New Year, New Challenge.....

Hi everyone! 

I'm not one to make New Years Resolutions

I've always looked at them as frivolous attempts...

I've seen so many fail or give up so quickly into the New Year I didn't care to try!

Give up smoking, lose weight, be better organized...

We've heard them all!

This is not

 my New Years Resolution 

but my

 2015 Creative Goal!

(at least one of them)

As much as I love paper crafting I seem to be feeling like something is missing.

I love the many different types of altering things...

from bottles, boxes, bags, tins, canvas's, etc...

I've done them all and had loads of fun and will continue to do them but now I want to get a little messier.

I want to play more with paints, textures, gels, etc...

I have been looking around the internet and fell upon

  Donna Downey's Inspiration Wednesday video's 

and well,

appropriately titled,

I found inspiration

and

I've decided to make a journal 

and start playing along!

So here it is!

My first art journal...

I went through my hoarded stash of fabrics and found this one to use for my cover.

It's a heavier fabric much like a canvas so I thought it would be perfect.

After tying the pages in I decided

 instead of cutting the ribbons, 

I would keep them long and used them to tie the journal closed!

Here is a look at my first page...

Each page has a little inclusion page. 

The idea with this little inclusion is to use a different material/paper than the paper (cardstock) used for the pages to see how a different material/paper would react to the same treatments.

I started with gesso

then added some super heavy gel medium all over for the texture.

I smooshed the letters and numbers (thickers) into the gel medium then added a bit on top of those as well.

Adding the word "Artist" was a bit of a challenge for me,

although I've been crafting for years I've never called myself an artist!

I topped the letters with a bit more gesso, 

then got out the gelato's that I bought 

umm...

last year? 

Or was it two years ago?

They have been buried in the back, on the bottom, of one of my drawers!

Using the gelato's, some water, paper towel, a brush and my fingers 

I spread on my color.

This was a hit and miss endeavor for me...

Spread it on, wet it, spread it, dab it off a little...

oops too much dabbed off,

start again!

LOL

To finish it I decided to add a little bit more,

the stamped butterfly in one of the above pictures...

the flower from die cut fabric pieces and a little leather flower sitting on my desk...

and an old tag I've had for ages

stamped with a sentiment.....

I am so pleased with how it came out!

I can't wait to do more!

*****

~ edit ~

Ok, 1 1/2 hrs later...

I couldn't help myself...

I added some Dazzelerz texture paste in a couple of corners!

*****

A new art journal 

and 

I got to use some hoarded goodies!

Win, win!

Hope you are having a Happy New Year so far!

What are your 2015 Creative Goals!

Thanks for stopping by!