Medieval mixed media fun

It's taken a while, but I've finally finished my spread in Beth's journal Bygone Eras, which is part of our 15-15-15 international swap hosted on Milliandes. We're 2/3 through now and it's getting exciting and frustrating at the same time...

I've always been into the nicer side of medieval history, you know- the flowing gowns, knights on horses, dragons and chivalry... so it had to be my theme for a bygone age. 

There's a few personal photos in there, and it took a while to find the right images to go with, but here it is... almost complete. (I've finished it, but there wouldn't be any surprise if I posted it complete, eh Beth!)

This is the 2 page spread together, and I've put each page on my 15-a-15-j-15-m section if you want a closer look.

There's a bit of my chainmaille in there, some embossed copper, lots of stencilled gel medium, acrylics, pastel pencils and inks. Hope Beth likes it...

15 A /15 J/ 15 M Round Robin Journal

Well, it's been so long since I worked in an actual journal, but in the meantime I've done a page for Rhelda as she didn't make her journal and we're creating loose pages instead...

Art and Soul- one of my website titles, and so me... art from the heart... such a cliche, lol!! Oh well, can't be helped- I am what I am!

I used a similar technique to those I've been playing with recently, but I didn't use gesso, so no heating and bubbling, I didn't think paper would be strong enough to cope.

I used several of my lino cuts to emboss cards and built them up with layers of colour. I also used acrylics, texture gel, sequins,tape, cut-outs, several types of pen/ marker and both oil and soft pastels. I really need to improve my text though, I still seem to mess a page up with bad writing...alot of it is because i struggle to find a pen that will write nicely over pastels... anyone got any suggestions?

Hope Rhelda likes it... I've also added it to the ongoing diary section which has all my pages in other journals, and others work in my journal... it's coming on now... nearly halfway though!

Just Journaling...

Having got ahead with all my swapping, I've had this week to do some journaling. I've  a few journals been sitting a while because I wasn't expecting to receive a pile in one go, so now's the perfect time to get them filled...

So here's a peek into what I created...

Deedee's 15-15-15 journal " NATURE DREAMS VISIONS"

Joy's pass & paint "ART HEALING"

Beth's pass & paint "LOVE"

Mindy's pass & paint "ALTERED"

Heather's pass & paint "UNDER THE BIG TOP

 I seem to be having trouble creating pages lately. I know they're NOT supposed to be perfect, but at the same time I expect a certain level of competance and skill from myself... after all I have been creating and painting forever! Or is it that I'm compensating  because I'm not creating large format work at the moment? I've never really thought about that... does creating "proper" large work free me up to play more in my journals and books? I get my fix of "perfection" and "intention" working on pre-planned work which allows me to be more spontaneous and less regimented elsewhere... I shall have to look into this more, but from my current work mode it seems quite likely.

17-17-17 becomes 15-15-15 +1

Well, yesterday was a shocker!!! Our swap host turned out to be a devious, needy, selfish individual who despite pleading difficulties and illnesses galore on our 17-17-17 swap, begging for patience and support which we willingly gave- in abundance! was accidentally found out to be doubling up exactly the same on a different community art site.

Sadly she forced us into taking the robin into our own hands, having pretty much done so from the beginning anyway, due to lack of steering and communication. So 17 became 15, and 1 came back, so now we are 16 at last! http://15-15-15.blogspot.com/

So we continue our journey... a load lighter and with positive future. Roll out those journals!!!