New Beginnings at Anything But a Card

The finished product.

The blank journal I used.

So it's another New Year and I have decided to keep my resolutions easy - at least I think they are easy now, we will see how well I do (but nothing hard like exercise or no chocolate!!).  Since the current theme at Anything But a Card, challenge #43, is New Beginnings I decided to fulfill one of my resolutions, and something I hope will help me creatively, which is to have an art journal and actually journal in it. My plan is to write, and make art, in the journal at least 2 times a month. I'm afraid if I make my goal too ambitious I'll rebel (I can be my own worst enemy) and I don't want this to become a chore.  I have a few many  blank books hanging around, but I decided to use the Strathmore Mixed Media Journal. The size I chose is the 9' x 12" so I would have lots of room to get messy.

LOVE these inks!!

I wanted to jazz up the cover and I knew I wanted to stamp on it - so I dragged out ALL my Adirondack Inks from Ranger (the first inks I fell in love with ages ago) and all my word stamps. I have been collecting word stamps for years and what a perfect way to cover a journal? Also, I had to use my art stamps, another collection, since I wouldn't only be writing in my journal, I'd be making art as well. Since the cover was a glossy brown I thought I'd cover it with gesso and then stamp away.  Nope.  Well, I suppose I could have, but I didn't like the look of the ink on the gesso - it sorta just sucked the ink in and the vibrancy was gone.  So, plan two - I cut a piece of white cardstock to fit over the cover and stamped on that.  I also stippled some color around in some of the emptier spots.

Even the stippling smudged

When I finally got the cover done (and it took me a few nights as I would work on it and then leave it. I like the perspective I get on my work after I leave it for a while) I wanted to protect the cover it so it wouldn't be susceptible to my mess and tea spills.  I first tried Glue 'n Seal from Ranger but it smeared the Adirondack ink horribly (thank goodness I learned my lesson long ago to test things out before you go full tilt).  So after that dried, I broke out good old Modge Podge, in matte.  That, too smeared some colors of the ink, but I actually think it looks cool and since I can still read the words, the smearing is fine. Adds character. Funny that only certain colors of the Adirondack inks bled.

Smudged but in a cool way.

The part of this entire process that took the longest for me was deciding on what letters I wanted to use for the "My Journal" title.  I have tons of alphabet stickers and an entire drawer full of alphabet stamps sets - I went back and forth for days, but finally settled on the very first alphabet I ever bought and a continued favorite by Stampers Anonymous.  I went to their website, but it looks like it has been discontinued.  In case you want to see if you can find one, this is what it looks like:

It didn't come in this case, and it has no real name, but I use this set more than any other. I had so much fun stamping like the "old" says - I forgot how much fun just getting down to basics can be. Scroll down for one more look at the finished journal if you'd like.



So now I am all ready to start my New Beginnings with my "new" journal - how about you? You still have loads of time to enter at Anything But a Card.  Come and show us what New Beginnings means to you. 

Thanks for stopping by ~ Christi.

PS: If you comment on a post and would like me to take a look at your blog, please note your blog address in the comment. When I click on your picture it only brings me to your Google plus page, not your blog. 

Shiny!

I would like to enter my brand new Journal into the following challenges:

Artist Trading Post - New Beginnings
djkardkreations - NBUS challenge #3 - Anything Goes
Crafty Catz - #262, New Beginnings
Country View Challenges - Use Something New to You
Mixed Media Monthly Challenge - #8 New to You