Art Journal

I think life has finally slowed down a bit. I've caught up on all the boys' scrapbook layouts and finished the Hong Kong mini-album. So I spent some time these past few days getting back into my art journal - it's been months since I've done any art journaling!

I finished two pages. The first one had been started a long time ago with leftover paint added to the background and then a Jane Davenport napkin (the face) glued on. I finished it by painting in the face and adding washi tape and flowers cut from a magazine at the bottom.

The second I started anew. I had seen a You Tube video (from Let's Get Inkie) using scraps and leaving lots of white space - something I strive to do but usually get carried away with lots of mediums and colors building up on the background. This is very simple but I like it a lot, especially since I used many of my blue scraps of gelli-printed papers and painty paper towels. I like the quote too and need to keep that in mind!

Revisiting Altered Books

I have made a few altered books before, but about a month or two ago I discovered a new (to me) mixed media/altered book artist, LorriMarie Jenkins, on You Tube.  I have been binge-watching her videos on altered books ever since. She teaches in person in California but also uploads tutorials on her channel.

I just finished a book using her videos for the different pages. I only had one book with a stitched spine when I started watching her and I had already removed many of the pages, so this book only has about ten spreads. It was way too much fun! The spreads below are in the order in the book, but not in the order of when I created them. I will try to link her video for each technique.

This spread has a background of watercolors dripped with alcohol. The left page has a magazine collage with a top layer of crackle medium.  The right page has a cut-out niche with a collaged "tile" tied in. I did not cut a window for this page as I had already made the page backing it. (adding tile video)

These two pages are collaged magazine images of women. The left page has a background similar to the first spread, but with acrylic paint and alcohol drips. (acrylic paint and alcohol)

The right page has a background of texture paste through a stencil, covered with black gesso and highlighted with gelato. It seemed to be missing something so I added painted book page circles.

(black gesso and texture paste technique)

This spread is collage over a background of torn book pages, music paper and patterned paper. Watercolor adds the colors. (collage technique)

This spread has two pockets. The background is painted and stamped. The pockets are adhered by tying torn fabric strips through holes along the edge. 

The three focal points are actual tea bags with vintage images sewn in. They were then dipped in beeswax. (pocket tutorial) (tea bags with beeswax)

The large focal images of this spread are image transfers over a collaged background of various papers. I added stamping and lots of doodles in white pen. (image transfers)

The left page above features a hinged "door" revealing a magazine image. A magnet is hidden behind the book pages on the back of the door and catches the metal charm to keep the door closed. (adding door to page)

The right page is a napkin collaged to a background of book pages and music papers. The Eiffel Tower is a stamp and I added dots with a white paint pen. (napkin collage)

Detail - door open

This spread has a pop-up vintage image featuring several men. The background is black gesso with rings stamped with white paint and a toilet paper roll. I added lots of metal gears and tied fibers close the pockets which create the pop-up. (pop-up technique)

Better view of pop-up

This is a double spread - a left page, right page and a page with an acetate window between.  The photo above shows the right page peeking through the stamped acetate window. (adding window, substituting acetate)

The photo below shows the left page showing through the window.

Center page with acetate window

This is the last spread. The background is several layers of acrylic paint, dripped with alcohol. Two microscope slides contain vintage images and are adhered to the background. I added some collaged images, half circles and some white dot doodling. (adding microscope slides)

No ideas for the cover yet so it is unfinished. 

 She is just beginning a new altered book. This series will only feature the backgrounds and the rest of the pages will be up to each person to complete as desired. I am going to follow along with this one, from start to finish. Here is the first video of the new series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0V3awQB-5c&t=2967s  Come play along with us!

Day 8

My tutorial for a pretty cardinal ornament is posted today on the LBH blog. Check it out here: www.thelittlebluehouseblog.blogspot.com and be sure to leave us a comment telling us your favorite Christmas cookie. You just may win one of my ornaments!

I used a fun technique for today's ornament with paper napkins, Ultra Light Paper Clay and a bit of Mod Podge.  The full instructions are on the blog but the short version is you use the clay to mold and form part of the design (in this case the bird) and this is encased in two layers of napkin.  It gives some dimension to the design which is hard to see in my photos.

I hope you're enjoying this series of ornaments and tutorials. There are only four more days!

Challenges

I love challenges. They pose certain limitations within which you must create and force you to focus on specific items. Here are a few cards I've made for a "stamping only" challenge . I used the grid technique for these where you mask off different sections, stamp and stipple, then move to another section and do the same. This is a simple way of achieving an intricate-looking collage. This is one I made for a "no adhesive" challenge. You can see I used many different attachment methods: paper clips, staples, office file paper fastener, brads and string.

For this, I adhered a paper napkin on the right side of the center-opening card and then stamped the floral image over it.

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