PEP tangles New Post

Chocolate Baroque Letters with The Diva's Aquafleur HERE

Art Journalling & Acrylics Work in Progress

Many months ago (June last year) I enrolled in a Mini Online Workshop run by Valerie Sjodin focussing upon Embellishing Edges & Fitting Text into Shapes; this was a 'taster' for her series of online workshops, the first 3 of which were launched at the end of December 2013. Valerie introduces these on her blog HERE, HERE, HERE & HERE. 

As I've neither used acrylics nor done any art journalling before I was rather intimidated by the 16 page size of the journal Valerie suggested making. So, I decided to work round that by creating a smaller journal from a sheet of 10 x 7 inch watercolour paper. For copyright reasons I'm not detailing Valerie's techniques or materials information.

fold over format open prior to completing internal pen work

flap closed

flap open

internal pen work

the outside with both flaps extended & lying flat

I was thinking about the kind of home I'm hoping for when we sell our house & was struck by how Gertrude Jekyll writing of the house she commissioned Edwin Lutyens to build for her reflects my own hopes for a Victorian or Edwardian property retaining some of the original period features. So, that formed part of my design together with references to the Celtic & Anglo-Saxon art I find not only delights but provides me with inspiration for drawing (the internal pattern is somewhat in the manner of a carpet page). "THE ART OF CREATION" wording has a double meaning: firstly, my belief that Creation is God's artwork; & secondly that artwork is an act of creation/creating.

Quite frankly I was astonished at what I was able to draw & how it flowed from looking at the centuries old artwork that I find thrills me. I've not thought of myself as an art journaller but this freedom to draw & create with colours using patterns that suggest themselves is something quite new to me.  I'm not a planner - I have to start & then the pen & my mind will start providing suggestions.

In my next post I'll show some of my experimenting with acrylic colours ………….

New Year Tangles

Firstly, Happy New Year to everyone.

Favourite Tangles on my PEP tangles blog.

Tangling Christmas

Zentangle Inspired Christmas Cards on my PEP tangles blog.

Purple Poppies

Thank you for all your kind wishes & understanding - they are much appreciated. I am much improved & now have good movement with both the arms.

I've been wanting to experiment further with watercolouring using inks  & especially what effects can be achieved using just the one inkpad - in this case Nick Bantock's Damson Plum. Nick Bantock's inkpads are dye based & behave similarly to Distress Inks in that they react with water giving further interesting nuances of colour. Like Distress Inks the effects achieved  also vary in accordance with the type of paper they are applied to. The paper I used here - Winsor & Newton Cotman 190gsm Cold Pressed/NOT Grain Fin Watercolour Paper - is one I come back to time & again with these inks for being 190gsm it allows me to fussy cut without wrecking my scissors.

front of card

close-up of water coloured poppy image
contrasting with patterned paper

Close-up showing gem & sequin
butterflies embellishing plus tone-on-tone
stamping with patterned paper background 

close-up showing brad with leaf sequins
& ribbon embellishing over
 tone-on-tone stamped background

inside of card showing stamped images
& pearlescent matting layer

NB
The photographs show some of the white or cream areas as tinged with green - especially apparent in my second photograph above: there seems to be some kind of reaction when photographing whites/creams & purples together.  I tried various photo editing options to no avail & this is the best I could get it.


The poppies were repeatedly stamped in Nick Bantock Damson Plum & then watercoloured using ink from the same inkpad. Once dry a strip of the images was cut off so as to leave some parts of the flowers & leaves extending outside the cut edge to be fussy cut individually (see above close-up photo of watercoloured poppy).

Supplies
Stamps Chocolate Baroque UDLSP0320 Fresh Florals (poppies on front), UA6SP0272 Abstract Flowers (tone on tone background) & UA4SP0151 Flora & Fauna (inside card).
Inks Nick Bantock Damson Plum (poppies on front & inside, edging purple panel inside card); Dusty Concord Distress Ink (edging patterned paper); Emboss Tinted Stamp Pad (tone on tone background).
Cardstock White plus assorted purples in various finishes from stash.
Paper Winsor & Newton Cotman 190gsm Cold Pressed/NOT Grain Fin Watercolour Paper; Graphicus Guild Membership Pack (patterned paper).
The gems are Anita's whereas the sequins, brad & ribbon are from stash.

I also have a Zentangle post today HERE.

Commenting Interlude

Thank you everyone for your continued comments, both here & on PEP tangles. Unfortunately I have acquired Painful Arc/Rotator Cuff Syndrome in my left shoulder & coupled with a long standing De Quervain Syndrome in my right thumb I'm having to limit time spent typing. Though I'm hoping to maintain artwork & blog posts I'm going to have to limit commenting in my normal fashion.

Thank You & PEP tangles Post

Thank you for all your kind comments on my previous post - though it's early days with different medication I'm greatly improved.

I have a new post on PEP tangles HERE.