Art Journal Week 39

Bit late with this one but I couldn't quite decide what to do. Our theme this week was " Are you extravagent? What is your biggest extravagence, use something extravagent". I had all sorts of try-outs for BG but in the end I painted it gold and then embossed the central panel. My extravagent bit was the fancy ribbon with pearls on. Then I was stuck with how to journal!! So this one is definately "less is more". I guess my other extravagence is my Doc Marten boots; I have three pairs so far...

Art Journal Week 38 (I think!)

This was last weeks but I have been doing my LSNED so I haven't had time to blog it yet! Our prompt was "Are you Lucky, material or otherwise, use a lucky charm". Great excitement as I got to do a B/G using a technique I learnt at Ally Pally with Glimmer Mists and cling film. Then I stamped over it with my new brick stamp and I had a nice rub on that had the word "wealthy" that I crossed out. How could I say I wasn't lucky with all these things in my life; I certainly never win raffles or competitions but where it matters, I consider myself very lucky.

LSNED last few days

So here are the last few days. Day 28 and I finally managed to knit a hexagon that I have been trying and unpicking about six times! It's not a new lesson but one I sometimes need to remember from time to time when it would be easier to give up.

Day 29 and I think most of the UK has been enjoying these unseasonally high temperatures. We haven't actually done anything different because we have been choc-a-bloc with pre-planned "stuff" but it has been so lovely to sit in the sun and just slow things down a bit.

And lastly, Day 30. A double-edged sentiment here. I had an unexpected day off so I decided to go for it and try a longer run. The pink route is my 2.5 miles I managed today contrasted with my normal blue route.

I also made it to the end of my album! Here are all the pages ready for binding; don't expect daily blog posts from now on! I have a heap of house stuff to catch up on that has been pushed aside to get this done.

LSNED Day 27

Today was our Harvest Celebration. We walked all the children in Key Stage 1 to a local farm and had it in the open air, in the unseasonally hot, blazing sunshine! They had made bunting which we hung in the trees and we had a decorated harvest table complete with life size animals! The children sang their socks off! This is something the school did for the first time last year but it poured so they were in a barn. I am so pleased to be part of such a fabulous idea...I bet these children will remember their harvests long into adulthood and it is so much more meaningful to be surrounded by all that we are saying thank you for.

LSNED Day 26

Today our lesson was to be learnt from our environment. This afternoon I took groups of children out into the school field to collect natural things to create an Andy Goldsworthy inspired piece of art work. At the bottom of the field one of the children found these mushrooms. They were growing under a tree where the bare soil was sun-baked as hard as concrete and yet somehow these fragile looking things had managed to force their way through the crust. How can they be so strong? Earlier we also had a prompt about putting in a photo that was particularly good so even though I snapped these by putting my camera on the floorand just hitting the button, and supervising 6 children at the same time, I am rather pleased with how they came out.

LSNED Day 25

Today's lesson was to think about something we are greatful for. I have always known how to knit and sew, I don't remember ever being taught but I know that obviously I did have to learn sometime! My Grandad was a tailor; he had the biggest hands, and he taught me to sew with a machine when I was about 7 using an old hand machine. Mum taught me to hand sew and my Nana taught me to knit with Mum helping me when I got stuck and Nana wasn't there. I have recently re-discovered sewing and am just so thankful that I know what to do when lots of my friends are just learning. I also learnt how to increase in a purl stitch today! It is something I just never knew and today Mum told me "you purl into the BACK first, then the front". So simple and now learnt I won't forget it.

LSNED Day 24

Once again I can't remember the prompt for today but I went to Ally Pally to the papercraft and scrapbooking show. Well I learned a new technique or two so that was what had to go in! Simple!