Sunday 17 November 2013

Journal - I am so pleased to see you again...

Hello -  I sat down this morning to make some more Christmas cards, but before I did, wrote out the list of how I need to send them to, and then counted up how many I had done - and promptly was able to pack away the Christmas stamps - I've got enough!!  (well I will have one "special" one to do for my brother and sister-in-law, but that can wait) so, instead I was able to craft for me....

..... and didn't know what to do!! It's not that long since I did anything other than a Christmas card, surely??

So, as ever I took to my journal... and the new stencils that I bought last week..
 Love them!
 I had some blue paint on a double spread in the Moleskin journal... and used the church stencil with a mixture of Caramel and Toffee Fresco paints...

Added the  crow from a Crafty Individuals stamp and a Stampotique on tissue paper, some Paperartsy script/blobs
and on the left hand page used the birds in bush stencil and Little Black Dress... this got a bit splodgy, so I am not too happy with this page, and left it as it was...(it looks better in the photo funnily enough!)
and then as I wasn't too keen on the blue background, I did another one... using Caramel and Toffee on the background
 and a mix of Toffee and Chocolate Pudding for the stencilling of the church. The I was stumped!
 but thought about the bats (die, by Memory Box) that I bought just before Halloween and hadn't used... the meadow grasses are on a clear Inkadinkadoo set I bought a couple of years ago at the Newbury art show and haven't used this one before... stamped that in black all along the bottom of the pages, (I had to use the stamp without a block in the middle, trying to flatten the book as much as possible... hence the imperfect stamping!)
I do like these bats though, and how they look like they are flying out of the page at you..
 the text is a Judikins stamp I bought at Stevenage in August, one of the ones I got for £1 from a sale bin.

It means wisdom, having googled for a Latin dictionary, so I thought that was quite good for a church-y type page!!  I stamped it on white card and painted it with a watered down Caramel and then used Walnut Stain distress over it, spritzing and blotting some of the ink away.
oh journal!! it is nice to be back playing again!

16 comments:

Julia Dunnit said...

Oh I liked the blue background..great stencil choices, aren't they going to be useful. Really I shouldn't be talking to you, but instead I really congratulate you on finishing your Christmas cards already. Impressive,

Deborah Wainwright said...

Oh it looks like you had great fun I love them both but am more drawn to the second. The black looks really good and the bats do look like they are flying off the page. Well done xx

Julie Lee said...

I am in awe of you having finished your cards, Helen! I think I'm going to have to reserve my card-making to special people only this year and not make for everyone as I had hoped! I loved the blue journal pages with the stencils, but both spreads worked very well. They are indeed lovely stencils and I love what you did with them. Julie Ann xx

Jacqui Chimes said...

Both these pages are brilliant Helen - I love the blue page!

Hazel Agnew said...

Wow, wow, wow. Really inspired work Helen. Love everything! X

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous pages, I love them both.

craftytrog said...

Both spreads look fab Helen! I finally managed some AJ play today too :o)
Congrats on finishing your festive cards.
Alison x

sam21ski said...

Oh wow, love both sets of pages. You've really shown off the church windows stencil perfectly. And the colours are gorgeous especially on the 2nd lot of pages.

Sam xxx

BJ said...

Well done on the Chrimbo cards. I think I have enough but can't be sure!
Love the church stencil - what's the make?
Still sore from the tooth extraction but a lot better. BJ

Craft Addicts - Tracy Evans said...

Loving your pages Helen, love the windows , I love the mix of added images too like the bats and meadow like images. Where are the stencils from? Fabulous . Tracy x

Lin said...

Wow Helen your pages are great..the brown one is my fav..great colours and those bats are brilliant!! That stamp was a good buy wasn't it?? although we had no clue what it meant at the time..looks like you had a lot of fun today x

Words and Pictures said...

What glorious stencils, Helen... and wow you've put them to great use! The pages are stunning - so Gothic and full of atmosphere. I've just got myself a large stamp with birds on bare branches, now thinking maybe I "need" a stencil!

Bravo you on getting the C-cards done too!
Alison xx

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I just took a look back at some of the cards you have made since I last visited. I haven't even started mine and you are FINISHED. WOW.

I love how you treated these new stencils. Awesomely awesome.

Lynn Stevens said...

One word, Awesome!

Robin said...

First I cannot believe that you are done with Christmas cards. You are so efficient! And both of your journal spreads are amazing! I am sure the journal likes having you back too!

k baxter packwood said...

I love your blue journal spread and of course your church spread with the bats is very clever! I will have to see about getting the arches stencil for my collection.