I created this simple journal page that made me smile. Enjoy your weekend.
Here’s to cheerfully created imperfect Christmas art!!
Xoxo
Me
Ps. I thought I would add a quick pic of my latest gear art. It is still a work in progress but I am enjoying the process.
So take a gander.
Yep – I am just that fancy — I am using paper plates to steady this as I work on it.
Okay so I got tricked into taking tickets at Mr.’s Christmas choir performance and so today’s Blog-Mas is a pop art pop up at the last minute.
This page began as a magazine page I cut things out of. I used sharpie paint pens on top of the pic.
Remember you don’t have to know how to draw to enjoy art journaling. You could cut and paste, graffiti or whatever you enjoy. Stickers and stamps are a great way to begin. Just keep telling yourself it is for you not others — and have fun!
Have a good weekend and take some time for yourself to cheerfully create something imperfect.
It doesn’t have to be perfect to be worth your time.
Cheers!
Xoxo
Me
Today’s BlogMas is an art journal page I created from a magazine page. I loved this image and actually created the background to go with the pic. It spoke to me.
I usually do make backgrounds ahead of time – it’s a good way to be creative and just relax – you are just sticking stuff here and there or spray painting a stencil or mask. Maybe Mark making or ink blobbing — so no pressure.
Sometimes when creating I will wipe off my brush or maybe press the used stencil on a blank journal page. Then use that as a beginning when creating a background later for my art journal.
This layout speaks to my feeling a bit rushed – hot and frantic at times. I like to be busy but it can be just too crazy at times. My mind is usually feverishly going over whatever I am dreaming or worrying about so this image worked well with that idea.
You can Journal through your images in this way.
Happy Thursday.
Xoxo
Me
One of the things I love to do – is taking something and repurposing it. I truly feel happy when puzzling out what I can do with a plain Jane item to make it a holy moly item.
Truth be told – I was actually doing this BEFORE IT BECAME COOL.
Because mixed media and repurposing is so popular in the states now it is hard to feel like anything is new – but new or not — I still love it. Today I am using shoe polish and wallpaper.
This page begins with torn pieces of wallpaper and brown Shoe polish from Kiwi. (SC Johnson & Co.)
torn pieces are glued down and then using my finger I rub the shoe polish on to create depth and a waxy base that allows me to “mess” with it on the page as I create without the paper getting too mushy or muddy.
Shoe Polish tins are cheap, found in most Walmart-like stores and a fun use of a product you wouldn’t think would be on an art journal page. Wallpaper is a great usable too. Your home improvement store usually has free samples — grab a few!
I often hit up the home improvement stores for stuff I can repurpose… gears, DAP, wallpaper … … the list goes on and on. It is hit and miss but always fun!!!
So Have some fun and find some unusual way to use a very usual product in your artistic journey through art journaling.
Xoxo
Me
Here’s a pic of today’s layout created with my brayer a stencil and some Liquitex modeling paste.
I might add something else — haven’t decided yet.
Have a good Tuesday.
Xoxo
Me
Today’s Blogmas is a two page spread incorporating my gears. Those of you who don’t know my art work may be unfamiliar with my Gear Goddess series. You can find pics on my Instagram @sherritimmons_art.
I love creating pieces with the reclaimed and rusty metal I find in parking lots, at army surplus or stuff I have rusted with fire. –(Mr is still not happy with what I did in the Dutch oven – but I say it was clever and makes an excellent place to burn and rust things!!!).
Here’s a quick pic of a piece I am working on in studio right now. It is a new direction for me but I am enjoying the challenge
to see my Goddess collection — hop on Instagram. Now back to art journaling.
Today’s background was made using Tim Holtz distress stain in vintage photo. Then just for kicks I splashed witch hazel on it.
I wasn’t mad at it so I kept going. I cut some gears out of one of the amazon boxes I am getting everyday. Then painted black and finger rubbed some (it’s a technical term!) with Prima Art Extravagance rust effect paste in red rust. Some scratching, cutting, shmearing and ….. taaa dah!
I find quotes and song lyrics a great way to tell through art journal pages what we are thinking about or worried about or excited about. I often take part of one quote and mash it with parts of a different one.
I am hoping to open a small retail space and expand my art in 2019 so many of December’s thought are about that goal. Thus the quote on today’s layout.
Thanks for checking out Art Journal Gypsy BlogMas. See ya tomorrow. Here’s to cheerfully created imperfect art and art journal pages.
Xoxo
Me
So here is the first of two posts today.
Remember the tags I had to break up with. (It was just never gonna work!). I put a little Xmas on them. I plan to journal some of my fav holiday traditions me and Mr. have on the other page.
It’s not a great page but i do like that I can still see some of the Xmas tags under the color of the pan Pastels and the dress pattern. For me, the layout will be of value because of the journaling element.
The second post today will be up in just a bit. I am not mad at it at all. Hope you will like it too.
Thanks for taking the time on a busy Monday to check out these blog posts and for the positive comments I have received. I appreciate it.
Have a good week and when making your lists and checking them twice don’t forget to schedule some time for you to do something creative for you and your inner self. Not the fat kid inside you inner self but the artist inside you — what the heck – eat some candy while you create and satisfy them both. It’s Christmas after all.
Xoxo
Me
So I am cheating and posting a journal page today that I created a bit ago.
Hope you are having a good weekend.
Scroll down and take a gander.
Xoxo
Me
Today’s layout is a two page spread. One page is mostly journaling. The other page speaks to me / for me in a number of ways. But I swear as I was creating the layout I wasn’t conscious of why I was choosing certain stuff.
I am a literature major – so the book page. Lavender is my fav color and I enjoy flowers – so the flower. I wear my red Keds everywhere and they show it! Neither my shoes or my little studio on top of the antique store is perfect – lathe plaster is peeling off the walls in some places, there is no heating or air conditioning and other stuff. But I love it for the fact that I have a studio. I have a place that is dedicated just to creating. I am my happiest when in that space. I would live there 24/7 if I could but my dog and my Mr. resist this idea!!
Through your art journal pages you can do more that play with different art techniques. You can Journal your feelings, dreams, stuff your pissed about and much more. Many times I don’t realize why I grab a certain color or ephemera-I just let it organically happen. On a good day I stay out of the way of myself … and then tadah!!!
whether your “studio” is an unused bedroom, a garage, a kitchen table or a beautiful brand new building …
— create in your space.
Xoxo
Me
What do you do with a bunch of old gift tags some Pan Pastels and an art journal — make a background of course.
Recently I was given a box full of old gift tags. I decided to use them in a two page background spread. (Which is French for I screwed up the idea I had so I decided to make a background out of it instead!) Not sure what will go on top of it yet. 
Layers of mistakes can sometimes surprise me as an artist. I wasn’t digging the tags after I glued them on the pages – so I tried to tear them off. Nope that dang sticky stuff really stuck it. So I decided I would paint over them. Nope again. Still didn’t like it. So I grabbed an old dress pattern with lots of lines and marks on it and Matt mediumed that baby on top. Now I wasn’t as mad at it so I decided to grab my Pan Pastels. Pan Pastels are an artist grade pigment powder kind of thing. They come in little pans like this. 
They last forever and the colors are very vibrant. I bought these about ten years ago and I haven’t ever found anything that goes over crinkled up tissue paper or patterns as well.
I spray hair spray on top of them to “set” it. I use cheap make up sponges to apply it or my fingers.
Here’s a pic of the finished background spread. 
When I’m not art journaling I am creating with gears and rust so I don’t mind the darker tones. But I realize it wouldn’t work for every artist. ( you can see that stuff on my Instagram: sherritimmons_art )!
I hope you are having a good week. Be yourself and Be happy with that!!
Xoxo
Me
Art Journal Gypsy 