A mini journal

At the WOYWW crop on Saturday, Sam gave me the most fabulous 'handcrafted with her own fair hands' notebook - leather bound and so beautifully handstitched:

I absolutely LOVE it but there's a thing about me and new blank books, probably going back to childhood. Am always scared to actually use them!

But, when chatting to my buddy Sarn via the wonders of the airwaves on Monday, she suggested I could use it as a mini journal. Brilliant idea - the book is just less than A6 in size and much less daunting than the A4 sized journal I already have here.

Yesterday I had a little play, just the facing page - using colours to pick up the lovely floral lining of the book and a quotation that I think sums up how this little mini-journaling adventure should be undertaken:

I used:

- the mini journal of course

- Tim Holtz 'Scattered Straw' DI ink pad and a sponge applicator (tip, I slotted a piece of white paper underneath the page to stop any stray ink being spread onto the edges of other pages)

- Brilliance 'Pearlescent Ivy' ink pad and a stamp from the Inkylicious 'Bullrush' set

- Brilliance 'Rocket Red' ink pad and one of LOTV's 'Quotables' stamps from the 'Life's Journey' set

- Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink pad and the little bird stamps which are also from the Inkylicious 'Bullrush' set

God bless this ship and all who sail in her - watch this space :)

Di
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If yesterday's tale didn't make you a laugh

..then my offering for today just might. It's a very first go at art journaling - and frankly I think it looks as if a couple of dogs had a fight with inks, acrylic paint and some stamps:

You could really say what didn't the dogs I use? :( And of course there had to be pink.

The book is just a hard backed one I picked up in Hobbycraft, nothing special although the paper is thicker than most, a bit like watercolour paper - it cost about £3.99 I think.

I lost track of the ink pads, inks and acrylic paint I used 'cos I mixed 'em up a bit.

The sentiment/phrase is from a fabulous set I bought at Flutterbys the other week whilst there with Sam and Mo. It's called 'Art Phrases' by Creative Expressions - sadly they only had the one left otherwise it would have made a super Playground prize.

There are 10 'phrases' in the set which are on plain grey rubber and of course had to be cut apart and trimmed. I don't store my sentiments in files, they stay in their bags - and full sets of rubber ones are often tricky to sort through and find the one you want, unless you can easily read backwards of course.

So this is what I did:

On the insert that came with the stamps, I numbered each one and circled it. Aren't those phrases just fabulous?!

And then, with a permanent pen I did the same to the back of each matching phrase. I don't mount plain rubber stamps, instead I use a bundle of acrylic blocks in all shapes and sizes, ready covered with Tack 'n Peel made by Tsukineko. It works for me and even if the tacky 'lessens' they just need a rinse in cold water.

Not my finest hour but, I'm gonna keep the phrase I used firmly in mind - and perhaps something wonderful WILL happen if I keep playing with the journaling. As Sarn says, it's very therapeutic!

Di
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