Art Journaling

Video: Making Focal Images

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Please note this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links I earn a small commission but it doesn’t cost you and more money.

I am always looking for something new to share with you. When I am working in my journal I tend to start my pages the same way-except in Monday’s video where I changed it up and worked backwards to front. I also find myself searching for focal images. Things I can place front and center of some colorful background.

Magazine images are always fun for this. You can alter them and change them up completely but today I thought it would be fun to make some simple focal images from scratch.

I wanted the images to be interesting on their own but neutral enough that they would work with a lot of pages and also allow for alterations to fit the page I am working on.

I started out with a house. I still draw houses like I did when I was 6. I have tried to change it up but for some reason-this is a house to me. So I just went with it and added some collage for the windows and doors.

Next up was a heart. I love hearts. Whenever I don’t know what to add to a spread-I add a heart and it never goes wrong. I drew out a quick heart and then filled it up with some of the gelli prints I made and some of the pages from one of my digital kits.

Then I sketched out a tree. Did I mention I draw trees the same as I did when I was 6? They used to stand next to the houses. Now I have stopped adding a straight out stick with a swing hanging from it but you know, it just might come back when added to a journal page.

I collaged the trunk with my trusty old dictionary paper and the leaves were using the same digital kit. I attached this all down with gel matte medium (affiliate link to a similar one I used. Mine is a heavy body).

Next up I drew a star and filled it in with collage. I loved the texture and variation the collage added to these very simple images. This star was filled in with a page from this digital kit of mine.

I then went back and added some water to activate the watercolor pencils and the NeoColor II’s (affiliate link) I used on the house. Lastly I sketched out a simple flower using my Stabilo pencil (affiliate link). I filled the flower in with the pink paper from the same kit before I dried everything with my heat gun and cut them out.

I just want to say how much fun these were to make. I am already thinking of other ideas and things I can make in this same style and I have already used one of them in a project. I hope you have fun and give these a try. If you do please let me know!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

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Video: Drawing Faces-An Art Journaling Challenge

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I wasn’t sure if I was going to get today’s post and video up. I was experiencing some computer issues but thankfully I sorted that all out and am sharing with you my latest journal page.

I really enjoyed making today’s spread. Normally I start with the background but today I started with the focal image and then worked out. I have been wanting to draw more faces in an effort to not only better my skills but also to find my own style. I was very aware as I was drawing this lady about the thoughts in my head. I was trying so hard to make her look happy, then I was doubting my abilities at all, and finally I remembered some unicorns I drew when I was young.

I was so proud of them and immediately felt I had a talent for drawing. I don’t remember what happened but I let go of drawing then and when I tried to start up again, I just felt as if I wasn’t able to because I wasn’t an artist like other people.

It had me wondering how many things in life I stopped doing or kept doing because of what other people thought about it. I am always amazed at the revelations that can come about when we make a little space for our creative expression.

I hope you enjoy today’s video. What is something you love to do but never felt you could claim it for yourself? Maybe today you can.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Music by myk – Reflections – https://thmatc.co/?l=321D4BE6

Video: Making a Spring Bucket List Journal

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The weather has been gorgeous!

I have been digging in the dirt, planting seedlings and plotting out the vegetable & flower garden. I am so excited to be back outside and I really can see how much better I feel with the longer days and warmer weather.

I have a fun new project to share with you. Today I am making a spring bucket list journal. I thought it would be fun to have a place to document the things I would like to do this spring along with mementos. A photo of a picnic, a receipt from the garden center or some pressed flowers. I don’t plant to have anything stressful on my list, just a reminder of all the lovely things spring has to offer and a way to document one of my favorite season.

I began by following this tutorial from Treasure Books. It shows how to make pockets for your journals and I just thought it would be fun to make a few and turn them into a journal. You have lots of fun places to tuck tags, notes and more.

Once I had the folds done and before I glued anything down I decorated the pages. I used my Lollipop Box Club Kits to decorate the pages.  Then I took a strip of paper the height of my pages by 3/4″ wide and used that to attach two pages together. Then I stitched 2 groups of pages together using a basic pamphlet stitch and you have have a journal!

It was so much fun and a nice way to make a quick book for a present. I hope you had fun! Let me know if you have any spring bucket list plans.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dielttante

Video: Journal Play Time (Plus a New DigiKit!)

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I am playing in my journal with a brand new digi kit today!

This post contains affiliate links-if you make a purchase using these links I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore.

I am having so much fun making these kits and I am really excited to share my latest one with you. If you aren’t in the market for a digikit-don’t worry you can absolutely play along with me using your favorite supplies!

I am working with Kit 2 (I know really creative 🙂 today and playing in my warm-up journal. I started with some illegible writing while I was waiting for my Instagram live to start (I was a bit nervous). I used some oil pastels to make marks and then added the writing. Later I came back to the page with paint. I am loving the muted pastels right now and so I used some sea glass and gray to paint over top.

I played with the circles in the kit cutting them in half and using them to back up other elements. I added lots of fun marks using Posca Paint Pens (affiliate link) and my Pentel Dual Metallic Brush (affiliate link).  Suzanne Early and I were talking about the Stabilo-All Pencil  (affiliate link) in our video and she’s inspired me to try and get my pencil down to the size of a mini golf pencil so I am going for it in this video and play session.

Once I added the Stabilo I used a baby wipe to smear it. Then there was some Dollar Tree glitter-I love these little shaker bottles and found them so easy to use without them getting everywhere like glitter can. I cut out a sentiment from a page sent to me by a fellow creative and added some lace as well.

I found this page to be one I couldn’t have just kept adding to. I was in the flow, enjoying the process and not really worried about the final result which is always my favorite way to play in my journals. I hope you found some inspiration here. Please let me know what you end up creating and some of your supply goals. Are you hoping to finish that tub of gesso? Maybe you want to empty your pans of watercolors? Let’s find find ways to use what we have and make some art time in the process!

Wishing you a lovely day!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Some of the Products I used are listed with affiliate links below. If you make a purchase using these links I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore.

Music by Kayla Kru – Bee Sting – https://thmatc.co/?l=282A2BED
Music by LOVELOVELOVE – ULTRAVIOLET – https://thmatc.co/?l=FC96E660

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Video: Let’s Make a Junk Journal

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Happy Monday!

Today I am digging through my collection of this and that and making a fun “junk journal.” Maybe you would like to make one too?

If you aren’t familiar with the term-junk journal is simply something you make with-junk! Items you would be throwing away or recycling that you repurpose and give new life to. Almost anything works. Postcards, envelopes, magazines, catalogs, junk mail-and more! Really the only limit is your imagination so why not have a dig through the recycling bin and see what you can find.

I was cleaning off the shelf in my studio that I use to hold my cardboard and such. It was beyond overflowing and I went through and did a clean out, a little organize and pulled aside some items I thought would be fun to make a journal with.

Initially I was going to use some smaller envelopes but decided that they didn’t quite go so I left them out. I used a large USPS mailer I received some stamps in as the cover and some brown paper bags for the pages. I cut the brown paper to size and used a 3-hole pamphlet stitch to attach them to the cover. I glued down half the flap of the envelope and left the side with the window open so I could add a focal image later.

Once everything was sewed into place I painted the cover a soft perwinkle/light purple color. I let it dry and then used one of the sheets from my latest digikit to sketch out a face on. I colored it in with some kids watercolor paint and cut it out. I attached the sketch to a gelli print page I made with some collage added to it and slid it inside the envelope. Lastly I added some more collage elements to the cover to tie everything together.

I am really happy with the journal and particularly how my sketch came out. I plan to fill this journal up soon so be sure to keep an eye out for more journal with me videos and photos. I will also be sharing my gelli print process in Wednesday’s video so be sure to keep an eye out.

I would love to hear if you make your own junk journal and what materials you ended up using. Do you have a specific plan for your journal? I have an idea for mine but we will have to see how everything unfolds.

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Music by Eli Lev – Dancin’ on the Lawn – https://thmatc.co/?l=9EA04504
Music by Little Boots – Silver Balloons – https://thmatc.co/?l=54B37541

Staying on Path

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A beautiful desk-but not mine 🙂

I am sitting in the studio, in my cozy chair with a cup of decaf french vanilla. Dinner was delicious-albeit a bit decadent with all it’s cheesy yumminess-and I am taking time to just sit and visit with you all a bit.

The ideas have been swirling and for what feels like the first time I am able to keep up with them. In the past I have had ideas flood in that often took me in various different directions. Lately however, I feel more grounded, my plans and ideas have a direction and I am able to move along at what feels like a grounded steady pace. Sometimes I just don’t have the energy or if I am being honest, the inclination or dedication to stick to the plans I set out. If I were to offer a guess, it’s because in the past I let anything that peaked my interest take center stage rather than vetting it for cohesiveness and longevity.

So often I was lead off of my path to be taken down one that, while interesting, isn’t for me.  My husband and I will joke that we get distracted by “something shiny” and off we go. I am working very diligently at appreciating the shiny but letting it float on its merry way to it’s real home.

My focus lately has been on my first in-person art journaling class. Launching my new digikits as well as my dollhouse channel. I want creativity to be my focus and I want to focus on sharing it in an inspiring way to others but I also want to be spending time each day living my creativity not just creating content. I was guided today to take a good look at my creative corner at home. If you aren’t familiar it’s a little corner in our bedroom where I have a desk and lots of creative goodies to play with. The desk was covered with laundry and bags and various things that needed putting away. Most days if I am working at home I am at the kitchen table with my laptop but it was being suggested that maybe, I need to clear off my creative space so I can practice what I preach a bit more.

It’s hard to do little bits of creativity through the day when you need to dig through laundry to find your journal. And while I love creating content my creative practice is first and foremost what sustains me through the day to day of life. It’s what supports me when I am feeling frazzled-giving me an outlet for the struggles-and it’s also what grounds me in the good days-helping to savor the little moments.

So today I cleared the desk, I uncovered the 10 journals I have started prepping and made a plan to sit there each day-if only for 5 minutes-and have a play.

Our world makes distractions so easy and focus-especially on the truth of what matters to us-hard to come by. I want to be deliberate with my time and how I spend my energy and paint covered hands and collage pages always bring me joy.

Thursdays are also the days where I give my book club update. This week I am still working on the same 3 books I mentioned last week. I have been listening to the audiobook during studio time and have been trying to read my Scottish Bookshop book during the day but haven’t been very successful. With any luck come next Thursday I will have completed these 3 books and have some new ones to share with you.

I hope this post finds you well. Are you reading anything good? I would love to hear!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante