January Swaps

 I've joined three swaps in my online group this month.

The first one is a "winter" house - there will be three more during the year to make a total of four seasonal houses. These are approximately 7.5" h x 4" w.  I used some paper collage for the background and added a light coat of gesso over all. In the lower left corner I added a piece of vellum embossed with a snowflake folder. The edge of the roof and the bottom of the house have white texture paste sprinkled with a fine white glitter. I punched two snowflakes from a metallic white paper and added the Tim Holtz "people trio" as a focal point.

I also joined the monthly junk journal page swap. These pages are 5" x 7." There was no specific theme and I went with a winter theme since I was already in that mode.

I collaged the front with two different security envelope liners and a scrap of a vintage bill. The pocket is half of a window envelope that I collaged with scraps and added the cute little Tim Holtz girl with her coat and hat and mittens. I glued this to the page over a white doily. The tag inside is a blue paint chip with another winter image.

The back is also collaged with different papers - a piece of map, dictionary page and music paper. The pocket/tuck along the left edge is a piece of mesh "ribbon" with white dimensional spots on it (like snowflakes). This ribbon is so old I have no idea where I got it but it worked perfectly for this project! The birds-in-snow image is the front of a vintage Christmas card and the second card is a library card with a few collaged elements.

And, finally, I am hosting a tag background swap. There are 12 participants and we will all make twelve tags (7 1/4" x 3 5/8") with background only and mail one to each person. Once we receive all the tags, we will further embellish the tags with focal points, quotes, sentiments, etc. and then create a cute little book with them.

Here is my background. I did not have any ready-made tags the right size, so I made mine from old file folders. I didn't cut the tag corners at the top so that the recipients can match them up to the others that they receive. I can't wait to see the varied ones I receive!

5-Prompt Weekly Collage Challenge 2022 - Weeks 1 & 2

I am going to continue working on Margarete Miller's weekly 5-prompt collage challenge this year. In fact, I am hosting the same challenge on my online art group. posting the prompts weekly. Several members are participating with me.

I am again working in Margarete's collage planner book (which can be purchased on her site). I am trying to decide whether to use just the left page of each spread for the collage as I did last year (the right page is a week's planner) or to use the double page spread, leaving the prompts showing in the lower right corner as I did for this first week. I went back to the one page for week two. I'm ambivalent...

Week 1

 

Prompts:
1) something magical (wizard - upper right corner, right page)
2)  time (clocks)
3) translucent paper (2 script tissue papers in background)
4) furniture with legs (patio table and chairs)
5) something triangular (Louvre Museum structure)
Bonus: a place (Brescia)

Week 2

Prompts:

1) something that lives in the forest (bear; deer; raccoon)
2) scrap from a paper pad ("Just a Note")
3) playing card (either side) or portion of (Kentucky card; small 10 diamonds)
4) something postal (air mail letter; postage stamp)
5) cursive writing ("Just a Note" and script at top)
Bonus: something stapled (not used)

December Daily - Days 23-31

We're back from a week-long family "destination Christmas" in New Orleans. We had a fantastic time but exhausting - the four grand boys tire us out!

I spent the weekend catching up on the last pages of my December Daily. There was much more to document the last week of December.

Day 23

This page is smaller than the others as it's a notecard. The background is
wrapping paper and the double pocket is made from a Christmas design
glassine bag which I folded over and glued to the page. I added
a few tags for photos and journaling.

Day 24

On Christmas Eve we drove to our daughter's house near Austin.
I added a photo of the two boys at one of the highly decorated houses in their
neighborhood. The tag has journaling and is tucked into a little card in the lower 
left corner.

Day 25

For Christmas Day I used a double-page spread. On the left,
the red glitter #25 is the negative of a die cut. I added an image 
of Santa and photos of the boys opening their stockings. On the right
I added a flip journaling card. This is a 3" x 4" card from an old
Adorn-It watercolor page which I colored with Copic markers.
This page has a paper that had a vintage Santa image
so I didn't want to cover him up. I added another photo and
stapled on the two tags from the boys' gifts to me.

Days 26 & 27

Day 26 has a background of English wrapping paper which
my son brought me from London. The corner tuck at the bottom is
a stamp layered on red striped paper. I added two journaling cards.

Day 27 was the first full day of our trip. The background is tissue
paper with a few stickers and washi tape. The #27 is from a digital
set of numbers I purchased last year.

Days 28 & 29

For Day 28 I used a digital paper for the background and added
a tree washi strip at the bottom. In the upper left corner is a cluster
of various fabric, ribbon, tag, postage stamp and a button on a bulb
pin. The journaling card is an old Basic Grey punch-out and the
framed photo at the bottom with a die cut frame from
Wilna Furstenberg.

On Day 29 I used a postcard image from a Graphic 45 paper and 
another of the Adorn-It watercolor cards for journaling. We all went
to a cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking that evening and
I had too many photos to add to the page so I made an accordion fold-out.

Days 30 & 31

The background of Day 30 has two pieces of scrapbook paper. The tag
at the top is an old Graphic 45 punch-out. The frame on the lower photo is
so old I don't remember where it's from!

Day 31 was the day we all left to return home so there weren't a lot of
photos or activities. The background is an old paper and I added stickers in
one of the circles for the 31. I only had a narrow strip of the pink patterned
paper left so I cut it in two and added the flip banner at the top with a photo
of the Austin grands on their way home. I turned over the remaining piece of
the paper (it was one-sided) to use the white side for journaling underneath.


Back page and Inside back cover

The back of the last page had a nice green pattern so I didn't cover
it. I added a journaling card and stamped the date with foam stamps.

The inside back cover has a paper sack (wreath) glued to the top
portion with a few strips of paper below.


Finished!

This is one chunky book! It won't close and I may have to add a ribbon closure to contain 
it all! But I love it.

Now on to a new year...

December Daily - Days 17 - 22

Day 19 has a pocket made from a window envelope. I added a tag with a
photo of the candy cane cookies I baked that day and journaled on the
back. Day 20 has a flip-up at the top made from a Christmas card I
received this year from an art friend. It was perfect! I added various
embellishments on the page and journaled on the back of the card.

 

Day 17 has a vellum pocket in which I placed a journaling card made
from a printable and tutorial on YouTube. The tree is very dimensional.
Day 18's page is a flip on which I added some washi tape and some Santa
tickets purchased years ago.

Here is the tree card from day 17 pulled out and journaling underneath.

Under the flip there's a journaling card I made from scraps
last year held on the page with a Santa paper clip, a little
journaling on the label and some washi tape on the right.

The vertical pocket on day 21 is a strip of scraps glued together (much
like a snippet roll). Inside the pocket I tucked the front of another 
Christmas card I received this year with some journaling.
Day 22 is a smaller page made from a striped notecard. I added several
embellishments - the sentiment is from the inside of the card I used 
page 20. I did a bit of journaling on the red tag.


We leave tomorrow for our family "destination Christmas" in New Orleans.
I will be taking notes about all the activities we do and plan to finish this 
when I return.

Merry Christmas everyone and I'll be back next year!

Collage Challenge - Last One for the Year!

 Here we are a Week 52 and the last weekly collage challenge of the year!  Hard to believe, and I've done every one! Some I have liked more than others but they have all been a great challenge and I'm convinced they've improved my collage skills. 

Week 52

Prompts:
1) something with holes (drywall tape, upper right; pink die cut border)
2) something that is heavy (elephant)
3) something stapled (staples on #2 sticker)
4) a sticker (butterflies, #2, "memories" word strip)
5) a book page or portion (in background)
Bonus: paint chip (yellow strip along left edge)


So there you have it --a big, chunky book of 52 collages!

I intend to continue in 2022. In fact, I am hosting the weekly challenge on my online art group. 

I hope some of you consider doing it as well. You can see more information on Margarete Miller's site.

You don't need to purchase the planner/book she sells as you can do it in any journal (handmade,

purchased, even loose-leaf papers).

Collage Challenge - Weeks 50 & 51

 Week 50

Prompts:

1) something that drips (honey)

2) something that represents a person (woman image from magazine)

3) a door (photo taken in Taos years ago)

4) musical instrument (guitar; keyboard)

5) paint or ink (background painted with metallic paint)

Bonus: a date (label with date)

I also added white "stitching" rubs and music paper to fill in the background.

Week 51

Prompts:

1) something underlined in red (dictionary words underlined)

2) a form or portion (across the top of the page)

3) a stitching pattern sedan, drawn or stamped (didn't use this)

4) portion of postcard, either side (along left edge)

5) washi tape (floral washi in 3 places)

Bonus: something that sits on a table (teacup)

I added a vintage playing card behind the teacup along with several

labels and stickers of postage stamps.

December Daily - Days 7 - 16

 I'm back with more of my December Daily pages.

Day 7

For Day 7 I made a pocket at the bottom, trimmed with some Christmas
twill ribbon to hold the photo card we sent this year. The right spread just
has a vintage German scrap Santa which I love and wanted to save.

Day 8

Day 8 is a double spread showcasing some of the art swaps I was
in for December. On the left at the top is the altered trading coin I 
made for a "winter/snowmen"-themed coin swap. At the bottom is
one that I received. When I receive the second one I will add it to 
the page. On the right is the junk journal page I made for another
swap. It's mainly made of scraps sewn together. The main element
is added to the front of the page as a side pocket; the tag inside
is a paint chip.

Day 9

The left page of the Day 9 spread is a Christmas notecard I had added in
the signature of the book. I added an old Heidi Swap journal card for the
date. On the right page I added a vellum pocket which I had received in
a recent swap from a friend. Inside the pocket I added a tag.

Days 10 & 11

For Day 10 I added an old Christmas card I received a few years ago. It
folds up to reveal some journaling about the day. The sparkly trees across
the top is a washi tape. On Day 11 my grand boys from Albuquerque
arrived and luckily the page was a lined paper so I could journal a lot
about what we did that day. I decorated with a piece of torn holly paper
and added the Grinch which was the top of a little candy holder I had
made for the boys.

Day 12

Since the boys were still here and we did several activities, I again used
a double page spread. On the left I added part of an old card that had
hot chocolate on it and journaled about the special cups with chocolate spoons, 
mini-marshmallows and candy canes I had gifted them. On the right
I made a slanted pocket with a tag to journal about the gingerbread houses
they made (I cut out part of the box they came in for the tag).

Days 13 & 14

Day 13 was just an errand kind of day so added my "to Do" list and 
embellished with some washi tape, some little decorative tickets and
a paper and fabric "cluster" in the upper left corner. Day 14 has photos of 
the Christmas-themed junk journal page I received in a swap. It's so 
pretty! I also added two beautiful Victorian angel stickers I received
on the envelope with another swap.

Days 15 & 16

Day 15 is a pocket page I made from a very old piece of Basic Grey
paper and some cut-outs and border strips. I journaled on the tag
that I inserted.  Day 16 was a very quiet day but I had found some very old
Tim Holtz Christmas tags (remember that series that ran several years?). 
This one is from 2011 and is made with an alcohol ink resist. What better
way to showcase these tags than to insert them into my Dec. Daily?

I can't believe it's only 9 more days until Christmas! I'm glad I'm caught up on this journal 

for now.