Sunday 12 January 2014

Q & L - a new challenge from the Craft Barn

Hi, thanks for stopping by.  Today saw the launch of the 2014 Craft Barn blog challenge.  This year, the challenge is Q and L - Quotes and Lyrics.

Each fortnight, you get a prompt of two words.  You can choose whatever kind of project you want, but you have to include either or both, of the words, and they have to be from a quote or a song lyric.  Today's prompts were "Smile" and "Up"

I "just happened" to see some half  price Moleskine notebooks in a bookshop yesterday which at about 9 x 11 inches, are a handy sort of size for a long-term project... there will be plenty of spare pages left at the end of the year too... so I popped back out and bought them today (luckily they were still there, as there was only one set)

So, I searched through some stamps and came across one on a Dyan Reaveley word set which included a "smile" quote.  I set to googling to see if I could find the source of this quote and eventually found it attributed to an Anthony J DAngelo..
I started by clear embossing some daisies (Jo Firth-Young for Paperartsy) as I had an idea I could use some kind of resist effect over the page.  However, the pages in the notebook are quite thin, so I decided to use my Portfolio Pastels again, (loved used them on my last post so much) - blending them with my finger.  This still looked quite scribbly.... but I persevered
 and when I heat set the page they seem ok (ish) now!  I stamped my quote and cut it into individual strips, and stuck it to the page.

The flowers seemed a bit non-descript from the clear embossing, till I remembered that in my Inktense pencils, was an outliner pencil, so I went round the petals with that...and I think they show up better now.
Thanks for looking, and thanks to the Craft Barn for what I think will be another tough but fun year of challenges!

28 comments:

Deborah Wainwright said...

Love this Helen your page reminds me of warmer brighter days. I love the quote too . This is a great challenge I hope to participate in? Xx

Hazel Agnew said...

Love the whole idea Helen. Think that this all works perfectly and nice idea to look up a quote. Should be quite a collection and thought provoking too. A beautiful page. X

Claire said...

Hi Helen, great page - I love that quote! I'm playing along again with the craft barn this year. Created my quote today but haven't blogged yet! Claire x

massofhair said...

Great Dyan Reavely words, all hers make me smile:-)

Very thought provoking challenge, this is going to be great.

Love your pages:-) xxx

Julia Dunnit said...

I like the challenge...Q and L , and I like that it's fortnightly...golly, I could be inspired! Talking of inspired, I love your page..the idea to draw around the embossing is lovely. They would have been nice anyway, but this way they are a little less ethereal!

Words and Pictures said...

Such a lovely Springtime look to this page, Helen - I think your daisies are so lovely, and the delicate colour blending of the background looks great from here. That Moleskine is not going to know what's hit it!!
Alison xx

BJ said...

Great start Helen - which bookshop of did you buy the last one? I have just got a journal for the 52 weeks challanges I am doing and there will only be 24 spare sides which is a shame as I could have done the CB challenges in there too. Nice that you had a quote stamp to fit the bill. BJ

sam21ski said...

Well you were obviously meant to have the journal books to do your CB challenges in, else they'd of all sold out when you went back, glad you got your hands on them.

Fabulous first page, love the bright yellow on the flowers and glad you found a fitting quote.

Sam xxx

sam21ski said...

Well you were obviously meant to have the journal books to do your CB challenges in, else they'd of all sold out when you went back, glad you got your hands on them.

Fabulous first page, love the bright yellow on the flowers and glad you found a fitting quote.

Sam xxx

brenda said...

A lovely fresh spring feeling page Helen.

Good result and nice to see the SAS back in full swing.

B x

Anonymous said...

1/2 price Moleskine? lucky you! Those are my favourite journals.
Love the quote and really pleased that you are playing with us again this year. And you're the first too!
Thanks for playing.
Izzy

Elaine said...

Great quote and what bright big flowers - certainly made me smile!

Anonymous said...

Well done on finding such a great bargain! Your page is fantastic, the flowers look great.

Sarah Anderson said...

that's a great quote, and fab flowers :) And what a treat, new moleskines!!

Sarah Anderson said...

that's a great quote, and fab flowers :) And what a treat, new moleskines!!

Lynn Holland said...

Everyone is doing something different, it's great to see.

Lin said...

Lovely page Helen, lad you managed to get your hnds on the mole skines!! and I love that quote it's beautiful x

chrissie said...

CVery beautiful page Helen

Love Chrissie x

TwinkleToes2day said...

Visiting from The Craft Barn - I really like your flowers & the quote made me smile :o)

Carmen said...

I really like that quote Helen. Love your pages too, spring-like and lovely. Yep, def getting me some of those pastels!

craftytrog said...

Those beautiful yellow flowers make me smile Helen! Great quote too!
Alison x

Sylvia said...

Great quote, fabulous page.

Sylv xx

Karen said...

ooo I am loving this quote Helen! Fabulous pages and what a bargain your moleskin was! Thank you for joining us again xxx

Lesley said...

Lovely pages! I used a very similar quote but I hadn't looked at anyone's work first, it is a lovely one isn't it! xx

lena-dailyscrap said...

Lovely page! Gorgeous flowers and very cute quote.

Craftyfield said...

Well done on being the first! By the time I got around to design my page, you had already nabbed the best quote!

Scrapmate said...

A great start! Nice to 'see' you back. I was beginning to miss the CB challenge.

Anonymous said...

Love your page Helen....I used the same quote on my Tag! Looking forward to playing along this year and also seeing what you make. x