A Leap into Art Journaling!

If you visit here every now and then, you probably have watched me slowly slide down that slippery slope into Mixed Media. Since there isn't all that much free wall space in my house, I decided that it was time for me to start an art journal. What you might not have known is that I love to collect cool quotations and keep them on my computer. So, I said to myself, "Self, why not combine an art journal and use it to house favorite quotes?"

So I hied to Michael's with my coupon and purchased a spiral bound Strathmore Mixed Media journal that has 140 lb. cardstock and created this:


Actually, truth be told, the first time I saw Solid Blank Canvas and Woman of Essence the images were part of large sheet of unmounted rubber. I looked at the sheet and thought that the woman was leaping, rather than sitting. I started to think of ways I could convey that. Then I remembered the Chalk Popping Technique and gave it a go. Eureeka! It worked.

I inked up the solid stamp with Frost Dazzle VersaMark ink and stamped it onto blue cardstock. I quickly chalked the image using Pastel Shimmer Pebbles palette chalk, then lightly outlined and shaded the image with chalk pencils. The water was sponged over a handmade wavy paper template using a combination of the Pastel Shimmer and Basic Metallic Shimmer Pebbles palette chalk. This piece was set aside while I worked on the rest of the journal's cover.

I cut two SCACD's Breezy Branches Statement Corners from a scrap of cardstock. I also die cut the words "Art Journal" using a retired Bosskut alphabet and a Spellbinders Ironworks Accents. I adhered the diecuts to a sheet of 140 lb. Strathmore Mixed Media cardstock, brushed gesso over the diecuts, and heat set. Broken China, Salty Ocean, Spun Sugar, and Picket Fence Distress Paints were pounced and sponged over the entire surface and heat set. I repeated this process several times, adding in touches of Chipped Sapphire and Picked Raspberry Distress Paints as desired. Then this piece was set aside to fully dry.

Two more SCACDBreezy Branches Statement Corners were cut from a scrap of black cardstock and painted with Silkz Acrylic Glazes and set aside to dry while I die cut two flocks of Memory Box's Resting Birds from a scrap of shimmery metallic white cardstock. The birds were colored with Copic markers and detailed with Sharpies. Black cardstock was die cut several times using the Ironworks Accents die and painted with Black Leather Jacket Gelate/Sorbet by Art Anthology. "Quotes" was die cut from that same shimmery metallic white cardstock using a retired QuicKutz alphabet. When all the die cuts were cut and the paint was dry, the corners, border, and title were adhered. Then the birds were positioned in the branches and letters.

It still felt a little "blah" to me, so I decided to add some stenciling. Picket Fence Distress Paint was sponged through the Damask stencil by the Crafter's Workshop on the top, left, and right sides. The same paint was used to sponge parts of the Art is... stencil, but for some reason it faded in a bit too much for me, so I sponged Chipped Sapphire Distress Paint over the "Art is" words in three places. I realized that the words "Art Journal", while still raised, had faded into the background a bit too much, so I used a fine brush to paint white Picket Fence over it.

Back when I had this idea, I had gathered several "Leap" quotes and added them to my "Quotes" folder. I used my beloved old AppleWorks drawing module to manipulate them into a border with the word "Leap" over them. I printed the borders out, used my Copics to color the open letters of "Leap", then sponged Distress inks over them. I fussy cut the right side of the quote border and put it aside while I dug the stamped and chalked Blank Canvas Woman of Essence out from under a pile of scraps and such. This was then mounted onto black cardstock, Ironworks borders were adhered, and the type border was added. It still was missing a little something, so I found a very old Mrs. Grossman's Lace border sticker, colored it black, and added it to the left edge. Much better.

Both pieces then went into my garage to be sprayed with two layers of sealant. When they were dry and no longer sticky or stinky, I adhered the stamped piece onto what would soon become my cover. That's when I realized that I screwed up and forgot to trim the width of the cardstock to allow for the spiral coils. Oh no! Fortunately I had a Fiskar's square punch that came to the rescue! I did have to hand cut some of the squares because the punch wouldn't go through the layers and the squares are not perfect, but at least it fixed the problem! Whew!!!

The front and back chipboard covers of the journal were removed by gently separating the metal coils and sliding the covers off the coils. I set aside the back cover and adhered the decorated cardstock cover to the chipboard cover using Scrap Perfect's Best Glue Ever.

Here are a few close ups of the journal!

Upper Left Corner:


Upper Right Cornerish:


Stamped and Chalked Solid Canvas Woman of Essence


Bottom:


Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this into the following challenges:
• Chalk N Stock: Anything Goes
• Forever Friends Challenge #59: Diecuts & Punches
• Bearly Mine Challenge #81: Anything Goes
• Party Time Tuesdays #115: Anything but a card!
• Craft Your Passion Challenge #157: Water, Water Everywhere
• The Artistic Stamper Creative Team: Texture challenge