Creative Art journalling!

A starry Thursday to all of you! I've been busily working in my art journal, doing a few things here and there, went to visit my family on the weekend, and am getting over a cold the little ones brought home from school...alas here I am in my green ugg boots and my stripy cardi getting a post together!
so inside the little journal that could are some random odds and ends.

playing with the scanner, old letters and other sketch books of mine to create artworks to rework in my current journal..this girl has won a place in my heart because of her sad little face.

always trying to get my fashion figures sorted out, still tripping over on that task but I still try every few days, this is my current sassy girl

a whimsy long necked girl that was a sketch in my journal for so long, and while I was away at my parents as we caught up and chatted I sat and coloured, listening to the sounds of my family cackle and recount old stories.

I've been getting mail lately, which isnt bills! and as the mail arrives from Miss Sophie.
I glue things into my journal for later use. An old photo and some washii tape never go astray, oh..can you spot my course work for the new class I'm taking at the moment Painted faces with the beautiful Gulfsprite. Printing out her templates and drawing some of my own ready and waiting to get into the painting!

and of course, a random scrappy collage page that I've just started working on, needs some ink and watercolours me thinks...just not sure what to draw..it will come, it always does

so thats my creative space and my journal progress!!
what are you doing in your journals lately?
xx C

a little one finds his passion.

Another day into the new year, with lots to do, the boy and I have been re-organizing and doing the last of the few book boxes left, but we found a spare few mins to take a drive into town, to get a few things... so I thought why not since yesterday was a selfie..keep the tradition going...365 self portraits, maybe blogged..maybe just printed for my journal who knows!

Something that makes my heart sing, is this little man of mine, finding something that he really loves to do...taking photos, and little movies. So today, we gave him a little camera, took him to the shops bought an SD card and a battery recharger and let him loose. Its rather beautiful some of the photo's he has taken, the framing of them..you would think I took them. I am thinking of making a little scrapbook for him, so he can print his faves out and we can glue them down.

In the spirit of keeping very busy and very creative, I joined a few things to keep me on the creative path, one was Alisa Burke's new course, step one was to organize your creative space...and I started doing just that, making my nook inviting and easier to work in.

once a week, I will be posting my Creative Mantra, and this weeks little message came from my SARK cards, gave me a smile when this card fell from the deck... embrace it and live it...

enjoy your day!
x Courtney

Creative Space Thursday - Trust the Mess

for once I'm on point with getting my art snapped for a creative space post! usually I remember its thursday by the time it's almost all over with, I started a little bit of art last night, trying to get back on the wagon now that I'm on meds again, it seems such an effort to art! which was one of the things I worried about...but my man is making sure he keeps my fire alive even when I am stuck in limbo.

I was sat at my desk last night starting at my journal for what seemed like eternity, then I just picked up my aqua brush opened my watercolours and started laying colour down...when in doubt just put colour onto your page and go from there.
I knew I wanted to make something as my last message to Jane from my art course.
The most amazing thing was those three words, trust the mess, everything is a learning process and everything cant be fixed or simply covered up.

I fell in love with my prisma pencils again, using them in a way I never had before.

Jane made me face my copic fear, finally using the markers and bending them to my will not theirs. I loosened up and let go of being perfect, or trying to art like others and just created for the pure love it it.

I learnt to accept that not every thing I create in my journal is going to be shaded beautifully, or drawn perfectly, that each day I put pen to paper I'm growing as an artist.

I also love that my palette has grown to colours I would normally never use, and now they are spilling onto my pages like liquid rainbows... simple little things that may not seem much to many...but give me so much hope for what is to come in my artistic journey.

this woman, has changed me on the inside.
that's enough from me for today
enjoy the other creative spaces over at Our Creative Space

I shall try make some more art tonight...something will get done, if the boy has anything to say about it lol.
xxox Courtney

The Artful Journey- Day 22..My Creative Space.

Its a thursday and for once I'm on the ball, with having something done! I spent the day at my mums place today to just 'get away' from my house the boxes and the random messes everywhere was starting to get me down..so I packed my bag and my trunk of travel supplies and off I went.

Knowing I wanted to do a Christy prompt and my homework for Janes Course, I decided to combine the two! I picked the Foam prompt from Christy which was make your own stamps using fun foam... I LOVED this!

ball point pen and foam and WAH LARRRR stamps!


and in Jane's class we needed to do a mixed media spread in our journals that used a body in the spread..now my body is simple..but shes there... the page grew from just her little legs...which is what we learn't today 'lolly legs' hehe

can u spot my stamps?


lots of spraying, layering stencils, stamps a sprayed doiley, watercolour washes, abstract flowers and some text..and you my dear friends have yourself a layout in your art journal!
for more delightful crafty arty goings on, pop on over to our creative space to see the epically long list!
xx Courtney

The Artful Journey - Day One & Creative Space

The journey of Art Saves begins, most of you who read my blog, know that this month will be my the month of the Fighting the 'Black Dog' with a paintbrush in hand and a pencil in my hair. I am determined not to fail! So This is Day 1 of Tracy Bunkers Get Your Art On and also since its Thursday..creative space day aswell...and what else oh the Art Geeks Hair Prompt and.. what else..no no thats it till tomorrow.


So below are the bigger versions of my pre sketching a few nights ago, Christy challenged us to create three girls, with three different hair styles.. this prompt was dedicated to me, so there was no way I wasn't going to dive in, as hair and how it should look on my girls is always the worst part of the creation process...but I think my problem was not looking at actually hair styles besides the ones in my head.

so I got my prisma pencils out, as it was too cold so sit and paint, I snuggled down into bed, and chatted to the boy via video as I created these 3 very different girls. It's been such a while since I used my pencils like this, I forgot they used to be my medium of choice!



added a little bit of watercolour to them today just for something different.
Tomorrow..I also start my week in Pictures, that I'm doing with a few of my girls, which shouldn't be that hard with my picture taking for get your art on..plus I have a new printer waiting for me back in Sydney... I was spoilt, so I shall be creating like a crazy woman with prints and making a book my week in photos lots of ideas ran through my head when he told me he'd bought a new printer. squeeee..I am such a kid.

that is me for the day!
pop over to all the links in this post, lots of beauty and stunning art to look at...
I shall see you tomorrow for day two of the Artful healing Journey.
xx Courtney

Creative Space - What I've been doing.

yes I admit it, I'm in an art/craft rut, but I am doing my very best to drag my sorry self out of the rut, so in order to show myself that I have been doing a little art even though its not much, I'm still creating and that's what important.

I started adding colour to my side face girl last night, she's slowly taking shape. I think I will do alot of layers of colour on her, to really get the depth, one thing I've learnt arting, is that I'm spending more time on things, not just wanting to get it finished, but to give it, its best chance to be something beautiful.

yeah little more work on colouring as the below photo looks like shes chewing something lol ugh I'm such a critic!
and the forever photo organising for remains of the day journal, maybe I shouldn't organize and just get them into the journal...nup I want it to be organized lol, and Im also starting up a week in my life with a few friends, where starting next thursday we are doing a week in our life, photographing every day a few snaps and writing a little bit about them, Im going to print mine out and make a book out of them..to remind myself that my life isn't that boring...all the little things count.


I am also going to give this little journal some love, and a soul again, she lost her cover some time ago, and I stopped using her, so in the coming days I'll revamp her ready to go. She already has some art inside her, but got disreguarded the moment she lost her cover.so thats me for this creative thursday! pop over to our creative space and check out the pretties there.
I'll see you when I see you..maybe when I get out of this horrid rut!!
the count down is on to gulfsprites 30 days of art journalling course!! get a spot u know you want to!

My Creative Space - Flower Power!

after many days, and some nights working slowly slowly, drawing, outlining painting, then adding white paint pen, she be finished. I kept going, as I said because the boy kept me going. and when I step back, I really like it, not love, just like at the moment. I have a few girlfriends who are getting versions of it as goodbye gifts when i leave...so they have a piece of me in their homes. It's only 8 hours away, but still I'll miss them like a limb.



also a little bit of wood I'm working on for my second week canvas, since I only have one spare canvas in the house at the moment.

and more style building, Juliette Crane's work is beyond amazing and one day I will do her how to paint and owl course, her little girls called me, so I grabbed my journal and drew them up, they are so sweet, you don't realise how hard it is till you try draw those simple looking faces..aint simple!

Thats all I'm working on these days, I have to begin packing, the art supplies will be the last thing to be packed lol so I'll draw to the end!!!
pop on over to the hub of creative space and check out the loveliness
xx Courtney

Get Your Art on Day 27 and Creative Space! True 2 You Two

well well on today's creative front, its the beginning of a new artistic journey, I enrolled myself in an art course a little while ago and the course starts in a few days, as a pre teaser, Samantha Kira has given a little worksheet/questionnaire on journalling, how we came to journal, why we journal all different questions on our journalling selves. So my art today is theoretical art, writing about my art, which I feel is just as important sometimes as the art itself.



I will be using my new art journal for the course, as I'm about 5 pages left of my current one and wanted the course work not to be split up so I move into this book, who says you cant have ur hands in two books at once!


I also started keeping a written journal, purely for my everyday journalling, the mundane if you will. I realized that my writing had become less and less as I got more involved with my art journal, so I got out a little O Check Designs book I have had for over a year, and started jotting things down, how I'm feeling, moments in my day I wanted to remember, things the kids have done and general reflections.
It feels good to write again, I didn't know how much I'd missed it till I started again.


So there are all my journals stacked up waiting to be filled up and inked all over whether it be with words or ink or art they all have a purpose in my life, and they are all so very important to my growth as an artist a writer and as a mumma.


So for Creative Space links! please pop over Here to the Communal blog and check out the overwhelming amount of awesome

and for Traci's Blog to see what shes up to for get your art on pop over here.

and as for me..pop back tomorrow I'll have something else for you.
xox Courtney

My Creative Space - Day 20 of Get Your Art On!

Another Thursday and for once I'm on the ball! I am reaching the end of my art journal, and its such an experience..this is the first journal of any kind that I've even come close to finishing since I had kids. Its been such a journey for me. So I've been going back and finding my blank or half worked pages and filling them in before I finish the last few pages of the journal.

Today I worked in watercolour and graphite, the combo has become my absolute favourite in these last few weeks. I have created some of my most beautiful images I feel in these two mediums.
sticking to a small colour palette I sketched and began layering the 4-5 colours down to create these odd necked beauties. Instead of an aqua brush I used a small pointed tip paintbrush.. I love the way it glides the colours down onto the page.

I am not completely happy with my second girl, maybe because shes smaller and the details aren't as popped out as my bigger girl, but shes still part of the process of creating.






so there you have my creative space and my 20th day of get your art one! below you shall find the links to...
The Creative Space Hub...lots of beautiful places and blogs to get lost in.
and Traci's Blog for her post and the links to the other artists who are arting it up.

I am off to late night shopping tonight! and a spotlight trip, I am in need of some Punchenella, and there is a sale on stamps... dangerous!
then we are off to a shopping complex (a real one!!!) hehe few things I need to pick up, and I think a trip into typo just because I heart that shop, and need a lappy bag for the mac.
take care lovelies.
xx Courtney

My Creative Space - Spray Me Baby

A Thursday arvo and the inks are on fire! I decided to abandon my cleaning and make some collage/background papers for my art journal, to cut up and use when I'm feeling like a lazy journal girl. I sat down and started pulling out my stencils, my inks and my stamps to create some random little papers...

I love the face that my doileys are getting rainbow! with all the spraying going on, it just makes me smile when I pull them out to use.

using a few home made stencils, and a few

spotlight ones, I layered and layered till I was happy

every page had its own vibe, its own personality.

an quick afternoon of papery goodness is exactly what my soul needed to revive from housewife doom!

for more creative spaces, pop on over to the communal blog for a huge list of lush creative goodies!

enjoy the wintery evening.

back tomorrow with some Friday Pages, and maybe a video depending on how much cleaning I get done heheh

xx Courtney

My Creative Space : Inky Bed Play

A Thursday where the skies are grey and the day is rather chilly, I'm sat on my bed with my journal, with the kids at kindy for the day, I've just breathed a sigh of relief at the quiet and had some fun with colours I don't usually use together, and I'm adoring them now!

I haven't played in my journal all week, so this was a welcome moment...I always forget how much creating in my journal calms me down to all the motherly life stressers, but as soon as my pencil hits that page...the stress blurs and there is just me and that page. It is truly bliss.




using muslin as my brush cleaner between colours...which I will then cut up to use in my artwork once I think its got enough soul...

on the other creative front, with my trip to Sydney on Tuesday I want a nice chunky wrap around knitted item...so Im knitting the pattern The Grey Loop and if you can't get access Ravelry and want to check the pattern out pop over here I however twisted mine and I'd knitted 10 rows or so before I discovered! so I chucked a small knitters tanty and went MEH! it will be twisted around my neck, who cares!!! and kept knitting hehe

so that is me for the week, be sure to pop in tomorrow for my installment of Friday pages, where I show off what I've been working on in my journal, and if time permits there will be a time lapse art vid embedded from my YouTube channel.
For more creative inspiration! check out the collective blog where you'll discover everyone else's spaces for the week. Our Creative Space
Take care,
see you guys tomorrow!
xx Courtney

My Creative Space

Another Thursday is upon us, and after my trip down 'I'm Sick Lane' I am back in the game, with my trip to Sydney coming up fast, I want to make sure my 10 hour train ride isn't one that is going to make me want to scratch my eyes out with bordem, so I'm reviving and old box that I've had for quite a few years now, needs a few things fixed which I'm hoping my dad will help with, but it fits all the things I need, that I use day in day out....





As I've been sick lately, there hasn't been that much artwork going on! but before I got sick, I was working on my art mail, I have a few art pen pals, so I've been getting all their letters done for the post box on Monday, here is just one of the several I've already got finished.
Now all I have to do, is get a big A4 envelope and decorate that, half the fun of art mail isnt it...the brightly coloured crazy envelope in the mail

for more creative spaces pop over to Our Creative Spaces

enjoy your thursday, and never stop the creative process...art saves.
ox Courtney

My creative space - Served with Tea

Good Morning!, it is a brisk and sunny Thursday morning here in ye'ole Inverell, middle of nowhere home to this little Artista, for now anyway hehe. Creative space time has leaped upon us with gusto, and I am pottering at my loungeroom desk, (yes I have two desks lol) Just adding little things to collages that don't feel quite finished yet. Above is a drawing from Master Elijah, he has just suddenly shown his way with colour, I marked this as a special step in his development and put it into my collage book as a reminder for mummy. Also teamed with a photograph from the park, and my new adorable teacup and saucer for the delightful Emily

for the rest of the day I will be working on little lily's quilt

and rugging up as the breeze here is getting a little chilly!

enjoy your Thursday, pop on over to Kristy's Blog for the now quite long list of Creative space players!

xox Courtney

My creative space - Collage #8

In the spirit of creating, I thought I'd pop my name into My Creative Space today as I am indeed very creative, all this collage work has been a breath of fresh air, I do have moments where I wonder what the heck do I do today, but after sitting in amongst the paper, I just starting pasting things down till I'm happy.

Today Collage is 'Butterfly Catcher' a little more earthy rather than whimsy today, lots of old book pages, distress inks, some handwriting, all my favourites coming together to create this .work, it made my smile once I'd finished it, and that is my ultimate aim..

enjoy your thursday! I'm hoping my macbook pro arrives today so Im courier stalking like a crazed woman!

pop on over to Kristy's blog for other spaces, or to join in on the fun.

xx Courtney

My Creative Space Thursday

I thought it was about time I started playing Creative Space again today, since I have had my hands in some form of creativity the last few weeks! And this week is no different, with my kid free days this week, I set up a card table in the lounge room near the air con, and shifted my art supplies out! (dreading putting the back today when kids come home lol)

here is the fruits of my journal play lately...


as a gift to myself, to keep my mind occupied and my fingers working, my darling boyfriend bought me a spot in the new Willowing Course Magical Mythical Makings, and so far its been amazing! The first week is goddesses, so I've been sketching away before I tackle the HUGE canvas I have bought for the first assignment! a little daunting since I've never worked on a canvas that big before, but I will get over that fear and create something beautiful... (fingers crossed)




If youd like to see more creative spaces, pop on over to Kristy's blog for all the players
enjoy your Thursday afternoon
xoxo Courtney