Inspiration Wednesday 2016 Week One

Super-stoked with Lesson One of Donna Downey's Inspiration Wednesday 2016! I want to try this technique again, but with slightly different methods, to get the background whiter, and not as much raw umber showing. Loved Donna's whiter version.

I would have loved to use that brushes stencil by Donna Downey, but you can't have everything you want, right? :) This doily-type stencil is by Memory Box, and I use it a lot. With this type of medium, it looks vintage, but I have used it in a way that looks funky. Love it when stencils are that versatile! 

Looks quite different with color drippings, and I love it! It's not something I would have done myself, so I love this little creative push to do things I might not ordinarily do! Golden Fluids, you are beautiful!

Little peak of the edge of my handmade journal. Yum yum. Binder clip, you look pretty good too!

Rough, fraying edges, I like you a lot too. Neon chartreuse-colored elastics, why not? Mawaaa!

The numbers are made with a stencil set from Staples. Who says ordinary, utilitarian stencils can't look good? Add the flourescent pink...can't get away from pink, nope! 

And...my favourite part, I think...a Morse code-ish looking stencil by Stencil Girl's designer Julie Snidle for the September 2015 Club. See the bottom edge of the layout and at the top part of the inclusion tag? Just for a little extra. Not something that will scream at you, ya know. :) 

And me likes how the yellow is pooling on the edge....

Never mind the fingerprints embedded in the design of my page...my fingers get impatient with drying times...

I wrote up a blog post of my handmade IW journal. See it HERE, or just go to the older post.

Well, there you have it. I've done the first challenge of this year-long project. Next Wednesday, the next video is out, and I am eagerly waiting for it! 

Have a great day! 

♥♥♥ Anna ♥♥♥

Inspiration Wednesday Handmade Journal

Inspiration Wednesday: for years the course has intriqued me. This year, I've decided to jump in. 

I want to share the journal I made for it. I made my own. Why? 'Cause it's fun. And my own. Did I say it's fun yet? It is fun to make your own. 

Of course I can't keep it simple. I have to make my own journal. My previous post was of my Artsydoris, and I still I'm not over that. So, with a slightly different take on the whole thing, I will use my skills learned from the Artsydori workshop, and make a larger one for INSPIRATION WEDNESDAY 2016, hosted by Donna Downey. I've been intrigued with that workshop for many years, but you can only do so much, right? This year I'm jumping in with both feet. So, making my own journal for it.

Here are some details:

-  9"x12" Watercolor paper pad by Canson

- 26 sheets folded in half, which gives me a spread to work on once every two weeks, just like the project is set up.

- 5 signatures in total, 4 signatures have 5 sheets = 20 sheets, 1 signature has 6 sheets = 26 sheets 

Punched holes one inch apart with a dentist tool. (I lost my paper piecer, and for some crazy reason, I found an old dentist tool in my tool stash. Life with boys, I tell you. They like to save anything they find!This time it came in handy for me! ; )

- next step is to sew the signatures together. I added a Ranger tag between each each sheet, Inspiration Journal by Donna Downey style. Pink thread of course. ;)

The signatures, left to their own devices, lol, splay open like this. They will be harnessed soon with mixed media goodies in them! Can't wait to make a big mess of them. I folded them, and slip them into the elastics of my Dori. So easy.

Next, I fashioned my Artsy Dori. See the workshop here: Junque Art Sudio.

So, with this set-up, I can take out one signature at a time to work on my projects, and once dry, I can slip it, easy peasy back in - Traveler's Notebook-style. 

Here are some of my process pictures:

Underpaper on canvas, sprayed with Tulip fabric paint and a handmade mask, some gesso smudges, and some Gelli printing scraps...

Didn't like the blue middle...

Changed it to purple.

Added white markings and deep purple. Perfect.

Here's the back! Changed the dark colors to more muted tones, to match the front. I'm happy.

Next, is the project!! Here is my Week One project page in progress. Loving the look. Adding bright colors next. 

I'm very eager to learn new art journaling and mixed media techniques! Here goes nothing! :)

 Hopefully you'll see more Inspiration Wednesday posts. I love starting new projects, but find it hard to complete anything! Craft ADD, I tell you!

Have a great day, everyone, and thanks for visiting!

♥♥♥ Anna ♥♥♥