Wow... Is it really that long since I blogged!

18 months... and it seems like yesterday.  It seems quite unreal that so much time can have passed since I have done any real paper crafting. 

My obsessions with drawing and painting took over for a long while, followed by a lot of hard graft trying to get my jungle of a garden to be an oasis of calm (I can dream... it's a long way from that still...lol)  and somewhere nice to sit (which is a bit more of a reality). I weeded and dug over the whole garden and resowed grass seed so it will be green this year .  Added some plants and now I also have a rockery.

Following that I spent months re-decorating the house, but then was really poorly from the later part of the year and unable to do much at all, in fact I was barely able to look after myself. Thankfully I have really great friends who stepped in and helped me to recover.

 

I took it easy from then on and a lot of my time has been taken up on Facebook (which some of you will know) where I've shared bits and pieces of my art and journaling and my rekindled passion for crochet.  I thought about blogging a lot but it just seemed too much like hard work, anyway now I am getting lots better, I feel that I want to join you peeps again and catch up with all my lovely blogging pals and all the wonderful creations I have missed. 

Art journaling heals and crochet calms the nerves :)

 

So here we are and looking forward to good times ahead :)

hugs
Chris xx

 

Bee brave journal page

Now that I have stopped doing faces for a little while I thought I would go back to my journalling and other arty stuff so that I could get messy and inky and just let myself go.  I just luuuuuuurve colour... the brighter the better... it makes me happy and a page full of it is just divine. 

 My op was successful and although I have a mouth full of stitches and look a bit like a chipmunk lol... I am glad it is all over and I am recovering quickly.  Thank you for all of your well wishes xxx

This page was made with dylusions spray inks, oil pastels, some magazine cut outs and lots of doodling... Heaven!  I missed the messiness.

hugs
Chris xx

The mojo has returned...

and this is the fairy who brought it back.  I thoroughly enjoyed doing this art journal page and I've been inking, painting, doodling and drawing ever since I completed it yeehaaaa.  So lots to share with you over the coming weeks... this is the beginning of what I hope will  be a long and fruitful arty spell.

The background was created with Dylusions spray inks which are totally lush and so easy to use.

I then used some gesso as a base for my fairy's face, arms and wings before adding acrylic paint.

I am loving re-using my Sakura pens for doodling and water colouring... they are so adaptable and oh so pretty.  Love the sparkle and shine.

See you soon
hugs
Chris xx

Party on down

Another journal page to share today... and if you feel like partying then I think this little fella from Stampotique is looking for a partner.  Doesn't he look dapper in his bow tie and pink trousers.  Bet you would run a mile if he asked you to dance but hey only real men dare wear pink ( or so I've heard...lol)

Lots of fun with Dylusions ink sprays again and some doodling with me favourite white pen... I was born to doodle... I just know I was cos I loves it !!

Have a great day

hugs

Chris xx

oooh pretty colours...

still coming out to play and these are Dylusions ink sprays.  So yummy yummy you could eat them!! I did some spraying through and over stencils for the background. I  dipped the lid into a puddle of ink on my craft mat to create the green circles and used the edge of a credit card dipped in ink for the lines on the top left. I used a white pen to add the lettering and doodling.

Found the dog image in a mag which I covered with Gesso and then used a paintbrush with the pink ink to re-colour it. The head and hat images are from Dyan's downloads... cute eh. 

hugs

Chris xx

Shoes art journal page

Who doesn't like shoes.... answers on a postcard please...lol.   Well I do... but they gotta have heels to be branded favourites.  I don't just like wearing them... I love looking at them too.  I don't have as many pairs as I used too... but if I was rich I would have a room full!!

This is the last painterly page for now... but I have been doing more with my dylusions ink sprays so still have more to share.

hugs

Chris xx

Red dress journalpage

This week will be all about journalling pages... because despite my laptop and my drawing tablet both dying last week  I at least had my camera  and my oh so slow desktop computer to get me by... that was until my camera decided not to play either... OMG how much bad luck can someone have in a week!!  So I'm afraid although I have some yummy goodies to share I have to rely on my scanner for now.

So another painterly page ... this time overpainting images taken from magazines after doing the background.

Bits of doodling and cut out text.

Thanks for looking. Be back soon.

hugs

Chris xx

Another painterly journal page.

You can tell spring is in the air... all the bonny colours are coming out to play.  When I started this page I was thinking Carmen Miranda...ish.  Instead of fruit and a pretty face though... I came up with circles and abstract but even though my girlie has no eyes... she still thinks 'She's all that!!' lol

Not my usual thing but it's fun to experiment and stretch the bounderies from time to time.

Go get out your bright colours and play.... go on... you know you want to.

hugs

Chris xx

Milliande journal challenge day12

I'm still doing my pages for Milliande's journalling challenge but keep getting waylaid with other things.  I WILL complete them all though... even if it takes me a while.  I've sort of skipped a couple that didn't appeal to me but will do them at a later date.  The good thing is that you can dip in whenever you like :D

Day 12 (Daily debris) really appealed to me... so much so that I did a double page (which I hardly ever do).  The pencils took a beating as is usual nowadays but I also added some collage, oil pastels, acrylic paint, watercolour and some toilet roll .... yes I did say toilet roll...rofl ... well I was using some to take the wet out of my brushes so I decided to stick some on my page too ;-)
I also used some book pages, a stamped image that I had coloured previously but not used and pens for the wording. 
hugs
Chris xx

More Milliande journal pages

This one is 'striped dragonflies'   it's a bit weird... but I like weird...lol My imagination is so wacky at times :D

This page is about 'vertical journalling' which I would NEVER have thought of doing but could become addicted to now.

See the link to come play on the right if you'd like to come play.
hugs
Chris xx

Milliande's journalling challenge days 5,6 and 7

I've been continuing with the Milliande journalling challenge but there aren't enough days in the week to share everything I've been doing with you.... oooooh super productive I've been.  It's amazing how quickly you can work with a journal, a few pens, oil pastels and watercolours.  I don't spend half the time looking for stuff like I do when I'm crafting (when I'm crafting I usually find that what I want to use is right at the back of a cupboard in the 'might need it later box'...lol)

Ok journalling.... Day 7 was create a zebra by drawing round your hand.

 Day 6 ... Millipede me... did I catch the likeness...lol... the bottom half of me looks pretty familiar... all those Christmas goodies lying on my hips ;-)

Lastly day 7... Create a window in the page.  I was a bit unsure of this one when I started but I love it now it's finished.

Hope you are enjoying the weekend
hugs
Chris xx

Journal January days 3 and 4

Day 3 was printmaking and you won't believe how long I have had some lino and cutting tools and done nothing with them.... so this was the perfect excuse to get them out and play.  Carving zebra stripes was difficult enough so I think it will be a while before I tackle anything more complicated but I do like the result.  I used acrylic paint to stamp with and it was a bit messy but fun too.

Day 4 was to do a face with zebra accents... went a bit crazy with this one...using copic markers, acrylic paint and oil pastels.  I have journalled in white but it doesn't show up in the photo... will have to re-do that I think.

I enjoyed day 4 so much that I got carried away and while I was sitting watching TV I did another page... this time using coloured pencils (they are fast becoming a favourite of mine).

Bit freaky this one...lol  My imagination is working overtime!!
Thanks for looking
hugs
Chris xx

zendoodled zebras

Well you know I love doodling so Day 2  of Milliande's journalling challenge (see link on the right if you'd like to join in)... was a dream for me... I just loved doing it.  The background was created with coloured pencil cos I do like easy...lol

Supplies used... coloured pencil and fineliner black pen.
hugs
Chris xx

Patience pays off....

well it has in my case anyway.  It took me AGES to draw this but I was over the moon with the result.  I guess the more I practice the quicker I will become which can only be a good thing.  This sketch is a bit surreal in places but I just felt the need to experiment.

 I am growing towards working from reality instead of from what's in my head but I need more practice before I start drawing portraits of REAL people.

 I'm also experimenting with coloured pencils which produces such different results but is so pretty.  I am soooo happy with myself for starting to sketch again.... I guess the talent was always there but sooooo well hidden I'd forgotten about it...lol

Have a great weekend all :-)

hugs

Chris xx

Bad hair day

Do you have bad hair days.... I have them all the time... especially now I'm older and have to resort to colour from a box to cover the white hairs...lol  My niece recently asked me why I had hair like her chocolate... I asked what she meant and she said....because it's white at the top and brown at the bottom just like my chocolate bar!!!!!

So after that little conversation I have decided that if my hair is as nice as chocolate  ;-D  I am gonna love it no matter what it looks like.  This little lady from Dyan's fab downloads has the strangest pony tails ever...ha ha ha... but she is embracing their uniqueness  ??? wearing her best hat to hide her roots while hiding behind her dark glasses...just in case she bumps into anyone she knows..pmsl :-D
Have a great day
hugs
Chris xx

Sketch journal page10

Only one more sketch to share after this one...then we have to have a change of scenery so to speak...lots to share over the coming weeks cos my mojo is in overdrive (never thought I'd hear myself say that...lol).

Anyway still been changing hairstyles on my girlies (though my favourite one of all is the one I will share tomorrow... I know... I'm a rotten tease ha ha ha).

Hope you like her :D

hugs

Chris xx

Sketch journal page9

Getting a bit braver now and have started to add more detail to my sketches.... this one inspired by the lovely Hawaiian girls who wear gorgeous flower garlands on their heads and around their neck.

I'm having more fun with the hair too now that I'm not doing just outlines filled with colour.

I think that soon I will begin some larger pieces... these are only about 5" x 7"... just so that I have more space to experiment with the backgrounds. 

While rutting through my crafty bits looking for something the other day I came across some Crayola Shader pencils (sometimes I am soooo glad I am a hoarder...lol) and I can't wait to try them to see what different effects they will offer me.

Thanks for looking

hugs

Chris xx

Sketch journal page8

Check out the hair....rofl... bet you've never seen anyone with hair like this :D  My mind works in mysterious ways.    Maybe I was trying to draw feathers cos she looks a bit birdish don't ya think. 

 Anyway she may have a bit of a strange barnett.... but I love her green eyes.  It's still a surprise to me how my sketches turn out and every one has a special place in my heart.  Love Love Love drawing....can you tell :-)

Only a few more to share this week as I have some DT stuff that I want to share too.... thanks for indulging me on my little journey.
hugs
Chris xx

Sketch journal page6

More sketches from my art journal to share with you this week.... hope you aren't bored with them :D  A bit different though... as this time I am sharing pretty girlie's instead of ladies.

Still loving coloured pencils and experimenting a little with hairstyles too.  Like everything else practice makes perfect and I feel am improving... you can decide as the week goes on.  ;-)

hugs
Chris xx

Sketch journal page5

I forgot to take a photo of this sketch before I coloured it... sorry :D  I find it really peculiar that once I start to sketch... whatever face I'm doing at the time... that the whole drawing just seems to evolve on it's own.

I had no intention at all of this ending up as a Nun but it did anyway...weird or what.

I wonder if it's something in my subconscious mind that leads me to draw what I do especially as I have no particular project in mind when I begin.

Whatever it is I'm not complaining :D
hugs
Chris xx