Art Journal Class...

I have never been very artsy with the traditional painting themed supplies.  I don't draw.  I don't paint.  I don't consider myself an artist in the truest sense of the word.  I do however love to try all mediums and I always hope something miraculous will come from my hands. 
Along comes Miss Roni of Ink Stains.  I have blogged about her before but this time she is my teacher.   Roni is actually giving tons of lessons for making an art journal.  We have no idea what we will be doing or what supplies we will be using.  This is part of the fun for me.  I have lots of supplies, especially since I won Roni's grand giveaway.  This will be the perfect opportunity for me to use these art mediums I own.  I have always thought that if I purchase and own something I will automatically become adept/skilled...like the time I bought a brand new piano and paid for it for years.  Did I ever really learn to play that piano?  No.  Same for lots of other things through the years.  Osmosis just does not work with me.  :o)

Usually I save everything.  Never opening or using just in case I need it later.  Well...I opened and inked and brushed and spread and used my supplies.  I followed Roni's technique and had a great time.  This photo above is my initial template but I had so much fun that I ended up inking it and trying different looks. 

I haven't journaled on my pages yet but this one is my how to sampler.  The embossing, the white rubbing and the inking that results in "faux rubbing".  This is really super fun and even I didn't mind making a bit of a mess...not too much mind you as I am known as Miss Prissy my entire life.  Get my hands dirty?  Ewww!

This page will be my art journal cover.  I absolutely love how it turned out.  I may add something more however not so far.  It has an ethereal look and feel and yet it was so easy to make. 
Thank you Roni for offering your expertise and sharing with us.  I am looking forward to our next lesson. 
I will be using individual sheets of papers so that I may put them into a 3-ring binder.  That will allow me to utilize lots of sizes and thicknesses and not be limited by any one type of pre-purchased journal.   I have been collecting (all my life I have been collecting!) some pertinent ephemera for this journal too as I want it to reflect me and my likes and dislikes. 
After all this is MY ART JOURNAL...

Charming Creativity...

In my wonderful world of blogging and following other creative souls I found Michelle Palmer and her super creative pen and ink drawings. She does the most detailed and amazing tiny birds and nests and lots of other cuties. However it is her tiny little mice that I fell in love with.

One morning I got up early and was enjoying my blog reading when I saw this adorable little pink baby dress with the strawberry eating mouse. If you follow Michelle and her art you know it gets purchased as quickly as she can list it in her etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/MichellePalmer?ref=seller_info

and therefore I had missed every previous mouse. I was determined I would not miss out on this little pink dress mouse. I ran upstairs for the plastic and whew! I didn't miss this one. I was so excited I was shaking.

Even Mr. C knew exactly what I bought when I said Michelle Palmer. He knew exactly where I would display my newly acquired treasure...on the line he made me in the laundry room. How cheery it is to do my chores with strawberry mouse watching over me.

Isn't this just the cutest?!! My patience paid off and now I have my very own adorable pen and ink drawing. Michelle is so well known and respected that people commission her work. Thank you Michelle for sharing your charming creativity.

I love my little strawberry mouse on the tiny pink dress. This is a true collectible.

Promise kept...

So in my creative quest to make art and have fun and follow through I have finally inked one of my virgin stamps. I bought it years ago because it spoke to me. I would always set it out on my table but never use it. I don't know why but that is what would happen.

So as you can see, I inked my stamp and set it to paper, tissue and more paper. I embossed it, colored it and glittered it. Once I began there was no stopping me. I counted 44 pairs of shoes when I ran out of time.

What a simple little pair of shoes these are. What a powerful message they have. I call these Mary Jane shoes. I love them so much that I realized I was actually wearing a pair of my favorite black Mary Jane shoes while I was stamping.

So now I have used my little shoe stamp and what shall I ever do with so many stamped pairs of shoes?!! Well, I do have one little art project in the works and more in my head for the future. Stay tuned to see my current project.

Meanwhile keep creating and don't "save" your art supplies...use them and enjoy them. :o)