A Sketchbook Practice

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How do you improve your craft? Like all things, it takes practice. Personally, I try to make something creative everyday. It's a specific item on my bullet journal and I only get to cross it off if I made something -- a watercolor painting, calligraphy, a simple sewing or crochet project -- stuff I can do in 30 minutes or less. It allows an escape from work, encourages me to be mindful and to squeeze some artistic juices. Sometimes, I like to read a craft book or attend a class.

Early last year, I tuned into the Creative Retreat Live featuring a session with visual artists Peggy Dean and Lisa Congdon. It was such a good discussion, I felt like I was eavesdropping on a conversation between two friends! They talked about their creative process, the art materials they like to use, and the importance of a regular sketchbook practice. 

Lisa showed off some of her sketchbooks (you can see her trademark style and use of color here). She has other sketchbooks that memorialize her travels, record repetitive doodles, and are a place to make collages. She admits that her sketchbook practice has been a springboard for her professional and commissioned work.

The session made me think about how I use my sketchbooks and that I don't use them as often. But looking at what I've made over the years, I realized the recurring themes and colors: 

I love to paint flowers and I like pastel and vibrant colors (even if the mood I'm in is sadness and grief).

As an alternative to a store-bought sketchbook, I found this book at a thrift store. I used the pages for more sketches:

I like the layered look of words and paintings.

Sometimes I add paper cutouts to add some dimension. 

Here is another way I altered some of the pages:

I covered the page with white paint while retaining the existing drawings.  

"Rosy Colored Sky" is the title of this piece. The flowers are made from rubber stamps, a black ink pad and colored pencils.

"Spring Awakening" uses the same materials plus collage using a page from a magazine.

If you're intimidated by the blank page, here are some of Lisa's suggestions: 

(1) Label the sketchbook "Ugly sketchbook" or "Messy sketchbook" so that you don't feel the pressure of perfection.

(2) Allow yourself to just play and think PROCESS over product.

(3) Work with limitations (ex. use only three paint colors or have a time limit to make a piece).

 

Lately, I've been experimenting with these sketchbooks and altered books even more. It's how I turn a blank page from blah to TADA!

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Experiments in Collage

Have you ever tried your hand at collage? I've played around with it to make DIY business cards, covering a plain box and turning it into a gift box, and crafting birthday cards.

Collage is a fun medium to play with because all you need are scissors, glue, and any kind of paper to create a piece of art.

I came across this book, Collage Your Life by Melanie Mowinski, and it encouraged to me try collage once again. In the book, Melanie describes collage this way:

"The word collage comes from the Old French coller, meaning "to glue." Collage is created from the actions of cutting to remove and pasting to add. You must have both. This double action can lead to double meanings and double entendres. For example, if you cut a human figure in half and then add bandage-like shapes linking it together, you are simultaneously showing its split and connection. As you cut and paste, explore how you play with these actions." - Melanie Mowinski 

One of my favorite takeaways from the book is to "Create parameters." Parameters, rules or a prompt are limitations that help you stay focused and get your creative juices flowing. Some parameters include: 

(1) Complete the collage in 30 minutes or less

(2) Use only scraps from your most recent collage process

(3) Take the first three papers from your collage bag and use only those papers 

(4) Only tear your paper, do not cut 

(5) Add a stencil element

Here are five different collages I made using some of the prompts in the book:

Prompt Number 1: Play with memory. Dive into your memories. Look for a picture, pattern, or text that reminds you of your childhood: 

A junk journal made from paper remnants with Snoopy and Woodstock cutouts

A junk journal made from paper remnants with Snoopy and Woodstock cutouts

Prompt Number 2: Create a collage that incorporates the patterns and textures from security envelopes. It can be part of the background or foreground or used as an accent:

Front of the bookmarks - security envelopes are the dominant pattern

Back of the bookmarks - security envelopes are the dominant pattern

Prompt Number 3: Use papers as paint. As you look through magazines, catalogs, and brochures, start to see how large blocks of colors are everywhere. Cut out just that, the colors. Look for different values, textures, and patterns, and then group similar ones together:

A beach-inspired postcard using magazine pages as paint

Prompt Number 4: You are going to make a portrait. Hopefully of yourself, but it can be of anyone. Perhaps you make an oversized head on a tiny body, or you exaggerate the size of certain features. Play. Have fun:

A portrait of my niece Kirsten made of magazine pages. I regularly
send her postcards and I think she'll get a kick of this one!

Prompt Number 5: Experiment with mixing mediums. This one uses a collage background, a neutralizing layer of gesso, rubber stamps, and packing tape transfer:

A plain paper bag is a nice background for a mixed media collage

Wasn't that fun? We can use collage in so many ways, instantly turning a blank page from "blah to TADA!"

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Tea Bag Envelope Transformation

I'm pleased to see you today!

Tea is one of my favorite beverages and the packaging they come in have made a starring role in many of my crafts. From recipe box, storage tins, gift box and gift tags, there are many ways to turn them from blah to TADA!

Some teas come in teabag envelopes like these. What a shame to just throw them away.

I covered up the labels with a few coats of white paint.

Here's what they look like after drying. I like that there's a faint hint of its past life.

I'm using cling stamps and an ink pad to decorate the teabag envelopes.

How could I not use the teapot stamp?

I love it as a repeating pattern, too.

A swirly soft serve ice cream? Yes please!

We could leave this as is or add some hues using colored pencils.

Here's another set of cling stamps with a romantic theme.

I suggest to stamp off-center or in layers and see what patterns you come up with. 

I'm all for the shabby chic look:

There are many things you can do with these teabag envelopes: for letter writing, scrapbooking, packaging...the possibilities are endless. I even used them in last week's Self-Love junk journal!

Insert small cards and use them as love notes.

Or use them to hold good wishes with the gifts that you plan to give.

And that is how I turned empty teabag envelopes from blah to TADA! 

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A Self-Love Scrapbook

Hello everyone!

Do you like art journaling? I've been practicing using an old book and also with my sketchbook.

I recently discovered Strawberry Moon, an independently-produced magazine by Suzanne Earley. The pages are filled with so much inspiration for art journaling, whether you're a beginner, dabble every now and then, or are an experienced artist. 

Guess what? A little scrapbook I made appears in the current issue about self care:

Here is my feature on page 89 of Strawberry Moon Magazine...TADA!

I call it  the "Self-Love Scrapbook" and I made it for a Valentine Card Swap hosted by Brittany of "The House that Lars Built" last February. All we had to do was to make a handmade card and send it to a penpal assigned to us. My partner was Michelle who lives in England. 

In today's post, I wanted to show you how I put together my self-love scrapbook.

The pages of the scrapbook are made from empty bill envelopes.

I folded each envelope in half and glued them together at the fold to make a booklet.

For the cover, I used some cute scrapbook paper that I cut to size and attached with glue.

I added a new design layer using cling stamps and an ink pad.

I painted the inner pages and decorated with more cling stamp impressions.

One of the inspirations I used for this scrapbook are children's pop-up books that reveal a surprise when you open a flap or pull on a tag.

I made small pockets out of tea envelopes and paper scraps. 

The messages are written on cardstock using a black felt-tip marker.

I had to add a surprise like these stickers for a fellow crafter...TADA!

And of course, I added some personalized messages, too. That's how I turned bill envelopes and paper scraps from "blah to TADA!"

My penpal, Michelle, loved it. And I'll forever remember what I made because it's in a magazine! 

If you want to support a small business and the artists behind it, you can buy a copy (paper and digital versions available) or subscribe to Strawberry Moon Magazine.

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An Easter Cake Topper

Happy Easter everyone!

I have a quick and easy craft for you today.

We're making bunny-shaped cake toppers...TADA! I got the idea from this party. It's a festive way to spruce up a plain cake.

Simply take some card stock or white cardboard and draw a bunny head. You can draw freehand or use a stencil or cookie cutter as a template. 

Then use pink paint for the ears and cheeks. 

Use a black marker to draw the eyes, nose, mouth and whiskers.

You're free to add eyelashes, dimples and other marks to make your bunny unique.

Attach some toothpicks with some tape.

Then position the bunnies on the cake. Add some sprinkles or candy if you have them.

That is how we can turn a plain cake, cheesecake or pie from blah to TADA! 

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