Playing Tonight

Hi all,

I was going through my stash and found an empty journal I had purchased awhile back, a Prima one I think. Sitting on my desk are all my latest purchases and so I grabbed one of the Donna Downey/Unity stamps and decided to play.

I started colouring her in with my Inktense pencils.

Then decided to paint around her with my new Izink in Topaz and then used #156 Cobalt Green Big Brush pen to outline and give her some depth.

In my pile of new stuff was The Crafter's Workshop 12x12 Petals stencil which I traced around with my new black Stabilo All pencil and then decided to paint in all the petals with Golden Interference Green-Blue.

To finish off I went around the edges with black gelato and stamped another Donna Downey/Unity stamp in Wendy Vecchi's new Carnation Red Archival ink.

Not bad for an evening's playtime!

Night all, or maybe I'll go and play some more.
Take care,
Helen xx

Later that same day . . .

Hello again,

Well had a great day teaching my art journaling class. I am lucky in that a lovely bunch of ladies take my class each month, majority of them come each and every month, and I have so much fun teaching them. I tell them that if their page looks like mine then they are not doing it right! Not really but I definitely promote individuality with their work and that my page is the starting block that they can interpret any way they like. One lady always finishes her page at home and blings it up. This was their page that they were working on today:

Each class I aim to teach the ladies a new background technique and another way to use a supply we have previously used. We used Inka Gold as paint today plus used gel medium to add texture as well adhere items plus slapped some joint compound around the page as well. The ladies really enjoyed themselves, loved their pages and are intrigued to see what else they can get from Bunnings to put on their pages.

Recently I bought myself an A3 journal and have been inspired by the pictures on Donna Downey's website of her 48 Weeks class. I really wanted to take part but just couldn't afford it. So here are a few of my interpretations:

 I think I'm going to have a go at doing this one on a canvas as I just love it.

Well that's it for sharing tonight I think but I am off to play now, seeing as it is school holidays and I don't have to get up early I can stay up late and play tonight. I have my Design Team package for Made With Memories to do plus a pile of new products to play with so let's see just what happens.

Until later,
Helen xx

Checking In Time!

Hi all,

Around here in my neck of the woods we have just started school holidays, Term One has finished and we have a two week break! Yay, I need some down time. This has been rather a hectic term for me mainly due to my home life and looking back over the last 10 weeks boy have things changed. I've joined the 50% of marriages where they aren't working and I've separated from my husband. This has been difficult, especially breaking up the family unit, but much needed for my mental health. Anyway don't want to bore you all with my life's journey but the upside of it is that I got to redecorate my bedroom and boy is it beautiful, even if I do say so myself. Have a look . . .

This is so me, teal/aqua has always been my favourite colour.  I just love my new room and I even make my bed each morning as soon as I get out of it . . . unheard off until now!

Well I'm off to teach my monthly art journaling class, upon returning home I shall upload a picture of it and some other pages I've been working on.

bye for now,
love Helen xx

Card making with Unity Stamps

Hi all,

I've always loved Unity Stamps but lately I have become a little bit compulsive with buying them, I seem to have parcels arriving all the time - well at least 4 of them over the last few months! Have I made much with them though - no not really but I am amassing a nice collection. I do use lots of quote ones in my art journalling and am rather fond of Donna Downey's quote stamps and Christy Tomlison's quotes and textured background stamps.

Well here is a card I made just recently using stamps from my collection - I just can't remember which company!

Well that's it for tonight, I was just checking in. Hopefully soon I will get around to making another video which I have been wanting to do for a long time. Things are greatly changing in the next week so you just never know!

Bye for now,
Helen xx

Ups and Downs of Life

Hi all,

Things are a changing here in my little part of the world, things that are only really effecting my family but boy it has had a big impact on my life! Thankfully today I had my monthly art journalling class at Made With Memories and it gave me four hours of stress relief, even teaching 11 women to paint girls and shade it was fantastic to be away from my home situation.

Today's lesson was inspired by Christy Tomlinson's She Art but with my own twist. While my ladies were painting you could have heard a pin drop as they were all concentrating so hard but the rest of the class another story! Apparently I said a few things that allowed Deb to go down the dark path . . . something about only being able to manage one at a time while dribbling! Anyway here is the page that they created:

Next month something completely different but the ladies will be playing with joint compound, gauze and Inka Gold.

Bye for now and take care,
Helen xx

Oilbar Play

Hello,

Boy have I been busy! School is back in so working hard but of course I have still found time to play. When I was travelling around England last year I found some Winsor and Newton Oilbars and brought them home with me. I was inspired by Donna Downey's November Canvas Create from last year and decided to have a play tonight. I'm quite happy with my first attempt with oils - the Oilbars are so easy and fun to use you should give them a go. Well here is my flower canvas although me being me I would rather paint tulips than poppies!

Also today was my monthly art journalling class at Made With Memories in Rockingham and this was the double page that my lovely ladies created today. I had a great time with the 11 ladies that joined me even with the slight hick up with the medium. We all learnt something new!

Well that's it for tonight must go to bed as I'm getting up early to walk the dogs with my husband before heading off to school. Take care,
Helen xx

Guest Design Post on PaperArtsy Blog

Hello all,

It is time to reveal my little secret!!
PaperArtsy asked me to create a project for them and it is going live today!!

Last year on my trip to the UK I bought the tulip die, some stamps and my first bottles of Fresco paint and I fell in love with PaperArtsy products. So you can imagine my delight when I was asked to contribute to their design projects!

So here is a little taster of my project, hop on over to find out more!

Thanks for stopping bye and I hope you find the PaperArtsy products as delicious as I do - I'm sure you will!
Helen xx