And one more (Life Documented)

June Week 3

I so liked the layout I did several weeks ago using blocks of colors that I did it again for this past week.  I doodled the frames in black and white and then added doodled scallops. 

I like the white space for a change!

This week was a quiet one and I was able to get together with a friend for shopping. She bought yards and yards of fabric and wants me to sew valances for her kitchen and breakfast room. 

I also bought fleece to make a tied blanket for my grandson, Drew, who is turning 5 next month. I had made one for his 2-year-old brother for his birthday and he keeps asking me where his is, so...  I used fabric with construction vehicles as he just loves anything construction-related. It turned out cute and I think he will love it!

Another week (Life Documented) and a tag

Another week finished in my planner. 

This was a quiet week - after several busy ones - and I used a few odds and ends for the right page. The flower "tip-in" is a scrap leftover from my play with  alcohol inks for the recent tag swap. On the back I added a vintage photo of my hometown, Stowe, which I'd picked up on my trip. The colorful tag at the top is a Dyan Reaveley sample from a stamp catalog. I just loved the colors and quote but don't have the stamps.

 For the calendar page on the left, I used Jane Davenport Mermaid Markers and the days are written on my handmade label stickers.

This weekend I received my tag from the swap. It's very large - 3.5" x 7.5" - and the "polished stone" alcohol ink strips are woven together. The Day of the Dead skull is die cut from silver paper and will be perfect to add to my book for my annual retreat in July which has a Mexican theme. Thanks Jan!

Life Documented 2017 - June Week 1

Here is the first ten days of June in my Traveler's Notebook planner. I used both pages to include the last 3 days of the preceding week.  The dividers and scallops are cut from some very old shaving cream marbled paper that I was about to throw away. The remainder is mostly stamps and images cut from brochures or magazines.

I am hosting a June tag swap using alcohol ink techniques.  We make one tag and swap with our partner. This is the one I sent off. 

I used glossy paper and dripped the alcohol inks all over instead of the usual punching with a felt blending tool. I also dripped alcohol in the middle of the puddles which made them fan out more and created some great texture. I doodled with black and white pen and then stamped the three words. The tag is mounted on a large black tag and machine-stitched. I'm looking forward to receiving mine.

Life Documented 2017 - Last week of May

Here is my spread for the last week of May. I can't believe the year is almost half over! 

Only four days of this week are in May, so I used large blocks of white space over the two pages for the days. It was a sad week with the death of a friend and I knew I would need larger areas for journaling.

I used pink and yellow "Mermaid Markers" for the background, leaving the white of the paper for the blocks. Then I doodled frames around each block, used numbers punched from an old calendar and stamped the days of the week. I stamped the little hearts on tissue paper and decoupaged that to the pages, along with various stickers and cutouts.

My Traveler's Notebook that I am working in is more than full and it's time to start a new one! Look at all that lovely chunkiness!  I think I will limit the next one to three months so pages won't be falling out like in this one. (I do love a stuffed, FAT journal though!)

Happy Memorial Day!

I hope everyone is enjoying the Memorial Day weekend while also remembering our brave soldiers and their families (past and present) who sacrifice so that we can enjoy our freedoms.

On Saturday we made a quick, one-day turnaround trip to Houston to spend the day with Bill's almost 92-year-old aunt. She broke her pelvis and is recuperating in a rehab facility. It was a relief to see her doing well. We were picked up at the airport by her granddaughter who we haven't seen in ten years, so that was a nice "extra."

This is last week's planner spread. I painted the background with acrylic paint and then used a baby wipe through a stencil to remove some of the paint, but it's hard to see and mostly covered up!

Sunday was the last day we were in Albuquerque with all the kids and we went to an art/interactive installation in Santa Fe called Meow Wolf. It's almost impossible to describe but is a combination of art, "haunted house," jungle gym etc. I cut up the brochure to make a tip-in at the top of the right page and then journaled about the experience in the remaining space. The flower in the lower left corner was stenciled onto the inside of a security envelope and then cut out and embellished with black doodles.

Life Documented 2017 - May, Week 3

We left on Wednesday night for Albuquerque in order to babysit the grand boys on Thursday. We were going in for the weekend anyway, as our son (who has moved to Hong Kong) was in country and wanted to see the boys and the rest of the family. Albuquerque was the easiest meeting point. It was a whirlwind weekend and we just returned late last night.

This is my planner spread for last week. I collaged a napkin on the left page and then lightly gessoed over it, as there was bleed-through from the previous page. On the right page I used watercolor for the background and then practiced sketching a face in Mindy Lacefield's style. She has a sketchy, cute, quirky style that I wanted to try.

This Traveler's Notebook insert is starting to fall apart as it contains almost five months' worth of pages. The right page was tearing away, so I added paper tape on the back and washi tape on the front to help reinforce it. At the end of May I will be transitioning into a new notebook.

Life Documented 2017 - May, Week 2

This is last week's spread. It was a quiet week - puttering around the house, going to doctors and trying to get well again!

I follow a talented Australian art journaler on YouTube (LittleRavenInk) and she posted a spread a few weeks ago using blocks of color and doodled borders. So that's what I tried for this week. I quite like it for a change! The background is left white with watercolored blocks (using my Jane Davenport "Mermaid Markers").  I also used several planning stickers from Reset Girl from my stash.

This notebook is getting quite chunky! I will be able to get through May but will have to make another for the next several months. 

Life Documented 2017 - May, Week 1

This is one of the first week spreads I've actually completed during the same week! Feels good to be in town for awhile, even though I've been sick with a horrible cold since I returned.

This is last week's spread. I used pink acrylic paint for the background, floral fabric washi tape for the dividers between days and the Art to the 5th date stamps.  It was a pretty quiet week, especially since I was sick and didn't feel like doing much.

For the right "artsy" spread, I used an old technique of making a colorful background and then drawing (I used a floral stencil) an image and filling in the background around the image with a solid, darker paint. I blended it out toward the bottom of the page and then stenciled with an irregular dot stencil to make the transition more fluid.  I love how this came out! You never know until you do it what will actually be revealed. And I like the final touch of white pen against the dark background.

Life Documented 2017 - Week 4, April

The last week of April I was back in town for a few days before heading out once again for Austin for birthday celebrations.  This is my weekly planner spread.  

I used acrylic paint for the background and old silver "stitching" border stickers for dividers. I added lots of ephemera from the week along with a photo of Mitchell on his birthday.

His photo is added with a washi tape hinge so that it opens out to reveal the information underneath.

Add caption

It feels good to now be working on the current week!

Life Documented - April Week 3

April 16 - 22

This was the week starting with Easter Sunday. We had gone to Albuquerque to be with our grand boys, Drew and Grant, for the weekend. I got sick with a stomach bug on Sunday which put me in bed for the day. We were supposed to fly home that night, but waited until Monday morning. Luckily, it was just a 24-hr bug!

On Tuesday I flew back to Austin to be with Kelly and her two boys. She had a follow-up appointment on Thursday with her doctor and got a good report. She can now drive and lift her 2-year old. 

The background for this spread is scraped yellow and orange acrylic paints. I added punched circles from scrapbook paper for the days of the week and strips of gelli-printed paper for the dividers.  On the right page I added pictures of all four boys from Easter along with a few journal cards and 

a die cut.

I am now caught up to the current week in my planner!

Life Documented 2017 - Planner pages update

Even though I've been gone much of April, I've tried to keep up with my planner pages.

The is April's monthly calendar.

April - Week One

Background is watercolored. I used my "altered address labels" for the days and my Art to the 5th date stamps.

April - Week Two

I used Distress Ink Oxide on the background, page flags for the days/dates and washi tape to separate the days. Since I was in both Austin and Albuquerque this week with all my grand boys, I had lots of photos to document with, so I dedicated the right page to that.

We ate dinner at the Japanese Steak Kitchen on Saturday night - a first for little Grant. The boys really enjoyed the experience but Grant was a bit afraid of the fire and noise! I used the restaurant's business card as a tip in to add the picture of him.

Life Documented 2017 - last of March

I'm playing catch-up for the past few weeks' planner spreads.

Week of March 19-25

I knew I would have lots of photos and memories for Saturday (Carl's birthday) so I delegated the entire right spread for that day. The background in watercolor and I used washi tape for the dividers between days. The days of the week and numbers are on a painted scrap deli paper. Most of the "stickers" on the right page are actually cut from the wrapping paper I used for his gifts.

Week of March 26-31

Since Saturday of this week was the first day of April, I did not include it in this spread and, instead, added it to next week's spread.  The background is blocks of blue and pink acrylic paint. I used very old white rub ons for the day dividers and days of the week. I added a flower stamp used with white acrylic paint on the right page along with some alpha stamps and a few stickers. I like being able to add photos to these pages to document important memories.

Life Documented 2017 - March 12-18

 I was out of town all weekend with girlfriends for a mini-art-retreat. It's always fun getting together and creating with friends!

So I had to play catch-up to get last week's spread done.

I used mainly watercolors, washi tape, stickers and a stencil with acrylic paint on these pages.

Life Documented 2017 - March 5-11

This is last week's spread in my planner.  I added two "tip-ins" - one for an order that arrived on Wed. and a ticket stub from the Ft. Worth Symphony on Sat. They flip to reveal the remainder of those days' postings.

For the right page I did a "zetti-type" collage - it's kinda funky but it's something different 

and I like it.

I'm getting ready to go out of town for a girls' art weekend. Three of us are meeting at another friend's house near Waco and spending the days eating, crafting, talking and just enjoying each other's company. 

Home Again and Planner Update

We returned from Mexico late Saturday night. This is the fourth trip we've made to Los Algodones which is just across the border from Yuma, AZ. I would call it the dental capital of the world - a tiny border town with over 300 dentists! It is completely safe - if it wasn't, everyone would go out of business and the town would cease to exist! It is invaded by mostly Canadians, snowbirds and Americans for inexpensive (compared to the states) dental care.

In the past I've had an "All-On-4" implant procedure that involved four implants on the top of my mouth with a permanent "denture" over that. It was very successful, except one of the teeth broke off in the back (warranted) so we went back to have that replaced. I also had a loose bridge I thought would just need glueing. Surprise - when they took x-rays, they discovered infection and tooth deterioration under the bridge, so the net of it was I had 2 extractions, infection removal, 3 implants and a bone graft. Ouch (more financial than physical)! After 8 months' healing time, we will go back for the permanent crowns.

So, I have not been very artsy this past week! And not feeling up to much this week either.  Working on some upcoming swaps and have updated my planner for the past two weeks.

Feb. 26-28

I used the "reduction stenciling" technique for the background of this spread. I painted with pink and yellow Distress Paints and, while it was still wet, wiped through a stencil with a baby wipe to remove some of the color. The borders between the days are border-punched paper strips and the days of the week are handmade stickers (I'll do a post on those later). On the right page I added a tag which was made with strips of washi tape, watercolors, and stamped butterflies. The largest one is dimensional: I stamped on a scrap of clear packaging with permanent ink, painted the back to add color and then heated and manipulated to give it form.

March Monthly Calendar

March 1-4

I scraped blue and light green paints on the background and used new Jane Davenport washi tape to divide the days. I used both pages for the spread since we were in Mexico and there were lots of appointments to document.  I embellished with lots of stickers and images cut from brochures. 

Now to get back on schedule!

Life Documented 2017 - February

As you read this, I will be in Mexico having some dental work done. I scheduled this to post while I'm gone as I'm not sure what connectivity I'll have there.

I've caught up on the last few weeks of February in my "planner."

Feb. 12-18

For this week I used the entire spread for the calendar portion as we were going to be in Austin visiting and babysitting the grand boys and I knew there would be more to document.

Feb.. 19-25

And this calendar is back to one page as it was a pretty boring week! For the other page I made a watercolor background and added some scraps of gelli printed deli papers. The focal image is from a magazine that I've saved for a long time. I did a packing tape transfer to add it to the page. I journaled a bit with white pen. Simple, but I like it.

Life Documented 2017 - First two weeks of Feb.

February Monthly Calendar Page

This is my monthly calendar for February, using watercolors, washi tapes and a felt heart sticker. The dates are written on punched card stock hearts.

First Week - days 1-4

For this spread I used watercolors on the backgrounds. On the left page I used days-of-the-week stickers and stamped dates, some washi tape and photos printed on my new Polaroid Zip Mobile Printer (love that for journaling!). The right page has a flower and butterfly cut from napkins and decoupaged on. The girl with balloons is a favorite of mine - cut from a notepad from the $1 Spot at Target.

Second Week

The backgrounds on this spread were done in acrylic paints. I also used some stencils. The dividers between the days are made with a new thin washi tape (Jane Davenport Mixed Media line). I stamped the days and numbers. For the right page I collaged bits of an artist paper download, added the blue circles with paint on my fingertips and then enhanced everything with white and black pen doodling.

January finished

Happy February!

I finished the last of January's calendar yesterday. I used acrylic paints for the background of both pages and stenciled white flowers randomly. The white numbers for the dates are VERY old rub-ons - think they might have been Making Memories and must be from my very early days of paper crafting! The black tag on the right page is one I did from a recent video of Roben-Marie Smith. The black "x's" are hand-stitched and then I machine-stitched around the perimeter of the tag. What to do with it once it was completed? Put it in my journal of course!

Life Documented - January Week 4

We were in Albuquerque over this past weekend for our grandson, Grant's second birthday. It also was our daughter, Dana's birthday the day before, so it was a party weekend! My other daughter, Kelly, came from Austin with her two boys so it was great to have all the grands there together. Got back late last night and slept in today for much-needed rest!

Birthday boy (he's obsessed with trains)

Drew and Carl playing Pie in the Face
(note, no whipped cream but they still had fun)

The lollipop kids
(only way to keep them still long enough for a photo!)

Today I worked on finishing up my calendar for last week.  I used a printout for the days of the week and used the full spread instead of just one page since I knew there would be a lot happening to fill in.

Busy week

It's been a busy, productive week! I am officially up-to-date on my four grand boys' scrapbooks, having finished the last of the fifteen Christmas pages last night! But wait, there's a second birthday coming up next week so I will have more to do soon.

Above is a photo of this past week's calendar page and journal page. I have been swept up in the tide of "gotta-have-it" Jane Davenport art supplies (if interested, check out www.janedavenport.com) that just debuted in Michael's stores this month. I purchased her "Mermaid Markers" (liquid watercolors in brush form), a few stamps, and acrylic paints.  I tested out the "markers" on these pages.

For the calendar I just created washes of color for each day, separating with strips of washi tape. On the right page, I scribbled some color and stamped two faces. Then I added more color in the faces and for hair. I had fun playing with these and have discovered I need lots of practice! But it is nice to have a stamp to start off the face!

It's been awhile since I've been excited about any new supplies so I'm really enjoying this release. I've admired Jane's work for a long time and am so happy that she has her own products.

Creativation (formerly CHA - Craft and Hobby Assoc.) is being held in Phoenix this weekend where art and craft companies will be releasing all their new products. I can't wait to see what's on the horizon!