Journal 52, Week 5, Monochromatic

Journal 52, Week 5, prompt is Monochromatic or Psychedelic. I was in a monochromatic mood and was thinking of coffee. So, browns it was. I also was thinking that I have so many die cuts and stamps that I should try to incorporate them into my journal page.

I used a light brown acrylic and added molding paste with a darker brown through a Dylusions stencil. The cups are Tim Holtz and I used brown cardstock and corrugated paper. I added the beans and sentiment from a Fiscars set. I had to go over the sentiment since I used a Signo pen and it smeared :(   Pitt pens were used for the edges and shading.

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Journal 52 Week 4 - A Full Moon over a Moon Garden

The prompt this week for Journal 52 is Full Moon, or Lunacy. I like the darkness of an Edgar Allen Poe poem combined with the beauty of a moon garden (flowers that bloom in the night).

Acrylic ink base, texture paste with white gesso over, white pencil, pastels, and white ink pens. Blending done with a baby wipe.

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Journal 52 Week 3 David Bowie's Major Tom

Week three for Journal 52 was: “Favorite David Bowie song/lyric.” The only song that really spoke to me by David was Major Tom. It certainly does take a lot of courage to go through the door when you do not know what is waiting for you on the other side. I'm glad that I have opened many doors in my life. No regrets that way.

Gesso over recipe pages, Distress Inks in Peacock Feathers and Broken China. Door from Morguefile and colored with Copics. Stamps in black ink, sentiment printed and edged with Vintage Photo Distress Inks. Molding paste through stencil, star stamp embossed with white.

I purchased an old recipe cookbook awhile back intending to make a journal out of it. I thought it would be good for my Journal 52. I still need to finish the inner cover.

Cover

I like that I can take the pages out to work on them, and I like the smaller size pages (5 1/2 X 9"). I also like that I can write the important information on the back of each page. 

Open

Inside

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Journal 52 Say YES or NO

Journal 52, week 2, prompt: What are you saying YES to in 2016, or NO.
I am saying yes to saying no. Humm, let's explain. I have always felt it necessary to say yes to anything that was asked of me. After all, I was a wife, mom, friend, employee. Everyone expected me to say yes. Now, I am finally old enough to know that it is okay to say NO. If I don't wanna do it, I don't have to! Period!! What a relief it is. If my doctor says, "Will you stop drinking coffee?" I can say NO, instead of saying yes and then feeling like an awful person if I had a sip of coffee. (Just an example: I can have all the coffee I want.) When my hubby asks if I would like chili for dinner, I can say NO. If I sign up for an online commitment of some kind, if asked, by myself, are you enjoying yourself?, do you want to keep doing this?, I can say NO!, and not feel guilty. That's the problem with yes. Often you just can't do everything for everyone. Just say NO!

The background is Gelatos. I added some joint compound that I pressed some stamps into and sprayed with Dylusion Inks. The letters are die cut and sprayed with Dylusion Inks. The woman is from Ghoulish Girls Paper Doll set from Dover that was colored with Polychromos colored pencils. A honeycomb stamp in white, a white paint pen, Stabillo pencil and a bit of Washi Tape and that's it. Should I add more? Yes. Will I? NO!!!

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Use What You Have

This is the first week of Journal 52.  The first prompt is for the "word of the year". I really had to think about this one. I'm not one for resolutions, I'm not unhappy, I don't think I need to change anything about myself or my relations. Suddenly though I had this thought. Maybe it's time to USE the things that I have instead of acquiring more and more. The point hit home when I got a surprise package from my niece. She sent me a small box with some wooden stamps and punches that she no longer uses. I was thrilled until I tried to squeeze them into my craft room. That's when I realized that "I have a problem."

I'm sure many of you gave all you had to your family. You worked hard to make sure they had everything that they needed and much that they didn't need. You sacrificed, no, it wasn't a sacrifice because it was of love and you never felt anything by the joy at seeing them happy. But, now, suddenly, some of us are finding ourselves in a position where it is our turn. Now, we can think of our own needs and wishes. I have become the kid in the candy store. I mean, really, how many different types of glue does one really need? Each book I read, each video I watched, made me feel that if I had this paper or that tool, I certainly would be able to do the quality of work I was watching or reading about. Now, many different glues, colored pencil types, stamps, paints, brushes, dies, cutting machines, papers, etc., etc., etc., cram every nook and table top in the room. I can barely breathe! So, now is the time to USE. Use the things I have and stop buying more and more stuff. Anybody with me?

I used some of the new stamps I got from my niece on top of  gesso and acrylic paint covered recipe book pages. I added some masking tape and used the punched our stencil letters that have been sitting in my stash for years. I played with different kinds of pens in the hearts and used leftover gears that had been sitting on my desk for weeks. A little dribbled black paint and white embellishments remind me to USE the things I have.

I love reading comments, so if you have a lot of things you should start to use, let me know. I'm interested to hear your stories!