Journal 52, Week 50: Add a dinosaur

For Week 50 at Journal 52, we were given the prompt to add a dinosaur.  Now we didn't actually have to dig through our stash or stamps for dinosaurs, but we were, according to Chelle, asked to:

think of a time when having a sense of humor was important, or something that really makes you laugh

She showed a fun photo of a toy dino eating a broken gingerbread house, with the quote “If your gingerbread house fails, add a dinosaur.”

Had I not just had a rather humorless situation happen on Tuesday that I ended up laughing about, this entire entry would look a whole lot different. 

Today I give you my interpretation of this prompt.

It reads "When something falls apart, put your own stamp on it!"  Note the "50" in the top image that shows the week number.

Now some might think this is a cop-out, but I'm once again joining Moo-Mania and More again because their theme this fortnight is "Favorite Stamps or Images."  And who doesn't like a stamp that looks like a Drummer Boy Nutcracker?

I also believe this page has a bit of collage on it, as well as journaling.  That is Valerie, our host's requirement at Art Journal Journey this month.

It seems I've included everything from a Voodoo doll to a Geisha girl.

I'm not sure Father Flanagan would approve of the jester's hat that came with this image, though.

The final doll shares a bit of history with our country, in that George Washington's face was used to hold up the image of the Liberty Bell (the very first "forever" stamp issued in the U.S.).

For this page, I painted my substrate, which is a used file folder, with various acrylics.  I used art doll bodies from an old Somerset Magazine, and postage stamp heads from my stash.  Some artists call these "Postage People," and have turned it into an art form.  I penned the words using a Micron pen.

I'm joining both Art Journal Journey and Moo-Mania and More, along with Journal 52.  I hate to admit this, but I'm really looking forward to putting Journal 52 to rest.  As much as I love the fact I didn't have to purchase anything, and the lovely host never tried to get me to buy products I would never use, I'm still ready for this challenge to be over.  I have to admit, two years has been long enough, especially when I didn't realize it was all about JOURNAL prompts when I decided to join in January, 2014.

As always, I appreciate your support of my art, and your lovely comments and visits, even if they happen to be silent.  And don't forget to visit these other challenges, where the art is simply stunning!

Journal 52, Week 49: The Gift of Self Care

Chelle's 49th prompt for Journal 52 is the gift of self care.  She offered these prompts:

• Eat healthy delicious foods you enjoy.
• Make light exercise a part of your daily routine, such as walking or cycling.
• Spend time with positive people who bring out the best in you and make you feel good.
• Listen to mood-boosting music.
• Make your own “sacred spot” for relaxing or practicing something you enjoy.
• Relax with a warm cup of tea.
• Keep flowers, plants, or tend to a garden.
• Take breaks as needed.
• Use aromatherapy – choose soothing scents and smells to relax you.
• Write down/Sketch any thoughts or emotions in your journal.
• Spend time with animals or pets.
• Take a long bath or shower.

I decided to give myself many gifts that would go under and on my Christmas tree.  Each gift was wrapped with a bow, although they are hard to see since there are so many gifts I've given myself this year.

It stands to reason, I would give myself lots of fruits and veggies, since I'm a vegetarian.

I'll also give myself a deep tissue massage, which I'm sure my shoulder will appreciate.  And I'll have lots of dreams of what I'll accomplish in 2016.  Please don't laugh at my bows.  I don't make them any better in real life, either!

The love of my life!  I can't forget my adorable Bleubeard, although I'm getting pretty cozy with Squiggles, too.

I always appreciate the gift of music, so why not give it to myself.  Gosh, it looks like that candy bar wrapper has chocolate on the outside, but it's just the way it scanned.  I actually created it before anything else, thinking it would be a humorous gift as part of a collage for Art Journal Journey hosted this month by Valerie.  Added to the candy wrapper is the safety seal from my Asian hot sauce.  Everything is eligible for collage fodder at my house.

This isn't so much a gift as it is a requirement, although the cappuccino and Biscotti are a rarer treat.  Actually, that looks more like a latte, but as long as it has caffeine, I'll never complain.

I'm also giving myself a book to read by the pool, which sounds really good now that winter has reared its ugly head.  The trunk of the tree shows the week number, which I didn't forget this week.    Above the trunk is a lovely decorated dish of fruit and veggie wrap.  Similar to real estate location, appearance in food is everything, too.  So I'm giving myself the gift of great presentation.   Finally, I'm giving myself permission to make messes with paint.

Now that you've seen all my self care gifts, I'll explain that the journal entry was created using a used file folder as the substrate, over which I painted lavender acrylic paint.  When it was dry, I added my Christmas tree, then various magazine images, a candy wrapper, and safety seal.  They were outlined in silver ink or green ink.  I used a black pen to make the tree trunk.

Thanks for looking and even though this was intended for this week's Journal 52 entry, I'm also entering it in Art Journal Journey's December collage challenge.  As always, I appreciate your continued support of my art.

Journal 52, Week 48: Grid Inspired

For Week 48 of Journal 52, Chelle asked us to create grids.

Although these are grid inspired leaves, I'm actually calling this "Homage to Susi."  All month I've watched as Susi made some incredible leaves to go with her art.  I wanted to try, but I wasn't sure I could pull it off.

I began by laying down layer after layer of paint.  I started with Payne's gray, then blue, then beige, then maroon.  By alternating light with dark, I hoped to get some depth.    Then I sectioned off the areas and painted grids in various autumn inspired colors.  For that reason, I'm joining Art Journal Journey, where Susi is this month's host.

For the leaves, I painted an old telephone book page with the same colors I used for the grid. 

As the leaves got closer to the bottom of the grid, the green outline colors changed from light to dark.

I nearly forgot the week number again, so made sure I used one of the ink pens to show the week.  And because I used several layers of paint on the substrate and the leaves, I'm also entering this in Moo-Mania and More's Lots of Layers challenge.

One final look shows my substrate was a used file folder that I painted several layers of acrylics, then I added the grid pattern.  The leaves were made from a telephone book page, acrylic paint, and various green markers.

Some of you requested that I show my decorations I put out on Friday.

This is a sneak peek

showing a few of the trees I used this year.  I usually put my regular decorations away, but this year, I only put four things away.  I was just not in the spirit to pack everything away, then get it back out the day after Christmas.  Maybe it was because of AEDM, or maybe I'm still not fully recovered from my wrist problem (although my shoulder is no longer hurting), but I really abbreviated my decorating this year.

From my living room window, you can see the tree that sits on the desk outside.

Although I took all these photos one right after the other, I was surprised how the lighting changed depending on where I stood.  Although it looks like my ceiling is dirty, that is truly just the lighting (or lack thereof).

All photos were taken without an overhead light in any of the rooms.  The only lights you see are the tiny night lights that sit all over the house.  I'll share close-ups of these and other rooms the first part of December.

Don't forget to visit Moo-Mania and More, where their challenge is Lots of Layers, and Art Journal Journey, whose theme for November is Inspired by Autumn Colors.  Of course, this post is also meant for Week 48 of Journal 52 and Day 29 of Art Every Day Month, or AEDM.

As always, I am very grateful for your kind remarks and wonderful insight into my art.  That and my loyal readers are two of the reasons I blog.

Journal 52, Week 47: Architecture

Didn't we just have a similar prompt from Journal 52?  This week, the prompt is Architecture.  I was very worried that I wouldn't be able to see the prompts because of the new Art Journal site, but Chelle assured us the prompts would still be on Journal 52 through the end of the year.  So I will be able to end this two year journey on a high note.

This is a mishmash of sewn houses that I am not just sharing with Journal 52, but also Art Journal Journey hosted this month by Susi, with their autumn inspired colors,

as well as Moo-Mania and More's Lots of Layers fortnightly challenge.

One good thing is, you know what week number it is, since I didn't forget this week!

When I realized I had made too many houses, I decided to add them in wonky positions, rather than lined up in a row as I had intended.  I think it adds to the disheveled look of the sewing and of the neighborhood, too.

Although originally not intended to have such an abstract design, I rather like the way it turned out. 

Obviously, it looks nothing like I originally intended it when I designed it in my head.

My substrate of choice was a used file folder I spritzed with several colors of my handmade shimmering mists, although I managed to cover most of the background, anyway.  All houses were made using paint chip samples sewed together.  Other materials were three washi tapes, sewing thread, and a silk flower petal.

For Day 21 of Art Every Day Month or AEDM, I'm also joining Journal 52, Moo-Mania and More, and Art Journal Journey.  Please click on their links or the ones on my right sidebar to be taken to simply incredible art and artists.  

BTW, in a previous life, I was a Mechanical Engineer, not a structural or architectural engineer.  That could explain why my architectural buildings are so wonky!  As always, I appreciate your visit more than you will ever know.

Journal 52, Week 46: Color Me (along with AJJ and MM&M) Crazy

I'd like to begin by saying my heart goes out to the people of Paris, France tonight.  These vicious attacks that killed at least 150 innocent people are horrendous and unforgivable. Let's also keep those who have lost loved ones, family, and friends to these attackers in our thoughts.

At Journal 52 Chelle had some exciting news for Week 46. It is a new Art Journalist community where we can join and upload our art.  I have decided I won't join, because this will be the final year I play.  I took a look around and it looked overwhelming already.  I'll finish the year, then say good bye to this fun experience I had for two years, especially since I'm not a much of a journaler. 

But let's get to this week's prompt which is "Color Me Crazy."  According to Chelle:

for this week’s prompt, break out all of your favorite colors to make a page in your journal that is bright and bold!

Along with Journal 52, or Art Journalist,

I'm also joining Moo-Mania and More with a crown, as well as Art Journal Journey where I'm honoring their autumn theme.

I began by spritzing some of my handmade shimmering mists to the background.  While I was spritzing, I did the same to a strip of card stock, then wrote the title, which is Autumn's Crowning Glory.

I got a bit of the spritzed mists on the leaves,

and saturated the once neon yellow crown with autumn inspired colors.


One final look at this entry shows I once again forgot the week number before I scanned this piece that started with my used file folder.  I added silk leaves, handmade shimmering mists, my title using a brown Micron pen, and a felt crown.

Don't forget to visit Art Journal Journey to be inspired by their autumn theme, and Moo-Mania and More, whose theme is a crown.  And we can't forget Journal 52 or whatever name it will go by in the future.

It goes without saying this is Day 14 of Art Every Day month or AEDM and I created a page for Journal 52, and included Art Journal Journey's and Moo-Mania and More's challenges, too.

Thank you as always for visiting.  It means the world to me.

Journal 52, Week 45: Child's Play

For Week 45 of the hugely popular Journal 52, hosted by Chelle, we were supposed to, in Chelle's words:

. . . think of what it’s like to be a kid again – full of imagination, ideas, and creativity and dreams for the impossible!

It was with that thought in mind

that I created "My Play Day."  This entire page was created in my imagination and the images I found in my stockpile. 

My internet friend Helen asked me to use some of my background paper I created as the first stage of a masterboard (seen here in case you missed it on Day 6 of AEDM), and although I already had plans for most of the pages, I obliged and cut a few ends in order to write my "journaling" words. Unfortunately, I cut too much off two of the pages, so had to make more today, too. Thankfully, they are fun to make now that I know how to do it.

This is Bethany, my play day friend who has come to visit.

Bethany and I drew pictures and rode on my rocking horse.  It wouldn't be MY play day real OR imagined without a rocking horse!
 
Of course, we had to play outside in the snow, where we built a snowman.  The snowman then showed us how to make snow angels.  He was a real angel himself!

It was time to head back inside before we got too cold.  Of course, in order to warm up, we made a pot of strong tea and drank it while we discussed what a fun day we'd had.

One final look at My Play Day where I began with a painted used file folder, then added three bits from the background I created on Day 6 of AEDM.  To that I added four magazine images taken from various places, and a Christmas card from my stash.  I hope you can read my handwriting, because it's gotten even worse harder to read since I hurt my wrist.

As always, I greatly appreciate your continued support of my art endeavors during this month of November. Today is Day 9 of Art Every Day Month, or AEDM and I created an imaginary Play Day with a friend for Week 45 of Journal 52.  Unfortunately, Journal 52's linky has gone walk about, so this and AEDM are the only places you will see this entry that I forgot to mark with the week number until after I scanned it.