Fragile Papers II or how not to deface a library book!

So I had some bits and bob left over from my first fragile papers so made a second page in my art journal!

I used the date label from the book, a scrap of the handmade coloured paper, a small tag stamped with my favourite Sara Naumann journaling stamps, little bit of scrunched up Crunchy wax paper and the copyright statement from the book.  

I thought this paparagraph was quite apt as it says what you can and can't do legally with a book. I think what I've done with it could be interpreted as against copyright if you look closely at the definition!

There are even a few more bits and bobs left so I might make an ATC with the little bits still left.  

Waste not want not!

Fragile Papers

The theme this week over at PaperArtsy is fragile papers, all that texture, all that age, all that yumminess.

Its is fair to say I have quite a bit of fragile paper knocking around in the craft room at Chez Myhill (ask my husband and he'll say there is quite a lot of other stuff knocking around in the craft room as well), so this should be relatively easy.

And do you know what, for once it was, no angst ridden: is this working, I'm not sure, go way and think about it for a bit.  No it was wham bam, paint, dry, distress, staple stick!

I started off with a manila tag and added a coat of Cinnamon fresco paint.  A layer of crackle and then Dolly Mix on top with a paint brush to get thinnish cracks.   In Magenta Hue Archival Ink I stamped the text ( I think its upside down!) from Hot Picks 1304 all over. Flicked watered down Cinnamon and Eggplant mixed with Amethyst over it for age spots and finally edged in Vintage Photo Distress Ink after scuffing and roughing up the edges.

For the focal point I've built up layers of fragile paper starting on the top with some handmade paper that my Mum had used in her art course eons ago.  Part of her final year show was themed around family history and this scrap of paper had the marriage year of her parents George and Daisy on it.  Carefully painted the reverse with Amethyst and Eggplant ripped it apart and stapled it back togetther again.

The middle layer is some Crunchy wax paper that has been scrunched and torn.

The bottom layer is an old book page with an accession stamp on it from a discarded poetry book from my library.  

To finish off some ripped cotton, a chipboard flower, button and ribbon. I then glued onto a piece of corrugated card and then stuck in my spare paint art journal (basically any spare paint on the brush or cut and dry I just open a page in the book and paint it on).

Hugs

Jo

xx

Raspberry Ripple

It may be the new year, but winter is definitely stating its arrival.  Its white here this morning not from snow, but frost and fog. I think when Ive written this post I need to go for a walk in he woods and crunch around the firs (anything to avoid the ironing)

In winter I tend to turn my hands to more textile stuff, yarn and fabric.  This Christmas break I've finished my Mums granny square blanket, completed my patchwork lap quilt (for goodness sakes don't look at the stitching, I haven't machine quilted in ages and we have some right wonky lines) re-edged a crochet square lap quilt that was annoying me and started and finished this in the space of three days.

Oh this makes me happy, the colour, the texture (chunky knobbly aran yarn) and the fact that I made the pattern up with alternate rows of double and treble stitches using a largish crochet hook.I got the inspiration from one of my favourite bloggers Lucy from Attic24 especially her recent cosy strip blanket.

Sitting in front of the TV, catching up on the whole of Downton Abbey and Scott and Bailey wrapping yarn round a hook, pulling it through loops and watching the scarf (well to be honest its more of a wrap because its so long) grow was, well a good way to spend a couple of days.

Hugs

Jo

xx

365 and counting ...

New Year, umm, we do set ourselves up for a monumental fall sometimes don't we?  Make all these promises, think that a a new year will make all the difference. We'll be fitter, stronger, thinner, healthy, nice, free, less grumpy, calm, content, wealthy ... the list is endless. And we set ourselves these ridiculous goals like: I'll go the gym everyday, I 'll say no to chocolate and biscuits, I wont be grumpy or mardy (add in your own, feel free).

And then we fail, or we think we fail, because we had a biscuit or two, said yes to the chocolate offered to us at work, didn't go to the gym because we just didn't feel like it. 

But you know what we didn't fail, we just dipped for that day and tomorrow is a new day, may not be a new year, but its a new day, a new day to try a bit harder to live the life you want to lead.

And what life do I want to lead this year and beyond?

Well to be happier, to smile more, to laugh more, to recognise my strengths and not compare myself to others quite so much. To be lighter and brighter, less burdened by stuff and things.  To accept that I don't have XYZ, but I do have ABC and that's good,because for some in our world, in our neighbourhoods, in our friends and families, they don't have A right the way through to Z and we never know wht life might chuck at us.

So on this dark and gloomy January 1st 2015 here in the UK I bring you this, a speck of light shining bright amidst the dark. A beacon, a talisman, a reminder to smile and be thankful for the life I do have not the life I thought I wanted or expected to have.

Hugs

Jo

xx