Another page...

Although, Sketchbook Wednesday with Mrs. Staggs in Merryville has ended, I have decided to continue on and fill a few more pages. As you can see in the bottom photo, it is a good thing that the journal has ties attached or it would never stay closed! (Don't forget to click on the photos to see them larger.)

I made another paper doll from a photo of a doll I actually made from cloth recently. Then I added embellishments. It is mounted on a commercial paper with a Thanksgiving scene. Those acorns I cut from felt, but the leaves are made of leaves from silk flowers.

What will you be doing for Thanksgiving? Although I like the concept of Thanksgiving, it always makes me nervous to eat so much when I know so much of the world goes hungry. If you can, I hope that you donate to a food bank. As for giving thanks, I am guessing most of us do that every day....or at least I hope so.

We have varied plans for the weekend. Hopefully, I will remember to take photos.

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it! Enjoy the day!

Sketchbook Wednesday with Mrs. Staggs...

Bet you think I forgot about Sketchbook Wednesday... but I didn't!

Mrs. Staggs prompted with " The wind blows. The rain falls." It has been such a lovely fall here that I decided to go with lighter theme than I might have if we had gloomy or stormy weather lately.

What I used: sketches of a character I have been drawing a few years and also a print of a page I used for an earlier page. I used glitter and foil paper, too. I anchored the page to the journal with little cardboard buttons covered with glitter. (Yes, I made a mess with the glitter and had to drag out the vacuum.)

What I did: I cut windows to show the little characters and attached the drawings underneath.

I have to admit I had a hard time coming up with this one, but I like the way it turned out. Can't wait to see what others did.

Sketchbook Wednesday..."by candlelight"

Mrs. Staggs creates some challenging challenges. The first thing I thought of was birthday candles. Some might think of: Jack O'lanterns, romance, power outages, candles for religious observances and rituals, or candles used in days of yore to provide lighting.

But, when a "first thought/impression" pops in my head, it stays there. I love birthday cakes and candles. I love the glow they create, the wonder in the birthday person's eyes, and the promise of secret wishes that might come true.

What I used: papers from my stash, glue sticks, my original painted papers & birthday art, brads. There is also glitter which never photographs well and some velveteen orange paper on the left side with stitching on it.

(Don't forget to click on the photos to make them larger.)

What I learned: less is more is always true. I wanted to avoid a traditional birthday party color palette and use graphic symbols. I wanted to stay in the same color zone as another page I am displaying today. I learned that I like cutting and pasting better than drawing right now.

When I had the materials out for another project a few weeks ago, I made the page below. My friend and I had traded decorated envelopes. I copied mine in the scanner, printed it, and used it for a Halloween page. The supplies I used are in front of the page.

When the Wednesday sketchbook journal is filled, it will represent an entire autumn. There are ten pages left in it, which will take it through the holiday season. I am really happy that I have stuck with this. I lack discipline and it has forced me to think-- and create.

I am putting all my journal pages here.

Hats off to Mrs. Staggs!

Starry Night, Sketchbook Wednesday with Mrs. Staggs

Last week Mrs. Staggs suggested that we make a page with the prompt "starry night." She also suggested we add an element of mystery.

Above is my page. It consists of an envelope with a book inside. At first glance it is not obvious there is a book inside. That is my mysterious element. However, there is a clue---I added some stars to the ribbon and yarns that are attached to the book.

As the book opens, it reveals daylight to a very dark starry night. It is not obvious that the book is about a starry night until the last page.

How I did it:

I painted the picture on the cover in watercolors on water color paper and scanned the painting.

I digitally altered the colors to create progressively darker images and printed them off. I cut away a square on the ages revealing a tiny star. The last page has glittered stars which are much more sparkly than this photo.

What I used:

a mailing envelope attached with brads to the journal

velvet and textured collage paper for covering the envelope

ribbon and yarn from my stash to embellish the book

digitally altered images from my original painting

What I learned:

It is more difficult to photograph pages than make them! It is impossible for me to capture glitter with my camera or scanner.

Meeting deadlines requires discipline. I used to meet deadlines every day of my life in the work force. Now I have trouble getting even small tasks done on time. This commitment to the journal is a journey in discipline for me.

Disclaimer:

I have been making paper art for decades. I went back to school to learn graphic design just before computer graphics became the gold standard. I learned how to cut and paste and do everything by hand....not too useful info today for graphic design. I love using my useless skills in useful ways!

To Mrs. Staggs:

Sometimes something clicks ...your sketchbook idea clicked for me. I have seen zillions of sketchbook challenges on line and had no desire to participate in any but yours. Mrs. Staggs you gently sparked my imagination. Thank you!