journal – Basement Studio

Out With The Watercolours

We’re now past the longest day with not only a heatwave but it’s just been so dry. Officially we’re now in a drought situation with a ban on using the hosepipe for anything other than watering the veg patch. As a result I’ve just spent two very depressing hours cutting down quite alot of the border plants to try and conserve some energy and keep them alive. I notice too either I’ve lost some plants due to the lack of rain or they’re just lying dormant and will come back next year which I hope is the case. Either way I’ve lots of gaps with bare soil.

Maybe I should just replace everything with grasses and more drought tolerant type plants!! Fake grass would be an option too.

Anyway that aside, I did have the urge a couple of days ago to open my travelers notebook journal. I had no idea what I was going to do other than I needed to get out some watercolours. Working outside too in the sun gave me lots of inspiration.

The finished page included some bits from my June Sweet Treat Box from Paperpenandplan as well as a few sprigs of Lavender. That cute pencil case came in the same box too and I just love it.

Here are a couple of close ups.

I’ve a few exciting projects coming up quite soon, one of them being Christmas In July, can you believe that??

Have a good one

Jaine x

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Friday In The Studio – Planning Planning Planning

I really should call this Catching Up In The Studio as it’s now Sunday and I’m only now finding the time to do my catch up. It’s been a busy week as usual and the weather hasn’t helped. We’ve had some snow and having a dog who constantly wants to come in and out the floors are always wet and dirty so I spend my time cleaning up after him.

Anyway, that aside, I’ve prepared my planners and journals for this new year and I thought I’d share that with you seeing as I’ll be using them from time to time in blog posts. The four above are the ones I’ll be using on a regular basis and from the top they are, a Websters Pages Travelers Notebook which holds a sketchbook and journal in at the moment but I have the ability to be able to add other books as I go along. Next is my desk diary which is my daily agenda, always on my desk with my to do lists, money matters and notes etc, then comes my Simple Stories Carpe Diem planner which I started last year and abandoned after January! I’m hoping this year to really use it properly and after making new inserts and dashboards for it I feel it’s really my own style. Finally I’ve a gardening diary which was a gift a couple of years ago and although I’ve started it I don’t feel as if I’ve really got into it yet. I’ve lots of ideas for how I’ll use this one so you may see it from time to time here.

As I said in my travelers notebook I’ve included a sketchbook. I do have a much bigger sketchbook which I’ll continue to use from time to time but for a quick sketch on the go I’ll be using this one. It’s a Moleskine as I absolutely love the paper even though it’s thin and buckles and warps when I use watercolour paint on it, this is why I like it so much.

A couple of sketches created after walks with the dog.

My planner is a Simple Stories ring binder style and now I’ve made my own dashboards it feels more like me so I’m hoping that will encourage me to keep up with it.

I’d love to know if any of you are using planners or journals this year and what system you’re using?

Hopefully I can inspire you a little bit to get out a pencil and maybe start something new.

See you soon

Jaine x

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Friday In The Studio, Sketching Again

It’s been absolutely ages and ages since I did any sketching, that’s not including the little sketches and doodles in my travel journal. No, I mean actual sit down with a pencil and seriously draw type sketching. I even had to hunt around for my sketch book it’s been that long.

Anyway I’m so glad I did and I even decided to document my weekend with a sketch in my journal.

The colours of Autumn are so inspiring and I can’t get enough of them.

I hope you all have a great weekend. I might try and get out in the garden for a bit more cutting down before the winter.

Have a good one and see you next week.

Jaine x

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A Week In The Studio – Digi Stamp With Craft Stamper

It’s been another busy weekend chez nous and I’m about pooped. I decided last week I’d start going out on my bike throught the forest as much as possible in a bid to get fitter before holiday and doggy. We live in a valley and every way out is up so the first push is tiring on the legs, however I’m pleased to say it’s getting easier and ~~I can now cycle further up the hill before I have to stop which is my big goal and that’s just after a week~~. Update, I’ve now managed to go the whole way up without stopping once – I’m so chuffed. I’ll carry on pushing myself every day especially as I can already feel a difference after only a week, and yes that is a jelly seat there.

I’ve also been madly making jam. It’s been a while since I made jam, in fact last years fruit harvest wasn’t the best and I only managed to squeeze out a couple of jars but this year I felt the urge to stock pile jam until next year so production has been high.

Tomorrow the latest edition of Craft Stamper magazine comes out and while I’m on the subject of bikes I’m really happy to say I’ve a downloadable digital stamp with this months Craft Stamper magazine. I know digital stamps aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but I thought I’d show you a few different papers I’ve printed out my bike onto.

Firstly, I’ve not used a graphics program to print from just opened the image on my computer and chosen the print options. From left to right I’ve reduced the image, repeated it multiple times and printed it onto an already sprayed piece of water colour paper. Then I’ve used clear sticky label sheet, white card, water colour paper, coloured paper, sticky backed brown kraft paper and again multiple times onto plain printer paper.

I cut out the image from a clear sticky label sheet so I could put it on my journal background. If I hadn’t have been so lazy I’d have cut closer to the image so I wouldn’t have got that horrid line around it.

Details of how you can download my image can be found on page 38 of the Craft Stamper mag.

Jaine x

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