Gathering Dust

February Journal- March Update

I've had lots of diaries, scrapbooks, idea books and journals over the years.  I started with one of the five year diaries with the lock and key when I was about ten, moved on to a fabric covered journal when I was high school.

I stopped journaling when I found out a college roommate had been reading my journal.  Looking back, I can't imagine why someone would do that.  It just couldn't have been that interesting. 

I've made lots of scrapbooks, idea books and gluebooks since then, but they weren't really ongoing journals.  When I made my Valentine journal in Karla's class at the begining of February, I decided it would be a semi-daily journal.

I've kept it in the living room, next to my "craft chair"- along with some markers, glue sticks and random papers and images from my stash.

I haven't made myself finish pages in any certain order.  Here are some pages that started one day and added to later.

EARLY IN FEB:

NOW:

EARLY IN FEB:

LATER IN FEB:

One of the biggest influences to what I've doodled or drawn on my pages is Mary Ann Moss.  Seeing her patterned journal pages made me realize that it was "okay" to draw some arrows on a page if that was what I felt like doing.

I guess the whole point of my post is: this journal is just FUN- it's not art, it's not documenting any important events, it's just a chance to play.

A doodle page drawn by Karla for her Snow White class.  I loved coloring it- coloring is very relazing.

Inside the back cover- drawing with Sharpies is great!

I haven't finished or filled every page in my "February" journal- but that's ok.  It's a work in progress- and I'm going to have to have a March journal in waiting before this one is done.

Stop Snowing Geez, It's March Already

"Stop snowing, it's March already" she said in her whiniest voice.

We've really only had snow on the ground for ten days or so, but it's enough winter for me.

I am trying to "think spring" by working on projects for Karla's Bird Song 3 workshop.  Last week we did some brainstorming- maybe more storm than brain....this a bird cage Karla's working on.

These are creatures that were rejected as more "shrimp-like" than bird like.

Nothing better than some craft project rejects to inspire you, huh?

Here's a little bit more inspiring picture- Mary's glue book papers.

...and a page in progress.

 

February Journal

I have lots of blanks books that I use to keep recipes, clippings, gluebook type collages and doodling, but I've really never had a book that I said was "my journal".

I decided that the book I made in Karla's Journal Workshop would be an actual journal for the month of Feb. 

To emphasize it, I wrote "This is my journal" on the inside cover. Pretty clever... That's a good way to start if you aren't sure what to write. 

The paper in our class kits was vintage in all different shades of cream, white, sepia and tan.  I used red toile tissue paper, red flocked paper from Paper Source and some advertising labels to add some color to my pages, and create journaling spots.

This is my first page- the picture of the girl cutting the doll's hair was the cover of a 1930s magazine.  I liked the picture because I thought the girl was being just a little bit brave in cutting her doll's hair- I was always too afraid to do that.

On the right side of the page is a quote from Coco Chanel:

"A girl should be two things, who and what she wants".

The quote comes from a collection that you can find on the Ipad App Nostalgic Musings by Hope Wallace Kearney.  It's the best $.99 you can spend.

Throughout the book, I've added touches of red and journaling spots. 

The envelope is to hold labels that I'll use later.

Some pages may not have any writing, just pictures.

Different pages are in different stages-this page is ready for writing- or something else.

Karla's kits had an extra large page from an 1880s journal full of receipts with great lettering.  I'm not sure if she picked this one out specially for me, but I sure like it- it's a invoice for ironstone from the Alfred Meakin company.  I have a lot of Meakin ironstone, but this is the first Meakin invoice I've ever seen.

Some people used ribbon to tie the signatures in their journals, but I'm more of a twine girl.  A nice thing about this kind of binding is that it can be untied, and more can be added to it.

If you'd like to try making your own journal, Karla is selling kits- but I think she's selling them about as fast as she's making them, so if you don't see them in her store, email her to have her reserve one.

That Girl in Blue

A couple of months ago I showed you this little collection of pretties that I planned to make into a book.

And here it is...finished.  I started with a tulle trimmed satin hankie holder as the cover.

Added pages made from tatted trimmed hankies and damask napkins.

A piece of a tattered lawn skirt embellished with a bird and some stitching, and a piece of French General fabric with a bird.

I didn't stitch this little piece of Hardanger, but the color and pattern fit in so nicely with the calm feel of the book- and it's such an intricate piece that I thought this was a good way to show it off.

For the most part the book is all hand sewn, but I did have to resort to glue to attach doilies to the inside covers to hid the stitching on the other side.

But using glue didn't really hurt, it is mixed media after all....

Available in my Etsy Shop Gathering Dust

 

Inspiration Post- I Want to Make Something Like That

Do you ever see a picture in a magazine or a display in a store that draws you in and makes you take a second or third long look?

That was my reaction to these fabric sample collages from the July issue of World of Interiors.

"I want to make something like that."

Do they put you in the mood to play with color and pattern?

Back to School Collaborative Journal Part II

I've got more pages from Back to School Journal project.

On the left is the back of  Michelle Geller's page, the page on the right was made by Jan LaFollette.

These were tucked into the pocket of Jan's page. 

Did you notice that this project is called a "journal" and not just a "book"?  The idea of a journal is that you would also use it to write in.  That's why many of the pages have blank tags, cards etc- places to write.

I just don't think I can bring myself to write on any of these pages, I'm just too afraid I'd screw them up!

The front of Michelle's page- love the colors and the Washi tape.

This is the back of my page and the front of Rachel McGough's page.  The class picture on Rachel's page is actually a pocket.

The back of Rachel's page just tickled me- it's one of her real schoolwork pages,  complete with her grade school picture.  I've met Rachel, and knew that was her right away- she's changed her hairstyle, but still looks like her school picture- I love that personal touch.

Mollie Morrison's page is a mini file folder- see the red label on the right side? 

Inside the file folder- a class picture.

The back of Mollie's page- this cool alphabet collection.  This isn't a photocopy- Mollie actually made all of those squares and glued them together. 

That gets about half way through the book.  I have pics of all of the pages, so I'll post more next week.

 

Back to School Collaborative Journal

Earlier this summer I showed you my pages for Michelle Geller's Back to School swap.  The finished book came in the mail last week, and it is just fun and fabulous, and all the little details are amazing.  I've looked through my book ten or twelve times, but I keep finding new things.

Michelle made the covers, assembled the books and added little surprises through out.

Like the packaging.  The books were wrapped in old fashioned tablet paper with the pale blue lines, ruled numbered tape and personalized flash cards.

The artist list was inside the front cover, library card style.

This is the first page, made by Jan Clem.  It's mechanical!  Pull the yellow ruler tab and the page opens TWICE!

Sheila Earhart's page- all about the Grand March, complete with medal.

The back of Sheila's page and the front of Cynthia Fawcett's page.

Another cute detail- the back of Cynthia's page uses a clear triangular ruler as a pocket- and folds out to reveal a tag underneath.

There were 14 swappers, so I've got a lot more idea filled pages I could share on my blog...let me know if you like to see more.

Stitching Starts and Finishes

Starting a new project- I love it!  Love to start a new stitching project, knitting a new scarf, making a new tag book...but the finishing....well, I'm not as reliable about that...

I can't wait to take all the blue pretties in the top picture and turn them into a book.  I bought a box of linens at an auction, saw this blue satin jewelry keeper and thought it would make a perfect book cover.  I couldn't help myself from finding an image, gathering some lace & buttons and start sewing.  You notice I said "START"- I started the cover, but that's about it.

I probably should have finished this project- and I will. It just needs some more texture, maybe some charms....

It started with a stack of these already embroidered border strips that I got from Lisa.  I sewed some strips together, adding some print fabric in between, more stitching, and some lace snippets.  I'm close to finished, but I think I'd like to add just a little bit more.

Then I'll just need to add a back, and maybe a fringy border.

Here's a little art quilt that IS finished.  This one started with an auction box lot, too...a box lot of gloves.  The box had a lot of long opera length leather gloves that I sold, but there were also a lot of short cotton gloves that had damage...spots, stains etc. 

When I looked at the "not fit for sale" gloves, I was admiring all the different patterns and designs a white cotton glove could have.  I cut up the gloves, salvaged the pretty parts and put together this little "glove sampler".

Beaded trim from the wrist of one glove.

A cable knit driving glove.

Rosettes snipped from the back of a glove.

I have made a resolution to finish these projects- that doesn't mean that I won't start something else... but they're going to stay on top of my work basket so everytime I reach for a scissors or thread, they'll be staring at me, begging me to finish them.

Speaking of finishing, Karla's dog Twinkle finished up her pregnancy on Thursday.  The picture above shows Twinkle last Sunday- HUGE.  She weighed 15 lbs and normally weighs about 8 1/2 lbs.

Bike Man and I went to visit Twinkle yesterday (Saturday) with her NINE puppies.  They are just adorable and Twinkle is such a good Mommy.  She didn't mind if we held the pups, but if one of them squeaked, she was on alert.

Twinkle is  Button's mom...so all these puppies are his brothers and sisters. I guess that make me their aunt!

Button and Buddy

Do you Mandala?

Journaling, especially art journaling has been and continues to be a hot topic in mixed media. I first wrote about journaling  in my blog about three years ago.  I'm still working in the same small notebook- although I've started a couple more journals by making background pages.

My "journaling" is mostly just arranging clip art, pictures, cards or pretty backgrounds that I like.  Sometimes I have a scrap of wallpaper or part of a trade card, and I think it's too pretty to throw away, so I tuck it into a plastic bag that I keep my journal, glue sticks and scissors in.

Then, when I feel like making something, but I don't know what, or I don't want to think too hard, I pull out my plastic bag...oh, yes, such a fancy way to keep my supplies...and play a little bit.

Occasionally I've written, drawn or doodled, but I kind of stay away from that because I'm not always happy with the results...until I found the mandala. Mandala is the Sanskrit word for circle.

Watching the video at the end of this blog post hypnotized me, and I had to try it, and try it again, and again...and sometimes add colors.

I know...this isn't any work of art, but they are FUN and RELAXING- and for me, a great way to clear my mind before or after I go to work, or before I go to bed.

So...that's what I've been doing lately- grabbing my journal and a handful of pencils out of a baggie, and drawing circles and things around the circles...the possibilities are endless.  No wonder I'm so busy...

Wow! What a Birthday!

Actually, my birthday was back in Jun, but last week I got this birthday package from Lisa.  Stacks and stacks of presents each wrapped in pretty paper.  I have to share some highlights.

Beautiful salvaged pieces of embroidered and beaded trim.  (and in the upper right corner, Button is begging me to make him a bed from this fabric.)

Beautiful bird fabric.

Fun collage fabric.

And isn't this intriguing?  A package with a tag that says "I've waited months to give you this".

How cool is this?  An old celluloid advertising piece from the 1900 Kansas City Stockyards- the area that is now the  West Bottoms Antique District.

(I love that longhorn on the top of the frame.)

Lisa also gifted me with one of her incredible albums.  Each page is  wonderful- I'll share them with you in another post.

Besides all the goodies I've already shown you, there were craft supplies, embroidery pieces, all sorts of "raw materials" that I can't wait to start using.

And this:

I think it has gum inside, but it's too cute to open.

Don't forget to blog your Mama!