Journal 52 in March

I'm responding to Effy Wild's Journal 52 cards for 2022 on various small cards or tags that can become part of my monthly journal project. My rules : each small piece will include stitch, a found word, and be inspired by the project I've been working on that week or what's lying leftover on my work table. Each monthly journal is colour themed.

Week 9 : Spring. As you may have read in my post at the beginning of the month, I've been feeling a bit disconnected from northern hemisphere artists all looking forward to Spring. Instead I created a memory of Summer featuring a photo from my childhood and fodder school bits from December, January and February.

Week 10 : Sovereign. That week I was playing with alcohol ink printing on the gelli plate. I took a couple of my off cuts and put them together with masking tape for my base this week before I got the prompt. Then - can you see her? 

Week 11 : Prosper. "What's lying leftover on my work table" was the bottom layer which is my under paper

Week 12 : Reverie. Inspired to create a pocketed tag like my recently finished book. I cut the small tag from the leftovers of my book cover, and the large tag from some gorgeous gelli printed gold and orange card that I thought complemented the smaller tag. A hint at Autumn colours.

Week 13 : Wonder. 

I adore Butterflies and I was inspired by new tissue supplies on my work table this week purchased from Ribbon Rose - very excited about what they have on offer. $5 postage and arrived at my door only 2 days after ordered. 

I share these Journal 52 responses weekly on my Instagram.You can get access to the prompts by joining Effy's Wilderhood group on FB or subscribe to her newsletter. See all my posts about this project here. I'll be posting soon about how they appear in my March monthly journal. 

Journal 52 in February

I'm responding to Effy Wild's Journal 52 cards for 2022 on various small cards or tags that can become part of my monthly journal project. My rules : each small piece will include stitch, a found word, and be inspired by the project I've been working on that week or what's lying leftover on my work table. Each monthly journal is colour themed so that informs my choices too.

Week 5 : Grace. Inspired by work with Megan Whisner-Quinlan in Fodder school that week. 

Week 6 : Play. The vellum words were attached to a label on a recent clothing purchase.

Week 7 : Love. Inspired again by the new lessons released by Megan Whisner Quinlan about making assemblages.The photo is my mum and her big sister.

Week 8 : Allow. I've been reading Caylee Grey's wonderful book with her Get Messy philosophy. She keeps saying that quality comes with quantity. I had less than half an hour to create so let go of expectations and just allowed what wanted to show up on this page. Enjoying using fodder bits from previous months too.  

I share these Journal 52 responses weekly on my Instagram.You can get access to the prompts by joining Effy's Wilderhood group on FB or subscribe to her newsletter. See all my posts about this project here.

Journal 52 in January

It's just as well I didn't plan too far ahead with my commitments for this year because Effy Wild unexpectedly announced new Journal 52 cards for 2022! You can just read her musings and print the cards out for your own use, or you can use them as prompts for your own responses. In 2020 I did a card a week. I'm planning to respond this year on various small cards or tags that can become part of my monthly journal project. My rules : each small piece will include stitch, a found word, and be inspired by the project I've been working on that week or what's lying leftover on my work table. I know I've been on holiday and everything seems possible right now, but it's a nice option to include if I have time. 

Week 1 : Thrive. Used one of my card bases and collage fodder

Week 2 : Creativity. Inspired by Fodder school dyeing and fragment lesson from Aimee  Bishop

Week 3 : Companionship. Had to include some of my paper from this month's fodder school lessons with Autumn Moon. Sketched the companions and glazed lightly for contrast. Did this one right in my monthly journal. 

Week 4 : Behold.This one had to be on a tag to fill a final spot in my journal. Was a quick one because I wanted to be inspired by my journal spread colours and found this collage paper in my stash.

I look forward to showing how this project aligns with my monthly journal. I share these Journal 52 responses weekly on my Instagram. You can get access by joining Effy's Wilderhood group on FB or subscribe to her newsletter. 

Wanderlust : Texture intrigue

Our next theme in Wanderlust 2021 is Texture. As usual, we started with an inspirational lesson from Kasia and the following week was with Mystele. Kasia began by asking "What is your favourite texture?" and Mystele shared her favourite materials and applied them to a face. My work is usually very tactile so I knew I would love these lessons and decided to combine them in one spread. 

I started with lace, modeling paste through a stencil, masking tape, scrim, embossed card, recycled paper packaging, drywall joint tape and gesso. Very hard to restrain myself but my small Dylusions journal meant I had to edit. 

Colour from iridescent paints and some drippage with ink

I was going to add a face (as per Mystele's lesson) when I realised that I had the perfect textured alternative in the form of one of my paper dolls which I shared HERE.

Added some sari ribbon and stitch additions to my figure, and then more texture to my background including metallic leaves, white paint through a circle stencil, some serviette printed with silver stars and found words to finish.

See all my other posts about this class HERE.

Wanderlust - Poems & Quotes and Boundaries

Catching you up on my Wanderlust class work from my blog break. I really loved the Poems & Quotes theme last month and managed to complete 2 more spreads on this theme in my small Dylusions journal. The first was with Kate Crane - lovely playing with black framing and found poetry. 

And the next with Vicky Papaioannou - I didn't know her work and enjoyed using modeling paste and sprays in my work again. This time I printed my quote on gelli-printed paper. It's an easy way to get colour for your word backgrounds and to use different fonts.

Now I've just finished some pages inspired by Marjie Kemper on the theme of Boundaries. Marjie demonstrated a mini tag book, but I decided to make 3 interactive spreads in my journal. I have space since I've skipped a couple of lessons that didn't inspire me. Using distress ink pads for the backgrounds, stenciling and stamping this time.

Our next 4-week theme is Texture which I am very much looking forward to playing with. See all my other posts about this class HERE.

52 Tags : Week 20

I'm participating in Anne Brooke's weekly Tag challenge. You can view her demo each week on Youtube #52tagshannemade. Week 20 : Pekinese stitch. A pretty stitch which I decided would best be showcased by some beautiful threads that I've been hoarding... 

I bought mine from Minerva in Wellington (New Zealand) but if you google Oliver Twists Happy Bags they'll be available elsewhere in many gorgeous colours. A tag simply devoted to trying out this stitch...a little more challenging than I thought cos of twisty threads but I love these colours so much. Found words attached with gel medium.

I realise now that I kept loops inside my circles and they could have (should have?) been pulled close to form an even line but I rather like this bubbliness in my design. This link will take you to all of my posts about this challenge.

Wanderlust : Spirit tree

The theme for the classes for April in Wanderlust 2021 is Silhouette. I've got a bit behind with these lessons. I've been stitching a secret thing, and had a wonderful Easter that was focused on family activities. I've continued with my weekly tag challenge, but I figured I would just give myself permission to wait until school holidays to do some more Wanderlust lessons. I'm also giving myself permission to not do every lesson if it doesn't inspire me. Week 14 was a lesson with Nicole Warrington about a spirit tree. I spent far too long thinking about which tree I would do. I wanted to do something with a New Zealand reference - pohutukawa or nikau palm perhaps. I wasted {too much} time on my computer looking up different trees before I caught myself and decided I just had to start my background. Watercolour and drips of isopropyl alcohol. Love how it looks like water and then some gold splatters...will I want to put a tree over and cover this up?! 

I used these watercolour dyes and very happy with how they reacted with the dylusions journal paper. 

I decided on a nikau palm in the end - tall, strong, elegant, always reaching and resilient. Although Nicole drew her tree freehand with a white pen, I adore stencils so thought I'd do that first with pen added after. 

Very happy...sometimes less is more. The finishing touch = found words.

Every time I looked at this I felt it wasn't quite the right words. I am more than surviving but I am having trouble shining lately. This feels more true for me : 

Wanderlust : Serendipity

Wanderlust Week 9 with Kasia Avery. The first lesson of the month is always with our host as we move to a new monthly theme. March's theme is Serendipity : building your intuitive art practice to help you focus on the process rather than the result. Joy in the process is a big part of why I create so I'm sure I'm going to love the offerings this month. Kasia's lesson focused on responding to what is happening on the page right here right now, rather than planning anything too far ahead. Her lesson looked like this : 

I almost didn't do it....I had a bit of a slump in creativity this past week. But today I decided I'd have a go and would just start with pink and silvery grey and focus on whether I could include a collaged face and use more white on the page. As I searched for a face and gathered some paper, serendipity immediately took me in a different direction than even that small idea and I found myself working with a figure and roses.

I love this softness and was very careful that I didn't overwork this spread. The ultimate in serendipity for me is found words ♥ Although I didn't succeed in using more white on my page, I am very happy with how this turned out.

Cheap and Free classes you don't want to miss

There are a couple of online classes I just have to share with you today so you don't miss out. Have you joined The Painted Paper Project Kindness Movement? 

Created by Rae Missigman and Sandi Keene, and featuring tutorials by more than 10 lovely artists, Rae has warned that doors are closing on this FREE offering in November so get in there now. Once you've enrolled you get to keep the content. I have been inspired by watching a few of the videos, and have so far created the lovely tags at the top of this post, inspired by the lesson called Encouragement bites by Kristi Nazzaro - also available free on her site. Here are some recent "Envelopes of Kindness" that Rae's created. I can't wait for my Summer holidays to have more fun with this. 

I also adore Laly Mille's work

In January I created a lovely Book of Whispers inspired by her class and more recently I shared cards I'd created from a Free Life book Taster lesson. To celebrate 10 years of painting, she's created a Free online offering called Artist Soul. 

It's only on offer for a very limited time 21-26 OCT. 2020 so check it out now. She also still has available her FREE video series about supplies and it's worth a look.

Another artist I love is Tracy Verdugo - she has a couple of FREE classes on offer

and has recently announced a special deal of US$27 for Jump into Abstract Painting

I'm considering purchasing this because of the price and that it's a Tracy class I can afford right now. One of the things I've been thinking about recently is about the reasons to continue to purchase new online art classes when I already have a bunch that I've only looked at and many that are not completed. There is a lot on offer and you can want to take *all the things* for fear of missing out. It's also very easy to feel guilty when you sign up for something and then don't have time to do it. I only pay for things with lifetime access, so I can do them in my own time, and I know my art style so I can use my head a bit more when making decisions. But another reason to purchase classes if you can afford to (and I'm always on the look-out for a bargain) is to financially support teachers you love. I want those online teachers I love to keep being able to do what they do. 

A heads up that in the past I have bought classes on great deals in Black Friday Sales -these are examples from 2019 and that's where I purchased Laly's Book of Whispers mentioned above. This year's date is November 27th so mark your diaries to check out your favourite artists for potential specials then.