Sketch Book

Trish has given the members of Art Venture a personal challenge which is to create a sketch book about themselves. We have been given lots of prompts for pages, but we are free to do whatever we want as long as we do it!!

I have had prepared backgrounds for my pages for some time, but have only just got round to doing a couple of pages and a cover.




Cover Cardboard covered in tinfoil and

pearlescent acrylic inks.


Name Page



I love Page

GeoDeco Thingies

GeoDeco Thingies are little bits of art made using scraps of left over papers. The idea came from Zeb at After Midnight and Adrienne is running a swap which I signed up for. Today I have been playing, and one of these pieces will go to my swap partner.
These are fun to do, and don't take very long.



The first one was made from scraps of an alcohol ink background
found in my 'I will use these bits sometime' box, covered in Clear Opals embossing powder. I stamped with A Time to Stamp background stamp and embossed with silver, and again covered with clear opals.It doesn't show up too clearly on the scan. The decorative piece is made from Friendly Plastic and a Krafty Lady Mold.
The cord was made with embroidery thread and the attachment is part of an old earring.





The second one is again made from scraps of a background, irresistible gesso. After deciding on the shape and embossing with the Clear Opals I stamped with an unknown stamp and embossed in gold, and again used the Clear Opals(Available from After Midnight). I used friendly plastic again for the embellishment , heating it and stamping with the same stamp. I rubbed a little gold leaf Rub 'n Buff on it. The ribbon is some sari ribbon onto which I threaded the beads (again Rub 'n Buff was used on these). I stuck the ribbon in place and made the hanging loop. I even stitched it lol! Then I placed the embellishment.

I think I will be making lots more of these , such fun.

Black & White ATC's

Bren is hosting a series of 10 for 9 ATC swaps. Each month there is a different theme, this month being black and white.

The background for this was made by using black gesso , allowing it to dry and then spraying with Aileen's colour mists sprays in Zirconium White and Tungston Carbide. I did two sheets and whilst wet with the sprays I sort of smooshed them together.*Smooshed I think is a Trish Bayley word :)

The stamp I used was from Hearts in Touch and I downloaded the font from the net, printed it on white and attached it to black ribbon. To finish I added the pearls and the jewel for the ring.

Da Vinci Tip-In

Tip-In pages is an ongoing monthly swap being run by Sweetpea on Creative Swaps.The idea is to make one page a month to a given theme .

This month the theme is da Vinci and my page is going to the lady herself:) Hope she likes it!

My background was made using alcohol inks in mushroom, butterscotch, caramel and gold.

For the stamped images, Vitruvian Man (Cherry Pie Art Stamps), Mona Lisa face, mouth and the words (unknown) I used Versafine Vintage Sepia.

Other images are from Trish's da Vinci Sheet

coloured with a walnut ink dauber.

For the letters I used copper coloured metal , stamped on

the reverse and embossed. These were then folded

around 'inchie' squares and embossed with a multi coloured embossing powder. I've no idea what it was , a sort of bronze with some blue in it, lol.

I didn't like it so I distressed them by sanding lightly and sponging on bottle alcohol ink.

I enjoyed doing this project.

Shabby Gesso with a Twist

I made this for a background swap on CC Swaps.

It started out as an irresistible gesso background, but I hated it!

I stamped some images (no longer visible) and dabbed on white gesso with a sea sponge. When dry I applied Posh Inks, Blue, Purple and Green with cosmetic sponges and then buffed it with a tissue. It was much too dark and all of a 'muchness'.

To rescue it I used baby-wipes to rub of a lot of the colour and then sponged on Opalite Pigment Ink in Cypress Frost. Much better!

Hanging ATC's

Adrienne came up with the idea of a hanging ATC swap. Any subject, but they had to hang and have something dangling from the bottom. Here's what I came up with. The background is acrylic paint, dry brushed with gold metallic and stamped with oriental characters(A Stamp in the Hand)using Brilliance Lightening Black, doesn't show too well on the photograph. I coloured paper with gold rub on and stamped characters for the left edging. The images are some I have collected over time. I used my new crop a dile to place the eyelets for the ribbon. (Thanks Carol :) ) The 'dowels' were made from painted bamboo skewers and I added glass beads to finish them off. To complete I added the hanger and added the oriental coins to both the ATC's and the bottom hanger. I hope my swap partner likes it.

London

I have been away for a few days in London with my daughter and grandsons. We had a short break staying in the Marriott Regent's Park. We had a visit to Hamley's Toyshop, 5 floors of delight for kiddies of all ages:) where youngest grandson spent his birthday money.

We visited the Imperial War Museum and spent 3 hours in the Holocaust Exhibition, which was emotional and sobering. Back to the hotel ,shower and change and off to wander around Covent Garden before going to see Lord of the Rings. Not my choice of show, but I was surprised to find that I enjoyed a lot of it. The choreography was superb, the special effects amazing and the interaction with the audience both before and during the performance was great.

After the show we went for a meal, which we ate alfresco...even though it was 10.45 p.m!

The photo is of Al and Dom dancing with a busker on the way back to the hotel....this was at almost midnight, the energy of youth!

The last day we split up and I visited the British Museum as I wanted to see the Japanese Contemporary Art Exhibition. I also managed to pay a visit to Blade Rubber Stamps, and of course was easily parted from my pennies lol. A couple of stamps and some Stewart Gill paints.

So a good , though exhausting , time was had by all.