Wanderlust Book - prompt 11 - What am I passionate about?

It has been a while since I made time to get any challenges or activities done for the Wanderlust online course by Everything Art... a few weeks ago, the Wanderlust Book prompt was "What am I passionate about".... after spending another morning at my favourite place I was blogging the photos and thought... oh yes that fits!
I spend hours at Kew, I go as often as I can, nearly always on a Saturday morning unless something else gets in the way - check out my photography blog  if you want to see some very photo-heavy posts - and if you want to know more about Kew Gardens check their website here. And, if you can, go visit!

So this morning, I created this double page spread in my Wanderlust book.

 I used some DecoArt paints that my friend Sam gave me for my birthday, and Chalk Fresco to create some blurring of the colours.  I used my fingers... those of you who know me, will realise this is very different for me!

 I spent some time blending and wiping and smudging with the Chalk Fresco before starting to add some elements to the page..

including some stamping (Paperartsy stamps, by Ellen Vargo)

and some leaflets from Kew

The Hive is their latest attraction and is wonderful. (see my blog for photographs - I don't have a printer so couldn't print any to add to my journal)

 

 added some more little flowers (also Paperartsy) in archival ink and some white highlighter markings on the flowers













the bees are by JoFY for Paperartsy

I had heaps of fun with this, hope to catch up with some more of the lessons very soon!
Thanks for looking.

WOYWW 373 - journal pages

Yet another week goes by and I haven't blogged since last Wednesday's post - so it's time to link up again with Julia's Stamping-Ground for the weekly desk-hop.

The new stamps I was waiting for last week, duly arrived but not till Friday I think it was..

I also did a bit more to the journal pages the stamps are resting on,

a bit of texture paste and some butterflies, another tree... still not sure if I'm done with it..

and finally, another page, the background is pinky purple brush wipings from the top journal page, covered in white crackle paste, and marked with a teflon comb (think it's designed for gelli plate marking) before the paste dried (and didn't crackle properly) stamps are by Seth Apter (circles) and Paperartsy and the image is one that my friend Lin sent me recently.  some lace from my stash and a piece of wide organza ribbon beneath the image, (painted with Fresco paint but most of it wiped off, just to give it a bit of colour to show up, although in the photo you it doesn't very well!)

Off to link up (well I'm scheduling this as normal but will link up in the morning) with Julia.

WOYWW 372 - Welcome back, Julia!

Phew, what a scorcher... England is gripped by a mini heatwave, with temperatures in the upper 80's and humidity and overnight sticky hard-to-sleep conditions..  I hate it!    Serves us right for moaning at all the rain we've had over the early part of the summer..

Anyway, it's time to write my weekly WOYWW post - and as the title says, welcome back to our beloved leader Julia,  still recovering from her surgery but able to take back the reins from her (and our) good friend Jan.  

Of course it's been too hot for crafting but I did splash a bit of paint around at the weekend with my new JoFY stamps (new to me anyhow)

stamps still haven't made it away, as you can see!  I'll get round to finishing the pages once the weather cools down...

I was hoping to have another new set to share with you, from the Everything Art range for Paperartsy, released last Friday through the Wanderlust course I'm still following (but not doing anything for at present!) No doubt as always, it will arrive during the day on Wednesday - still give you something to see next week!

I went to Kew again last Saturday and spent 4 hours there, the results are here but I warn you, 4 hours = hundreds of photos ! so I'll understand if a Wednesday isn't the best time for you to catch up with them!

Have a great day, stay cool (or keep warm depending on where you are!) 

WOYWW 371 - here we are again

So, it's Wednesday again already... what happened to last week?
Jan is waiting for you here  for your desks, and if we're really lucky, Julia will join in again too

not a lot on my floor this week (that's a blatant lie, obviously most of my craft room is on the floor...)

a finished journal page, a background started ages ago and stagnating.. some little treasures received from a dear friend (non desker!) - some copies of some lovely photos of ladies; and an altered domino -  and some Timmy stamps that may or may not have appeared before.. some Paperartsy ones are on the way... will probably arrive today now!




Haven't been very crafty at all lately, apart from the journal page which you can't really see so I'll add a picture of it for you..


















there have been some fabulous sunsets the last few days, and whilst I put them on twitter and one on facebook I know not everyone is on those platforms so am sharing them here, even though this is my crafty blog!
-  they were just too good to hide away on the computer.
  this first one was on the 7th, fantastic

and this one on Monday, the 11th.  not as spectacular, and I missed most of it.  but I do like the dark clouds in this one!   (I couldn't quite get the street light out of the shot)


anyway, I've kept you long enough go, go, Jan is waiting!


Am delighted to hear from Jan today that Julia is taking us back on next week, so a BIG thank you to Jan for taking the reins and looking after us all in the last few weeks, you are a true and great friend indeed.

Paperartsy Topic 13: Paper Piecing

The last (couple) challenge completely passed me by, but the latest Paperartsy challenge is Paper Piecing and I have been blown away by several of the posts so far; Lin's fabric journal cover; JoFY's building block; Lesley's Owlandish; to name but a few.  

I decided to work in my A4 journal, on a background that I did start for the fabric challenge but never finished in time. (it was my birthday, my brother dropped in, what can I say?!)

 it had started out brownish, but I had grabbed a couple of pinky-yellow-orangey Prima paper sheets so brought the colours more in line - I used Frescos in Cooper,Coral, Pumpkin Soup.

 cut one of the papers into squares and the other into a mix of strips and squares dictated by the patterns on the paper

 before gluing them to the journal.  I painted over the more Frescos, adding some Satin Glaze and also adding some Concrete to mute it down a little

 I added some stencils (as per Lin's cover) and some stamping on another, plainer sheet of paper from the same Prima pad on which I stamped some of Kim's "flowers"

as there was no way I could have cut the stems, I stamped them direct onto the page and then laid the painted pieces on top

 I used the little scraps from round the flower shapes to fill some gaps, not adding any more paint, and then the last little piece to add the birds which P painted in Beach Hut

a few finishing bits of stamping, and it's done

love those little birds!

Entering the Paperartsy challenge here 

WOYWW 370

Welcome to another WOYWW - I need to apologise for not making it to many desks last week, after the thrill of my day at Wimbledon for the tennis (pics here) - sorry about that, I never seemed to catch up with myself!!
In case you don't have time to look at them all (and I took loads!) here's just one to whet your appetite. (for those of you who don't know me I'm in the middle, my boss who treats us is on the left in the hat.)

You want to see tennis? ok then here's another

A day or so after the trip to the tennis, I received some stamps I'd treated myself to for my birthday

they've not made it off the desk yet, and they sadly haven't met ink yet!  I do love Stampotique though.

I will do my best to get round more of your desks this week, although I am still "busy" with the tennis and football which are both coming to a climax (I really want split screen tv to be able to watch two things at once!!)

anyhow, the link for the desks is here, at Jan's..