AEDM & NaNoWriMo Day 14

Today's creation for AEDM is yesterdays cereal box journal turned into a handbag:

By adding an old belt, some dog collar grips and parts of a broken necklace. The dog collar grips connect the two key chain rings on the front and back covers of the journal, making it balanced as well as removable.

I'm going to call it a "clutch" when the long handle is detached lol

I also added some charms (as I never can resist).

And second is a bracelet I made after visiting my friend Sarahs blog over at Saturday Sequins, who yesterday gave some great links to artists blogs (thanks again for my shout out :) ). After having a gander I came across Crafting Rebellion, who was making some awesome half stretch/half chain bracelets. I haven't made any jewellery the whole of this year, but was inspired so went rummaging for some bits to make this:

I didn't follow exactly her instructions as I added some those loop things that you see and made it more of a centre piece for the butterfly, but I got all my materials by recycling old pieces (except for some of the chain & two headpins) so worked with what was available and I liked best. While wearing it the length of the dangle reminds me of some bracelets I used to wear a lot as a teen - those ones that drape down to lead into a ring on the middle finger.

Day 13's final word count for NaNoWriMo was: (only) 1,004, but as it was achieved at 3am this morning & considering I'm not v.well at the mo I'm actually quite pleased with that.

Totalling: 15,218, soon as I feel better I'm kicking that novels ass!

Happy two weeks in exactly to all those doing any November challenges, hugs Jennibellie x

AEDM & NaNoWriMo Day 13

Today's creation for AEDM is:

Made from cereal boxes, one of my favourite materials - it's free, it helps the planet and there's a million and seven things you can do with it (I'm currently working on the million and eighth!). This was a folder type book, like an accordion wallet to keep in my bag & store all those little bits of paper you scribble on and a little notebook. That's why it has chains of the side/fastening on the top to keep them all tucked in safely and a pen loop on the top so everything would be in one place when I wanted to jot down something.

It worked ok, however I didn't like it very much so I pulled it apart and made it into (my usual preference) an art journal:

 

But it won't just be an art journal, I plan on turning it into a handbag too - yep a handbag lol. Well those chains are already there so all I need is a longer one to connect them and I'll have a portable art journal with built in pen to take with me & doodle on the go - or perhaps just to take to my outdoor studio where I have supplies ready and no one but the birds & squirrels can see me sporting my new look haha

Whatever I do with it I'll post an updated pic tomorrow along with whatever else I go and make. Also linking to Sunday Sketches, where if you haven't joined before come over as they're a lovely bunch of artists that gather and share :)

Day 12's final word count for NaNoWriMo was: none. I had an evening off last night for me and mum to watch Castle as both of us felt rotten. Although like usual when we watch our programmes we stayed up till 2am to finish them - not sure that ever helps us get better any lol but it's just too tempting to hit the play button again, and again...and again. So total is still: 14,214

Happy (what's left of) Sunday :) hugs, Jennibellie

AEDM & NaNoWriMo Day 12

Today's creation for AEDM is:

Shock Horror, more beads 

I've been going bead-making crazy, and as they've multiplied they've had to leave the box I had turfed some sequins out of yesterday and move into this bigger box, which today I've turfed some gems out of. Some of these beads are over 2 inchs long! When the glaze arrives I'm going to be glazing for days by the looks of it.

So I also made this:

It is a bespoke glazing unit complete with drying rack (or a lump of clay with holes in it!). My little polystyrene heart I have been using just isn't big enough to fit a lot of beads on at a time. I can't wait for it to dry so I can paint it!

Day 11's final word count for NaNoWriMo was: 1,653

Totalling: 14,214, I'm still below the target line but you know I'm not too stressed about it now, I've gotten into the flow of writing daily (and blogging daily too) which for me is quite a big feat.

I can't believe it's nearly the end of week 2 of these challenges, what the frigs going on? Thanks for visiting, hugs Jennibellie x

AEDM & NaNoWriMo Day 11

Today's creation for AEDM is:

I seem to be doing my best this month to get my horrid journal completed.

Day 10's final word count for NaNoWriMo was: 1,386
Totalling: 12,561
Not the great surge of words I wanted yesterday but I got a little sidetracked and then last night and today all I seem to be interested in is making paper beads:

Not that I mind, I kicked my sequins out of this box today and now have a whole new heaps of beads that I didn't have yesterday:

Now I've just got to wait for a new bottle of glaze to arrive so I can bling them all up with glitter, gems and studs.

I find it so relaxing making these out of my scraps and watching all shapes and sizes appear, think I'm going to go make some more. 

Thanks for visiting, much love Jennibellie xx

AEDM & NaNoWriMo Day 10

Today's creation for AEDM is:

A video I made yesterday (I know, cheating a little, but today I really want to work on getting my NaNoWriMo word count up - now I no longer feel like is someone sucker punching me, repeatedly!) It is a video on some journals I made with the tutorial I did on how to make 100% recycled journals. I've shown these three journals before on my blog but not youtube so I uploaded for my subscribers on there to see, and hell it does take some (very little) editing skill, so I say it's creative enough for AEDM lol. I also did start making a few journals, so I have technically had my daily diet, but they're just a pile of mess at the moment so no point showing you them yet :)

Day 9's final word count for NaNoWriMo was: 1,769

Totalling: 11,175, still off target but I've broke double figures so right now I'm happy.

Happy Thursday Everyone, Jennibellie :) xxx

AEDM & NaNoWriMo Day 9

Today's creations for AEDM are:

Day 8's final word count for NaNoWriMo is: zero, migraines and white screens don't mix well unfortunately. These I did late last night after my medication began to kick in a little but this is it for a post today I'm afraid. Much love, J x

AEDM & NaNoWriMo Day 8

Today's creation for AEDM is a watercolour painting, in the faces sketchbook I painted yesterday:

What is it about giving a new look to a old book that suddenly makes you want to work in it immediately? It's like it's a brand new one, it's magic lol

Lovely Tracey Fletcher King left me a comment on yesterday's post saying how she loves having a pile of sketchbooks around her, and I have to say I'm the same with journals, so thought I'd take a snap of those currently stacked in the corner of my desk: 

 

There's something about stacking that's so strangely satisfying, I can't say what, but there is. The biggest quantity of possessions I have is books, every nook of my bedroom is piled high with them, and even when they are on a bookshelf they are still stacked, not lined up. These are just the journals I have been working in the past week and I still have to stack them: weirdo!

I also did a page in my horrid art journal, trying to fill it up:

Day 7's final word count for NaNoWriMo was: 1,727

Totalling: 9,406, but I'm going to have to take everyone's advice over the past week and start ignoring the word count, as it's driving me crackers! I'm not enjoying writing at all because it's become a chore - which in my world means it's never going to get done! (Chore's suck bum, majorly) (...I don't know what suck bum means exactly, I just know I use it a LOT when I'm not happy lol)
See you tomorrow, Jennibellie x

AEDM & NaNoWriMo Day 7

Today's creation for AEDM is a face I drew onto recycled board like my friend's ornament yesterday. But then I decided I didn't want to hang her or something similar so I grabbed one of my trusty Winsor and Newton Sketchbooks:

I love them, they are lovely quality paper and really quite cheap (if you shop right) so I brought all sizes, thinking I can just use them for random doodling, cut them out & add them to the art journals I have bound myself, then once all the paper had gone use the boards for painting or more journals. The trouble is though I CANNOT DESTROY A BOOK! Yes I can alter them, or even turn them into something else completely if I know it will breathe new life into them, but every time I pulled out a doodle I heard it saying (in a Dobby the house-elf type voice) 'master, please no master, save me!'. So I've designated each of them with a role, the smallest one in the picture is to be a journal for practising faces. Here's the before:

and after it was painted & board added to it:

The faces inside are more 'serious' sketches than her, so it's a little misleading but I didn't care. I went all girly with scraps of fabric tied to the spine with an old bracelet dangle, simply hooked to the top spiral binding by the clasp. And who knows I may end up drawing a few more cartoony looking faces inside too. I ended up painting the back too:

Day 6's final word count for NaNoWriMo was: 1,397 - boooooooo!

Totalling: 7,679, still behind should have been at 10,000 eeek. So today I'm even further behind and, really, it's too early to be lagging. I'm going to have to try my hardest to turn it around otherwise this time next week I'll be so far back my post will be a resignation. It's not that I even find writing hard, argh get it together you frustrating girl! I did originally sign up for this for fun, can you tell?? Lol

Happy week one finished to all doing AEDM or NaNoWriMo!!!!! Xxxxxxx