journal art | The Contented Crafter

It’s cold and raining. It was warm and sunny. Beautiful late Autumn weather – people buzzing about on the street in front of my wee house, chatting cheerfully, children calling out, mums pushing strollers, dogs walking their people, cats walking themselves or taking a rest in the middle of the street. All gone. The street is deserted except for the odd car that swishes past spraying water from that dip by the corner.

Winter.

Last spring I made a journal page and now is a good time to remember that it will be here again in just five more months.

I was just playing with serviettes and tissue paper and the idea of randomly writing my thoughts before applying the media.

Thanks for dropping by, I hope you are having – or have had – a great day!

Secure in the knowledge that no-one now reads my blog except my eldest daughter I can happily post photos of the journal page that appeared after the events described in one of my previous blogs, so endearingly titled ‘You Old Bitch!’.

I managed a few hours in my play room and, not liking to be left out, had already decided to have a go at a half face, something I have never previously done, but which is all the rage right now.

I worked on that first, using a raw piece of canvas so that I had to work the colour into the texture. I hoped that might allow me to layer and blend seamlessly – and it pretty much did. I gave her white hair as that is my natural [hidden] colour and I’m working on a vision of myself as I want to be at 70!!

With that done I turned my attention to the double page – previously gessoed up and doilied, and sprayed dylusions colours liberally. I used yellows and blues to make the spring green on the right side and added reds and browns to the left side. It was all too much so I applied a whitewash over the whole lot and when that dried I crackled the left side with clear crackle paint rubbed over with some ‘vintage photo’ ink to get an aged and weathered look.

I used various stamps and staz-on ink to add texture to both pages. I’m not that happy with the left side [age] but love the spring green that appeared on the right. The doilies represent me – my girls will tell you that I love anything with lace and bling – the more the better really……… I’ve just got no taste!!!

I cut the face out of the canvas and glued it onto the prepared double page and voila –

It may transition onto a canvas one day……..

Here’s another random thought – written in the hope that someone may read this some day – I’m not a very good photographer and always feel dissatisfied with the results of my aim and click style. I use Adobe Photoshop, but really don’t understand it, [despite a 6 week course a few years back] any body got any tips?