Round 3 Wendy's Journal - Aphorisms

Well, here I am once again and again I have changed my mind at the last minute with the journal I made. I had one near finished and decided I really wanted to keep it for myself (have you ever liked something so much that you just didn't want to part with it...lol)...so in the last couple of days, I managed to whip up another smaller journal to send on it's way around Australia.

This was the outcome...It is a manilla envelope journal with one signature that has 12 double page spreads. Background has been done with distress dabber paints and then stamped with a script stamp using stazon ink.

 This is the inside front cover which shows the definition of an aphorism. I have also done the first page with an aphorism from Hippocrates which says.." Life is short and Art long".

 Here is the inside back and as you can see it is rather plain as the inside front. I'm hoping all you lovely ladies will jot down a little info about your 'arting life' on the inside front and back covers.

I chose the theme of APHORISMS...which is a 'big' word for proverbs/sayings. I'm wanting you to feel free to do any style of background you wish on the page and place some aphorism on the page. There are millions of aphorisms out there and I'm going to love having my journal sent back with your favourite saying in it. Thank you all! Wendy xox

Faces, Gardens and Tattered Art

Two finished, two half done...

Faces...

Turned out so different to what was in my head (amazing art in Kelly Rae Roberts' style), even with a labeled, detailed sketch! Instead, my inner paper addict took over and made it more like a scrapbook page but without a photo. But hey, its actually turned out ok! 

In hindsight, Robin's quote should have been in thicker writing or an overlay. Hopefully you can still read it :)

The Garden of My Imagination...

I love gardens, so much simpler than faces or pages about myself!

I started with watercolour wash background, then inked up a few stamps with Distress inks of different greens and yellows. Added the birds, stamped splotches in blues for sky. I never seem to stamp in just one colour! Its always at least two... lucky the inks don't transfer between inkpads!

A few butterflies made from my black and white prints, coloured with watercolour paints and tipped with Stardust glitter glue :) Pretty!

More glitter for their trails and its done. Well then I added words, and then it was done :)

Torn, Tattered Treasured...

I'll post an entry for the Torn and Tattered journal when its finished. More green! lol But at least its almost finished :)

Life As I See It...

I don't like what I've done at all for this... its just too over the top and blah. Ok, you twisted my arm, here it is. I think a bucket or 2 of white wash to calm it down might fix it. Maybe!

I got totally stuck when it had to be about me! lol So I over analysed what I could possibly do and this mess came out! lol 

I think the next journal I do should not have green at all... with them altogether here, anyone would think I don't have sny other colours to use! :D

So that's me nearly caught up. A few ATCs to finish and then the new journal to get organised and then I'll allow myself to join a new swap! Yay :)

Hope you all are loving creating pages in the journals. I know I am :)

Happy Creative Day!

:)

Jenny

Joan's journal - getting ready to launch

Hi everyone, well I decided to recycle a brand new photo album of the old style to make it my journal.

It had a nice cover and I thought I would be able to use some of the plastic pockets to put index cards in for each participant to write some details of their page that they do in my album, ie what inspired them or something about the process they used. Sort of an extension of the usual sign in cards.

Anyway first of all I decided to take off the metal bands that was on the front on it and then after Louise posted on site about the postage and weight etc, I thought the double thickness of the cover might be too heavy and the metal piece on the spin also.  So more ripping and straining and they were both removed.

After this using modpodge,I stuck a paper towel which had been dyed green to the front of the cover, used book tape to strengthen the spine and when dry painted the front with  some gesso

It has sat there for a couple of weeks, but I had no inspiration to proceed with it.  However a few days ago I found a book in my stash that I had for a while and I decided to use the front of the dustcover as it worked in with my Theme. I have stuck that on and added a few fibres at this time.  I am going to add a few more embellishments to it still, but don't want to make it too bulky for postage. I might even change it at end of swap/year depending on how well it wears.  I have half done my page in it also, so should be well on track for 1st Feb.

I have had a lot of trouble loading photos and I don't know why, they look find on my computer, but when copied to here they are blurry.

Lisa's Round 3 Journal Update - Summer

I found time on the weekend to make a cover for my journal.  I used cardboard, covered it in calico, and painted it in a water theme.

I'd decided I wanted some kind of closure for the book... but was too lazy to sew anything!  So I thought I would use some twine with some beading on the ends.  I added some twine to the spine of the book, so I could then attach longer strands of twine for the closure.  It was then that I discovered my knots in the spine interfered with actually attaching my journal to the cover!  In the end, it all worked out; my journal is attached to the cover only via the back page, similar to a Dylusions journal.  But it appears to be quite sturdy, unless it gets thrown around!

Now on to the twine and beading for the closure!  And then something actually in the journal!  

I best get back to it!

Happy Arting, Lisa xx

'Birds' journal by Rose

Well, here goes, my first blog entry! My name is Rose and I’m taking part in the Round Robin Art Journal project for the first time. I’m pretty new to art journaling as a creative activity, so I haven’t got many pages of my own to show you yet. This should change soon, as I’m hoping to learn more techniques and to find lots of creative inspiration throughout the year with this and other art projects that I’m committing to.

So why did I choose birds as my theme for this particular journal? Ever since I was a young girl I have loved birds. It sounds so clichéd, but it’s true! As a 7 year old I filled all my sketchbooks with drawings of birds that I copied from a little bird book given to me by my dear Nanna. Her maiden name, in fact, had been Sparrow, hence the little fellow on the front of the journal! Those childhood drawings were given away to many friends and family members.

Throughout my life my love of birds has endured and developed. Nowadays I ‘capture’ many of them with my digital camera, but always, I am watching them wherever I can: in my garden, in nature reserves and at the many wonderful locations that we holiday to. Birds are full of beauty, with their gorgeous varieties of feathers and plumes; their melodious songs and vocalisations (who can resist the sound of a Lyre bird in full throat!); and their wonderful ability to soar and fly with the wind! Yes, I would like to be a bird in my next life! Perhaps I have already done so!

So, here is my first handmade journal, all set to go around Australia, for you to express anything about the wonderful birds that you see near you. It might be a collage of a favourite bird? Or perhaps you’ll focus on their little ‘nurseries’, the nest and eggs? Feathers. Colours. Whatever is right for you. Feel free to text on your page too, if you’d like to write about the bird you have shown, or just about your feelings for birds. It’s all good and, I appreciate that you have taken the time to do it.

My journal was made very simply: I folded watercolour pages and bound them together with some masking tape. The collection of pages were them attached to a folded manila folder. With a little acrylic paint applied (I tried using my Gelli plate, with mixed results!). I’ve gessoed onto this paper with good results in the past, if you need to do that. If the journal gets ‘bulked up’ and distorted with paint and collages, so much the better! And I’ve included a ‘Sign in’ page, where you might like to leave your name, or you could sign your page if you prefer?

Lastly, I want to say ‘thank you’ to Louise for inviting me to take part in this wonderful, artful event. I’ll admit that I’m pretty terrified at the idea of working in someone else’s journal but I’m not one to shy from a challenge, so I’ll give it my best! So, let’s fly!