Scrap bits

update on my sketchbook project 2011

It's been a long time since I posted any progress with my sketchbook. Awhile back, I talked about how I ripped out the pages because they were too thin, and decided to make my own pages.

When I took on the sketchbook project, I had no plans to buy anything new. I would use my stash and up-cycled materials. My first thought when deciding on the new paper was heavy weight watercolor paper,but that would have been a new purchase. After a bit of thinking I decided to use bits and pieces of stuff that I already had: scraps of paper, magazines, vintage book paper, scrapbook papers, and junk mail. I sewed them together and made enough pages to make 2 signatures to sew back into the cover. 

I made these pages in the style of Mary Ann Moss's fantastic online class "Remains of the Day". 

Now I LOVE my pages and they feel more like me. The book is looking chunky and messy and full of textured goodness, just like my other Remains journals! 

Here are some shots of the pages so far;

  I used my sewing machine to sew bits and pieces to each page.

 

The page below has a sewn on Hambly transparency. I love the vintage feel it has.

 

For the page below, the heart is cut from graffiti canvas I painted. Also used some cool vintage text paper

 

 

below, I incorporated a photo of mine,

 

Below, I used a piece of my "under paper" that I use when spray painting- I don't throw anything out, and this is why! I can always find some use for even the smallest scrap of paper or fabric!

I have some ideas on what to do in each page, but I need to try them out and see how it goes first. I think I will sew in the signatures AFTER I sketch/draw/paint on each page.

I am finishing up my cover and I am really happy with how it has turned out. I will take some photos and post as well....stay tuned!

FDF- Free vintage pattern papers. Perfect for collage, or shabby journals

Hello again, Welcome to my weekly series "Free Download Friday (FDF)".  Today I have another vintage pattern for you. And-since it's such a beautiful day, and since I accomplished so much off my to do list yesterday- how about 2 pages?

Print it up and add to your Shabby journal,(or your remains of the day journal) or use it digitally in scrapbook projects. This would also be perfect for altered art and collage. 

Visit my flickr set for past downloads if you missed any. I would love to see what you use these for. Tell me in the comments section.

Enjoy!

-and remember, this image is for personal use only

More FREE vintage papers, and the launch of FDF (FREE DOWNLOAD FRIDAY)

I thought I would start a regular post every week called "FREE DOWNLOAD FRIDAY". Every Friday I will share a fun download for you to use for your personal use. Sometimes it will be vintage (my favorite!) and sometimes it will be... something else!

This week I have some vintage images from kids' sewing patterns. I believe this is a catalog of sorts, but hard to know for sure because it is not in English...I believe it's in German, but I could be wrong. Images are from 1964. Enjoy!

If you use any of these downloads I have here, please link back to me. I would be very interested to see what you have done with them. If I get enough I will start a Flickr group with your submissions. For now, you can download it here on my blog, or pop on over to my Flickr set to see the whole collection. However, Flickr will not be updated as often as my blog, so all images will be available here first.

Free Vintage collage sheet

Happy Friday!

Here is a free download of a digital sheet I collaged. I used old book pages, old sewing patterns, vintage maps, and other interesting paper i had in my stash. I plan on using this in a piece of art I am working on. This would be perfect if you are working on a Remains of the Day journal, scrapbooking, collage, and altered art. Print it out or use it digitally. Have fun!

Click on the image above for a larger view, or click here  to see it on my Flickr page to download different sizes. The image is free for you to use for personal use. Please do not sell any images you see here. If you post anything online using my image, please link credit back to me.

If you use it I would love to see what you did with it. Please share your results!

Last week I found some great vintage ephemera, so I will have more old images to share with you.

... stay tuned

The Sketchbook Project 2011 - progress update

After working on some of the pages and trying to paint them, etc, I realized that the paper that comes with the book is awful!! It is so thin, and doesn't hold paint well, not to mention sewing that I was planning on doing. So I did the only thing I could think of... I took all the pages out!  I am going to make my own pages,, and sew them back into the cover.

...wish me luck!

Recieved my sketchbook today!

It came today! My journal for the 2011 Sketchbook Project!  I am really looking forward to this-it's such a cool idea.  A really fun way to get your art viewed around the world! Once you finish the book and send it in, you don't get it back- it stays in the library for people to check out whenever they want, so I will be scanning each page, and will post it here (along with the Art House Co Op website) for your viewing.

I am thinking of something special for the cover, and I have a few ideas, but I am going to let it brew for a bit and see how it sits!

Here it is, all brand new and waiting to be filled with lots of stuff!

Don't you love starting a new journal? So fresh and clean and filled with such possibilities! I loved the beginning of school, getting new notebooks, pencils and supplies.

If you like the idea of this project and want to join along check out the website!

More Journal pages

Here are a few more pages from my art Journal- Ones I am willing to share!

 

Above, I started with a messy background (most of my pages start off this way) then used stencils and spray paint,and doodled around it.

 

Free doodling... love this!

sketches of faces...(or pieces of faces)

What about you? Do you art journal, or have you thought about starting one?

Doodles are back? Help for "Artist Block" with ARt Journals

Whenever I am stuck with where to start with my art- I turn to my art journal. So far I am just using it to "practice" - I don't actually do any "journaling"  in there, but I may at some point. My art journal let's me be free to try new things- draw whatever I want, try whatever I want. This journal is not for everyone's eyes- There are experiments and ideas in there and some don't turn out the way I hoped. But knowing that no one will see it really does free you from the pressure of making something great all the time. It's also a good place to sketch things that I come up with in my head. Sometimes I just sketch and idea, then come back another time and actually try it. I will post some pages from the journal, but definitely NOT all of them! Just have to get some photos. The photo above is of the cover of my current journal.

Here are a few other (select) pages;

Lately, I have been doodling in my journal.  I have some pages in there that I have painted a messy background on, and I took my Sharpie and started doodling.  Real doodles, like I used to do in the margins of my school books-hearts,flowers, leaves, vines, etc....thinking of incorporating some doodles into a painting- see how that turns out.

If you have been thinking of starting an art journal just do it. It doesnt have to be anything fancy- any notebook will do, but start. You will be amazed at how it helps your creative juices to flow!

For amazing Art Journal inspiration check out these blogs; (be careful- you can get lost here for days!)

Dispatch From LA  Mary Ann has the most amazing travel journals. I have taken all 3 of her on line classes- well worth it! 

Pam Garrison   Pam does some really pretty art journal pages, and canvases.

Journal Girl Kira  love her journals and how she incorporates paper pieces on her pages

Little Black Kitty  she also has a cool post of her doodling here.

Sherrie JD  who is over at Scrap Artist. Sherri has a cool on line magazine (Zine) called Altered Hearts- worth checking out and full of inspiration. 

Happy Journaling!

The Sketchbook Project 2011

Wow! I just found the coolest thing!!! Art House Co-op, (a website I just found thru SheriJD's blog- thanks Sheri!) has been doing The Sketchbook Project for the last 5 years. You buy a moleskin sketch book, pick a theme and fill it with your art, sketches, words, whatever. Then it goes in their Art Library, and people can check out your book and read it (or even buy it if you have it for sale)- They even have a tour where the books go around to different galleries.

Sounds really cool- Check it out if you are interested. Apparently there are only 100 or so days left to sign up. Can't wait to get it in the mail!