Work in Progress

this is the background page that is already for journalling. I like to have several of these pages prepped, painted and collaged ready for when I find inspiration or time to journal.

as I was cleaning the studio table, I quickly with no thought started gluing down all the scraps that were floating around. The resulting page was asking for something new but I didn't want to do the same old thing with it. So I came up with this idea. I scanned the page and printed several copies. This will give me the freedom to play with some different things and it might be fun to see how many twists I can do with one background.

sometimes, I just have nothing to say on a page so I play what I call "quote book roulette". Just pull down a favorite quote book or any book for that matter, open book, run finger over page and then use that quote or fragment of words.

I sorted, set aside and used some of my favorite little treasures while making this one. The book itself is made from game boards that I cut down to make the page substrate and then each page features layers of fabric, paper,photos, pieces of jewelry, lace and other bits. To bind the book, I used grommets and post rings. see the "Good Stuff Book" here.

a self portrait experiment.the background is spray painted with stencils over a piece of turpentine paper. This week I am really loving paint splatters. The image is a transparency.

I finished a journal page with a pressed pansy from this past winters garden. the background paper is "waste paper". I cover my work table with contractors paper and after a short time it becomes covered in paint, paper bits and stamping. I love using fragments of this paper in my journal pages.

I have added a tutorial on making turpentine paper on the tips and technique page on my web site - Tuscan Rose. There are endless uses for this decorative paper from scrap book, journals, mixed media, collage art, card making and all paper arts.

I decided to challenge myself to a 30 minute collage twice a week on my "free days". I found an old sketch journal, the cheap spiral bound type. The spiral coils had been smashed down during a move, so I removed the wire and will work on the pages individually.
The goal is to make a collage in a 30 minute time frame with the timer running. After the 30 minutes, no more work on the page. The 30 minute time includes picking out the paper, images and whatever I plan to use. (good thing I have a well stocked organized studio.) The math works out that 2 pages a week for a year will yield 104 pages. At the end of next year my plan is to have the pages re-bound and at that time I can add to the pages in the form of journaling, stamping or embellishments.
I have found that working quickly and without much thought lends a serendipity to the page that would never happen if every thing was preplanned.

Patty Van Dorin shares some of her personal journal pages and tips of her discoveries from her blog.
'With a life long love of found items and vintage paper, I find myself doing what I love working as a mixed media artist. I am lucky to be back after a long journey, now living in South Texas'
She has an online shop where amongst other goodies you can buy collage sheets and vintage papers that she uses in her art
Tuscan Rose
River Bend Ranch Studio Blog
Etsy Shop

I like using different fragments of text in my journal pages but it never seemed like I could find something when I was working on a page. So now when I go through magazines, newspapers and even junk mail, I will cut up pieces of sentences and keep them all together. Sometimes digging around in this tin will be just what I need to get an inspiration when I am stuck.

My journal techniques are always in a state of change but for the past few months, I have been using stenciling on my pages. My choice of paint ranges from spray paint to the cheap bottles of acrylic paint. The tubes of acrylic paint work well for me and I love the wide range of colors they come in. I use a light hand with the paint, lifting up the stencil a bit to check if more paint is needed. A box of baby wipes at your table work well to wipe off excess paint. The baby wipes can also be used to rub and partially remove paint after it has dried to give an added interest to your page.

Stencils come in all forms and I not only use the stencils found in craft stores but I also make my own. Using a thin clear plastic sheet, I lay a printed graphic image under the plastic and cut the stencil with an Xacto knife. I place a piece of glass on my table to protect the surface when cutting the stencil. Blank stencil sheets for cutting your own can be found in craft stores. I have also used transparencies; in addition card stock and cardboard can be used.

I like to search for unusual sources for stencils and one of my favorite pieces that I use repeatedly in my journal is a broken fan grate that I found in a parking lot. Just about any thing that will lay flat and has open areas can be used as a stencil. I use wire mesh, pieces of plastic baskets that come in a variety of patterns and even lace can provide patterns for stenciling. These found items work

Stenciling is a great way to play with your journal or collage art and if you don�t like the results just start adding more paper and paint. Some of my ugliest pages have turned out to be favorites as more layers were added. Try not to strive for that perfect page. By playing in journal on a regular basis, soon you will find techniques that work well for you. Patty Van Dorin 0607.