Making Time for an Art Journal

Lately, mixed media has become a hot trend in the scrapbooking world.  Ironically, most layouts are actually mixed media projects because our pages are collages of papers, and collage is one form of mixed media art.


I think the big boom in stencils, masks and sprays has helped generate pages that use more mediums, like gesso, paint, molding/modeling paste and so on.  This has also led to an escalating interest in Art Journals, a freestyle expression of creativity and playfulness using mixed media.  


Just Google Art Journals and mixed media and you'll discover an exciting artistic world!  A friend of mine, Limor Webber, creates wonderful art journal pages and mixed media scrapbook layouts on YouTube and also has a Facebook Mixed Media group, where everyone shares their projects.  


Another amazing art journaling phenom is Christy Riopel, who designs for Canadian Scrapbooker magazine.  Click HERE to visit her blog and see an awesome video of her artistic creations.


In the summer issue of Canadian Scrapbooker, Karen Ellis has a fantastic article on how to make your own art journals.  Here is a sample of her work on the magazine's blog post last month for "Tuesday with the Team", and you can click HERE to visit Karen's website and see the art journal tutorial.


Lots of inspiration online!


I thought I'd share one of my recent art journal pages....basically using just a bunch of "stuff" that was on my desk at the time...

The base of the page is Tim Holtz Tissue Wrap pieces and scrap notebook paper adhered with Ranger's Glue N Seal (similar to Mod Podge). I've shown this technique HERE to create a sun on a scrapbook page on a blog post from last month. 

The sun is a collage of tissue wrap strips, then inked with different shades of yellow Distress Ink

The brown leaves were just lying on my desk, extras left over from another project....and they were cut with my Cricut from brown patterned paper.  The clock is a Tim Holtz Sizzix die cut and the text "68 pages of freedom" was cut right from the front page cover of this blank art journal.  

Clearsnap Smooch is a great way to add some metallic colour....I coloured the text piece and hand with gold and dark teal.

I wrote the title and text below with Faber-Castell Pitt pens....they are awesome India ink pens that write on pretty much everything!

I picked up this package at Michaels that has a variety of nib sizes.

I grabbed a few different types of paint and some Clearsnap Smooch (painted the Wendy Vecchi Art Parts chipboard hand with Smooch)...

My page in progress...

Keep in mind that playing with mixed media usually involves messy hands...

I have a good set of brushes, but sometimes I'll use a cheap children's plastic brush.

If you haven't ventured into the world of Art Journaling, I suggest you give it a try.  It's so much fun to experiment with colours, new techniques and let the artist inside explore freely. You have all the supplies to use on hand if you scrapbook, aside from the mat medium (Mod Podge) maybe. 


Click HERE to see the journal I purchased at a local art store, but I believe Michaels carries them:  Strathmore Visual Art Mixed Media Journal

The paper is 90 lb medium weight to handle the wet mediums you might use.  

What really excites me about mixed media is that I am adding a dimension of originality to my projects.  The results are uniquely mine, and I experience a sense of artistic and creative freedom that is fulfilling and liberating!


Be Yourself...and start an Art Journal!

Sharing....[and Swearing]

If you're a new Follower of my blog, then I should let you know that once in awhile, I share amusing stories about my family life.  Okay, who am I kidding...I like to write about the craziness of having teenagers in the house!

Remember when your babies became toddlers, and you could not get a moment alone...even in the bathroom?  Well, I'm not sure that changes as our children grow older, especially when you have teenage daughters.

Flashback to a layout I made 8 years ago of DQ and BOF :)

I recall listening sympathetically when my friends complained about their older daughters absconding pieces of clothing, shoes, make up and toiletries from their mothers.  And I nodded and smiled, thinking "How sweet!"

However, now the reality of sharing my "stuff" with my girls is sinking in.  S-I-N-K-I-N-G. 

In our home, BabyOfTheFamily and DramaQueen share a bathroom...a nice BIG bathroom with lots of cupboards and space for their "stuff."

But nooooo....they prefer to use MY bathroom....and feel they can share MY stuff.

Example:  I have a bath in my nice soaker tub every night.  It is my sacred sanctuary, a peaceful place where I unwind at the end of the day.

This is what greeted me one evening when I went to run my bath....

 This pink balloon suddenly made me stop and see how my world has slowly but surely been undergoing an invasion.


Here is what I found when I opened one of my bathroom drawers...

BabyOfTheFamily  has been using nose strips...and leaving all the empty wrappers in the drawer

She also leaves the nose strips in random places, like stuck to my hair pick (yes, the hair pick from my perms in the 80's)...

Has my hair pick become a nose pick??

So I decided to take a look into the girls' bathroom...and found a veritable treasure trove of toiletries!

Check out the names of these bath products!! Coconut Frosting, Winter Candy Apple,  Warm Vanilla and Sugar Shampoo, Cranberry Cider Bath Melts

I guess this is the "Beyond" of Bed Bath and Beyond....when the grocery store crosses over into your bathroom!

While I'm using some pathetic leftover hotel soaps my husband collects obsessively...

 the girls have a beautiful and fragrant handmade soap bar featuring music notes...

 They have taken all my brushes and left me one of theirs...

 The make-up comparison is a joke as well.


I use freebie sample lipsticks and "bonus" cosmetic gifts.  Here's where my blush is at right now....

And this is the palette of make up that belongs to DQ...

 Not too long ago, DQ came to me with a sweater in her hands, saying she doesn't wear it anymore and it's a big size, so maybe I'd like it.  

I was touched and thanked her, almost tearfully....and then found the holes when I tried it on!

       BOF leaves clothing for me all the time...to pick up off my bathroom floor after she has a shower...

  A number of people have told me over the years that I'll be sad when my children grow up and move out of my house.  Maybe I will....or maybe not.

I think I'll exact my revenge now, by having a Vanilla Sugar bubble bath and washing my hair with Cake Frosting shampoo....followed by a complete make-over using 25 different shades of eye shadow.  

Payback time.                      

A Sweet Summer Memory...with Simple Stories

This month's sketch challenge at The Urban Scrapbook included the wonderful "Summer Fresh" collection by Simple Stories.

These sweet papers and stickers were so much fun to use and perfectly capture the essence of summertime, with its retro primary colour palette, mixed with denim, gingham and floral patterns.  


When I saw this collection, I immediately thought of scrapping this photo of BoyGenius, when he was about 3 years old.  Being the oldest, he spent a lot of time with his Grandpa....and his Grandpa knew exactly how to keep this busy boy happy.  For hours, my dad could entertain and play with BG and was one of the few people who understood how to manage my son's mercurial temper and intense emotions.

The green woven photo mat is made with strips of Tim Holtz Kraft Core cardstock.  I sanded the edges for a distressed look...

The sticker sheet includes these pieces of "washi tape"....so cute!

Jan rounded out this month's kit by adding some die cut Sizzix/Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers, cut from a lightweight denim fabric.  I layered them with the buttons, also included in the kit....

Both the tiny hearts and white canvas flower are Prima.

I cut and re-styled the green twine ribbon in the kit to make the centre of this flower....

These brown canvas alphabet stickers are Prima.

Aren't these SS stickers adorable?

I have to be careful when I have a sheet of stickers in my hands....because I tend to want to use ALL of them! You can check out all the wonderful pages the Urban Design Team created with the July kit by clicking HERE and visiting the Urban Scrapbook Blog.


These days, BoyGenius has his very own "sweet ride"....a used car we bought him last fall.  And sadly, my dad's "ride" is now a wheelchair, so their roles as driver and passenger are reversed.  


If only I could turn back the wheelbarrow of time....

Summer Toes and a Sketch

In my mind, I blog once a week.  In reality, it seems that I don't, and before I know it the month has disappeared and new sketch challenges have arrived.


I find I'm keeping my sketch layouts fairly simple, which is a refreshing change.  And a relaxed summer schedule helps to simplify my life at home.  I call it the 3 C's ....Cooking, Cleaning and Crafting.  Aside from the house stuff, I am outdoors a lot ...and on the computer a little.  Here up north, we have to take advantage of the short summer months!


For the Canadian Scrapbooker Sketchy Challenge, Jill Sarginson designed this wonderful sketch...

And I designed this summery fun page....

This is the first time I used Stampin Up papers, and I thought they were perfect for the bright colourful summer theme of my layout.  The background paper looks stamped with doilies, but nope, it's just one piece of patterned paper!


Along with the Stampin Up papers, I also used their pearls on the butterflies...

This is the alphabet stamp I used for the "Cute" letters in the title, called "Letter It"...

 The butterflies and journalling spot are created with Sizzix dies that are exclusive to Stampin Up...

I layered 2 of the butterflies....

And layered a white circle on top of the die cut for my journaling...

I stamped the title letters onto patterned paper, cut them out and popped them up on top of Stampin Up denim ribbon...

The "toe-tally" alphabet stickers and yellow lacy ribbon are from Harmonie.

If you haven't done so already, check out the BRAND NEW updated Sketchy Challenge gallery over at Canadian Scrapbooker.  Register as a member and you can interact in the forum, leaving comments and uploading your layouts.  Lots of inspiration!  Click HERE to check it out.


Now go paint your toes, slip on those cute summer sandals...and find a patio where you can relax with a cool drink :)  I LOVE SUMMER!!!!!!!!

Endings and Beginnings

The beginning of summer and the ending of another school year has put me into a reflective frame of mind.  Both DramaQueen and her sister BabyOfTheFamily are moving on to new schools next Fall, high school and junior high.  BoyGenius will be in his final year of high school, and our nephew has just graduated!


After attending DQ's Grade 9 Grad celebration, she said, "Make sure you put photos of me on your blog!"


Of course I will oblige....because preparing the perfect dress ensemble for that day was a tremendous feat!!


And here she is....in all of her splendour...

I'm proud to report that my colouring skills now extend to the canvas called "hair"....2 boxes of drugstore dye and DQ was thrilled with the result! whew.


Now hold onto your hats, people, because here I am in MY Grade 9 school portrait...(promise not to laugh)

Grade 8

Grade 7

Yep.  That's me.  At least I look like I'm in Junior High!! Unlike DQ who is 15 going on 21! yikes.

Although these photos are hideous, I have contemplated creating a layout based on these 3 pics and the glasses I'm wearing.  The title would be "Big, Bigger...BIGGEST."


But enough about me and my unfortunate adolescence.



I also want to share something very special that DQ created by herself as part of her Grade 9 Farewell celebration...

All the students were asked to do something similar, and of course, it warms my heart when I see a little bit of scrapbooking surface in my teenage daughter who is now too cool to be crafty :)


And here is my own layout, which is a reminder to me of how quickly they grow and how time is fleeting...

The background paper is Bo Bunny Vintage Double Dot called "Ocean."

I actually designed this page as a group class/project for the Scrapbook Your Heart retreat in June.  The theme of the retreat was "Garden of Life"....it was an amazing weekend spending time with a wonderful group of women.  The organizers Christy, Allison and Kandi hold this annual retreat as a fundraiser for a number of charitable causes.


The vintage seed packets are images I downloaded from the internet.  There are quite a few websites that have them, but you can click HERE to find a large variety on Creative Country Mom's blog.

These seed packets are actually pockets that hold journaling tags and are glued to inked craft sticks.

To create the dimensional garden soil along the bottom of the layout, tear 3 strips of black Tim Holtz Kraft Core card stock, crumple and then sand.  I also inked the torn edges a little with Black Soot Distress Ink.

The sun is my favourite design element, and was fairly simple to create.  Here's a little tutorial...

Supplies:  Tim Holtz black Kraft-Core, Tissue Wrap "Terminology", Distress Inks and blending tool, paint brush, Mod Podge

First I tore long strips of Tim Holtz Tissue paper until I had a bunch to play with....

Cut a 1/3 circle from the Kraft-Core.

Then I Mod Podged them to the kraft side of the TH Kraft Core card stock.

Since the Mod Podge dries quickly, I worked in small sections at a time.

When completely dry, I inked with a few different yellow and orange hued Distress Inks:  Mustard Seed, Scattered Straw, Rusty Hinge.

The quote is a few lines from a poem written by one of my favourite poets, ee cummings.

I printed the GROWING title using my computer, then cut out and doodled borders with a black pen.

The letters are inked and mounted on pieces of black Kraft-Core, sanded sides and torn bottom edges.

I am thankful that the school year is over and look forward to enjoying some lazy summer days.

In fact, I plan to do some "growing" myself...in my scrapbook studio...and will be exploring some new techniques to share with you in the future :) 


Wishing you warm and sunny summer days filled with new beginnings and possibilities!

DOUBLE the Fun!

I'm very excited to announce my upcoming first feature article in Canadian Scrapbooker magazine!

In the Winter 2012 issue [ yeah, I know .... I shouldn't say the "W" word at this time of year] I will write an article called "Double the Fun" that showcases a 2-page layout sketch I designed.


Here is the sketch....

And here is the sample layout I created for the Canadian Scrapbooker online Submissions web page...

All papers are Glitz Design "Pretty in Pink" collection. Die cuts were cut with my Cricut.

BabyOfTheFamily is a happy crafty girl and is taking a series of cake decorating classes at Michaels.  Yay for her....Boo for my expanding waistline!  {By the way, fondant isn't as yummy as it looks.  Sigh}


Some close ups....

Cricut cupcake, swirls and title.  Fiskars Scallop Border punch.  Sprinkles (aka sequins and beads) from the Dollar Store.

I just love the empowering quotes that are on these Glitz stickers!

One of my new favourite Spellbinders die:  Donna Salazar "Bitty Blossoms."

If you haven't submitted any of your scrapbook pages before, let me tell you, it's super simple and easy.  Just click HERE and you'll find the Call for Submissions, along with my sketch and this same sample layout.  Just take a photo of your layout and follow the upload prompts on the Submissions web page.


It's always fun to see your own layouts in print, so give it a try and submit your double page layouts!


My sweet scrappy friend Michelle (from Newfoundland) designed a wonderful layout using my sketch....click HERE to see it on her blog!  Beautiful work, as always, Michelle!


The deadline is July 15....and remember:  2-page layouts are not Double the Trouble....they are Double the FUN :)