some time to do what fills you up with joy.