Feeling quite proud that I have completed this challenge but can hardly believe that the 12 months have passed already.
These Summer couplets seem to come easier to me - think the good weather makes us all feel better. Our holiday time has really begun, and although I still have some work do do and things to plan for the next year, there is a promisingly warm Summer break ahead.
My Summer page features die cut pohutakawa, which flowers around Christmas time and so is often referred to as the New Zealand Christmas tree. I used the snowflake die cut, but coloured it yellow and gold to reference the sun. Meri Kirihemete - Merry Christmas in Te Reo Maori.
Who can believe it's nearly the end of the year - just one more page before my journal is full.
These Summer months, for me, seem to feel easier. Maybe it's the warmer weather arriving and holiday time approaching!
This is for The Craft Barn Challenge - The Months.
This page is for The Craft Barn Song Challenge. It seemed to start well but then turned into a great big mess. I've included this in my video. In then end I think it turned out fine.
I really liked the Nat King Cole version of the song, so check that out too.
It's a while since I posted here, with the last two entries for this challenge being quickly posted to Instagram at the last minute. I do have the videos for the last three months so I will include those and images below in this post. I got out of the swing of posting and publishing videos after having the flu and taking weeks to recover. Thanks goodness that is gone now!
I have been creating two pages throughout the year, one for the Northern Hemisphere, as in the poem, and then writing my own couplet for the Southern Hemisphere. When I search for a pheasant, one of our native New Zealand birds, the weka, came up so I included that in my second page.
I have been away for a few days celebrating my mother's birthday and spending time with my sisters. It was fun creating with with one of my sisters who has just started to work with different media. As I only had a small supply of art supplies with me, it was challenging to find ways to use what I had.
I completed a few ICAD's using what I had and then I moved on to the July challenge for The Months by The Craft Barn. I was a little annoyed when I realised I had let my 'Month' journal behind, especially as I had started preparing the backgrounds. So I started again, knowing I would have to stick in my page and complete my Southern Hemisphere page later - then I checked the CB blog and found I was a week ahead of myself!! So I have waited to post, having completed the Winter page at home.
My mum had some great napkins with text on them, that I used as the background and then layer with white acrylic and Gelatos. The flowers where painted with watercolours and then detail added with black pen. I had also prepared the text at home - and left it there - but as I managed to acquire an old typewriter while I was away, I typed out the couplet from the poem.
So I still stuck in the page I completed while I was away, but now have both pages done to share with you.
For the Winter page, I used a similar technique as I used in the song challenge a couple of months ago for I Can't Stand the Rain. The window is sort of just sitting there, but I didn't want to lose my frost effect created with a white embossed stamp.
Once again I've been contemplating this idea for 2 weeks and leaving it to the last minute to execute!
I have been using the felt pen watercolour idea as backgrounds in work I do with kids at school and knew it would be a good basis for this page. I actually sprayed it with fixative before I did anything else on top.
I was happy with the idea of the trees, using the doily as a stencil, but then wasn't too happy with them so pushed them right into the background. I must admit, on the video they didn't look so bad.
I was brave and had my first attempt at writing the title on the page with my Tombow marker - then smudged it when adding another flower while filling the space where the trees were. Not minding my own handwriting so much on my work, except that it seems to be different for every verse!
Please check out my video - still pretty new to recording and posting these so would love you to check them out :)
Half way through the year with this - who can believe it!? I feel compelled to do this every month, especially as I made special journal for it and those of you who take part have commented on enjoyinbg seeing my take on both seasons. Thanks for that.
I must admit, it is getting more challenging to think of rhymes going into winter. Even though we have reached the shortest day and it is quite gloomy outside today, many of our days here are still beautiful and sunny. Most of this week we had chilly, frosty mornings - and what comes after that?? Blue skies and sunshine!!
I have been working on this spread (amidst writing school reports) and have not been that happy with it - but the time is up and this is what I have. I think it may look better in the photos - here's hoping.
I was lucky enough to receive my new Paper Artsy Infusions via my Craft Barn voucher and my daughter visiting her brother in London, then bringing them back for me. I really wanted to use them this month but as I'm still learning, it may just be a hot mess. Check out my Instagram #ICAD2017 Days 2, 5, & 7 for what I think is more successful. Videos on my YouTube channel.
I used brighter Infusion colours for Summer (Magenta & Slime) and the darker ones for Winter (Rusty Car & Olive Tree) I had been trying out an Elegant Writer pen and has some success on card, but didn't want to block out the background totally, so gave it a go on tissue. Not so great - I used lots of white and some pink and violet Sakura gellyroll pens to try to bring out the flowers. The winter side has a very sketchy image of my house [because that's my best drawing :)], some grunged up tape and a bit of stamping on both side also.
Still in the middle of #ICAD2017 so other challenges are overlapping to save time.
This one is also for Our Mixed Media Moods, inspired by this mood board.
I chose to focus on the colours, using a geli print and then layer with golden Payne's grey, golden high flow and Paper Artsy Infusion 'In the Navy'. Waiting for the gold acrylic was too much for me so the heat gun got very close! I knew I would like the bubbling that happened - I think it's my favourite part.
I found some magazine images that matched and layered these with this with sari ribbon and stamped the sentiment on calico.
I have been creating ICAD's (Index Card a Day) as part of a challenge that goes on for June and July. This is great fun but takes time everyday - and I' still catching up as I didn't manage to start right on the first day. I've also been making videos which of course takes extra time. I'm getting better at the filming and have a reasonably ok setup with a small GoPro type camera.
So realising it is time to have my entry for The Craft Barn Song Challenge ready, I have made this ICAD as my entry for this.
The theme was - everything comes 'round so the idea was to include round stamps and elements. I first stamps with the VLV stamp, Doodle Circle ( 19823) I really must make a list of my VLV stamps as I have to look them up on my order every time!!
I was very excited to try my new Paper Artsy Infusion which my daughter just brought back for me from the UK. I used In the Navy and Sleight Blue which are both colours in the newer ranger.. I then added some stamping with script and compass stamps - which lead to the word 'Here'.
I also added some doodling, some of which I wasn't very happy and so tried to cover with gesso. Turned out it smudged - which I did like! I finished it off with some thread, stick down with gessoed, circle drywall tape.
