Thoughts…

Sadly neglected this blog, but I am journaling. In one way or another. Also sad is how busy my life is that I seldom get the chance to post stuff. That is just no fun.

At least I am ‘good’ busy.

I thought I’d show you this double page spread I did quite some time ago now. Just needed to do something with a read pen on real paper, so I grabbed a quote that had made a picture in my head and sketched it out. It is all wrong in many places, but that is exactly why I have art journals. So I can make mistakes and ignore them. Not because they don’t matter, but because they are not the most important thing in my life. I don’t want to be ruled by mistakes. Real or imagined. So I just do it,, cringe, swallow hard….and move right on

And in spite of it all I totally enjoyed doing this. Got more sketched, just need to add the colours etc. This is a good old journal from Walmart. I had watercolour washes on the page to start. The rest is colour pencil and some markers. Another reason why I like journals versus gallery art – I can use anything on those pages, they don’t need to be permanent or last. No lightfast requirements and all that stuff. Nothing to think about but what I’m doing. It forms a wonderful contrast to the controlled precise work I love to do. I could not do one style exclusively. I need to do both. That makes a balance for me.

I recently found a hard cover discarded book in good condition. I see an altered book in my future!

 

Whoop!

In A Funk

A few weeks ago I found myself feeling really bleh. For no particular reason, just bleh....so I decided to play in my journal until I feel better.
It worked. For a start that happy piece of scrap fabric makes me smile. I just cut the letters free hand, no planning. It was a meh page anyway. Dark colours and drab colours to go with the theme. Some dirty yellows and after scribbling, cutting, gluing and making a mess of my hands (I used oil pastels over an acrylic base) I felt so much better. And it was simple and quick. No art involved, just getting fingers dirty. Maybe that is all I needed.
Now the page makes me smile as I recall the evening. Win win. Gotta love that!

Digi or 'real'?

I recently did the page below in a small journal that I have.(you can see the edges of the book in the untrimmed image) The quote is by Stuart C Hackett and I found it in Lee Strobel's book 'A Case For Creator' Now I had a very definate idea of what I wanted to achieve, and yet, although not displeased, I feel it could have been so much better. I used oil pastels and stamping and added the little tags on the side to feature the quote in it's original latin.

I kept it simple and focussed on purpose, but I'm sure I will be doing that one again digitally in the near future. For me digital just has so many more possiblilties.

Here is another quote I did....there is a page in the book for it, but I was so unhappy with it, that I recreated it digitally so I can stick this version over the comparative insipid one in the book. It simply did not create enough drama on paper. See - ?

Of course I could have kept going untill I achieved the desired effect, but instead I opened up my digi paint programme Artrage (if you have not tried it, do yourself a favour and download the trial!) and painted a background to my liking. I then move the file over (layers intact!) to Photoshop where I added the text, brushes, overlay etc. All of this can be done in Artrage, but I like to do certain things in one programme and certain things in the other. Kinda like digi hybrid  ROFLOL

aaahhh much better.

I have a feeling this journal will have a lot of quotes in it. I'm going to have to pay attention that I don't make it too quote heavy! For some reason quotes (and song lyrics) spark inspiration for journalling in me, like nothing else does. After all, I have a box full of ATC's and journal prompts begging for attention too ;-)

ps I noticed, when I went to get the link, that Artrage has a GOOD sale on right now!

Circus ATC

 

ATC and circus…to me the 2 together are a no brainer. ATC’s are so much fun to make and the imagery of the circus so rich that I suspect I could make a dozen cards at least and not get tired of them. Ildi Geist’s goodies again provided me with ample fodder for this one – click the image or here for full credits and product links.

 

Ildi has a great new Page Set coming out tomorrow. I feel an ATC coming on!!!

More ATC's and changing the journal

Ugh...the 9x7 size journal is no longer available for printing.....grrrrr. So I shall have to rethink that one. I think I may just print the pages I have and work them into a hybrid book that I have started with other pages I had printed....and then changed my mind. Gotta love a changeable mind ;-)

Meantime...I've been playing with ATC's some more. The images are linked to a gallery with linked credits!

More than half my wardrobe is purple, I'm sure. I try valiantly to move away from it (variety is the spice of life and all that sort of thing....) but success is limited. I used a kit called 'Start Wearing Purple' by Ildi Geist for this double sided card...not that I need any encouragement!

Here is another one with a school theme...that chalkboard background make me want to grab chalk and start drawing!

Fun Journal Page

This one was fun to make...just kinda pondering the variety and multi facetness (is that a word?) of life,

I used Ildi Geist's Circus Maximus Page Set Click on the preview to see the rest of the credits.

I'm already looking forward to the new ATC Exchange starting with the new month ;-)

New ATC's

I'm going to post these retro active. Just too much happening in my life to keep up with decency ;-) and I still wish I had more time to make ATC's. Maybe I should set one day apart purely for the pleasure of making ATC's

Now that sounds like a plan.

Ildi Geist has a kit called 'Funky Soul' and it is brimming with goodies....and memories. I pulled out the ones that 'yelled' the loudest to me. What do you think?

Ildi hosts an ATC swap at Scrapbook-Elements. It runs monthly and every month the theme is different. This month of August is medieval virtues. I have a few more ideas of cards to make, but will I get to it in the next week?

Here is another one, also featuring Ildi's goodies (she has a bunch of ATC products in her store)

and another of the monthly themed ones

I love taking out my little ATC box and just looking at all the goodies inside...I should take a picture to show it to you sometime....