Happy Tuesday Friends!
Hope you are having a good week. We are OK but a couple of the kitties are a little unwell, nothing serious at the moment. I finally got around to watching some of my Domestika classes after I was reminded that they existed last week by Kate’s post lol. (Funny story, I logged in to find out what classes I had and ended up buying another class!) I am also thinking hard about what I am going to do this year for the #100dayproject which starts on 22nd February. Anyone else joining in this year?
Today’s Art . . .
Today’s art is this art journal page using a free printable from Everything Art. They have a challenge this month to use the printable and their colour palette. The printable and challenge details can be found on their free Creative Sparks course library if you’re interested. I am also linking this to Erika’s theme of Seeing Red on AJJ as it contains a lot of diluted red ie pink.
I used two copies of the printable, one in reverse, and fussy cut the images. I wanted to see if I could use everything in one page so I played around with the images to see what I could make out of them. I used every single element from both of them to create my imaginarium garden scene. As you can see my keyboard, you can tell I am doing this at my computer while watching one of the Domestika classes I purchased last year in a sale and then forgot all about. So at least I am now watching them, even though I am working on something else rather than something in the class!
As I looked at these items, they started to look like something else to me, so I coloured and cut them up further using the hearts, butterfly and moth wings to make birds and the frogs and butterfly body to make an unusual creature that looks to me like half koala and half frog lol.
I drew a tree branch for the birdies to perch on.
I finished up with some paint and ink spatters. Nothing is quite as it seems, Hearts become birds, butterflies become bird and strange frog/koala hybrids lurk in the undergrowth.
Currently Reading . . .
I’m currently reading this book by Nick Louth. It’s book seven in the DCI Craig Gillard series. The books are set mostly in and around Surrey in England.
TOTAL for 2023
16 books
JANUARY
1. Ragnar Jónasson – Whiteout 
2. Ragnar Jónasson – Winterkill
3. Lucy Foley – The Paris Apartment 
4. Ian Rankin – A Heart Full Of Headstones – Inspector Rebus #24[/b]
5. Lauren Beukes – The Shining Girls
6. Ann Patchett – The Dutch House
7. Stephen Blackmore – Bottle Demon
8. Val McDermid – How The Dead Speak – Tony Hill/Carol Jordan #11
9. Stuart McBride – No Less The Devil
10. Rebecca Netley – The Whistling
11. Nick Louth – The Body in the Marsh – DCI Craig Gillard #1
12. Nick Louth – The Body on the Shore – DCI Craig Gillard #2
13. Nick Louth – The Body in the Mist – DCI Craig Gillard #3
T Stands for Cacao Spinach Smoothie . . .
Last week I shared my green juice which was made with celery, cucumber, kale, apple, ginger and lemon. Today I am sharing my smoothie which is full of banana, almond milk, spinach, blueberries and organic cacao. I’ve been having one of these nearly every day as I find the chocolately taste is comforting in this cold weather and it helps hide the spinach taste! The difference between a smoothie and a green juice is basically the pulp. A smoothie is made using a blender which retains the pulp and gives a thicker consistency, and the juice is made with a juicer which separates the pulp from the juice. There are different types of juicers, centrifugal are cheaper and masticating which are usually a lot more expensive but generally supposed to be better. I’ve had my centrifugal juicer for years, it’s getting on a bit now but still does the job so I have no plans to upgrade. My smoothie today was made in my blender which is an attachment for my Kenwood Mixer which I’ve also had for years. I’ve never been tempted by a Vitamix! So what happens to the pulp leftover from making the juice? It is basically tasteless fibre since all the goodness has been extracted into the juice, but it can be tossed into soups or stews, or made into veggie burgers, or my favourite, put into a salad wrap. Failing that, it can go straight into the compost heap but I rarely have to do that, it depends how much juice you make and drink every day.
Let me know what you think in the comments. As always, thanks for reading and Happy T Day!
Ingredients
free printable, stabilo all, ink and paint splatters, tombow markers, fineliner, glue, watercolour paper,
Challenges
Art Journal Journey – Seeing Red
Altered Book Lover – T Stands for
You are such a cleaver artist. Well, actually more than cleaver, you are instinctive with your art. I am in awe. Ohh I really would like to try your smoothie too. Have a great day today.
I am in awe of your artful metamorphosis. Yes, they look like koalas… I find your page utterly fascinating! Hearts turning into birds. Amazing! Do you get the Gecko Galz monthly collage sheet? I do, but I never do anything with them. (my bad)
Happy belated T-Day,
Hugs,
Lisca
Your page is brilliant – clever use of the images. It’s also great for Erika’s theme at AJJ. I like the sound of your smoothie. Happy T Day, Chrisx
Before I forget, I want to answer your question you had about the swap. I thought I was clear, but apparently not. The ATC swap would be different from the postcard/teabag ONLY swap. Like for LIKE. You will send an ATC (and probably/possibly either a teabag {1} or a postcard) to your swap partner. No waiting on people to send to me this year.
I was in total AWE of your journal spread. What a clever way to look at those freebies. You have an incredibly creative imagination and I am totally impressed. The koala frogs were so funny. I was also impressed that you found a way to share this spread with us at Art Journal Journey using Erika’s theme.
Your cacao spinach smoothie sounds delicious. I haven’t had a smoothie since I was in California. My friend Joseph made me one every morning. Of course, I had to have coffee, too. I think he could have lived on them.
I hadn’t heard of the 100 days project this year, but I am SO far behind now, I could never add that to my AJJ responsibilities. I look forward to seeing what you make every day. Thanks for sharing your journal spread, the books you are and have read, and your smoothie with us for T this Tuesday, dear Elle.
Loving your art journal page using those pretty printables. Haha, i had to laugh when you said you bought another class. Isn’t that the way it is? I want to buy more but I have yet to finish one class, although I have started two.
Your smoothie sounds delicious and chocolaty.
Happy Tea Day,
Kate
Imaginative beautiful journal page, great!
Hug-Elke
First off: Love your new banner.
Cacao and Spinach? Interesting, hope to find a recipe.
I´ll have an eye on #100dayproject.
Oh! My keyboard has several colors, too, but only one at a time.
I think I need warmer temps to do those drinks – not logical, I know!!!
But ack. Atm I leave the house only if I have to…
Anyhows, hope your cats are doing better, xx
HI Elle!
Happy T day! I just love your clever Art Journal page! It fits perfectly with February! Still reading Legacy by David Lynn Goleman … Its a little dry.. takes awhile to get going.. Hugs! deb
Your page is so clever. I like how you used the pieces parts of hearts and butterflies to create other creatures. They koalas in their top hats are so cute. I make smoothies but usually leave out the spinach. Happy T Day
Good morning, great post-Loved seeing your art too. years ago probably 70’s and 80’s I did allot of juicing-but I ended up thinking allot of waste and very concentrated too which can be good if want to get high amount of a particular nutrition. I prefer the smoothies-everything in there haha this one sounds really good with the caco
Happy T