Documented Life Project - Week 24

As you can see, I had a lot of fun with this challenge - Week 24 - use book pages. 

I chose a page from a French book I read a long time ago, called Petite. I really can't remember what it was about, so decided that I could sacrifice it for Art!!

I highlighted a few words, then painted circles around it in bright colours - I know it's a technique I've used a good few times, but it's really pretty, and there are no rules!

Then I decided to paint circles on flaps too, and they were so nice I had to use the both of them. 

For the verso side of the flaps, I cut and glued newsprint in matching colours (I think), which I use to protect my desk from paint splashes and to clean brushes and stamps and fingers and my beloved Gelli plate!

For the journal page, I applied gesso over an ink stencil pattern, then I glued little strips of red craft paper (from my Dealz art packs - €1.49!). And I cut newsprint in little circles, with my circle stamp. And I wrote the dates with my lovely white Sharpie marker. 

All done. Can't wait to get started on the next challenge!

Documented Life Project - Week 23

Week 23 is slightly different - the challenge is to express gratitude for one thing every single day of the week. So I'll try and remember to take a photo when the week is over! Calligraphy is not my strong suit, so I'll really have to think how to write clearly and beautifully. Maybe I'll type it up and print it?

This is a bit of an international page - On the right-hand side, I have a Japanese theme, while on the left, the journal page took a 4th of July look, all by itself!

Documented Life Project - Week 22

I had sworn I would not do a cute collage house for Week 22's challenge. 

But I ran out of time, so there you go: a cute collage house. 

I used origami paper for this one, that's my only claim to originality. 

And for the dates, I cut out numbers from an old calendar, an idea I got from the ladies in Art to the 5th!

Bushy Park - Watercolour IV & V

More attempts at capturing water

Documented Life Project - Week 21

Week 21 was to add embroidery to your page. I used to be quite good at sewing when I was a little girl, but it's not something I enjoy. So I struggled with that challenge. Until I thought about how I used to love playing with my grand-mother's collection of buttons. She had a box full of them in the kitchen, and, on a rainy day, I would take them out and organise them - it kept me occupied for hours. The simple joys of life!

So I decided to sew a few of my favourite buttons onto a page of craft paper.

It was a fairly plain page, until I started adding mementos from those 4 action-packed days around Ireland.

Documented Life Project Week 20

It's a few weeks since I completed Week 20, but I never showed you how it looks after I've actually journalled into it. So there you go:

A morning in the Dublin Mountains and Glendalough

An action-packed few days... It was maybe twenty years since I last was in Glendalough!

One day in Connemara

With the motorway to Galway, it is actually now possible to go to Connemara for one day! You won't get to walk through the landscape, but you will see a lot of beautiful countryside all the same. And enjoy a pic-nic on the pier in Oughterard, a bit of shopping in Joyce of Recess, the seafood platter in the pub in Ballynahinch Castle Hotel, and an ice-cream in Roundstone

And if you're thinking of that song, you will find the lyrics here.

Bushy Park - Watercolour III

Learning a lot - this rougher paper is better for the rough edges. And I didn't put in too many rough edges this time, so the eye can travel around the painting a little easier. Composition-wise, I think I need to move things more off-centre. Phthalo Turquoise, Quinacridone gold and a touch of Sennelier Opera Rose worked wonders in terms of colours.