down time

Every year, between Christmas and New Year's, my family has down time. We don't make a lot of plans, we don't do a lot, we just ARE. We eat together, we hug as we pass each other in the hall, and we just generally chill. I forget how much I love this time until it comes around again and I experience it. Then, I languish in it and enjoy every second.

For the past few years, I have been making art during this time, and this year has been no exception. I have started 2 new classes already!

The first class, is called Book of Days, and is taught by the wonderful Effy Wild. In order to prepare, I made a journal. I took water color paper, linen book binding thread, a big needle, an awl, and a hunk of raw canvas and I built a journal! This is about the 5th journal I've made this way, and I am addicted to them! Effy taught me how to make them in a workshop a couple of years ago and they are all I use!  On New Year's Day, my art tradition is to decorate the journal.
Here are my hands during the creation. I LOVE how they look! Happy hands, happy heart!

Here is the latest journal cover.

It is yummy turquoise and electric blue and white and more blue. I used all kinds of things to make it. The base were torn up pages from a book I bought years ago on the bargain table at Barnes and Noble for $1.98 called "Just like you, only prettier" I never read it. I bought it because I thought it would be the perfect thing to cover up by using for art journaling. I was right! :)  It makes me smile knowing that it's there. I didn't set out with a plan this year. I just picked up things and used them. I have no idea where the butterflies came from or why there is chicken wire mixed with butterflies, but I'm not going to worry about it. The cover is done and it is delightful! I'm ecstatic with it.

My second class is called The Documented Life and for it, you modify a Moleskine planner. THAT was scary! I've never bought a Moleskine, because they seem so.... professional? I don't know. Just never have. So here I not only saunter into Barnes and Noble and buy one (50% off, YES!), but then I come home, mask off the elastic strap, and dump GESSO all over it! Horrors. My heart was pounding!!!! But, in the end, it all came out beautifully.

Here is the cover.

Here is the side view. I took watercolor paper, some ancient Chatterbox paper, some mixed media paper, and a few other things and made "tip in" pages, which are held in place with strips of washi tape. It took forever, but it's gorgeous and chunky and fun and was SO worth it! 

So, each week, we will get a prompt that we will do a bit of art with and some journaling with. The first prompt was about your front door. I cheated. I put a different front door, because sketching is best kept simple for me. :) (right now!)  Here's what I did. I have not done my journaling yet, but I will! And on the other side of this page I plan to do a drawing about my word for the year (valor).

That's all for today! Thanks for stopping by!