I do...for ever and ever

Just a page in another art journal. 

I didn't have any idea where I was going with it until it all came together. 

I'm finding that I'm working more and more that way lately. 

As an aside...I'm looking at moving my blog to Wordpress to actually USE the domain Mr. G bought for me a while back. 

I'm having anxiety about making the move since I've been with Blogger for so long.

When I make the move I hope you will come visit me there....

I'll definitely keep you posted...

 

Grateful blessings

Expressing feelings of gratitude...

I have been attending a MOMSnext class since September. 

The new session will being next week. 

It has been good for my heart, mind and soul.

 

Quiet Memory

A second page in my new journal. 

Remembering the day I took hundred's of nature photos and collected seeds with an old friend.

 

Art Journal

Putting paint to pages of a book is very freeing.

This was a cookbook I never used. 

All it did was take up space,

 so...

a new journal is born.

Little bits of this and that hoarded over time. 

Such as the paint strip. 

Bayou blue is the color Big J picked for his room. 

It reminds me of medical scrubs but whatever...he likes it.

Pieces of projects and experiments.

Like bits of rusted fabric.

Polymer clay leaves from the one and only time I crafted with it. Yuck! Hate the smell of that stuff.

As well as a deconstructed silk flower that I used a script rubber stamp across for interest.

 

Gifts from the heart

I've been blessed this week with some wonderful gifts from some wonderful ladies. 

First I got this wonderful little journal from my dear friend Elizabeth. 

She knows I have a fondness for pink, so she was sure to include many splashes throughout.

It truly was a gift from the heart...

Thank you so much Elizabeth. 

Next my mom made a nice big batch of sandbakkles. 

They are a traditional Norwegian cookie. 

The kids are loving them.

Yesterday I met my knitting group for lunch. 

Afterward I was given this yummy plates of goodies for the kids by our "teacher". 

How sweet is that?!? No pun intended.

 

And the winner is....

Congrats Jean!! I'll email you privately for your mailing address and your choice of journals. 

900th post giveaway

I can scarcely believe that I've written that many posts!
And even more shocking is the fact that you all are still here reading after all this time.
Especially considering that I've been in quite a dry spell lately.

With that said, I'd like to reward one of you for sticking with me by sending you one of my newly created scrap journals.

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post, making sure I have some way to contact you if you are the winner.
I'll draw the winning name on November 27th.
The winner will have their choice  of cover designs.
Easy peasy, right!?!?

 

Scrappy, scrappy

I've been working on loom knitting again. I have an order for 10 dishcloths and am expecting I'll be getting a few more orders real soon. I decided to use some of my scraps of yarn to give some visual interest to these cloths.

Waste not, want not.

As long as I was thinking scrappy...

I put together the first in a series of journals. 

The cover is a print of one of my kaleidoscopes. I believe this one started as a rose.

I love the look of all the different papers. It's up to the recipient to decide how to use them.

 

Journal pages

Over the weekend I was inspired to do a bit of art journaling. 

Not sure that it will actually become a "project" but it was nice to play.

 

Art journal

After being inspired by The Art Journal Workshop, I started work on the inside pages. 

I found the book that I disassembled for the covers at a thrift store quite a while ago. When I got it I hadn't realized that all the pages were glossy which doesn't work very well for altering.  

I still loved the covers and knew I'd use them 

in some way.

The inside pages are recycled cardboard from cereal type boxes. I obsessively save them to use as substrate for so many different projects. The pages are all a uniform height but the width is very random. I felt this might give the journal an interesting look.

So far, I've slathered leftover paint from other projects on a few pages and completed one from scraps on my table. 

The journalling reads: 

Forget the darkness behind you. 

Turn your face towards the sun and bloom.

Awesome book

I just had to share my excitement about this book I checked out from the library! 

The Art Journal Workshop by Traci Bunkers

I have major art journal envy of those who do it so well. I just haven't been able to set myself free enough to do it I guess. 

I feel like this book can help me.

It's definitely going on my wish list...

It's fully of step by step photos for some great background techniques.

Tip and tricks...

By the way...
I'm not being compensated in any way shape or form by anyone. I'm sure that Traci Bunkers doesn't have a clue who I am nor do the publishers of this book.
Just wanted you to know that before I went any further.

I've gotten inspired.
First I did a quick, no thought page
in a practice book.
Not bad...not great but I'm working at it.

I've got an idea in mind for a bunch of recycled cardboard as well.
Just working on getting it prepped with my horrible gesso. I say horrible because it is some lame off brand and it's so watery.
Live and learn then buy the good stuff.

Silent Sunday

I finally made something new

With the long Holiday weekend, I finally took some time and felt inspired enough to do a bit of creating. 

First I grabbed my "maybe some day" journal that I slap my leftover paint in. Then grabbed my scrap bucket. This was just sort of something to remind myself that I actually could make something again.

After that I felt like I could be on a roll. I was thinking about gifts for teachers, casual friends and just those "oh gosh I totally forgot about so and so" gifts. It's always good to have a little stash of items around without breaking the bank.

These are a couple of altered composition books that I may keep for gifts or maybe list in my etsy store.
Yes, you read that right...
I finally got up the nerve to actually list some things in my storefront. I've been busy photographing items to list and then of course writing up the listings. I'm sure once I get a system down it will go quicker.

I can happily say I've made my first sale as well. If I'd known it would have happened that quickly I'd have listed stuff months ago.

Journal page

After I finished up some more miniature terrain this afternoon, I had some leftover paint on my palette. Since I really hate waste anything, I grabbed my art journal and made a quick page.  I left plenty of room for future writing or what ever my heart desires at the moment.

It felt really good to work with paper again! I've taken a bit of a break from it while working on my miniatures...which I also love but oh! the satisfaction of finishing something in one sitting..or standing, as the case was for me today. Miniatures don't work that way...they are painstakingly slow.
 

Art Journal remake

A while back my good friend Elizabeth sent me one of her wonderful sewn art journals as a birthday gift.

You can see the first set of signatures here and the second set here.

She lamented over and over about how much she hated the cover she made for mine. She even told me that I should try and fix it.

I love the inside covers as much as she did but the covers were over-sized. We talked about how I might be able to salvage the insides while doing the remake.

Time passed...I did nothing.

But now I'm really wanting to start a journal so I figured I'd better listen to Elizabeth and refit the cover.

I carefully cut the "spine" from the rest of the cover salvaging as much as humanly possible of the gorgeous inside fabric.

Since I seem to have a thing for denim, it seemed the natural choice for a scrappy cover.

 

 As you can see I used Elizabeth fun hand-dyed fabric with pen pockets on the front inside cover.















And her even more impressive bird mono-print with pocket on the back cover.













I made a flower from the lace to cover the sewing of the closure strap and added a vintage button for interest. 

Now time to get writing...