Some of you may recall my last post for A Year in the Life of an Art Journal. It was THIS one. While I liked it enough, I wasn't really crazy about it. I find that I get a little OCD about deadlines or things I've committed to and I feel really crummy if I don't fulfill them. So, the 30th of the month rolled around (prompts are given on the 15th and the 30th of each month), but I was not feeling creative at all. I had already skipped the 15th because I had company for a couple weeks in a row and was really busy - I just couldn't think about skipping another one. So I did a page JUST to do it.Do you ever do that? It may be a layout in your album, a page in your journal, a project for something... My heart wasn't really in it.
THEN I came across this post on a favorite blog "Balzer Designs by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer" Wow! This is just the inspiration I needed. Obviously, my page looks a lot like hers, but I really wanted to follow the "formula" so that I wouldn't have to think about it too much. I did it step by step (wish I took pictures of the process), sometimes a little more than 10 minutes at a time, but once I was tired or distracted, I stopped and put it away.
I am so happy with how it turned out. I really feel like the PROCESS was the part that I have been missing lately. I used to always enjoy my art journaling. I need to not let these prompts control me - I might have to stop them and just check them out once in a while...I don't know. Anyway, thanks Julie! I had the best time working one layer at a time. I even discovered (at the end) some cool foam stamps I bought from Pebbles, Inc. a jillion years ago. Forgot all about them and then there they were (the alphabet stamps and the cool doily type design on the left and right corner - A whole set of cool stamps)! Looking forward to taking my time again and creating just for me. =)
Had to come back and add this updated picture. I kept staring at it and thought it needed something. The splatters. I forgot to do the black paint splatters. Now, like my little guy says, "That's better!"
i love seeing your journals. they're so beautiful
ReplyDeleteTotally awesome! Love that you're feeling inspired!
ReplyDeletelove the page. i work in a strathmore so i have the spiral in the middle also. rarely do double page spreads because of it. thanks for posting. Julie inspires many.
ReplyDeleteSher. this is SO cool. me and Vannah love it. you are such an artist. Erin
ReplyDeleteBeautiful page! How did you do the dots?
ReplyDelete@Paula... I used some punchanella and dabbed paint on top of it like a stencil. You can also get a similar effect by putting paint or ink on a piece of bubble wrap and "stamping" with the bubble wrap. =) Hope that made sense.
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