FROM RED TO BLUE

My problem with crafting is the fact I get distracted I can be doing a project and then I read or see something and I have to have a go. And so it was today while watching a you tube video I saw a link on dyeing with natural items.Red cabbage was the demo now normally I would not drop everything to have a go but yesterday I had thrown out a red cabbage.  I rescued it from the compost cut it up and boiled for 30 mins.Now on the demo the dyed fabric was a beautiful violet my fabric came out more of a grey shade so as a crafter never wastes anything I decided to put different papers in the water. The results may have been messy but quite a nice colour.

Boiled Red Cabbage

A Selection Of Papers Coloured With Dye From Red Cabbage

link to
http://www.milliande.com/art-journal-january-2011.html

BEFORE

AFTER

 Day 20 prompt MY FRONT DOOR

I gave it some thought and decided to take a photo of my front door and alter it with Picasa and Picnik. This was fun and I was able to go a little crazy with the Sizzix it turned out very bright.

WATERCOLOUR

Todays prompt was Bonny Bluebells and I decided to do a watercolour using watercolour and drawing inks I was really pleased with the result. I love the combination of colours.

DAY 18 AND DAY 19

We have had some lovely sunny days this week and I cannot justify sitting down crafting or journaling during the day. Apart from that as the sun comes out it shows all the dust and dirty windows and that makes me feel guilty. Yesterday although it was very sunny I did tidy my studio room it had got to the stage where I was climbing over boxes. Of course it will not stay tidy but after I had cleaned up yesterday I did feel as if my head had cleared so perhaps my journalling may improve.
During this clear out I put out approx 100 tin cans that I had been saving for altering this was my chosen craft a couple of years ago. But as I have not created one for a few months I thought they should go for recycling.
Day 18 journal prompt was Lettering and all I could manage was the word PLAY   I am not that happy with it.

 POOKIE

AFTER

AFTER

 http://www.milliande.com/art-journal-january-2011.html

BEFORE

ALTERED TIN CANS

T

Day 19  TOY TALISMAN a toy or item we remembered from childhood. I chose to do POOKIE the little white rabbit with wings. Pookie was one of my earliest memories and I still have the story book giving to me as a child. A magical world of a flying rabbit and the woodland folk.

DAY 16 AND DAY 17 AND THE EROSION BUNDLE PROJECT

DAY 17

DAY 16

CONTENTS OF EROSION BUNDLE

http://erosionbundles.blogspot.com/

BUNDLE HANGING IN WILLOW TREES

SECOND SEVERN CROSSING

THUMB SUCKER

I was managing to get the pages done on the posting day but at the moment I am trying to do too much at once.I decided I was going to  take part in the Erosion Bundle project so first thing this morning I gathered items to hang in the elements until April. Tin lids seeds tea bags various tin items paper film etc. All I want now is the weather to cause it to decay.I then had to walk my Labrador  but that was a joy  as it was a beautiful sunny day one of those days when you feel you could walk forever and the RIVER SEVERN was at low tide and very calm.
On my return to the house my daughter in law rang to say she was coming round with my baby grand daughter for a quick visit which was lovely. I then had to do Day 17 journal page prompt JUICY PEARS.
This was the second day I had done a page using some drawing skills which makes a nice change.Yesterdays prompt was FAVOURITE NUMBER so I drew a face and created the hair using the number 9 .

DAY 15

Milliande was unable to post the video until late last night and  so I decided to wait until today to do the page.
That was good because it gave me a little longer to think although I had some ideas when I saw the video.
WOMANS STORIES was the prompt and Milliande had provided images of women's heads to download.

I have only used the downloads once before preferring to do my own thing. But I noticed she had asked us to use it if possible. So still trying to be different I thought of ways I could alter it my first effort was to produce a negative image but I was not sure it would show up well . I then decided to use the posterize option on Picknik which gives a sort of cartoon look.I then cut out images of women from magazines and stuck the original download head on each one. I then positioned the  pieces on to card and scanned into Picassa.Then into Picknik with the posterize option. It was then just a case of finishing the pages with newspaper cuttings and Pitt pens.

DAY 13 AND DAY 14

Let me start by saying I have had a head cold and to be honest I have not be able to put all my efforts into the journal. But saying that I really want to challenge myself I could so easily sit down and do nothing.

Yesterday day 13 the prompt was Walking Lines in my case it was a giant doodle . The problem I have is that I am using a Windsor and Newton A4 sketch book and although it says heavy weight ink bleeds through. I have to be very careful that I do not spoil something on a previous page that I am happy with. The other mistake I made was to upload a photo to the Journal Page Gallery before I was sure it was finished I added to it afterwards and was much happier.

Today I felt well enough to walk my labrador and was enjoying the fresh air until I spotted fly tipping.

We are lucky in this part of the UK we have a very good refuse collection and they even collected during the recent bad weather. There is NO EXCUSE to dump rubbish we have civic amenity site 5 miles away and who ever dumped this must have had a car. To make matters worse it seemed that it was mainly a little girls old toy collection play kitchen etc. I do hope she was not in the car to witness her parents destroying the countryside.

Now back to the journal page for DAY 14 MIRROR MIRROR was the prompt and Milliande did a delightful page. I decided to use some sticky back mirror paper I have had lurking for years possibly purchased from one of the shopping channels. I searched through one of the several boxes of photos in the attic for old photographs of myself cropped them and collaged using PICASA and PICNIK. and after gluing in I just doodled around the edge.

I do not think that this was a particularly arty effort but it seemed OK for the prompt.

Materials used

MIRROR PAPER (it does make you look very distorted )

PITT PENS

PRO-MARKERS

DRAWING INK

WHITE PEN