Being Brave....Journaling Page

The terrifically talented Tamera LaPorte did a journal this past week on Being Brave. About dealing with your feelings and moving forward.  You can find her blog HERE where she gives step by stop details on how do do your own page!  So I gave it a go as this past week and weekend have been a rough one for me and I needed to let go of some of the load i was feeling... You start out with putting gesso on your page and letting that dry to prepare it for paint. Now Tam used different supplies then i did, I do not have the items she  used so I made do with what I had.  My page was painted with acrylics, and i used a variety of techniques to get the effect. I used an old credit card as did Tam, i used my brayer, paint brush and a lid . I scratched in the paint with the end of my paint brush  too.  BUT before you paint you journal on the page about what you feeling, thoughts whatever and don't be afraid to write it all out as it gets pretty much covered up with the paint, it is cool to have some of it show through the background though....you cant see mine as much as you could Tams.  Anyways, then you start doing the painting effects.  Let it dry then start your drawing, it doesn't have to be anyone it just have to be what it ends up being so just draw! Tam gives you good directions on doing that on her blog.  Shade , shade, shade...and then high light with some paint pen or marker, or just paint! Then write some words of what your feeling or needing or wanting to put out there.  Acceptance was my main word. Being accepted for who you are is a biggie for me. Showing compassion, and care and love , just accepting and loving. For the last five years I have felt such loneliness and non acceptance,  that I have never felt before....but even still if we don't gain it for ourselves, we can still give it to others. To finish...  She pasted a picture of herself at the top of the page so I added one on my page of myself. The printer was running out of ink and so that is the effect I got from it but it surprisingly fit the page. I love this technique of journaling and writing over the top...you will know when you look at the page what you wrote...it will be meaningful to you and that is what matters. This exercise was big time for me. I loved it...and more of this technique will be coming from my craft room into my journal.  Give it a try......

Baby Journal

I took a cheap comp notebook to make this cute little journal for my daughter in law for her sister who is having her first baby.  I had left over paper from the crate paper line that i cute out in rectangles and mod podged them to the front of the  journal. I also made sure I set them off  each row so it would have more interest. After getting them all glued on front and back I added one more layer of mod podge. After letting it dry I then sewed with my machine,  the lace onto the front and back edge. Punching a hole in the front and back for adding the ribbon to tie it shut, I added some green sheer ribbon. We dont know if its a girl or a boy so i didnt want to just use pink or blue , i used some yellow and greens and reds...and green seemed to stick out the most and so that is why i went with the green ribbon. 

Then i took some white acrylic paint and white washed the covers, and edge. I had a spray bottle of water with me too so that the paint would not dry to fast, before i could wipe it off.  After letting that dry, i took a tracing wheel and went up and down each row and across each end of the "quilt pieces" to make it look even more like a quilt.  

Next i took a saturated canary imange...isnt it adorable!? I colored it up with pro markers , added some stickles and glued it to the front of the journal. I cut out the tabs for the corners, again i used the tracing wheel on the image to make it look sewn on as well as the tabs too. I then added the BABY pennants that came with the papers. 

I added some more mod podge to the spine to make sure it would wear well.  I also painted the inside covers with white paint so that it covers up all the words and make it look more classy. 

I hope that Katie will enjoy it as she watches her baby grow! 

Fly Away Home, Journal Page

My Fly Away Home Art Journal Page!

I had fun coming up with this image and with this page. I find so much joy in creating these journal pages, so relaxing and fun to see what you come up with each time. How it starts out and then how it ends, at some point in the middle you wonder if it will work out at all and your about to scrap it! lol I like my crazy looking bird its so darn cute! I was inspired when my daughter bailee was wearing her brothers hat the other night, so cute on her, with the earflaps..so i decided to draw this girl up with that same style hat! I think i will create more scenarios with this girl maybe in different hats! lol 

Thanks for stopping by...remember the montly planner i posted before this  post is still available for purchase if you cant find it on ebay, email me at ibredrenee@ hotmail.com if you are interested!

Handmade 2013 Monthly Planner (for Sale on ebay!

 7x8 Handmade machine sewn monthly planner.                          

Handmade journal/yearly planner. all months are removable so can be replaced and used again next year! Note pad at the end is also removable and can replaced when it runs out! Each page has its own sewn in tag to add journaling , notes etc each has a clip of some sort to help you do so! I have listed this on Ebay...going to give them another try, etsy is not selling much for me so will see if ebay is better!  You can find it HERE

Life Book 2013 Lesson 1 and warm up....

I was Blessed with a invite to the LifeBook 2013 this year and we had our first lesson last week! The warm up exercise was to do a Fairy Art Mother or Father. On these we are to write positive answers to our doubts we have during our LifeBook classes to allow us to let go and just create! it was fun. I bought some faber-castell watercolor crayons to do this exercise as that is what Tam used! i love them. I do want to get the Neo Colors at some point for a varity of more colors. 

The first actual exercise was to do a Blessings and Goals page. We were to use ourselves in the pic so i had fun with it like Tam did. I had Bailee take a pic of me being goofy like i was driving a car...notice how my hair blows in the breeze! LOL  I pretty much stuck with how Tam did her's since it was the first lesson and i can become braver and find my own idea as we progress. I didnt want the stress of trying to come up with something or wondering if it was good enough! So i just went with what Tam taught. As did most. 

Tonight is another new lesson so im off to see what is in store for me tonight. we have a varity of teachers throughout the whole year so it will be fun to learn new techiques and styles!