ArtyFartyAnnie

Hi there bloggy peeps, There are three new Case Files for April over at CSI - you have until the end of the month to submit your entries and there are loads of prizes to be won. Here's Case File #278 - You can either draw your own inspiration from the Scene, or if you go to the reveal post over at the CSI blog, you'll find lots of clues to help you and you can check out all the DT pages.  Here's how I cracked this case - This page is all about a very happy day at Ally Pally with my friend Trina - here we're taking a break to refuel and showing off some of the goodies we treated ourselves to :o) I followed the traditional clues, because that's what I love to do - Scheme: all the colours are there, plus a couple extras sprinkled in. Evidence: solid cardstock, sunglasses, google eyes, clouds. Testimony: I was going to do a bullet-pointed list, but it all got too busy so I wrote it around the edges of the page instead. It was fun pi...

Hello my friends, The mid-month reveal has just gone up over at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration - check it out for all the details and loads of inspiration. There are three Case Files to solve each month and you have until Sunday 31st of March to submit your entries and be in with a chance of winning one of the fab prizes. Here is Case File #276, full of colour and fun elements ... You can either pull your own inspiration from the Scene, or you can scroll to the bottom of the reveal post to find all the traditional clues. Keep an eye on the FaceBook page  for daily ideas and inspiration. Here's how I solved this case, using the traditional clues because that's what I enjoy doing ... Scheme : most of the colours are there, but I substituted black for the navy and threw in some pink. Evidence : hearts, clouds, sun, string, die cuts. Testimony : inspiration words spirit, fashionable, adorable - my brief journalling is handwritten around the edge of t...

Hello my friends in Blogland, I'm still hopping backwards and forwards with Wanderlust, trying to finish up last month's lessons on the theme of "Faces" before I start on this month's theme, "Rivers". As always, I'm loving and learning from every lesson. For Week Seven, Marieke Blokland showed us how to doodle faces and then expand on these to create a mixed media art journal page. Here's my AJ page so far ... I still want to add some wordage, but can't decide what to say just yet, so I'm going to leave it there for now. It was fun doodling lots of different faces and definitely resulted in a different style to my usual faces which is brilliant. Here are some of my doodles, just scribbled in Inktense pencil which I then "activated" with a water brush to add shadow ... Thanks for stopping by today, have a peaceful and creative week, see you again soon! Love Annie xxx

HI everyone, The March Case Files have been released over at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration . There are three altogether, you can do any or all of them, and you have a whole month to submit your entries via the CSI Facebook group to be in with a chance of winning one of the fabulous prizes on offer. Here's Case File #275 - You can choose to draw your own inspiration from the Scene, or you can follow the clues which Debbi has found to inspire us. Scroll to the bottom of the reveal post on the CSI blog to see all the DT pages and find all the clues, or go to the Facebook group, where you'll find an individual album for each Case File - this is where you'll find all the clues and it's also the place to share your finished page. Here's how I solved Case File #275 - The handpainted style and zingy colours in the Scene really appealed to me and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to scrap a funny story. I tried to capture the feel of a ...

Hello Everyone, I'm loving Wanderlust 2019 , enjoying all the different teachers with their varied styles and approaches and learning different techniques and ideas with every lesson. This month, the theme is "Faces". For some reason I jumped in and did Week Six with Marjie Kemper straight away (see the post immediately before this one if you're interested), then went back to Week Five with Kasia Avery. I will come back to this again but here's how it looks now ... Kasia showed us how to start by sticking down a face cut from a magazine, then painting over the top. Here's mine before I started painting the face ... After a coat of clear gesso, I worked with gouache, mixing all the colours from a very limited palette, which is something I need to practice more. I love gouache, to me it has the translucency of watercolours combined with the body and vibrancy of acrylics. I did use some white acrylic as well, then did the lettering with paint pens...

Hello Everyone, I've been catching up on my Wanderlust 2019 pages. Week Six was a lesson with Marjie Kemper which was lots of fun, really encouraging me to get out a few supplies I had not used in ages and just enjoy the process. At first it felt like I was just making a very colourful mess, but I was happy with the page that eventually emerged ... I enjoyed using sprays and then stencilling with inks in the same colours to create layers and I loved how the sprays worked over stencilled texture paste. Marjie's idea to use tags to create little pockets to hold secret messages was really cool. I didn't have a glamourous face stencil or stamp, so I used this skull, as a reminder that life is not a dress rehearsal :o) The next day at work, my hands were still black and blue with ink, but it was SO worth it!! Thanks for popping in today, see you again soon. Love Annie xxx

Hello Bloggy Friends, You know how it is when you're looking forward to something for SO long and then it whizzes by and in the blink of an eye it's all over? That happened to me last weekend when my good friend Trina and I went off on a GoGoGetaway - two whole days of scrapbooking classes just flashed past. As always, we came home with loads of goodies and kit leftovers and mine are still unpacked - here they are sitting on my workdesk ... We got to take the handy carry case home with all our kit leftovers and UFOs inside, as well as the very very cute bamboo reusable coffee cup which I love, and some chocolates for doing the feedback form. I was also very lucky to win the challenge - the prize was a pack of Lawn Fawn goodies which are spread over the top of the storage case in the photo. The challenge was to make a page inspired by a sketch - I made mine a week ahead but forgot to bring it with me, so had to ask DH to take a photo and send it to me so that I coul...

HI everyone, The February Case Files have been released over at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration - you can find all the details and check out pages made by the CSI detectives and guest designers over at the CSI blog, plus daily inspiration and ideas on the CSI Facebook page. There are LOADS of fab prizes to be won, three different Case Files to choose from and you have until the end of the month, so why not give it go? You can now enter by sharing your pages on the CSI Facebook group so it's easy for everyone to join in. Here's Case File #272 ... You can either draw your own inspiration from the image, or you can follow the traditional clues which you can find if you scroll to the bottom of the February Case Files blog post. I always enjoy following the clues so that's how I solved this case ... I love this happy photo of me and my mate Maggie taken in Cornwall in around 2007. We were gin connoisseurs long before it became fashionable as it is today...

Hello everyone, I can't believe it's Friday again, a new Wanderlust lesson just came out - better quickly post a pic of my effort for last week, when Kasia showed us how to start with a collage and then add a soft cloudy effect with acrylic paint to create a backdrop for our chosen word of the year. It was so much fun making the clouds that I got a bit carried away and covered up most of my background papers, but you can still see the focal images which came from the gorgeous printable ephemera collection put togetherby Eliza Trojanowska for Wanderlust 2019. Anyway, here's my effort, featuring my word for this year ... The scribbled text reads, "What do you really want? What do you really need? What will the consequences be?" which is my mantra for 2019. Thanks for stopping by today, see you again soon! Love Annie xxx

Hello Friends in Blogland, My January ScrawlRBox was waiting for me when I got home from work yesterday and I couldn't wait to play with it. Here's what we got this month ... W&N Promarkers in three different shades of warm brown; Sakura Pigma Micron 01black; Sakura Pigma Brush black; F-C Pitt Artist Pen 1.5 white; F-C 9000 pencil 2H. We also got a couple of sheets of Canaletto 160gsm Liscia paper and a sweetie which I ate before I took the photo :o) This month's inspiration piece is by Italian illustrator Giobi. We are encouraged to use these supplies to tell a story and try to convey a memory or emotion. The challenge for January is "Growing Up". Over the last week or so, I've been noticing the days just starting to lengthen and new shoots beginning to appear, signalling that we will soon be coming out of the short, dark days of winter and we can start looking forward to the spring. Inspired by this feeling, I created a page for my journal, us...

HI everyone, I knew I was going to enjoy the theme for this first month of Wanderlust 2019 - "Typography" and I have definitely not been disappointed. For Week Three we had a jam-packed lesson with Kelly Hoernig , who encouraged us to be inspired by art supplies and different styles of typography and shared SO many useful tips along the way that I will have to watch the videos over and over again! It's kept me busy all week and I have lots more ideas to try, but here's the first finished page in my journal ... Hopefully I'll have some more playtime over the next few days, so watch this space ... Thanks for popping in today, see you again soon :o) Love Annie xxx

HI everyone, For week two of Wanderlust 2019 , we had a lesson with the lovely Athanasia Papantonniou , who showed us how to create a very dimensional page, layering different types of media and various elements inspired by this month's theme of "Typography". I really really had a blast with this and I love how it turned out ...  Athanasia started by stamping on sticky labels and using pigment powders to add vibrant colours, these were then adhered to the page as the first layer. I didn't have any labels, so I used card scraps and punched them into circles ... It was so much fun making the circles that I just couldn't stop and ended up with loads. Some of them I turned into "danglers" to hang off my page, by sticking two together back to back with thread sandwiched in between ... What an inspiring lesson this was, and the next one looks just as good :o) Thanks for popping in today, see you again soon and have a lovely creative week!...

Hello everyone, Here's what came in the December ScrawlrBox - not my favourite so far, but there were a couple of things I'd never played with before so I had fun with it ... We got a pack of five Frixion Pens in pastel highlighter colours, as well as a black one, plus fine and ultrafine black Sharpies, some sheets of paper and of course a little sweetie! There was also a silver fineliner which isn't in this photo. This month's inspiration pieces were by Ann Pellegrino and the challenge for December was "Pastel Petals". Here's what I came up with ... It was really interesting trying out the Frixion pens - the ink disappears when you rub the end of the pen over it, but actually any kind of heat works, so for example you can wave a lighter over it. I also tried scribbling them onto some plastic and applying with a waterbrush, which gave a subtle watercolour effect. As I say, this hasn't been my fave ScrawlrBox so far, but it's alw...

HI everyone, I decided to treat myself to Wanderlust again this year as I find it so inspiring - even if I don't always have time to try every lesson, I will still enjoy watching the videos and there is so much variety with all the different teachers. This month, the theme is "Typography" and the first lesson for this year was with Kasia Avery, who hosts Wanderlust, along with her husband Jamie. Kasia showed us how she created a page in her art journal, starting with collaged papers and building up layers with different mediums, and thenshe encouraged us to have a go with whatever supplies we choose. Here's mine ... I started by collaging various papers - saved tissue wrap, old book papers, ephemera from the printable collection created by Eliza Trojanowska and supplied free with Wanderlust 2019, and some patterned papers from my scrap drawer. After a layer of gesso which I scribbled into, I added colour with water-soluble crayons (Derwent Art Stick...

Hello Bloggy Friends, CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration is turning 7 years old this month and there are some exciting changes afoot - read all about it on the CSI blog , where you'll also find all the CSI Detectives pages to inspire you. The CSI Scrapbook Challenge FB page will now be the place where you can find all the clues you need to solve each Case File and where you can post your pages to be in with a chance of winning one of the fab prizes on offer each month. Here's the first Case File for January - If, like me, you like to follow the traditional clues, you'll find them in the first comment in the album for this Case File  on the FB page. If not, just pull your own inspiration from the Scene above.  Here's how I solved this case - This is my little step-granddaughter Macy, just after losing her first baby tooth.  I used LOADS of the traditional clues for this one - Evidence : polka dots, floral pattern, chevron, stripes, banner...

Hello to all my Bloggy Friends, I've been almost totally AWOL lately, lots of other stuff going on and not much time to play at the moment, let alone blog about it, but I did want to quickly show you what I got in my last couple of ScrawlR boxes, because I am so smitten with these little kits - for £15 a month, you get a neat box full of a variety of pens, pencils and other art supplies, along with some inspiration to get you started. Here's the November kit ... Lots of things in here I haven't tried working with before - such as coloured biros, a graphite stick and an eraser pencil, along with some gorgeous coloured pencils, a white gel pen and several other useful items, plus a really nice quality plain paper notebook. The featured artist for November was  Taylor Brooker , and the challenge to inspire us was "Body Parts". Here's what I came up with, using only items from the kit ... I did use the coloured pencils to add some subtle tints of ...

Hello Bloggy Friends, It's time to reveal the latest Case File #267 over at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration and you have until the end of the month to have a go at cracking this case yourself to be in with a chance to win one of the smashing prizes on offer. Hop over to the CSI blog post to find all the clues you need to solve this case and be inspired by all the other CSI Detectives' pages. There is a definite festive feel to this month's Case Files, but I chose to go in a different direction with this one and scrap a picture of Yours Truly and my good friend Trina on one of our crafting jollies this year ... It looks a bit flat in this photo, but in fact this page is quite three-dimensional, with the outer frame raised off the page and embellishments tucked in and around all the layers. The background of the photo was very busy, with an area of very lurid green and some people I don't know, so I cut us out and backed us with a softer green which...

Hi there, There has been so much going on and not much time to blog about it, but here's a page I made for the November GoGo Getaway challenge. This month, Madie created a colour board to inspire us ... The colours reminded me of one of those bright, crisp, sunshiney autumn/winter days. I pulled out lots of scraps of patterned paper, cut them into triangles and created a chevron pattern with them. I saw this idea on Paige Evans' YouTube channel - it was a very relaxing process, used up scraps, and I loved the quilt effect, so it was win-win-win! The patchworked piece was mounted onto black cardstock, then on to a drippy splatty background I created using coordinating inks. The photo shows my husband and my son and was taken during a happy family gathering around this time last year - at the same time as the one in my previous post, so I think they will look good together in my album.  Thanks for checking out my blog today, hopefully things will calm do...

Hello everyone, It's a lovely sunshiney autumnal day again here in my part of the UK, hope you're having a lovely day wherever you are in the world :o) There hasn't been much spare time or energy for blogging around here just lately, but I do have a new challenge to share with you - Case File #266 from CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration . It's full of fun elements and gorgeous colour, perfect for this time of year ... If you scroll to the bottom of the CSI reveal, you'll find all the clues you need to solve this Case - or you can just pull your own inspiration from this colourful Scene. I really enjoy following the Clues, so that's how I cracked this Case. I thought this would be the ideal opportunity to scrap a picture from around this time last year, showing my Uncle Ian and his wife Sally in their beautiful cosy cottage. I always love spending time with them and we can always be sure of a warm welcome. In the summer, we sit in the garden enjoying ...

Hello lovely peeps, I haven't been able to blog so much recently, but today I have a new CSI Case File to show you. This month over at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration , we're celebrating Home Sweet Home, which is perfect now that the chilly weather is finally beginning to bite here in the UK. I love the colours in the Scene which Debbi has found for us to investigate this time ... Nip over to the CSI blog to check out the full reveal and find all the clues you need to solve this case, or draw your own inspiration from the image to create a scrapbook page. You have until the end of the month to link up and be in with a chance to win one of the brilliant prizes on offer.  Here's how I cracked the case ... It was really tricky to get a good photo as the light was really dull when I finished making this page, but hopefully you will get the gist!! This photo shows my great-niece Leila, who has such a sweet nature and always a smile on her face. As al...