Creating a book a month : June

So happy - finally finished my journal from the Roben-Marie Mixed Media Mayhem class which I started here. To see my other postings about this project, click on the workshop label below this post.
We started by using various sprays and stencils on gessoed file folders. I loved the process, but as the end got closer I was less enthusiastic about finishing a journal of that size, so I chopped my folders horizontally in half!

Before doing so, I scanned my favourite pages at full size so I can print them out later and use them again for other art.
The cover was done with cotton duck as a base. I gessoed it first and then used the same stencils and sprays that I'd used on the pages. It was lovely to work with and really easy to stitch once all coloured. I really like the feel of it now that it's complete - very tactile. Wasn't entirely happy with how the colouring was going until I added some lovely lumiere metallic paint touches (click on the pictures to see the glimmer).

INSIDE COVER

OUTSIDE COVER

Then I thought they were a bit too sparkly compared to the inside pages so I oversprayed a bit more, and then decided the covers deserved some sparkle! And here they are with the stitching done before wrapping them around and stitching in the pages.

INSIDE COVER

OUTSIDE COVER

Here's a slideshow of the complete book ::

I loved this class. Have learned lots that I know I will be applying to future projects.
For Creating a Book a Month for July I've joined up for Mary Ann Moss's Full Tilt Boogie class (currently on special) - look forward to showing you what I do with that.

More pages from Mixed Media Mayhem

Have been doing some more spraying and stencilling, this time on different bases.

These pages had torn paper layered on first and covered with a scant layer of gesso. Sprays added next.

Love this look. But for this journal they needed a few more layers so this is how they look now. Click on any picture for a closer up view.

Off to work on the cover now and will have a finished journal to show you next week. Have a great weekend

Stencilling

Recently I had this book out from the library, and decided I just had to own it.

It includes these 15 stencils so was great value.

I ordered it from the Book Depository - great prices and free delivery worldwide! Watch Helen Morris showing some of the pages and demonstrating a couple of technques with stencils from the book on this YouTube video (cover is different because hard-back version).

This book also led me to their blog : Planet Stencil Library which includes tutorials of how to stencil. They also have an online Stencil Catalogue - WOW

There'll be more of my sprayed and stencilled pages to share soon - I'm working on the Roben-Marie workshop again.

If you want to join her workshop, you'll have to wait until mid-July to join up - she's currently  on a mission trip to Romania!
In the meantime, if you haven't done much stencilling there are some great tips to be had in Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's FREE stencil 101 online class.
AND I am always inspired by Michelle Ward's stencilling tutorial page

Bits and pieces

Been wanting to get back to the inky file folder goodness of the online Mixed Media Mayhem workshop which I began last year. During the week I managed to pull out the folders I've created so far

re-watched an online lesson or 2 - cos you have access to the class forever :-) - and glued some of my underpapers onto the back of one of the folders to complete another side

Loving the serendipitous nature of the papers created. They create themselves by having newsprint under and around your art as you spray, and by pressing the leftover ink from stencils onto them as well.

This week I've been inspired in the bloggy world by ::
Jacqui's gorgeous junk journal
Elvie's tutorial on making paper flowers (out of wee hearts - sweet)
Paisley Fever from Jane LaFazio
Lovely to see progress with Jude's Magic Feather Project - she has a couple from me.
And I've newly discovered the blog of Helen Lehndorf - I know her in person, but didn't know about her blog. She writes wonderful poetry - check out her book here

Her blog is a wonderful mix of articulate writing, gardening, photographs, creative goodness, op-shoppy finds and textiles. I'm now totally inspired by Mattresses in Second Hand Shops and this fair looks great.
Hopefully there's something in this post to inspire you...have a creative weekend.

Spray Play

Yesterday was Workshop Thursday and I managed to get back to a bit more playing with spray and stencils for Roben-Marie Smith's Mixed Media Mayhem class.
Revisited this spread which I originally blogged about in August

I knew it wasn't done....

Might need something more yet
This is a new spread - lovely pink colour scheme and floral stencil using gesso.

This is where I left it for the day

See you again soon. Have a lovely weekend.

Thursday is workshop day

As you may have noticed I have enrolled myself for quite a few workshops this year!
There's been Mixed Media Melange with Julie Prichard and Chris Cozen which I started in February. Really enjoyed the projects there - playing with paint and papers mixed with a variety of different surfaces. I got through the first 5 lessons, and then started lesson 6 on perspex and got this far.

I really meant to continue on, but I just had to enrol in the Holey Moley workshop with Dale Rollerson from the Thread Studio which began in March. I was really enthusiastic about this - mixed media with more of a stitch focus. Shared some things with you that I did for the Flower Power lessons of March/April

and then I got distracted by other things....  

I did a day-long workshop with Yvonne Brown in May which I actually managed to finish in June before I started my 3-month contract working school hours at the library.
Then I fell for Roben-Marie Smith's Mixed Media Mayhem workshop in August when I needed something creative to fit in around my work hours. This course fit the bill of something that I could do in small bursts without too much set-up. These were the classes which taught me how to cover file folders with lovely sprays and stencils....This is my favourite spread so far

I so want to finish this class - I have other ideas for more file folders, and there are instructions for a canvas journal cover.....
Anyway, by the time you throw in the Card-A-Day challenge I set myself in October, and the monthly Calendar challenge, and other miscellaneous projects along the way I guess I should be pleased I have managed to fit in as much as I have done so far!

Last Thursday we had the velvet & bleach playday, and it got me thinking that Thursdays are a good day in my week to devote a day to a project - playdays or workshops. So from now on

THURSDAY IS WORKSHOP DAY.

Hoping that now I've declared that, you will see weekly progress from me on one of the above workshops.
The new Holey Moley lesson for November/December is "Rust and Rort Iron". Dale has told us to look for rusty inspiration and gather our colour materials – threads, fabrics, paints, sprays, crayons etc. in a basket so we are ready to roll.
Love this RUSTY INSPIRATION blogpost from Alisa Burke,  Flickriver photoset from Carolyn Saxby of "Sea Blue & Rusty Orange", Rust Squares by Stacy Hanna on Flickr - in fact, just do a Flickr search on rust! 
And here are my gatherings for today's Workshop Thursday

Lovely sheers, scrims and sari ribbons

Ribbons and wools

Threads

Appropriate spray samples and some new shiva sticks

I've been looking forward to this one :-)
Talk to you again soon

More spray - stencil - stitch fun

Continuing to do more pages inspired by Roben-Marie's class

Still enjoying how the layers build up....

The above spread created on the back of this one

Loving how that stitching can create loveliness on both sides

Really inspired by last night's Rose City Quilter's meeting. Lorna Newsome was our speaker - she is one of our very talented members and showed us loads of her quilts. Her work is beautiful and makes me want to get back to creating quilts....watch this space.
Check out these blog posts :
Although I haven't received my Quilting Arts mag yet, a comment by Dale led me to discover Susan Lenz' blog.
Beautiful story cuffs by Ruth Rae.
Cute idea and visual tutorial from Julie Fei-Fan Balzer to make a coin envelope mini book.
Only just had time to properly look at the blog for The Sketchbook Challenge - if you haven't checked it out it's worth a look - includes some useful tutorials. Also some lovely guest profiles from some of my fav artists like Cas Holmes and Beryl Taylor and...just go look already!
Be inspired this week

Yay for weekends

Time to relax - on the agenda for me : a night out with a girlfriend, a catch-up with some extended family, and a day out at a quilt and craft show on Sunday. Yay.

Hopefully more time to spray

and stitch

Hoping you have a lovely creative weekend.

The Good stuff

Good fun

These colours make me happy.

I love hearts and spirals.

Good things at the Palmertson North City Library : this was a good read.

And there is a new Palmerston North City Library email newsletter service - once you subscribe you can get newsletters that inform you about good books to read, movies to watch, and events to attend at the library. Check it out here.
Then for something completely different, check out some lovely felt flower bouquets
And Roben-Marie's handcarved stamps with links to some good tutorials here.
Next time I post it will be Spring!...now that will be really good :-)

More spray play and some quilty blog love

Another file folder from Roben-Marie's course...
Stage one

Stage two

Still loving the shimmer but have just ordered a few new Adirondack colour wash sprays (Butterscotch, Cranberry, Stream and Lettuce) so will be fun to try a different look. The  dark purple below is an older Adirondack colour wash : Eggplant. The flowers on the right are gesso.

Although I am loving the sprays, I am feeling the lack of taking some time to stitch...only a month left on my contract working at the library :-)
In the meantime, I have been inspired by some of the photos on recent blogs sharing the Festival of Quilts 2011 in the UK.
Linda Vincent took some lovely close-up shots and directed me to Maggi who has slideshows here and here 
Pam Holland did a number of posts with fabulous photos of quilts, and good commentaries too. This is the link to Birmingham Day 3 but you must move back and forwards to other posts of wonderful inspiration on other days. I picked this day for my link because I was very taken by the quilt called Ammonoidia by C June Barnes - also shared by Borderline Quilter
Carolyn Saxby always inspires, and this post is not exception.
And there are a lot of beautiful photos here on this facebook page by Sally-Ian Farquhar.
Hoping there is something there to inspire you too. Enjoy your weekend.

3rd File Folder

From Roben-Marie's Mixed Media Mayhem online course
In 3 stages again :

Sometimes it's hard to know when to stop!