My Year 2017

I joined a new Journaling Facebook group called My Year 2017. Members are showing what type of journal they will be using for the year. Thought I might share the last 3 planners/journals I used and what I thought about each of them.

I've been playing in Art Journals for quite a few years. In the middle of 2014 I started doing a
planner/journal with art. My first choice was a 8 1/2 x 5 inch Moleskin with gridded paper.

Loved that this size could fit in my purse. I love working on a grid. In the beginning I thought I would use this book for 2015 also. The draw backs: The paper is thin so you do see what is on the other side some. When I wanted to add some emphmera from an event I went to, the page wasn't big enough.

My choice for 2015 was a Cachet Sketchbook with Graph paper. 9 x 12.

Again loved working on gridded paper. The paper is thicker than the moleskin. More room for art and memorabilia. Draw backs: Because the sheets are heavier with the art work, they are tearing away from the wire.

My choice for 2016 was the Dylusions Journal. 8 x11 1/2.

Love the paper. Love the pages aren't tearing out. Minor draw back: My art/craft room is downstairs. A lot of times it would be down there but it is more convenient to have my calendar on the main level of my house.

My choice for 2017 is to have the pages separate. Bought heavy cardstock at Staples 8 1/2 x 11. I've punched holes in them and keeping them in a 3 ring binder. The binder isn't very exciting to look at. Hopefully I'll come up with something different to keep the papers in.

So far I have printed out the months. With the pages being individual I was able to print directly on the pages. Instead of printing out the month then gluing it in the book. I don't do art work or embellish my pages ahead of time  except for the date and a strip of something dividing off the to do list. It will be nice to have the majority of my planner/calender/journal on the main level of the house and only a few pages that I am doing art on downstairs.

Thanks for looking!

Dylusions layout.

Dyan Reaveley has some great u-tube videos. These pages are inspired by the one she did demonstrating her Journal block.

I did these on the last few blank pages of a Dylusions Journal that is my 2016 Planner/Art Journal. On each page I used Lemon Zest paired with a different colored spray in the blue/green colors. Except the very back page is pink and orange. In adding the pages I used masking tape. After spraying a layout, I painted the tape with some clear gesso with a little of the spray that I used to tint it.

With the backgrounds done and the borders doodled on the next step is to add the collage.

Thanks for looking.

Another round robin painting party!

We had so much fun painting on each other pictures we got together again on Friday to do it again.

Here's Mine

Here's Sara's

Here's Maggie's

Here's Marie's

Then my other daughter Amelia came by  so she and Maggie worked on each other's paintings.

Here's Maggie's

Here's Amelia's

Maggie's 2nd one.

Amelia's 2nd one.

Thanks for looking!

Mixed Media Club Project

I'm in a mixed media club that tries to meet every 3rd Thursday. It's a lot of fun getting together and playing. At the beginning of the year we decided to do the lessons from Life Book 2016 together when we meet. Today's project was inspired from Week 4 by Annie Hamman and from a round robin sketch project that I did with my sister and our daughters. You can read about that Here and Here. When we got together today there were 4 of us. On 140 lb watercolor paper we each did a basic sketch of a face and the 1st layer of paint for the faces. Then we started the round robin part. The rule was that you could do anything to the other paintings. We set the timer for 5 minutes and went at it. When time was up everyone stopped. We did take a couple of minutes to dry what we did with heat guns. Then we switched to someone else's painting. Set the timer for 5 minutes at went at it again. After switching several times we each went to our original project to finish it. It was interesting watching how different we all worked. The big thing that I got out of it was to loosen up in what I did. Here are some pictures of all 4 paintings in a few of the stages.

Here's Mine

Something that I like to do after painting is to add some shading and details with colored pencils.
We used Liquitex paints and the colored pencils do not work well over it, So over my whole painting I put a thin layer of clear gesso. Then used the colored pencils.

Here's Sara's

Here's Maggie's

And Here's Marie's

Thanks for looking!