Isn't It a New Year?

Back to work this week has meant my art output had gone down. That's OK. It very cold and my ambition is in its deep winter mode. That is called hibernation!  Ha-ha.

I haven't moved upstairs to my play space all week. It is much warmer next to the wood stove. A cup of tea and a good book- being warm in this bitter cold-that makes me content.

So a few more holiday journal views for you.

I have a few whole pages within my journal to break up all those little pocket pages. 

I wanted to make them quickly also. My goal with this album was to get it done before it got  to far into January. (I didn't want it to turn in drudgery. Or not finish it!) 

 I wanted to catch the holiday spirit though. I didn't want to just paste photos onto paper.

Time to pull out some stickers and die cuts and a few sequins. Not the most arty but it works.

And I made my goal.  I finished the album last weekend!

Stop back again soon!

A Little More Holiday Journal

Winter's cold has arrived!   Brrrrrrr.
Guess it is January!
A little trip backwards today-
a few more views from holiday journal .

What do I need to say?

These pages speak for themselves.

Thanks for visiting. Hope you stop by again soon.

Holiday Journal

Last week when I was on vacation I spent a little time finishing up my holiday scrap journal. Using these plastic pockets made it go quickly, but I did put in a few other pages where I didn't use the pockets. But everything being small-rather than 8 x 11, made it go fast.

There was a method in my madness. What I didn't want was to be finishing up this album late in January-and totally sick of it at that point!

My winter page at the top is just a piece of paper with a stamped poem (I added that). And these little 2x2 inch pockets with words- this is the back of a page! On this particular set I fill each pocket with the same paper.

Here's the front. I printed off lots of mini photos from my holiday to put on each little card.

It took some thinking from me how to set up this book and not make it page after page of the same things, and since I usually (actually never have) worked in this format, I had to do some mental  engineering how to actually put it all together. But I will admit, it it did go fast, and I accomplished my goal to getting it done!

Maybe not the most creative, but definitely fast.

I'll leave you with a couple more pages.

Thanks for visiting!

A Little More Holiday Journal Views

Last  post for a few days. I finish up with work at school today at noon  and then I'll be busy sipping eggnog, eating holiday cookies, and being an elf and helping Santa. Of course with all that work I'll be having some cheery holiday fun too.

Besides the holiday, it is also very exciting to be  on vacation for the next week and a half too. 

No big plans, but I am not too worried that I won't enjoy my downtime and find plenty to do.

So, before I sign off let me say

So whatever you believe or celebrate,

let me wish you peace.

 And thanks for giving up a minute to stop by.

A Few More Pages

Things are getting busy as we approach the holiday next week,

Next week...man oh man time is flying!

Besides the usual holiday chores I've been busy and having a blast knitting another holiday stocking.

 Forget work. I can't wait for vacation to start on the 23rd at noon. I am ready for some real down time, sleeping in, reading and playing in the studio. Along with family play time too! That goes without saying. 

 So here's a few more pages from my holiday journal.

More little 2x2 minis.

And using some bought little cards. These are from October Afternoon. I added a little bit of sparkly and fringe.

I wish some of these pockets were a little bit less square and a little bit taller. But that's ok. Part of the thing about a homemade journal is that it doesn't have to be perfect,

I added the silver snowflakes on the outside.

Not necessarily the most creative pages, but this format is so speedy and fast I have decided I like it- especially at this time of year. Not sure I want to be tied to keeping one of these albums all year. Twelve months is an awful long time to be committed to a project.

Not exactly Paint Party Friday painting art, but I am still going to post. Check it out here-

Paint Party Friday.

I am also posting to Art Journal Every Day.  Check that one out here Art Journal Every Day.

Till next time.

Nothing Complicated

Sometimes it is the simplest pages that work.

I really like this plaid paper above. I used a foam stamp and some green paint to make the trees, but otherwise stickers and a pre-printed card finish off the page.

 These are both from October Afternoon

And pretty much the same here, except I used a die cut to make the little pine branch and cone above.

This is the kind of memory page you make when you are squeezing in a half an hour or so. 

And here I added a photo, some washi tape and a tab.

I am almost embarrassed to show you these super simple pages. I usually try to do something more than just glue and tape.

But they do work great in my book and I have decided that is the beauty of using one of these Christmas kits. I can make these fast pages since I don't have all that much time. Complicated pages sometimes take longer because you have to think about what you are going to do. Ha-ha!  Better these pages than nothing. Especially at this time of year when there are a million other chores that need to get done.

That's all from the me today!

Thanks for visiting.

A little More Journal Fun

Been making these little 2x2 minis for a few pages for my holiday journal.

Lots of fun...I haven't done much in such a small format and it means using a lot fewer elements than a big page, but it is really fun to make something so quick.

And I have been fixing up the back of each little mini too. So both sides of my page is a lot of holiday fun.

Enjoy your day!

A Little More of the Same

So yesterday morning I ended up with a 2 hour delay because there were icy roads at the seacoast. Luckily it all turned to rain and didn't really throw my day off too much, except I had a little bit of play time before work.  That was a lot of fun!  I also had some time to write this post.  This is another front and back of a page from my holiday journal.

As I titled all this babble, a little more of the same.

One thing I like about this album is that these little pockets mean what I am making are tiny pieces. They're easy to make and I can try out some different things without the time it take to do a whole page.

But I know you know that.

So another holiday thing I have been planning is cookie baking. I found some yummies I want to make the other evening as I sat by the wood stove warming up and reading a couple of cookbooks. Yesterday I came home and made the doughs. I ended up freezing them and will thaw them when I'm ready to bake in the next few days. Let's see if there will actually be time for that. I really wish I could take this month off and stay home and dabble and play and be a cooking crafty lady all day.

Wouldn't that be fun?

Of course it could be one of those grass is greener elsewhere thoughts.

Naw.  I think I would enjoy that.

Oh well, I am off to work!

Hope your day is full of fun cooking crafting things.

Or a trip someplace good.

Whatever makes you smile!

A Good Mess

I really like how this page came out, even though it is rather messy.

It is a lot more red, but with these dark not even winter yet days, the color is a bit muted.

I must say, I sprayed it to make it a bit messy, since there were  too many pieces before I did that. All the pieces were good and they worked together  but they didn't pull the page together. For me, the dripping green paint helps congeal this into one consistent page. It makes the elements work together instead of each working on their own.

I know a lot of you don't like these kind of pages, and I respect that.

But I can sound like an 8 year old and say in a snotty little voice "It is my book and I can do it any way I damn well please."

Ha-ha-ha!

And this page is a lot more simple and traditional. The only thing unusual (for me) is the plastic sheet it is in. I am trying to make the plastic a part of the page rather than just a holder, so these little colored plastic and pop up bows are actually on the plastic, outside the pocket. I don't know how that will work out in the long run, but I like how it looks.

I am trying to make my holiday journal really an art journal and not necessarily a pretty scrapbook. I want to add photos and bits and pieces and try some new things to record my holiday season, but I want it to also contain some experimentation too. Like an experimental scrapbook.

One of my next goals is to start making holiday pages with less traditional Christmas look. 

Hmmm.  Not sure how successful I'll be there since I also have a box with a bunch of holiday items-stickers, journal cards, etc. that I want to make a dent in. No sense keeping all these things (that I've had a long time) forever.

Are you doing a holiday journal? If so, how are you doing yours?

I'd love for you to stop back soon.

Fa La La La La

Hi everyone.  Hope everyone had a nice weekend.

I did. My only complaint is that it went too fast.

We went to a hockey game, did a big shop at Costco, went out for a family breakfast with my husband sister's and most of  her family, and had a nice relaxing afternoon at home.

My kind of weekend.

So yesterday I had a few hours of studio time. I spent the whole time working on my holiday album. Some of the time I spent making this little 2 x 2 inch squares. It was a lot of fun to come up with something you could fit on such a small canvas.

I also made all my squares 2 sided.

I made a few others that didn't make it into the plastic page protector as they were still drying.

They're not too wild and rather traditional, but sometimes that what you want.

Speaking of traditional, how about this giant lighted tree.

That;s the hubby on a rainy Saturday night.

Love it the tree is reflected on the wet street.

Off to work. Another week begins.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

This Time, No Plastic

Here's one more holiday journal page for this week. Unlike yesterday, I didn't use plastic on this one!

I did layer some papers, and I did add one of those cut out sticky felt pieces that were all the rage a few years back.  Then I die cut and  added that snowflake sprayed with silver ink. And I also put a tin pin sticker in the middle of it!

An October Afternoon word card, a few snowman stickers....I feel more like the snowman on the far left about snow, but I like my page. Its got good texture!

So my week is buzzing right along. More problems with my mom and her dementia issues. Yeaks! 

Have a great day!

Holiday Journal -Part 2

So yesterday I mentioned I was doing something different this year in my journal.

What? You ask, looking at this perfectly ordinary page.

OK, for most of you using this plastic sheets would be normal, but I have never ever used them before.

Ever.

Going to take some getting used to.

Back side of my upper page view.

This page was kind of fun actually.

It is fun to try new things-even if they are only new to you and everybody else scrap booking on the planet has been doing them for a long time.

Guess that's why lots of people have gone to this scrapping method.

Its easy and fun.

I actually like the back. I added these embellishments outside of the plastic.

Can you imagine?

Ha-ha!

Not every page in this book with use plastic!

But many will.

Something different

for me!

Are you ever behind the eight ball as they say and finally try something once its old and maybe even outdated?

Thanks for visiting.

Holiday Journal

So I thought a lot about whether to do a holiday journal this year. I love having them once the holiday is over, but then on the other hand, they take up a lot of time commitment to make. No matter how you look at it, if you're working on the journal you aren't doing something else. Now I'm not saying that's a bad thing, especially when your a Christmas project junkie like myself, but my studio time is very limited and so I worry my art time might just become the journal and nothing else.

Its also such a busy time and its so easy to get so far behind on the journal it just becomes a catch up project.

But as you can see, I decided to make one. I'm excited and happy and am trying something very different for me.

Anyhow, here is the cover. I am using an album I got last year as part of October Afternoon's Christmas pack (December Story) you could order online.

This are also offering this same pack this year too. No, I'm not paid to advertise for them. Just mentioning. That's all.

I left most of the album cover plain, but did put a little bit of paint down. Then I added washi tape, a die cut snow man (Sizzix), a stamped tree (Penny Lane), some little wooden tress and this cool little plastic deer from Maya Road. Oh yes and some painted dots, sparkly snowflakes and the word die cut from Sizzix. I use this die a lot. Then I sprayed the whole page and rubbed the wet  white spray ink to make it a little grungy in a wintery way.

Show you some pages tomorrow.

Thanks for visiting.

Holiday Journal Pages

Just a few snapshots from my holiday journal today.

Not too much to say otherwise.

Love how this page came out.  I worked on it quite a bit before it got to this point, but adding the thin green ric-rac finished it in a surprisingly good way for me. Tags are from October Afternoon.

This book has pages that open and close and flip over themselves. The left side closed over the right. I embossed the tree scene at the bottom at the bottom, and I decorated the letters in the jolly word on the left.  Both background papers are from October Afternoon.

There's a learning curve on this kind of book for me, working in different sized pages and the limitations that come from small pages, especially when you want to add photos.

You can see the page on the left isn't quite finished- needed that green ric-rac. The page on the right gave me some space to do a bit of journaling. 

That's all for me.

Thanks for visiting my blog.