Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!
I did this scene using some clear stamps and two tree stamps from All Night Media. I sponged the colours on the background and coloured in the figures with some markers. It looks darker in real life than this photo shows. It was so much fun to do a Halloween scene!
Trick or treat!

Altered History Book Art Journal- King Birds

This fantasy page was created by first preparing the background with gesso, acrylic paints and texturing layers. Then I drew the birds and flowers on newspaper, cut them out and collaged them onto the prepared background. The sun/moon was stamped with black ink. The flowers and birds were painted and then I drew the stems and leaves and crowns and all other details with a black marker. Some highlights were added with a white gel pen.
Take care and have fun!

Altered History Book Art Journal and Title Page

This is the History textbook that I studied from in Grade 11.  My name and grade form are still on the first page and some notes I made are in the book.  No, it was not my favourite subject and I don't know why I kept the book, but I decided to use it to make an altered art journal. First I removed several pages from each signature in the book because there were almost 500 pages! As I use the book I glue 3-4 pages together to make them stronger for altering with paint or ink or collage or whatever medium I am using.

This is the first page in the altered History book. I painted and stamped and created many layers for the background. Then I stamped my title and wrote some journaling and did some highlighting with a white paint marker.
It is really fun to paint right over the text that I used to study all those years ago! Try to find an old book that you can alter and start playing!
Have a creative day! :D

Art Journal - Small Red Journal

This is another page in my small red journal. I inked and stamped the background and then added the butterfly ATC (Artist Trading Card) onto the page. I got the ATC at Scrapfest from the Local King Rubber Stamp booth.

For this page I painted some circles over some stencil work in the background. Then I drew some funny faces. This page makes me laugh. Do you know some of these people? Do you ever feel like some of them look? *LOL*

I was showing my friend Linda the technique of colouring on an acrylic block with watercolour crayons, then spritzing it with water, then stamping the colour onto the paper for the background on this page. It looked like water to me when I had finished showing her, so I coloured, cut out and added some of the chararcters from SU's Fishy Friends to make an underwater scene.

Have fun trying different techniques in your art journal.

Art Journal - Small Red Journal

This journal page has many different techniques going on. I just used this page to experiment with things and it slowly evolved. First I sprayed through a stencil with inks on the left page and then turned the stencil over onto the right page to soak up the ink left on the stencil. Another day I painted on some leftover paint over the page. Another day I stamped with the end of a toilet paper roll just for fun. Finally I stamped some images and glittered them up with Stickles glitter glue and stamped some background hearts. Voila! Complete.

This page has many layers of inks and paints and markers. If you click on the image and make it larger, you can see some of the stamps in the background. I just love all the colours of Fall.

Maui Dreams. This page had a background of bright paints, then a layer of gesso to tone it all down, then stamps and markers to colour the images. I've been to Maui once and would love to go back again some day. In the meantime, I'll keep dreaming.
Have a lovely dreamy and creative day! :D

Tree Art Journal - Zentangle Tree

I have been wanting to start a tree art journal for some time now. Last night I chose the journal and started to draw. I had seen a similar style of this tree drawing on flickr so I decided to give it a try, but change it to my version. I stayed up too late last night (big grin) and then finished it this morning. I drew the circles in with different zentangle type patterns and added colour with pencil crayons. I used a sharpie marker to draw the design.
So now my tree journal has begun and this is the first page. I have lots of ideas for different trees and I'm excited to experiment with new techniques and interesting tree creations.
Have a happy and creative day! :D

Zentangle Inspired Art - Sun

I used a sun stamp for the sun face and then extended the rays out with a marker. Then I drew the zentangle patterns in each section of the sun's rays. The yellow colour was added last.
I hope you all have a sunny day!
Have you tried some relaxing doodling yet? It's fun!

Art Journal - More pages from small red journal

I sprayed ink through a stencil for the first page in this book and then turned to a new page and stamped down the stencil which had lots of ink on it onto this page. So I had the negative of the stencil to work with. Then I used other rubber stamps, inks and markers to create this page.

For this page I sprayed ink through some lace to create the background. Then I did some stamping and sponging and drawing of the border to complete the page.

Working in an art journal gives you the freedom to experiment and I love to try new techniques. I took a paper napkin and mod podged the front and back of it to this page. Then I drew a freehand border with a black marker pen and then sponged acrylic paint through an onion bag for the green border. Lots of fun!
I hope you try some new experiments in your art work today.
Happy creating! :D

Small Red Art Journal - where it all began

My art journaling adventures began in this little 4.5"x 5.5" journal. I had bought this book to make a scrapbook album for a friend and I had ended up using a different one for her album. When I discovered art journaling, this little book fit the bill. I've had a great time playing and experimenting with techniques in this journal. I decorated the front cover with some stickers and flowers I had in my stash.

This is the first page in the journal. I had such fun using a stencil, homemade spray inks, stamps and inks and doodling to create this page. It is so freeing to just create and not worry about being as precise as you need to be when stamping cards. There are no rules in art journaling. Your journal is your own and you can experiment and create anything you want.

I love all things Halloween, but I don't send Halloween cards. I have collected a few Halloween stamps and I love to create scenes with them. So my journal is a perfect place to do this. I love this page. Can you see the ghosts and mummy? Click on the photo to make it bigger and check out the tombstone and ghosts, and mummy. The little Frankenstein just makes me laugh!

Sometimes I do a scene across two pages in the journal.I had the idea for this page in my head for a while and then searched for just the right magazine pictures to create it. I painted the background and collaged the pictures in place and painted the rest. Then I used some stickles to make the water sparkle.
I have 6 different art journals on the go as well as a junk journal that I'm having a blast doing.
Creating art is such great therapy for the soul!

Stampscapes - Tropical Tri Fold Shutter Card

To make this tri fold card I first made the black cardstock base and then cut out all the pieces of white glossy cardstock to fit each section. Then I stamped the scene with the pieces of white glossy cardstock laid out in the formation they would be on the card. I added the colour with stipple brushes and dye inks. I added highlights with a white gel pen.
Click on the photo to see a bigger picture.
Happy Stamping!

Probus Art Show

The program for our Probus group in August was an Art Show. We were asked to show the members what we create. The following photos show my table all set up for the show at the Brantford Golf and Country Club. I showed my Stampscapes scenic art, my Zentangle art and my Art Journals. It was fun to get to tell about my art and  listen to all the reactions and interest.

I'd love to know what you create. Leave me a message and tell me about your artistic adventures!

Stampscapes - Northern Lights

I did most of this scene when I went to Green Bay, Wisconsin where we have family and my great stamping friend Pat A. I loved one of her scenes that showed the northern lights and I wanted to give it a try. This was done on glossy cardstock and stippled with dye inks. Highlights were added with gel pens. What a fun time I always have with Pat! It is great to get together with stamping friends and play.
Enjoy your day! :D

Zentangles Inspired Art - Circle Flowers

For this piece I lightly traced some circle shapes in pencil and then drew in the tangle flower patterns with my Micron 01 pen. I added shading with a regular pencil and a blending stump.Then I decided that I wanted to colour it, so I made a copy of it and coloured it in with markers. Below is the finished coloured piece.

I kept the original drawing so that I could copy it again if I needed to.
Have a wonderful day and try a Zentangle! It's fun and relaxing.
Take care! :D

Zentangle Inspired Art-Title Page, Bird and Flower

I drew this tangle to use as the front cover for the photo album I'm using to fill with Zentangle drawings. The album cover has an oval opening and you can see the word Zentangle through it when the album is closed. When you open the front cover, this is the first page of my album.

For this tangle, I traced the outline of the bird from a stencil and then I drew in the patterns and leaves and branch. I prefer doing the tangles in a picture rather than just the Zentangle square.

I drew this flower as a tangle starting at the center of the flower and growing out from there. It's fun to draw things that are just pure fantasy. :D

Zentangle is a calming exercise for everyone. You do not need any artistic talent. You just draw the patterns one stroke at a time. It was developed by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas.  Many of you have already done this type of drawing and just called it doodling which is basically what it is. Why don't you give it a try?
Have a great day and create something!

Stampscapes - Forest Falls

This scene, measuring 8.5"x11", is much bigger than my card sized scenes. For this scene I followed a tutorial by Kevin Nakagawa on the Stampscapes website. I didn't have all of the same stamps that he used so I had to use what I had for my version of his scene. To make all the elements of the composition I had to use a  lot of masking to get images to look like they were behind other images.
It was fun to try such a big project. My friend Linda and I each did this scene at her house one day last spring. I had most of it stamped and inked with colour, but got it back out recently to finish it to display at an art show in which I participated.
Did you get creative lately? It's good to stretch your abilities with something out of your comfort range now and again.
I'd love to hear from you. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.