Class-a-holic

I finished my Decorated Page workshop (DPW) last week and went right into the Creative Lettering class I'd purchased...in May {blush}. I'd done the sample lessons right away, but got sidetracked when DPW began its demanding pace. I was so determined to get back to my lettering that I did the last two DPW assignments as my first two lettering lessons. A two-fer always helps save time. :-)

Here are my last 3 DPW pages. First is a page I created in answer to an art journal prompt over at On the Wing ning. I combined a bleed layout with a spilling application (in DPW lingo):



The next DPW page is also my first lettering lesson. For DPW, I combined another border layout (we have one less layout type than we do application types, so I got to repeat one layout) with a springboard application. For my Creative Lettering Class (CLC), I was to print out an upper and lower case alphabet:



My final DPW page is also my second CLC lesson. For DPW, I combined a columns layout with a changing forms application. For CLC, I was to print out an upper and lower case alphabet 4 different ways (like 4 fonts if I was typing it):



That finishes up DPW and I should get my signed certificate around the end of this month, as I was one of the first to finish and she's giving a few extra weeks for as many as possible to finish.

So, onto CLC. I went ahead and did the first 2 lessons again, this time on graph paper. I wanted to practice my formation control some more:



I've kept on working on CLC and have 3 more lessons under my belt. Lesson 3 required me to write some words, each twice. So, I wrote down some names of my favorite film stars of Hollywood's Golden Age. I couldn't stop there, though. For practice, I wrote a quote that I created (I'm the fan):



Lesson 4 required me to write a quote of my choice on curving lines and then erase the lines. I opted instead to use my curve form (I used it to make my pocket in my DPW journal) as a ruler and just write with it placed on the page:



For Lesson 5, I was to journal on some wavy lines that I need to draw. This time, I used a wave-shaped ruler and traced the lines with a Gelly Roll sparkly gold gel pen, because I wanted a very light line. I will do this again, as it worked out great. I chose a Gelly Roll purple gel pen to write another quote:



I am thinking I will do this last lesson at least one more time, this time stretching my letters from line to line horizontally. This is how my teacher did it in the lesson example. I've only done this one other time and I was okay until I got halfway into it, then I kind of paniced. I'm going to try not to do that this time and will share what I come up with.

I hope to finish this class quickly, as I got a free one when I signed up, so I have at least one more lettering class to take. Plus, I am also going to start up Kelly Kilmer's A Prompt a Day class on September 1, come hell or high water. I still have not done all of her class from January, so I want to do those during the rest of August to get in the groove of painting backgrounds and journaling on a daily basis. That's why I titled this post Class-a-holic. I definitely am one, but I'm enjoying myself.

Until next time,

more finished journal pages!

Well, I hope all you are lucky enough to have plenty of air conditioning and iced tea, cuz here come the Dog Daze of Summer!

I turned the corner this week on my genealogy-themed journal pages for my Decorated Page workshop. Since I am needing a family tree break, this is good timing! This first page spread combines a Cutout layout with a butterfly motif page application. I've journaled the states that my ancestors inhabited in the clouds and used a stitch stencil to make the tiles on the roof. The image shows my cutout house tip-in on top of each facing background page:


Next, I took the locations of my two forefather lines and mapped them with stars. This spread combines a full page layout and a birdseye page application, using a stencil for the title. This one was sorta thought up on a whim, but I'm soooo thankful for that whim. I'd read enough wills, legal records and family documents to know that both branches were East Coast tobacco planters from the mid-1600s up until around 20-30 years before the Civil War when they migrated to the Mississippi Valley to farm. I knew that logically. Yet, when I saw the scatter plotting of those stars, I FELT it. I'm getting goosebumps right now just thinking about it again:


And finally, what is better than dishing a little ancestor dirt? LOL Too bad for you that I blurred the juicy naughties in order to protect the reps of my dead. You'll just have to use your imagination. The background is taped off and chalk ink's been sponged on. I combined a mandala layout with a storytelling application, and I stencilled the title (once again):


Until next time,

more decorated pages...

Hello! Thanks for visiting. I'm continuing to enjoy taking my Decorated Page workshop, and I wanted to show you my latest progess.



Next up after Lesson 1, was decorating our journal covers. I found this cool crown on the cover of an old paperback book I was trashing, so it was the inspiration. I also had some very old Scenic Route paper, letter sticker squares and square brads. I was going for a medieval royal English take on it, like 'decorated by royalty', a pun on the title, since my journal pages are decorated, too. :-)))

I created this by first gessoing the cover, then painting it black with a little azo gold glaze mixed in. I collaged the papers on, then brushed on some micaceous iron oxide (and blotted some of it off with a paper towel), followed by another glazing of the azo gold. Then I adhered all of the other stuff. That was Lesson 2.



Next up was Lesson 3, which included several techniques for prepping page backgrounds. This was an exercise in using poured acrylic paint on a page. Some people did exactly what was instructed in the book and had some messy accidents, because we were supposed to dilute the paint a lot with water. You know me, I couldn't bring myself to do that. So, I began by blobbing on tiny dots of paint on one page and smacking the 2-page spread together, then pulling apart. Then, I did it again with a little dilution. Then, a third time with more dilution.

Next technique was watercolor washes. Now, I suck at watercoloring, no doubt about it.



My first attempt is above. I tried the traditional method of watercoloring: activating dry pan colors and brushing on left to right, top to bottom. You can see every single boo-boo stroke. Thank goodness that watercolor is okay to look imperfect.



Second attempt, above. Things are looking better, eh? Practice makes perfect, but I also switched my brush out. Ya gotta have the right brush, I guess.



This wasn't even part of the assignment, LOL. I just decided to color with my watercolors. Totally hand drawn and primitive. I think I will journal in the center boxes.



Here is another detour I took. I was having a convo in the workshop with Tim and she said she uses her watercolor pencils. I was like, how can you get such a smooth surface blend with those (a wash is supposed to be smooth). Then I thought, baby wipe? So...

LAB EXPERIMENT!

Above is my first try and wow, did it work awesomely! I've named this technique "watercolor rub". Thanks for inspiring me, Tim!



And here is another try at watercolor rub. This time I used different but complementary colors, orange and yellow. Don't know about you, but I plan to use this technique a LOT. All you do is apply color with your pencil liberally, then rub it gently with a baby wipe. Be warned, though: the harder you rub, the more you rub off, so go gently into that good wash, lol.



Last watercolor technique was to lay down a wet wash of watercolor and then scrunch some saran wrap and lay it down for 5-10 minutes, then pull off. I did not really care for this one, but I did it instead of another option, which was to add table salt, which I liked less.



This technique was to sponge on some acrylic paint using a stencil of some sort. I chose a piece of sequin waste as my stencil.



And, next was to sponge on some ink using tape to divide it and create a pattern. I used that blue painter's tape (stuck it to my clothes first to de-stick it a bit) and chalk ink. This is one of my fave pages. Love how it came out (and I only tore my page just a wee bit on the bottom right when trying to pull the tape off).



On to image transfers (can you believe this was all on the assignment for just one week? It took me two full weeks, people, and I worked on it throughout. Phew!). By this point, I was just wanting to take the quickest route to finishing, so I found a 3M Adhesive Remover Pen in a drawer and I knew that would give me a fast transfer. I'd printed out some photos on my Laserjet of my favorite actress Norma Shearer. That's a toner-based image, which is what this solvent-based transfer will work on (sorry, no inkjet copies). This is Norma in her 1925 silent film, Lady of the Night. I've shown the original image beside the transfer so you can see how well this works (make sure you have proper ventilation cuz the fumes will overpower you).



Here is Norma in the title role of her 1938 movie Marie Antoinette, which I have not yet seen but very much want to, of course.



The final technique was to stamp a page. I stamped a lovely french flourishes border on one of my pages I'd rough-brushed with azo gold glaze.

Well, I am temporarily caught up with this class now, but Lesson 4 is about twice as voluminous as Lesson 3. Thankfully, it's the final lesson, so once I get through with it I'll be done and I can earn a real live certificate! And, the best part? Gwen Diehn, author of the book, is gonna sign them herself! Whoo-hoo! And this workshop was FREE. :-))) Check out Artists of the Round Table group on yahoo...they seem to always have a new workshop starting.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I just joined On The Wing's new workshop. It's called....The Decorated Page! Yup, doing it again, lololol.

Until next time,