December Art Journals 2021 : Free classes

I have 3 weeks left of work for this year and they are crazy busy in a school where I have a leading role in organising prize giving, editing our school magazine, stock taking the library books and creating a Summer Reading programme. So I may be a late starter when the prompts come out, but I do love a December Daily project. The following offerings are all FREE 💜

Tamara at Mara Kreativ Studio and Michelle from Raspberry Blue Sky are having another #ArtJournalAdvent project for 2021. Read all about it HERE - they have already posted links for how to make an art journal in preparation for this project focusing on mindfulness in December. December 1 - 24 : daily prompts in your inbox or follow their new insta account.

Kasia’s had an Advent Calendar project for the last three years. I participated in 2019 and last year I created an Autumn Journal using her 2018 prompts. She's doing it again this year but has changed the focus and name to explore a more holistic approach to self-care through mindful art journaling and celebrate the changing season. She wants you to focus on the process rather than making a pretty finished page. Sign up HERE. 20 days starting 4th December. 

If you are more inclined to stitch, Anne Brooke did a #12pagesofchristmas project last year that is still on YouTube and may appeal. This link will take you to the playlist of the 6 videos. Note you need to make sure the tin is big enough for the roll once all the prompts have been added. Anne's tin doesn't close now 💜

I adore Victoria Erickson's poetry, and these words have been in my mind since she posted them this week 

It feels like a push for me to do a mindful December Daily....Keeping Kasia's inspiration in mind, I went in search of a small hard cover book to insert some papers and secure them with pretty ribbon. What I discovered was an almost blank accordian book form which I had made in January and only done a little bit of work in. I'll start from the other end and just alter any spreads as needed.

It has 28 pages and some tag inserts - I can easily add some extra pages if I need them. 

I then hunted through my Christmas stash and found lots of scrapbook papers and embellishments that I had been gifted last year. They form the base for my colour scheme but it will be interesting to see how much of this I use and how they are incorporated. 

A few additions of recycled kraft and red themed cards and paper, appropriate words, some Christmas postage stamps and a few extra embellishments and I'm ready with my kit and my small journal. 

I will obviously be using paints and a few stencils and themed stamps which I haven't shared yet. So far I've only wrapped some lovely sari ribbon around and rested the words on the front cover. I've not committed to anything yet. Can't wait to see what's going to happen with this little book. I will respond to the prompts from both challenges as I feel like it until the end of the year and I'll share my progress as I'm able. 

Wishing you a happy December. I hope you are able to take some time for self-care and joy this coming month. 

52 Tags : Week 47

Last week was an especially challenging one and I just couldn't manage to make the quite complex tag on time. Week 47 : a little birdy. The minute I saw the heading I knew I'd be using my wooden block huia stamp for this one. 

This weekend I was able to print my huia onto fabric. These blocks can be a challenge to get a good print. I used a brush to apply the ink and then had the fabric resting on batting and an old mouse pad - a cushioned surface helps

I've been adding beads and stitching to the kowhai flowers and huia bird 

In week 29 our challenge was an ort (scrappy) and I used my Fantail block. It's fun to see these different interpretations of New Zealand birds together

This link will take you to all of my posts about this challenge. You can view Anne's weekly demo on Youtube #52tagshannemade. This is Anne's birdy.

Fodder School : stamps

In Fodder School we have a new instructor every month. On the 1st we learn how to create fodder, and then mid-month we get to use that fodder in a project. This month our instructor is DeeDee Catron. You can find her on Instagram and see her floral fodder on YouTube and check out her Website. Our first lesson with her was carving stamps. I'm no stranger to stamp carving although I haven't really done much since 2018 when I made this collection

I don't really need to have more and have limited time at present, but I am interested in creating more sea-themed stamps and re-discovered this which had been gifted to me

It was very quick to create a sand dollar and kina (New Zealand sea urchin) shell shapes 

I then stamped on different papers using both paint and ink to create variously themed collage fodder for future use. This circle stamp is 2-sided and one of my favourites. Using paint to stamp on different tissue weights complements my sea theme

Next are various stamps on underpaper - haven't cut them apart because I'm not yet sure how they'll be most useful. The bottom branching stamp is newly carved and I'm thinking I could use it for seaweed too....can you also see sea ripples at the top right?

And lastly, a fun border stamp and I'm very partial to that leafy one. The heart in heart was stamped by spritzing the stamp with water and then using watercolour marker and crayon for a more ethereal effect.

The bottom right heart shows how stamping can ignite more creativity. I had only created the right stamp, and when I stamped it out with the turquoise, I realised I could make a mirror image stamp and create hearts too - so I did.

See all my posts about Fodder School HERE. It's not too late to join us. 

52 Tags : Week 46

Time for my take on Anne Brooke's weekly Tag challenge. Week 46 : It's a wrap. Since it's Anne's birthday this week she decided to wrap something - in her case it was twigs in Autumn colours. I've posted hers at the bottom of this post if you want to see it. She always shares hers on her FB page. I decided to use handmade fabric beads with various wrappings. Yellow sunshine background as we head into Summer here in NZ

Edited to add the link to my original post about making these beads in 2010! with the original tutorial that inspired them on iHanna's blog.

This link will take you to all of my posts about this challenge. You can view Anne's weekly demo on Youtube #52tagshannemade. As promised, this is her tag for this week.

I wish I'd shared them like this all year...it's really interesting to see what she did and what I came up with. Perhaps I'll do this next year if she shares photos of her flags publicly. The challenge lessons will no longer be public. I shared about the flag project for 2022 last week.

Fodder school : more watercolour fun

Turns out although we're onto a new month, I haven't had enough of watercolour fodder inspired by October's lessons in Fodder School. The teachers are so generous that as well as our lesson for the month by a main teacher, there are bonuses too from other teachers trying out techniques and adding their own spin.

I was inspired to create a different style of flower from Megan Whisner-Quinlan. My own variation was to make pohutukawas

Rainbow lessons from Laura Dame

Plus I created some jellyfish shapes with watercolour and a straw

and more circles and hearts with salt effects - I think these will be great backgrounds for found words when the time comes

They all went straight in my fodder keeper for storage after - loving this. 

52 Tags : Week 45

Time for my take on Anne Brooke's weekly Tag challenge. Week 45 : Fireworks. In honour of the 5th of November. I knew this one would be fun and got out my beading needle! 

I hope that soon I'll be able to post some art that isn't a tag! If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen I've been creating more collage fodder. Not quite done enough for a blog post yet so for now I am grateful that in the busy of my life, I can still manage to finish a small weekly creation. 

This link will take you to all of my posts about this challenge. You can view Anne's weekly demo on Youtube #52tagshannemade. Anne's going to continue with a weekly project next year but with some differences. Find out all about it via her YouTube video. The project is going to be bunting and you can do entirely fabric ones, or work like this year's tags on a card base. A small charge this time (￡3 = around NZ$6/month) Looks fabulous. I have so enjoyed this year's challenge. Might see you there.

52 Tags : Week 44

Time for my take on Anne Brooke's weekly Tag challenge. Week 44 : Cross Stitch. Immediately thought of this piece from 2015 which has been waiting in my cupboard for a transformation

Stitched on linen, I loved the colours but wasn't really happy with it as project mounted on the wall at the time...seeing the photo now I like it much more than my memory of it. I think sometimes we get too close to projects and need to put them away for a bit and look at them with fresh eyes. Maybe 6 years is a bit long to wait though! 
I layered the linen on a piece of hand-dyed felt and added textures with sari ribbon and scrim. The linen frayed nicely too. This is my finished tag for the week

This link will take you to all of my posts about this challenge. You can view Anne's weekly demo on Youtube #52tagshannemade.