This Week's Art Journal Pages

This week I have had to put my faith in a lot of people. Generally, I just rely on myself and get things done. Not this week. I think my journal pages are showing this tendency. The great birds are from the Graphics Fairy. I was able to do the border with some of that new tape I got a few weeks ago.

This is one of my favorite quotes. The first time I heard this was when I was a little girl from my grandmother. I have watched youngest chick stand up for the right not to do or think what his peers think the past few weeks. I have seen him be the victim of his peers because he would not cave under their pressures but stand up for what he believes is right for him.

The past is the past, today is your future. I chose this dark blue to accent the young girls dress. I like the simplicity of her. I did transfer the clock backwards on purpose. Sort of you can't turn back time thing.

Again, I am obsessing on the future and the actions you have. We all carry a lot of scars - baggage with us. I am trying to make mine turn into something positive and teach my kids the same.

Normally, I do at least five or six journal pages over a week's time in this particular journal. Not so this week. I thought I would share what the painted page phase looks like with you. I am not sure where I am going from here, but it should be fun...may be some of those Marigold freebies might look at home here.

Art Journal Pages

This week flew by and I did not get to work in my art journal as much as I would have liked to. I did work on a tutorial for the Yahoo Art Technique - the Bandanna technique. I have not done this in awhile and it was fun to revisit it. I ended up using this technique in my art journal and making a few bookmarks with it. Fun...

This is the page that I used the bandanna technique with. The lovely fairy girls are from Art Chixs and the hearts were from a free collage sheet that Julia from Cemerony was giving away on her blog. I love this quote from William Wordsworth.


My pre cut letters came in handy when I did this page. I felt like I should use my "word of intent" in my journal before the month was out. My word is Grow. I felt like it could be used in so many ways that were positive. I painted my background with acrylics, then did the transfer of the woman and child with gel medium. I then did the letter border. When all was dry I covered the whole page with watered down black acrylic paint and then wiped it off. I then used fine sandpaper and sanded the pages. I felt like the words really needed some muting. Then I did my quote and some more shading.

Some New Journal Pages

This year I have decided to use the larger Moleskin Sketchbook to use as my Art Journal. After working on my Remains of the Day Journals for so long, my fingers were itching to be back in paint. This past week I decided that it was time to start my new journal. I had read on one of the journaling yahoo sights that Millande was doing a series of videos with prompts to start out the year. It sounded as good of place as any to start. These are some of the prompt pages I have completed.

Millande has a prompt and a video for everyday. Some of the videos for the day are two parts, none being longer than nine minutes. I really enjoy her style and painting. Now, I can finally use some of those Twinkling H2O's I have sitting around. Her journal is made of watercolor paper. Mine is not. I decided to just use her word prompts and go from there. She has a wealth of ideas on these videos.
p.s the pages with a border I used Nancy from Crowabout's border sheets.

The prompt here was use a diary or calendar page.

The prompt - include a smile on your page. This Art Journal is going to have a lot of quotes so I figured this was a good place to begin.

The prompt here was to use a checkered border.

The prompt was have a tree someplace on your page. I used my own photograph tranferred on to the page with gel medium.

Here, we were to use a large circle on the journal page. After my first trip to the beach in a few days due to the cold, I finally was inspired.

The first spread was to be an intro into your art journal. I sort of pooped out on this page. I figure I will go back and finish it as the inspiration comes...

Some Art Journal Pages

I thought I would share a few more journal pages that I have been working on this week. I am two pages short of being finished in this journal. I am using the small Moleskin Sketchbook with the lilac wrapper. I had to go ahead and do surgery on the thing so that I could close it and the pages would lie somewhat flat. This is the second one in as many months that I have had to do this with. I am trying to get it all finished up so that I can start a new journal.

The next journal will be done in my first online class that I am taking with Mary Ann Moss. A sort of early present to myself. I am so excited. It is called The Remains of the Day. Is that not the most thought provoking name for a journal class?

This is my version of Teesha Moore's journal style. After watching her intriguing videos on U Tube I decided to give it a go. The only thing I could think of journaling about was my incredible new coat I bought. I used some of Nancy's borders from Crowabout. Her digital sheets are so cool.

As the year is winding down I have been doing alot of thinking about what I want to accomplish next year. Setting the goals. The turtle is my reminder that things do not happen overnight. That it is a slow and steady process. The bird is my totem. The thing that reminds me of the track I need to be on, the validates me. Most importantly believe in my muse and she will not fail me.

There are days when you pick up the paper, see something on TV or hear from a friend that make me feel like the world has gone mad. This is my page on that.

This page was created from a lovely piece of mail art that I received from Dianne Adams in Tennessee. Of course she used my favorite shade of blue so I saved it for just the right thing.

Everyonce in a while we have to remember to be silly, laugh, explore. I plan on doing a lot more of that in the new year.

The Soul Journal group has all sorts of daily prompts from Sarah Whitmire. One of them was to write the lyrics of a song you are listening to. I was listening to the Carpenters and You Have Only Just Begun came on. How appropriate as Sarah is getting married this month. These are my brides. Have a Happy Life Sarah!

A Couple of Journal Pages

Last week I ordered a couple of collage sheets from Nancy at Crowabout. I used a couple of the images in the border and the wish is from one. I realized that I do not have a lot of borders. So I have been on a wild streak making borders and clipping an trimming images to make borders. The stamps [butterfly and diamonds] are from Paperbag Studio. I stamped them on paper then cut them to size and put in my journal.

This pouty girl is from Paper Whimsey. The background is just patterned paper I found in my scrap box and decided to use. I am going through scraps from this year getting ready to make some new journals.

Another sweet girl from paper Whimsey. I think she is about ready to burst into song. She reminds me of my sister when she was younger.

So, here are some journal pages I have been working on. I am getting into that "next year", "New Year", make some goals and resolution mode. I really brood about these things. Change is good.

One More Journal Page

One more page from this week. I have been working in the yard and enjoying the weather. The flower heads are Hero Arts. They make the best flowers. I used Bic and Sharpie markers to paint them in. I love my markers.

Some New Journal Pages

I started a new moleskin journal about a week ago. I thought I would share some of my pages. I always think the first pristine page is the hardest. This time I took a piece of scrap paper I have been using and to blot and mask some other things. I glued that in and just put the word Begin as a starting point. Sometimes that is all you have to do - take the first step.

The young girl and the script are from Paperbag Studios. The other image is an old one from Lost Aussie. I have been playing around with stamping my stamps and then scanning them into my computer and then printing them out. I have gotten some interesting results. This page is exactly that.

I was waiting in line at the store the other day. It was a madhouse. There were two, late twenty early thirty looking, girls in line in front of me. I was reading one of the celeb magazine's while they whispered and chatted. All of a sudden one girl looked at the other and said she could feel her eggs ripening. I decided to do a journal page using that quote.

My mantra!

I incorporated a vintage photo with another photograph that I took to do this spread. It seemed such a good fit. The new with the old.

When I saw this vintage photo of the woman with the whip I knew she was getting control of her life. Some women use their looks and wiles, some their brains, others just have to pull out the whip.

Journal Page - Save the Turtles

This is another journal page using the Soul Journal - Caspiana - prompts. We were to fill our page with numbers, trace our hands six times, put important words down, etc... Sometimes things that you are thinking about just flow out.

I had read an article in our local paper about our the turtle hospital here was getting ready to sue the government over gill nets. Then, I had another conversation with a turtle nest volunteer I know about the turtle season in the grocery store. After that, it occurred to me that I should call and put my name on the list for volunteering. When the cold weather snaps the turtles get caught unaware and have to be rescued. Last year there were 23 in a matter of days. Hence, it all comes out in my journal. What in your life has spilled into your journaling or art?

Some Art Journal Pages

I used some mail art on this page. Thanks Dianne Adams for the lovely envelopes. I try to salvage some of them to reuse. Here you can see the "art" and path I have added to my pages.

Watercolors and playing with circles. I used the blue in oil pastels in areas. Stuck on the circle them filled my misters with several shades of watercolors and sprayed. When everything was dry I pulled off the circles and set them aside to use on something else. I treated myself to a couple of Art Chix collage sheets, the crow girl is off one of them.

So have you hung around with a little two year girl lately? Well I have. Let me tell you she is wide open ready for about anything, tastes anything, sees everything, and can shop like a teenager. The ATTITUDE is fabulous! I found a place for those circles on this page.

This is another piece of mail art I tried to incorporate into my art journal. I took the end that did not have the flap on it and cut it open to take out the mail. I loved this envelope with the blue riveted circles and the brown stamping. I just could not throw it out. Recycle, reuse, is the mantra. I glued it to my page, colored it, added a few things,and now I have my secret place.

Here I used my own photograph and a painting of a young one I have always enjoyed. So tender.

More mail art. I used the tape that some blocks were protected by. I have a real thing for all of this decorative tape and could not let it go to waste. The flower pattern is so retro and cool. The "sign here" are a reminder of what is going on in the day to day part of my life, and another bird to remind me to soar.

A Moleskin Art Journal

Most times it starts with this little Moleskin sketchbook with the pretty lilac wrapper. I love the size of this journal, small and compact. The sturdy pages. I use this as a place to work on things in my head, keep some of my digital collages and bits and pieces of my art life. I usually go through one a month. I still get that feeling of excitement as I open a new one up.

Here is my latest almost finished. Some pages are completed, some are just waiting for the right word or quote. Sometimes the image says it all.

Have your moleskin's ever gotten so thick that they wouldn't close without the little elastic ribbon? So thick that your spine is almost broken? I am debating with this one in redoing the spine. It is very iffy. has anyone had to do this?

Almost finished.