Tag Archives: postcard

Sirmione by Boat

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Today it’s all about Sirmione, Italy, with my page being created in my A6 journal which I bought there along with the postcard that I used and also the gift bag they came in. I also upcycled our boat tickets from Desenzano to Sirmione too (smile!).

To see how it all came together, please check out my YouTube video below.

As T Stands for Tuesday, I’m joining in the fun with my page as it features an Italian coffee surrounded by coffee beans, did you spot them? (on the bottom left-hand-side) – wishing Bleubeard & Elizabeth and everyone a very Happy T Day!

https://youtube.com/shorts/-BCoPvVgucE

Join me on an artistic adventure as I transform a simple gift bag and  boat ticket into an unique art journal page, full of travel memories to Italy. From ticket to treasure, watch as I bring this page to life to capture the beauty of Sirmione, Lake Garda. Get ready to be inspired by the creative possibilities of upcycling and art journaling (smile!).

The mixed media that I used for this page is a blue dotty gift bag from Italy, UHU Stic, “Desenzano to Sirmione” boat tickets, a Sirmione postcard that we brought back from our holidays, Crafter’s Companion Glue Tape Pen and a black UniPin Fine Line marker.

Here we are departing from Desenzano with its view taken from the back of the boat as we make our way to Sirmione.

Scaligero Castle of Sirmione is a rare example of medieval port fortification. This fortress was built in the latter half of the 14th century on the southernmost part of Lake Garda in the Northern Italy. It take it name from the Della Scala family of Verona, who are known as the Scaligeri; this family ruled Verona and a large part of the Venetian area from the years 1259 to 1387.

Sirmione is such a beautiful place to explore with it’s old town, gardens, harbour, churches, lakeside walks and grottos.

We enjoyed so many happy boat trips and days exploring there!

Thanks so much for joining me today. If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Happy and creative wishes! x

Challenges

The lovely Chris from Pearshaped Crafting is hosting over at Art Journal Journey this month; she has chosen Hot Summer (Nights and Days) as her theme and so I’m joining her with my Italy inspired page.

Greetings from Lake Garda

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Can you believe it’s June already? My art journal page captures Lake Garda, and features a postcard that I brought back from our recent trip; the wording translates “Greetings from Lake Garda”, and shows all the towns around the lake where we stayed (smile!).

Here’s how I created this art journal page inspired by this Italian Lake! in this video, I used a pre-made background for this page (one that I made for another page and didn’t use), so I’ve you can also find my full process below:

I started by covering the chipboard page with Pébéo white gesso and left it to dry. I then applied Stormy Sky Distress Paint over the top. When dry, I added some Stamperia Volume Paste, to the top left and bottom right corners of the page, using a Stamperia compass stencil. Next I distressed the page using some sandpaper, scratching the background surface and exposing the chipboard in places to give a grungy look. The postcard paper pieces were torn by applying some water with a paintbrush and then tearing, and I also fussy cut the compass from the postcard. All the paper pieces are edged with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and layered together onto the page using a glue stick. To finish, I splattered the page with white and also black Liquitex acrylic ink.

https://youtube.com/shorts/TZyp-692tUM

In this video, I’ll take you on a creative journey, as I transform a postcard into a beautiful art journal page and combine textures and share techniques to bring this destination to life on my page (smile!).

Lake Garda (Lago di Garda) is the largest lake in Italy and a popular holiday destination; we have been many times as it’s such a lovely place and I love, love, love boat trips! Here’s the view looking back at Desenzano, where we stayed (which you’ll find at the bottom of the lake) from one of boat trips.

This is the beautiful castle in Sirmione, which is a short boat trip from Desenzano. The town and shops are such fun to explore, or you can sit by the lake front and watch the boats, or you can explore the gardens, or even walk along the lakefront to enjoy the stunning views.

We always took the early boat to Sirmione so we could go directly to a fabulous café for a coffee and hot chocolate accompanied by a very yummy (milk or white) chocolate muffin – yay! As T Stands for Tuesday, I’m sharing our drinks and wishing you all a very Happy T Day (sorry I’ve been absent the last few weeks, we’ve been away celebrating a friend’s BIG birthday – smile!).

Thanks so much for joining me today. If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Happy and creative wishes! x

Dance into Spain

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I had fun creating this art journal page using a postcard and napkin that I brought back, last year, from our travels to Spain (smile!).

To see how it all came together, please check out this short video, which is just a minute long and shows you the essentials of how I created this page.

https://youtube.com/shorts/l1TSlrCRa60

In this video, I’ll take you on a creative journey to bring to life this flamenco-inspired page that’s sure to ignite your passion for dance and art. From the vibrant colours to the intricate details, every element of this page is designed to transport you to the fiery streets of Spain. So, sit back, relax, and let the rhythm of flamenco guide you (smile).

The mixed media that I used was the Art and Passion postcard from Spain featuring a flamenco dancer and Spanish wording, a design paper pad, a napkin that I bought from an art shop in Spain, Liquitex matte gel medium , Crafter’s Companion glue tape pen and Glitterations outline border stickers.

Here’s the link to my YouTube channel Let’s Art Journal so, if you wish, you can like this video and subscribe to my channel too.

When we visited Torremolinos last year, we discovered lots of murals and we were delighted to see this colourful mural – so beautiful!

We discovered this pretty flamenco lady when we were in Fuengirola too.

Thanks so much for joining me today. If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Happy and creative wishes! x

Challenges

The lovely Matilde from Craftowanie is hosting over at Art Journal Journey this month; she has chosen People as her theme and so I’m joining with my Flamenco Dancer page.

Clitheroe in Springtime

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Today I’m using a postcard to create a beautiful art journal page, inspired by the charming town of Clitheroe, Lancashire in springtime.

To see how it all came together, please check out this short video, which is just a minute long; in my Springtime art journaling tutorial, I’m thrilled to share my creative process as I transform a postcard into a beautiful art journal page.

Here’s the link to my YouTube channel Let’s Art Journal so, if you wish, you can Like this video and Subscribe to my channel.

https://youtube.com/shorts/gNQIHpwl1FU

Using Stamperia and Ranger Ink art supplies, I’ll show you how to combine mixed media elements with personal memories to create a unique and meaningful art journal page. I’ll guide you through every step of this fun and easy DIY project. From choosing the perfect colours of spring to adding embellishments to the charming architecture of Clitheroe’s streets, I’m showcasing my artistic interpretation of this picturesque destination – enjoy!

The mixed media I used to create this page includes Distress Paint, Stamperia Stencil, Distress Ink, a postcard that I bought when I visited Clitheroe, Crafter’s Companion glue tape pen, The Paper Boutique papers, die cuts and Stamperia Ephemera.

We visited Clitheroe for my birthday, and had the most wonderful time exploring the quaint streets and shops. We even walked up the many steps to the castle ruins and enjoyed the spectacular views.

There is a beautiful flower shop in Clitheroe with the most amazing displays, the beautiful springtime basket, pictured here on the right, caught my eye (smile!).

Whilst we were in Clitheroe, we also visited our favourite café, called Chocolate Works, and enjoyed a hot chocolate – they are very, very yummy! Our drinks are pictured here with my blueberry muffin and my hubby’s Yorkshire Scoundrel (this is a cross between a scone and a rock bun, it contains dried fruit and has flaked almonds and cherries on the top). With our drinks, I’m joining T Stands for Tuesday, where birthday celebrations are very apt with it being our hosts bEARTHday – wishing you every happiness and Happy T Day everyone!

Thanks so much for joining me today. If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Happy and creative wishes! x

Challenges

The lovely Erika from her blog BioArtGal is hosting over at Art Journal Journey this month; she has chosen Spring Birds as her theme and so I’m joining her with all the Spring blossoms that I added to my page.

Tiny Mouse Street Art

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My art journal page captures happy memories of our time in Puerto de la Cruz (in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain) and shows you how a tiny mouse can inspire creativity!

To see how this page came together, please check out this video, which is under a minute long. Here’s the link to my YouTube channel Let’s Art Journal, please feel free to Like this video and Subscribe to my channel too.

https://youtube.com/shorts/8KnSe7FW1s8

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to combine mixed media techniques with Stamperia papers, die cuts and a stencil creating this unique and fun art journal page. From the vibrant colors of the mouse house in Tenerife to the whimsical charm of our furry friend, every element comes together to tell a story of imagination and inspiration.

For this mixed media art journal page, I used white gesso, acrylic paint, Stamperia products including Washi Pad, Volume Paste, Stencil, paper pads and Die Cuts along with some Lustre Wax and the ‘Tenerife’ wording from a postcard that I brought back from my travels.

Here’s the house in Tenerife that inspired my page, can you see the mouse yet?

How adorable is this tiny mouse (smile!). The mouse house can be found in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife along the beautiful Calle Mequinez, which has lots of large murals on the sides of buildings and also smaller ones, like this mouse popping out of a mousehole, on the building facades – so very cute!

As T Stands for Tuesday, I’m sharing a café latte, hot chocolate and the cinnamon buns that we enjoyed at the Señorita Canelita café whilst in Puerto de la Cruz – Happy T Day everyone! I think the tiny mouse may like the cinnamon buns too, as they are topped with cream cheese frosting (smile!).

Thanks so much for joining me today. If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Happy and creative wishes! x

Challenges

The lovely Erika from her blog BioArtGal is hosting over at Art Journal Journey this month; she has chosen Home Sweet Home as her theme and so I’m joining her with my mouse house page.

Canaries

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This art journal page captures happy memories of our time in Tenerife and the little canaries, Atlantic canary (Serinus canaria), that we saw in the trees on our walks (smile!).

To see how it all came together, please check out this short video, which is under a minute long.

https://youtube.com/shorts/I7UZTqFfv14

This tutorial shows the essentials of how I created this mixed media page taking a step-by-step approach using white gesso, a homemade stamp, Inkylicious stamps, Stampers Anonymous stamps, Archival and Distress Inks, a postcard that I bought home from our travels, UHU glue stick and washi tape ephemera.

Here’s the link to my YouTube channel Let’s Art Journal so, if you wish, you can like this video and subscribe to my channel too.

Atlantic canary (Serinus canaria) is native to the Canary Islands. It lives in a wide variety of habitats from pine, like these trees which we discovered along the promenade, to laurel forests to sand dunes. The pine and laurel tree foliage are both featured on my page.

These canaries can also be found in man-made habitats such as parks and gardens, like the Beach Garden, which we found right on the beachfront.

Thanks so much for joining me today. If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Happy and creative wishes! x

Challenges

The lovely Erika from her blog BioArtGal is hosting over at Art Journal Journey this month; she has chosen Home as her theme and so I’m joining her as my page features the habitat where these little canaries make their home.

Wild Flowers

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Wild flowers are perfect for our Wonderfully Wild challenge at Art Journal Journey, which I’m so happy to be hosting this month – I hope to see you there!

For the background, I covered the page with Field Notes Collage tissue paper by Tim Holtz using Liquitex matte gel medium. Then I stained and distressed the background by applying layers of Pébéo white gesso using a brayer and washes of Brushed Corduroy, Vintage Photo and Ground Espresso Distress Ink. The pretty white rambling rose was fussy cut from a flower book and edged with a Dark Grey Faber-Castell marker. It was arranged onto the page with a Beautiful Wild Flowers postcard, various Field Notes Ephemera and a couple of Clipping stickers which read “make this journey of your own” and “go wherever any one wishes”; all by Tim Holtz.

As T Stands for Tuesday, I’m sharing a pot of green tea that I enjoyed at a local café, like my page my pretty cup has a vintage white rose design – Happy T Day!

Stay safe and well! x

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Menorca

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It’s time for our first challenge of the year over at Try it on Tuesday, which for the next two weeks is Winter Blues.

I decided to escape to Cala Galdana, Menorca for my winter blues page; creating a smooshed blue background using one of my favourite techniques and recycling a postcard, calendar page, restaurant business card and napkin from our holiday travels.

For my page background, I pressed some Mermaid Lagoon and Tumbled Glass Distress Inks onto an acrylic block, spritzed the ink with water and then pressed the block onto the page. I also splattered some of the inks from the acrylic block over the page using a paint brush. Next I tore the white napkin into pieces and applied them to the page using a glue stick. I arranged the postcard, calendar picture and business card together using double-sided tape and then stamped the “Menorca” wording using a Sophisticated Script Letters stamp by Concord & 9th and some Paris Dusk Memento Ink. Then to finish, I added the “Cala Galdana” wording which was detailed on the recycled napkin.

For more inspiration please pop over to Try it on Tuesday to see the amazing creations from our Guest Designer and the rest of my Design Teamies (grin!). I hope you are inspired to join our challenge; it would be lovely to see you there!

Here’s the beautiful beach at Cala Galdana, Menorca.

There are lots of walking trails and you can easily walk along the beach or promenade to the other side of the horse-shaped cove.

We loved the Sa Lluna restaurant that we often visited; the people were so friendly and the food was amazing and so very yummy! We often had the three course set menu and here were some of our favourites (starting top right going around clockwise) we have: Prawn Cocktail which was very delicious with the crab sticks and pineapple that were added; stuffed aubergine with a Menorcan cheese sauce and served with salad; Fideuà which is a seafood dish that is similar to paella but with pasta noodles instead of rice; Flan de leche or crème caramel, a custard dessert with clear caramel sauce which they were kind enough to let us have as dessert with every meal, even when it wasn’t on the set menu (smile).

As T Stands for Tuesday, I’m also sharing our drink of Estrella Damm which is a Spanish beer and is pictured here with a very tasty lasagne – cheers and Happy T Day!

We had such a wonderful time and the weather was lovely; the perfect way to beat those winter blues!

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Challenges

I’m pleased to be able to join the following challenges today:

Art Journal Journey which is being hosted this month by the lovely Erika from BioArtGal; she has chosen It’s On The Calendar as her theme so I’m joining with my Menorca page.

Mix It Up Challenge – MIUCB #69 Anything Goes + optional Mixed Media / MIUCB #68 Winner & Top Picks