Tag-Archive for » art journaling «

Gettin’ scrappy

So here’s what I’ve been doing with a lot of my time recently. I haven’t used my sewing machine in YEARS, but I finally dug it out, got it serviced, and am USING it. Of course, not for what you’d think. But still. Creating. Learning. Enjoying.

I’ve never made a scrappy journal like this before and I absolutely love it. I don’t think it’ll replace the art journals, but I can see how great this type of journal will be for vacations – collecting little tidbits and memories.

I so enjoyed making it. I hope you enjoy taking a peek. BTW, the video is kinda long. I couldn’t figure out how to make it shorter without skipping pages. And we couldn’t do that now, could we?


My Scrappy Journal from Becky S. on Vimeo.

Still artsy

Swirls

Surprisingly, there’s one “project” that I haven’t lost momentum on. Art journaling. Yes, I am still at it. In fact, I’m learning even more techniques, reading, and trying to grow. I got a few art journal/ mixed media art books for Christmas (I was saving for a Nook, but decided that some of these books would be more fun) and I’m gobbling them up.

I tend to flit from thing to thing. Sometimes I have great powers of concentration. I can focus on details or the big picture. Or both. But hobbies? I jump around a lot. I get really enthusiastic in the beginning, but it tapers off.

But I’ve written in journals since elementary school. Adding pictures, doodles, paint, collage … it has opened up a new arena of inspiration for me. There are times when I just write because I need a lot of blank paper to get my thoughts out. But other times, I enjoy adding a design element to it.

I really, REALLY enjoy it. I’ve had such a hard time finding things that I like over the last year. I’m still having some trouble finding direction, especially in my career. But at least there’s one little thing that is providing some enjoyment right now.

Inspiration

I’ve been trying to look at everyday objects in a new way, as potential for art rather than just clutter or junk. It has to be a balance, though, because I can’t hang on to everything in hopes it’ll become useful later. And instead of wishing I hadn’t tossed something that I suddenly think I can use, I’m working to turn that energy elsewhere. What do I have in front of me right now that can be used instead?

I fight my natural clutterbug tendencies. I don’t want our stuff to own us. (And sometimes it really feels like it does.) Right now it feels like a balancing act between purging junk from our lives and keeping interesting objects for future use.

I really want to create right now. To find inspiration in my everyday life. I am not an artist. Yet I’m learning to create art. And it’s a really cool thing. Maybe I’ll be able to articulate it better once I learn a little more about how to make my own stuff (instead of just using inspiration from others). Regardless of where it goes, I’m learning a lot and really enjoying it.

And maybe I’ll actually finish a project and get to move on to the next one. :)

Can you love an inanimate object?

Oh my. I think I might just be in love — or maybe just lust — with this baby (not an affiliate link):

The Work Box

It goes perfectly with my art journal obsession. I love nice, neat, organized spaces like this. I rarely have them, but I love them. Look at all of those spaces to hold my supplies. Love!

We don’t have the space for something like this (nor the money – yikes!) but it’s on my “someday” list. But I might just have to ask my husband and dad to make me one.

What are you salivating over right now?

(photo from Scrapbox)

Artsy craftsy

I have been BIG TIME into art journaling recently. As in, I love it. Maybe I’m loving the idea of it more than actually, you know, DOING it, since I seem to wax poetically about it while the journal sits on my desk WAITING for me to pick it up. I started in like gangbusters back in July, and have done a few pages on & off since then. I can’t leave my supplies out as the short person known as BUG, aka DESTRUCTO BOY, will redecorate my house if left to his own devices. Not that he’s ever left to his own devices when I’m on the computer. Ahem.

ANYWHO, I’m tired of just scribbling in indecipherable … scribbles … in my journals. Using collage and art hadn’t really occurred to me much beyond pasting in some interesting pictures or quotes here and there. But now, I’m ready for bits and pieces of THINGS. Found things. Bits of bark. Grass. Wrapping paper. Magazine clippings. PAINT. Markers. You name it. I used to keep my journals all nice & neat. Can’t break the spine so it won’t close anymore, right? WRONG. NOT ANY MORE. The more crammed and messy it is, the better I think I will like it.

This is a new thing for me. I think it started when I bought a copy of Wreck This Journal. It got me out of my comfort zone and into seeing just about anything as a possibility for art. Since then, I’ve been more open to mixing up my journaling. And I’ve participated in a couple of e-zines about art journaling, which just whet my appetite even more. Now I’m seeking books & art journalers & blogs & putting things into my RSS reader so I can be inspired and amazed at what others are doing.

I’m not anywhere near ready to call myself an artist. Or ARTEEST. Writer, yes. I’m comfortable with that mantle, even though it took quite a few years and an English degree for that to be easily bandied about. But art? This art? New to me. If I could do that and write all day and make a living at it? BLISS.

Let’s work on these things in itsy-bitsy steps, mmmkay?

What she’s doing now

I compose things in my head during the day. Little bits and pieces that I need to write about. You see, I’m the type who HAS to write. Whether it be in a paper journal, or here, or whatever. I HAVE to write to keep my sanity. Some people would say it’s too late, that [sanity] ship has sailed. I would tell those people to SHUT UP, who asked you anyway?

So I keep telling myself to write. But I get up, feed the kid, work until afternoon, hubby gets home, we get busy with the kid, and later supper prep. Then there’s the meal and by that time I’m too tired to do dishes, much less put personal thoughts together. They’re not coherent IN my head, so how would they be coherent OUT of my head? So I do my other paid writing and it’s so late at night by that point I have to go to bed or I won’t get up early enough to start work all over again.

As it is, I’m usually in bed around 1 am. This cycle is just not working. Why? Because I’m tired ALL THE TIME. And I cry a lot, and not just at those stinking Extreme Makeover: Home Edition episodes that they edit JUST TO MAKE ME CRY, but at everything. And I feel like THE CRAZY is hiding under my bed and waiting for my foot or arm to hang off the side just a little bit so it can GRAB ME and pull me into its HELLISH DEPTHS. That could might be the reason I keep a flashlight and baseball bat next to my side of the bed. I aim to be PREPARED for THE CRAZY. Ahem. Anyway.

When I do manage to sit down, I open up a window to start writing and… crickets. Lots of chirping. And it’s not the cute little chirping. It’s the “I want to gouge my eardrums out” chirping. In my head. Because we don’t have any crickets in our house. And if we did I’d drive myself crazy finding the little sucker and disposing of it. (I don’t mind the sound of crickets as long as they are OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE.)

Starburst

Not too long ago, I was chatting with a friend and I was telling her how rough it’s been. What makes it worse is worrying. I am an all-time champeen worrier. I might even have a plaque or trophy somewhere to prove it and NO YOU CANNOT SEE IT. My cross to bear. The problem with worrying is it’s so draining. And crazy-making. I’ll tell you all about OCD my worrying is. Sometime. Not now.

But as I was telling her exactly how utterly ridiculous this worrying is, that which I cannot seem to STOP IT, I realized exactly how insane I sounded. HI, I’M CRAZY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE MY FRIEND? She just might have mentioned that maybe a little more drinking is in order. I let her know that I have TRIED to drink enough to DROWN THE CRAZY, but that little bugger can swim BETTER THAN I CAN.

I’m also trying a couple of projects for fun, like art journaling and binding my own small project books. I am actually looking forward to carving out some time for them. Using paint, and paintbrushes. SHARP POINTY TOOLS. (Like awls and paper punches, y’all. Yeesh.) Colored pencils. Bits of old books, and beautifully-patterned paper. Oh, the BEAUTIFUL PAPER. It calls to me, especially from the clearance aisle at Michael’s. Which, by the way I think I am going to have to BAN MYSELF from Michael’s. And the local paper supply shops. But at least it’s something I am getting immense joy from. Or maybe that’s just fumes from the glue stick.

I guess I really need to make an effort to find creative outlets. Because I may not be able to drown THE CRAZY in drink, but I sure can try to glue her down to a piece of paper and SMOTHER HER IN ACRYLIC PAINT. Or, you know, just enjoy being creative in a no-pressure environment. Whichever.

ps) Major credits if you can figure out where the title comes from. And I just realized that Laura does her titles this way all the time and I SWEAR I’m not stealing it from her. I just haven’t named my posts from songs in a long time and wanted to for old time’s sake.