{ Journal/Classes } Art Journaling All Year

Photo/Class:  Red Velvet

I am really excited to take this class done by Elsie and Rachel over at Red Velvet.  Its only $30 and has 52 different prompts for ideas for your art journal for the whole year (or 52 days in a row if you are so inclined).

This course offers 52 art journaling sessions, giving you a weekly challenge for an entire year! Each session includes: a journaling challenge, encouraging you to write and stretch your journaling skills; as well as an art challenge, pushing you out of your comfort zone and helping you create beautiful pages you can cherish and be proud of.

For the past three years, I have been using EcoSystem Artist Notebooks for my art journals/idea books.  I was originally attracted by the bright turquoise color of the almost 8 x 10 book (they have a lot of fun, bright colors), and as an added bonus, they are 100% recycled.  They also have a code inside the book that you can register and if you were to loose it, then person finding it could go to the site, plug in the number, and find you. Its soft bound with a flexi-cover and lends well to over-stuffing the pages with clippings, art, etc.

They used to sell them at Barnes and Noble, but this year I ended up purchasing mine online at Amazon.  Here’s a few iPhone pix of years 2010, 2011, 2012 (the flat one that I haven’t started.)

I am not much of a journaler, so most of my pages are magazine clippings and art from various sources, mixed in with movie tickets.  I cut out snippets from magazine articles that i like, recipes, etc.   To do list for parties and home decor projects that I am working on often make it in. I love to garden, so different things I find on cool seeds, flowers and plants are also tossed in there.

Sketch of the tables for graduation party along with the prices, then below is a picture from the actual event.

Mostly the journal holds on the inspiration I find in print media and scraps from daily life.  I am looking forward to taking the class above though to help me think outside of the box and add even more creative things to it.

{ Journals }

I was so excited to finally finish one of the Blurb books I have been working on for years this past week.  I started this book with the Blurb software back in 2008 (this book includes the end of 2008 and all of 2009). I use the BookSmart software on my iMac, but they also have an online software, Bookify, you can use.

Over each year, I simply pull in photos, clippings, and journal into the program a little at a time, as I take photos, or go to concerts, or come across newspaper articles I want to scan.   They have all different sizes and prices levels and one of my favorite things is that they don’t have you pay by page, but by groups of pages. For instance 81 -120 pages is the same price, so you might as well throw a few more pages in if you are past 81, but it won’t cost you anymore.

In the 90′s and early 2000s, I was an avid scrapbooker, paper and digital, so I also add pages I have made in photoshop using digital supplies I purchase online.   The front cover of this book was done with digital supplies from two designers on O’Scraps – Paislee Press and Three Paper Peonies.

I will do some more posts coming soon about this whole process.

You can also design your back cover.  On mine I used a quote.  Doesn’t the woodgrain look amazing! I was so impressed by how all the digital supplies looked in these books.

{ Journals } Blurb + Instragam = Amazing books

photo:  Elsie Larson

I am a huge fan of Blurb for making my photo albums.  Their software is so easy to use and manipulate any way you like.  You can add your own context and photos, or you can even slurp in from a blog its content.    For iPhone users, combining all your Instagram photos in one book, such as above as Elsie Larson did, which looks amazing and is simple to do.   You can do both hardcover or softcover books.

{ Journals } SMASH books for all life little bits …

I am just in love with this new product from K&Company.  I have kept a variation of this kind of “everything/art journal” type book for a long time in various journals like Moleskine’s, but I think these books  — six variations — are really fun too.   And all the little doo-dads they are selling for them make them even more enticing.  40 pages and it comes with its own marker/glue pen.

 

Check out the SMASH products here.

 

{ Journals } Art journaling class with Ms. Moss

The new preview for Mary Ann Moss’ new class, Full tilt boogie is up:

She has a beautiful way of taking old albums and various pieces of paper, empherma, wall paper, and travel memorabilia and combining it all into amazing journals.  I have had a lot of clicks on my blog regarding her last class, which I took, Remains of the Day.  I am sure this will be similar, but with a fun twist as you can always expect for Ms. Moss.

More details on June 1st and the class begins June 17.  But, as she says on her blog, “FTB will be ongoing and open indefinitely.  You can revisit the videos and pdf’s as often as you like for as long as you like. (providing you don’t lose your password!)  Start immediately or watch the videos and let your ideas simmer for as long as you want.  No stress or guilt allowed.”  That is what I love about her classes, you can go at your own pace and look back at them time and time again.

You can see all the details on her blog here.

Photos: Mary Ann Moss, Dispatch from LA.

{ Journals } Absolutely inspiring … sketchbook project.

pam garrison.

If you are coming via a link from the Sketchbook Project, you must check out this amazing book by Pam Garrison!  So colorful and fun.

There are a few more pictures in her post. I just love all the doodling.  Go by and be inspired!

Sadly, I don’t know if I will have my completed by the deadline next week.  Life just kind of got in the way and I never ended up giving it the attention I wanted too. I will definitely join up again next year if they have it.  I would love to see the tour in Atlanta this spring and see what everyone else did.

{ Photography } 3 p.m. breaks a Photo book

via Blurb.

I am a huge fan of making Blurb books. Their software is amazing for putting together photo albums, doing journals, and it can “slurp” blog entries from various blogging programs and make them into a book.  I am currently working on yearly albums adding photos, quotes, journal entries, and other bits of pieces of life into as I go along.

If you are a budding writer or photography wanting to sell your work, you can even sell it in their bookstore.

The above books is a really cool collection of photos the artist has taken at 3 p.m, Alynn Teo from Singapore.   If only my 3 p.m. snacks looked that amazing and healthy.  You can check the book out here and even purchase it if you like.

{ Journals } Every good tour needs a poster!

Art House Co-op

The sketchbook project has its own Tour poster — so cool.  I am very guilty of neglecting my sketchbook.  I really need to get working on it again.  Anyone else out there stalled a bit on their book? Hopefully an upcoming trip I am going on will reinspire me.

{ Journaling } Inspiring travel journal …

Dispatch From LA: travel Journal

As always…. another amazing travel journal from Mary Ann Moss. I just love all the juxtaposition and fun tabs.  I hope she shares some pages upon return from her trip.

{ Journals } Other uses for Starbucks …Journaling

Paperclipping.

I have been hanging onto a Panera coffee band to use in my scavenger journal, and then I saw this fun mini scrapbook.  Such a clever use of all the paper goods that come with hanging out at coffee shops.  See more pictures at the link above.