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description= A place for everyday creativity + life-documenting. There ll be paper, stripes + plenty of tales. And if you laugh along the way then all the better.;
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Text of the page (random words):
mile at you from a distance so if you want to share a link to your month in numbers post photo layout etc for me to then visit comment on and pin to the communal month in numbers pinterest board then leave a link to your numbers in a comment on this blog post but when you swing by my blog to drop it off please leave a comment for me while you re there not because i m needy but because it s nicer if you don t just throw your link on my table and leave without saying hello please remember to link to my blog in your post as much as i d like to think that everyone who reads your blog already knows what my month in numbers is hey it s nice to be popular right the truth is they don t so unless you explain to your readers where the idea comes from and how they can join in too they ll never know and finally please try to take time at some point in the coming month to visit and comment on a few of the other posts too it really does help build a community both around my month in numbers but also around your own blog space if after reading through all the info on the month in numbers page of my blog you still have any questions just get in touch my email s in my right sidebar as are the links to my facebook page and twitter and if you re waiting for the topic of our first big communal count where we ll all count something similar over the coming month and share our results at the end then come back tomorrow thanks for coming today see you tomorrow happy july to you julie posted by julie kirk at 07 01 26 comments labels my month in numbers meme statistics lists numbers jane austen s wardrobe gillian stapleton emma mr knightley walking shoes mima email this blogthis share to x share to facebook share to pinterest friday 28 june 2013 summertime photography scavenger hunt 2013 tilting at windmills hi again if you want to play along with the summertime photography scavenger hunt then make sure to visit rinda over at gallo organico for all the details so i ve got another item to cross off my list but i m pretty sure you re going to accuse me of cheating and yet here it is anyway i m a rebel like that item no 16 a windmill this is the label inside my gorgeously soft black leather bag the kind of bag of simplistic perfection i d been seeking for a long time and while it may not immediately seem connected to summertime life i promise you it is during the summer i work from home and my days are as flexible as my deadlines and self discipline will allow and on some of those days although far fewer than you might imagine i take myself out on a little shopping trip the kind that doesn t involve bread milk and toilet roll and so after doing a spot of invoicing over breakfast i decided i d worked hard enough over the previous week that a new dress might just be in order so out i went which is what i was doing when i realised that i actually didn t need to go hunting out that windmill and that i had one with me all along i know it s like the ruby slippers of the bag world i was in my car leaning over into the passenger seat rummaging in my bag to check i d put my phone in there when i spotted it note how i d packed the essentials of a british summer in there with my flowery rain mac nestling against my sunglasses and on the outside of the bag another windmill for good measure so that s my case for adding this windmill logo to my list of summertime treasures found i know it s not a real one but then neither were the giants that don quixote thought he d found when he spotted windmills in the distance needless to say if i find a real one a real windmill that is not a real giant i ll snap that too julie p s if you re a month in numbers blogger doer sharer hey we need to work on a better title for us all than that one then just a reminder that we re getting to that time my numbers will be here on sunday but you re welcome to join me anytime afterwards and if you fancy joining in but haven t been counting anything all month don t let that stop you just flip through the photos you ve taken or your diary blog twitter feed facebook timeline instagram anywhere you keep a record of your days and just pick out some facts and figures from there sorted posted by julie kirk at 07 01 14 comments labels rinda ontiveros gallo organico summertime photography scavenger hunt windmill bag email this blogthis share to x share to facebook share to pinterest thursday 27 june 2013 summertime photography scavenger hunt 2013 the mima edition hello hello when i first began typing out this post my hair was still drying out from the rain i got caught in on a very short walk sprint out of the downpour and for the record no that shower proof mac i mentioned last week really isn t deluge proof i refer you to one very damp shirt as evidence but all this rain can mean only one thing that it s summer in england and so let s get on with crossing some more photos off that summertime photography scavenger hunt list if you want to play along with the summertime photography scavenger hunt then make sure to visit rinda over at gallo organico for all the details all of today s items were captured last week when my mam my sister and i went into middlesbrough to attend the jane austen s wardrobe presentation given by costume historian gillian stapleton but before the event we had lunch in and a browse around mima our local modern art gallery and the town square surrounding it which is where i found item no 3 city hall capitol or other similar civic building this is the first of two items i snapped that same afternoon that not only fulfil the brief set by rinda they rather helpfully have their category written on them to prove it so as the sign above the door here suggests here s the civic centre now if only rinda s list had asked for a cyclist doing a wheelie too i d have been ecstatic to have another one to cross off my list at the same time did you spot him item no 9 a photo with someone or something that is clearly out of place or doesn t belong this is the mima gallery garden with the 100 year old central library backing on to it so far so what you d anticipate seeing in a town centre but what are those things in the floor there why those are two giant boeing aircraft engines from decommissioned military surveillance planes which have subsequently had anti depressants tucked away inside them by artist roger hiorns in a piece called untitled alliance but you knew that really didn t you you were just teasing item no 10 a bench that is outside don t believe me that this is indeed a bench think that my mother s just been clambering on a modern art installation well think again and read the small print at the bottom of the photo and here it is from the side item no 13 a fence this metal fence that reminds me of church organ pipe surrounds the mima garden and finally for our little trip around mima item no 18 your local pub bar coffee house or tea shop ok so this isn t my local café per se it s a 15 minute drive away but then i ve never been into the pub that s nearest to my house and alas we don t have any cafés or coffee shops nearby either not unless you count those few tables in the fish chip shop and i don t i m afraid café culture hasn t really hit close to our estate just yet and so the mima café which we visit fairly often will have to do but if i visit one closer to home before the end of the hunt i ll share that one too in case you re ever in the area and get the urge for some modern art and a nice cuppa here s the mima website right i ll go and cross these 5 off the list and i ll see you soon julie posted by julie kirk at 07 05 12 comments labels rinda ontiveros gallo organico summertime photography scavenger hunt mima middlesbrough art gallery library roger hiorns untitled alliance central square email this blogthis share to x share to facebook share to pinterest wednesday 26 june 2013 an art journal page from start to finish no 3 pain has a thousand faces hello hello it s been over a year since i shared one of these photo step by steps there must be a big secret cupboard somewhere where all the time goes because i don t know where it went and so as i ve had a little breathing space this week i felt it was about time i share another my earlier step by steps can be found here an art journal page from start to finish no 1 these new lands and an art journal page from start to finish no 2 too precious to waste and they re some of the most popular most visited and most commented upon posts i ve created so i really hope this new one find the right people once again this tutorial is for you if you d like to try out a new creative outlet that doesn t involve investing in expensive new supplies you ve been thinking of trying out art journaling but don t know where to start you ve seen some amazing finished art journal pages and are now afraid that it s a dark art that there s a great artistic mystique to it that it s not for you you re at your best when you can break down a technique into manageable chunks perhaps due to time physical or psychological constraints pin save this page for future reference when i m not attending a class or experimenting with any new techniques i tend to revert to two styles of art journaling which feel most natural to me one of these relies mainly on layers of paper and collage elements which is the style i find easiest to work on while curled up on the sofa in front of the tv meanwhile the other is the one i turn to when i have more time to play and when i m sitting at a safe distance from anything i can stain and this one involves more paint sprays stamps masks stencils and general messiness and that s the one we re going to lift the lid on today so be prepared to get a little inky with me the finished page pain has a thousand faces it s always a leap of faith when i decide i m going to take step by step photos of a process as i ve absolutely no plan and no idea as to how the finished thing will turn out my biggest fear is always that after putting in so much time into stopping and starting to take the photos as i build the page that the end result won t be worth it and if i m honest there were a few stages of this page s development where i really just wanted to close the book and forget all about it but i persevered and am fairly happy with it now happy enough to make a full tutorial from it anyway and if nothing else it affords me the opportunity to share my own creative insecurities with you so hopefully even if you ve been unsure of making a start you might feel more able to give it a try yourself here goes step 1 spritz a blank page using spray ink a mask you don t have to have any special stencils or masks for this step the grid i ve used here is just a section of cheap plastic embroidery canvas and it s one of my favourite ways to add patterns to my pages i spray through the grid then flip it over and press the reverse pattern on to the page alternatively you can try sequin waste cheap alphabet stencils lace the surrounds from sticker sheets and chipboard letters anything which you don t mind getting ink on in fact step 2 squirt a light shade of acrylic paint directly on to the page and spread it around the edges i have a thing for white off white and cream paints i always find they come in useful for both a base layer and also on top when the page might need a few highlights i know there are lots of quality paints available and undoubtedly they each serve a purpose but for me when i just want to add colour and mess around when there s no great need for the paint to do anything specialised i m happy to buy the cheapest general craft paint i can find my sponge is actually cut n dry foam which i use with all my ink pads spray inks and paints step 3 add scraps of patterned paper using a gel medium or pva white glue if you prefer any scrapbookers and cardmakers amongst the wannabe art journalers take note your existing stash will combine perfectly well with your new hobby so there s no great need to buy lots of new supplies rest assured that this isn t to say you re not allowed to go and buy more if you so wish whenever i mention that i use gel medium i get asked a if it s necessary and b where to find it and so a it s up to you but personally i find gel medium is smoother and easier to spread than sticky white glues like pva and it definitely sticks firmer than just a glue stick i tend to spread it not only on the back of the items i stick down but also over the top as a way to seal it and to really flatten out any curling edges and b it s often sold next to tubes of artists paints in art craft shops mine came from my local hobbycraft step 4 add more stencilled designs over and around the scraps of paper step 5 add more paper scraps in a nice flowing arc do you have a pile of old craft magazines lurking in your attic the kind that included pull out patterns for embroidery designs and so on or do you ever spot any old issues in charity shops or car boot sales etc well next time you come across one have a look inside for those pattern sheets because while you may not want to make the project they re from they make really interesting background designs and textures on your mixed media work that s what i ve used here step 6 stamp general abstract background designs around the edges of the page using a similar shade of ink to your background colours thanks to kate crane for that top tip when you ve stamped the design once there s no need to ink up the stamp again just keep pressing the stamp down until all the ink has gone this way your stamped design moves across the page with subtle changes in the depth of colour throughout i used the infocrea abstract stamp set above and again here this time in a light yellowy orange to compliment my existing shades of green and blue can you see how there s a real depth of layering appearing now this is when a background can really begin to come to life when it stops feeling like an anonymous bare canvas and starts to look dare i say it like art however if you ve gone a little too far with any of this layering at for example here i stamped in a grey that came out drab and dark and i just didn t like it then do not despair you can always step 7 assess areas of the page that would benefit from some white paint or gesso to brighten them up hide mistakes just use a glue spreader scrap of plastic sponge paintbrush or finger until the background feels bright again now you re ready for a focal point step 8 browse through old books magazines junk mail leaflets catalogues etc for an interesting image or better still create your own frankenstein image from a combination of a few this is absolutely one of my favourite favourite parts of the process here the body of the fish came from an old children s encyclopaedia and the mannequin head came from a promotional postcard for an opera that fell out of my weekend newspaper supplement ages ago i d been hoarding it safely ever since use gel medium again to fix it to the page ste ...
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