New friends and long time friends

The most beautiful thing about this business Artistic Journey that we started is the wonderful friends we have made. It has opened up a whole new world, some of the wonderful customers that have stepped into our shop have given me hope that we are doing the right thing. I could have just retired and disappeared into my home, instead I have 5 days of making wonderful art and meeting old friends and making new ones. I truly believe that we attract to us like minded people and this has proved true for me, I don't think I ever want to retire, I will still be splashing paint around for a long time, it may get a bit doddery but I will embrace it all. We have had several days of good rain, hah my New Zealand family will say we have it in bucket loads all year around, but here in Western Australia rain is something to celebrate and give us a break from hand watering our gardens. My vegie gardens is bursting at the seams, the beetroot that I thought where no good because they hadn't grown any juicy roots have now gone crazy I have pulled several and baked with other root vegetables and then steamed the leaves with the broccoli (haven't grown them yet, but think i will give it a go), lovely parsley has taken almost a quarter of the space in the tank, its all good. Sorry no photo's this week, no time. Before I go we got in 3 different magazines from Stampington yesterday, Somerset Studio, Handcrafted and Life, Jo will put them on our online shop www.artisticjourney.com.au hopefully in the next few days.
Have a wonderful relaxing weekend
Jacky

Setting up my etsy shop

Well I am having another go at this Etsy shop thingy, tried it once before but I didn't know how to change it, think I have a handle on it now, or I should say Joanne does. I am doing up kits for making romantic journal pages using silk, vintage laces, buttons, ribbons and all those sort of things. Above is a photo of the cover I created last year in memory of my mother, I taught this class to the wonderful girls who come to our classes (I don't know what we would have done without the support of these lovely girls, most have been coming to classes since we opened the shop, any of you girls reading this, we do appreciate you). Photo above is the cover of the journal. I will add photo's of the pages from time to time. Below my first 2 items in my Etsy shop.

This box I have covered and would look nice with a small journal made from the items inside.Photo above of all the items inside the cigar box, all colour co-ordinated.

Items inside the uncovered cigar box. This would look lovely covered in fabrics, buttons etc.This is one of the pages from the above journal for my mother, do you get the idea, I will post some of the other pages, and think I will cover one of the cigar boxes in fabrics and perhaps put a couple of smaller pages inside mmmh, when I get time. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Bye for now

Wendy Addison's special book

Sometime last year I ordered a very special book that Wendy Addison was making 400 limited editions. Yesterday my book arrived mine was issue 111 of 400. The title Theatre of Dreams gives you an idea of what was to follow. Amazing sketches of fairies and amazing illusions of Grandeur of the world of Theatre on craft colour cardstock. Lots of little hand touches making it very interactive. Above is the specially wrapped book just to me, love the craft colour tissue and mossy green ribbon tied in a bow with a round tag with a face image.

This is what I found inside, now isn't that just beautiful, thank you Wendy.... and just a peek inside....

For further information on Wendy Addison limited edition book look on her blog, you will be impressed!

Well that was a marathon of entries for me, I am amazed. Good news we finally have rain for the last 3 days and more coming, my garden just loves it. I cannot remember when we last had rain.

Little black petticoat

My boyfriend at the time now dear husband John, gave me a lovely boxed black lingerie set, with burgundy lace for my 19th birthday. (mmmh now that was a long time ago) It was quite risque to wear black underwear and I just loved it.

I was absolutely horrified when washing it in my mum's electric washing machine with the roller wringers it jammed in the rollers, In a panic I tried to release the rollers but by the time they released I had a few tears. First thing what an idiot not hand washing ( I was only 19, think it was the first time I had used a washing machine). Second thing can you see my very rustic hand mending, I have learnt a lot since those days, but it is a special memory and I still have that petticoat, couldn't possibly fit into it now, I think the waist was 20 inches wide.We have had a class recently on covering cigar boxes and I made one as a memory box with said petticoat inside, will also do a letter about my memory of this, maybe one of my granddaughters may be interested.The top and sides of the box I painted white and used vaseline underneath in parts to give an old worn look. I painted some 300gm watercolour paper and an image of self wearing said petticoat, to the left a photo of John and I taken around that period. I stitched together some ribbons and lace to give it a feminine touch and a 7gypsy knob to open. Words from a song printed around edges in black pen.

Finally finished Teesha Moore journal

Yesterday after finishing the covers on Teesha Moore journal I stitched and bound my effort. This was so much fun and I still get to work on it further at my leisure.

This is the inside cover which comprises 2 10 x 8" canvas boards, I used a strong calico doubled for the spine. I painted all sides of my cover.This is a side view of the bound journal showing the old buttons that I thread onto the thread attaching the signatures to the spine. I also painted the spine.View of the side tie to keep journal closed, old button used and at the end of the ties I knotted two old bone beads that have wire inserted around the middle. the completed journal feels lovely to hold.

I do love Nick Bantock's stamps, they are so quirky. following are some more of the inside pages.
Couldn't resist a touch of New Zealand, added the lovely Pukeko bird.
A prompt from Sabrina Ward Harrison.... Following are some of the brighter colours I used, quite vibrant don't you think mmmh not to sure about this colour, think I will have to typed journalling on coloured paper. An evil leer here, and he's with the band?
These skeleton duck's where a real find, sorry can't remember what magazine I found them in.

More Teesha Moore Journal pages

I have finally finished my 16 double pages for the journal that Teesha has so kindly put on her blog.

With these pages I have moved into a much paler colour scheme, my favourite colours. I loved using the white pen to draw my embroidery patterns around the edges of the collages. I have included prompts from Sabrina Ward Harrison's book 'The true and the questions', very though provoking. I cut up a lot of my Romantic Home and Victoria magazines for my collages.

This photo above I tried Lisa Bebi
technique from Somerset Apprentic magazine that we got in a few weeks ago. We still have some in stock. I like this technique and the way it ties the image into the page.
Lavender!!!! well I did not want to place any boundaries on myself, so tried all the colours I could get my hand or should I say paint brush on. I will put the last of the pages up soon, this is a bit of a marathon of photo's. This is way too much fun!!!

Mothers Day

a bit late with this entry as Mothers Day was on the 10th, but I think of my Mother constantly even though she died about 15 years ago. I was blessed with a wonderful Mother, a wonderful seamstress who made us the most beautiful dresses, she was always on our side (misguided sometimes), she thought her 4 daughters could do no wrong. Happy Mothers Day Mum, I know you hear me.