I'm travelling into a new way of working, a new country, a new language, and a new hobby which I'm passionate about. Come with me for some of the journey...

Wednesday 12 October 2016

Away she went...

Hello all, it's lovely to have you stop by.  I'm here with some journalling pages today, in a very small journal.  You may remember that when I shared my Rainbow Wheels experiments, I said I'd be back with some more fun and games using Andrea Ockey Parr's brilliant stamp set - one of my purchases here in the US.  Well, I'm here to make good on that promise.



I was inspired by the wonderful Corrie at Made by Chook to get one of the small Moleskine sketchbooks to play in.  The book is 5x3 inches, so a double page spread is 6x5 inches - a lovely size to play in, especially when travelling.






The stamps may not be in my usual vein, but something about them really appealed to me, not least some of the words.

Since this whole crafty venture is an ongoing journey, I think it's always good to explore a little way off the beaten track.









You'll notice the colours are still very much on the usual track though, and I had a lovely time creating these pages.  There aren't any making-of photos, I'm afraid... I was just playing and got lost in the process.













I started with a bit of wrinkle-free distress straight onto the pages.  I think Stormy Sky, Pumice Stone and maybe Weathered Wood were involved - and perhaps some Faded Jeans.  I'm not quite sure any longer.















The circle stems are embossed in Vanilla White, so I was able to play with my watercolour paints as well as Distress Inks to add extra colour and shading to them without them losing any presence.















I've also used some of the background texture stamps from the set too.













There's a sequin waste affair which you can see in action around the edges.














And there are also lots of lovely tiny splatter and droplet stamps which are great for adding extra detail and depth.














Of course I did some actual splattering too!











The quote (also from the same set - available on Etsy here) couldn't be more apt - for these pages, and for my travelling life this year...

"Away she went with her paints" - well, yes, that pretty much sums it up!






Working in this small size means you can get a page spread done pretty quickly, so I'll be back before long to share some more of my travelling craftwork.






Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope to see you again soon, either here or elsewhere in Craftyblogland.

If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, by all means paint and then that voice will be silenced.
Vincent Van Gogh





I'd like to share these pages at the Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge Blog where the theme is Anything Mixed Media Goes

46 comments:

Amanda said...

Love these little pages and you have filled them beautifully. I'm inspired to go small
Love
Amanda x

Helen said...

glad to see you still have room in your busy life for some art - what a gorgeous little journal, I love these pages!

SewPaperPaint said...

Oh Alison, I am so happy to see some of your work! What a breath of fresh air to me. I just love what you've done with these stamps and can't wait to check out the Etsy shop. Gorgeous little pages! Hugs, Autumn

Meggymay said...

Beautiful pages, it looks an ideal size journal for travelling. I love the layers of colour, and stamping.
Yvonne xx

Chrissy said...

WOW..love this Alison..the blues and browns with the touch of white is just lovely..what a neat background and the perfect verse..

Luv CHRISSYxx

Andrea Ockey Parr said...

Wow, wow, TRIPLE wow! This really blew my mind when I saw it! I adore the way you created such a gorgeous background that feels magical! And the color palette with that gentle brown shading is really striking. You have such a great way of creating scenes and emotions with your art and this one really took my breath away. Thanks again for making my stamps really come to life! You have serious skills, girl!

Brenda Brown said...

From the gorgeous colour palette to the subtle and intricate details these are such beautiful pages , love this spread xxx

Anonymous said...

Beautiful pages. To be honest I would frame this and have it on the wall. Love the background effects and the colour combo.
Take care, Flo x

brenda said...

As you quite rightly say Alison, the quote is very apt for you and it's those blues and sepias that I always love seeing together.

B x

chrissie said...

This looks like it is going to be a fun filled little book. Great quote for starters.

Love Chrissie xx

Deborah Wainwright said...

Wow Alison this is fabulous! I love the watercolour look to it. With all the splats. Colours gorgeous as well.
Sorry not been around much! Hugs Debs xx

Deb said...

Beautiful Alison, love the stamps, reminiscent of florals, very organic and love the sentiment, fits you to a T! Thanks for sharing it, Deb xo

Annie said...

Love your journal pages Alison x great layers in gorgeous tones. The stamps look amazing and the shading adds to their depth
TFS and hugs
Annie x

Inky and Quirky Designs said...

Stunning creation Alison, you certainly know how to work your magic with blue and brown ;)
hugs
Donna xx

Claudia N. said...

Love the plain watercolour-y feel to your spread, Alison! xx

froebelsternchen said...

So beautiful! Fascinating and inspiring! You should do much more Art Journaling Alison!
I love the colour combination so much and the artsy watercolor effects ! Amazing!

Dorthe said...

Beautiful Alison,
love the shading of brown, and all the bubbles, and splashes , creating a spread so "alive" !!
So glad that, even you went away,-you are still bringing and using your paint :-)
Xoxo

craftytrog said...

Love these pages Alison! That's a great quote!

maj. said...

So beautiful and delicate, fabulous page!!!

Redanne said...

This may be a tiny journal but you make up for it with your wonderful design and beautiful blue and brown tones. The circle stems look beautiful and the quote is perfect for your page! Anne xx

Astrid Maclean said...

Oh this looks like a wonderful set of stamps and you have certainly put them to great use. Beautiful detail and of course a wonderful colour scheme. Sounds like a great format to work in and try out things!

Unknown said...

I so enjoy every time I see one of your emails in my inbox. I love your favorite colors and you inspire me to try different techniques.
I have one favor to ask. As I am getting older, it is more difficult for me to see the light blue writing. I know you love the color but it is a struggle to read which won't get easier for me over time. Could you please use a little bit darker of a font. Even on your page with the brown background, while much better, is still quite light.
Thanks for listening. I love your pictures and the words that go with them and would like to read them more easily. Thanks

sally said...

There's something about small books.....I still prefer to work on a max of 5-6x8" and that was the same with my sewing. This spread demonstrates that bigger is not always better- I love it!

Sallyxx

Jackie PN said...

Love my little journal as well! This spread is beautiful Alison colors at their finest! Love that quote and also how you embossed with the white- beautiful! xx

Marci said...

Lovely, moody pages. I like the sentiment stamp a lot. And I love the Vincent Van Gogh quote!

Julia Aston said...

Love the sound of a little journal - and your pages are wonderful Alison- your colors work beautifully with this stamp set and you have just enabled me to go order it!! Julia xx

Julie Lee said...

Lovely stamps, these! I adore the spatters so much. I'm so impressed with how your journey has become an arty one as well! This is such a great size for a travelling journal and beautiful little jewels of pages too! xx

Lauren Hatwell said...

Love it! It really reminds me of those bubble blowing wands with lots of lovely bubbles streaming out. Such a joyful page! Lx

Craftyfield said...

Blame it on my eyesight but looking at this page I am transported to a stormy costal town, heavy seas splashing over the walls...
Love both the stamp and the colours... great make Alison!

Diana Taylor said...

Such gorgeousness! I love the soft watery colours that really compliment the beautiful patterns and those lovely stamps. I'm a big fan of small, and I'm looking forward to seeing lots more tiny gems from this little journal.

Jane Royston said...

What gorgeous pages! I love the colours and all the texture that has been created with the stamps. Thank you for sharing with us at Creative Artiste this month, Jane (DT) :) x

Julia said...

What perfect words to put on the pages of your little book. I love this watery drippy effect you have made, I bet you enjoyed making those pages. x

Andree said...

Wonderful journal pages and fabulous colours. The way you've used the different shades to create depth is wonderful. The effect reminds me of a waterfall.
Thank you for joining in with the October challenge "Anything Mixed Media Goes" at Creative Artiste Mixed Media and good luck x

A Pink said...

Simply Beautiful and stunningly so . hugs x

Barbara said...

You know blue and brown is one of my favourite color palette! you use these colors in a fantastic way! Love your work: it's a perfect mix of soul and technique! Fantastic! barbara

pearshapedcrafting said...

Oh my Alison! What a wonderful little spread this is! The colours are yours of course and I love this fabulous use of the stamps! Hugs, Chrisx

pearshapedcrafting said...

Oh my Alison! What a wonderful little spread this is! The colours are yours of course and I love this fabulous use of the stamps! Hugs, Chrisx

Sue said...

This is very you but just a little bit different Alison and I love it! This is a really nice stamp set by the way, but I managed to resist xx

Gerrittina said...

Wauw it looks great. Love those colors.

Lynne Moncrieff said...

Alison,
Sorry I have missed so many of your blog posts.
Oh this is beautiful. I have to say, I'm a huge admirer of Andrea's art and would really like to own her stamps, yes, I know, also different to my "regular" style, just as you say about yourself.
Your background is so beautiful, I'd happily dive into it!
Hope life is being kind to you.
Wishes
Lynne

Etsuko said...

Lovely pages Alison. I love the stamps images and your colours. xx

Mrs.B said...

Beautiful pages in your little 'travelling' journal, and a wonderful quote - perfect for your 'play' days.
Avril xx

sarascloset said...

I am really enjoying this little journal of yours and the sentiment is so apt! Gorgeous inky/painty background full of movement and great depth. Looks like this page spread was so much fun! Hugs!

Cocofolies said...

I really love the movement on this new spread in your little journal...
The background has also depth, beautiful Alison. Great use of these stamps indeed.
Hugs, and enjoy to be back home!! xx

Evelyn Walter said...

Simply love this little pages. They are so artsy!
xxx Evelyn

Princess Judy Palmer said...

That quote is so you! Love this spread of pages. It's a bit different from your norm, but not too much.