Sunday Morning Coming Down

Dylusions 8x8 journal. I sliced a fashion spread up. Can you tell?

This is a technique Gulfsprite teaches a lot

Actually a good way to learn how to mix and match colors, and using your brushes

Sketch and Wash pencil with water colors and pen

a brown paper lunch bag, bottom cut off and split open

4x4 inch water color paper collages

Tim Holtz ephemera with vintage bits

Why yes, I did paint 4 flipping lunch bags!

Dylusions journal covered with one of those lunch bags cut up.

Jane Davies-Collage Journeys- blog had a post the other day on how to make your own striped paper as a cheap wall hanging to brighten up a room. I wasn't interested in putting one on the wall, but immediately liked the idea of having collage papers in stripes. So I cut 4 brown paper bag, kids lunch bags, up and started with a light coat of gesso. Jane used house paint. I let the gesso dry completely, then just started painting stripes, doing all 4 bags in one color before moving on. This took me 8 years. No, it didn't. I am giving you fake facts. It took probably about 2.5 hours completely, but was a long process. However.....the combination of Liquitex gesso and cheap craft paint (I used Martha Stewart and Apple Barrel because I grabbed bottles by color) turns the flimsy paper into almost a material. Easy to cut, easy to manipulate and adhere. I used Liquitex Mat Medium to put the pieces on the Dylusions cover, and an old credit card to smooth them out. Some pieces were easier to flatten than others, but it's my journal and I don't really care. Just like the fun colors and feel of the paper.

Red Riding Hood was a spread from a British copy of Vogue or Bazaar. I took one page, cut out the woman, then used the background from either side of that cut. Adhered all 3 pieces with a glue stick, then started matching the colors with craft paint. This was fun and easy. I debated about adding words, but leaving it as is because I like the moodiness.

Collages are my new jam. No thinking. Went through my tons of ephemera, pulled out small bits, and did all four standing at the dining room table while a very old movie, My Man Godfrey, was on tv. I will forever associate the late William Powell with these 4 squares. Weird how your mind works.

I started this 8x8 Dylusions journal in mid January, and it is almost complete. Something about this size just motivates me to do more. The two Canson Mixed Media journals that are larger are only about three fourths full, and 2 months older. Hmmmm. It will all get done. Raining today, so it is definitely a journal day. Stay healthy.
Linda