old friends

we where so lucky to catch up with an old friend last Sunday.  Terry and John have been good friends since high school, Terry lives in Napier and has a brother in Perth and his son works up North, whenever he comes over we spend a day together and catch up on all the news from home.  Can you imagine the mischief these two got up to as young ratbags.  John was looking for a shirt recently and we got to talking about different colour shirts he has had (he is pretty conservative in his colours) when I suggested jokingly that he get a burnt orange shirt, he laughed, and told me that he and Terry did buy burnt orange shirts when they where not long out of high school, they wore them to the show thinking they where really cool, spent the day at the bar there (have to shake my head).

Tuesday class

last Tuesday we explored different mediums to create interesting journal pages and this week we will be collating these pages into a little handmade journal.  We used Golden Fluid Acrylic paint watered down to create a watercolour effects, great to find more uses for materials we have in our stash.

I learnt this neat little technique for making these journals at New Norcia earlier in the year.  No stitching, no glueing, just paper assembled with paper.  How cool is this!! In the background you can see another technique we played with, writing with inks and then putting them under running water, the brown one is distress ink which is water soluble and the pink one drawing ink.  The top smaller page is fluid acrylics blown with a straw.

and this page was a technique where you put your paper in the oven, pretty good effect too.  These techniques I learnt from a new book I recently bought from Dymocks "The Complete Decorated Journal" by Gwen Diehn, I have another of her books that I really like as well.  Yesterday I bought "Artists Journal Workshop" by Cathy Johnson from Planet Books in Mt Lawley.  I do buy books in the shops here when I can find them, but, so often I cannot find them, then I buy from the UK Book Depository where you get free freight.  I would have saved about 6 weeks buying online but then I would have to wait for them, not so good at waiting.

dates for upcoming weekend workshops

Little matchbox journal

Saturday 11th August, 9 am to 3 pm

Sunday 12th August, 10 am to 2pm

Bassendean Memorial Library, Meeting Room 2

this gorgeous little journal assemblage measures 7.5cm x 8.5cm or 3" x 3 1/2" and 7.5cm thick or 3".  Using  copper metal covers, you will assemble 4 pages with a matchbox attached to hold little treasures, bound into a vintage fabric spine with torn ribbons.  You will be delighted with this sturdy little journal which will stand on its own if you want to have it on display.

maximum in workshop is 10 so book now to ensure a space

email jackymcfarlane@bigpond.com or phone 9377 2343 

Next workshops will 22nd and 23rd September

20th and 21st October 

dark art journal workshop

lovely group of girls who joined my dark art journal on Saturday23rd and Sunday 24th June, all deeply engrossed in "secret womens business".  I was inspired at the great work the girls did.
The next workshop which is soft assemblage matchbox journal I have booked for Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th August.  I will confirm this as soon as I can and upload a sample.

New arrival

Little Mason arrived 5.18pm Wednesday, a new great grandson for John and I, isn't he perfect like all babies, Mum and bub both doing well, not sure about nana, think she needs a bex and lie down after a day with big brother 2 year old Jaidyn, I think Jo is as exhausted as Jess.

This weekend I am teaching 'The dark art' Journal workshop, Saturday and Sunday.  I am looking forward to this.  I am really surprised on how much I enjoy teaching, who would've thought!!
have a good weekend
Jacky