Category : Creativity

622 posts

T Tuesday: AJJ edition

It’s a two-fer today here at Halle’s Hobbies!

Art Journal Journey

T stands for Tuesday

I had planned to do two separate posts on consecutive days but a bout of stomach flu wiped me out completely yesterday. The day was all about sipping lemon lime soda and eating saltine crackers. I’m nearly 100% now…thank goodness…but a little slow to get my post up and running.

ajj collage

After going a bit wild with the colors, I went for maximum texture with this journal page. I feels a bit ’80’s to me with the dayglow colors.

ajj collage

I didn’t add any personal journal thoughts on this one just some found text that spoke to me at the moment. Once the words were determined. I sought out a square brad from my stash to bring the idea home.

new journal

This was the first page in a new journal. It won’t be long until this one is full since there are very few pages. I removed about half the bulk before starting but the pages are quite brittle from age so each spread will definitely have to be glued to the adjoining page.

I’m getting caught up on tasks I failed to do yesterday while watching the rain change to sleet and snow and back again. I know eventually it’s supposed to be all snow…just hoping the teen driver gets home first.

What are you doing today?

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T Tuesday: renewed frame edition

The weather is definitely turning here in the upper mid-west. I’m drinking more hot tea than iced tea. They are saying snow possible on Friday and Saturday. Not that it will be much or even stay around long at this point.

tea season

Enough about the weather. I wanted to share what I did to make my abstract paint complete. Let me backtrack by saying that after initially hanging it on our room we kept hear this weird clicking noise in the night. When the fan would hit the light weight canvas it would make noise!!! UGH! I took it down in the middle of the night and had to reevaluate.

I remembered that I hadn’t donated the old print yet and had an idea of how I could use it. Out to the minivan I went to retrieve the framed print.

reclaimed and renew frame

I tore random chunks and strips of kraft paper and soaked them in water while I got out my vinyl table protector(aka old ugly tablecloth). I used Golden polymer medium as adhesive to cover the chrome frame. This is the same stuff I used to renew my fridge and recycle cabinet with dictionary pages and it’s the same bottle I got for free at the recycle center!

reclaimed and renew frame

I slipped the edges between the frame and matte for a nice crisp edge. I then painted the matte black a few inches in all the way around. I poked holes through the print and attached the canvas using zip ties around the wooden cross bars and back through the holes in the canvas. I used a little dab of hot glue in each corner for a bit of extra security.

reclaimed and renew frame

Ta-da! Worked like a charm.

reclaimed and renew frame

The piece is substantial now and makes a statement.  I like it even more now…and total cost…nothing!!!! We’d even gotten that print for free about 20 years ago from Mr. G’s work. The glass had been broken on the print so they were throwing it out. He brought it home since the colors matched our old bedroom decor. It had hung over our bed ever since.

I’m waiting on a call from a friend as me might meet up today so my day is still a bit up in the air.

What are you doing today?

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A Tale of Two Pages

This tale is about the “right way” and the “wrong way” to be creative…at least this is how it went for me this weekend.

Saturday in an attempt to kill some time while waiting for some laundry to finish, I decided to challenge myself again to create for the Art Journal Journey theme of Collage~no wings, no leaves, no faces. To begin, I tore a page from a vintage basic electric manual figuring it had some good background to it already. In addition I snagged a couple of random scraps from my worktable and took the works to the sewing machine.

a tale of two pages

I then did a bit of journalling along the edge of one of the scraps. Ok…still feeling it…the creative spark was there but dim.

a tale of two pages

I added some color…still good. Then I sprayed some black mist through my circle stencil. It was as if the mist put out the spark. Instead doing the smart thing and walking away at that point to regroup…I was still waiting for the stupid laundry cycle to complete so I just kept throwing more crap at the page.

a tale of two pagesI’m still not excited about this one but that’s ok. Challenges are just that…a challenge. Otherwise it would be called super happy fun time.

Art Journal Journey

On Sunday while cleaning up my workspace I felt that creative spark again. This time I made a deal with myself not to push through if I wasn’t feeling it. I noticed a freebie art paper I had pulled from an old issue of Somerset Studio. So I had a great starting point…maybe an easy way to redeem myself.

a tale of two pages

Given the fact that this page has an eye on it it wouldn’t count for the challenge away.

a tale of two pages

I didn’t do a tom to the background…I used gelatos to intensify the colors in certain places, some outlining in white gel pen, lots of stamping, gesso through a stencil and heat embossing…but all in a very subtle way. After deciding on some layers of goodies including ink stained babywipes I adding stitching over my layers and around the page in a random fashion.

a tale of two pages

Some black paint splatters and added “eyeliner” were my final touch before looking for words. see possibility everywhere was just perfect.

So my lesson to myself was to know enough when to walk away. You can’t force it. I suppose it’s something like writers block…you can stare at a page but you can’t will the words or art to flow.

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Escape from memory

This art journal page truly was a journal page…although after I spilled words all over the page in random thoughts I covered it up or at least obscured the writing enough as not to be read.  The words were just for me and once written they could be forgotten. A mind dump, if you will.

escape from memory art journal page

The page has so many layers…I went in with a thought and then took it too far…way to busy of background. I just kept at it until it felt right. I used a Pitt pen and white gesso to create the striped lines.

Washi tape has been a go-to supply lately. I like to tear it before applying to the page so it appears more random…spreading a bit of paint over the washi helps to push it into the background and make a more cohesive look.

escape from memory art journal page

My love affair with circles shines through on this page. I have saved caps from bottles and jars in a variety of sizes that I dip into paint for mark making. The imperfection of these marks is the beauty to me.

Linking up with Art Journal Journey.

Art Journal Journey

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Taking chances

I had so much fun making this page! It didn’t go the way I planned…like at all but in reality I didn’t have much of a plan. I’m really enjoying blue and orange lately. I used gelatos over the top of a scrappy background that was glued down with ModPodge. I’m not a fan of this glue but I’m using what I have. The thing I do like is that once the surface is sealed with the ModPodge the gelatos move and blend so beautifully. That being said…if you don’t then seal them down with something they will just keep on moving and blending with subsequent layers. So I tried something…I used a foam brush and gently covered the page with another coat of the ModPodge. Shockingly it worked…other than the surface is a very plastic feel. Yet I pressed on.

20161103_10196

I added black craft paint through a stencil then some washi tape. I ended up using the washi tape to cover some words I was originally planning to use. They fit in the beginning but by the end my thoughts had changed.

20161103_10192

This sticker felt right and I couldn’t agree more. I added a bit of scribbling randomly around the page and a bit of journalling before calling this page a done deal.

Art Journal Journey

Linking up with Art Journal Journey today for the November theme of Collage….but no faces, wings or leaves are allowed. It’s funny how often those things are used in my collages…and I’m sure many others have that same issue. :)

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A second look: rusting result
Second on the 2nd

Today for Second on the 2nd I’m sharing a second look at rusted fabric. This was the first time I tried this technique and was quite pleased with the results. Since then I’ve rusted more fabric and even some watercolor paper.

Take a look…

eyes

6/20/2011

I just couldn’t wait any longer. I had to unwrap the fabric.

I’m going to leave them to dry in the yard for a little while.

Just look at all the rusty goodness…

And this…

Love it!!

My question now is…do I rinse the fabric or leave it as is? I love the look of it right now but don’t want to endanger myself or others if it should be rinsed.

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I did end up rinsing the fabric at the urging of Elizabeth…it faded a bit but was still quite glorious. This post reminds me that I need to ask Mr. G for some more scrap metal that I can use for rusting.

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Autumn’s amazing beauty

Our beautiful maple tree that is valiantly attempting to hang onto its leaves long after most are bare…

maple

inspired me to create another art journal page yesterday.

amazing beauty art journal page

I was also inspired to try some new things after watching several Journal on Monday videos by France Papillon. In some of her videos she uses a page from outside her journal just as I am…then attaches it later. This leaves you open to much wider possibilities.

amazing beauty art journal page

Of course not being able to choose just one new technique to try…I did several.  I love the added texture and dimension. The more I work on loose pages for my scrapbook journal, the more I like it. I’m not saying it will be my only way of journalling but it does provide me more freedom.

I’m linking up for the last time this month with Art Journal Journey.

Art Journal Journey

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