Look at these Beauties ......

,,,,, that landed on my doorstep yesterday morning.  I was involved in a Journal Envelope Round Robin on the Vintage ATCs UK Yahoo Group - we each coloured the backs of four envelopes any way we liked, I used acrylic paint dabbers, and sent them on to the next person in the RR, along with a tag and couple of images for each envelope.  Each person added to the envelopes with stamps, the chosen images plus any extras, embellishments, collaging, etc, and finally they were returned home to us.

Mine are just absolutely gorgeous, I love them ...... the idea is to add them into our journals, write on them if we want as well as having the insides as pockets for secret messages or photos, or anything else we fancy.  Right now, though, I just can't imagine "spoiling" them with my scruffy handrwriting ! 

(Pic of same envie below, with tag on top)

My envelopes were decorated by three American artists (Jeannie, Marita and Gina) ..... they did a fabulous job, didn't they?  Everyone loved creating these journal envies and we're planning on doing it again before too long. 

(The Bookmark Swap is now closed, all sets arrived safely and they're all now ready for posting out tomorrow - so watch your letterboxes, ladies, for something nice dropping in.  Thank you all for taking part).

An Altered Book Page

I've been catching up a bit with some of my art projects this week, didn't get a lot done last week due to feeling under the weather, but am slowly getting back into the swing of things.  I'm participating in a round robin for an altered book, it's the first one I've done and I'm loving it - trying out new techniques and ideas for altering pages, it really is fun, so I thought I'd share what I did for the latest technique.

We had to colour some pages in the book we were working on, two colours that worked together, then fold them in a certain way and stick them down to create four diagonal pockets.  The pages were then decorated with any extra additions we wanted, stamping, glitter, paints, charms, etc.  After that we had to create four ATCs that worked together as a set and complemented the background pages, to slip inside each pocket.  There was a fair amount of work involved in this month's instructions but I absolutely loved doing it. 

I created an extra ATC using another of these beautiful female images, which have been digitally created by Julia van der Werf.  Click here if you want to take a look at some of her work, which is available to purchase and download from Etsy (I am very tempted)!  (I received this sheet of gorgeous ladies as part of the blog giveaway I won a few months back).

I have just one set of "Africa" cards on their way to me as I type, then they'll all be swapped out and posted on to their new owners after the weekend - everyone has created beautiful work and I must try and remember to take some photos this time before sending them out.  (Check out my blog on Sunday when the new swap for August will be posted). 

What I've Been Working on .......

Been on a bit of a roll the past few days and have been working on some pages for a couple of round robin swaps I'm in.  Once I got stuck in and pulled out various bits and pieces from my stash, I really enjoyed myself.  Here's what I made ......

This is a page about Colour Magic for a swap I'm in (Ancient Wisdom & Magic) - each month we create a page on a particular theme - so far we've done Birdlore and Inuit Drum Magic, the next page's theme is about the meaning/healing properties of Flowers and Herbs.  We all have different colour combinations to work with - one colour has to be the recipient's birth colour, also their favourite colour, and we could choose a third colour - for my page, these were blue, teal and copper (which I was delighted with as they're amongst my favourite colours too).  I inked and stamped the page, then used some of the new crackle paints I received at Christmas - I was really pleased with the way they turned out.  I also added an agate slice, turquoise stone chips, microbeads (Beadazzles) and Stickles glitter.  On the back of the page I wrote a few words about the meaning of the colours and stones (the healing properties and the calming, destressing qualities).

Here is the front of the page I created for the Journal of Dreams swap I'm part of ..... this is for Sue, so I hope she likes it ...... I just enjoyed myself with decorative papers, stamping, images (some from Crafty Creations), paper flowers, one of my own beaded dragonflies and glitter glue.  I stamped the word "happiness" onto some linen ribbon and added buttons over the top - into this I slid a decorated tag with some vintage trim along the bottom - I've added some journalling to the back of the tag.  The page is edged with gold Krylon pen.

Here is the back of the Dream page, again I used a mixture of papers, inks, stamping, flowers and imagery.  I was quite pleased with the results, now these pages will soon be on their way to Australia, along with the rest of Sue's journal pages from other artists, ready for the next pages to be added to it.  It will be so exciting to receive my own journal back eventually, but that's going to be some months off yet as there are about 15 of us working on these journals - in the USA, Australia and the UK.

I've also been making some ATCs when I've had time this week - some with a collage/bird theme for a specific swap. I'll post pics when they're all made - and hopefully will make a few more to add to my swap stash.  My sister, Lindsay Mason, will be at the Strikes Garden Centre, Thornton, near here, next Saturday (the 6th), demonstrating craft products and techniques, so I'll be popping over to see her during the day .... I'll have my ATCs for swapping with me, if you're in the area next Saturday and fancy exchanging ATCs.  And I know Lindsay always had a good stash of ATCs for swapping too!

Just a reminder too that the Old/New ATC swap is still running - you have until the 12th February to send your cards out to me, so there's still a couple of weeks left if you fancy  having a go .... just email to let me know that you want to sign up for this one.

Dream Journals & an ATC

I finally finished a couple of pages for one of the Journals of Dreams in the round robin I'm involved in.  This journal is Tracy's from the US, rather a large book so quite a different scale for me to be working on, and it's now on its way to Australia for the next leg of its journey.  (No more snow, we've had torrential rain this morning and that cleared away any remaining ice - not particularly pleasant to be out in but at least I can walk around without fear of falling over)!  I used a similar format for these pages that I'd already tried out in a board book "challenge" in another group, we had to create sample pages using step-by-step instructions for a variety of techniques - turned out to be fun and a good way to get you thinking about alternative ways of working. 

For the "dream" pages I first gessoed over them, then added blue acrylic paints, torn paper, black gesso lines (didn't have any black acrylic to hand), images from magazines, stamped a swirly image over the pages using silver acrylic paint, found a relevant quote about dreams off the Internet, cut out and added across the pages, along with a torn strip of scrapbooking paper.  The pages were also "sponged" with watered down black gesso and the edges distressed with TH "black soot" distress ink.  I added lots of stars over the pages using a white gel pen, as well as a plastic star shape which I'd found in some packaging over Christmas, painted with silver acrylic paint and with "dream" and dots added using dimensional blue paint.  I hope Tracy likes these additions to her journal when she finally receives it back.

I also got round to making some ATCs yesterday, some were for a regular monthly partner swap in an internet group, but this one will go into my "small" stash of ATCs for swapping.  I used the remains of some background card I'd made using a mix of bright inks, to which I added a Paperartsy vintage stamped image in black Archive ink - I rather like the contrast of vintage with bright rather than always sticking to more muted tones.  I already had the stamped phrase as an offcut, sitting on my desk, and I just thought it expressed exactly what might be running through the young lady's head - the feather and glitter added to the fun element of the card.  Hope you like it!

My "Dream Journey" Journal came home!

As promised, here are pictures of the wonderful "Dream Journey" journal that came home to me a little while back.  This had been a round robin journal hosted by Ali Brandist - we each chose a title for our book and a rubber stamp that we didn't mind being without for a year, then we created the front and back covers, decorated them with the stamped image and words, and sent our books on to the next person in the RR circle.  Each person then created a page in that book, using the stamp they'd been sent and adding some words as well.  It was lovely to get the chance to see what other people created in each journal as they passed through our hands. 

When we started this journal, it seemed a long ways off before we'd see them again, but here they are, a year later, well-travelled and back home again.  I hope you enjoy looking at the pages in my journal as much as I do.

The front cover

Inside front cover and Page 1 by Mima Lewis

Pages 2 and 3 by Alison Brandist

Page 4 by Martha Rose Bond and Page 5 by Tracy Kaufman

Pages 6 and 7 by Karen Mercado

Pages 8 and 9 by Elena Vigil-Farinas

Pages 10 and 11 by Sandra Zengler

Pages 12 and 13 by Paula Sherman

Inside Back Covers

Back Cover

There is one double-page spread still blank in my journal as I'd added extra pages, so Graham has said that he would like to have a go at creating something on them for me too. 

I just love the feel of holding this little 4" x 4" chunky book in my hands, it is full of texture and embellishments, ribbons and charms - it is so charming and every time I look at it I see something new.  A big 'thank you' to all the artists who participated!

Now ..... if something like this appeals to enough of you, I'm thinking about organising a chunky book round robin through my blog after the New Year .... what do you all think?

Finally, I'd love to see more of you sign up to the Guardian Angel ATC and Ornament swap ...... if the 5th December deadline is putting anyone off, I may be able to extend the deadline by a few more days - but at the same time, I really don't want to leave it too late, I'd like everyone to receive their swaps before Christmas.  If you do fancy having a go, just drop me an email and I'll send full details.