WOYWW

I've been having a sort out of my workroom, and while the shelves look better & organised the same can't be said for my desk! lol  I took picture from several angles but it didn't look any better from any of them so here's the best (tidiest) angle:

 Two of my sketchbooks are on the desk because I was looking for something to inspire me for M's card and I haven't got around to put them away yet - and thats not because I'm a messy mare but because I've been working elsewhere! ;o)

And so you are not left with the impression that all is messy in Jo-land here's something pretty for you: a simple postcard I made using a new stencil I just bought - LOVE!!!
The postcard itself is one from a whole batch I made a while ago out of dressmaking patterns.. LOVE!!

If you'd like to know what all this WoYWW is all about head HERE to the blog of Julia 'Queen of Desks' where you'll find the details and lots of other desks to snoop around.. Enjoy!

Aaaanyhoo that's all for today - off to teach a class at Imagine That...

Take care

I've got spray paints & cartidge paper and I'm not afraid to use them.. Part 1

.. & not afraid to make a mess either!  Embracing the 'throw paint at it' approach. 

I mentioned before that I gave up my studio space and everything there had to come here which meant a big sort out was needed.  I have been sorting out, throwing out and its been a really worthwhile experience - I've rediscovered all kinds of things -
lots of things to alter
lots of babywipes
and lots and lots of card blanks!
but more importantly lots of inspiration!!

Its a win win scenario - more space, more inspiration!

So lots of masks were rediscovered (while putting away the ones I already had)(putting things away - how novel lol) - I was distracted from tidying up to quickly cover a page in my sketchbook:

I really like how the scrap paper looks when you move it away from the project - love that big clean space with the colour around it.
Then one thing lead to another:  I left the sheet on the desk and used it while playing with more stencils and masks... (I've been looking at the work of Roben-Marie Smith of PaperBag Studios, Christy Tomlinson, Dyan Reaveley (Art from the Heart), and Dina Wakely and how they use colour and layers in their work. I don't want my work to be as colour heavy as theirs but I enjoy the free-ness (is that even a word?!) of what they do.)
This was definitely a 'throw-something-at-it-and-see-what-happens' page - just playing with the masks - positive and negative versions of...

added a bit of detailing around the edges - this silver pen is FAB - a Faber Castell Indian Ink pen (Christy Tomlinson got me onto those)

 .. bit of 'journaling' - saying: I made this, its mine and I 'own' it (ie it came from me and I should stand by it...)

The sheet is quite big (a2) and so I decided it was going to be more useful to me cut down to postcard size than an A2 sheet! So now I have yet more postcards waiting for.. erm.. something.

For the curious ones of you out there- this is the cartidge paper I'm using (rediscovered in the move - yay!), Windsor & Newton.  Its a really nice weight to work on - doesn't get soggy too quickly...

(smaller pads are available lol)