What to do about the squirrels, otherwise known as "ohh look something shiny"

Hi all,

Yeah, I was going merrily about my creative business when I fell down a rabbit hole.  A Junk Journaling rabbit hole.  This is a truly magical and exciting world to be sure.
I have stumbled momentarily in this direction before, but my project sat lonely and dusty on the shelf.

Oh but this time, anyone who will listen, I am well and truly performing the deep dive into this creative genre.

YouTube is my friend, Etsy is my new shopping mall, digi's are my new technology and all things vintage continues to be my passion.  I now use my kitchen and oven for tea staining myriad papers, fabrics and lace and I have pile of vintage and second hand books others deem as well past their useful life.  I am a proverbial pig in mud...

This wee journal although not my first book, it is my first to be completed. It is made using a digital kit and YouTube tutorial from Nic the Booksmith https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcLLeIWDYtttEzvTEhkfshQ

It has all things old and new tucked away in it.

A wee tag with a paper clip dangle

A bit that opens out with a tuck spot for a tag

Another little fold out with a tuck spot and a tag

Tea stained paper and old lace

A big tag with a baby tag

A tiny hanging butterfly tag... soo cute

A hand made tea stained file folder held in with a cool Prima Marketing paper clip

Another "sweet" little tag

A page from a very old birthday book

For a wee little journal there is a lot of bits in it.  These journals are so tactile and interactive.  The feel and sound of the tea stained papers, the little pockets and tuck spots, little tags to write on or lift out and look at.  Fabric, lace, dangly bits.  

These little journals are a piece of interactive art.  They feel amazing, the paper makes a great sound as you rifle through them, they look so great, and they have bits here and there to open and hidey holes where there are more treasures to be found or hidden.  The best thing is the owner can then add to these books by writing in them, drawing in them, adding their own bit and pieces to them.

I've always loved books ever since I was a child so this perfect for me.

So yay for the squirrels, sometimes being distracted by something shiny that leads you down another path can be a wonderful thing.

It's my birthday

Yep, it is my birthday today, and 26 days since my last post.  What have I done since then?

David is also an August baby so we had a road trip to the South Island for his birthday.

It was a fabulous week and I did convince him to stop at a few secondhand and vintage stores.  I came home with some lovely vintage treasures.


                                                       Dunedin was beautiful.

Sunrise from Larnach Castle Lodge

A few of my vintage goodies from the South Island.

I decided it was high time I visited my parents in Whangarei, so shortly after we returned from our trip I was back on the road again.  It is a long way to their place so I stopped and visited with friends and family on the way there and back.

Before I left I completed a layout for Dad for his birthday of Mum on their wedding day.  Sadly I forgot to photograph it so I only have this sneaky peek.

Apart from this layout I have been rather lost down a junk journal rabbit hole and really loving trying something new.

A sneak peek of a wee book I am making.

Junk journals are much trickier to share.  I am thinking I am going to have to make use of my tripod and film a flip through.  It seems to be the way.  However I haven't actually completed one yet as they are very time intensive and lots of work.  

When I returned home from my time away my garden had been transformed.  One garden bed completely gone and the enormous pond also gone and filled in.  It is going to look amazing when the mud dried out and the grass is planted.  What a huge surprise.

We have down lights going in through out the house too so lots of work going on.  Spring is nearly here and that means lots of gardening to get stuck into.

I have so many projects I want to get started and finished, it's good to be so busy.

I'd better get a junk journal finished so I can post it up here.

Kate.

Making a beautiful mess

The Prima Marketing Inc design team call closes tomorrow.  I have been watching closely on Instagram as all the entries roll in, literally thousands to them.  SO many talented crafters and artists from all over the world.  As you know I have been on a journey to be more courageous with my creative life and really life in general, so I have put myself forward for this design team also. In many ways I don't think I have the experience and presence on social media that many of the entrants have but it's a dream company to represent so it's always worth a shot.

With that in mind I decided I would try out a few new projects. A mixed media tag and an altered box.

I used some black gesso and waxes on the tag and i loved the mess and process of it.  It was a lot of experimenting with new products I had purchased in Auckland at SENZ craft expo.

My mixed media tag

A close up

I also prepped a couple of boxes to alter. One black and one white.   I completed the white one.  I used so many different mediums and products on the box.  I had a vintage kind of look in mind but really, I am not sure how I feel about the colour it turned out. Its quite hard to photograph.

I used Lindys Stamp Gang sprays which are very shimmery, but for some reason the flowers on the left look quite dark in the photos.

I think it will be something I go back to an play around with some more.  With most of these techniques and products the only way to learn is to use them and experiment.  There is really only so much you can learn from others on You Tube and then it's really up to you to throw caution to the wind and have a go.

Speaking of You Tube I have discovered two women who make books and Junk Journals and I imagine I will be posting some makes on here soon.

In the meantime it's off to Masterton tomorrow to Parent/teacher interviews and then to Palmerston North for the night.

After that it will be all about preparing to go to the South Island for a week for David's birthday.  I have purchased some merino for the cold weather.

My plan is to stop at as many second hand stores as I can possibly get away with and see what vintage finds I discover and of course take loads of photographs.

can't wait!

Kate.

MARKET DAY (putting myself out there)

Yep I did it,  I decided to take my humble cards to the market and see if anyone would buy them.  I spent a bit of time thinking about how I wanted my table set up to look and got some advice from my daughters. I also didn't want to spend a fortune on this venture as I was not sure how it was going to go.  So this is how it ended up looking...

Happy with how it all looked I packed up all my cards and put a little logo on the back,  and packed up my car for a bright early start in the morning.

Sunday morning dawned bright and very cold, so I wrapped up warmly and set out, feeling more than a little vulnerable and nervous.

I was given a wee spot a little out of the way of people traffic and sadly in the shade.  I had a touch of sunshine for about 30 minutes first thing...

The sun rose and went behind the trees and I was in shade all morning

How did it go??  I think I had about 5 people come and look, with one lady who actually looked at the cards.  Nobody purchased them.  I was frozen to the core by 1pm and feeling a little deflated to say the least.  I am pleased and proud that I got it together and went along.  I realise people don't really buy and mail cards anymore but I keep making them anyway.  It may be that it was the wrong kind of market and I am going to try a craft market that I have discovered is on once a month.  If nobody buys them it won't stop me creating. I don't make them to sell, but I thought maybe I could make a bit of pocket money.

Meanwhile I have had another physio look at my busted knee and he believes I have torn a ligament which, if he's correct I will need surgery. Back to GP tomorrow to get a referral to a sports doctor who can order further investigations.

I hope this week I can create another project for the Prima Marketing Design Team call.  I have seen many of the other applicants and they are so very talented, but again, I am trying to just believe in myself and give things a go without any pressure or expectations.

Why not??!!

Kate xx