Retreating into my creativity...

I've been feeling a little low this week after my dental work and an infection I picked up.
I've had a few days off to sleep it off but this afternoon I felt up to scrapping  a little.
I am joining in with a class over at Big Picture Classes called Creative Retreat held by the incredibly talented May. I signed up for this class weeks ago and am sooo happy it has now started! As part of this class I started the Art Journal I showed the other day.
The journal started as a lovely Victoria Francis diary that Kei bought me for Crimbo:

The diary was beautiful but just not something I wanted (I had already bought 2 diaries for myself).
Its is now a lovely altered book as I cover each page with gesso and paint it up.
I've created this page for my first notes for class:

I've create a few lovely layouts as I have ridden the wave of creativity class has inspired.

This layout is for the Scrapbook Stamping class over at Two Peas.  The challenge was to use embossing on your layout. Something I rarely do:



And finally a page from our holiday in August.  I picked up a bumper pack of printed photos yesterday so can now scrap like a loony!!!

Today I am grateful for ...

... my new creative retreat!

I have never considered myself an artist. In fact I have always considered myself to be really really dreadful at art! Someone who can't draw, can't paint, can't create.
But then I thought to myself, but what about Scrapbooking?! You are good at that, and its arty! Its VERY creative! And... you are good at it!
Suddenly all these self-created walls in my little brain fell down and I had a bit of an arty epiphany! (All this happened at about 1am this morning!! Today I am enlightened, if a little sleepy!!!

I came across this inspiring blog. I had a good look and discovered the amazing world of the art journal.
'I couldn't do one of those' I thought to myself. 'I have no idea how to paint'.
Well, I had no idea how to scrapbook when I made my first layout but I still enjoyed making it and the page itself was absolutely fine!!

So this afternoon, I made my first page in my art journal {squeak} I was going for a grungey look and I think I achieved it. I think.