Life Outside the Fishbowl

Travel Sketchbook with Eileen Hull's Journal Die

I had so much fun using Eileen Hull's new Journal XL die that when she offered me a few more blank journal covers I jumped at the chance. I decided to make a travel sketchbook with one of the sets.  Check out Eileen's blog for inspiration and how-to's on putting the journal together.

If you've got the die in your hot little hands (always the best choice), the best way to make your journal is to adhere your paper to the mat board prior to running it through your die cutting machine. This ensures that the paper and mat board are scored together on the fold lines for the cover.  Otherwise you run the risk of the paper cracking and ripping where you don't want it to when you fold the edges of the spine.  

I didn't have that option with this journal, as I was given a set of mat board covers.  My first choice in this situation would be to die cut the paper prior to adhering to the mat board. If you don't have the die, first mark the paper where the score lines are and then after adhering, gently cut through the paper using a craft knife.

For the cover of this journal I collaged a variety of old book paper, Tim Holtz Tissue Tape and paper scraps on the front and then applied Dylusions paint with a Tim Holtz stencil. A few pieces of ephemera, more Tim Holtz (metal) and washi tape.  The back has fine art paper from Paper Source and I applied washi tape over the spine.

Handy hint:  if you're using washi tape on a project, add a bit of glue to the tape to keep it sticking. I've found this an absolute necessity if it's not a layout that's kept untouched in a page protector.  On a journal you're just asking for trouble -- it was always start to peel up. My favorite glue for this is ScraPerfect's Best Glue Ever. Seriously.

On the interior of my journal you'll notice that I did something a bit different.  My sketchbook holds a small travel watercolor palette, plastic pouch, waterbrush and a bit of 90 lb. paper. I used a Tim Holtz elastic.  You need a bit of patience to get the metal end through the hole, but it works like a charm! 

The plastic Artbin container was on sale at my local art store.  Many people like to turn Altoids tins into watercolor palettes, and this is about the same size (maybe a bit thicker).  It did have the benefit of being (1) on sale and (2) already divided so I didn't need to purchase half pans (i.e., cheaper). I used a large circle of industrial velcro to hold the palette in the book.  This allows me to remove and reattach the palette at will, and makes it easier to use on the go.

I found the pouch at Michaels in their planner section.  When I ran elastic through the spine, I wove it in and out of the prepunched holes in the pouch.  It's actually slack enough to hold another brush or pen if I weave it in the elastic.  I'm using it to hold some of my Peerless watercolor sheets.

On the inside back cover I attached a vellum pouch that holds a small plastic palette.  The palette can slip out easily and the vellum pocket flattens out without interfering with my watercolor or sketching.  I punched a hole with my crop-a-dile and added a piece of wider elastic to make a brush holder. The elastic is from Dritz, 1/2" Tie-Dye -- picked it up at Joann's.

And here's a view from the side with everything all closed up:

The Documented Life Project - Week 3

The prompt for week 3 was to use an envelope from the mail. I went off a bit and just used things from the mail. I'd gotten several stamps in that we're thinking of using for this year's Thinking Day, cut off a cute stamp, labels from a Cocoa Daisy package, and ripped a piece from a catalog. The rest was laying around on my desk.

This is just a tag, front and back. On the flip side I used a couple of Crafter's Workshop stencils with Distress Ink and added a Studio Calico wooden star.  Love those stars.

The Documented Life Project

Roben Marie Smith started the Documented Life Project along with four other women. The project is a mash up of a weekly planner and art journal and they are providing weekly prompts for the journal part. You can find out more about this on Roben's blog here, or the Art on the 5th blog here.  There's quite a robust facebook group as well.

Being as it's a free project and seeing as I haven't been doing much art journaling lately, I decided to join in. Unlike their planners, I picked up a smaller Moleskine  and added an assortment of watercolor paper, tags, vintage papers and envelopes. For the cover I think I'd like to add fabric with some embroidery. And, I'm thinking I could really whittle down my stash of rub-ons by liberally sprinkling them throughout the pages as I go.

I've finished the art journaling pages for the first two weeks. The first week's prompt was to incorporate your door. One of the ladies did a collage with the TARDIS and 221B Baker Street which I thought was a fantastic idea -- those doors are much more exciting than mine! However, I decided to do several image transfers onto the watercolor paper, after manipulating the image with Photoshop. Then, I added a bit more color with a mix of Neocolor II's and colored pencils. Underneath it all is a lightly sketched eye.

I don't have anything on the back of this page yet.  Maybe I'll add the TARDIS after all?

For the second week we were to incorporate a "selfie."  I used an altered photo again, and printed it out on vintage dictionary paper for the back side of the paper.  I also included a postcard from the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria. I went to check them out and pick up a course catalog. I'll be spending a lot more time over here if I get my way. They have a much wider variety of classes than the Workhouse and I'd like to take advantage of both.

For the flip side, a bit of inspiration from Matisse. Mou Saha had posted this challenge on the Faber Castell blog here. The challenge is to be inspired by an art piece. I used the same Matisse that she used, using only Faber Castell gelatos and a bit of water to color the image.  I'd like to try this same exercise on a larger page.

Think this looks like fun? It is.  Grab a planner or just an art journal and join in.

Sewn - Hand Stitching Books

We've got bags and bags of school supplies ready to go for the meet-the-teacher open house tomorrow. I'm still grumbling about the massive supply lists.... and the cost. But the summer's coming to an end and I'm looking foward to that big yellow bus.

In the meantime, I've been slowing working on projects here and there. And as I was cleaning off my desk I realized that I haven't posted anything I've done for Mary Ann Moss's Sewn class in a while. This is a stitched book I made -- totally stitched. I was thrilled that my little Singer sewing machine didn't jam up and clog. And it was very, very fun to make.

I used just a few pieces of paper that I made, the rest was from my stash of pattern paper scraps. This is such a fabulous way to use your supplies. Really.

And it was so much fun, I decided to do it again...

More Collage Swatches

A few more pages I worked on in my collage book.  As I mentioned, I cleaned out lots of art journaling magazines and incorporate some of the images in this book.  I tossed the mags into the recycling bin so unfortunatetly I can't tell you which magazine I used - but lots of Stampinton & Sommerset pubs.

Summer, vacations and travel have been on my mind recently....

And I found this printed tissue paper at Michaels. Since I just finished watching the BBC Sherlock series with Tom, the smiley face seemed appropriate.

This started out as a page from an Ikea book. I had originally planned to leave most of the page showing, until I found this paper. I had added Tim Holtz's tissue paper over parts of the page whree there were picture blocks. We'll see where this page takes me....

And a spread with more recycled images, still in process.

Evolving Pages

I finally picked up my swatches collage book recently and have been playing in it again - driven in large part by my collapsing Ikea bookcase (which apparently wasn't strong enough to hold, well, books).  I went through a huge pile of saved magazines -- scrapbooking mags from 2007, lots of Sommerset publications -- and amasing a nice pile of images to use in collaging. 

This was a great inspiration to pick back up the book and keep adding, changing and reworking pages.

Here's a spread of two incomplete pages. On the right-hand side I also added a sheet of white rub-ons, then used Faber Castell gelatos on top. And a sofa.  But the background color really wasn't working for me.  And the left-hand side was just incomplete, needing an image or something to be a focal point.

For this, I found a strip of transparency and ribbon ripped off a reworked layout and this cool image from one of my Stampington/art journaling/Artful Blogging magazine piles.

And I used some vintage book pages on this page. Shakespeare plays.

 

 

Viva Decor - Inka Gold

Our Michaels has added a whole bunch of stuff - literally overnight. Including Viva Decor's Inka Gold. Which is great, because the handful of tiny bottles I bought several years ago had all dried out.

And I just dove right in, sticking my finger into the green yellow and trying it out in my collage junk journal. I used it on the right-hand page, ontop of the black and white photograph and down the side of the page. I put it on lightly, and I like how it looks like the photo is tinted almost.

So much so I think I need to pick up a few more colors.

More Swatches - Collaged Backgrounds

A few more backgrounds I've been working on in my Swatches junk journal. I'm really, really enjoying this process. It's quite liberating to just grab, rip, cut, arrange and glue. Although I've had to force myself to keep my hands off the current magazines in our living room.

This page spread started with marks on the left-hand size and bold patterned paper on the right, which you can see on this post. I recently rediscovered my boxes of Tim Holtz tissue paper, and have liberally been using them in this journal. There's also bits of sewing patterns and magazine cut outs. I'd say these pages are about half done - I still need to add focal images and journaling, but I like how they are coming along.

And another spread. This one has been built up by layers. And lots of texture, thanks to the line drawings and text.

I started with the black and white drawings on the edges, cut out of an old Washingtonian magazine. On top of that I added a teapot, flowers and clocks. Next was more Tim Holtz tissue paper - a large chunk on the left page; random torn chunks on the right. 

I feel like the left-hand side needs more to balance it out. I've got a kinda revolutionary war/tea party thing kinda going. However, the right page is about ready to add some journaling.

And one final page. More layers, but these are overlapping. The text here is from sewing pattens. And the right hand side? I'm still debating. I really like the doodle on the paper and want to keep that. While I really want to keep this primarily a collage journal I'm considering gessoing around the doodle, or mabe adding an image transfer. Something transparent.

Coptic Journal

My first time making a coptic journal. Yes, I signed up for another online class.  This time it's Jeanne Oliver's "The Journey of Letting Go." Like I mentioned, sometimes I need a big push and this class covered quite a lot of area - from mixed media to charcoal drawings to pastels and more.

So.... I used 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper for the signatures and started with an old Basic Grey paper for my cover. On top of that I collaged quite a bit, used a bit of oil sticks, stamping and stenciling. The edges are covered with Tim Holtz's tissue tape for a little extra durability. The stencil is Dylusions.

And Still More Swatches

I spent a chunk of time yesterday working on this collage book, and managed to make a good start on four new pages. This, after trying to sort through and arrange a basket and large pile of material. Which happened after a good hour sorting through lots of my idea-ology stash after the drawer overflowed....

This spread is pretty finished. I'm debating whether or not to add journaling on the right-hand side.

And I made a good start on a few more pages -