Jeudi Journal - Art

 How many of you have been to an art gallery and seen a painting which you think is, quite frankly, a mess?  Many people do not appreciate the work of someone like, Jackson Pollock, yet his work sells for mega money.  This last year his paintings have averaged 902,802 USD according to several sites on the internet.  Nearer to home we have LS Lowry who is acclaimed for his matchstick men, matchstick cats and dogs as in the song which reached number 1 in the charts in 1978.  His most expensive one "Going to the Match" sold for £7.8 million (with fees) in 1978 and depicts my local football ground.

Today we have the quote "It's not a mess it's a work of art" but we are not talking of one of the great masters here, instead we are talking of Ruby's attempt at a piece of art she made for her wall.

"It was a lovely spring day, the sun shone in through the window at Ruby's house, its light falling on her latest acquisition, a framed piece of her artwork.  Her very own artwork, each stroke of the brush done by herself.  Ruby thought it wonderful and could not stop looking at it as she sat lounging on the floor with her back up to the wall.  

It didn't appeal to everyone and there had been some critiquing that she was not happy about at the local class she attended.  What made it much worse was that Robin, a tall good looking guy had said it looked like a tin of soup that had gone mouldy.  That was the end of the crush she had on him, well, so she felt at that moment.

It wasn't just Robin though who had not liked her art.  Sally, who was the closest friend she had in the class, had commented  that it was not her best work and that she had produced much nicer things.  She had also voiced the opinion that it was probably not the best piece to choose to spend money on having framed.

"Ooh!" had screamed Ruby as she stormed out of the studio.

"It's not a mess, it's a work of art" she muttered to herself. "If only people knew how long I spent doing this canvas they would understand."

So, here we are with a Dylusion figure illustrating the quote Wendy sent me to work with and Erika's lovely challenge at Art Journal Journey - Home Sweet Home.  Pop over to see what others have done.

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Another week has gone by so quickly and we paid a visit to the coast at weekend which was nice.  The forecast was warm and sunny but it went off a bit when we got there but nothing to keep us indoors.  In fact we sat outside on the patio reading on both Friday and Saturday afternoons for a bit but Sunday saw us down on the seafront.  The sun still shone and that was brilliant.

We had a brilliant sunset on Saturday evening, this huge band of red sky peeking through the trees but unfortunately when I tried to take a photograph it came out a pale washed out pink!  Guess that's the penalty of a phone camera.  Sunday evening we stopped off at a favourite place of ours, a grassy area but with the beach just below us.  Again I tried to take a photo of the sun but it didn't come out as expected.  I will show you, so here, especially for Jan is my photo (where do I go wrong?)

So we came back to carry on with the cull but nothing has happened as yet as it was a visit to the chiropractor yesterday and today is the doctor (his request not mine following a blood test) and another blood test just afterwards.  Dentist Thursday so not much room for crafting.

This is where we are at now - the bottom three shelves are complete from what you saw last week, all boxes sorted and labelled.

My little table that I craft at and the counter that has all kinds of things on it that are waiting for me to put them away

Yes, I found two more coasters to decorate, that's a full set now of six

But, I did make two cards for a swap I am in.  It was Spring Flowers and I hope these are ok.  Also hope that the recipients have got the cards.

That's it for this week folks, see you at Sarah's.

Jeudi Journal - Say Nothing

 This week the quote is "If you can't say anything nice better to say nothing at all" which is good advice for us all to take.  This is a quote Wendy found for us to use which we marry with the challenge at Art Journal Journey.  A further stipulation we have in our own little challenge is that we have to use Dylusion images, the ones by Diane Reaveley.  So today we have:

"Amanda and Brenda (known as Bree to her friends) had just arrived at Bree's house and she had invited Amanda in for a cup of coffee. they were discussing the teacher they. had just had at their creative writing class.  Last week they had handed in their work they had been engaged in for the past two weeks of lessons.  This was 'critique week' and it had not gone down with either of them.

"I mean, there's critique and critique" said Amanda.

"Know exactly what you mean" replied Bree.  "I would have preferred it to be constructive criticism that she gave and would have thought that to be the way forward."

"I mean, for her to say that my heroine was based on one of Jane Austen's made it sound as if I was using plagiarism and not my own thoughts." said Amanda.

"That is how I took it too, I just wish we had Miss Rivers back as our teacher, she would steer you in the right direction and if she thought you were going off topic she would gently show you how to get back on track." 

"You know what" muttered Bree, "my nan used to say 'If you can't say anything nice, better to say nothing at all' and tonight I felt just like saying that to the new teacher.  I think she has a lot to learn herself."

"That's a good quote" replied Amanda as she tucked her arm in Bree's on the big settee, "we need to use that quote in our homework for next week and see if it hits home."

And with that the two girls switched on the TV to see what dramas were being shown that evening.  Well, there could have been some inspiration there."

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 Isn't it lovely to see sunshine?  It's still a bit cold up north but at least the sun shining makes you feel a lot better and it is due to warm up throughout the week.

You may be forgiven if you think this is the same photo as last week but if you look closely it  no longer has the towel on the top shelf which I was using to dust my shelves with.  Well, this week sees the "cull" getting nearer to the end and another cupboard is tidy at last.  (We don't mention the spare room that has become a dumping ground.). I've even begun tidying some of my metal drawers that stand on the ground - a bit haphazard in my thinking as to which ones but I can tell as I proceed to go around them.  You can see the metal drawers in the bottom left of the photo - I have quite a few more around the room (4 grey, this one cream and 3 of this dark colour) as well.  If only that Swedish Store had kept to one colour instead of changing them now and then.

Top shelf left silver tin has Journals in it, then there is a striped box with inks in (think Newton & Winsor).  Followed by three empty boxes and then at far right my Dinkles (reconstituted) with Pan Pastels behind.

Second shelf Zig Pens with a paint chart behind, Ranger bags (one for pencil work, one for paint brushes),  pastel pencils, gel pens, Posca pens (all in spotted bag that normally resides on my work top), Blue container with my Inktense pencils in (again normally on worktop), Promarkers, Caran D'Ache (large set), Prismacolours in pink case Completed Journals at back with silver tin in front containing lots of pens (Arteza etc) coloured pencils etc and finally my spray booth.

Third shelf - two silver tins and black case containing my spray inks (these are to be culled yet as I have far too many), plastic boxes replacing the Cornish Cream Tea boxes that contain a) toppers, b) card I have coloured using various techniques, c) small offcuts of white card to be used as toppers.  Underneath is a case of books I have made with Abs from All & Create.  Next are my Janet Klein images I have cut out and packaged in small envelopes, on top are the actual stamps.

Now that is about as far as I have got.  And what is exciting is that I have gaps on my shelves!!!

Not much to do with the final two but the next shelf has various boxes with things like Technique sheets, Alice in Wonderland stuff, Ideas and Images for cards, things made in America, New Zealand Techniques (mainly from my friend Maxine), Mizuhiki cords etc.  Then at far right an assortment of Christmas boxes containing images, stamps, ephemera etc.  These are my next job.

Bottom shelf - large box of ephemera, clay moulds, Tando bits and then a black case full of Ranger stuff like the crazy cats, crazy dogs, crazy birds etc. and their accessories.

Got to dash as I have to get ready for my cardiology appointment with my favourite doctor.  But I did say I would show you the cards I made at the work shop on Saturday morning (online) as usual with Jo Rice.

These are awaiting mounting - all cut from one piece of A4 cardstock and revisiting some old techniques.  Sorry about the gap  at the top but it is how they scanned.

See you later over at Sarah's Craft Shed hopefully.

Jeudi Journal - Chaos

 Today we have a kitchen area in Zoe's house that is in utter chaos.  The quote to be used is "Many people have eaten in this kitchen and gone on to lead normal healthy lives" and it fits in rather nicely with Erika's theme at Art Journal Journey which is "Home Sweet Home".  Not sure Zoe's friends think so.

"It was the day before Zoe's 21st birthday.  Her parents had given her a big party for her 18th and she had moved into her own apartment shortly afterwards so this time she could not really afford to hold, and pay for, a big party again.  Zoe had decided to ask her closest friends around for a pizza party where they brought their own drinks.

Carol and Angela were talking on the phone about the upcoming 21st and discussion got around to the state of Zoe's kitchen, well, her whole apartment really.  

"I'm not really sure she will bother to tidy up" said Carol.

"I think you are right" answered Angela, "the last time I was there it was disgusting.  Snowball, the rabbit, had left little calling cards all over the carpet and the whole place was full of dog hairs.  I had a black skirt on, of all things, and I was covered in hairs when I got home."

"She has no pride in her place.  If my parents had given me a huge party for my 18th and then paid the deposit on an apartment for me I would treat the place a bit differently."

"I know" said Angela "I did have a word with her when I called last week.  I dropped subtle hints about the state of the kitchen."

"Knowing you they would be subtle" interrupted Carol with a laugh.

"Yes, I know I can be a bit to the point at times but honestly I wouldn't upset her for the world" Angela continued "you will never guess what she said to me?"

"Go on"

"Well", she said, imitating Zoe's deep voice, "many people have eaten in this kitchen and gone on to lead normal healthy lives."

"Give over, since when has she fed many people?  Two dogs and a rabbit maybe, but not people"

"I know, I just had to let it go, I had had my say and her birthday was coming up so I suppose it's a case of take a bottle or two, eat before we go and just hope for the best."

And with that the two girls ended the conversation and began wondering what on earth they were going to wear that would not attract all the hairs from Zoe's three pets."

To decorate the background I used Lavinia's Glory Stencil and Della Blue Elements Ink.  Apologies for the words at the top having a typo.  I did n't notice until too late but thought the alteration added to the chaos of the page.

WOYWW 823

 Why did I ever start this declutter or cull, call it what you want.  I now have two rooms messed up, a pile of stuff in the kitchen, some in the utility room and I don't see me having any more room in my craft room as I plod on.  The only thing I know for sure is that the dustbin is full of paper as I dumped all my class notes and samples from my teaching days - too old for that malarky now.  Recycle bin that should say.

I didn't even take Monday off when it was my birthday, thank you for all the cards and wishes, it was lovely sitting in bed opening and reading them all.

It's the journal/paint/marker/crayon section that is taking all the time an I am not getting along very fast.  I now realise that the stamp section was quite easy compared with this - and then there is the die collection and all my sets of metal drawers.  Heaven only knows what delights they will disclose.  I sorted my pen drawer out on Sunday and this is what it looks like now.

Each pencil case contains something different- the yellow check one has my graphite pencils in, the one with the blue zip my OHP pens, the eyelash one has black and white pens in and new ones are in a poly bag by the side of it.

This is my cupboard as it stands now.  The blue towel is what I am using to clean the shelves with before I put things back.  If anything needs a good rub to get rid of a mark it's over to the man of the house.  Top shelf far left is a tin with some journals in that have not been used yet or are just a few pages in.  Next is a box full or inks (think Winsor & Newton and some Pergamano I think).  Far right are my Dinkles that have been reconstituted.

Second shelf Kuretake Clean Color (colour wheel behind it), Ranger bags (one for brushes, one for ), pens, Inktense, Caran D'Ache, Promarkers, Prismacolors, Silver tin with all kinds of crayons and pens in.  Behind are some completed journals (someone else can throw them out when I am gone, I can't as yet.)

Third shelf: Two tins full of spray inks (hardly ever used, must dispose of some), black bag with Gesso (clear, black, white), cream tea boxes with card/toppers/backgrounds in, Janet Klein stamps in clear box ready stamped and cut out, Felix boxes on top with Janet Klein stamps in.

That's as far as I have got. The paper cull took some doing and I only kept one or two class notes in case I wanted to make it again.  I did take my 'dumfing' box down from the top of the cupboard and this is what I found in it.  I think someone might have to teach me all over again how to do it.  There's a tool with four needles in it, one with three, three single needles in a pill box and a single one in the wooden holder.  There's a couple of bags of 'stuff' (think one might be a kit) and I have a silver tin lower down on the shelves somewhere with rovings in and one with sari silks in.

That's it folks, online class Saturday so hopefully a card or two next week, so it's off to Sarah's Craft Shed to meet up with the other WOYWW'ers.  See you there.

Jeudi Journal - Smile

 I was so delighted to find Erika had chosen "Home Sweet Home" as the new challenge for Art Journal Journey in March as my craft room was in complete disarray and I knew I had a background half finished that would work perfectly.  It was one I had begun years ago with Tracy Scott on a workshop at Art from the Heart and I had all the bits and pieces to finish it, apart from figures of course.

It was brightly coloured having used Amsterdam Acrylic Paint, Gesso, Oil Pastels and some rub ons  so I just had to weave a story around it and select some figures to illustrate.

"John was an estate agent, had always been interested in art and so enjoyed the interior design advice he was able to offer to clients who wanted to sell their houses.  He certainly had an eye for colour and although not usually part of his job description he had earned a reputation for upping the price of property in the area in which he worked.  His work did not stop at help with the interior but also with the outside appeal of the various properties.

It was not surprising therefore that his client list was the biggest in the area and he had been promoted a couple of times much to the annoyance of some of his colleagues who were older than he was and had been in the job much longer.

One day a young girl came to work at the estate agents, bright, quick and eager to learn all the tricks of the trade she was partnered with John to begin with.  John took one look at Maisie and immediately fell in love with her.  She was so pretty!

Now John had always been willing to share his knowledge with his colleagues but somehow they did not want to know.  Maisie was different and so began a lovely friendship between the two of them.  John and Maisie sold more properties between them than the other four agents in a month.  Mainly due to the mantra John shared with Maisie which was "Start the day with a smile and get it over with".  As time went on the friendship grew also and love blossomed between the two of them until the day that they decided to go it alone.

Now I don't mean John was going to go it alone, or Maisie, they were opening their own estate agency with their own names above the shop door.  There was just one snag - the names did not go together and a decision had to be made as to whose name would go first.  John had the solution and so one day when they were out at one of their most prestigious properties, he went down on one knee and asked Maisie to marry him.

Maisie immediately said "yes" and they simply named their estate agency with John's name - for after all, it was also going to be Maisie's too before long."

WOYWW 822

 Well, the cull still continues and as you came here to see my desk this is it - the counter space I sometimes work at (where my inks are).  

and the part where I sit and put my knees underneath

is blocked off with my die cut trolley and a cabinet - so no crafting can be done as there is no space to work.  But I still have my table - or do I?

So on account of my back problem progress is slow but sure and now most of the stamps are sorted.  The only ones not touched as yet are the Aall & Create ones but i can see me keeping most of them.  The original idea of using the tiered boxes did not work out.  Much easier to sort through a tin when they are stood on end than when they are lying on top of one another,

So this is my tidied cupboard with the stamps .

The labels on the tins are just temporary ones until I decide if the mix in them is the right one.  The top row and the next one down contain my 'saved' stamps.  You can see I have saved one  tiered box as some stamps were on A4 sheets so needed a big surface.  Below them in the see through boxes and the one cream tin are my Lavinia stamps.  (These used to be on the other side of the room real handy to reach but I think they will be just as good there.)

The pink book holders contain my scraps in different colour folders and then there is a bag of odd Dylusion stamps and my Parisian chest is next which is the main home for them.  Lastly below that are the various files housing A4 stencils, ATC's, worksheets etc and finally my green tub with all kinds of twine/cotton in it.

I just need to get the top of this cupboard sorted but that is a job for Chas as I cannot possibly reach up there.  This is the mess it is in, thank goodness the dust doesn't show as it is not on the regular cleaning rota.

Years ago I intended decorating those dressmaker dummy type things, I might bin two and do just one.  My Halloween card is still there, next to it is a hair scrunch which I bought to pull apart years ago in America, my binders for the Cinch (which is in front with the pink bits on it), my flower press and in front a yellow tray someone made me - was it Elizabeth?  It has a few little figures in it including my Smurfs from my Girl Guide International Camp trip to Denmark.  There looks to be a bag with Alphabet letters on it - now what is in there?  It might be plates from my metal work days.  Gosh I had forgotten about that and have a wallet with all the tools in that cost me £99.99 years ago from Lin Brown.  I longed for that for such a long time and remember worked a four day show at Birmingham to use my wages for it.  Yes, didn't get paid much in those days working for the guys but so enjoyed myself meeting people.  Will have to see if I am right when Chas gets it down for me.  Don't do metal work now but really loved it - might pick it up again.

Now, it is time to nip over to Sarah's Craft Shed to see what everyone has been doing.  See you over there.