Full tilt boogie travel journal

I've been working on this journal to take with me on our:

Road Trip to Michigan

Our Stay In Hillsdale/Graduation

The Return trip/visit to St. Paul

 

The hardest part was choosing the paper to go inside.

and the outside "tapes".

 

I've been wanting to use this book.

Maybe it doesn't really fit the theme,

but it felt like it fit my mood.

 

I made seven signatures.

map pages

music paper

hand painted paper (gelli)

watercolor paper

 

I gesso-d over some areas so I can write or sketch there.

 

I made a lobster stencil.

I love how it looks like the shadow of a giant lobster looming over a city...

 

And the back of the book.

It is tied shut with a grey velvet ribbon.

 

I'll show you more once its filled with memories.

"in training"

Good Morning!

 

 

These flowers are from Trader Joes.

Sometimes a girl just needs flowers.

 

I am going to try to sketch these, but I thought I better "preserve" them just in case my good intentions are slow to happen.  I bought them with the purpose in mind of sketching and painting.

 

Big news at our house over the weekend was Phil and Alan FINISHED fixing Alan's truck and he drove it down the driveway home! It's been a grueling process and everyone is so relieved.

 

A peek into my sketchbook from the weekend.

Those things that look like stacked cushions are really chocolate donuts.

 

I'm in training for my "Michigan Road Trip" sketch journal.

need.more.practice.

 

 

 

Here is an early glimpse of that sketch journal.

I'm making via FTB*, an online class I started.

 

I have to get busy though, we're leaving in 12 days!

 

*Full Tilt Boogie

www.dispatchfromla.com

Sketchbook/fun with Gelli/ and 900th post!

Still not quite done with the camera show..

I'm always amazed how quickly these little pages come together.

I suppose that's the beauty of watercolor -

fast drying!

 



 

I pretty much copied this idea from one of my boards

on Pinterest.  I wanted to try the hot air balloons and

the figures in the foreground.

 

I always end up liking my "original" stuff much better though.

 

I got my Gelli plate about a week ago and have been have lots of messy fun with it. I took a mini class from Julie Fei Fan Balzer ($15) to help me get started.  I learned a lot there, and there is a lot to be learned just from youtube videos on the internet.

 

This image was from Julie's class. I put a magazine illustration under the gelli plate (it's clear) and painted over the top of it.  a quick print - I think it looks like a linoleum carving.

You do have to work fast, before the paint dries. 

 

I also had some fun with a lobster mask and rubber stamps.

 

doilies and scrapbook paper...

 

and experimenting with printing on music paper and other book pages.

 

I am making a travel journal, and I am going to make my own pages to go in it.  I like the idea of using the masks and leaving an area blank to journal on.

 

Also, I just noticed this is my 900th post!

I started this blog when Walker went away to college. He graduates in 19 days.

I think I might start a new blog later this summer and retire this one.

 

My favorite Pink

I went to the Tumwater Historical Park, hoping to find some blooming plum trees.
I was disappointed, it must be a little chillier down there. But, I did find these daffodils.  My bouquet of daffodils at home are finished, but I have this picture on my desktop.

 

a little visit to my mom and dad...

they have a beautiful Wild Currant in bloom.

I love this color, as you will see later in this post.

 

A break to make a snack!

Spiced Pecans: a Pinterest recipe

I think I'll sprinkle some on our salad tonight

(if there are any left).

 

I keep grabbing 15-20 minutes here and there to work in my art journal.

This one is watercolor on dictionary page. I think there's a little acrylic mixed in there (the white dots).

 

The opposite page... more watercolors on dictionary page.

I write down stream of consciousness words of what I am thinking about.

Some day I'll probably look back and go "huh?"

 

See what I mean about that pink?

 

I started this branch below with watercolor pencils.

I didn't like how it was coming out so I went over it with

watercolors from my koi field sketch set.

I

I had fun with the colors - it reminded me of coloring Easter Eggs.

 

and another version in a different book.

 

 

a promise of summer days.

When my hubby takes on a project, he works f a s t!

 

 

building a gas grill in the dining room...

 

I think this is a promise that summer will be here soon.

 

Personally, I tried to stay out of the way...

aha! a project of my own.

 

I think I saw snow today.

and sunshine.

 

Bits and Pieces of me

I've been up to my eyebrows in paint and various media...A few nights ago I looked in the mirror and saw white paint (gesso I believe) in my hair!

 

Watercolor is my favorite though. The above dog on beach

is the best part of a larger picture...

 

Above I experimented with painting gesso over a magazine face, then painting over that with acrylics. I liked how the eye came out...

 

Now we're into my art journal...above

 inspired by a Julie Fei-Fan Balzer YouTube tutorial.

 

And having fun on St. Patrick's Day.

 

A little spread about a day spent with Tori and Wyatt.

 

A new stencil to try out...

 

fun with ink and watercolors on dictionary page.

I really liked how the watercolor worked on this paper.

I'll be doing a little more of this.

Enjoying the journey.

OK, I know these aren't GREAT, but you are all my friends and I feel like I can show you without too much fear of harsh judgment.  I have great fun doing these, and I KNOW every new thing I paint I learn a lot and I can see getting to "where I want to be" eventually.

 

This is the Old Olympia Brewery.  I drove down there one day when the sun had been shining (but it wasn't any more) and took a few photos.  I sketched/painted the above from my photo.

 

and a while back I took a picture of the Crosby House in Tumwater.  I wanted to see if I could do justice to the gingerbread trim on it.  This was harder - too much white! but it was still fun and maybe if I do it again in a year I will see progress! Both of these I painted on old book pages, first prepared with a layer of gesso, so some of the book page shows through.

 

I started a new book/log of books I read in 2013.  I have three books inside - a drawing of the covers on one page, and on the opposite page is my little book review.  Its just for myself. This was a sketchbook with an advertisement on it, so I gessoed over it and sketched in my stack of books.

 

 

These are not my creation, but something I've been thinking about making just for fun. And, hey, its almost February 14th!   Victoria and I made her school valentines together.  A biggish butterfly cut out of scrapbook paper: a tootsie roll pop inserted where the body is supposed to be. A valentine greeting written on the back.

They're so cute, but I didn't get a picture.

 

I need to fill bobbins and get sewing tonight on doll clothes!

 

 

 

warped and bumpy journaling

Art Journaling

February 3-6

 

I was looking through what I was doing this time last year, and I took Julie Fei Fan Balzer's "30 days in your Art Journal" online class.  It reminded me how much fun this is and I have started up again. It was a little intimidating to start, but once the ideas started flowing....

 

I used some watercolor ideas from my "Watercolor Bliss" class,

some ideas I got from Pinterest,

my 6 stroke figures from Pinterest,

A shopping bag from Trader Joe's.

My favorite is the cup filled with paintbrushes.

The pages are all warped and bumpy. I'm going to try ironing.

 

And a tiny Sign of Spring at my house.

My earliest Hellebores are starting to pop out.

 

 

 

 

neat and organized soon

...another movie date this weekend...

 

 

We enjoyed this.  It was long...and we didn't really know the story.  But, I had sung or been exposed to most of the songs from Les Mis in Choir and it was very interesting to see how the songs fit into the story.  Amazing acting. worth seeing, but not necessarily for your children. Kind of "gritty"to say the least. No bad language though!

 

And a couple of entries from my art journal...

 

 

This was inspired by a Port Townsend advertisement.

 I started it last August and just recently finished it up.

 

 

...and another attempt at a quick "fashion" drawing (in front of  a mirror)...

I try to do this very quickly and spontaneously. I'm in a kind of "training" for taking my sketchbook out in public and sketching people and things quickly before anyone gets interested in what I'm doing...

 

I hope to show you a photo of my neat and organized studio soon.

(first must get it neat and organized)

A Pinterest project

Whew! 

I've been going through blog withdrawals.

For some reason I haven't been able to upload my photos onto my blog dashboard. Frustrating.  I finally figured out a way, by loading my photos into Picasa and then using them from there. Its many extra steps and not ideal, but until I figure out a better way...

 

If you are into Pinterest, and go to my board (Judy Shave) "Art Journaling". There you will see this art doodle tutorial by Alisa Burke.   Try it.  Its easy.

 

 

First doodle the flowers and leaves with two black pens, one thin and one thicker.

 

 

Then start painting in with watercolor.  I just put one blob of red watercolor from a tube on my mixing plate, and used these many shades for my journal page.

 

 

Then, write!