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  • Sleep With The Journal? ….. No Way!!!

    Sleep with the Journal? …. No Way!!! It’s much too lumpy and there are far too many sharp bits sticking out!! Instead I altered the instructions and created new ones!!

    Sleep with the journal? ... No Way!!

    Sleep with the journal? ... No Way!!


    It now has a series of statements/ instructions:

    Sleep is something we all need
    Are you happy with Life?
    Experiment with the book!
    Journal your thoughts …
    Descibe how you are feeling …
    Play with the art
    All experiences are useful
    Leave your comments here

    I then coloured the pages using a water colour pencil wash, and added an explosion of colour to the left page! I may well add some more comments to the right page as I think of them 🙂

    This next page evolved as my doodles are inclined to do!! I had no intention of drawing a face when I started out … it just ended up that way!

    Doodle Over the Top of the Page

    Doodle Over the Top of the Page


    The left page evolved after I used it to try out some new rubber stamps I got from the SSP Guild on Saturday morning. It just reminded me of these words from an old Dave Clark Five song called Here comes Summer (Showing my age there!!) Only trouble was … the page got really wet after I wrote the words and they bled everywhere!! So I wrote over the top again. I think it looks even better now!! What was that I was saying about accidents improving artistic content? (see bottom of last post)

    Following another set of instructions …

    Coloured Page Edges

    Coloured Page Edges


    … I coloured the edges of the pages using Perfect Pearls from Ranger. It would have been easier to do at the beginning before the book got so fat!! 🙂

    By on Sunday October 4th, 2009 at 14:09 in altered book, Artistic Ramblings, messy craft, Wreck This Journal - Comments Off on Sleep With The Journal? ….. No Way!!!

    Back to Wrecking My Journal …

    I got back to wrecking my journal yesterday. The instructions on this page say “This page is dedicated to internal monologue”. For someone like me who struggles with words, this was a bit of a problem … but when I really thought about it – I knew what to do!

    Internal Monologue

    Internal Monologue


    I splattered paint over the pages, squished it between the pages, then combed it with a small makeup comb! I used the colours that are currently a major influence in my life right now – red, yellow, gold and green. The scan really doesn’t do justice to the amazing sheen of the the metallic gold paint and the vibrant tones of the colours peeking through from underneath!

    I started this next page a while ago, I drew the castle tower with a soft water soluble graphite stick and washed over it to smudge the lines; but when the ink from the following page (four-letter words) bled through all over my drawing, I couldn’t decide what to do and just left it half finished. Inspiration came the other day! I created a grid of lines with the graphite stick, smudged the lines with water, then filled the gaps with sharpies to give an abstract stained glass effect. I coloured in the letters on the castle page and inked over the bled through words to accentuate them.

    Smear the Lines

    Smear the Lines


    It’s one of the main things I have learnt from this journal … things don’t have to be perfect to look good … accidents often improve the artistic content of a piece of work 🙂

    By on Sunday September 27th, 2009 at 01:06 in altered book, Artistic Ramblings, messy craft, Wreck This Journal - Comments Off on Back to Wrecking My Journal …

    ….. A Bit Early for Christmas …… !

    I know it’s a bit early for Christmas …. but I’ve been making paper chains!

    Make A Paper Chain!

    Make A Paper Chain!


    Not full size ones, just one mini paper chain made from a page of my Wreck this Journal book! I coloured the strips with Sharpies, then drew flowers on them using Sakura Souffle pens. Lastly I glued them together and attached them to the journal using mini brads.

    I started this doodle ages ago during a long telephone conversation with my brother. Then it got put aside and I forgot about it for a while. So when I stumbled across it the other day I thought it was about time I finished it!!

    Pretend You Are Doodling ...

    Pretend You Are Doodling ...


    I used a very fine Copic Multiliner pen.

    The word I chose for this next page is the Artist in me acknowledging her presence!

    Write One Word ...

    Write One Word ...


    I used some cheap Calligraphy pens from Asda for the calligraphy (which as you can see – write beautifully), and a mixture of other markers for the rest of the writing.

    The journal is getting soooo thick now …. I have a job to hold it and I still have loads of pages to do!!! So much fun 🙂

    By on Friday September 18th, 2009 at 00:47 in altered book, Artistic Ramblings, Wreck This Journal - Comments Off on ….. A Bit Early for Christmas …… !

    Jigsaw Pieces, Thick and Thin Lines, Gesso and Gel Medium

    Jigsaw pieces, thick and thin lines, gesso and gel medium …

    Draw Fat Lines and Thin

    Draw Fat Lines and Thin


    I had great fun drawing the thick and thin lines with my water colour pencils. I’m still considering giving it a wash to soften and blend it … but I can’t make up my mind … so I’m leaving it for now!

    The jigsaw pieces weren’t meant to stick to the page!! I was trying to make a raised jigsaw outline, but I used a bit too much gesso and when I came to remove the pieces… they were stuck solid!! So I turned them into a collage instead and added some thick gel medium to create some great textured ridges in the pieces!

    After I scanned the image of these pages into the computer, I created an A4 print of the coloured lines pages and printed it out.

    Trace Your Hand

    Trace Your Hand


    I used this to cut up and make a sort of collage/mosaic fill for my traced hand. I coloured the background using a black water colour pencil.

    I’m having so much fun with this journal and learning so many new techniques; but most importantly i am learning to be more experimental in my creativity.

    By on Saturday September 12th, 2009 at 01:15 in altered book, Artistic Ramblings, collage, Wreck This Journal - Comments Off on Jigsaw Pieces, Thick and Thin Lines, Gesso and Gel Medium

    Losing, Tearing & Four Letter Words ….

    Losing, tearing and four letter words …. yes … I’ve been wrecking again! But I must confess …. I haven’t actually lost the “Lose this Page” yet …

    Lose This Page - writing asking for finder to contact and leave comment on blog

    Lose This Page - writing asking for finder to contact and leave comment on blog


    … I just tore it out of the book and got it ready for losing, which of course involved writing messages on it and splattering paint all over it’s other side! I may add some writing on the painted side before I lose it [maybe the secret message to hide] but only the person who finds it will know for sure!!

    When I first tore the strips on this page…

    Tear Strips - Rip it up!

    Tear Strips - Rip it up!


    … they curled up and looked really pretty, but by the time I got round to scanning the page they’d got well and truly squished … much more wrecked looking!!

    I thought I’d make my four letter words colourful …

    A Page for Four Letter Words

    A Page for Four Letter Words


    … I used my nice new sharpies which look really great here … but they bled through several pages on either side … definitely journal wrecking! I’ll have to find ways to incorporate the back to front words into those pages … maybe rename the pages and call them the write backwards pages!! …. Keep watching 🙂

    By on Monday September 7th, 2009 at 16:14 in altered book, Artistic Ramblings, Wreck This Journal - Comments Off on Losing, Tearing & Four Letter Words ….

    Make a Mess ….

    ‘Make a mess, clean it up’. That was the instruction on this page …

    Make a Mess

    Make a Mess


    … and I know it doesn’t look very much like a mess, but if you saw how I made it you would have have to agree that I followed the instructions!!

    I had been working on the Kelly Rae inspired journal that I’m currently making and had various surfaces covered in leftover paint lying over my desk. I should have taken some pictures … but it was the early hours of the morning and I was more concerned with getting cleared up and into bed. But I hate just throwing things away! Then I remembered this page in the ‘wreck my journal’ and I knew what to do!! I used a very wet paintbrush to loosen all the dried paint and plonked the journal into the wet paint. I did this several time until all the paint was used up … et voila!! … one completed jounal page and nice clean surfaces … mission accomplished 🙂

    The scan of this next page really doesn’t do it justice.

    Draw Lines ....

    Draw Lines ....


    The page instruction said to ‘Draw lines using abnormal writing utensils dipped in ink or paint’. I went for the paint option and dipped into it a paper clip, a hair grip, a make-up brush/comb, a cardboard tube, a plastic covered wire tie, a lolly stick, a bottle top, a button, and a staple remover. It looked Ok … but I wasn’t finished! I added a thick layer of glossy gel medium and used a small comb to make lots of ridges in it. Then I left it to dry. I love the way it turned out … it has a really great texture … the only problem is that the gel medium sticks to itself when the book is closed and it is quite difficult to prise the pages apart … but it make a wonderful noise when you’re doing it!!

    By on Friday September 4th, 2009 at 00:23 in altered book, Artistic Ramblings, messy craft, recycling, Wreck This Journal - Comments Off on Make a Mess ….

    Burning, Making Coffee and Licking the Page!

    Yes! …. I finally got around to the burning page in my journal.

    Burn This Page!

    Burn This Page!


    It was quite scary how fast the page burned … I had to use the coffee I’d made for the next page to douse the flames!
    Fling Your Coffee!

    Fling Your Coffee!


    As I don’t drink coffee, I thought I’d add my own twist to this page … I made the coffee and spilt it over the page (and the rest of the book – it really is a multi sensory book now!!) then shook some coffee graunles onto the page and gave them a good stir with my fingers. Result … one very smelly, sticky page!!

    While I was in the kitchen I thought I might as well do the tongue painting page!!

    Tongue Painting!

    Tongue Painting!


    I used food colouring straight from the bottle …. quite a colourful result!! The journal is getting quite hard to close now …
    Expanding Journal

    Expanding Journal


    … in more ways than one!! It’s so freeing and inspirational … and I’ve still got loads of blank pages!!

    By on Wednesday September 2nd, 2009 at 00:03 in altered book, Artistic Ramblings, messy craft, Wreck This Journal - Comments Off on Burning, Making Coffee and Licking the Page!

    More Inspiration from Kelly Rae Roberts

    I started reading Kelly Rae’s book nearly two months ago and have been meaning to have a go at making the art journal in chapter one for ages. I finally made a start this weekend! I started by making the fabric tags for the spine.

    Painted Material Collage

    Painted Material Collage


    I’ve been using wonderweb and iron on interfacing to create material collages for some time now, but I had never thought to paint on top of it! You need the clear gesso as a base, but once that’s added – it really is like painting on paper.
    Collage made into tags

    Collage made into tags


    The letters were added using a black Sharpie and a white Sakura Souffle pen. The eyelets were added using a Cropodile Big Bite. I really love this process and the way the tags feel!

    Next I made a start on the front cover of the Journal. I was a bit nervous about adding a person, and wasn’t sure which media would be best to use as I don’t have any oil paints …. but in the end I plucked up my courage and just used my acrylic paints.

    My Dream - Mixed Media Art Journal - Front Cover

    My Dream - Mixed Media Art Journal - Front Cover


    Considering it’s my first attempt at anything like this – I’m quite pleased with the result 🙂
    My Dream - Mixed Media Collage - 1st page

    My Dream - Mixed Media Collage - 1st page


    This is the inside of the front cover all ready to be written on!

    By on Tuesday September 1st, 2009 at 00:30 in altered book, Artistic Ramblings, collage, messy craft - Comments Off on More Inspiration from Kelly Rae Roberts

    Challenge – Use Ordinary Household Objects to ‘Fill This Page With Circles’

    I’ve always been a fan of recycled craft projects and using everyday objects in unexpected ways, so when I saw the instruction to ‘Fill this Page with Circles’ I took on the challenge to use ordinary household objects to create these effects.

    Fill This Page With Circles

    Fill This Page With Circles


    I started off with a bottle lid, then moved on to a wine cork and its cover. Next I used the cardboard tube from the centre of a roll of tin foil followed by a small roll of electrical tape. Lastly I used the top of an empty jam jar. I’m quite pleased with the finished effect and will probably use the image to create some background papers.

    By on Saturday August 29th, 2009 at 01:19 in altered book, Artistic Ramblings, Wreck This Journal - 2 Replies - Leave a Reply

    Golden Gel Mediums

    I’ve had my eye on them for some time now … coveting them!! Yesterday … I gave in and treated myself to this starter set of Golden Gel Mediums!!

    Golden Gel Mediums

    Golden Gel Mediums


    Having waited so long … I just had to have a play, and what better place than on the Draw with Glue page in my ‘Wreck this Journal’ book. I wasn’t too sure how to go about using them, so I tried a few different approaches … but the one I liked best was using an old rub-on stick (like an old fashioned lolly stick but made of plastic) to dob the gels onto the paper and then add some colour in the form of lumiere paint. The scanned image really doesn’t do justice to the amazing textures …
    Draw with Glue

    Draw with Glue


    … I just have to keep stroking the page 🙂 I can’t wait to use them on a serious project!

    By on Friday August 28th, 2009 at 01:17 in altered book, Artistic Ramblings, messy craft, Wreck This Journal - Comments Off on Golden Gel Mediums