Day 15 – Sleep deprived crazy

Today started well, despite a rubbish nights sleep (no idea what was wrong but don’t you just love the peri-menopausal leg twitch and wide awake-ness when you just want to be asleep!) Anyway despite not being awake, I managed to tease the daughter enough to get a FacePalm and eyeroll and the announcement that I am “in a pedantic mood” ha ha. The weather is a bit changeable. I had to drive the kids to school as it was raining at the time they needed to leave but had stopped by the time I drove them, typical. They have to walk 1.5 miles each way, so I am happy to give them a lift occasionally – just not TOO often – the fresh air and exercise is good for them 🙂

Today’s art has been finished nice an early – I’m quite impressed with myself!

My Journal Page is using my Scribble & Dot A5 Dot grid notebook, I brayered 2 different greens and Titanium buff acrylic paints, then when it was dry I layered it with Gold Acrylic. After this I used items from my February kit from Kia. The theme today was “Collecting Memories” and the base colour was formed because of the Green of the shell washi. I have even added some writing – for a very real change!

April 15th journal page
April 15th journal page “Collecting Memories”

After this is my Daily lettering challenge, although I think I chose more of a collage page than a lettering page, the purple square at the bottom is me playing with gouache received in a sale Scrawlrbox a few days ago (oh I haven’t written about them!) Today its is a quote of my choice from any BAFTA film. My quote is “I want the Fairy Tale” from Pretty Woman. I love that movie and I definitely need to get our daughter to watch this sometime. She is more Marvel and Wizardry based, however there is the occasional rom-com in her remit.

BAFTA Page I want the Fairy Tale
BAFTA Page I want the Fairy Tale

I’ve just watched a Maremi SmallArt YouTube video “Don’t Overthink – Just Journal Away in 10 minutes”, and as part of it she said about getting free digital downloads, and added a link to tell my friends, so here you go. I hope you like them as much as I do.

Last night I completed a LifeBook class from Week 12. Pia Rom is the Tutor Artist, and I really liked her style of tutorship. She completes her page in real time with little chat, you can watch and play or watch and do it later. I made this whilst our son was at Scouts.

Life Book Week 12 Tutor Pia Rom
Life Book Week 12 Tutor Pia Rom

The other thing I am super pleased with myself about, I created myself a lino cut stamp for my logo! I have had the kit for ages, its an Artful Lino-cut box set and this is all I’ve done with it so far! but I’m pretty happy with it.

Logo Stamp
My Logo Stamp

Well that’s it for today, its only 11 am and I need to do something “house” that actually will manifest itself in something “Arts and Crafty” I am sure 🙂

Disclaimer: 

All opinions expressed here are my own.
I paid for any products discussed.
I received no payment and I am not affiliated in any way with any brand mentioned herein.

Day 14, I’m going out today!!

Oh I am so excited!!!! Today is the day that I get to visit my Crystal Healer for the first time in a year. We have remained able to do sessions remotely and its been wonderful, but today, as the UK has opened its doors this week, I’m going to the Healing Hut!!!! I absolutely cannot wait to attend at midday today. My healer is wonderful, she has seen me through many many many years of therapy. She has seen me at my worst and at my best. She has seen the highs and the lows of this middle aged woman that became widowed and has found a new love, that also came with two amazing children, moving in together, getting married, becoming a full time step-mum, peri-menopause and oh you know pandemic and all that brought with it. I’m going to see her today, in the flesh, for the first time in a year…Whoop Whoop lets hang out the bells and whistles and do happy dances….

In the meantime I have spent the morning catching up on my daily art challenges, and you know, adding a new on into the mix!

Here is my daily journal page. Today I have used my Mindful Giraffe notebook, brayered Acrylics in Yellow, Red and Black. then used stickers and washi tape from my most recent subscription pack from Kia.Creates

Mindful Giraffe April 14th
Mindful Giraffe April 14th

After this is my Day 6 page for @acornishgeekletters lettering challenge for the BAFTA quotes

Now for the new piece. This week, Jolene at Live Art Journalling has released her April Apothecary pack and daily videos, I have completed days 1 and 2 yesterday and today, and here are the pictures to show you. I have no idea where this is headed, that’s the fun of the daily videos. Day one was to make the pockets, day 2 has made the journal cards and tags, I am excited to see where this is going. When I did this is January, I made along with Jolene, learning the processes etc and what I did/didn’t like, then I made another one using her apothecary pack that I bought, therefore using the same kit items and techniques, I now have 2 mini journals, you can see one of them in my art gallery.

  • Live art journalling day 1 April pocket
    Live art journalling day 1 April pocket
  • Live art journalling day 2 April pocket
    Live art journalling day 2 April pocket
Live Art Journalling Days 1 and 2

Well that’s me for today, I’ve got stuff to do (washing to get off the line as its about to rain!!), early lunch to be had, Crystal Healing session to attend…

Until tomorrow, happy blogging!

Day 13, Tech Day

Its been a bit of a tech day today! We have some concerns over the way the page is broadcasting to email and social media, so this has meant we have spent a lot of time trying to understand what WordPress and our Website Host configure for each other and therefore where there may be a conflict. Apparently being a website owner is a tough job, never again shall I say being a Web Developer is an “easy thing to do”….

It also means I have spent all morning looking at new base themes for the website. OMG how difficult is it to choose a theme you like?! It has resulted in me being very bored and leaving it all alone!

The sun is shining again today, its still chilly but the washing is on the line, the kids are at school, I don’t plan on going shopping (the pictures for the city centre yesterday were horrendous! I know we’ve all missed shopping but have we all forgotten literally overnight that we need to be careful, stay 2 metres apart and you know, be safe!) I shall be taking my time before going back out into the world.

Today’s art

Piece 1 is for my April challenge. Today I have been inspired by Kate Cranes recent Wanderlust class (I mentioned it the other day) and I’ve done another silhouette page, this time as part of the test and its in the Archer and Olive notebook with acrylic paint brayered on and black cardstock diecuts and black acrylic paint pen. The quote I made up “Winter secrets become April delights” The sticker for Winter Secrets came from the recent Lollipop Club Box.

Winter Secrets Lead to April Delights
Winter Secrets Lead to April Delights

My Lettering piece was from the film Devils Wear Prada and was completed using Gelly Roll pens:

I have made a Shepherds pie for tea, but actually I think its a cottage pie – who knows the difference? 🙂

Oh well thats enough for today, sorry I feel I don’t have much to say today, this daily chatting is hard isn’t it? How do people write a diary every day? I never could get the hang of that!

Disclaimer: 

All opinions expressed here are my own.
I paid for any products discussed.
I received no payment and I am not affiliated in any way with any brand mentioned herein.

Day 12, Today is a good day

Its a nice bright start to the day here in our part of the East of England, The sun is shining although its cold out there, the kids have gone back to school, and today is the day that our 3rd lock down in the UK is easing and a good number of our shops, pubs and clubs are reopening and can see customers again. Today is a good day. I shall spend it by staying home and taking a couple of walks around the village, as well as a quick shop to Tesco and the Pharmacy. I have missed shoppig, just getting in the car and driving to the city and going to shops, but after a year of not doing it, I am, I have to say a tad nervous / worried / out of my comfort zone. I miss charity shop hauls though so I think that and my local craft store will be my first shop experience.

I’ve had an Idea how I can show my “Blogs I follow” list. Its only taken me a couple of hours to do it, but its there at the bottom of the page – let me know what you think! And now I have the list its going to be easy to manage going forward. Equally – wow how many amazing blogs I would not have found if it wasn’t for Effy’s blog along. Please do take a look if you want some interesting and diverse reading fodder.

Here is my Challenge art work for today. As mentioned yesterday I did do it a day early so its been an easy add today 🙂 This is my Mindful Giraffe Notebook and Alcohol Markers.

Here is my Lettering challenge picture, everyone loves a bit of Marilyn Monroe!

And now its 3 pm, and the kids are on the way home from school, so best I get my skates on and organise there afternoon drink and snacks and start the evening duties!

Disclaimer: 

All opinions expressed here are my own.
I paid for any products discussed.
I received no payment and I am not affiliated in any way with any brand mentioned herein.

Day 11, Sunday Funday

Today started off well but quickly descended into a “why isn’t that working” as the auto generated emails from the website have stopped including the pictures! After an hour of messing about we decided we had had enough and would leave it for today.

So onward with the day, and I design today’s challenge page, feeling really pleased with myself I was about to take my photo for uploading to Instagram when I realised I had done the wrong day on the page. Darn I shall have to do another one, and I’ve messed up my order of books. Oh well onward and upwards, do a new drawing and upload. The page doodles are inspired by Johanna Basford, I really enjoy her colouring books and I have the her “How to draw” book.

April 11th Scribble & DOt and Alcohol Markers
April 11th Scribble & Dot and Alcohol Markers

As its Sunday, and the day before kids go back to school, we decide to have some family time and watch a movie, queue time to introduce the kids to a classic – The Truman Show – they actually enjoyed it, I had forgotten how good it is.

After this, I get to play in the Craft room, for some reason I decided to sew a new pencil roll. I’m about 75% way through. It would have been finished except whilst cooking tea I installed the Canva app on my phone (I’d heard a lot about it on various arting forums) and started playing with making a logo, which led on to playing in Affinity Publisher and actually designing something we like. You may have noticed the new logo at the top of the page? Well I spent around an hour making the logo and my poor IT manager Husband spent a good sight longer getting it to work on the page in a way we liked. He is SO clever!

New mail received this week:

The first is a new subscription box of goodies. I ordered a back box of journal Ephemera from LollipopClubBox there is SO much stuff in here, its good quality papers, stickers and bits and pieces. There is even a Zine to give ideas of how to use it! Really good value.

LollipopClubBox
LollipopClubBox

The next is from Ohh Deer. I ordered a mystery box, and it contains a lot of really good fun things. I really don’t need to order another one any time soon! Again so much stuff to play with, and to potentially offload to the children…

Ohh Deer Haul
Ohh Deer Haul

All this means I am writing this page at 9 pm again! I do still need to read everyone’s (I mean 3) blogs, hopefully I will get to do this soon.

See you tomorrow!

Disclaimer: 

All opinions expressed here are my own.
I paid for any products discussed.
I received no payment and I am not affiliated in any way with any brand mentioned herein.