Journaling Prompt for July

Sorry this prompt is a bit late but July has been a very busy month.

I have been thinking about endings and beginnings. July is the end of the school year. This year was the end of school for my daughter and I took the opportunity to snap a photo of her on her last day in the same place I took a photo of her on her first day. What a change! Try journaling about endings and beginnings this month or about growing and changing.

For those that are art journaling I’ve been to an art journaling class at Art From The Heart and thoroughly enjoyed it. A full weekend messing around with paint and paper creating pages from scratch..and I mean from scratch as we had to make the page first with newspaper! This month I would like you to try a monochromatic colour scheme. Try using 3 shades of the same colour. When you use colour in this way think about how we decorate our rooms at home. We usually have the lightest shade on the walls and that is the largest expanse of colour. Next the chairs, carpets etc tend to be a slightly darker shade and are placed against the lighter walls. Try applying the middle colour to 2 corners on the same side of your page and also an area on the middle of the opposite side. Finally we have the accessories which are the darkest shade and are scattered around the room. Use a small amount of the darkest colour to frame your page.

Chris & Jac

Next Crop 25th July

Hi everyone

The project for the next crop is a layout designed by Shirley with some fab distressing/tearing which Shirley will demonstrate at the crop.

In order to follow the design you will need to bring the following:

• I piece of Bazzil or plain cardstock (1 used spotted Bazzil)
• I piece of double sided patterned paper to co-ordinate
• Photo 6 x 4
• 4 Buttons
• 4 brads
• 1 small piece of coordinated bazzil to frame photo
• 1 flower flourish
• Lettering for Title

Don't forget if you havn't registered for the 12 Hour Crop please get your form and deposit to us as soon as possible, there are only a couple of places left and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Any questions please email and we'll reply asap. Looking forward to seeing you all on the 25th.

Jackie and Chris

Journaling Prompt for June

Looking back on the photographs I’ve taken this month I see that I have managed to do quite a bit of travelling without perhaps planning to go anywhere in particular. So I thought for this month we could look at journeys. Many people will be preparing to go on holiday next month; some lucky people might have managed an early June holiday. Journal about the holiday you have just taken, are planning or a memorable holiday from a previous year. Have you enjoyed any day trips this month? I’m going to journal abut my day trip to Scarborough with my husband’s motor cycle club. You would expect a tri to Scarborough would be quite straightforward, not a bit. And some 4 hours later when we finally arrived and still managed to get lost..... but all worth it for the laughs along the way, the good company and the lovely fish and chips eaten in the sun on the Quayside in Whitby! If you don’t want to journal about a trip what about recording something amusing that has happened to you this month.

For those that are art journaling I’ve been messing around with paint, mica powders, inks and textures this month with some interesting if not always usable results. Try adding texture to your pages with paper torn out of books or magazines. If you put a thin coat of gesso over the paper the text will still show through but you also have a base to draw, stamp or write on.

We are half way through the year now and I hope you have managed to keep up, one page a month is that so hard J. I’ve decided to offer a little incentive to keep you going. For those who manage to keep it going bring your journals to the September Isabella Crop and we’ll give you a small surprise.

Chris and Jac*

Next Crop Sunday 27th June

Hi all, its fast approaching our next crop and it will be Technique Sunday. Chris and Jackie will be demonstrating making, using and some techniques using spray colours, inks, glimmer mists etc.

If you'd like to take part and if you have any of the following please bring them along:
Glimmer or distress ink sprays (there are now lots of different makes on the market)
Tim Holtz Distress Ink reinkers (these are used to reink the distress pads, but are fantastic for creating your own glimmer sprays)
Spray bottles - if you don't have any the best place is Superdrug they are cheap and are great for spraying
Perfect Pearls
Stiff/thick blank card - white is best, but black can give a really nice effect
Stencils suitable for use with sprays
Heat gun
Kitchen roll
Brayer (if you have one)
12x12 clean pizza box (sometimes used to deliver scrapbook papers)
and anything else you can think of.
PLUS - please wear old clothes and/or bring an apron, because somethimes this can get messy.

Sorry, the list is a bit long, but don't forget if you don't have all the above don't worry just bring along what you can We have a small selection of colour inks and stencils that we can share, and I'm sure we'll all share.

Looking forward to seeing you all next week.. Jackie and Chris

Journaling Prompt for May

I find May an exciting month. We can finally wave goodbye to Winter and see Summer is well on the way. My garden is full of exciting surprises as each of my trees and bushes bloom starting with the huge magnolia that I grew from a tiny stick. The lovely sunny weather this month has made up for all the bad weather and the late start of Spring.

Tempting fate I went up to Scotland for the first bank holiday with my husband’s motorcycle club. It was an exciting and challenging weekend. As ever adventurous, my husband took us up some very steep and winding roads topped with some spectacular views. Record something adventurous in your journal something you have done lately or perhaps in the past. Take a challenge and use something unusual in your layout.

We won a bottle of wine in the evening quiz while we were away. Have you ever won anything? Do we have any secret lottery winners out there? Perhaps you have won something that you could use to complete your layout this month.

I’ve just taken some photographs of my daughter today on her very last day at school. These will sit alongside the photos I took of her very first day. What a change in what seems such a short time. This could be a good opportunity to make a journal entry comparing how time moves quickly and how things change.

For those who are art journal fans try using collage this month building up a picture from magazine, newspaper or other pictures. Bring the elements together using inks or paints and perhaps some rubber stamping.

Happy journalling .... Chris & Jac

Next Crop Sunday 23rd May

Hope you are all well and ready for another great Crop.

This time we will be doing a project called Photopockets created by one of our members - Margery, this project is great if you have lots of photo's/postcards/momento's etc you want to scrap.

Supplied Needed:

1 sheet 12x12 cardstock for the background

2 sheets co-ordinating paper or 3 pieces 12"x4" and 1 piece 12"x3"

Ribbon - at least 28"

embelishments if desired

Photo's - no specific size and as many as you can fit into the pockets

Margery created a double layout so you will need the above for each page.

Looking forward to see you all on the 23rd.

Jackie* & Chris*

Journaling Prompt for April

Sorry our journaling prompt is a little bit late, but I'm sure you'll enjoy the ideas to get your creativity flowing.

Well Spring has eventually turned up this month if a bit later than normal. My garden has finally got some fresh green growth on my trees and bushes. For the first year my Camellia has produced lots of flowers instead the one or two it usually produces. It’s still a bit damp in the garden so instead I’ve set about doing spring cleaning in the house. It’s amazing what you find tucked away once you get started. I cleared my craft room and ended up discovering stash I never know I had. That got me started on trying out some of the products I’ve had for ages and never used. Have you tried anything new crafting this month? Try to do a journal page with your new techniques.

Easter was in April this year. What did you do to celebrate? Our family tradition is Easter Egg hunts for the younger family members and lots of chocolate for the adults. This year chocolate cupcakes were on the menu. Journal your tradition or your special recipe.

We’ve been to a techniques class this month and thoroughly enjoyed getting messy with paint and inks. For those thinking about art journaling try using inks to age and distress a page.

Chris & Jac