Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Journal Your Christmas

Journal your Christmas
Okay, I need another project like I need a hole in my head, but here it is. Yes, another online class (you can read about it and sign up here), but I was seduced. I had first heard about the class on a SIS post, then on some of my Yahoo groups, and then again on Ali's blog, and EVERYONE loved it. Seriously, I have heard nothing but praise from past participants. I do have that unfinished Christmas journal from Rhi's class, so I suppose I have a head start. And I love Christmas. I really, really love Christmas, even more now that I have kids. The best thing about this class - once you take it, you can participate every year for FREE. That's right, pay once, (only $30!) play every year. A journal prompt gets emailed daily, so you have plenty of inspiration. Hopefully by putting it up here, it will put a little pressure on me to keep up with the daily prompts and post some of them on the blog. I like working under deadlines. So, anyone want to join me?

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Christmas Journal



I took a great little on-line art journal class last week by Rhian.  There were two options - regular prompts and Christmas themed. It had never occurred to me to create a Christmas art journal! Here are the second and third groups of pages (the first page is in the previous post). It is an altered book, and instead of gluing the pages together, she had us sew them. Love it! So fast and easy, and you can leave openings on the side or top to make a pocket.  Yes, Santa looks a little cross eyed (and my husband believes it looks like him!), but it is an art journal, not a finished piece. To my art journal students, I do practice what I preach. It doesn't need to be polished or perfect, it is a place to explore, and even mess up! 

I'm taking another on-line class with Claudine Helmuth this week. I think I'm getting a little addicted to these virtual classrooms. So convenient, so inspiring, and they keep me working at a productive speed. Maybe I'll do one someday. I love the thought of being able to teach in my jammies! 

Last but not least, I have a new project post on the MDW blog. This week's project is a little mini-album about family. Quick to put together, and the focus is on journaling. Click here to check it out!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

A couple of small things

I've been knee deep in projects this week - a Thanksgiving book (you can see the pictures and tutorial on the MDW blog, here), a new art journal for an online class, some fiber bookmarks for a trade, an altered jumper, another altered book, and since the sewing machine is out, I finally stitched a little skirt from a vintage tablecloth to protect my beautiful desk chair. (breathing now...)

Since the theme this week for Mixed Media Monday is body parts, I thought I'd share my new journal page from the Christmas journal class:
and a sketch I did for my Alice In Wonderland paper dolls (I sent those in for publication, so no pics of those yet). I didn't end up going with this Alice face, but I still like the sketch:


I suppose that will have to be all for now - the kids have little gift certificates from Build A Bear for their stuffed animal's birthdays (yes, their STUFFED animal's birthday - great marketing!), and the day off from school, so a trip to Build A Bear is in order. I hope my pocketbook survives the trip!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

December Daily - the beginning





Last year I followed along with Ali's blog and made a daily album for December. It was only 6x6, in my favorite Cosmo Be Good papers, and it was so easy to maintain each day. The whole family loved it. This year, Ali is starting another round. I took her advice, and gathered up all of my holiday papers and embellishments. I found some Christmas papers stashed in my patterned paper file, and pulled a bunch of light green stripes and polka dots that someone gave me YEARS ago. It was a large pile. Enough for the whole month. So I decided to make this a "green" album and use only the supplies I had on hand, or ones I could make. I had two book boards  from an old portfolio, so those became the cover. Many of the papers I had were very light, and few were two sided. Crazy as it sounds, I decided to glue them together with a cardstock core (the album will be held together with loose binder rings, so I won't be using page protectors.) It actually went faster then I thought. I simply used a glue stick, some old icky pastel cardstock, and a brayer to make sure the pages were on snug. It is a hodgepodge of designs, so for the numbers, I used various pieces of chipboard and grungeboard for the frames, and painted them all the same red.

The cover is made from layers of white tissue applied with gesso. Before adding the fourth layer, I sprinkled green glitter on the third layer and used matte medium instead of gesso. The background squares are Grungeboard covered in crushed velvet flock from Doodlebug (very cool stuff), and the numbers are also Grungeboard. I inked the 2 and 8, and applied the green glitter to the zeros to make the ornaments. The tops are pieces of Grungeboard cut from the background sheet and inked. 

I liked the idea of binder rings, so I could have a fat album and add pages or memorabilia during the month. I don't have many holiday elements left from last year, so we'll see how this album evolves, and if I can stick to no new purchases! I'll be posting completed pages during the month of December.

So, are you with me? Check out Ali's book (beautiful, of course!) and some of the pictures on the Flicker group. I was never satisfied with my Christmas layouts until I tried this mini-album concept. It is definitely the best way to record the season! If you have started one yourself, share a link so we can see! If you'd like more ideas for Grungeboard, check out my tips on the blog for My Daughter's Wish!

Monday, November 3, 2008

journal pages



I've kept a journal, on and off, since I was a girl. It was just the written word; sketches remained in sketchbooks. In college, I started writing in my sketchbooks, and visa versa. Now I find that the words are secondary to the images. The words let me run off at the mouth, but the images have more meaning, more impact now. Images speak to the subconscious in a way that words never will. It's an evolution. 

The theme for Mixed Media Monday is fall colors. Check out Debbie's beautiful sample.