Soul Restoration Book Cover

Yes, I am a glutton for punishment, in case you are wondering. I like to be busy, to have projects on the go and this is the cover of a book of truths I'm creating on an online course offered by the Brave Girls Club, called Soul Restoration http://bravegirlsclub.com/onlineclasses.html As part of the course I received the denim book cover and the green buttons and felt flower. The yellow "under construction" tape I already had and seemed appropriate. The labels are from the online supplies for the course.

Some of the tasks on this 6 week course I may not share as it is a personal journey of truth, but I'll share what I'm able to. Here's to finding who I am.

Love Julie x

Credits:
Denim book cover - ChatterBox Inc, The Denim Album
Green buttons, jewel and felt shapes - ChatterBox Inc, Splendid Treasures element - Willow
"Under Construction" twill Ribbon - Paperartsy (from my stash)
Paper tags - from Soul Restoration course resources

AJC10 Week 21 Catch-up - It's going to be OK

This page is the "twin" to "New Heights" although I altered the folder tag which originally said "My secret place".

Credits:

Cream paper, Girl on Wall with Bird and folder tag - Crafthouse Press, Santoro's Gorjuss 3-D Die-cut Decoupage

Black flock paper (from 8" x 8" sheet) - GCD Studio, Nina Higgins's Paris Nights 48 Sheet Collection Pack
Pink paper - Papermania, Mini Journal papers
Black pen - Sakura

Back on the Caravan - Catching up on AJC10 Week 11

I took some time away over my son's Easter holidays and then I had health checks on my tennis elbow, so it's taken a while for me to get back to my Art Journal. I also was unhappy with the first version of the page I had done for Week 11. Week 11's theme was to explore the idea of collection. Since childhood, I have collected all sorts of things, but for the first page in this set, I wanted to illustrate my childhood habit of pressing wild flowers, something that now is not possible to do because of UK Wildlife Laws.

Version 1: I just didn't like the digital pressed flowers or its feel.

Then this Tuesday I found a better background and the page now works :) for me. I still love looking at flowers, but now I just take photos...





Credits:


(I can't now remember the credits for the 1st version, other than the background paper was from Tangie Baxter @ Scrapbookgraphics, Field Notes paper, which I then used cropped for the final version)



Floral background paper - Nancie Rowe Janitz @ ScrapArtist, Paper Wishes paperset inspired by Wish Bliss Studio
Journalling paper - Tangie Baxter @ Scrapbookgraphics, Field Notes paper
Border - Christine Honsinger @ ScrapArtist, So Edgey 4 inspired by Wish Bliss Studio
3D flowers - K & Company, Handmade Layered Accents

AJC10 Week 8 - You raise me up

This week's theme is to explore the idea of music and art journaling. "What music really inspires you?" Well, this song and its lyrics spring to my mind, particularly when sung a cappella by my favourite singer, the Irish singer-songwriter Brian Kennedy. There are times when he sings that song in concert when I can hear (not just feel, because the audience are so quiet) the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It is very special - if you want an idea of how special, there is a version on youtube of his performance a few years ago at the Burnavon Arts Centre in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, Ireland. The song has been covered by many different singers, but the words are extremely strong and uplifting - Brian calls it "a hug in a cd". I left my sketch in pencil to keep its ethereal feel. The lyrics are from the chorus "You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains; You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas; I am strong when I am on your shoulders. You raise me up: To more than I can be". Brian was the original singer of the song on the composer's album - Secret Garden's "Once in a Red Moon".

Credits:

Backing paper - Lorie Davison, Flitting Fall Faeries, Light paper pack

Lettering from my stashs

My sketch is on watercolour paper

AJC10 Weeks 7 and 8 - Open to learning More

On Monday I got my Open University Degree certificate through the post and wanted to include this event in my journal, as the qualification was hard fought for, as my depression meant that I had concentration problems throughout my studies. So this is a photocopy that I doodled on as it wasn't as colourful as I would have liked. I used watercolour pencils to colour the journalling, which says "Last year I finished [an] art history course and that conferred enough study points to earn a degree. The ceremony is in June this year :)" I nearly give up at the beginning of last year as I was finding the studying difficult and seemingly still had a long way to go. But I sat down and worked that with my previous professional studies (I'm a part qualified accountant - hated it) I could get some extra studies points, so only needed to do one final course to get an BA Open degree, rather than study for at least another 2 years to get a BA Humanities. I re-framed my view and am now a BA Open (Open) :). I'm trying to lose some weight ready for my degree ceremony photos.

Credits:
Photocopy of part of my degree certificate
Pencils - Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils
Black pen - Kuretake

AJC10 Week 7 and 8 - Snow Angel

At the weekend we had snow and my son and I had a snowball fight. He then did snow angels in the front garden. The Journalling says: " Even with his arms folded you can still see his wings :) (Shining through :) ) showing that despite what happens your true form is still visible shining through." I used a doodling template for the black ribbon line and the squares are inchies I was going to experiment with but adding them as a fringe added needed colour to the piece. I outlined the wing shapes and added dots with an ordinary pencil.

Credits:
Black alphabet - Making Memories
Inchies - made using a Dovecraft punch from paper scraps from my stash - details not known now
Cream paper - K & Co - from my stash

AJC10 Weeks 7 and 8 - What's new?

I had a week off as it was half-term so this week is my week 7 and 8 on the Art Journal Caravan. The itinerary was to explore a new art journal technique. I found spontaneity difficult so I thought I would try doodling. My first effort was to outline and highlight a cardboard flower I had made. The silver wording says "Just doodle it".

Credits:

Background paper - 7 gypsies, Morroco Journey Pack "Argan"

Paper with black diamonds on - 7 gypsies (a paper scrap from my stash)

Teal paper - K & Co (a paper scrap from my stash)

Flower elements from stash - details not known now

Black and silver alphabets - Making Memories

Pen - ZIG Dotta-riffic

AJC10 Week 6 - Seaside Bliss

This two page spread explores my love of the seaside. From most of my childhood, I lived near the seaside and there is something about the sights and sounds of the sea that I love, although I now live the furtherest you can get from the sea. The salty taste of the air, beachcombing, exploring and bracing walks on the beach or paddling... :) The photos are from two family holidays and the day on Brittas Bay, Co. Wicklow is one of my favourite hours of my life. That day was our last full day in Ireland and it had been raining all day. We decided to go for a walk on the beach and the rain cleared up for our time there. I was sitting on the beach and my son came up for a cuddle and I asked my hubby to take a picture as I felt the happiest I had for a long time. I wanted a photo to remind me of that joy. The shells I've used to embellish the quick pages I cut out from a 3D scrapbooking border.

Credits:

Pages - Studio Ztampf, Seashore Quick Pages kit

3D shell border stickers (dismantled) - Inspirations

"Pure Bliss" - Studio Ztampf, Seashore Kit, alphabet

AJC10 Week 6 - My idea of Bliss

Week 6 and this week is all about blissful living. The journalling prompts are:

• What brings you bliss?
• What gets you excited and energetic about life?
• What can you do to fill your life with more bliss?
• What can you change to allow yourself bliss?
• What does your heart whisper to you about blissful living?

Well for me, bliss is a day out or holiday away with hubby, son and a camera, although a solitary walk with my camera can be just as good. I love the opportunity to watch the world go or have an adventure. I have so many photos that bring back memories of those bliss-filled days.

Credits:

Paper - Studio Vivarant, It's Only Natural Quick pages kit

Metallic butterfly stickers - unknown designer, from stash

AJC10 Week 5 - I am What I am

When I first thought of this concept I originally was going to use a different "I am what I am" quote which says "I am what I am. Not what you like to think I am. Not what you want me to be. I am me. - M. Pring (2009)" but as I constructed the art doll I felt a more showbizzy feel was needed. And then I found the George Bernard Shaw quote about creating yourself which took it towards the new "I am what I am" quote's direction which is a song lyric from the musical "La Cage aux Folles". My favourite version is that sung by John Barrowman, although sadly I wasn't able to see him sing it on stage in the West End of London at the tail-end of last year. I may not be as slim as the doll now but that's part of the creation ;) and I was definitely born with glitz, glitter and glam in my veins. I am loving "Glee" :) The first series is showing here at the moment - I loved being in the school choir in my teens although we only did musical plays, like Oliver! etc. As a child, I wanted to be a dancer but sadly I had two left feet when it came to co-ordination as I grew so much ;) I was nearly 5ft 10 by age 12! I ended up at 5ft 11 and love my height now.

Credits:

Background paper - Tangie Baxter, Field Notes papers

George Bernard Shaw quote - Studio Maya, Quirky Quotes - Existence

Art Doll's clothes - Tangie Baxter, Ultimate Doll Kit

Wings - Lorie Davison, Faerily Moonlit elements

Red flower and Golden starry Sprinkles - Tangie Baxter, Centre Stage, Opera House elements

Newspaper border - Glam Fairy Designs, Pimp My Art elements

Creativity quote and Queen of Glamour stamp - unknown designers, from internet

Hand - Tangie Baxter, Darkroom elements

AJC10: Week 5 - Bloom where you Grow

The Blog of the Week for this week's Art Journal journey is Cori Dantini's and her art inspired the above picture. I haven't draw anything for a long time so getting pencil and watercolour paper out was daunting but that why they make pencil rubbers :). I pencilled out the idea and then used my black pen to go round everything using the thicker end to frame the drawing. I used watercolour pens and wetted the drawn hair, adding some pink lines from a sharpie to darken some highlights.

Credits:

Pink background paper and lime green paper used for frame - Studio Mgl scraps, Dreams in Colour 2.0 papers

Watercolour paper, A5 acid-free Sketch Pad, bought from local supermarket

Watercolour pencils - Derwent Inktense pencils

Black pen - Kuretake

Pink and Aqua Sharpie markers

Grey flock sticker - My Mind's Eye, Self adhesive Bloom and Grow Felt Border

AJC10: On Bad days my thinking's rather Black and white, but I dream in colour

This idea came to me as soon as this week's task of playing with colour was announced - I have a filofax in which I put my weekend ideas down for the journal until I can work on the layouts during the week. As it happens, Monday was a bad day - I burnt myself by spilling tea over me and then I was told as a bombshell that I might not have professional help with sorting out my binge eating issues, and so I cried most of the day. My burn has now blistered and I had a headache all yesterday, but today's a different day.




The black and white page was actually difficult to make yesterday as it hurt my headache, but it's how I feel when I'm having a bad day - it's all or nothing, yes/no, success or failure. Black and white, no grey to the options, but this is not me all the time and as I say "I dream in colour".


Credits:
Black and white papers - Tangie Baxter, Chronicles of Imagination, Chapter 11 papers

Colourful side:
Pink background paper - Tangie Baxter, Chronicles of Imagination, Chapter 5 papers
Turquoise bracket page and corrugated bracket frame - Studio Flergs and mgl Scraps, What Dreams May Come Bracket Album
Bed and Window frame - Lorie Davison, Flying Dream Storybook, Magic Bedroom set
Moon and Cloud, Stardrops and Sparkle border - Tangie Baxter, Chronicles of Imagination, Chapter 3 elements
Rainbow - Tangie Baxter, Chronicles of Imagination, Chapter 13 elements
Star puffy stickers - Craft Creatives

AJC10 Week 4 - Playing with colour - Don't be Messy

This week's theme is: "Letting Loose with Color" with the instruction "LET GO! LET LOOSE! BE FREE!". So you're thinking what's the above to do with that? It's part of a multipage thought but also an exploration of being messy (including paint splats in the layout, which I've not really done before), although as I said in the journal the irony is that as a digital page, no physical mess is involved. The red tag caption says: Some rules were made to be broken.

Credits:

Background paper: Baer Garten Designs, Whites paper
Central paint panel: Tangie Baxter, Splattergraffiti Red Border
Red tag and black string elements: Studio mgl, Dreams in Colour 2.0 elements
Red and black splodges: Elizabeth Weaver @ DSP, Black, White & Red All Over kit
Black pen for journalling - Kuretake

AJC10 Double layout - my relationship with my dad (Warning: May trigger)

I don't speak to my Dad and at the moment, that helps me for the relationship had a negative effect on my health, mental and emotional. He was never really there for me and history is repeating itself in that he has only see his grandson a handful of times in his 12 years of life: the last time he saw us, our son was 5-6. I stopped phoning him as I get fed up with telling little white lies to my son to hid my father's emotional inadequacies, rather than say to him that Grandad didn't want to see us. It was a difficult decision, but at least my son and I know where we stand. I research my family history, so not speaking is ironic, but I feel that Dad's idea is that families are things you grow out of, whilst for me, it's something you grow into. We aren't really part of his circle of life...

The typed journalling says: "I've not spoken to my father for 4-5 years. I wasn't a daddy's girl: he wasn't that sort of father. from 4, he told me I was "too big to cuddle". He walked out when I was a young adult & I had to hold the family together. I had hoped that he would be more involved when hubby & I had our son in 1997 but our son was 3 months old before my Dad saw him and last time he saw my son, he was about 6. Sunday evening was always Dad's day to ring & on those days I would have anxiety attacks at the prospect of talking to him, as the calls were superficial and I felt I had to tread on eggshells not to let my disappointment at having only half a relationship on his terms. When we spoke he would keep making excuses why we couldn't see him and I got fed up of trying to put a positive spin on Dad's refusals for my son. We Haven't spoken for so long as it's not his turn to phone & he won't phone me otherwise. Since then, I've felt much better - I don't feel sick on Sundays. I don't plan the silence to be permanent but I need to build myself up to cope with the disappointment of half a relationship (not the relationship I would like) before I can open up that door again."

Credits for both pages:

Light green floral paper - Laura Ashley Scrapbooking Paper Pack, Connemara
Brown and black paper - 7 Gypsies, Morocco Journey Paper - "Sultan"
Squared cream paper - Tangie Baxter, Darkroom, DeCrow papers
Label with ribbon and buckle - freebie from a craft magazine
Square page Pebble - Making Memories, adhesive medium blank square
"dad" (the first "d" actually is a "p" underside down) - Making Memories, Alison Rose woven alpha
"You me" and sequinned stickers - Partners Craft Embellishments
Floral flourishes - Laura Ashley Scrapbooking elements, Connemara

AJC10: Some things don't mend with a cup of tea

Credits:
Background paper - Studio Baers Garten, Painted Solids paper
Tea Bag, String and Tag - Berna Datema, Tea Tags Volume 2
Cupcake - Tangie Baxter, Merry Cupcake set
Floral flourish pieces and Ribbon - Laura Ashley, Connemara Scrapbooking embellishments

AJC10 Week 3 - Mend

As I said, mend is the verb of this week and the quote at the bottom of this page is the week's quotable inspiration. The Jewel here is the American singer/songwriter, not me ! Mending is an ongoing process for me, but this is to remind me that Life can't rewound.

Credits:

Background paper - Studio Manu, Seems like Yesterday Papers
Other papers: Studio Manu, Timeless Journey Papers; Tangie Baxter, Darkroom Decrow papers
Diamonds and Peeble Border Doodles Elements - Tangie Baxter, Darkroom Elements
Ball swirls - Studio Manu, Treasures of Yesterday Elements
"Mend", Facts Card (altered) and Tape Measure Elements - Tangie Baxter, Art Journal Caravan Week 3 Parcel
Arrow stamp and Remember Stamp - 7gypsies

My Life as a Quilt - scrapbooked AJC10 Week 3

This creative piece came to me this morning as I was sitting in bed. The quilt is imaginary but a good metaphor for my ability to remember everything and to add to it, embellishing the bad things so that they stood out. But now I'm letting go and forgeting some of the negatives, mending the memories and re-framing them with new more positive things.

Credits:

Background paper - Berna Datema, Best of Friends - Papers contact sheet

Ribbons - Miss Vivi, The Essentials - Ribbons

Journal Book element - Tangie Baxter, Art Journal Caravan, Steamer Trunk elements

"Mend" - Tangie Baxter, Art Journal Caravan Week 3 parcel

Black Journalling Pen - Kuretake

Wording:

My Life as a Quilt

For years I had a negative "quilt"

A Remembrance quilt of kind

And each year I'd add a square

Mentally in my mind.

Each hateful word said of me

Each failure or deed unkind

Was lovingly added and

Embellished on, in my mind.

But this year my "quilt" will be positive

Unpicking the critic so unkind:

No "stupid"s or "useless" here

Just words both true and kind.

Each old square will be dismantled

Forgotten, forgiven, unloved

No longer used as weapons

To twist my thoughts. Enough!

I'll take away the inner critic

Stop listening to his words

For critics aren't paid to be nice

It's meanness that's their worth.

My journey may be long to mend

To unwrite the past so wrong

But I've got fellow travellers

And together we'll raise a happier song.

AJC10 Week 2 - Choose what to accept

One of my problems in the past was accepting anything good about me, as I was told how useless or stupid I was by others, which my inner critic then repeated to me after the original speakers moved out of my life. When I do hear my inner critic now, I aim to challenge it and stop accepting that it's right. The thought bubbles are things that I should accept instead. The birdie is there to tie in with the weekly calendar task.

Credits:

Bird - Tangie Baxter, Art Journal Caravan week 2 parcel elements
Background paper - Tangie Baxter, Journal Anthology Papers
"Accept this" - Dyno Junior dynotape

Silhouette - adapted to look like me from Wikipedia entry about Silhouette

My own thought bubbles

AJC10 Week 2 - my week in journalling

The theme this week are to produce a stylised "Weekly Based Journal Calendars" influenced by the artist Geninne. The instructions were to "Think outside the box, how can you implement an "idea" from her and make it your own" and the Verb of the Week is "Accept". Geninne's journals involve a lot of drawings, particularly of birds, and dividing the page up with black marker pen lines.

This is my work-in-progress for this week. The idea of doing a calendar did scare me as I didn't feel that I currently do enough to fill a diary, although my thoughts can fill my day without anything else going on. So this is why it says "Sometimes my life feels very small... but my journey has only just begun"; a journey of letting go and of discovery, to learn who I am. The layout is also my first try at including some digital elements, other than just photoshop fonts, on the background paper - the flags at the top and a splat in the middle of the page.

Credits:

Background paper, bird, journal labels, paint splatter, flag set - Tangie Baxter, Art Journal Caravan week 2 parcel elements

Word Card altered - Tangie Baxter, Art Journal Caravan week 1 parcel elements

Air Balloon, Around the World sticker - Tangie Baxter, Art Journal Caravan, Steamer trunk elements

Follow your Heart - Tangie Baxter, Journal Anthology elements

Calendar day squares - from a 2009 freebie calendar I got from a magazine

And finally for AJC10 week 1 - I'm packing light

This as an idea was a very quick one to produce, as I already had the check list tag and the wording just came to me. The journal will be a very personal thing for me, as this year will be a journey of discovering me. I will blog all the pages that I do but may not upload all the photos to the project's gallery as I do have quite a bit of baggage I already carry. I'm a binge eater and part of the idea in joining the project was to give me something to distract me when my son returns to school after his winter break. I tend to eat to fill the loneliness. Instead I hope to journal and it also allows me to use up all the different crafty things that I have bought that make up an overflowing stash. This is pushing boundaries as my past messages always were that I would mess things up, that the beauty of the thing would be lost. I used to photocopy things, rather than use originals of embellishments as I felt that I wasn't worth the best. Luckily I don't think that way quite so much now :). The printed text on the background was produced using Photoshop - although I had to write the ' manually afterwards.

Credits:

Background paper - Tangie Baxter, Art Journal Caravan, Steamer Trunk papers

"Vacation Checklist", part of Travel Dipsticks tag set - We R Memory Keepers

Trunk - Tangie Baxter, Art Journal Caravan, Steamer Trunk elements

Roll on week 2 :)