Perfection Not Allowed

This is my first attempt at art journaling. I think I'm going to have fun with this! 

When we were going through my deceased MIL's belongings I came across some of her spiral-bound monthly calendar notebooks. This inspired me to use them for my art journaling. I had read somewhere about 15-minute art journaling. The idea was to use three different mediums and incorporate them into your journal page spending only five minutes on each medium. For instance using pictures, paint and markers or scrap paper, stickers and chalk. What I liked about this was that it didn't allow time for perfection. The aim was to dive in and possibly get a little messy expressing a thought or a picture or a quote. While I'm not following the exact process I've mentioned, I am trying to accomplish it in 15 minutes.

I haven't decided on what I'll do with the cover, but it hasn't stopped me from starting on the inside! I've glued two pages together for more thickness. 

I was intrigued because I tend to lean towards making my pages look just so. I challenged myself to let my hair down, so to speak, and not allow myself to think the outcome needed to be perfect.

The theme of my first page is 'Perfection Not Allowed'.

Items used:

Scuffed up Christmas wrapping paper
Pic from old science book
Library envelope with 'discard' stamped on it
Skinned up gold paint chip
Fuzzy yard and a metal ring
Very old torn return address

Stay tuned!

Brenda

Pretty in Purple

For this altered composition notebook I used an original page from an old accounting book with the entry dated 1953 and embellished with original tabs and vintage pattern cut outs.  The cursive handwriting was very small and precise.  The inside front and back is covered as well.

Life is Good!

Brenda

Altered Composition Journal 2

Vintage patterns tell a story.  I think that's why I love collecting and repurposing them, so that the past can stay alive and hopefully evoke pleasant thoughts while recalling fond memories.  I get excited when, after purchasing an old pattern at a thrift store, I peek in.  Sometimes there are little treasures to be had, which is usually in the form of a snippet of material or some newsprint the seamstress used to alter the pattern.  One time I found a piece of bright green and white polka dot material.  That's when my imagination runs away with me!  Who on earth would make that out of that?

Life is good!

Brenda

Jackpot Thrifting

It's hard to lose calories when I'm only 1/4 mile into my walk and run into a yard sale.  But there was no question about it.  I'd resume my walk tomorrow!

Isn't this a cute straw hat?  It's by GAP and it's going on Ebay.  Not my size, and I don't wear hats.  However, it does look good right where its at in my bedroom...hmmm...

This is a nice set of copper canisters going on Ebay as well.  But if they don't sell, I won't be sad!  I already have an idea using the lids.

I ended up with three boxes of various craft items, some to keep, some to sell.  Since I was on my walk, I had no money with me.  The nice lady set aside all my stuff while I walked the quarter mile back home for my checkbook.  I came back with our car, shopped some more, wrote the nice lady a check and hauled everything back home end of story.

This was last Friday morning.

Fast forward 4 days.  I'm going about my business working in the office, reconciling with the bank.  You know, that kind of fun stuff.  I realized I hadn't recorded the check I wrote to the nice yard sale lady.  Get my checkbook, and what is staring me in the face but the check I didn't tear out and give to the nice lady. Talk about instant panic!  Thankfully, we live in a very small town and it was the only yard sale I went to.  I was able to find her phone number and meet up with her that night.  How embarrassing!

But like I said.  She was a nice lady.

God bless,
Brenda

Altered Composition Journal

It's back-to-school time

which means school supplies

which means, if I am lucky, getting a pile of composition notebooks when they go on sale in about a month for 10 cents a piece.

They're inexpensive and a fun way to use up paper scraps that are piling up from other projects.

Here's my most recent one.

I'm still loving vintage sewing patterns.  I don't think I'll ever stop loving old patterns, in fact I scored on about 30 the other day while out thrifting!

I cover the inside front and back to hide the school 'cheat sheets'.

Blessings!

Brenda

2013 Experiment

Ever heard of a Smash book?  From what I gather, it’s a blank journal-type book that you can use to put in whatever your little ol’ pea-pickin’ heart desires.  Pictures, collage, ribbon, pockets, poems, pressed flowers, words—anything.  And from the look of some I’ve seen online—the more stuff the merrier.  Then when you’re finished with the book you ‘smash’ it together and—viola—your personal Smash book.

Rather than journaling typically, I decided to give the smash-book style a go for my 2013 journal.  I wanted it to be totally random.  Not daily.  Anything that strikes my fancy at any given moment.

I bought a thick journal at Goodwill with ivory pages that had pre-printed questions to answer…same questions every day…how boring is that?  {Sorry, my opinion, just sayin’}  But the cover was blank Kraft-paper looking, which I really like.  It was very thick so I had to tear a lot of pages out to start with.

Right in the middle of the otherwise blank cover were the words “A Personal Journal”.  Perfect.  I decided to leave it.  The paper I used is embossed which gives dimension.  I of course had to add my ‘tag’ that I found in a magazine and grunged up.  The time pieces I found thrifting as well as the tiny clock hands in the middle.  {They’re kinda pointing at my age this year btw!)

 

Here’s the inside cover.  My favorite scripture “This is the day” and my favorite people, along with the “Casting all of your cares” scripture.

The next set is Christmas 2012 randomness.  I used cutouts of some of the wrapping paper I used, pieces of the homemade card I sent out as well as cutouts of some of the cards we received.  Grace gave us cards and notes so I wanted to incorporate those as well.

Since Chels and Brice couldn’t make it for Christmas, I’ll make up another page when we celebrate with them.  I thought we’d see them before now, otherwise I’d have mailed their packages.  Hopefully soon.

Recycling packing paper from various packages I received in the mail is what I’ve used to cover the pages.  Glue and splat.  Each page comes out funky and there’s plenty of room for mistakes.  I’m hoping the lines are blurred between my actual mistakes versus things done on purpose!

Here’s some pics I got at Thanksgiving of our kids.  For this I washed white paint over the packing paper.  Cutting out words from catalogs is fun.  These came from a Sam’s*Club mailer.  Taking advantage of after-Christmas sales for craft pieces works, as long as I remember where I put them in my ever-growing stash!

This was our “day in the life of Wal*Mart” page, after locking my keys in the car.  (you can click on the pic to make it larger.)

Above is what the actual pages looked like.  I decided to use one of the original pages just to keep for posterity!  I love to see how people doodle and decided to give it a try.  I am NOT a doodler, as you can see.  My doodles look rather kindergarten-ish, don’t you think?   Oh well.  I was just trying out some new colored markers. 

 

And finally, the back.

I have many more pages to make before years end.  I’m working on another one right now using a Star*bucks coffee sleeve. 

I’ll keep you posted!

Blessings,

Brenda

A tale of 3 sisters, part 2

This clipboard was for my sister’s SIL who is a serious quilter.  My inspiration came from a picture I found in her Facebook pics of the first quilt she ever made.  I found the pattern online and tried my best to replicate it.  (Disclaimer here:  If you are a quilter, you’ll see that I am not! But I did the best I could.)  The magnets are vintage buttons.  I used the same button along with a couple layers of burlap for the clip.

I decided a ‘crazy quilt’ effect would be good for the back.

How cute is this puppy dog?  This clipboard was for another of my sister’s SIL.  I used the same technique I mentioned in my previous post.

Not knowing her favorite colors, I again had to head over to Facebook for some inspiration.  It didn’t take me long, as I found a pic of her wearing a very pretty blouse with these colors.  I figured if she’s wearing it then she must like it, right?

The three sisters’ clipboards were so fun to make.  When attempting to make something as personal as possible, it sure makes my day when I find out they were a hit!

Be blessed today!

Brenda