Weekend Journal

My big project this week was creating my winter project.  My winter project is the first installment of what is going to be my year-long project - a daily journal that will be four volumes grouped by season.  This is volume one, "Winter", which will include January, February and March.

Now that I know what I'm doing, I'm going to make a video tutorial of my next volume, "Spring".  Meanwhile, here are the stages of what I did to create this journal.  2013 is just a few short weeks away, so remember, it's not too early to prepare!

Remember all the papers I created?  Each page has been torn in half.  One stack was folded in half and used for the signatures in this journal.

Cardboard from my stash

Brown packing paper that the people at Amazon LOVE to use in their boxes.  I have quite a stash of this too!

Crumpled and smoothed flat again because I want lots of texture on this cover

Gel Medium applied to the cardboard and pressed onto the paper

Paper torn to size and more gel medium applied to fold the paper to the inside covers

I forgot to take photos of the binding!  I used a scrap of red polka dot fabric and sewed the signatures to the fabric using embroidery floss.

I applied gel medium to both the fabric and the spine of the journal and pressed the signatures in using jars to hold everything in place until it dried.  You can see some of the polka dot fabric between the signatures.  I left lots of space in this journal so that I have plenty of room to add tags and other 3 dimensional items and still have the book close properly.

I added more brown paper to the inside covers to hide the binding fabric

I added a layer of gesso to the outside cover and let it dry.  Afterwards, I mixed black and pearlescent blue craft paint together to get this nice, shimmery, metallic gray color as base color for both the outside and inside covers.

This nice paste paper that I made at Barb's is shimmery and wintery to me - perfect to give a finished look to the inside covers.

Now, on to decorating the cover!  I have no idea or vision in mind so I'm just going to go with the flow!

I think I need to add another layer of pearlescent blue.  I want this cover to be shimmery and sparkly like winter snow.

I'm thinking of bare tree branches against the cold, gray, winter skies, and a little white to brighten things up and suggest snow.

Hmmmm.....what about some snowflakes?  I discover that I don't know how to cut them out.  Google to the rescue!  Not too bad for my first attempts - especially considering their small size. (My journal cover measures 5" x 6")  I add some sparkle paint to the snowflakes (cut from copy paper scraps)

Once the snowflakes dry, I attach them to the cover with gel medium.  Once they dry, I add spatters of white "snow" with craft acrylic.

I then decide to add more branches and write "Winter" using black dimensional paint.  And of course, I decide that the entire cover needs a layer of the winter sparkle paint!

I'm still debating on how to finish the spine.  I'm thinking that I'll add fibers and dangling items at some point.  I'll keep you updated.

MORE STYROFOAM STAMPS!

What can I say?  I can't get enough of making these Styrofoam stamps, and my journaling class is having fun with them as well.  I'm hoping to finally remember to take my camera to the next class so you can see what they're doing!

I test my stamps inside my journal, overlapping images and selecting different colors.  They make great background pages and I'm often able to "find" things in them as an added bonus.

I think these two "stamp test" pages are going to develop into some nice journal pages

And here's a completed journal spread.  As the holidays approach, I'm reminded that it's a sad time for many people.  If you're one of those people, try to remember:  "Just because you feel alone doesn't mean you are."

CELEBRATE * LOVE * CREATE

Tuesday Tips & Techniques: Make Your Own Styrofoam Stamps

Making your own stamps is both easy and economical.  You know how I love to re-use and re-purpose, so it was only a matter of time before I figured out what to do with the Styrofoam in which meats are packaged.   I was going to show you the second "Playing with Paper" technique that I did with Barb, but that requires using stamps and stencils, and I don't have very many of either.

All you need to make your stamps are clean Styrofoam containers (mine had chicken in them so I washed them thoroughly), a ball point pen, a pair of scissors (to cut off the sides of the container), and your imagination.  The Styrofoam is sturdy enough to use many times, but it is also soft enough to scribe into quite easily.  Remember to save the sides - you can make smaller stamps with them.

I thought about some of Barb's stamps and stencils that we used that I absolutely loved.  One of them was a stencil full of numbers.  (When making number and/or alphabet stamps, remember to draw the characters backwards because you'll get a mirror image.)  It turned out to be one of my favorites.  

I created lots of different looks with these stamps and a few craft acrylic washes.  I put light washes of paint on white card stock for some of them.. Others, I printed on white card stock and after the prints had dried, I applied a light wash of craft acrylic.

I added white glitter paint to some of my washes.  Ooooooooo....shiny, sparkly, glittery - I'm there!  I printed this floral design in light blue and applied a black, glittery wash after the stamped print dried.  It reminds me of an old tin ceiling.  Beneath - the same stamp, different paint applications.

Here I used a light wash of orange tones on the paper.  After it dried, I applied a couple different shades of blue to the stamp.  I applied paint to the stamps with a paintbrush.

 Ah.....one Styrofoam container left.  What to do, what to do?  Barb also had another stencil that I really liked.  It was full of gears.  I could order one but, hmmmmmm.........I wonder if I can pull that off without using precise circles?

Well, they certainly aren't perfect circles, but I love the interesting background the stamp makes and it doesn't bother me at all that they aren't precise.  The effect is the same and the stamp will make for some really interesting background effects.

I hope this gives you some ideas for your own Styrofoam stamps.  Do you have other uses for those Styrofoam containers?  Let me know!  Meanwhile, I have to chuckle to myself....."Geeze, Louise....is there nothing I won't throw out?

CELEBRATE * LOVE * CREATE

Weekend Journal

I've spent a lot of time working on challenges, working in my travel journal and working on canvases for an upcoming show.  I realized I hadn't been journaling for ME, and I definitely needed to just go inside and let the art happen.

I always rely on intuitive journaling when I feel out of touch with myself.  I find that after practicing this method of creating for so long, my interpretation of what has been created is often apparent to what's going on in my life.

Perhaps a much needed reminder to watch my tongue and be careful of the words I speak, or perhaps a reminder to be still and to listen to what my heart is telling me.

Sometimes I see "The Ancients", and I'm reminded to "Know Thyself" and to remember that all knowledge is already contained within.

I felt the need to play, to experiment, to ask myself, "what if?".  I played with acrylics and alcohol.  I played with my new alcohol inks.

I asked myself, " What if I took an old pen and a Styrofoam meat tray and tried to make stamps that way?  Will it work?"  I think it did! 

I played with my new stamps on my background pages.  I used the iridescent copper tube acrylic that I recently rediscovered.

And I used a more subtle color to add my number stamp to this page.  I haven't finished with this page yet, so maybe I'll highlight a few of the numbers as part of the final design.

 I continued playing with the first background I created, and before I knew it, the page took on the familiar "life of it's own".    I felt it needed a quote, and I found one that fit both the page and my current celebration of October.

"I have been younger in October than in all the months of spring." W.S. Merwin

And having said that, I'm off with my happy self to join my hubby for an autumn walk in the woods.  Have a wonderful weekend!

CELEBRATE * LOVE * CREATE