Junk Journaling

I am around fabric all day every day and love every minute of it.  But sometimes as you may know I need to revert back to my original love - paper.  Art journaling is a therapeutic joy.   Book binding is a fascinating art.   Junk journaling throws it all together in a fun way!

I baked some brownies for my son one evening a couple of weeks ago (Betty Crocker, as I am no scratch baker!)  The empty box in my hand felt like a perfect size for a journal (am I sick or what?!)  I  decided to make it a true junk journal - only using leftover supplies - so I covered in with some old book pages and used bits and scraps that came from others in swaps or were left over from other projects.

Extra bits and pieces of Gelli plate printed papers and washi tape added some color here and there.
Five signatures were bound in with waxed linen.  All I have to do is add something to dangle.
Have to admit that I really love how it turned out!  The brownies were sweet and so is my journal!

My Name is Johanna and I am addicted to crafts

You are too?  Then you understand. 

Being addicted to crafts doesn't make my life unmanageable.  It makes my craft room unmanageable at times but it makes me so happy and makes me a better person.  I have long extolled the benefits of crafts and hobbies and how it HELPS people.  In our shop we all laugh and say that quilting is cheaper than therapy.  While it is not a substitute for a great therapist (highly suggest that you know one, if not 'just in case') it is such an amazing addition to sanity, stability and happiness. 

This is the latest project coming out of my craft room.  Judy Neimeyer's 4th of July.  Love it, don't you?  It will be the next donation quilt for the Gold Coast Quilters Guild, with tickets being sold for a chance to win it.  Thank heavens I had fellow guild members help with piecing the blocks together.  When I have a project with a deadline I am hesitant to work on anything else, even though I have new toys, projects and ideas piling up like a creative queue.  

The storm before the calm was pulling all of the foundation papers off of the back before it goes off to the long arm quilter.  What a mess (but it's a relaxing process.)

What now, you ask?  

This is a big birthday year for me and I set a goal for myself.  I want to expand my talents and abilities and become an art quilter/fiber artist.  There.  I put it out there.  I will find time for myself to explore new techniques and mediums.  I have signed up for a retreat this winter with teachers that I admire.  Look forward to sharing these adventures.  In the meantime My craft addiction is taking me outside of the quilting genre into paper and other mediums.  Have you seen the planner world lately?  I have always kept and carried planners.  Now there are groups, websites and products to embellish and journal in the planners.  I made my own leather travelers notebook.

Natural leather that I stained red and cut to fit the inserts I chose.  I am enjoying this new journal.  I have inserts for a calendar, to-do list and notes and ideas.  A necessity in my life.

What's NOT a necessity in my life?  This new 'toy'.

It's a loom!  A fancy loom that was given to me by a customer.  I took a weaving class a few years ago using a little portable loom made from PVC pipe and loved it.  When I was asked if I new anyone who wanted a loom I jumped at the chance to explore this fiber art further.  I had no idea how beautiful (and large) it would be.  It is going to be a project to learn how to use it.  Did I bite off more than I can chew with this?  Hmmmm.  In the meantime I will sweep up the paper, clean my craft room and start playing with something new today.  Anything new that is sparking your creativity?

A Broken Record and Martha's Vineyard

I sound like a broken record - talking to myself anyhow - wondering how I let so much time pass between blog posts.  I vowed to stay consistent.  Then again I am one who won't whine and complain on social media and in my blog and want to keep things drama free.  That explains the absence, as we have had lots of drama.  Hopefully most of it is behind us.  One of my favorite sayings that I often use in my artwork is "Keep moving forward".  I try to live by it.  

At the last minute (a trip planned in under 24 hours) my husband and I found ourselves in Martha's Vineyard, desperately in need of a few days of peace and relaxation.  A short distance off of the shores of Cape Cod, it is an island practically void of chain restaurants and shops and where most people leave the makeup and heels at home.  Amazed that we found a hotel room, we were welcomed at the Hob Knob Inn in Edgartown.  Pure charm!  We spent 3 days exploring the island and it's different towns, eating a lot of fried clams, lobster rolls and ice cream along the way while taking in the view of ocean, forest and farmland.  

How convenient that there was a Blueberry Festival?!

You can imagine that if there is a quilt shop nearby I will find it.  The Vineyard did not disappoint and I was thrilled to find that the Heath Hen Yarn and Quilt Shop in Vineyard Haven was participating in the Row by Row experience. 

 I stopped in and met Jan the owner while perusing this charming island shop.  She had a carefully curated selection of fabrics and patterns, including fabrics one would hope to find there - lobsters, sailing and other nautical themes.  Colorful skeins of yarn invite you to create something warm for the New England winters.  

The island was chock full of farms, farm to table restaurants, and locally made goods.  We stopped at at some of the little farms that were open to the public.  One advertised wool and had adorable baby lambs.  I was a bit horrified when I stopped into the farm shop and they advertised lamb chops next to the yarn.  Noooooo!

An alpaca farm was a well known stop along our travels so we couldn't resist.  (Okay, it was me who couldn't resist. Husband went along with it).   Education about alpacas is an important facet of the farm, and they sell babies for pets!  There were lots of the cuties, including two babies, and we were welcome to pet them - as long as it was done properly.  While I am not bringing an alpaca home to Boca, I did enjoy the visit.  Boy are they cute!!

A little beach, a little boat (a 10 pound bluefish) and a lot of fresh air. Ready to return to the running of the shop, the donation quilt project for the guild and lots of other things on my plate.  

It's all good.

Curious Bundles

Online classes are such a temptation, as the ability to learn from wonderful artists and instructors is easy and at our fingertips.  One can learn virtually anything - an endless menu of tutorials with eye candy samples and forums to share.  The problem for me is time.  There are only so many hours that I have at home - it is difficult for me to sit still and watch the computer for a long period of time.  

There are a few online workshops that have enticed me to register.  Most recently was Curious Bundles from Susie LaFond.  Her projects mix stitching, book making and journaling.  My favorites.  She has a whimsical, free style that appeals to me so I gave myself a push and signed up.  I watched her first project in the class step by step and followed along.  Cutting up old jeans and gathering scraps of bright fabrics formed the beginning of very creative project.

I think any level of stitcher can follow along with this class. I am happy with the results (above).   I made it a little shorter than Susie's samples, as I am only 5 feet tall and my cut up blue jean legs weren't very long! 

With pockets inside and out I can keep pages and mini journals as well as pens, stickers and anything else I fancy.  [the photos were taken on it's side so I could show the fringe).  I made a smaller bundle book without fringe for an Artsronauts swap.  Fun project.  Next up is to find the time to make one of the other projects.  

Not enough hours in a day!

Johanna

Ice Dyeing

I eat, sleep and breath fabric and crafting.  And as I always say, it makes me so happy.  Memorial Day rolled around and we quasi-planned the typical family outing of a boat ride and lunch.  Younger son didn't seem eager to go and after checking the marine forecast, neither did I.  I suggest to the husband that he and my older son have some quality time on the water, as they both wanted to go.  I got a little guilt but not much grumbling and off we went in our separate ways - me heading straight to my craft studio. A day off with free time, what to do?!!  Woo hoo! I decided to do some ice dying.

Prepped the muslin and got it all nice and smushy to take the melting  ice and make patterns.

Carefully prepared the dye.  No matter how neat I try to be, something other than the fabric gets dyed.

Covered the fabrics with ice cubes (a bag that I bought at the grocery store and smashed against the brick patio to crush it).

Added the dye to the ice and waited for it to melt.  Being a hot day in Florida that did not take too long.

Each piece of fabric gets rinsed and then washed in the machine. The results were fantastic!  I am hooked!  The question asked now is what will I do with them?  Good question!

Here is the result!  The colors in the photo are not exactly true to what they are in person, however they are bright, saturated, juicy colors and I love how they turned out.  12 fat quarters up on my design wall.  What do you create?!

You've Got Mail

Nothing like getting real mail, especially when it is art.  I used to participate a lot more when I had free time - when I was home with babies and could sit at the kitchen table and stamp and paste.  That was about the same time that our computer treated us to the phrase 'you've got mail' as we became addicted to the ability to communicate quickly and globally.  AOL is where I connected with other creative people around the US who exchanged mail art and had virtual groups and gatherings to facilitate the exchanges.  It was such a special and rewarding concept.

While it is so very tempting to sign up for the many swaps and exchanges that are so popular on blogs, Flickr and Instagram, I restrain myself from committing to projects that may overload me.  One swap that I have continued to participate in is the iHanna Postcard Swap.  I created 10 art postcards (above photo) and sent them to recipients around the world.  In the last week I have begun to receive wonderful pieces of art in my mailbox.  For me it is a manageable commitment that is enjoyment all the way around.

I also signed on to do a one time, one-on-one swap through the Artstronauts Facebook group.  I exchanged an art piece along with some ephemera with a like minded journal artist.  We decided to do a second swap and made journals for each other.  I absolutely adore what Laney made for me! A custom fabric journal holder with a hand painted and bound journal inside.  Love. 

I created a small version of a Curious Bundle journal (an online class that I took from Susie La Fond.  More information about that in another post.)  I truly enjoyed creating and exchanging and hope to do more down the road.  
creating something every day,
Johanna

Craft Sanity

Life happens - it can get crazy.  Sometimes I can't even believe some things are happening in our family.  But it does and we deal with it.  While I choose not to get into personal drama on my blog I can say that everyone is now okay.  I prefer to live my life with little or no drama if possible.  I make sure that I balance myself with creativity and you will hear me say that over and over again.  Getting lost in art is so healing and relaxing to me - it is what keeps me sane. 

After the most recent round of family issues I had the privilege of going out to join Teesha and Tracy Moore on one of their Art Romps.  I wasn't sure that I was going to go, and plans were not rock solid until I got on that plane.  With everything under control on the home front I was able relax in the best way for me. Turns out that all of us gathering together during those 3 days needed and deserved this getaway.

I slept on the plane and woke in time to see the mountains surrounding Seattle.  The land is so very different from Florida and is so breathtaking.  Majestic peaks rising above the clouds.  We landed a few minutes early and my bag came out first.  The hotel was clean and welcoming and I was able to get in touch with a fellow art romper for dinner.  All good things meant the start of a wonderful trip.  Kathy and I had a terrific Chinese dinner (Asian food is tops out here) and visited Starbucks after.  Starbucks here are huge - some serve beer and wine, have live music and fire places and most have a machine called a Clover that makes the coffee BETTER.  More on this later.

We arrived at the studio and were shown to our own work spots, complete with all the tools and pens one needs to get started on a creative journey.  We were shown lots of projects and possibilities and then left to choose (NOT an easy feat).  We also made it a priority to get some collage in our journals so we could take them with us in our evening out.  

 I took some photos of projects and the amazing environment where we worked.  Art heaven!  I loved seeing all of the art that Teesha and Tracy surround themselves with - both their own and other artist friends.  

I ended up on the tool bench having Tracy teach me to use drills and torches to construct a metal and leather journal!

I loved how it came out and cherish my new journal!  I enjoyed making it so much I decided I just had to make another.  So I did.

This time I made it mini and added a bail and chain for a journal to wear as a pendant.  And I got to play with the wood burning tool to texture the leather.  

There was an amazing selection of fabrics under the watchful eye of this owl, including custom printed fabrics made from Teesha's journal pages.  I found it dutiful to do a bit of sewing and fiber arts, so I created a felt and fabric 'thingy' with some of the custom journal fabric.  Perhaps I will sew it on to a bag.

I could fill this blog with lots of goodness from my trip but I won't overstay my welcome in your attention span.  Suffice it to say that it was the picture of a perfect weekend!