J is for

Hello to all my new followers, thanks for joining me on this alpha journey; I hope you enjoy the ride.

Well I am up to day ten, which I have to say is a new record for me. At times it is a little bit of an uphill slog and I'll take this opportunity to apologise for my camera skills (or lack of them). It proves quite a challenge trying to photograph my artwork semi single handedly. But I have to say all your lovely comments are really helping me to carry on.

Now then, the letter 'J'. I have chose the word 'Justice', an important word in our modern day world I think. I am a great believer in fair play and to me justice means the same thing. One of the dictionary definitions is 'treatment of people that is fair and morally right'. Treat people as you would wish to be treated is not a bad moral code for oneself. And we must trust in the judicial system, that 'right' will out. Unfortunately I think this sometimes depends where in the world the system resides, and by whom it is run.

Many times when we are creating our latest masterpiece we don't do ourselves justice. We are our own harshest critic and when a project doesn't turn out how we imagined it we tell ourselves we have failed. That's the committee in our heads again. Apart from you, no-one else had a clue what you were trying to create but in your mind you don't think you've tried hard enough. Learn to cut yourself a little slack (and if all else fails take the chairs out of the committee room!).

Today's artwork is another design I taught in a workshop last year.

The crackle background was created by colouring a piece of A4 cardstock with a combination of Mustard Seed and Vintage Photo Distress inkpads. Then painting it with PVA glue and adding a top coat of cheap cream matte emulsion paint. This was then left to dry overnight before I cut out a tag shape. Top Tip: Invest in some of those tester pot paints you can buy from all DIY stores. There are some fab colours around, but if you want to tint them yourself I suggest you get very pale ones.

Next I added a piece of torn dictionary paper using Glue n' Seal. When dry I sponged a little Vintage Photo around the edges and stamp the trailing leaves from the Wisteria Lane stamp set using Vintage Sepia

I coloured the blank mannequin with Mustard Seed and Spiced Marmalade and stamped it with an image from the Fancy Flowers stamp set. I punched a border from cream cardstock, cut it in two and layered it on the bottom of the tag. I spritzed the mannequin and a scrap of dictionary paper with gold mica spray, then punched out the butterflies. Finally I attached the mannequin with foam pads and glued the butterflies and paper daisy in position.

I have to tell you that if you had seen me creating the crackle background with just my left hand you would have thought I had lost the plot. It took me nearly an hour and that's without drying time! But justice was served because it came out really well. 

Finally, the next time hear someone say there is no justice in the world, what they really mean is 'it's not fair'. And maybe in that instance they might be right.

See you again tomorrow