artful journals

I know that blogger readers love to have pictures. I had thought that after I had uploaded 15 or so a couple of days ago, that I could just write one day and everyone would be happy...no...not my buddy Gerrie...she wants pictures. So I have uploaded some stuff and it is not in order but I get so tired of having to move the pictures around to the right order..I know there must be some easy way but I never seem to find it.

So, today, let's talk about artful journals. I keep a sporadic journal, primarily because I do my blog. My journal is a compilation of personal thoughts, laments, pithy sayings, quotes, class notes, little drawings, rubber stamping, doodling, and other images applied in various ways. I don't like to write on white pages...I find them a little boring and I love color in my life. When I don't have time to work on my fiber art, I do a little journal prep...sometimes I cover a page in gesso and then paint acrylics on it...this makes the page stiff and keeps the paint from going through the paper. Sometimes I glue some other paper onto the page and then paint over it and maybe stamp also. Sometimes I just use sparkly watercolors and cover the page with color and then add stamping or images.

Then, I can write whenever I want. I put a sheet of wax paper between the pages while I paint and then crumple it a little to keep the pages separate while they dry.


So here is a page that I have watercolored and then added a butterfly that I printed on to velum, cut out and used matt medium to hold it down and paint over it. Just lots of color and playing with my new butterfly images from Dover.


I like to keep some supplies handy, then I can just do a little bit here and there. Actually, in another room I have all the paper supplies, stamps, numerous alphabets, ephemera, old books, etc to use in collages and journals. This just happens to be set up on my ironing board in my studio home...Like those little paint pots? They are wonderful shinny watercolors from LuminArte. They also have pigments that are very intense and you can mix with with matt medium or gloss medium for your own paint. Love both of these.


Here is the opposite page with some different colors and another butterfly. Since I have printed out on velum, where there are white areas on the butterfly (or moth) the color underneath shows through. What fun!

This is a stack of printed out butterflies and moths on velum to add to my rather large collection of images and ephemera.

and this is the book they came from. Dover puts out CDs now which makes it so much easier. I have used their images for years but used to have to scan them...before computers you would cut out the image and add it to your document and then run it through the copier. Oh, so much easier now.


And, just so you can see that I really do write in my journals...this is a page that has an old insurance document out of a record book that I found years ago. I have cut or torn the pages and put part on each side of the book. Then I covered it with acrylic paint and worked the texture and colors...just having fun. And then during a seminar, jotted down quotes that were posted around the room...Isn't this so much more fun than writing on lined paper in a spiral note book or just plain lined yellow pads?


And this last picture shows another painted page...what you can't see is the luminescence of the paints...so cool. I have printed out antique playing cards onto deli paper, cut it out and again put it down with matt medium...Since the deli paper takes the ink rather lightly (not like the velum which is intense and saturated), once the medium is added it becomes almost translucent and fades into the painted page. Oh, Gerrie, I get the deli paper in a box at Costco...it is 12 inches square and I cut it down to 8.5 x 12 to run through the printer. It comes without any folds...it also comes with folds but don't use those. They are in the section with the aluminum foil, etc.

Got a note from my editor today that she had received my article and pictures, enjoyed the article, learned something and also thought it was funny. She is sending it on to the next editor up tomorrow. Once I know they are going to use the article I will share with you the name of the magazine.

spent my day running around getting bits and pieces of things for my class on Wednesday and also to make a couple of banners for two groups of kids to do at church. Just spent the day running around and then doing my homework for EFM which was great tonight with lots of discussion as we try to figure out our own theology. So interesting...and each of us is different. I just love Episcopalians!