November Month-at-a-Glance Freebie

I'm a space cadet and waaaaay behind posting my November dated journal spread for my 3"x5" miniplanner.  It coordinates with "Black Ice" paper set in my Etsy store.  However, I've used it with "Fever Dreams" and it contrasts nicely with the warm colors.  I still have lots of paper from my last print out so hadn't made a new set.  Maybe I'll be on the ball and have it released before December?  I'm an easily distracted cat, so, we'll see.  I'll make a note in my planner 😉

Right click and download November Sticker Set including 3"x5" Month-at-a-glance, deco quote, and washi strips.

Choose either the undated version (for any year) or 2018's image and print.  If you have a Silhouette cutter, use the print & cut function by loading the black box image, add the default registration marks and trace the boxes.  They are designed to have a small margin for over print, but should cut all the proper sizes.  I printed mine on sticker paper and set the cut to kiss cut.  I use Online Labels Sticker Paper in matte.

Mini Art Coin Book

The sheet of 9"x12" is folded in half lengthwise.

Minibook I've made to put Artist Trading Coins in.  Made from one sheet of 9"x12" Mixed Media paper from Strathmore.  Folded into 8 even sections and cut down the middle so pages can fold out as a "Zine".  Learned how to do this from a penpal tutorial on YouTube to make mini zines.

Tutorial by Jordan Clark on YouTube. I recommend her channel for art journal, planners and penpal DIYs.

I went ahead and folded and cut my paper before printing on the GelPress plates. I did this so I could frame everything for the small page format. It works just as well to fold and cut afterwards. The paint colors are Dina Wakley Heavy Body in Elephant, Ocean, Fuschia, Lemon and Blushing, as well as Pebeo High Viscocity Studio in Carmin Napthol and Naples Yellow Hue. I used Pentel Fude Brush Pen and Pen+Gear white gel pen to add in doodled designs. The white gel pen separates the black pen from the background. I used the same stencil from the bg to add the dimensional paints. The stencil is my own design, cut into vinyl backing material. It still needs adjustment, but worked well enough for a reusable stencil. I allowed to dry for a few hours, but a heat gun should speed up that step. Not certain if it will crack or bubble under heat. The dimensional paint from Art Anthology seems to be highly flexible. I really enjoyed working with it.

Once folded and glued into place, I measured out some chipboard for the cover, then gel printed an old cardstock from my stash.  Measured out a section to make the cover.  I mitered the corners with enough edge to cover the chipboard. I left a ¼" gap between the front and back chipboards to have a spine for the signature to rest in. I did not glue the signature spine to the backing, only adhered the front and back papers to the cover. Finally, I glued on some kitchen twine for the closure.

This was an impromptu project after buying a destash pack from artist Sally Lynn MacDonald of GelPress.  I received several tubes of Dina Wakley paints, 2 Pebeo High Viscocity tubes and 2 Art Anthology dimensional paints.  These were all really fun to play with.

I'll either be printing some coins from my collection, or making some from the extra paper.  I gel printed on the front and back, not certain which side I like the best.  Still deciding how to attach them into the book, I have several photo corners and wondering if I can make it work with round pieces.  If it works, they will be removable, so they can be double sided.

I ran some scrap strips that I gel printed through my Xyron sticker maker, which I can use to add some embellishment to the coins. I'll be posting a follow up with the finished project.

Inktoberfest

It's October, but for artists, we might know it as Inktober.  A 31 day art challenge where we strive to create new inked art every day for the entire month of October.

I'll be joining the challenge this year.  You can follow along on my Patreon, Facebook event or on Pinterest.  I've been preparing all week for this month long undertaking.  I have papers cut to size and an art journal being prepped for the arting to begin.  Here's a sneak peek onto my art table....

Papers cut to size, and an art journal being gesso'd for arting.

So many, many pens.  They've all been checked and ink is flowing!

Metallic and white gel pens for dark paper.

Let's do this!

Be sure to check out many great artists participating this year!  Facebook ---> #Inktober

Follow Gillian's board Inktober 2015 on Pinterest.

Art Journal - a Work in Progress

I had this old blank book, which I didn't like the cover.  So I tore it apart and repapered it in the Stardust cardstack from Die Cuts With a View.  I sealed the cover of the book with matte acrylic gel medium, and it works so wonderfully.  I love the finish and the texture.  The DCWV paper looks gorgeous and the golden metallics still shine through.  It was a lot of work to manage the paper, tape and glue and more glue.  Layers of paper...

The paper isn't as flexible as other cardstock I've owned, so it tore on the spine and folded edges.  The inner core is white, so it shows up quite a bit.  For all the edges of the book cover, I had to sand, go over with sharpie and then touch up with gold acrylic to hide the tears.  But it is gorgeous and did the job.  Perhaps it would have molded to the shape better if I had slightly dampened it.  Well, trial and error.

More error...  I bound the paper into the new cover, but the binding on the paper is stiff and pulls apart.  The pages are all wrinkled and the original binding isn't very good.  I hope that homemade gesso will help give them more stability.  But too my fail.  I would dry the gesso between coats with a hair dryer, this resulted in the glue binding to soften and come apart.  I tried gluing them back to the spine to no avail.  It kept getting worse and worse.

So, I've decided to rip it out of my beautiful cover and start over.  I'll need a new paper filling for it and I watched tutorials on the technique a bit more.  I'll be figuring out how to make this work.  In the meantime, I might have to switch gears.  I have an old date book from the late 90's when I was in high school, filled with boring budgets and such.  I think I might have to repurpose it.  Or perhaps an unloved old sketchbook that sits around in a box not getting any air.  I will start an art journal.  I'm feeling adamant.

Embellishments from the DCWV paper to add onto the corners.

And since I like to work on several projects at once, I'll also be working on tea infused artist trading cards.  I tend to do two or more things at once and work on them alternately.  This prevents me from getting burned out on one thing.  And ups my productivity level.  I have found I hurt my own creativity by committing to one project.  I struggle with commissions because of this.  I do not allow myself to work on anything else and this results in an art block.  I have a guilty commission sitting on my easel taking up my entire bedroom to remind me what a louse I am.  I am feeling inspired again by forcing myself to get back to arting.

I had hurt my wrist a while back and that was my excuse.  And now my excuse is, it's too late in the day....  Yada yada yada.  Why does artistic inspiration have to come at 2 in the morning?  My schedule gets messed up all on its own without me helping it.  My routine is blocking me as well.  Breakfast - homeschool - lunch - homeschool (granted much of this homeschool time is arguing with my kid to do his work) - dinner & dishes - then it's too late.  So I resign myself to online gaming and Facebooking and deviantARTing.  Maybe watching a show or two.  And no art gets done.  I feel very frustrated by this and I need time to myself to do the art.  When I do my art, I am skipping preparing meals or dishes, etc.  But I am so happy.  I feel accomplished.  Maybe I should just tell everyone to use plasticware and paper plates for a week.  Forever.

So, I've had this Gel Medium forever and am thinking of more uses for it.  I think I can extend my paints and add a bit of translucency to them.  And then I found this excellent tutorial for using them to make acrylic sprays.  They're permanent, not water soluble like the Tim Holtz Distress Inks.  So this is brilliant.  I'm quite against spending too much money on art supplies.  Especially if it is something you can make yourself.  I made myself some glimmer mist sprays and I have an ink sprayer from my printer overflow.  Waste not and all.  I cannot justify spending $10 on a 2 oz bottle of pigment mixed with water.  Nope.  I guess, it is convenient and premixed colors and all that, but I'm poor and cannot afford fancy art supplies.  I did spend my Christmas money on a Cuttlebug with accessories, but that was a splurge.  And it has been useful.  I can squish things in it!  Who doesn't want to squish things?  ;D  (note to self: squish flowers in it onto paper to make pretty stains)  Well, without further ado, here is the video tutorial I watched, which is also relevant to art journaling.  ImperfectImpulses has more art journaling videos and he demonstrates the stencil and negative print to reduce waste and have more premades readied for scraps or whatever. I subscribed to his channel.  Hopefully, I'll someday get a video camera and have something worth subscribing to as well.  Goals.