All posts tagged: Get Messy Art Journal

Get Messy, Season of Habit pages from my Art Journal

Published by

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.

Published by

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.

Published by

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    

Frames and mini poems. Get Messy Season of Ubuntu Week 5.

Published by

I have now filled a mini sketchbook and we are only at week 5 of the Season of Ubuntu over at Get Messy Art Journal.  Not too difficult really as my little book is only four and a half inches by three and a half! These last pages incorporate prompts and tutorials from the current season and I really enjoyed making them. I will be making another mini journal to carry on this season of art journaling! Happy creating and happy Thursday x

Mini art journal for week three of Season of Ubuntu at Get Messy Art Journal.

Published by

‘A shaft of sunshine falls like a fattish man across the countryside.’‘Insects hum and in a fountain water splashes the unthinking happiness of her look.’ I have rushed into the ‘Season of Ubuntu’ party clutching a gas station bunch of flowers and a bottle of cheap wine as I arrive at week three. I have been working on my art journaling and art in general but nothing specific to the new season at the Get Messy Art Journal community. My tiny journal has been neglected until this week and I have had a good time filling some pages.  The journal is four and a half inches by three and a half with some fold out pages included. It is a small journal page wise with only ten pages/twenty sides. I have been adding all of my current favourite things, collage, pebble stamps and found word poetry and just letting myself get on with it without any restrictions. The good thing about using a small journal with only a few pages is one is soon full. …

Art supplies to go

Published by

Tomorrow I fly from the mid-west over to Portland, Oregon and I am a combination of nervous (don’t travel by myself much) and super excited! I am meeting some of the wonderful ladies from the Get Messy Art Journal community who I have got to know over the inter webs and I am thrilled to be meeting them in person this weekend. As we are gathering to make art as well as see some of Portland and eat good food, I am taking a selection of art supplies and sketchbooks. How to decide!? Airline regulations help somewhat as I am not checking a bag so I have to abide by the liquid/gel rules so I am not taking any acrylic paints or inks.  I am sure I could take a small amount but I don’t want to risk losing them. So I thought I would make a new watercolour set and team it up with a selection of pens, brushes , a water brush, some Inktense pencils, a glue stick and some hair bobbles! I …

What am I going to use for a tiny art journal?

Published by

We are in a new season over at the Get Messy Art Journal community and the journal is to be small, nay, tiny.   Always up for a arty challenge I am going to try and do the tiny and see where it takes me (new glasses most likely!). I am not sure I am going to like working small, but I will do my best and I always have options to use a larger journal if I feel the need!  In fact I am not planning to use a journal in book form at all, I am very drawn to using all kinds of papers, cards and ephemera of a small size for my tiny journaling. So what are my options? I could use a small journal, lots of brands make perfectly good little journals full of lovely paper.  Or I could branch out and see what I can find and use. The more I looked the more things I saw that I could use, vintage photos are usually small, paint chip colour samples, …

Get Messy Collage time!

Published by

This month I have been playing along with Get Messy Art Journal’s Caylee and Lauren over at Creative Bug where they are hosting a fabulous daily class through September.  Each day a video is released with an idea and direction to take inspiration from and make it your own. This week Lauren used some collage materials on her page in unusual ways so I thought I would have a look through my mountain of vintage National Geographic magazines and see what I could put together! I started by selecting a pile of ‘background’ images and a pile of ‘character’ or ‘foreground’ images.  I cut out the characters and started to pair them with the backgrounds until I started to find some good matches.  Of course they are far from matching but I like them together, so I call that a match! I like to use original images so I don’t copy them, I just get right in there, cutting,  ripping and arranging. To add a little more ‘me’ I did some extra sketching on some …

Get Messy Season of Seasons week 2

Published by

A few pages and cards from week 2 of the Season of Seasons over at Get Messy Art Journal.  In this found book as journal, I am covering some pages completely and some I am embracing the original page.  Thankfully the paper is not too thin so it is pretty nice to work in and the spiral binding is not getting on my nerves like I thought it would. So hurrah! I have been making marks and using these pages as collage as well as using some flowers I have been playing with as a pattern on top of collage, paint and gesso (the page with the flowers was a hot mess and needed a layer of gesso very badly!). As well as the book I am working in, I have a pile of old library catalogue cards which I am painting and doodling on.  I got hold of some glassine bags which fit the cards in perfectly so I am pleased with that. The season of seasons is rolling on and I am enjoying …

Get Messy Season of Seasons week 1.

Published by

The season of seasons is upon us over at the Get Messy Art Journaling community. I have to admit that it took me far too long to decide on a journal to use for this season!  Eventually I decided on the Airfoil instruction book and a pile of vintage library catalogue cards. I thought that this way I can work in the book and on individual cards which I have recently been enjoying.  I have some glassine envelopes on the way so that I can include the cards in the book and ensure a cohesive journal. Well, I can’t promise cohesive but at least it will be all in one place. Once I had decided on the journal (s), I wanted to make a little ‘kit’ to see me through the season without having to decide which supplies to use for each page, of course my little kit got bigger and bigger and I am pretty certain that my vintage typewriter will have a major part to play too. I am still sure that this …