All posts filed under: Art Journaling

I like Friday. Art Witch Academy review.

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Art Witch Academy is a fairly new membership art website exploring the concept of ‘art as ritual and ritual as art’, which I like the sound of, so I asked the founding witches if I could have a preview of the Academy to review for Brush magazine. Brush is no longer in print, but the website still has lots of inspiration. The  A.W.A. website provides tutorials, inspiration and information with projects on a variety of art topics, all art witch and magic related. The witches run the academy in semesters and they are full of original projects and ideas. The Academy is the vision and work of three art witches, Vanessa (@dansmoncrane), Caroline (@freya.fennec) and Emily (@fern.and.oak.art).  Each has a unique take on their contribution to the Academy.  Their passion, knowledge and generosity is apparent in every part of AWA as you browse around the site looking at book recommendations via detailed seminars and tutorials. The website is clear and easy to navigate and revisit to carry on with a class or to follow an …

Get Messy Season of Reflection week 1

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For this season I explored the Japanese stab stitch book binding technique.  I have to admit that I have always looked past this method as I didn’t think it would be a great journal binding as it doesn’t lay flat readily.  I always thought it looked too bulky to work with the papers I like to journal on and I was right, it would not work very well with a  watercolor paper even though I am sure it could be persuaded to open flat. So I explored some different papers. I followed the advice of the experts and went for the four hole binding to start with and I used a soft unbleached mulberry paper and my trusty waxed linen thread.  It opens nicely and I like the folds at the outside edge of the book. This technique does not require folded signatures, you can use single sheets or folded sheets with the fold at the spine or the open edge.  I am thinking of all the possibilities to be had with this book binding …

Get Messy, Season of Habit pages from my Art Journal

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When I made this art journal a couple of months ago, I was sure of two things, I loved the look and layout of it and it has way too many pages to fill in one season of Get Messy. Turns out I was correct on the first one, I loved this journal every time I worked in it. It transpired over the course of the Season of Habit that my second assumption was very wrong, I filled this treasure up with maybe one page to spare.  Not only did I fill it, I added a pocket full of art cards and two mini accordion books. I used all of my favorite techniques, starting with making the book itself, machine sewing, collage, simplicity, spray painting through old doilies and using old photos.  These are a few of the pages from my completed journal. Happy Sunday x  

Ways to use Vintage Fabric in my Art Journal.

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I found a fabulous length of lacey vintage fabric at an estate sale this weekend which I think must have been used as a tablecloth.  I snatched it up with my mind already planning things to do with it. So here are a few ideas for using vintage fabric in your art journal. Sketch it in as much detail as you want. Trace through it, follow all the shapes or just a few. Print with it, using a gel plate. Photocopy and add to your journal page. Spray paint through it and use as a background. Dip it in some ink and sew it into your journal. Cut out a section and stitch it in, use matching thread or a contrast colour, hand sewing or using a sewing machine. Add a piece of fabric as an extra ‘page’ by sewing it down the edge or the middle of an existing page. I added this section of the fabric by sewing it into the existing page of my journal with the original ribbon which I used …

Making Artist Trading Cards.

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I started this project completely backwards!  I cut out my nine cards and then promptly put them back together into a rectangle in order to paint and play on them all at once.  I really should have done all the painting and stenciling then cut them up, but that is what happens when there is no plan, just the decision to make something. As it has turned out, putting them all together on a cutting mat, held down with masking tape, is working out and I this way I can take them up and rearrange them to carry on mark making. Now I have painted, spray painted and stenciled, I am going to mix the cards up and see what marks I can make. Layering is not usually something I do, but I am enjoying this and I am excited to see where it ends up, I am also slightly nervous that I will add a layer and wish I could remove it! Let’s see what happens. Happy Wednesday x    

Holiday art journal/sketchbook all filled up.

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I filled my holiday sketchbook!  I made the sketchbook before I went on holiday at the beginning of June, the post about that is here. I didn’t put a million pages in because I wanted to be able to fill it and I could have done with a few more to be honest! On the inside cover I swatched the paints I took and for the inside ephemera I used books I found in the ‘outside’ section of Parnassus books in Yarmouthport, MA.  This is where the less worthy books reside and prices don’t exceed $3.00. Bargain! I bought a 1938 book called Gloucester and Cape Ann for $2.00 and The American Almanac Year-Book Cyclopedia and Atlas for 1903 for $3.00. Both full of pictures I could use. I also found a tub of vintage photos at the Wellfleet flea market, so I used some of them in my art journal along with stickers and bits and bobs I found along the way.  I even managed to get a print from a crocheted doily I …

A New Sketchbook for my Holiday.

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I am going on holiday soon and as usual I have to have a sketchbook ready and waiting, preferably one I have made specially. So I squirreled about in my old book stash and Enid Blyton’s ‘Five Run away Together’ popped out as bring just the size and thickness I needed.  I got this book from the library sale cart for nostalgia reasons although I never really liked the Famous Five, I thought the Secret Seven were way cooler! I removed the book block and kept a few illustrations for future art journaling use and added my own pages. These consist of watercolor paper and a few images from an old book of photographs. I used clear gesso on the photo pages so that I can add marks or paint when I am filling the book. Some pages are smaller, others fold out and I included a mini accordion page because I love to work on fold out pages of all varieties. I am hoping to find some book paper while on holiday so that …

100 Days of Creating with Blue, Days 41-50.

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Half way!  Still enjoying working with all blue.  It is very freeing to only use one colour, it means I don’t have to worry about a new palette each time, I can just concentrate on the content, which this time has been a mix of collage and ink in brush pens. If you are doing the 100 day project, I hope you are still going and enjoying it. Find all of my project as I complete it on Instagram at #100daysofcreatingwithblue. Happy Monday x

Wanderlust 2019

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We are now a month into Wanderlust 2019 and I am having a blast!  Wanderlust is a year long series of tutorials, ideas, techniques and inspiration for all of your art making and art journaling needs. I am biased because I am teaching this year and my class will be live in the Rivers theme in March.  Having said that I have no truck with a class I don’t enjoy and Wanderlust is so varied and prolific that if there is a class or a theme you are not feeling, fear not, another is just around the corner. I made my journal which should last all year and I am looking forward to seeing it fill up with a variety of work, ideas and art. For all the information and enrollment details, follow this link Wanderlust 2019 information  Please note that the above link is an affiliate link. Happy Sunday x