Art Journaling Weekend

What a weekend! My friend Shelley and I went to an art journaling weekend at Art from the Heart with the inimitable Dyan Reaveley. We set off early on Friday morning for a bit of retail therapy in lovely Harrogate. It was a bit drizzly so the umbrella's were required but our spirits were not dampened...we were going to play at our favourite place ALL WEEKEND!!

Of course we called in at Betty's to buy a treat for our afternoon cuppa back at the hotel....

Shelley was beautifying her self as she ate!

We arrived at Dy's studio to find our "survival kit" for the weekend... chocolate and tissues!

Back in bed later that night, The spotty pyjama twins "argued" over the colour of my pyjamas - she says they are blue... now look here - you can tell they are black can't you!

Anyway, here are a few photo's of the weekend.

I met up with one of my bloggy friends, Jude, who had travelled down from Inverurie with her hubby Paul. She kept throwing things at Shelley all weekend, accidently of course... she was aiming for the waste bin...it's just that she kept missing!

And Melanie....well, she is the sister of Virginia (one of the ladies who attends my scrapbook classes at the Craft Box) They are as different as chalk and cheese and I was really surprised when I met her at last. She had a lot to say about the colour yellow....as in she didn't like it! Well when Dy asked us to pick a prompt card out of her basket, which card did Mel get? uh huh...and she wasn't thrilled about that! but she did keep it (we were allowed one pass) so hats off to her!

We had fun looking at the 'anatomy of a page' .... putting elements together and doodling etc, Dy style...

Shelley hollered and hooted as she struggled to do the wiggly lines, so Dy had to step in to talk her through it (now if you've ever seen any of Shelley's work you would be surprised at this because she is AMAZINGLY talented!) she doesn't blog though, so I'll maybe borrow something and put it on here to show you.

We all got a certificate in 'Pratology' to show that we can 'officially prat around' as Dyan eloquently puts it!

I have to say it was a great weekend - tears and laughter flowed freely and I met some lovely people who felt brave enough to share some of their struggles with us all. For that to happen you have to feel you're in a safe place, so thank you, Dyan, for creating that space!

I have kept a diary on and off for years but recording your feelings in this arty way takes it to a new level. It was said over the weekend that in scrapbooking, you record special occasions, holidays and happy stuff....and I guess thats true ..... art journaling allows for the more gritty stuff to be recorded. And that's surely a good thing!!

So roll on the second weekend and my journey continues... "further up and further in" (words from C.S.Lewis' The Last Battle - Narnia series book 7)