Art journal fun...

I have been busy in my art journal just playing with my Decoart Americana acrylic paints. 

I just love doing circles and adding layers and layers of different paints till I get something that I think is done. 

Adding lots of stamps and stencils is one of the best parts. I so love adding splatters of watered Gesso at the end such fun to do. 

I have been using my mop up papers on my desk in lots of things lately and I used it in this one to add the petals for the flowers. Lots of doodling for the stems and this one I did live on Periscope. You can find the replay for it HERE at @sandybeachart.

Linking this up with Paint Party Friday

Have a great day 

Vicki-Ann :)

Denim Journal Cover

  Today I have a recycled denim journal cover I made using up some more of my old denim jeans. To check out more great tutorials head over to the Helmar Creative team Blog

I cut the denim fabic into pieces and sewed the leg of the jeans and the back pocket together to make one long length. I then ironed it flat so you get a nice seam. 

Then figure out how big you want your journal to be. Mine ended up being about 9 inch high x 6 inch wide. I wanted to keep the pocket on the front so that I could store pens in it.

Using the Helmar Fabric Glue spread it over the cardboard and press it on to the fabric. Smoothing it as you go. My denim is a bit stretchy so this was tricky but if you glue it bit by bit you will get it to work.

I cut the corners on the inside folding it over so it makes it neat and then put the  Helmar Fabric Glue on the fabric edges. Fold over onto the cardboard on the inside. Working the corners in neatly as you go.

 

I then grabbed some card stock and cut it to size. Using the Helmar Tacky Craft Glue I glued it to the inside, to cover up the edges of the fabric and make it neat. 

I threaded some of my paper beads on to some hat elastic and tied it in a knot so it fit around my journal. Then I can just thread my letter journals onto the elastic. I will be able to put a few in this. I will make a note book and a few blank journals for the inside so I have a all in one journal to suit me. 

Have a great day
Vicki-Ann :) 

Helmar art journal cover

Over on the Helmar Creative Team page I created an art journal. I  have been joining in with Rae Missigmans doing the Art Marks 30 Day Challenge Rae announced during the week that she is doing another challenge in March so a whole new set of prompts.  So I needed a new art journal for the new challenge. So it was time to make another one.

First I grabbed my craft knife and cutting mat and cut my cardboard. So my cover ended up being 

8 1/2 inches ( 21.5 cm) by 5 1/5 inches (13.97 cm).

I used the cardboard backing that was with my paper. The cardboard is quite sturdy and I cut it in half. So that meant it was the perfect size for my book. The paper I use is Monte Marte Watercolour paper and has 30 sheets so I will get 2 books of 30 pages so it works out so well and the paper holds up to sewing really well. I punched holes 4 cm in from each inside edge. I spread Gesso over the cardboard and then painted with my palette knife. I used a stencil to add some details and interest.

I then placed some book and dictionary papers together with a bit of plasterers tape and tacked it together with some Helmar Tacky Craft Glue to hold. I added a little paint over the paper, so it matched in to the background. Let that dry a bit, then I sewed with my sewing machine in a zig zag motion. Add this to the cardboard cover on the background with the Helmar Tacky Craft Glue. 

Then on the inside I thought I would add some interest with some painted desk papers that I use to cover my desk when I paint. 

So I drew around it and cut it to size.

Then I spread the inside cover with the Helmar Decoupage and Craft Glue with the paint and glue spreader. I also added the Helmar Decoupage and Craft Glue to the back of the painted underpapers and used the paint and glue spreader to remove any excess glue and bubbles so I get a nice smooth finish.

I used some Payne's grey Decoart paint on the edges.

I then cut my watercolour papers to size and using the cover as a guide I punched the holes to suit and added the rings

Have a great day
Vicki-Ann :)

Gridded and Dozens...

I am joining in with Rae Missigmans #artmarks30daychallenge 

I made this journal with rings at the side in a class a few years ago and have never used it. I thought this would be perfect for this challenge, as I can pull the pages out to work on them separately. For this challenge Rae would like you to make marks. You kind of have to decide what kind of marks you like to make so look through previous journal pages and see what your marks are. Rae does give you a sheet to download with some of her marks she likes to use and the is another page to download with the prompts for the 30 days. 

I have given myself another mini challenge to sew on all 30 pages with my sewing machine.

Day 6 Gridded 

Using my stencils that I cut out of cardboard I stenciled the shaped on with  DecoArt Americana acrylics. I then sewed a grid pattern with my sewing machine. I really like the grungy look of the black and white Gesso. 

Day 7 Dozens

Added a butterfly from a Kaisercraft stamp set on top of some painted dictionary paper. Added the quote stamp from Tim Holtz on top of some Gesso so it would stand out. The main card I thought I would do 12 marks of everything so 12 triangles 12 dashes and also the number 12 to go with the prompt of dozens. Adding splatters is always fun. 

Have a great day 

Vicki-Ann :)

More than one...

I am joining in with Rae Missigmans #artmarks30daychallenge 

I made this journal with rings at the side in a class a few years ago and have never used it. I thought this would be perfect for this challenge, as I can pull the pages out to work on them separately. For this challenge Rae would like you to make marks. You kind of have to decide what kind of marks you like to make so look through previous journal pages and see what your marks are. Rae does give you a sheet to download with some of her marks she likes to use and the is another page to download with the prompts for the 30 days. 

I have given myself another mini challenge to sew on all 30 pages with my sewing machine. 

Day 5, More than one.

I used the cut out pieces of the cardboard stencils and glued them on to my page to add some dimension. Why would I waste fabulous shapes that were already cut out. The mini pomegranate stencil by Balzer Designs is under the quote. 

I like the way as the card was black that the white gesso kind of sat on top and made it look so textured. These colours were all from the new colour range in 2016 from Decoart. I can't wait for this years colours to come out they look terrific but know these colours will always be some of my favourites to work with. 

Have a great day

Vicki-Ann :) 

Just three...

I am joining in with Rae Missigmans #artmarks30daychallenge 

I made this journal with rings at the side in a class a few years ago and have never used it. I thought this would be perfect for this challenge, as I can pull the pages out to work on them separately. For this challenge Rae would like you to make marks. You kind of have to decide what kind of marks you like to make so look through previous journal pages and see what your marks are. Rae does give you a sheet to download with some of her marks she likes to use and the is another page to download with the prompts for the 30 days. 

I have given myself another mini challenge to sew on all 30 pages with my sewing machine. 

Day 4, Just 3 

Decoart Americana paints and marks with spots and lines with pens and stamping with a small Prima stamp. I like the way this looks kind of weathered. 

I decided to make some stencils with a craft knife. I cut out these half circles some squares and triangles. I figured that I wanted some simple shapes to work with for this challenge and that I could cut them out myself. I just used the cardboard that my coffee capsules com in. 

The best thing about these stencils there is no cleaning and that with the added layers of paint they seem to be just getting stronger.

Have a great day 

Vicki-Ann :)

Art Marks 30 Day Challenge

I am joining in with Rae Missigmans #artmarks30daychallenge 

I made this journal with rings at the side in a class a few years ago and have never used it. I thought this would be perfect for this challenge, as I can pull the pages out to work on them separately. For this challenge Rae would like you to make marks. You kind of have to decide what kind of marks you like to make so look through previous journal pages and see what your marks are. Rae does give you a sheet to download with some of her marks she likes to use and the is another page to download with the prompts for the 30 days. 

I have given myself another mini challenge to sew on all 30 pages with my sewing machine. 

This is my cover I might change this at the end to look more like something I would do.. 

I have used all Decoart Americana paints on my pages and I am loving trying out different colour combinations.

Day 1, Petal-like

I thought with the prompt of petal I kind of drew some petals like they had dropped off the flowers.

Day 2, Needlework

I used my hand carved stamps for this one and added some circles of scrapbook paper. 

Day 3, Concentric

Cut circles of dictionary paper and added a quote

I am very late linking this up with Paint Party Friday but am going to pop around and check out what people have been up to this last week. 

Have a great day

Vicki-Ann :)

Letter Journals

I thought I would show you what I have been working on since September last year when I joined a facebook group for letter journals. It's been fun and I have met so many fabulous people. I joined this group and when I did I thought everything I do I am just going to have fun with. No pressure just fun stuff and I really have had some fun. Some letter journals have themes but the ones I love the most are just the free style ones that I can just paint what I feel like on the day. So here are some samples of the work I have done in the 5 letter journals that I have done so far. I love my Decoart Acrylic paints and think that shows up in my letter journals.

These are the 5 filled letter journals that I have filled with some lovely art work from all over Australia, America and Canada. 

The following art is all mine that I have either done in my letter journals before sending them off or in other people's letter journals. 

I made my own stickers with my printer and joined them up with some fun pen work.

Think this one is my favourite cover of a letter journal.

The theme to this one was inspirational quotes.

Spring themed letter journal.

I had these numbers on my desk from a Typo bag it was a bingo card so I cut them up and collaged them on. 

Flower theme.

Painted some gum tree flowers for an Australian themed letter journal

I really enjoy this group and can see me getting quite a collection over the next year. I am currently in 3 more letter journal groups one international and 2 Australian. There is a maximum of 4 people in the group and it takes a few months for the international ones to get posted around. 

Linking this up with Paint Party Friday.

Have a great day

Vicki-Ann :)

Today I choose Happiness...

Hi all, I have been wanting to get my sewing machine out and sew in my art journal for a while so this week it was time to do just that. 

I got 2 dictionary pages out and glued them on to a piece of cardstock with Helmar Decoupage and craft paste. Then I painted them with different blues in Decoart Americana paints. I used 4 different blues and blended them also with white to get different variations. Added some circles with a stencil from TYPO. 

I bought this wonderful word papers on clearance at Kaisercraft and could not wait to use it. So it went on the background over the piece of Hessian that I had added some gesso and paint.  I also bought the paper with the quote on, It was a 12 x 12 sheet with all different quotes cards. 

Will link this up with Paint Party Friday and Art Every Day Month and pop over and visit and see what you have been up to this week 

Have a great day

Vicki-Ann :)

In my art journal..

Thought I would add more of the art journal pages that I have been doing in the last few weeks on to my blog for you all to see. These are all painted with Decoart Americana paints.

Stencils and random circles. Doodled hearts and splatters.

Andy Skinner stencil and Finnabair stamped heart. Music paper collage. 

Finnabair stencil for the black spots, Dylusion stencil for the letters. 

Random circles and splatters. 

I am having a great time just playing with colour, paint and stencils and just having fun with it all. 

Linking this up with Paint Party Friday.. 

Have a great day

Vicki-Ann :)

Fun in my Art Journal...

In the last few months I have been very busy in my art journal. So thought I would add a few of the pages I have done on my blog.

I painted this with DecoArt Americana Acrylic paints and used a Dylusion border stencil for the triangles and the half circles. I loved the colours in this one.

Then well, it was butterfly time with some circles and a TCW stencil in the background. Lots of splatter fun on this one. The big flower at the side and the middle of the circles is collage pieces of my art, glued on with Helmar decoupage.  

I have a thing about circles at the moment I just like doing them so this time more of my former art cut into circles. Then I joined them with lines and added words on the lines.

I just love to play in my art journal and I have so many more pages to add to my blog. I add them all on my Instagram page as I go. You can follow me there at sandybeachart. 

Adding this over to Paint Party Friday. Hi everyone will be around to visit as many of you as I can

I always look forward to seeing what everyone has been up to. 

Have a great day

Vicki-Ann :)

Owl Wisdom and Helmar

This is a recent Art journal page that I had fun making for the Helmar Creative Team.

I painted my background just using a spatula. I just spread random colours of my favourite DecoArt paints over the pages. I added some stamping with a Prima stamp, newspaper print. Then in one of the same colours as the background I used the reverse chicken wire stencil to just give it some interest. 

I drew the owl on some book paper in pencil that I had added a layer of Gesso and paint to. I spread the Helmar Decoupage and craft paste to the page and then on the back of the owl to glue him on the page. I did this to the hearts too just drew them on the painted paper cut them out and added them to the dangles on the left page.   

I doodled around the owl going around him a few times and added some squiggles

I like to add dangles here and there to my pages. I added the quote in the middle as we all know that owls are very wise. This little owl started out on one of my index cards he was also on one of my Bookmarks a few weeks ago. I so enjoyed painting him that I thought he needed his own art journal page. Think he might have to go on a canvas next.

Hope I have inspired you to get out some book paper and a pencil. Draw some of your own little characters and add them to your next art journal page with Helmar Decoupage and craft paste.

I go into more detail with a list of everything I used over on the Helmar Creative Team page.

Linking this up with Paint Party Friday. Hi everyone.

Have a great day
Sandy :)