Gecko Galz - April Steampunk Challenge

I've been seeing Gecko Gals images in a friend's blog for quite some time now and this one grabbed my attention. I finally got around to using it in my daily journal last night and remembered it was for a challenge so thought - why not....

#777 - Freebie Taster Courses

The freebie/taster courses just keep on popping up. 

I have signed up to the Christian "Encounters in Colour" Art Journaling Retreat May 13th-19th hosted by Jenna Burne Art Journaling. It has an associated Facebook group.

Also the Nest Fest a 12-day virtual event 8th-19th May hosted by Roben-Marie Smith 

And the latest is a Collage Kickstart with Catherine Raines which is a 5 day lifetime access course, it's on my PC screen here.  Whoop Whoop 🤸‍♀️🤸‍♀️. It also has a facebook group...

Go me. 'Twill keep me busy in my craftcorner....

I finished the last taster course, but not that happy with the end results, it was a bit like the host's previous taster on colour, obviously not my cup of tea overall but I did like the floral/foliage drawing warm up on day 1.

Daily journaling continues...

I think I need a colour mix up/combo shift... don't realise till you see them together how they are a lot alike.

I did cool colours yesterday...

 ...and warm ones today.

If anyone would like to offer some colour combos that would be great.

Monday I popped to Ikea (if that is ever possible) just for the paintbrushes as I love them for acrylics and glue, so needed some to watercolour only. I got the rest of the stuff from Hobbycraft. The only impulse buy were the wooden eggs but at 50p I couldn't go wrong really.

This week's scrapbook page is of our tree trimming back in October last year. We will have so much more light this year, I hope it isn't too hot this Summer, I'm already struggling at night even with my windows open.

Oh and I had to do a factory reset on my mobile phone Friday as it kept freezing. Still finding stuff which needs sorting out. Oh my life!

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #776 - Happy

SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) light bulb (old fashioned fluorescent tube) arrived last week but sadly there was something else wrong with my light so it didn't work. We pondered buying a new light but at £100's, not a great prospect. 

Then hubby said he could try to fix it with new LED bulbs which he could fit into the inner plate, for only £20. He did and we're up and running again.

I had spent a few evening crafting in the semi darkness which was really doing my head in, so I am really pleased to have my light back. whoop whoop. Hubby sure is nifty with DIY. My craftcorner is really dark even in the sunshine so I use it all of the time, and I'm not one to lug stuff downstairs to craft either, so happy bunny now.

Here's my daily journaling.

Saturday I did my Faith Inspirations page following the video and then my journal page on the back of that...

Sunday was our church for everyone service, or as I like to think of it, crafting at church week.  We made clouds with fairy lights and raindrops and pondered things which helped us have peace in all the chaos of life.

My Sunday journal page was off the back of this so I was pondering the message all afternoon as well. 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Monday I started another free art course called Flower Flow Taster Week. I did one by Laly Mille last September. I really enjoyed the first day's play..

We gessoed various papers, drew rough flowers with a "black" water soluble pencil and then used matt medium with our fingers to activate the pencil marks and smudge it.

The only pencil I had which worked well was brown, but I'm going with that, a sort of sepia vibe. Charcoal was OK though.

I used some pieces for yesterdays journal page.

Oh and that wasn't enough I did a couple of scrapbook pages for last October too. The start of picking up the 10 "X" Marks the Spot puzzle caches hubby had been working on for some time (got the last one last week as it happens).

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #775 - SAD!

Oh my life, spot the main difference between my desk photos... 

I was just sitting at my desk and it went dark and it wasn't the eclipse! 

Now I'm SAD indeed.

Hubby has ordered a couple new bulbs but thinks, now he's taken it apart, that it may be something else! Oh no!

On a brighter note my April journal has become quite eclectic, some pages I like and some less so, but by doing something daily I surely will find my vibe.

Yesterday's page reflected our geocaching walks in the woods which were very Hobbit Like. 

I love moss on rocks and it reminded be of the times I spend alone on Dartmoor as a child when I visited my Dad's farm in the holidays.

The brisk wind reminded me of walks on the cliffs as a teen along The Gower coast.

I have yet to do today's page and that will be interesting without my brilliant SAD light.

I finished off August 2023 in my scrapping. I find anything to go with these photos so ended up plain plus various handmade items, inking and stamping etc.

There is journaling on the tags behind the top left photos on each page.

For September 2023, I was obviously very conservative with my photo printing so just, the various painting courses I did and our son's annual visit for his dental appointment and car MOT plus some geocaching, badminton and chess.

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #774 - April

March journal completed and started the one I made recently for April. Tuesday's page pending on desk.

Even managed a couple of scrapbook pages and YES Julia I swap out the ones hanging up when I make new ones, until the next couple are made...

March's last week. 

I particularly loved the dying process for the ribbons and fabric strips. It was done in a plastic cup and I used my silicone "brush" and tweezers so didn't need gloves either. Dried the pieces on cardboard packaging too, such great tips from the BB week.

Did a lot of stuff on Sunday afternoon, so a crafty Easter for me.

Easter Day Bible Watercolour form Devotion in Action.

The last day of BB's freebie week with the prompt of "Stitch" I also did another "Cluster" gaining great inspiration from the Facebook group which went with the course.

Here's are my dyed ribbons and fabric strips. I dug out my Tim Holtz crinkle ribbon, must have bought that over a decade ago for such a time as this - LOL.

I did my April Bible Journaling Ministries with their free mini kit

And here's my April Fool's day page - hope I can keep up with my challenge of a journal page a day this year. Three months in the bag so far, so a quarter accomplished...

Happy WOYWW Everyone.