• Art - Blog - Creativity

    Junk Journal November challenge

    November 9, 2019 - By 

    I did it. I committed to a new challenge. Even knowing I’d be behind in the beginning.

    I’m over halfway to being caught up.  Not too shabby.

    Time Travel 1/30

    All the pieces fell right into place for this one. I had the tag premade from another scrap busting project. The clock face is vellum. I have no idea where I got it…I have a small baggie of clock faces and gauges in vellum.

    Collage 2/30

    I wasn’t sure where I was going with this one…I didn’t really think, just started layering papers. I knew I’d end up with a focal image or words. The fussy cut elephant told me she belonged on the page. I love elephants. One Saturday I spent the afternoon watching documentaries on elephants while cutting fabric. Such a great way to spend a couple of hours.

    Old-fashioned 3/30

    I’m sure this prompt was meant to be old -fashioned as in a period in time and all that went along with it. My mind went in another direction entirely. I immediately thought about Don Draper of Mad Men. The character had a drink of choice…an Old-Fashioned.

    I did my best to mimic a low ball glass with whiskey. I even added ice cubes.

    Reduce 4/30

    I didn’t particularly care for this prompt so this is what I came up with to get it over with.

    Fox 5/30

    This one feels a bit too scrapbooky. I journaled about the time we had a sick fox under our deck. It was really gross…we could smell it before we could see it. The police and animal control were in the area looking for it as they feared it had rabies. It ran away before they caught it. I never heard the end of the tale but I have to assume they got it or it crawled in a hole somewhere and died.

    Stay tuned for more pages as I get caught up. You can also see them on Instagram if you can’t wait for them to post here.

  • Blog

    T Tuesday: Halloween edition

    November 4, 2019 - By 

    I sometimes feel guilty about dressing up for Halloween when we skipped the whole works when our kids were young. At the time it made sense due to food allergies. Now with my job, it’s kind of a thing again.

    I dressed as a VSCO girl. Those of you who don’t have teenagers won’t get it. but the kids at school loved it! “Oh my gosh Mrs. G…you’re a VSCO girl!” “That is so awesome!”  You can google it if you are super curious…

    This was a good chunk of the staff who dressed for the occasion. So fun…and some actual learning took place believe it or not.

    Over the weekend I went to a local craft fair and immediately fell in love with this bowl.

    Something about it spoke to me. I told the potter that I’d be back…I had to think about it. I quickly made the rounds through the rest of the vendors in the gym and came back with cash in hand.

    I LOVE IT!! The potter is a retired orthopedic surgeon. After decades away from the wheel, he started creating again.  I’m certainly happy he did!

    I have to show you my view this morning after the time change. Marvin is not a fan. He doesn’t understand why I’m not willing to open the shades @dark 30.

    So he waits… giving me the cold shoulder…or rear.

    T stands for Tuesday
    What are you doing today?
  • Art - Blog - Creativity

    New junk journal

    November 3, 2019 - By 

    I can hardly believe it but I’m posting something other than T Tuesday. It’s been a while. I’ve been in a creative slump. Not sure how it happened but never the less it did.

    I’ve sat down a couple of times trying to force creativity.

    Don’t do it. It’s ugly.

    What I did finally decide that I’d like to create was a place to create. A junk journal. I’m sure you’re thinking…hey wait…didn’t she just make one of those. Yep sure did. But that one is for bits of my life, more personal.

    This one is for the creative process. Whether that may be art journaling, responding to a prompt or a challenge.

    I loved this calendar ephemera my BFF sent in a package. She knew I’d love it as much as the actual gift she sent.

    I used some rusted fabric on the inside of the softcover.

    The outside is watercolor paper that had been painted and whitewash some time ago. I found it in my stash and knew it would make a nice flexible cover.

    I decided to use a 5 hole pamphlet stitch this time instead of my usual go-to of three hole stitch.

    This journal has a wide variety of papers that should prove to be a good and challenging launching point for the creative process.

    I’m considering joining another junk journal challenge on Instagram as I did in July. I need to decide soon otherwise I might be too far behind.