Art Journaling

I like to create and I like to journal. Now I'm not an artist but this "art journaling" intrigues me. I want to do it so bad but it is so out of my element! I don't like my workspace messy. I don't really even like to be messy and those two things seem to be at the heart of "art journaling"!

Some of my scrapbook buddies are very artistic and have mix media products. I did take a class back in the fall but felt like I was over my head. Anyway, one of these buddies (Shaunery) had posted a link from a blog about a free year long class creating an art journal (Journal52). Each week students will be given a prompt. Our first prompt was "Up, Up and Away". I wanted to make this a "scripture journal" of sorts or at least a "spiritual journal".

 I bought a spiral watercolor book to use. I began on the first page (the right side). I used Tim Holtz Distress inks putting the color on my non-stick craft mat adding water and applying with a paint brush onto the paper. Next I picked my image a Phyllis Harris Stamp by Unity. I stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink and colored with Copic Markers. I then cut out the image and glued to the book. I then free handed with a pencil how I wanted the words on the page then went back over the pencil and filled in letters with my Faber-Castell Markers. I had a stamp with wings so I stamped it then added some stickles for a little sparkle and glued it to the page. The bird is also a stamp by Unity.





 Once I got through it just didn't seem right to not have something on the left side which is the inside cover. Because the inside cover is chipboard and not watercolor paper I used Gesso to cover so I

could paint it. The colors weren't quite the same but close enough for me except for the brown which didn't cover well at all. That's when I got the brilliant idea to try to simulate the beach. I had some Silver Crushed Glass Glitter and Aged Taupe Embossing Enamel to make the sand. I didn't intend for the area to be so big but oh well! I did like the effect!

The little girl is another Phyllis Harris Stamp by Unity that I colored with Copic Markers, cut and pasted to the page. I then took an old tool I bought several years ago from Creative Memories called Titletopia. It was designed as a letter and sticker placement aligner. I used it to make my wavy lines for my journaling. The scriptures I used had words like exalt, lift, soar, cast. I wasn't quite through adding scriptures when I took this picture but you get the idea. I also went back and erased the pencil lines.

I also altered the cover of my book. I used Gesso to prime it to take paint. Then used black acrylic paint to cover the entire front cover. I then added this little piece I had created a couple of months ago. I thought it fit perfectly. I did almost have a major blunder. I thought it would be a good idea to seal the front with Modge Podge. It would have been a good idea if all the colors I used on the words were water proof. However the red on the word "Truth" began to smear! Thankfully I caught it before I ruined my piece! I'm trying to decide if I want to do anymore to it or not. I may leave it as is. I did this much like I did the piece above. Painting the background with Distress ink like watercolor, using Faber-Castell pens for the words and another Phyllis Harris Stamp by Unity for the image.

This is fun but I find myself thinking "I should be scrapbooking"! I hope I can stay hooked up with the group. I am thankful that I have a week to do a page.

Hope you enjoyed my creative process. Hopefully I'll get better at it and learn to use some different products for different effects in the coming weeks.

Have a good one!