beginning

in the beginning...I collect all the "ephemera" that is inspiring to me at that moment...what a fun mess!

 

 This crumpled piece is actually a paper towel that I has used to blot and clean with...I loved the inky colors and saved it (I should probably be embarrassed by that but I'm not...sigh...).  Now I will use it for texture and to add a little character, to alter this book... :)

...kinda like what happens to us...colored, torn, wrinkled, used by our life experiences...AND in Him, we are altered into something beautiful, something new... 

 

...as I was doing this, I started thinking of icons...images that hold some significance for us...I know that I am drawn to certain images and will use them over and over again...things like keys, clocks, birds, butterflies, etc....and without putting more weight on this than it deserves, I still like to ponder why it is that I like these images...anyway, instead of using any of the things I initially pulled out, I chose these mini images by Tim Holtz, stamped, cut them out, glued them down...again, the "process" was fun and meditative.

I may add more journaling to this, maybe not...but I'm happy with it...the scrunched and wrinkled color in the bottom corner grounding the black and white "icons"...what are your personal "icons"?

encouragement

encouragement...from The Word...for all of us...journaled to help me remember :)...

NEW hope, NEW mercy, NEW grace for this and each NEW day!

Blessings!

Something New

A new month holds so many possibilities, and this year one of those possibilities is a new journal. (I am doing a new one for each month.)  I chose this assortment of paper because it represents what is on the calendar for June...a family reunion and a wedding! Woohoo!  Here is a preview of some of the pages BEFORE I alter them...

I cut the 12x12 paper in half and then did a simple 3-hole book-binding stitch to the spine...easy peasy. :)
The makes pages that are 6x6.

 

This is the inside cover...you can see a bit of music composition paper that I reinforced the spine with.

 

 

 

Using patterned paper can pose a few challenges but one nice benefit is that the first layer is already done...kinda like having a full calendar to work with :) and then its exciting to SEE how the details and layers "play" out...doodles, clipart, collage, paint, ink, photos...oh the possibilities! I can't wait...maybe I should go get started :) 

What are you looking forward to in June?

a new month

A new year, a new month, a new week, a new day...all are so exciting.  So full of possibilities.  This year I decided to make a "small" art journal for each month.  It has been very fun...easy to complete and "fill" because they are small:  so far no bigger than 6" x 6" and about 10-12 pages...This is perfect since I mostly work in 10-20 minute time slots.  (I rarely have more than a 20 minute chunk of time "just for art")  I have also been trying to stretch my color palette "muscles"...using different colors than my usual favorites.  So, this month I chose some paper I found at my favorite stamp store (Stamp Art Shoppe in Roseville) to inform my May palette:  yellow, gray, green, and blue...kind of a funky combo, if you ask me...but I am loving it!

  

This is the cover...so far undecorated.  I usually do my covers last unless I am inspired sooner than later.  Also, I spiral bound this one...just to try working in this format...we'll see...(The past 4 months have all been stitch-bound.)

Bordering my first page...tape along bottom.  then I chose catalog pics that spoke to me at that moment...probably thinking about journalling so I chose the pen...and I always LOVE script and books :) 

  ...glued those in place...

Then I punched some little butterflies, and cut a bigger one out of notebook paper.  I played around with placement, and glued everything down, along with some fun tape.  I love the sense of movement on the page that the scattered blue butterflies give.

 

I added the words "explore," "discover," and "wonder" which I stamped on white paper...(I am doing 30 days of  WONDER from Margaret Feinberg's book Wonderstruck  so I want to include that in this month's journal)...I like it so far...I will journal, doodle, and embellish it more...as I "live" with it.  That is the happy beginning...

Happy MAY!  

MAY you be happy!