Be inspired by 10 year olds

http://littledawnieno1.blogspot.com/2007/12/update-boys-book-club.html

site for journals

I have just been directed to stumble upon by someone on the UKEMBELLISHERSWAP group. Through it I came across this lovely site for book arts. http://www.artbookscreativity.org/curriculum/book-instructions.html

I've finished my all about me page, I think, by adding paper embroidered with words that describe me. Funnily enough, when asked to describe myself, I think of physical things, although like a lot of women I have self image problems. The things that spring to mind are twhere I think I am different from the majority, so I chose blonde (although tending to grey it doesn't show up much in blonde hair), the fact that I am only five feet tall, and I am left handed. The other things I chose were teacher, which is my means of earning money at the moment, crafter (I toyed with textile artist, but I am not sure where I stand on the art/craft thing, both in stature and opinion, and also it was a lot of letters to program into the machine) and dreamer. I added a polymer clay face and a paper flower for good measure. I hope it is OK.

In a room with some lace and paper flowers

OK, I know there's at least one person here who doesn't share my love of Fleetwood Mac. I hadn't been feeling very inspired, but then I saw a piece of lace amongst my bits and pieces, and along with some little paper flowers I thought it would make a good background. This is the start of my all about me page, although it's more of a what I would like to have been page:) Not finished, I haven't decide what else to add. I am trying not to buy anything else for this. I already have many expensive arty things I have bought over the years. The word is cut out of some paper that is meant for scrap bookers. I just bought it because I liked it, and if they had fabric with these patterns on them I would make a dress out of it:) It's called Scarlet's letter.



















This is my invitation, which I am also working on. I stamped and embossed onto the page with some expensive stamps I bought and never used before. It is quite messy (I can't stamp), but that was the effect I was after. I used the envelope I picked up, but I painted over it. The invitation is started, and here is a selection of things I may add to it. We made fabric charms on UKEMBELLISHERSWAP, we all had trouble with the eyelets, and I now can't make the little eyelet thingy work at all. If you use eyelets what do you suggest?

Who are you?

I suppose it's interesting to think about who you are. I picked 6 things about myself (that's 3 a page, Liz!). It's probably who you think you aren't that says the most about you!A quick spray of the copper Aqua Fortis and I shall let it lie for a while (at least until that dries!). Penny and I are off to play with Jill Kennedy next week - maybe something will come up there which will come in handy for this. Penny is running a bit behind (it's homework and canal boat weekends that do it), so I won't suggest we start swapping quite yet. Maybe in a week or two?

The All About Me Page - an entry in progress (sorry, keep doing more so it keeps growing!)

I know I casually mentioned kicking the Journals off with a page about ourselves, so I thought now might be a good time to talk about how I go about that. I like to recycle (explains why I have so much rubbish everywhere), so I gather up a little pile of scraps before I start. I am struggling a bit with issues about myself, so there are no pictures there. I am pretending I am starting with texture so I have some different weights of paper, napkin, doily, brown paper, handmade paper, Spanish newspaper, book pages, petits four case, music and some strips of torn fabric, which I am using to represent myself at this stage. I coat the pages with a pva and water mix and stick down the papers, all overlapping, working at them with the glue-y brush.
In this picture, there are 3 interesting things. 1 - I keep my glue mix in a little lidded pot (cottage cheese as it happens), and it's all ready when I want to collage. 2 - I tucked a piece of scrap paper behind each of the papers before I began gluing. That's a good idea. 3 - I thought the right hand page would be more interesting, but it's the left that I like better. I didn't plan this at all, and it will get painted when the glue is dry. Sometimes it's more important to just begin and the piece will develop as you go along. I've never done a collage in this way that I didn't like, because so many layers overlap each other, so much goes on, anything you don't like will gradually disappear.
Here is the paint going on - I used to use a palette, but it's easier (and more environmentally friendly, actually) just to use a piece of paper - here it's the back of a Sunday supplement I'm using gouache today as that's what I found first, but I've used some water to make it a bit thinner so the papers still show throughFor some reason, I decided (on the spur of the moment) to use two colours, which I had to mix. I wanted peacock blue (score!!) and bright pink (near miss). In real life, I now prefer the right hand page. Just waiting for the paint to dry, then something else will happen (despite the fact that I really like it and everything within me is saying LEAVE IT ALONE!). In collage, more is always better. Always.
Here is a slightly closer up picture, which has been worked a bit with water soluble pastels and then wet with a brush. This seems to add a bit of depth to the colour. In the morning, it will get some text and probably a picture as a focal point. It won't be me though (unless I can find that piccy of my big sis and me I nicked off my mum a while ago and I think dropped down the back of the television!)

How are you getting on, girls?

Through the Keyhole

I haven't been doing nothing, honest. Just wanted to touch base and show you my invitation so far. Obviously, it needs something through the keyhole, which is what I'm thinking about right now. The writing is planned - again, waiting on something (but this time, I know what!). Drawing, painted with acrylics, UTEE. (Drawing based on a real keyhole somewhere in Wisconsin.) Not sure about the UTEE.