"Reflection" Altered Book page

This is a simple page with a painty background and bits of drywall tape.  The focal image is an old stamp that I stamped on tissue paper and then decoupaged to the page. Black Stabilo pencil was smudged around the image, the title and the edges of the page.

Documented Life Project - Week 52

Week 52 - Dec. 19

Art Challenge: Hidden Journaling

Journal Prompt: The greatest gift I can give myself...

Since this challenge was for the week of Christmas I decided to go with a Christmas theme. Time was short so I just created on the left page and used the entire right page for the days of the week.

I took a few process photos along the way.  I started by glueing on a pretty printed tissue 

paper that a gift was wrapped in.

Then I "stamped" with white paint and bubble wrap all over to tone it down.

For the hidden journaling, I wrote in the area that would be covered by the angel's dress.

This shows the angel decoupaged on the background. I used music paper for the dress, manila paper for the head, and gold paper covered with a layer of loosely-woven white fibrous paper.

Once that was dry I painted the head a flatten, swiped Inka Gold metallic paste over the textured wings and painted the dress green. (Sorry, got in the zone and forgot to take photos of the final steps!)

To decorate the dress I used some white and black Christy Tomlinson scallop border rub-ons along with some very old white Recollections snowflake rub-ons. The Christmas ornament border and the large 25 are also from Recollections. (It feels good to use up some of these miscellaneous items in my stash!)

I sponged on a very light white paint border around the entire angel to make it stand out more from the background. I also doodled around the shapes with a black pen, used a white paint pen to draw scallops on the wings and a gold Krylon pen for the halo.

52 weeks down - one more to go!

Documented Life Project - Week 41 - All Caught Up!

Finally, I'm caught up!  I actually finished this lasts week's page on Friday night but had already scheduled my post for Saturday, so now I can work on the current week during the current week!

October Theme: Translucent Papers

Week 41- October 10

Art  Challenge: Tissue Paper

Journal Prompt: The Disappearing Trick

I was happy to not have a quirky journal prompt this week and to be able to use one of my favorites - tissue paper. 

I have long been a fan of Rebekah Meier's work and have been stalking Joann's Fabrics since early September when her new line of fabrics, stencils, tissue papers etc. was supposed to be in-store. Last week I finally found the products and went a little crazy purchasing many of them. (Hey, it was my anniversary and my husband was out of town so I was feeling a bit sorry for myself and needed some consolation!)

The tissue paper comes in a pack with two sheets each of two printed collaged papers and then several pastel solids.  It was perfect for this spread!  I tore pieces of both patterned papers and collaged them on the background. I also tore small pieces of the turquoise solid and glued them on as well.

Next came magenta, yellow and turquoise paints splodged on with an old credit card (my favorite method of applying paints). Then I scraped on some white paint to lighten it a bit.

I stamped with bottle lids and white paint; stamped small dots with a permanent black ink and finally lightly scraped gold metallic paint over all. It's hard to see in the photo but it adds some shine and highlights.

I wasn't sure what to do next as I didn't want to "ruin" the background so I decided to just write out a favorite saying with diluted black paint and a tiny paintbrush. (This is much harder to do than it looks. I think the trick is going quickly and not hesitating - something more to practice!)

I inked around the edges with black to frame the page and then added the final touch with diluted black paint specks.

Done and caught up! Feels great.

Documented Life Planner - Week 26

June Theme - Travel Journaling

June 27 - Week 26

Art Challenge: Photos and Words

Journal Prompt: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

It's been a week since I last posted! Where does the time go? We did spend most of last week in Austin with my daughter's family.  Baby Mitchell just turned 2 months old and went into the hospital on Monday for out-patient hernia surgery. He was a little trooper and I think it bothered his parents and grandparents far more than him! Other than being drowsy the rest of Monday and all Tuesday, he seemed to have no pain or side effects? Whew!

I spent the weekend catching up on this week's DLP spread. Originally I was inspired by one of the coordinator's pages where she made image transfers of some photos and cut them into Polaroid shapes. But while perusing my stash, I found these mini watercolor postcards that one of my daughters brought me from a Paris trip and decided this was a good place to showcase them and get them out of the cupboard!

On the background I collaged old scrapbook paper featuring a Paris street map over which I added a thin wash of off-white paint. Then I added bits of some Paris-themed tissue paper, the trimmed postcards and a few embellishments. I computer-generated the title. Two different Paris washi tapes separate the dates.

The year is half over! 26 more weeks to go! I am so happy I am able to stay up-to-date, despite the frequent trips to visit grandkiddos!