DAY 7 - Southerngals5x7

Hello!!

I can't believe its the last day of the challenge!!

What an amazing adventure this has been!!!!  A big shout out and thank you to Tiffany over at @sougherngals_designs on Instagram for coming up with such a fun challenge!!

Well, today tripped me up just a bit!!  I got a bit overambitious and decided to use water spray on my page, to get some flow and dripage on acrylic paint!  Hmmm, I will not lie, I panicked, and paused the timer to try and dry the page a bit.  Then felt guilty for cheating and started the timer up again.  LOLs!!

It all came together at the end and although Day7 ended up using a bit of overtime.

As with all previous days in the challenge, the process video is on YouTube.  Click HERE for a direct link.

If you are joining in the challenge, or want to check out what other creatives have done in a super speedy 5 minutes, check out #southerngals5x7 on instagram.  To follow the challenge creator, Tiffany, she can be found on Instagram as @southerngals_designs.  She is truly inspirational and not to mention totally fun to listen to when watching her process videos!

I used the digital faces images created by the very talented Lili Wee.  You can follow her on Instagram @weelili_art.  The images are available to purchase through The Lilypad.  

Click HERE for a link to the site.

Until next time!

Keep creating!

Jo
xx

DAY 6 - Sougherngals5x7

Hello creative earthlings!!

Day 6!!  Woohoo!

I have had so much fun with this challenge and am really sad that it is almost over.  Just one more day left!!

As with all previous days in the challenge, the process video is on YouTube.  Click HERE for a direct link.  I managed to get my head into the camera a few times, so as a special treat, you get to see my roots up close.....REALLY close!!! :)

If you are joining in the challenge, or want to check out what other creatives have done in a super speedy 5 minutes, check out #southerngals5x7 on instagram.  To follow the challenge creator, Tiffany, she can be found on Instagram as @southerngals_designs.  She is truly inspirational and not to mention totally fun to listen to when watching her process videos!

I used the digital faces images created by the very talented Lili Wee.  You can follow her on Instagram @weelili_art.  The images are available to purchase through The Lilypad.  

Click HERE for a link to the site.

Until tomorrow for the GRAND FINALE day of this challenge!!

XX

Jo

DAY 5 - Southerngals5x7

Greetings creative earthlings!!

Day 5!!

I can see a bit of repetition going on, the same MO repeatedly.

At first I felt that I was perhaps not stretching myself adequately, and falling back on a tried and tested method for when I create.  After some reflection, I realised that isn't this the case with most things in life.

When working with limited time and limited supplies, why buck the system, stick with what you know works, and with what you love.

I love the way the paint applied with a palette knife has a certain unpredictability to it.  I love that the first layer of gesso applied breaks the page and starts an energy on the page.  I love the marks made by the graphite stick.  Hey, if I love it, then it's all good!

For a full list of supplies used in this project, please click HERE to read my first post.

I have a process video on YouTube, click HERE or search Josocrafty.

I used the digital faces images created by the very talented Lili Wee.  You can follow her on Instagram @weelili_art.  The images are available to purchase through The Lilypad.  

Click HERE for a link to the site.

See you tomorrow for Day 6.

XX

Jo

DAY 4 - Southerngals5x7

Hello speedy artists!!

Day 4!! Half way there!!  Well done for sticking in there!!

I have learnt that 5 minutes is either a long time, or not long at all!!  As I am watching the timer go down, I am sometimes surprised that only a minute and a half has passed, and sometimes I'm like"YIKES!!!! 3 minutes gone!!!"

As a result of this weird time warp situation, sometimes the results of a 5 minute page are less than fantastic, but the most important thing is that I have taken at least 5 minutes during the day to get some paints and marks down on paper, without the burden of thinking too much.

The freedom is liberating, and although I don't really struggle with perfectionism or inability just to let go and play in my art journal, I am learning that letting the media just speak to me is gratifying!!

I can't believe there are only 3 days left in this challenge!!

If you would like to see the full list of supplies I am using for this challenge, please click HERE to be directed to my first post on this challenge.

I have filmed my process, if you would like to watch, please search Josocrafty on YouTube, or click HERE for a direct link!

See you tomorrow for DAY 5!!  Wahoo!

XX
Jo

DAY 3 - Southerngals5x7

Oh yes!!

Day 3 and feeling amped!!!

This challenge has certainly made me step outside my comfort zone from time to time!!  I am using this challenge to try using colours I am not usually drawn to, and I find that being on a time limit allows me to not over think what I am doing.

I am loving learning that even 5 minutes is enough to be creative every day and flexing my creative muscles by having to be quick!

Don't forget to play along and use #southerngals5x7 to showcase your work on Instagram!

For supplies, click HERE to be directed to my first post!

If you would like to see my process video, search Josocrafty on YouTube or click HERE.

Challenge hosted by @southerngals_designs (Instagram).

Digital face images from @weelili_art (Instagram).

Until tomorrow!

Jo

DAY 2 - Southerngals5x7

Well hello fabulous!!

So, day 2.  Well, at least I know now what I am in for, which I guess made me ever so slightly more prepared!!

I hope you are enjoying and are joining in!!  Don't forget to use #southerngals5x7 on your posts so all who are participating can see what you have created in 5 minutes!!

I really like this colour combination today!!  I do really like quinacridone gold.  Totally a yummy colour!!

For a full list of supplies for this challenge, please click HERE to be directed to my first post.

If you would like to see my process video, search Josocrafty on YouTube or click HERE.

Until tomorrow!!

Jo

XX

DAY 1 - Southergals5x7

Squeee!!!

It's day one!! I am so super excited!!

I can tell you this much.  5 minutes flies by when you are on the clock!!

I am chuffed with the results of Day1!!  What a fabulous way to express yourself without having time to overthink what you are doing!  All you can do is JUST DO!!

To watch the process video, search Josocrafty on YouTube. Click HERE to watch.

For my full list of supplies for this challenge, click HERE to be directed to my first post.

See you tomorrow for another super fast creative 5 minutes!!

Happy creating!

Jo

xx

Southerngals5x7 Challenge

Hello all you fabulous creative humans!

The very lovely Tiffany over at @southergals_designs on Instagram has posted a fantastic creative challenge for us.

The rules are simple.
Create every day for for only 5 minutes for 7 days, starting on Sunday 29 August 2018, and ending on Saturday 04 August 2018.

I for one am super excited about this challenge.  I am not very good with challenges and end up petering out mid way through, usually because life gets in the way and I end up not being able to complete the required tasks.  BUT, being only 5 minutes for 7 days, I feel the is the kind of commitment I can confidently make.

I have prepared a few things for the challenge, as 5 minutes is not a lot of time!!

I have chosen to do this challenge in a Moleskine Pocket Sketchbook that I have had waiting on the sidelines for the perfect opportunity to debut itself.  I have prepared some faces by the lovely and talented @weelili_art on Instagram, as well as some fabulously witty quotes from Dyan Reavely's Dylusions stamps by ranger, called Laugh Til You Leak.

As for the other collage elements, I have set aside a page from a novel, a burlap tag, gel plate clean off prints, brown bag scraps, Tim Holts Tissue Wrap (Melange & Postale).

Along with the collage elements above, I will be limiting myself to a small selection of paints and tools.

• Gesso - Liquitex Professional
• UHU Glue stick
• Palette knife #4
• Pentel Pen-Touch Paint Pen 2.0mm (White)
• OHTO Fudeball 1.5mm (Black)
• Lyra Graphite stick (9B)
• Sharpie China Marker (Black)
• Spray bottle with water
• Creative Hands - Flower Doily Stencil
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylic Paint
• Quinacridone Violet
• Primary Cyan
• Cobalt Teal Blue
• Yellow Green Light
• Hansa Yellow Medium
• Dairyide Yellow
• Quinacridone Gold
• Paynes Grey
• DecoArt Metallics Acrylic Paint
• Splendid Gold
• Shimmering Silver
• DecoArt Neons Acrylic Paint
• Sizzling Pink

I am hoping there is enough inspiration in this little bundle to create something beautiful every day for 7 days.

If you would like to join along, tag your work with #southerngals5x7. 

I will be posting the pages I create daily on YouTube (Josocrafty) and photos on my Instagram @josocrafty.

Happy creating talented earthlings!!

Jo

XX

Art Journal Process - Puffin

Well hello gorgeous earthlings!!!

So fabulous to see you again and if it's your first time here, welcome to my little blog!

Today I would like to share my experience with you of filming my first "live" YouTube video.

Many, many years ago, when YouTube was an infant, and I had no grey hair, I posted a few videos using still images. But, in keeping up with the times, I decided it was time to run with the dogs and film "live" process videos.  I touched on my setup in my previous post so I won't go into that again and if you would like to see my setup as well as my workspace during filming, please visit the previous post.

Back on topic. Once I had all the equipment in place, I went about filming myself creating an art journal page, trying to keep my head out of the shot (mildly successful), being carful not to bump the camera, and hopefully trying to stay in screen throughout the process (managed that most of the time).

All in all, I had about an hours worth of footage, which I know for sure would be way more time than I have available to watch YouTube.  After fumbling my way through the editing software, I ended up with just over 10 minutes of footage that was good to go.  Now the easy part, right?  Voice over.  WRONG!!! What can I say?  There is a reason I never use the voice message option....I don't like the sound of my own voice!!!  (My husband doesn't agree, he says I really enjoy using it, all the time, spending way more than my allotted 4000 words per day on him alone!!)

After several attempts to record a suitable voice over, I succumbed to adding captions instead and quite frankly, I enjoy this a little better, not only from my odd perspective, but from a viewing option too.

All new respect to all those fabulous people who not only successfully film videos, but manage riveting successful voice overs.  I bow in your glorious presence!!!

That brings us to....

*drum roll"


THE FIRST VIDEO, well, kind of!!

Here are some pictures and close ups of the page, and click here for the link to the video.

If any of you out there are thinking about sharing your talents on social media, I encourage you to do so.  Haters will hate, and they just need to be ignored.  Sharing your talents and abilities is a gift given, and far more people will appreciate than hate.

Thanks for stopping by!  If you want to see some more of my pages, please follow me on Instagram.  Click the link on the side bar or look up @josocrafty.

Later humans!!

Jo

Setup for Filming my YouTube Videos

Welcome gorgeous people!!

Thank you for stopping by!!  I have started making YouTube videos again.  My very early videos were a completion of still photos, at various stages in the progress of creating the Scrapbook page.

Subsequently, technology as increased in leaps and bounds, and the humble mobile phone is now a powerful social media tool!!

After several months of hopping back on the Mixed Media Train, I was encouraged by some close friends to film the process, and upload to YouTube.  I am known to look a challenge square in the eyeballs and say "It's On!!"

With a bit of research and practical thinking on my husbands part, we managed to fashion a setup which enables me to aerial view record videos.

I have had this tripod for years.  I tried so many variations to try and get a good aerial angle.  I consulted professor Google, and found some useful information on using a selfie stick wedged into a flower pot.  What a fabulous low cost solution to my problem!!

My ever practical husband came up with this idea.  He attached the selfie stick to the pivot of the tripod and voila!! My very own filming setup.  Boy do I just love that man!!!

This is a shot of my desk mid filming a recent video.  Everything outside of the blue square on my craft mat is out of sight of the viewers.  It's a big happy mushy mess of joy, in my eyes anyway!

Thank you for stopping by.  If you would like to see some more of my art pages, please follow me on Instagram @josocrafty or click link in side bar.  Watch me in action on YouTube here.

Keep creating!!

Jo

Mixed Media & Falling Back In Love With Art

Hi all you gorgeous humans!!

Oh how I have missed you!!!  Without getting into all the "gory" details, I have been MIA for the longest time because, well, lets just say I took a different road that needed travelling, but now I am back on track.

I never quite let go of the creative side of me, but I just had other things that needed more attention and focus, so I wasn't creating as actively as I would have liked. What I have learnt though, is that keeping that creative side of me fed and active is a crucial part of my being!!  I am sure there are some of you reading this that will agree.

Too much has passed since my last post to give you a blow-by-blow update, so I will just start from a little while back.

As the title of this post says, I have fallen back in love with art.  I never fell out of love with it as much as I neglected the relationship a little so we ended up sleeping in separate bedrooms.  But I admitted my faults and have repaired and rekindled my relationship with creativity and messy play!!

As with all things starting afresh, I decided that I needed to start a new journal, because you know, you need a new journal :)

I went out and bought a Moleskine Sketchbook. Moleskine is my all time favourite any notebook and it just made perfect sense to stick to what I know. (Side note, I have since bought several other art journals, from different brands - to be covered in later posts).

I pulled out my art supplies, salvaged what I could.  Some items had sadly seen their best times and needed to be sent on to the greater art store in the sky. sniff!  I sat down, opened the journal to the first page and well, just applied product to paper.

This was the result.  Not my first art journal page by a long shot.  I have several journals filled with mixed media art, but, it is the first in my "new me, new start" journal.

Supplies:

Gesso

Matte Medium

Texture paste

Book text from an old novel

Distress Ink

Acrylic paint

Well, the flood gates opened and I created several pages in a short space of time, like I had to purge myself of all the creative energy I had bottled up!!

Here are some of the pages I have created in my Moleskine Sketchbook, as well as an A4 journal I purchased.  The A4 sketchbook I purchased was sealed in plastic wrap, and I didn't get to feel the paper.  I take full responsibility for not doing my homework and as a result, the paper is not of Mixed Media grade, and it took longer to get the pages prepped to handle the media than it did to do the art.  As Jane Davenport says "Life is too short for crappy paper".  She is 100% correct.  It is now a purpose sketch book, reserved for nothing more hectic than pencil!!  

*Jane Davenport is an amazing Australian artist, and it's well worth looking her and her mixed media products up.  I have no affiliation with the artist or her brand, just huge admiration.

Thank you all so much for stopping by and visiting my blog. If you would like to see more of my mixed media pages, please follow me on Instagram @josocrafty, and if you would like to see me in action, hop on over to my YouTube channel, Josocrafty.

Future Logging

Hey lovely people!!

So, it's been crazy around here.  Two kids back at school, the younger one starting her first year of high school!!  It has been full tilt with correspondence from school, correspondence from extra mural activities....yikes!!!

All I can say is thank goodness for my bullet journal!!!!

Not pretty, but functional!

If you follow me in Instagram, you will notice I have made a couple of small purchases from Muji...OMG, why have I waited so long to invest in Muji-magicness!!!

One of the things I bought on my first "haul" were a set of A5 grid notebooks.  My intention was to use them in my Filofax-bullet journal as the size was perfect and all I'd need to do is punch some holes.

I am currently still well supplied on Rhodia Graph paper so the Muji notebooks were on ice until I needed them.

One of the things I have not being thoroughly enjoying at the  moment is the future logging with the bullet journal.  This became glaringly evident when we got schedules for events during the school year, all the way up to March next year.

I have delved in Calendex (Hope method).  I was so hopeful that it would work, but sadly, I ditched it as I didn't feel confident in correctly capturing what was needed.

I have used the method suggested in the original Bullet Journal Video by Ryder Carroll.  I found it lacked in space for multi entries, and so I the Alastair system which resolved a couple of the snags, but ultimately, I knew I needed a monthly layout for future months.

I use a monthly log at the beginning of every month anyway, so I figured it made sense to ditch the double work of logging in the future log, then in my monthly layout, oh and of course cross referencing to the Birthday spread in my collections. (Birthday/Anniversary spread still survives in my collections section, as I still find it relevant).

NOTE:  This post is not to say the fantastic future logging systems created by Ryder, Alastair and Hope are not useful.   There were great benefits in both systems when I used them, it's just they didn't gel for me and my way of planning.

I have been toying with the idea of doing loose-leaf monthly layouts for upcoming months, storing them in the beginning of my Filofax, using them as a future log, inserting them to my daily pages when the month comes up.

So, I was sitting at my work space, brain storming an alternate solution.  I was thinking about my very first attempt at bullet journaling in 2013, when I used a Midori Passport size notebook with one notebook with monthlies setup for the whole year, and a separate notebook for the day to day bullet journal stuff....LIGHT BULB!!!

A5 Graph Notebook from Muji

Rest of 2016 Monthly pages (I have done all the way through to December 2017 in this book)

I had the Muji graph notebook, just crying to be used, so I sat down and drew up the months for the rest of the year.  It slips right into my Filofax Domino and it's not causing any additional stress on the binder.

September monthly in bullet journal.

September Monthly (Muji notebook)

Rest of 2016 Monthly pages (I have done all the way through to December 2017 in this book)

I have found two lucky coincidences since changing over a couple of days ago...

1. I can keep the monthly notebook open in front of me while I am plotting out my day - (no more flipping backwards and forwards to the monthly/future log which is a few pages ahead of the page I am currently on.

1. If I want to travel really light while out and about, I can pop the monthly notebook into my bag, and be confident I can future log without double booking!!

I am trialling this system for a little while and if you have read any of my previous posts on this blog, you know my feelings on planner peace...the ever elusive Unicorn!!  There is not chance I am going to get up on my soapbox and say that this is THE system that works for me forever and always full stop.  I am under no delusion that this is what works now, and who knows, 6 months from now I may be all over some other idea of perfect planning. I will say it again, planner peace is when your planning system is working for you, whatever that system may be, and I feel that just like us, our lives and our circumstances, our planning systems should be just as malleable as we are!

Happy planning all you fabulous humans :D

Jo

XXX

FILOBUJO - Bullet Journaling in a Filofax or Ring-binder

If you read my last post, you already know that I have moved from a bound bullet journal system (Moleskine Grid Large) , to a ring bound system (Filofax Domino A5).  Today I will be sharing my setup, as well do a flip through of some of the sections inside my Filofax.

Firstly let me get into why I decided on a ring bound system.  I like the idea of being able to keep my long term collections, long term, and not have to worry about copying the lists over into a new book each time I ran out of book.  I also like the idea of having sections for different topics.  Yes, you can section off parts of your notebook, but I found I may end up needing more space in one section, and less in another resulting in wasted pages.  I am sure there are many fabulous ways to overcome this in a regular notebook, but as you all know, bullet journaling is all about finding a system and using what works for you.  This is just what works for me, right now.  I am under no illusion that this is the be all and end all of my planner system, I mentioned this in my last post, that I think Planner Peace occurs when the system is working for that individual at that particular time, and then it's gone, and we need to tweak the system to work again.

Flyleaf with sticky notes.

Back of sticky note page & front page which came with the Filofax.  

I have just a couple of random things in the front pocket of the planner.  Some paint chips as we are deciding on doing some repainting in the house, and information pertaining to an event I want to attend.  Then there is the sticky note flyleaf which I made using laminating sheet, punching and splitting the holes so that the sheet is removable.  The sticky notes co-ordinate with each member of our family -  Hubby - green, Me - blue, Son - Orange, Daughter - Pink.   I am undecided yet as to if this is a totally functional way to have it, I rarely use sticky notes, and when I do it is just to jot down something in a hurry to home at a later stage, and being colour specific may become redundant - watch this space!!

The next page is the cover page which came with the planner.  All I did was stamp a feather on the top of the page, and add a sticky note as an index of what each divider is for.  The sticky note is not permanently attached to the page.  I have also not written what each section is for on the dividers themselves.  I have opted to leave the dividers and allocation of the sections to be changeable, should my setup needs change in the future, I will not have to replace dividers or my front cover page.  (I am now wise to the ever elusive Planner Peace Unicorn and am keeping it simple and interchangeable).

I currently have the following divisions in my FiloBujo:

1. Collections - These are all my long term collections like Birthday's & Anniversaries, Future Log, Books Read, Snail Mail Addresses.
2. Bullet Journal - Monthly Views, Meal Trackers, Menu Planners...basically anything that I don't want to keep long term and have to copy from one notebook to the next.
3. Health & Fitness - As it says on the tin - Healthy Foods, Workout Tracker - Gym Schedules.
4. Home - This is the only section I have not indexed.  It is a free flow section with running home to do lists, grocery lists, receipts to be captured on our home budget system, and a master grocery list, which I have written out, photocopied, punched and use when I do my big shop every 6 weeks or so.  We are working on doing some painting and I have some random notes on that, just written on the next blank page. (I will be sharing my master grocery list on Instagram in the next few days - you can check it out there @josocrafty)
5. Blog - well, it's more a social media section.  I write down blog post ideas, Instagram pictures to take, blog post plans.
6. Blank - At the moment there are just a few random pieces paper in there that can be used for when needed.  I can file them under the relevant section if needed or just throw them out when done.

I have made an index for each section, and use it in the traditional manner of indexing, other than I do not forward number my pages in advance.

Collections Index

Bullet Journal Index

Health & Fitness Index

Social Media Index

Below are some examples of the spreads in my Collections section.

Birthday's & Anniversaries

Kitchen Garden Ideas

(I live in a desert, and our small garden is not conducive to a veggie patch - this is actually a bucket list item of mine).

Next up are some examples of the spreads in my Bullet Journal section.

August title page, I don't think I will do this every month, only if I have a gap page.

August Monthly spread.

(inspired by Jessica from @prettyprintsandpaper on Instagram)

August To Do & Meal Plan (failing dismally on meal planning this month- ho-hum)

Meal Tracker for August - I don't include this every month.  Just when the urge grabs me.

Gratitude & Back To School List.  The gratitude page is new to me.  I am enjoying it.

Back To School is in preparation for school starting at the end of this month.

Example of daily pages - I am fiddling with what works for me.  This past week I changed up the check boxes for bullet points, and used double line spacing between the items per day.  I am thinking of reverting back to single spacing, but loving the bullet points.

After the Health & Fitness Section.

I have a yearly workout tracker.  I don't do daily/monthly habit trackers in my bullet journal section, but prefer to see the year in overview.

 

Clean Food List, Clean Eating Grocery List and Kickboxing schedule.

Thank you so much for stopping bye and spending time reading my blog.  Always remember that the best Bullet Journal and bullet journaling system is the one that works for you.  Whether you like just use one pen and keep it simple, or if you are fortunate enough to have the creativity, and have the time to create beautiful art-piece pages, the whole idea is to keep organised and productive.

Keep Calm & Bujo On!

Jo

xxx