I was thinking about my girl this morning and out came a journal page.
Tag : art journal
259 posts
It’s taken a while but I’m getting the urge to create at least in my art journal.
In fact, this was the second page I created on Sunday afternoon.
While searching through my stash I found some watercolor color experiments. The colors spoke to me in that fall sort of feel.
The lined page to the left was a shiny paper from junk mail. I didn’t want to cover the lines but at the same time didn’t like the shine. I used some glimmer mists to knock it back.
Yesterday was a rough day for me. I was very emotional which is not my usual state of being. I’m a very stoic person…I’m Norwegian raised in the mid-west. It takes a lot to crack my shell. 
I did what I like to call a mind dump on my page. I like to write very messy and somewhat layer the words. This makes it difficult to read. This is purposeful. I need to get it out but I don’t want to go back and relive it later when I’m paging through my journal.
I saved this label from a beer my neighbor shared. (using as my drink reference as well…it’s a twofer) The beer was really interesting. You could taste a hint of orange and copious amounts of honey. I’m not sure I loved it but I did love the label.
It’s not my favorite page in the journal but it served its purpose.
Today is a work day of course with some grocery shopping on the way home.
What are you doing today?
I do love Fall. The crisp mornings, the rustle of fallen leaves, flannels, jeans, hoodies…all the pumpkin goodies. The warm colors of autumn are also my favorites. You’ll find them all over my house and in my art.
I had so much fun pulling together items to layer. Bits of wallpaper, book spine, scrapbook paper, ephemera postcard just to name a few. 
I used some distress oxide to bring the background colors together. 
I then dripped water and blotted to make the cool light spots. Love that look. This is my first distress oxide ink pad, and I know it won’t be my last.
I’m nearing the end of this journal. Just a few pages left. It’s been a really fun challenge with all the different types and sizes of papers.
It has gotten quite chunky. Good thing I made the cover with a long wrap around tie to hold the chunkiness in.
When it’s complete I’ll do a recap at least of my favorite pages.
YES!! Things are becoming more normal! We are finally having guests over for the first time since Christmas 2019.
This tea tag jumped out at me as the perfect words to celebrate this occasion in my art journal.
As I’ve been doing so often lately, I hid my journaling under a flip. Again not that my words are so private…it just simplifies the page.
I also added this quote which rings so very true. “Lost time is never found again”. Not sure who uttered those words but they are so very true.
If I’m 100% honest…I don’t love the mushroom sticker on the page but that’s ok.
Linking up with Art Journal Journey for Alison‘s theme of Summer Countryside.
Whoa…that sounds deeper than intended. I did find myself sitting down to create today and without even realizing it I uncovered something I hadn’t been thinking about…or at least admitting to thinking about.
I only intended to do the end of the first signature but there was too much and it spilled onto the next. Honestly I really like how it looks.
I’m thrilled with how this part turned out. It has a soft, vintage quality. I used my middle finger to paint the teal butterfly wings. Not too shabby for that occasionally naughty digit.
I used a bit of French grammar text to partially cover the Behr paint brochure then continued with the layers until I finally was happy and had said my piece.
Overlapping fold-outs are new for me but I really felt I wanted to add a bit of found text.
It about sums up my emotions. I know that this is the way of things…the next step…and I am so incredibly happy for both kids. But at the same time, I am mourning my time as a parent of “kids”. I guess empty nester syndrome was sneaking on in while I wasn’t looking.
EDIT: Linking up with AJJ for the Butterfly theme…thanks for the heads up Erika!
Once again I’m playing catch up here on my blog. Spring definitely gets away from me. School gets more demanding as we near the end which leaves me too tired to do anything beyond feeding my family and preparing for the following day.
This spring we also have the added pressure of Mini-me graduating from high school! Stressing over whether or not there will be a graduation ceremony, a choir concert, grad parties, etc. And if there are…how comfortable do we feel about it. We finally got the answer to a couple of those question marks. There will be a concert but it will be single choirs to limit people and possible exposures. There will be graduation which will look similar to those in the past due to since our governor announced a step down in restrictions taking effect before graduation. This does make me nervous even though we are all vaccinated. Mini-me will not be having a graduation party. 
Last week was an eventful one. Wednesday was my birthday…next year is a big one… I was spoiled by friends and coworkers with kind words and thoughtful gifts. Thursday, Mini-me and I drove to Duluth to move J home from college for the summer. It was a quick up and back trip.
We had to take a quick detour into Canal Park before heading to campus…we love Duluth so much. I wish we could have spent more time there.
If you look closely there are two ships in this photo. The closer one is a “salty” meaning it traveled in from the Atlantic Ocean. The other one on the horizon is one of the Great Lakes fleet of ore boats.
I did manage to fix my journal. I plan to add some beads along the spine to cover the extra holes but decided that it would make the most sense to wait until the journal is complete.
Look at all the pretty papers! I can’t wait to start using it. I know my birthday cards and notes are going to have a place right away.
I have been sewing too..no surprise there. It is so satisfying to be making a major dent in my scraps. I have yet to decide if this will become a bed size quilt or a couple of throws.
I had to share the mug J bought for me. He said it was a combo b-day and mothers day gift. So sweet.
This summer appears to be getting more back to normal. Both kids have jobs…thank goodness! Mini-me will actually have two. J currently has two but his school job will end in June obviously and he will be able to put in more time at his internship. It’s so very exciting to see them both taking those next steps in life. Although I’m not even going to pretend to be completely ok with being “empty nesters” next fall.
What are you doing today?
After day in which my ADD was in high gear, I settled down to create late in the evening. Past my bedtime, for sure. Evidently I was still cruising from the whirlwind of activity earlier…Mini-me even commented on the fact that I had half a dozen things going at once and I was jumping between them in crazy succession. Not sure what’s up with that but I’m not here for therapy.
wonky junky journal page
This journal had not seen any love for quite some time. I grabbed the wood grain papers without any plan and glued them down to the flimsy pages underneath. Then added a chunk of equally flimsy black paper to the left side. It was way to dark so I smeared some peachy, flesh tone with my fingers. Over the top I added floral washi sticker. This side was now starting to inspire me. 
I used a previously made paper cluster meant for a greeting card to break up the wood grain. While digging through a small bin of saved bits I put together a little collage of punches and a yogi tea tag. After adding a bit of stamping to each side I completed the page with the words love yourself first
I was so happy with how this page turned out that I grabbed another journal to create a bit more.
Ivanhoe journal page
Layering papers has been a go-to of mine lately. I am finally convincing myself that I need to tear into those papers instead of hoarding them because they are so pretty. It’s a work in progress.
On the right side of the spread I placed this tag I have had in my stash for a while. I thought the colors complemented that page very well. I love that there is a tag on the tag. 
I decided to use a wide variety of paper patterns for this spread. Things you likely wouldn’t see together, The jumble of colors and styles along with variety of textures inspired the words… everything has beauty