This week my art journaling motivation came from the most unexpected of places. So, I've been binge watching One Tree Hill (hush now, we all have our guilty pleasures!) and through the predominantly banal dialogue came a rock star quote that just spoke to me: "The darkness holds no answers." Whew. Depth in unexpected waters, huh? I knew immediately it was a journal-worthy quote.
How often during difficult times do we turn toward the darkness? I'll go out on a limb and say pretty darn often. Perhaps the darkness holds comfort or the guile of a panacea; but rest assured, the answers do not lie within. This piece is a reminder to me that the light is the only true path toward my personal truths.
While this piece is a pretty heavy topic, I actually felt quite light during its creation; catharsis is one of the things I adore about art journaling. I relied a lot on a fun and bright color palette and a ton of blending goodness. And what's that super cool font I used for the quote? Why, it's not a font at all! Want to learn how to turn your own pen-and-paper hand lettering work into a digital masterpiece? Stay tuned next week for a tutorial by yours truly!
As always, thanks for stopping by. We love your feedback, so feel free to post a comment and let us know what's on your mind.
Hello, Katrina Rollings here to share with you my monthly cut and paste, mixed media journal page. This month I have chosen to work with this April's grab bag (see below for product images), there were just so many elements in it I loved.
I will be working in my journal which is a square journal that measures 7.5 inches but you can adapt this page to which ever size journal you work with.
So to begin with I chose the elements I wanted to include in my page from the grab bag kit and re- sized them in my photo editing software to the size I wanted and then printed them out.
I then started on the background. I wanted some of the elements, as you can see in the photo, to become part of the background. So I cut them out and glued them onto my page.
I then added colour over the top of the collaged elements first using watercolour and then drying the page off with my heat gun.
I added some pearl paints through stencils. Both are hand cut, the echo shape is cut with my Silhouette CAMEO® by dragging and dropping the image into the Silhouette CAMEO® software and adding a cut line.
I also added some smudges and marks, the paint comes in the little nail varnish style jar with a little brush inside, with the pearly paint to highlight the images in the background.
To make the wavy lines to stand out more I outlined them using a gel pen. I also outlined other images in the background.
Then added some clouds and outlined them using my crayons.
Then I added my main collage pieces to the page.
The stars are outlined with silver crayon and have a glitter layer applied. Then outlined with a china glass pencil.
The boat and fish I also outlined with crayon and the fish also has a glittery layer to make his scales come to life.
The quote was printed onto a wonderful product called Safmat™. It is a clear sticky film you can print onto and will stick onto just about anything. It was then added to my page to finish it off.
Well there you have it, my journal page for this month. I hoped you enjoyed my walk through and will give some of my ideas a go in your journal. Until next month, enjoy your journal!
Don’t forget Monthly Grab Bags are only available for a limited time once a month and priced on a sliding scale. Act fast for the best deal. For more information visit TB&CO Grab Bags.
Greetings and Salutations artsy peeps! It’s time to take a look at this week’s gallery goodness found at Tangie Baxter & CO’sArt Journal Emporium.
Our first gem of the week is by Karon. Lovely colors and delightful little gals. The quote sparked with me as it’s has been a wild - crazy work week.
Credits ~ Art Journal Caravan Itinerary 15, Quote is by Philip K. Dick; Collections: Tinted Fragments and Resonate by Tangie Baxter; Hattie by Rebecca McMeen; Font: OldNewspaperType
Our next bit of goodness is by Bill. I love how the guitars are tucked into the cacti and the sound of music floating thru the night sky.
Credits ~Art Journal Caravan Itinerary No. 13., Resonate by Tangie Baxter and Sound of Music by Mzimm.
Jeanet’s quirky page and quote just made me smile really big!
A big Thank You to you Karon, Bill and Jeanet for sharing such wonderful art with all of us.
The Monthly Grab Bags are only available for a limited time once a month and priced on a sliding scale. Act fast for the best deal. For more information visit TB&CO Grab Bags.
Thanks so much for joining me for this week’s highlights…See you next time…
"This page is for Itinerary No. 6 of the Art Journal Caravan workshop that is hosted inside The Art Journal Emporium. Using a certain amount of circles, lines and scribbles was one of the prompts. I've been making art journal pages to go inside my Happy Planner."
Tangie Baxter & CO’sArt Journal Caravanis back for 2016 and we’d love for you to join us on the adventure!
Over the years we've been fortunate to have Julie Ann Shahin share some wonderful art journaling series with the TB&CO readers. We will be re-posting some of them here on this blog. Please note these may be altered from the original posts to update links, provide information on newer programs, etc. Welcome to Flashback Fridays! Enjoy!
Art Journaling 101: Why Art Journal?
by Julie Ann Shahin
You may have heard of Art Journaling and have wondered “what is all the fuss? Why should I Art Journal? What will I get out of keeping an Art Journal? I’m already a ( ____”insert noun here such: as scrapbooker or a card-maker or an artist or a photographer___), why should I try this as well?” Let me give you 3 reasons to Art Journal.
“Creativity often consists of merely turning up what is already there. Did you know that right and left shoes were thought up only a little more than a century ago?”
-Bernice Fitz-Gibbon
2011 Art Journal Caravan Itinerary #20: Understand by Julie Ann Shahin
1. ART JOURNAL TO EXERCISE YOUR CREATIVE MUSCLES
I believe anyone who wants to exercise their creativity muscles can benefit from keeping an art journal. Just like any other muscle, if you don’t use it often, it will get weak. If you don’t have time to work on your normal project, you can whip up a quick art journal page just for the fun of it to keep your creative juices flowing.
If you have been scared to try a new technique, an art journal is the place to do it.
2011 Art Journal Caravan Itinerary: Reinforce by Jo aka Spunmonkey
Where a scrapbook or a card may have a certain style to it, an art journal can get as messy and as ugly as need be as you explore in it. This is the place to experiment if there is no other place. One such resource for encouraging you to try new things is the book Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith.
If you are interested in learning new techniques in both digital and hands-on art journaling via online video instruction by Tangie herself, you will be treated to such delights by joining the Art Journal Caravan. Also, you can watch Tangie on YouTube here .
2. ART JOURNAL TO GIVE YOURSELF A VOICE
Some people like to write in their art journals as a diary and add illustrations to it. Some like to use their art journal for their favorite affirmations or quotations. Some like to use their art journal for cathartic emotional healing.
2011 Art Journal Caravan: Itinerary - Paused by JoAnn aka joannknnrd
Often it is helpful to find creative prompts that will jump-start your journaling in this process. Whether you google art journaling prompts or decide to join and use the Art Journal Caravan Itinerary Prompts that are part of the weekly deliveries.
3. ART JOURNAL TO PLAY
If I haven’t convinced you so far, then perhaps just the sheer joy of “PLAY!” is a good reason to crack open an art journal, and just have at it.
Do you have scheduled “Me” time?
Is your scrapbooking or other craft-time really “Me” time or are you doing it for others, are the pages about you or about the ones you love? Is it really “PLAY”?
When was the last time you totally lost track of time in free play?
2011 Art Journal Caravan Itinerary: Travel by Jo aka spunmonkey
Art journaling gives you PERMISSION TO PLAY! Yes, we, as adults, have a need to play just as much as children do in the goal of living a balanced life. “Grown ups forget to play. But play, it turns out, is just as important for adults as it is for children. Adults spend too little time at play according to research, and would benefit greatly from spending more time at it.” (Source: Dr. Tian Dayton)
2011 Art Journal Caravan Itinerary #2: Thrive by Julie Ann Shahin
Play gives you a chance to have a break from your everyday “role” as a businessperson, Mommy, Daddy, etc., and have a chance to take on a different role – here for example, as an artist. Plus you get to experience such positive feelings as:
Involvement
Complete focus and concentration, either due to innate curiosity or as the result of training.
Delight
A sense of bliss and positive detachment from everyday reality.
Clarity
Great inner clarity and a built-in understanding about the state of affairs.
Confidence
An innate sense that the activity is doable and that your skills are adequate to the task. Additionally, you don’t feel anxious or bored.
Serenity
A sense of peace and an absence of worries about self.
Timeliness
Thorough focus on the present and a lack of attention to the passing of time.
Motivation
Intrinsic understanding about what needs to be done and a desire to keep the moment of play moving.
Art journaling gives you a chance to practice new techniques, speak your mind, and just have fun. If this sounds like something you would like to start now, you can join us at the Art Journal Caravan.
We hope you enjoyed our first Flashback Friday post.
Tangie Baxter & CO’sArt Journal Caravanis back for 2016 and we’d love for you to join us on the adventure!
You can also find previous years as self-study workshopshere.
Oh boy, what a week! I've been so caught up in the hustle and bustle of my day job and my personal life lately. I could just hear my creativity crying out for some TLC. So, when I had the opportunity to stretch my imagination and explore some exciting new off-the-page art projects, I jumped at the chance!
The result? I am ecstatic to present my latest labor of love... these super cute mixed media tchotchkes:
The project was super of fun to put together, and surprisingly simple to pull off using just a few pieces I had around the house.
As usual, I started my project by picking the kit I wanted to use. I chose Autumn's Poetry for several reasons, but mostly because I love, love the birds it features!
I picked through some awesome old spools my mother collected for me while I was overseas, as well as my massive (ever growing) button stockpile to find a few gems suited for the project.
Next, I scrounged my work space for some eye-popping ephemera. This time I decided on a little washi tape and jute twine, but you could just as easily use whatever's lying around your office.
Lastly, I printed the elements from the kit, cut them out, and positioned everything together with some adhesive dots. I got lucky with the scale this time around, but it may take a little trial and error deciding on what size to print.
I think these fabulous little tchotchkes would make a great gift, and the best part is each one is so fun and unique. There are so many directions you can take this project depending on your style, what kits you use, and what ephemera you are partial to. The possibilities are endless!
What off-the-page projects have sparked your curiosity this week? Drop a line in the comments, we'd love to hear about your latest adventures with mixed media art!
Our challenge themes this month fit very nicely together - Watercolors and Music.
Ann took both of this month’s free sheets and combined them into one Art Journal Pocket sheet. She cut the Music sheet apart, then glued it onto the Watercolor sheet. The results are stunning.
For the watercolor challenge, Pam used the background from Tangie's June Paper Play 3. She embellished the page with goodies of splatters and word art from Call of the Gypsies, Shine: You Are Divine, Sweet Harmony and washi tape from the 2016 Caravan January Planner (part of the goodies in the Art Journal Emporium). Another beautiful Art Journal Pocket.
Good day artsy friends! It’s time to share with you this week’s sparkling collection of Tangie Baxter & CO’s Art Journal Emporium Gallery Gems. Each of these beauties wonderfully embodies the Art Journal Caravan Itinerary No. 13 word of the week - Music. Enjoy!
First we have a fun and frolicky piece entitled Dance (No One Is Watching) by sbpoet. Sure to make you want to get up and shake your groove thing, this gem was created for the AJC Itinerary No. 13 - Resonate.
Credits: All goods from Tangie Baxter & CO excepting the musical notes from A Fish Designs.
Next we have a simply charming and serene page created by Rese Davis, also for AJC Itinerary No. 13. The inviting colors and alluring depth fit just perfectly in her wonderful world.
Credits: TB & CO’s April Grab Bag now available as swparate kits, Tangie Baxter's Resonate; Rebecca McMeen's Hattie.
And finally, we have this fanciful and imaginative piece from Marilyn Curttright. Marilyn’s take on AJC Itinerary No. 13’s word of the week - Music - is a treat for the eyes as well as the soul.
That’s it for today! Thank you so much to sbpoet, Rese Davis and Marilyn Curttright for sharing the fruits of their labors with us!
Tangie Baxter & CO’s Art Journal Caravan is back for 2016 and we’d love for you to join us on the adventure!
Don’t forget the Monthly Grab Bags are only available for a limited time once a month and priced on a sliding scale. Act fast for the best deal. For more information visit TB&CO Grab Bags.
Thanks for allowing me to share this week’s highlights with you... Now sit down, whistle a happy tune and create some Gems of your own! See you next time...
Q: Have you ever been so frustrated creating ATCs or Pocket Letters and everything is all the wrong size?
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Tangie’s part of the grab bag is rich with desert images, echo symbols and Klee Cuts (google artist Paul Klee). Rebecca gives us Hattie, a cheeky redhead art doll along with dazzling watercolor elements and papers. The pieces of this collection can be used in both digital and mixed media formats.
Following are some examples of the creative things you can do with the bits and pieces included in the TB&CO Grab Bag #20 {April 2016}. BTW I only used bits and pieces from this month’s grab bag.
I hope you enjoy these examples and are inspired to acquire the monthly Grab Bag to design your own unique art.
BTW - over in the Art Journal Emporium, you can participate in monthly challenges. There are two winners every month. Just upload your digital or mixed-media entry by the end of the month.
