Journal making with cereal boxes and muslin.

This was done on an already bound Russian book that they were withdrawing from the library.

I took out half of the pages within so that I'll have space to collage on the remaining pages.

This is a smallish journal about 4 inches square from a tissue box.

I found that the more texture with the muslin, the more fun I had painting it.

I love those Lumiere paints!

 The lavender dots changed everything.

Exterior of my first try at journal making.

Bible school publication and Chinese image

Antique coloring book image and handmade Balinese paper

Ode to an ocotillo

Exterior

Interior and pre-made scrapbook page

Using up the paints at the end of the day for a page

An inside that I decided to make an outside

Interior of a journal~ vintage book image and Balinese playing card

Alcohol inks and paint

From a small tissue box and Bible school image

After I was given a lovely homemade journal when visiting my blog friend Corrine from Dosfishes, I was inspired to try my hand at her method of using old cereal boxes and painting gessoed muslin as a covering for some homemade journals.

It was fun for me as I haven't played with much painting in my artistic journey and it was very freeing to play with colors and layers and patterns. Also very messy too.

What I find fascinating is that even with different mediums I can recognize my characteristic style somehow.

I have a goodly collection of vintage imagery and papers to highlight the interiors so it's been fun compiling them to fill these journals.

These still will take a few more embellishments before they're finished but I wanted to show you all what I've been up to before I pack up the studio and head south.

In the works are some lampwork and copper paper clips for the journal pages that I hope to share with you once I am happy with how they come out!

Wabi~Sabi Swingline Shibori

We'll see how this paper bundle fares.

This will spend 7 months exposed to Arizona desert sun and monsoon season.

Wabi~Sabi Shibori

Stapling Muslin

Recently I caught up to someone's blog that was involved in Seth Apter's Altered Page Disintegration Project. (I wish I could remember whose it was, I need to start taking notes when I visit and comment on blogs because I find I'm losing track really quickly!) I'll update this after some sleuthing.

I was enchanted by the idea of disintegrating bundles that are left out in the weather and using the components in later projects. My aesthetic has been embracing the Japanese idea of Wabi-Sabi, the impermanence and shifting with age and deterioration and disintegration.

I gathered up suitable materials that would most likely change with six months of Arizona monsoon and scorching sun and wind. I assembled two bundles, one for materials and objects and the other primarily paper.

Then I had the idea of stapling muslin in a design onto muslin. I'm always finding rust spotted muslin in antique stores from pins etc. I thought it would be a rather nice wabi-sabi shibori as long as the staples rust as I hope! The staples bunched the muslin slightly so I'm pleased with the design so far. Rust will be all the better!

I'm going to leave them out for the six months I'm in Alaska and see what I'll come back to next winter.