Remains of the Day Journal...

Finally uploaded the photos of my ROTD journal...and some of the pages in progress.
Silk ribbons for the tie....
Some applique on the front cover (hidden under the flap when closed).
The inside lining...

I added a patchwork strip to hold pens..





Loving this online class from Mary Ann Moss. I keep watching the videos to learn how she puts her pages together - love this idea of using up the bits and pieces that you have (er, hoard!) and making background pages for journaling on.


I ended up with four FAT signatures -- but only two fit in the journal...(so guess who will be making ANOTHER cover!?)


I used a bunch of thin, kraft-brown pages from a sketch journal as a base for stitching other bits to. This is a security envelope sewed onto the page as a pocket...with a bit of fabric tacked on (yep. Anna Maria Horner. From her first line - "Bohemian")



Scrapbook papers in my favorite greens...the picture is from a PaPaYa catalog (oh artful loveliness...how much do I want ONE OF EACH! And GUESS WHAT?!?! They are making WRAPPING PAPER out of PAM GARRISON's ART JOURNAL PAGES! oh my. CANNOT WAIT.)


The newsprint paper bag is from a scrapbooking store (can't recall which? I just always save these types of bags because I love them...can't trash 'em!) I trimmed it down and stitched the bottom closed - left the top open so I can slip things inside. Beneath it is a page from an old atlas. The bird and butterfly were cut out of an ad from a Somerset Studios magazine, the Making Memories packaging is from their Vintage Findings line (love it) and the quote is from the packaging of some Amy Butler stickers.
The page on the left is a gorgeous painting of an almond plant from a hotel/spa room service breakfast menu...the green/white checked page is a bag from The Queen's Ink stamp shoppe that Aimee and I stopped in on the way to and from Inspired last year...(we need another ROAD TRIP, AIM!)...

I cannot believe how many HOURS I spent stitching up these PAGES! (It is ADDICTING, I warn you!) Seriously. I could do it all day (and I did last Sunday!)

Next step: sewing the signatures into the spine. Can't wait!

Prompt 1 - Artful Amblings Art Journal

The first prompt of 2010's A Year in the Life of an Art Journal was posted on the 15th. (Prompts are twice monthly, on the 15th and 30th.)

The prompt is: "WHAT? What is holding you back? What is stopping you? What are you afraid of? What is keeping you from your potential? WHAT?!?"

I answered in relation to my art journaling process. Even though I love to sit down with any of my journals - even if it is just to doodle a bit while watching TV or relaxing...sometimes that WHITE PAGE just causes me to freeze. And especially when the plan is to share it on a group site. Rachel's idea to write out all the reasons holding you back and then PAINT OVER THEM to take away their power was a great exercise for me. Originally, I started with a watercolored page, wrote all along the border of the page and filled in with some circle stamped images. But I really didn't like the end result...so I gessoed over it all and added two shades of acrylic paint as a base to start again. I used a Sharpie fine point pen for the journaling, and markers to fill in the letters. The stamps are a sheet of stamps I bought eons ago and cut up and foam-mounted myself (not very well!) The circle stamp is 7gypsies. The collaged bits are cut from a paint chip flyer. I love that I can still see a bit of the journaling peeking through the layers around the edges.

Art Journaling...2010

Ever since I participated in Emily Falconbridge's "Deck of Me" art journal group in 2007 - I have loved having an art journal (or two, or three...) going, and especially having regular prompts to keep me company along the way.

This year, I am participating in "A Year in the Life of an Art Journal" - with Rachel Wetzel.

This is the book I will be using (watercolor paper signatures, the cover is a patchwork of Anna Maria Horner fabrics - inspired by the journal Pam Garrison created from Mary Ann Moss's online class The Remains of the Day (which I have signed up for but haven't received yet....I CANNOT WAIT!)

And so...the first PROMPT was posted on Friday...my morning has been spent layering some paints and textures on the page - I think I am going to go with some stamping and collage....all subject to change as the mood strikes! Will share when it is finished!

It's all about pretending, right?

...as in fairy tales and make believe.

So pretend you can't see the gobs of hot glue which were needed to shore-up my attempts to hand tie the frame of twigs. (I had better luck with the canopy when I stripped down some twistie ties for the thin wire. Just right.)

And pretend that the left, front twig is not completely unsuited to serving as a bed post due to its curves. (It was dark out when I busted the twigs off the tree in the front yard, because, yes, I HAD to start this project the moment I got home from work on Thursday after seeing it on Emily Falconbridge's blog that day.)

Other than those minor issues - (hee!) - I am smitten with my version of The Princess and the Pea bed for Little Miss (ok, for ME and Little Miss!) You'll note the Princess in our version is sporting a gown of Anna Maria Horner's Garden Party Polka Dots fabric for the bodice, and Liberty of London Tana Lawn in Navy/Red for her skirt. With that garb alone she is clearly a princess, right? (Note to self--metallic DMC floss is a b*tch to tie and KEEP tied. May have to replace her sash with some narrow ribbon...that is, if the gown lasts. Sirryha is in the habit of disrobing all of her dolls and tossing aside their clothes never to be worn again. Oh dear. Doesn't bode well for us enjoying Barbies much, eh? Maybe she will grow out of it? Moms? Yeah or nay? Is there any hope for me on this one?)

Sigh. Oh well. At least she didn't smash up the bed! (I am guessing it is NOT as sturdy at the one Miss Emily and her hubs created!) I think Sirryha sensed how fragile this whole game was for me! She right away wanted that GOWN OFF of the wee doll, and once we counted the mattresses and restacked them a few times, she went back to her other babies.

And, uh, yeah. For those who will ask---that stack is 20 mini mattresses. (I do have some standards! I Wiki'd the original story for the official count!)

Alas, Saturday was spent with her other dollies....and the Princess was undisturbed in her slumber atop the leaning tower of bedding! This is Sirryha putting all her babies down for a nap. Note the "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" instructions aimed at me!

Not sure why the dolls end up under the highchair all the time....seems a tent or playhouse is what I should be constructing, no?

hmmmm....

One Little Word...2010

Love this tradition that I first read about on Ali Edwards' blog a few years back....

This year my word is "GO."

I needed a VERB. Something to remind me to MOVE....to DO...to GET IT DONE...to VISIT....to ACT.

....and now off I GO to finish cleaning up my DESK!