Workspace Wednesday - Creating my Top 2000 Journal...

Hi friends!  It's time for Workspace Wednesday again, and I'm excited to bring you into the studio and show you what's going on...

Today is the day that the list of Radio 2's Top 2000 songs of all time goes live.  I'm excited to be able to peruse through the list; and select the songs that I want to use as inspiration for journal pages for Marit's Top 2000 blog party!  For me, this process is a big part of the fun!

I'm doing something new this year - I'm creating a special journal, just for the party!  I was so inspired by this blogpost by Marit, that I've decided to follow suit and create my own version of a Top 2000 journal! Thanks for the inspiration Marit!

This is what my workspace looked like earlier today, as I was in the midst of the project...

I decided to make the book 6" x 9," with a cardboard cover that I collaged with sheet music, and painted with Dylusions paints and Stencil Girl Stencils.  The spine is painted canvas.  I didn't have a big enough piece, so I sewed two pieces together and glued it on with lots of gel medium!


Here's my mixed media table with my tools and stencils drying...

and here's how the journal turned out.  The flower is done with gesso, and markers; and I used the dyed muslin as a finishing touch.  I can't wait to use it!

 Here's the inside front cover.  The first page will be used as a Table of Contents...

and here's the back cover...

Check out Marit's blog for more info on the Top 2000 Blog party!  It's going to be tons of fun!  I hope you decide to play along!

Lean on Me...

Just a quick post to share my page for the current Documented Life challenge.  The challenge is to use quotes or lyrics, so I chose lyrics from a favorite classic song by Bill Withers...

The page is done with pitt pen, watercolor pencil and tombow markers.

Just for fun, here's a great version of the song by Playing for Change.  It seems especially poignant with all that's going on in the world right now...


Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!  I will see you again soon!

Workspace Wednesday - Collage Ephemera Organizing in its Infancy...

Hi friends!  I promised an update this week on my studio organization progress, and here it is.  I've been working on setting up a table in my studio just for keeping all kinds of ephemera out and organized.  I love collecting interesting containers, and I'm having fun putting them to use for this purpose.  There's not alot in them yet - ha, but they are ready to fill!  Here's what I've got so far.

(click on images to enlarge)

Here's the whole table...

 This is a vintage drawer I recently picked up.  It's going to be great for diecuts, tags and other bits...

 A cheesebox holds Artist Trading Cards, and other cards.  Next to it is a drawer from an old sewing machine stand.  Not sure what's going in that yet...

This crock used to hold peanuts at the Haberdashery Restaurant in Minneapolis.  My mom and I used to go there alot for lunch.  When it closed, I got to buy one of the crocks; and now it holds good memories and postage stamps! 

The top box is a faux vintage cigar box made by Jenni Bowlin.  The bottom two are actual cigar boxes bought at a thrift store.  They don't have much in them yet, but they will...

Behind the cigar boxes is an old metal lunchbox for notepads and stuff...

In front is another old metal lunchbox with the lid taken off.  This is for misc scraps.  Behind it is a box for index and old library card catalog cards...

This is one of my favorite things.  It's a box I decorated for a challenge during the old "SiStv" days.  It's a tribute to one of my childhood heroes - Pippi Longstocking.  I call it my thingfinding box...

Right now it holds playing cards and an ATC stamp.  Not sure if it will stay that way or not...

One of my favorite Pippi quotes adorns the sides of the box...

I will keep you posted as I progress with getting this table organized and the containers filled in a way that makes sense.

Thanks so much for visiting today!  I wish you a wonderful day!

Planner Memory-Keeping...

Hi friends!  Thanks for your comments on my last post. It helps to know I'm not alone in the world of being overwhelmed by choices! I'm still mulling over my options, and I will keep you posted on how it goes!

Today I've got my latest page in this year's memory-keeping planner to share with you, complete with a tip-in...

The Documented Life challenge this week is to focus on words; so that's what I did on the front of my tip-in...

 

 Here's how it looks in my planner...

 

When you open the flap, you can see the whole calendar spread.  These pages are so much fun to do! I used my little PoPo pocket printer to do the photos.  That thing is so super handy! We originally bought it for travelling, but it's perfect for printing photos for my planner too!  They come out on 2" x 3" sticker paper!  I must say tho, that the color on the inside of the Kiwano (the orange and green fruit) is way off.  It really is more of a pretty lime green.  If you've ever cut one open, you know what I mean...

On the inside of the tip-in, are my No Excuses "card peeks"...

Here's a closeup of the card peeks. They are fun to do cuz their small size makes them relatively quick and easy...

Thanks so much for visiting!  I wish you a wonderful day!

Too Many Options - I'm Overwhelmed!!!

Does anyone else get overwhelmed with all of the planning options, programs and challenges out there? I am feeling that way right now, as I'm trying to figure out my plan for 2016. In 2014 I was very focused. I had one memory-keeping planner, and I had so much fun with it.

 2014 - No Excuses/Documented Life Project in a Moleskine Weekly Planner

This year has been the exact opposite. I changed my mind about how to plan/memory-keep every month or so. Which resulted in a whole bunch of different half-filled planners (these photos are actually missing a couple of planners I forgot to include). It feels very disjointed. 

I want to come up with a good focused plan for 2016, but I'm having a hard time. These are all of the planners I have purchased and ready for 2016. 

The bottom one is planned to be a catch-all graph paper notebook.  Fauxbonichi, Bullet Journal, and Notebook in one.  

The Kraft Ring-Binder is the new kit for the Documented Life Program for 2016.  Not sure if I should combine this with my No Excuses stuff or not?

The Blue one is a Blue Sky Agenda.  Cheap but also beautiful and well laid out.  My original idea for this one was to do my actual daily planning in it.  (What?  Actual planning???)

The top one is the beautiful and beloved Inkwell Press Planner.  My original idea for this one was to use it for No Excuses Art.  The paper is thick and luxurious.  But now I'm not sure???  Maybe I want this one for actual planning???

All of this is not to mention any art journaling - ha.  That's for another post.

I don't want to be redundant, but I want to use them all.  Do any of you have this problem?  And if so, how are you solving it???  Do tell - I need help!!!  :)

Combining the Fauxbonichi with the bullet journal...

Just a quick post to share my Fauxbonichi/Bullet Journal pages from this week with you...

 I'm LOVING filling up these pages lately!  I wanted to dress up my bullet journal a little; and combining it with my Fauxbonichi has been a good solution. I don't do these pages every day, but I try to do at least a couple each week.  I like practicing different styles of drop caps.  Sometimes they are inspired by fonts I find on pinterest (like the "I" above); and sometimes I make them up (like the "f" below).  The three patterned squares on the right are from the Tangle Tuesday challenge in the Fauxbonichi Journalers Facebook Community.

On this page the present, monogram, and List of Things that Make Our Home Cozy, are all my take on prompts from the Fauxbonichi Journalers.

I've wanted to do an illustrated journal for quite awhile, but my efforts to do a formal one have never gotten going; and I think that's because, well, because it felt too formal!  HA.  The fauxbonichi doesn't feel that way and that's why I'm loving it!  I can do a quick drawing, or no drawing, or stick stickers in or WHATEVER.  It's fun to make each page different, with no pressure.

Thanks for visiting!  I really appreciate you! 

Workspace Wednesday: Studio Photos - Before the Cleanup...

Hey there friends!  This time of year is all about getting organized for me; and one thing that needs some work in that department is my studio!  Awhile ago I rearranged some of the furniture; and everything ended up in piles, so it's time to get to organizing it all!

I thought it might be fun to share the mess with you before-hand, so that you can see my progress as I go.  Here are some pics of my room in it's current state...

 This is one area that is fairly organized already.  It's my mixed media table.  I've got both my acrylic and watercolor paints, distress stains, pens, crayons and markers, various mediums and brushes on this table.

 Here's another view of the same table, where you can see my Raskog carts that sit at the end.  The one on the right is fairly organized with paints and other mixed media stuff.  The one on the left is a mess.  It has some planner stuff and some collage stuff in it now, but that will change as soon as I figure out a better plan for it.

Here's a shot where you can see the mixed media table in relation to where I sit to work on the computer.  As you can see out the windows, we just had our first snowfall of the season.  It looks pretty, but makes it hard to get good pictures cuz it's so bright out there.

 This is the area in the middle of the room.  It has no rhyme or reason right now - but it will when I'm done with it. 

 This is the other side of the room.  It's got my sewing machine, easel, bookshelves, and a bunch of other unorganized stuff.  I can't wait to get that blue table organized with collage fodder!

Here's another view of the right side of the room in all it's messy glory.

 This is the mixed media side of the room from the opposite angle.  The pink table that you can see beyond the mixed media table is where I do my spraying and splattering.  The cardboard in the window is intended to catch oversprays.  It works really well.  Right now the table is unusable tho, cuz there's so much stuff piled on it.  aargh.

 Here's what my computer desk looks like right now.  It's the first thing I'm going to clean up.

The other side of my computer desk.

 Here are my two beloved studio companions - Willie and Johnny. They love my chair and I don't have the heart to move them so I can sit down.  LOL.

Underneath my desk you can see a box with a pillow on top.  That is a combination embellie storage/footstool.  It works great.  :)

That is an overview of my messy studio.  I hope you enjoyed it!  Sorry about the bad picture quality.  The snow made it really difficult to control the lighting.  I will check in here next Wednesday and let you know what progress I am making.  If you have any questions about anything you see here, please feel free to leave them in the comments and I will answer them as best I can.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!  Thanks so much for visiting!

National Journaling Month Comes to a Close with Days 29 and 30...

Hi friends!  I'm happy to say that I finished days 29 and 30 of the NaNoJouMo challenge!  Together they create the back and front side to this week's tip-in in my Planner Journal...

Day 29:

Watercolor Test Strips

 

This was another exercise in the "Creative Girl" book that I'm reading.  It's really a fun book - I highly recommend it, if you are interested in learning more about watercolor techniques.  The two columns on the left-hand side of the page are experiments in letting the different colors bleed into each other while wet, to see what happens and what new colors arise.  The right hand column is about adding salt to the mixture.  This was fun and it didn't take long at all.  Even tho it's just test strips, I still think it makes a beautiful page - I love all that color!

Day 30:

"More of This Please"

I was just playing with collage here, while thinking about the state of the world right now.  I made the background with color crayons and Liquid Watercolors. 

Thanks for hanging in there with me throughout this 30-day challenge!  It was lots of fun to be able to come here and share my progress each day!  Did any of you take on the NaNoJouMo challenge too?  If so, how did it go for you?

Coming up on Inspiration Everywhere - December will be a month of wrapping up 2015, and getting ready for the new year! I'll be sharing my creative plans and goals; and I'm hoping to hear about yours too!

Thanks again for visiting, and I will be back very soon!

Days 27 and 28 of NaNoJouMo: Catching Up...

Hi friends!  I have my pages done for days 27 and 28 of National Nonstop Journaling Month, and I'm excited to share them with you! Both are tip-ins to my Memory Keeping Planner Journal.

Awhile ago, I purchased the "Whimsical Watercolor Ultimate Collection," by Danielle Donaldson.  It includes her book "Creative Girl," and three DVD Watercolor Workshops.  So far I'm really getting a lot out of them!  My first page is a result of what I'm learning...

Day 27:

"Things On My Desk"

The second page is for the current challenge at the Documented Life Project. The challenge is as follows:

Art Challenge: Combine Stencils, Stamps & Masks
Journal Prompt:  "Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind."-Henry James

When I saw the "be kind" journal prompt, I immediately thought of the song "Uncle John's Band," by the Grateful Dead.  I love that song, and it brings back memories of singing it along with the crowd at many dead shows.  This prompted me to use the lyrics to the song as inspiration for my page.  I wrote out the lyrics in the background, and used one of the main lines as the title...

Day 28:

"Are You Kind"

Just for fun, here's a video for the song...

Thanks so much for visiting!  I hope to have the final two pages done for tomorrow's post - see you then!

Day 26 of NaNoJouMo - Five on Friday...

Hi friends!  I'm back with my 26th page for National Nonstop Journaling Month.  This one is also in my Fauxbonichi.

On Fridays, the Fauxbonichi Journalers Facebook Group has a challenge called "Five on Friday."  The intent of the challenge is to help you use up your stash.  They post five things for you to try to include on your page, without buying anything new.  I love this challenge, as it gives me a chance to try to put seemingly random things together on a page and have them make some sort of sense.  LOVE THAT.

This week the challenge was...
1) Add a picture/photo/sticker/embellishment that represents something that you are thankful for. (the photo is of Michael and his new niece Susannah. I'm thankful for the new little addition to our family, and for a husband with such a big, open heart).
2) Something from your stash that was a bargain/great deal. (the little girl in the bottom left corner, is cut from an education pamphlet that I got at an antique store.  I got a stack of the little pamphlets, each one unique and full of vintage illustrations, for only $2.00 - a treasure!)
3) Add something that is related to the history of your ancestors/country. (the United States Wildlife Preservation Stamp from 1971)
4) Use a stamp or a sticker that you love. (I finally got to use my "rock, paper, scissors" stamp from Sweet Stamp Shop!  I just love it, but it's so random I haven't had an opportunity to use it in a project yet)
5) Add some orange to your page. (orange tombow marker and orange striped washi tape)

Day 26:

Five on Friday, November 27, 2015

There are only two days left in the challenge, and I have four pages to create in order to catch up.  Can I do it?  I hope so.  I will definitely keep you posted, right here.

Thanks so much for visiting!  I appreciate you so much!

Day 25 of NaNoJouMo, and a Reminder about the Top 2000 Blog Party...

Hey there friends!  How's it going?  I finished one more page (not the three I was hoping for - ha - what was I thinking?).

Day 25:

Thankful Things in my Fauxbonichi

I spent a lovely day with family yesterday, and documented it in my fauxbonichi. The "Ten Things" list and the turkey drawing were both challenges for this week in the Fauxbonichi Journalers group.

I also want to mention that Marit's Top 2000 blog party is coming soon!  Click here to find out more about this super fun annual party, which celebrates the Top 2000 songs of all time, with a daily parade of artwork made by blog readers (that could be you!)

I'm going to sign off now, so I can get busy with some more pages!  I plan to be caught up by the last day of the challenge, which is only 3 days away - eek!

Thanks so much for visiting!

Day 24 of NaNoJouMo: Sometimes You just gotta take your time...

Hi friends!  Did you miss me yesterday?  I missed being able to post, but I was working on my weekly No Excuses/Memory Keeping Planner page, and it took a long time.  I could've hurried up and finished in time, but I was having so much fun, that I didn't want to do that.  So, now I'm behind, but I'm happy with my page!  Here it is...

Day 24:

Week 47 in my No Excuses Planner Journal...

I included lots of stuff on this week's spread!  The tangles are from the Fauxbonichi Journaler's Tangle Tuesday prompt; the word "procrastination," (on Tuesday's block - it's kinda hard to read cuz it looks like a decorative border) is from the Hand Lettering Tuesday prompt from the same group. I've got some stickers and die cuts from both The Planner Society and Cocoa Daisy kits; and some of the lettering I learned from Pinterest.  I loved playing with colors this week, and filling up all the little spaces with stuff. 

I am going to take Thursday to be with family as we celebrate Thanksgiving; so I will see you on Friday with three pages to share!

Thanks so much for visiting - I really appreciate the kind words of support you've been sharing in the comments!  Have a fabulous Thanksgiving (if you celebrate)!