She loves it lots & lots

I started this after all the Christmas deeds were done. In the hope to get it to a friend by her birthday. Her birthday is today & I succeeded! I made it, into the post & it got delivered on her special day. Did I plan it?

AJ - Page 1

Inspired by Jessica Sprague's Inspiration Everywhere class - it was suggested to create a dedication page. This being my first art journal I figured it would be a good idea. My dedication is to what I want to achieve during this creative experience.

All in the details . . .

Tissue paper with watercolour painted over it. Used foam stamps with acrylic paint & stamped while the watercolour was still wet.

Crocheted a sun motif using a free pattern at Crochet Spot & attached it using hot glue gun.

I really like the rainbow. Stripes of watercolour paints which I then went over with Mod Podge Gloss-Lustre.

There are a few more activities in the Inspiration Everywhere class I want to complete. The sooner I get these done the better because there are a couple of other challenges I would like to participate in the new year.

Art Journal Every Day starts on the 30th December - this challenge encourages you to do something (at least 10 minutes) in your AJ Every Day. The first months sign up for January has started & so far there are 115 participants!!

A Year in the Life of an Art Journal - prompts are posted the 15th & 30th of every month. The first date for this in 2011 will be the 15th of January which is when I will start. Even if it is just once a month.

Some things I did around Christmas

I really enjoyed Christmas this year. For some reason it was more fun & exciting. Especially with this sign on my garage door for 2 weeks before Christmas . . . & I didn't peek.
It also could have been the numerous presents I received. Top 3 - 1. Raised Garden Bed (for vege patch) 2. Donkey Kong Country Returns Game (for Wii) 3. Recycled Licence Plate Book.

We had a small branch style Christmas Tree this year. I made a garland to go on it. I just crocheted as many chains as needed for the length I wanted & hot glue gunned small squares of paper at regular intervals.

At the base/vase of the tree I put some other glass bottles with decorations on them. I have collected a couple of these from my father who makes them for a living.

I liked how the tree turned out & I can't wait until next year so I can add more!

For a few presents this year I made some washers to go with some lovely handmade soap I bought from Inner Earth Soaps. With all the rush of Christmas I only managed to take one photo of a washer I made for a friend at work. It was really hard to part with but I have plenty of yarn left over to make some for myself.

Merry Christmas !

At 7am - Snapshot

Even though I have posted this rather late, I still took this photo at 7am for the challenge. In the mornings I get up earlier then usual now because I have a puppy. I used to get up with just enough time to get ready for work & out the door. One advantage is that it has actually given me more time to do things in the morning . . . really . . . who would have thought?!

So that morning I had time to blog.

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Inspiration Everywhere - Art Journal Cover

I have joined Jessica Sprague's Inspiration Everywhere FREE class. 10 days of Inspiration. This class was just too interesting to pass up, so close to Christmas with presents still to make & I take on this as well. I need this for me.

Most people who have joined the class seem to be flying through all the inspiring activities. I'm going at a snails pace. 5 days into it & I've only completed #1. Hopefully with the weekend coming up I will get a chance to do more.

Keeping/making/expressing/creating in an art journal is one of the projects in the class. I want my art journal to be more arty then scrapbooky. But I'm sure a lot of the scrapbook style will come through.

1st Dec, 1st Day of Summer & 1st . . ?

It was very rainy & gloomy on the 1st day of summer in Brisbane. My favourite season, the one thing I do actually like at this time of year. The heat, the itchy-ness to do something, anything! On this day I just felt sticky & damp. Thankfully the little treasure in my mailbox seemed unaffected by these miserable conditions, waiting . . .

. . . uncharacteristically I did check for mail when I pulled in from work. The first thing I saw on the envelope was 'CARD ONLY'.

Thanks to my talented friend Kate for this amazing card! Maybe there is something else to like about this time of year . . . Christmas.