Thursday 5 May 2016

Celebrating my style as a favourite artist for Anything but Cute's first anniversary

Hello and a very warm welcome to Jane's Journal. Today I am absolutely delighted to be joining Anything But Cute's first anniversary celebrations. I had a wonderful email from Pamellia in April telling me that I had been voted one of their favourite mixed media artists of the year! What an honour, I was totally delighted by this recognition. The brief for today was to show my mixed media style to give some inspiration for their newest challenge here.

I have quite an eclectic mixed media style as I love learning new techniques and using new products. I could never just use "one" style and my crafting is constantly evolving. I really love getting inky and using mixed media. I am totally inspired my Mother Nature which influences all my crafting and I particularly love the seasons.

Spring is in full swing here and everything is bursting into life. I take my camera with me everywhere, even into my own garden. Inspiration is all around me...these photos were taken in my garden yesterday


and when I went for all walk blossom is exploding everywhere


At first I thought I would make a spring art journal page using my Tim Holtz tree die as the centre piece. However I decided for this special occasion to make a double art journal page to show my style and all the seasons of the year. I also wanted to share some of my favourite mixed media techniques. I do love adding textures so I decided that I would textured a tree for each season.
I started blending my paints....
I sectioned my pages into 4, 1 for each of the seasons. I made a "path" to "walk" through my seasons with some thoughts along the way.

I used the colours I associate for each season to ink each section. I added texture paste through some stencils and archival ink through others. (Sorry this photo is so dark). The path was created with texture sand which I added a little grey acrylic paint to.

Then I started to add the details, season by season.

Spring: Newly budded leaves and birds. I stamped PaperArtsy leaves onto book pages, others I die cut using inky off cuts. The sentiment stamped, embossed and coloured with Glaze pens.

Summer; hot colours, butterflies, a garden bench with watering can and a daisy. (every garden must have a Daisy ;0)

Autumn; golden colours, spiders' webs, birds, falling leaves

Winter; snow, a starry wintry sky and of course a robin. I painted the stars with silver acrylic paints and the snow is Decoart Snow Tex with some glamour dust added (which does not show in my photo, IRL this has such sparkle).


I added some Tim Holtz chit chat stickers and Remnant Rubs words and images to tie everything in. You can see that each tree has a seasonal colour/ finish too.

Here is my finished piece......4 seasons in one day ;0)

and a couple of close ups



I had such fun making this. I am a crafter who usually makes Christmas themed projects no earlier than September and I would never usually even think about Halloween until September! So getting out my Christmas and autumn dies and inks was delightful.

I would like to enter my seasons art journal pages into the following challenges;

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday stencil it
Pile it on 2/3 garden creatures
Rhedd's creative challenge altered art/mixed media
We love to Create 2/2 anything mixed media
The artistic stamper 1/3 Collage
Memory Box for the birds my crows branch, the butterfly summer flourish and the tiny spring birds are all MB
Our creative corner 1/3 hit the books I used book pages to create some of my spring leaves.
Emerald Creek Dares Use the Bs... I have used blooms, butterflies, bright colours, bricks, bench and birds


I would like to say a big thank you to Pamellia and her talented team over at Anything But Cute for nominating me as one of their favourite mixed media artists of the year and for asking me show my style.
I am very proud to wear this badge in my side bar

Congratulations ladies on your first birthday and thank you for all your inspiring work you have shared over the last year.
ATBC have a brand new challenge to celebrate their 1st anniversary..celebrate your style starting today.

They would love everyone to be a part of it. Please pop on over here via this link to join the fun and to also see what the other favourite artists and the DT have created for this special celebration.

Thanks so much for visiting me here today and a very warm welcome to anyone who is a first timer.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

32 comments:

  1. Oh boy Jane, I am been aching to get here so I can see more of this beauty! I am just so captivated by your page and completely blown away by your genius idea to do all four seasons!! AWESOME!! You have used all of your favourite things, colours, stamps, stencils, texture and inspiration from the world around you. That is exactly what our challenge theme is about, you just nailed it!! So many beautiful elements, I wish I could shrink down and walk along that path...what a sight it would be! Thank you so much for all your work on this, you are such an inspiration with your artwork and with your wonderful photos!

    It's such an honour to have you celebrating with us for our first blogiversary. Thank you for all your support and inspirational work over the last year. Looking forward to seeing more this year! hugs Pamellia DT Anything But Cute :)

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  2. This really is spectacular Jane! I loved seeing your process.....plus it inspired me to go back and finish a seasonal page I started last Fall! Mine is just two seasons, Spring and Fall, but you have definitely given me food for thought. Thank you for generously sharing all your art work!

    Hugs!
    Mary Anne

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  3. What a lovely idea....spring and Summer are my fav though but you already knew that! ;)
    Four seasons in one day sounds like our weather last week!!
    Your garden is looking lovely!
    V x

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  4. Oh wow Jane!! You really have celebrated your style with these fabulous pages, such a wonderful idea to use the seasons in this way, I love the path that you created and your trees look absolutely amazing (so does your lovely garden at home too). It is such a pleasure to have you as a Guest to help us celebrate our First Anniversary. Hugs, Anne xx

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  5. I love this! What a great journal page and all the work involved to make these 4 seasons. Love it

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  6. You have excelled yourself Jane with this beauty! It's truly FAB-U-LOUS!! Gorgeous design and beautiful clean elements. I really love it! Hope its on display prominently. Lovely to feature alongside you too. Your photos are a treat too - thank-you for sharing. Nicola x

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  7. What a completely clever design on your pages to depict the seasons divided by a road Jane - each season is so wonderfully presented with your trees, animals, foliage and colors! Julia xx

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  8. Brilliant Jane and we'll deserved😊😊Lxx

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  9. Your garden is certainly coming to life Jane with all those beautiful flowers. Super journal pages and a clever design. Congrats.
    Julie x

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  10. Congratulations on your spotlight at ABC - love this fabulous mixed media page which certainly captures your love of nature, which we see in your photos so often. The four seasons all look amazing, and I love how you've created the path to take us through the year.
    Alison x

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  11. what wonderful pages Jane - I really love the whole idea and its so beautifully executed - fantastic! Hugs rachel x

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  12. This really is a fabulous spread! What a wonderful way to travel through the seasons! Sorry to have been such a bad visitor lately! Hugs, Chrisx

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  13. Jane, tis is totally you, with inspiration coming from nature and your use of texture--I see your style peeking our of every corner. Great idea to use the four seasons on your pages and you have respresented each of them with the beauty they hold. My favorite is fall, of course--I can almost smell the fallen leaves! So pretty, this is!

    Thank you for joining us as one of our FAVOURITE ARTISTS (now they've got me spelling it that way!) to celebrate our one year birthday! It is such an honor to be crafting along side you today! Hugs!

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  14. Oh wow, Jane, this is amazing!! What a creative project!! I love how you've depicted each season!! The texture and colors are spectacular!! I love the brick road that separates the seasons!! This is so clever and fabulous!! I'm so glad you joined in with our Anything But Cute celebration!! You did such an amazing job!! Have a great day!! Big hugs :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  15. Your Spring garden is gorgeous, green and floral.. you must be enjoying it so much. Wonderful card, my friend! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  16. This is so fantastic! I love how you blog. Thank you for sharing this on ABC for the anniversary post and then for entering our challenge at Emerald creek

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  17. What a beautiful journal page Jane, wonderful representations of the seasons, it's like walking through your beautiful garden all year long! Congratulations on being chosen as one of Anything But Cute's favourite artists of the year! Deb xo

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  18. Woo hoo Jane what a well deserved accolade you have received and a fabulous project and post to celebrate. Love the garden photos and the fabulous journal pages, perfectly put together. Xxx

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  19. Hello dear Jane,

    Congrats for being chosen! YOu are a true artist!
    Love your AJ pages! and always enjoy seeing how Nature inspires your art.

    xx

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  20. I love your photos and lovely creativity! Your profile pic with the cat is so cute. :)

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  21. Your garden looks so pretty! We are bit behind here in New England, but a week of rainy weather has greened everything up--now just waiting for a real sunny day to enjoy being outside.
    I especially liked the winter section of your piece--not that I'm missing the snow!
    Have a nice weekend!
    Jane T

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  22. Stunning seasons and I really enjoy the way you have separated the seasons but they also are all so cohesive! The winter one is my fave but all are gorgeous! You totally nailed the theme because this is so you! Wowzers and fantabulous!

    Thank you and congrats for being one of our Favorite Artists and celebrating our 1 years Anniversary! Hugz! ~Niki

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  23. These are really lovely. I have to admit my Christmas supplies are still hidden at the back of the cupboard! Thank you for entering your project at Rhedd’s Creative Spirit. Sammy-x

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  24. One of my favorite journal creations EVER EVER EVER Jane. Absolutely GORGEOUSLY PERFECT. You used every trick in the book girl: texture, dimension, embellies, stencils, stamps, luscious colors, sentiments and even SNOW! I cannot explain it but your project just totally touches my heart. I have always been one to believe that our lives are divided into 'seasons'. Sometimes things change and we just have to go with the flow to the next 'season'. Your project is so representative of that as well as of the seasons of the year. CONGRATULATIONS on being chosen FAV ARTIST at ABC - so well deserved and WHAT a SPLENDIDLY LUSCIOUS project you provide for their special anniversary. Just WONDERFUL. XXj

    And now with my DT hat on.... heheheh!! It's wonderful to see you at Our Creative Corner for our 'Hit the Books' Challenge too. j.

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  25. Fabulous journal project, a real work of art. Great take on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday STENCIL IT Challenge.
    Hugs,
    Caryn xxx

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  26. YOu have3 such a wonderful style! Congratulations!

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  27. Stunning pages Jane and you have made them so special...I love them all,I could'nt choose a favourite that's for sure...
    Thank you for joining in with our May Challenge over at Rhedd's Creative Spirit...x

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  28. Jane my comment keeps disappearing! Congratulations on an honor well deserved! You are indeed most talented.
    I have always loved seeing pictures of your own garden and how special it is to have a studio there.
    Your spread of your garden with a walk through it is a work of love. I am definitely going to have to study it again and again!
    Sandy xx

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  29. Congrats on your GD post, your work is amazing, this one is not exception. Beautiful journal spread, with so much detail work
    Thanks so much for joining us at Artistic stamper and Emerald Creek this month.

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  30. Fabulous inspirational pieces which are so special to each of the seasons. Thank you for joining us at Our Creative Corner for our Hit the Books Challenge. Jennie x

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  31. Love how you used one die to depict the four seasons & the layout with the road. Lovely!

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