It's a Creative World

Art Journal Joy

Hi, Kel here, and I'm wondering...

Why do we do it to ourselves? 

We learn a new skill and we enjoy it. Before long though, we start getting over critical of ourselves and our work, picking it apart and apologising for it. That is when we need our friends to remind us that "There are no quilt police/scrapbooking police/art police!" Why do we do it? These are hobbies, how we express ourselves, how we relax - it's meant to be enjoyable!

What I love about this blog is the joy that everyone shows in their work. We encourage each other and we enjoy what we do. Everyone is (quite rightly!) pleased with what they have done, and when we are beginners in a particular craft, we accept that and are excited about learning more

 I've been in a kind of funk lately, and needed to have a good old play to get myself over it. In this spirit, I am going to share how I make a 'general purpose' page for my art journal. Sometimes I plan a page for a specific reason, other pages are a mess of scribbled ideas and pen tests. From time to time though, I like to start off a bunch of pages to complete later. This is handy for those days when the blank page is an intimidating wilderness.

Add some colour...

 

I dry-brushed some gesso over the pages and let it dry before covering it with diluted acrylic paint. Click on the picture for a closer look at the texture added by using the gesso for resist.

Gather some stuff that catches your eye...

I collect images from magazines, quotes and poems, and favourite pens.

Start gluing them down - trust your eye...

I use gel medium, but pva or gluestick will work too. I like to add a sparse layer of paint to kind of hold it all together - sometimes dabbing it on with tissue or bubble wrap to add texture. 

That is the end of that stage. Now it is a blank canvas, ready to inspire me when I need a jumpstart, to give me somewhere to write down random thoughts or journal a summer day.

Travel Journals

This isn´t the topic that I had planned to do today. I was going to share my improvised apron patterns - but I haven´t improvised them yet (obviously, they will be totally fab when I do, but still...). Then I was going to make yummy tote bags out of gorgeous fabric in two designs, one apples and one pears, that I bought at the quilt exhibition last weekend (I want to say Malvern, but I ´m not sure that´s right) - but the week went haywire at work and I haven´t made them yet either. My sewing machine is in the corner at home quietly weeping from neglect!

And now here I am in Barcelona. So it makes sense to fall back on my very favourite creative outlet, art journals and artist books, and share a travel journal. I´m going to share with you one of my favourite travel journals so far, featuring Nova Scotia, Canada last summer. I´m not a very diligent daily writer, so this hodge podge approach works perfectly with the ebb and flow of my inspiration. Once you have chosen your covers, as long as you make sure all of your ´pages´ are roughly smaller, then you can use anything you like inside.

  

This spread shows a bit of map glued onto some handmade (not by me!) denim rag paper and a Neocolor II sketch on some crumpled paper bag. The map shows the part of Nova Scotia where my family are from, and the sketch captures the colours and feeling of the Nova Scotia shoreline.

 

On this spread, you get to see some of the delicious layering that happens when you have all these pages tied in together. You can see the dark blue of the map page and the ragged edge of the paper bag. This spread has some doodled shoreline, a found feather and a watercolour background created with the Neocolor IIs - they are such a great travelling art supply.

 

An assortment of found papers, my own photography and some muslin left over from dying Easter eggs. The great thing is with this book is that you can collect up all your pages as you travel around, put together a few more when you get home, and then bind them together however you like. Try book rings, bind-it-all, Japanese stab stitch binding, or tying them into a cloth spine glued to old book covers like I have here.

They´ve turned out the lights in the computer room here at the hotel, so I will sign off, but thanks for joining me on my travels!

Kel x

New girl speaks

Hi - Kel here, one of the new girls here at IACW. I was so thrilled to be asked to join the team. Like I'm sure you do, I have so many previous posts from these creative girls saved to try, you know, someday.

Caz introduced me so nicely at the start of the month, I blushed reading it. My blog, Kel's Space, has been neglected lately, as a temporary promotion has used up all my time, energy and vocabulary. I'm also working on my foundation year in art and design which has demanded the remaining crumbs of time and energy, and pretty much all of my creativity.

I'm a Canadian, but have been living in London for nearly 18 years. I've been art journalling and scrapbooking in some way for most of my life on and off - without realising that what I was doing had a name. Using those terms as we do at the moment, I would say I started scrapbooking in '97 and art journalling in '05. I started making and collecting artist books in '07.

The first thing I can remember making is a pair of Barbie jeans made from a mail bag. The last thing I made is a bunch of painted paper to cut up to use as collage material in my illustration class. Oh and the bunting... I have to admit I'm a bit of a dabbler - I sew a bit and bead a bit and crochet a bit and draw a bit and... I know I'm not alone here, I'm in very good company.
 
As we're scrapping our men folk this month, I'll give you a peek at mine. It's an old layout (from Shimelle's Learn Something New Everyday class), but it seemed so perfect for two reasons. 1. It records a time when he had some health worries weighing heavily on his mind. 2. The quote reads:
Love is that condition in which the happiness of another is essential to your own. - Robert Heinlein
Isn't that exactly why male cancer awareness is so important?

Please don't forget to Scrap Your Man, encourage him to do that crucial check, and head over to Orchid to find out more about what they do, what we're fighting, and if you can, donate a little something.
Nice to meet you! See you soon,
Kel xx

The last page of our A to Z Journal....

Can you believe we have actually finished this project? It just seems like yesterday that we launched the A to Z Art Journal project and a whole year has passed. We hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have.

And what have we learnt from this year long adventure?

Caz says - "I will NEVER do double pages again"

Lemon says - " I have learnt a lot about my daughter, she contributed a lot to the journal and changed quite a few things."

Di says - "I will not bind the journal up front - it is so much easier to work with a single page rather than a book! And its easier to photograph or scan"

Here are our pages:

Lemon book of growing up

After browsing all two pages of the dictionary this seemed the most appropiate for my daughter....I hope she never looses her ZING

Di Book of my life

The dictionary tells me that zany means - "Comical because of incongruity or strangeness; biZarre." Well I guess that's me! biZarre so my life must be Zany... And my DD caZ is Zany too!

A message from Di:

As we arrive at the end of the alphabet, I must confess that I have enjoyed the journey so much that I commit to making an Art Journal for my dear sister Linda. Maybe I can share bits and pieces of this new journey next year. X

Caz

For some reason or another I can't seem to upload my page. I will try again tomorrow (saturday). This is what happens when you leave everything till the last minute!!

And finally Karen Leahy (AKA Scrapdolly) has sent her Z page already!

Finally, Z is NOT an easy letter so here are just a few suggestions:

• Zealous
• Zeal
• Zoo
• Zip
• Zany
• ZZZ's
• Zesty
• Zippy
• Zutter

And if you want to see loads of strange words starting with the letter Z - try here

http://www.crosswordsolver.org/definition/Z

Thank you for joining us on this wonderful journey.  To mark the end of this project the fabulous Kate Hadfield has created some rather festive digi goodies for you to download absolutely FREE.

     

Simply click on this linkie dink and help yourself.  Not only can you snaffle the doodles but there is a discount voucher for you to use in her shoppie shop . 

The cReative giRls XXX

Our Jakey had some problems with the link on Mozilla.  If you can't get it to download drop us a line at acreativeworld@hotmail.co.uk and I'll whizz it over to you this evening - Maria x
 

A to Z Journal - the Y page

The second to last letter of the alphabet! And the festive season has started.

It's another difficult one so here are the words we have come up with:

• You
• Youth
• Youthful
• Young
• Yech!
• Yesterday
• Yarn
• Yearn
• Yabbadabbado
• Yummy
• Yap
• Yuppie

Lemons book of growing up

My daughter never stops Yawning if only she would sleep then maybe she would stop...well maybe not!

Caz

 

I aim to be Young at Heart....forever!

Di - Book of my life

What would mY life be without You - You are my reason for being.

 

And we have only one letter left. So lets see those Y pages

Love from the cReative giRls XXX

A to Z Journal - the X page

Woo Hoo and this is a difficult letter so all we are giving you are a few words and cheats

• Xmas
• eXtraordinary
• eXtravagant
• eXcellent
• eXemplary
• XXX

Caz

 

lol, no I don't think I am exceptional, although I would like to be :D

Lemons book of growing up

My daughter has not had the best year regarding health and I have documented all the different type of xrays that she has had.

Di's Book of my life

Hi from Maddi and it's confession time; My life is 'eXtraordinary. How 'eXtraordinary is it that after all this time I discover that I do like ONE cat - Josh. From the first day I met him I just loved him - he is affectionate, cuddly and the only cat I have ever liked.

 

Lets see those eXciting, Xtraordinary X pages.

Love from the cReative giRls

A to Z - the letter W

Here are a few ideas for the letter W:

Book of me/you: Willful, Who, Wonderful, Wise, Whine, Winner, Wrinkles, Weak, Writer, Wife, Wild, Witty Wierd...

Book of baby: Wet Wipes, Wonderful, Winsome ...

Book of everyday: What!!!!, Wednesday, When, Weather, Weary, Wander, Wonder, Windy, Washing, Warm, Waitress, Whenever, Where ...

Occasions/ Life: Why, WOW, World, Weekend, Woe, Wisdom, Wedding, Winter, Wisdom, Wonderful, WooHoo...

Tools and Techniques: Wet Wipes, Words ...

Knitting: Wool, Wind...

Caz

 

We have one life, you must make it wonderful :)

Lemon Book of growing up

For this page i didnt want my daughter to forget the wonders of growing up

Di Book of my life

Who, What, Where, When, When  and Why guided my work and my life unitil I discovered the Serenity prayer and what Wisdom really is. It is NOT about age it's about making decisions. My life is Wonderfull because I have finally understood Wisdom:

 

And what would wisdom be without knowing that it is a Wonderful World! Listen to the magical Louis Armstrong here. 

Have a wonderful weekend and lets see your wonderful work!!!

the cReative giRls

A to Z Journal - the V page

We are approaching the end of our A to Z journal with only a few more letters to go! Wow this year has passed soooo quickly!

Here are a few ideas for the letter V:

Book of me/you: Vivacious, Virtuous, Veritable, Vigourous, Visionary, Voracious, Voluminous, Vices, Volatile...

Book of baby: Vaccination ...

Book of everyday:  Vacuuming, Viscious, Violence, Vindictive...

Occasions/ Life: Valentine, Vacation ...

Tools and Techniques: ...

Knitting: Vibrant...

Lemon's Book of growing up

Vegetables are the bain of my life.  My daughter, like most children, does not like most of them. Hopefully when she gets older she will come to enjoy them...just like I have done!

Caz:

 

To see, both into the future and life right now.

Di : Book of my life

How do I feel about me? Well after all this time my life is surrounded by Very Vintage stuff but I still feel Vibrant!

Lets see your Very Vibrant V pages.

love from the cReative giRls XXXX

It's never to late to start...

A crafting journal.

Hi all from Maddi

Oh how I wish I had started a knitting and crochet journal all those years ago. Now I have no record of all my creations over the first 60 years of my life.

 However this year Caz sent me this gorgeous journal and I decided that it it was not too late to start. The journal is actually a 'knitting' journal, but I used run-ons and added 'and crochet'

 

So far this year I have finished several quite big projects and it is so good to look at my journal and remember why I made it, who I made it for and how much I enjoyed the project.

That very special blanket made for Anita Mundt and inspired by one made for Caz in 1975:

 

My joyful crochet cushion covers:

and my cute little capelet made with Caz:

I just take pics all the way through the project - the yarn, the beginning, and the final project and then just create the page when I have finished the project. Sometimes I attach pieces of the yarn as well.

Now of course you could create your own journal! Cos that's what you folks do. LOL

Lets see your craft journals that are recording the wonderful work you do.

Thanks for visiting IACW and love from MadDi XXX

A to Z Journal - the T page

Tea for Two and Two for Tea... So what does T mean in your A to Z Journal????

Here are a few of our ideas for the letter T:

Book of me/you: Trendy, Tattoo, Thin, Thinker, Trusting, True, Tipsy, Tired, Tiresome, Temperamental, Tidy ...

Book of baby: Tiny, Tot, Teething, Tired, Toddler, Toys, Toes, Tootsies, Tummy, Tantrum, Twins, Triplets...

Book of everyday:  Tasty, Tatty, Tea time, Today, Tease, Tiresome, Trouble...

Occasions/ Life:  Treat, Tragedy, Travel, Trip, Triumphant, Tremendous...

Tools and Techniques: Tags, Tools...

Knitting:  Tantrum!!!, Tension, Too Tight,  ...

Caz

I think we all Dream about Travelling the world, and going to far off magical places. My Dreams will one day become reality!

Lemon's Book of Growing Up

 

My daughter fought me for weeks about going to her prom night but as you can see she won ....as her Temper got the better of her and she just sat there all night with a face like Thunder...when you could see it!

Di Book of my life:

To Travel To Tibet; to visiT Lhasa and the PoTala Palace, the ancienT and TradiTional home of the Dalai Lama. I have booked my Trip several times but my dream has been destoyed by troubles in the area. I will still achieve this Trip. I have kept a journal for this Trip since 2001 so my page is siTTing on my Tibet journal. My GREAT news is that I have decided to travel to Tibet in September 2009  Woo Hoo.

 

(BTW believe me that Caz and I created our pages months ago when we were housands of miles apart....)

So what does T mean to you??? Lets see you great work.

Love from the Creative Girls X