Handmade Journal - Guerrilla Style

This was inspired by Dawn at http://on-the-banks-of-bay-creek.blogspot.com/ check out her flicker site as well. There you will find the pics of her visual journal volume 10. I loved looking at that journal she made (as well as her other art). Dawn referenced Mary Ann Moss http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341bf79853ef011571f2345a970b And I found that Dispatch From LA is a great place to wander around! She gives classes on her techniques. I just found her so haven't taken any classes yet.

This one went together so fast for me. So maybe next time I will remember to take pics along the way!

For a base I used the "fabric" that I made ironing those pesky plastic grocery bags together. I learned how to do this on Threadbangers on YouTube. I started by gathering some papers I had in my stash & on my art table. That determined the size. I sewed paper towels to the inside of the front & back. Then I sewed the denim strip on the outside spine. (from my 15 yr old jeans that just got to thin to wear) Then the next black strip is from one of my husbands ties. The white is the plastic. I added ribbons to it. Took it outside and spray painted with a couple of stencils & then flipped over the stencils to use all of the paint!

The next step was to sew in 2 signatures of my papers. Folded each paper really well, assembled about 6 pages each & sewed them down the middle using a straight stitch.

This is my kind of sewing - guerrilla sewing (to quote Mary Ann Moss). Next time I will neaten up the edges. Oh and I added a pipe cleaner to the front edge to help keep it straight.

This is becoming a visual journal of sorts. I have added stickers off of fruit, tags off of a backpack for my grandson, labels off of a shirt. And I used Sarah Whitmires technique of claiming my journal on the first page. I am not questioning myself . I find a picture or anything else that catches my eye and glue, staple & stick it on the pages.

Art Journaling

These pages are in my journal-altered book for The Decorated Page (by Gwen Diehn) workshop over at the

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArtistsOfTheRoundTable/

The first is just a silly doodle page. It started with pouring acrylic paint on one page and smooching the book closed. I guess this is a little like cloud watching.

The next 2 are inspired by the 4th of July (bet ya couldn't guess that). The flag is a folded flap & I have written about the fun I had on the 4th on the back of it. It also is a sort of experiment with black paint and working with a dark background. The page on the left is painted with artist grade acrylic - has sort of a satin look & feel to it. The page on the right is cheap craft acrylic - matte & has a chalky feel to it. I used watercolor crayons to draw on it. Next time I want to experiment with what pens/paints will write on the black background. Do you have any suggestions?