Aug calendar

Here is my August page for the calendar challenge over at Kates blog.

I wanted my page to reflect Lughnasadh which is a pagan celebration of the first harvest of the year. I made the corn and poppy stamps (see post below) as I couldn't find any I liked. I used Dylusion paints and sprays and various texture stamps for the background.

Check out Kates blog to see loads of other calendar pages.

TFL

Sam

July Calender

Hello! Just wanted to share a couple of art journal pages and my (late) July calender page for the challenge over at Kates blog. I had done it on time but had not had a chance to post it yet.

On this page I have used a download from Ceremony on the left hand side. On the other side I layered up some book print then stamped an image on to a single sheet of tissue paper. I used gel medium to stick it down and also over the top of it to make it see through so you can see the text underneath, mirroring the download. I used acrylic paint, distress inks and more stamps.

This page was acrylic paint, spray inks, TH masks and distress inks and stamps. The dressmaking dummy was again from ceremony. I printed butterfly wings onto blue tissue paper so they came out translucent when stuck down.

Here is my July calander page. Not as happy with it as some of my others as I didn't really have a theme for this month, still I am pleased I have kept up with it even if I always seem to be late posting!

The Wight Craft Circles 5th retreat is coming up soon and we have decided to open up a few places this year.

The dates are Fri 23rd Sept to Sun 25th Sept

Totland Bay youth hostel on the Isle of Wight

Tickets are £45 (non refundable £10 deposit required)

Arrival and check in on the Friday at 3pm, check out 2pm on Sunday.

This is a self catering event, there is use of a big kitchen and lots of take away places nearby. Because it is a youth hostel we ask that you tidy and hoover your room before departure.

Tea/coffee/ juice provided.

There are no classes at this retreat, it is just an opportunity to craft away with friendly like minded people all weekend. We normally all go for a walk on the Sat afternoon to get some group photos (weather permitting!) either to the beach or up the downs.

This will be the 5th retreat we have run and may be our last as the youth hostel is due to close next year.

To find out more please go our blog.

You can see photos of the venue and shots of previous retreats.

You can also leave a comment for me if you are intrested.

TFL

Sami x

June Calendar Challenge

Here is my June calendar page for the year long challenge over at The Katherine Wheel
I had completed last weekend but blogger has been playing me up so much I have avoided it all week! So sorry if I have not visited your blog!
I focused on Midsummer as my background for this page. I used Dylusion paints and sprays and made a sun stamp out of a potatoe to randomly stamp across the page. The words are from a poem I found on line, unfortunately no author was given.
I didn't cut out squares and stick them on this time as I didn't want to cover up the big sun in the centre. I drew each square on and then shaded around one edge to give each square a bit of depth.

Here is my completed May page if anyone wants to be nosey!
I am really enjoying this challenge and can't believe I have kept up with 6 whole months! Make sure you check out the other pages using the link above.
Thanks for looking,
Sami x

May calendar pages

Time is going so quick this year, we are already into May and for once, I have managed to do my calendar page on time! Check out everyone else's pages at The Kathryn Wheel.

April's finished page

May's page

I used Dylusions paints and sprays, stencils and stamps to create my background. I painted a maypole on a white sheet of paper, cut it out and glued to the page. Then I painted ribbons hanging from it and stamped flowers around the top. The verse is an old folk song.
Beltaine (mayday) is one of my favourite celebrations of the Pagan year. I was up at 3.30 am to climb up to the Longstone in Mottistone to watch the sunrise. The Men of Wight Morris dancers do their first dance of the season at the Longstone on Beltaine morning and there is always a big crowd gathered.Yesterday afternoon I celebrated with friends and we danced the maypole. None of us know how to do it properly but its always such great fun getting in tangle! The Maypole is a phallic symbol that represents the God and the crown of flowers at the top represent the Goddess. Dancing the maypole and weaving the ribbons symbolises the union of the God and Goddess. The God comes to the Goddess at Beltaine and their union brings summer back to the land.

On another note... my friend Dawn has just started writing a poetry blog. She is new to blogging but has been writing poetry for many years and has been published in a couple of poetry books.
She has a lovely style and her words are beautiful and very inspiring, so if you like poetry please go and check out her blog and maybe become a follower of first light poetry

TFL
Sami x

Calendar pages-finally!

I am so late posting these again, I thought I would be more organised this month!

I started Aprils page a while ago but wasn't really happy with it. I then recieved some wonderful goodies from Carolyn in a swap I was part of. Amongst the stash she sent me was this wonderful tag that she had made which I thought would be perfect to include on my calendar page. The tissue wrapping paper the goodies were wrapped in was lovely as well so I stamped flowers onto it, cut them out and stuck them on my page.

I drew a silhouette image of a girl with an umbrella and stamped some more flowers on the page aswell.
This is my completed March page.
Check out the other awesome calendars over at The Katherine Wheel.
TFL
Sami x

M3 and Calendar challenge

Really quick post as I should be packing boxes!

Just wanted to share my nearly finished painting for the first 2 weeks of the M3 course run by Tam at Willowing and my calender pages for the challenge over at The Katherine Wheel (link in my blog list).

My Goddess Cerridwen is nearly finished she just needs a bit of touching up.

This is my completed January page for the calendar challenge,

and this is my February page, all set to go.

Sorry for the short post but I shouldn't be on the computer at all as I should be packing (see post below). Just want to say to bloggers from the calendar challenge, I will try my best to get to your blog to look at your pages but the next few weeks are going to be really busy with the move and I don't know how soon I will get my internet back when we move!
I should be organised and back on line for the March pages though!

TFL

Sami x

A new challenge for 2011

I have embarked on a new challenge for 2011- a calender art journal.

I follow Kates blog over at http://thekathrynwheel.blogspot.com

and have loved looking at her calender pages throughout the year. She has decided to do the challenge again this year and I thought I would give it a go. I don't know whether I will always be on time with it but I am definately up for it!

Here's what Kate says about it:

"All you have to do is complete a calender page each month, and if you like, leave a comment on my blog at the start of each month so that others can visit your blog and take a peek. Don't forget you can also upload to Flickr too."

Here is my January page.

I have used Dylusion paints and sprays (that I got for Birthday and xmas-Yay!) and a range of stamps from Paperbag studios, invoke arts, We R memory keepers and my minds eye.

Kate has an article in the Jan Craft Stamper magazine showing you how to complete the Jan page and I used this as a base for my page as I was unsure of how to start! Now I know what I am doing I will be able to do my own designs for the other months.

I am also doing some freebie courses with Strathmore and considering Tam's new course over at Willowing.org- How will I fit it all in?!

TFL

Sami x