How random is random?!

Alphabitties by Daniel Torrente

Bold Birds by Maryse Carrier

for Stampotique

So, I am still pondering the question of how random is random, and are some randoms more random than others?! (See here) So while I was teaching a class at Sam Taylors at the weekend I decided to journal it!

Unfortunately I forgot to take my camera to the class so no photos, but you can read all about it here on Cat's blog and see some of her fabulous photos too. It was a great class again, lots of fun, and everyone was so willing to try new things :-))

Right, that's it, it was just a quickie from me this evening! But I leave you with a few photos I took yesterday in the glorious (but rare) English sunshine...

All together now, ahhhhhh:

And the winner is........

Thanks to everyone who left a comment on my free give away and put my blog button on their blog. I'm very veeeeery grateful to you all :-)

I just used random.org to select a winner ..... have you ever been to that website? I've just got to share this with you ....

RANDOM.ORG offers true random numbers to anyone on the Internet. The randomness comes from atmospheric noise, which for many purposes is better than the pseudo-random number algorithms typically used in computer programs.

Jeeeez. Does anyone actually get that maths stuff??! I just thought random was random. I didn't realise that some randoms were better than others.

Anyway, enough waffle ... the winner is ..... TA-DA!

Carin of Created with Love blog

Well done Carin. Let me have your postal addy and the DVDs will be on their way to you ASAP.

Thanks again everyone :-)

Stampotique Design Challenge Blog Hop!

Mary and Hare by Jill Penney and Daniel Torrente for Stampotique Originals

Join us for Stampotique's Magical Mystery Tour today. Why a Magical Mystery Tour? Comment on all the blogs and along the way we have 2 mystery prizes to give away.

If you have arrived here from Vicki at the Summerthyme Studio blog then you are in the right place, if not, you may want to begin at the Stampotique Designer's Challenge blog and begin your tour from there.

A few weeks ago, Valerie had us recycling and this week she has us cleaning house again!She's challenging us to dig in our stash to see how many scraps we can use up in our projects. Just about anything qualifies as a scrap - as long as you're utilizing a piece or part of something that you generated before but never used up... it counts! So what will it be? Bits of an old master board or freaky background? Leftover pieces of your favorite designer paper? Part of an old piece of grunge board? Fragments of a previously inked image? Or the remnants of some odd embellishment? Let's see just how creative you can be!

As you can see I made a tag using up some of my tiny scraps of paper (mostly Basic Gray) by overlapping them and stitching them onto a large manilla tag. I also 'save' tiny scraps of leftover sheet music and vintage text, so they made their way onto the tag too! I stamped Mary and Hare onto a leftover scrap of white paper and coloured them with my *new* prismas :-) I managed to find a random quote about a hare in an old and well-used quote book that I found in a second hand book shop.

As you make your way through the tour make sure you comment on each and every post. There will be 2 prize winners chosen randomly amongst the blogs. For some additional chances to win another prize join us with our "Scraps" Challenge using your Stampotique stamps for your chance at a $30 gift certificate for Stampotique stamps and at being our August Guest Designer, see our blog for additional information.

Our tour will end on June 28th and the winner of the 2 tour prizes will be announced on the blog on June 29th.

Now, jump on over to Joanne at Made by Joanne blog to see what kind of scraps she has used on our Magical Mystery Tour.

Don't forget, it's not too late to enter my free give away for a chance to win my Art Journaling DVDs. Look here for more info, you have until Friday to enter! *EDIT: This competition has now closed *

Journaling for fun ...

Mary and Alphabitties by Daniel Torrente and Jill Penney for Stampotique Originals

Medium Bee by Jo Capper Sandon for Stampotique originals

Numbers by Ma Vinci

Paints and inks by Dylusions

Recently I haven't had much time to play in my journal, you know, just play for the sake of it, and I miss it. So, when I had a little free time a few days ago I finished off a background that I had already prepared. I made the background by fingerpainting, which I love :-) 

This page is about my ongoing battle with work / life balance. I don't seem to get it right as I am busy ALL of the time and even when I am not busy I find something to do and then I am too busy AGAIN. I used 'Mary' and added bee wings because the phrase 'busy bee' popped into my head.

I am loving these 'Alphabitties' to add words to my pages. They look like they have been written by hand. They are a mixture of upper and lower case, as well as a mixture of sizes - totally random, right up my street!

A week or so ago I taught an art journaling workshop to a fab group of self-confessed newbies at Sam Taylors near Skipton. It was a lot of fun and they all did a great job:

Here's a page I started on the day, using a rub-on by 7Gypsies:

I haven't got round to finishing it yet but I will at some point ........

Body by Tumblefish Studio

Head and feet by Dyan's Downloads

*Bad language Alert* Look away now if you don't like swearing haha!!!

And finally here is a page that I used to demo at the workshop. It's similar to a page I have done before but that tends to happen when you teach a class. This tells the story of what happened as I set off all in good time to teach my class, when half way there I came across the sign 'Road ahead closed'. I don't mind telling you panic swept over me and I wanted to pull over and cry in the lay-by. But I kept going, followed the diversion signs and got there just in the nick of time. Phew!

Image by Tumblefish Studio

Before I go I just wanted to say thank you all so much for your lovely lovely comments re: my DVDs. Don't forget it, it's not too late to leave a comment on this post here if you would like to be in with a chance to win a freebie :-)

Byeeeeeee, off to do some painting. No, not that sort of painting, DECORATING! YUK!

DVD give-away and a few sneak peeks,,,

Please take this blog button for your blog

(right click and save to your pictures)

Thanks so much for all your interest and comments about my new art journaling DVDs, you all make me very happy :-))))) (You can read more about these here).

*EDIT: This competition has now closed *

As promised I have a little give-away for you .... cos we all like something for free right?! If you would like to win a copy of my DVDs all you have to do is take the blog button above for your blog, and leave a comment here (only one comment per person please). The draw will run for 7 days and one lucky winner will be announced on Friday 24th June. Please do feel free to spread the word via your blog, facebook and twitter :-)

*EDIT: This competition has now closed *

Just to whet your appetite here are a few a sneak peeks of the journal pages I create on the DVDs using paints, stencils, ink sprays, collage images, rubber stamps, pastels ........ and anything else I could lay my hands on at the time!

Image by Tumblefish Studio

Images by Crowabout Studio B

Image by Stampotique originals

Images by Tumblefish Studios

I have had a few enquiries about whether the DVDs will work in the USA and Canada - yes! The correct version will be sent to you when you order.

Making the DVDs was a real experience for me. I had to travel quite a long way in the car to get to the studio so the pressure was on not to forget anything ( ..er..or not to get lost on the way!) LOL! Once I was there the pressure deepened as I made all the journal backgrounds on day 1, but completed them on day 2, so there was absolutely no room for messing it up on day 2!! The producer was incredibly patient with me ..... I reckon he has at least half an hours worth of 'oh sh*t"s on the recordings ..... I'm still waiting for the bloopers DVD hahaha!!

It all happened here, and despite being gently reminded not to trip over the lighting stand I still did (several times) ......

And while I was down at Traplet Studios lookie who I bumped into:

Yes, it's the lovely Katy Fox, editor of Craft Stamper magazine. For all readers of Craft Stamper, just so you know, this very desk is where it all happens.

Now, don't forget to add the blog button to your blog and enter the give-away here!

Byeeee for now ......