Hooked on books

This book is the project we made in Jeanne Oliver's class at Tiffanys.  It began with a vintage paper collage, and was painted and textured, then we used inks, paints and who knows what all over the top of that! It was a never ending layering process. I really enjoyed doing the textures. Years ago, when I was a muralist and faux finish artist, I used joint compound all the time. Its been a while since I worked with that kind of textural material and I realized that I missed it while working on this.

My book is different than the others, I went with a (surprise!) Fairy theme and hand painted a fairy, flowers, and butterfly on the cover.  I was going for more lacy and romantic than funky and cute. 

The technique was so addicitve, that when I got home, i was looking around for stuff to blob modelling paste or joint compound onto.

This collage is the one I am having a giveaway for. (leave a comment if you are interested, all comments on all posts are entered in the drawing)

Beth was teaching a 3-d style collage at Birdsong, and we did a practice class the week before, to make up a few of these.  (no two alike, she had a GREAT stash of supplise to work with)

It was pretty before, but I like it even more now that I added the textures, then inked over the edges of those a little too.

Here is the other one I did with her.  This one does not have the added paint or modelling paste over it.

  Good class, huh?  She has agreed to teach another one with me too.  We hope to do something in my studio for fall, along the lines of our Romantic Gothic Ghosts online workshop. But in person, not online. Maybe a Sat. in late September. Or early Oct?

Back to the Journal from Jeanne's class.

I took the book with me to Beth's for a craft day and really had no plans.  But decided to start covering the pages with old papers as a start. Beth had carved out a little niche for me to sit in among the piles of fantastic ephemera she has collected adn told me to help myself. 

So, I challenged myself to randomly pick up pages and odds and ends from what I could reach without leaving my chair and covered quite a few pages before realizing the book was going to be really thick. So then, I began removing every other page to make it less bulky, and covered the remaining pages.

When I got home, I started adding family photos, and other tidbits I'd saved, like this card my Sissy made.

And this bit of lace that was given to me last year by someone in my swap (by the way, I do have another swap plan in the works, details soon)

Sometimes the background pages I'd randomly used really fit the pictures.

Like this calandar page where I circled Sugarwing's birthday.

Other times, the papers were just background.  I tried to take the theme from the color or tone of the pages to coordinate my photos to.

But mostly, it was gorilla scrap booking.  I was slapping them in as fast as I could.

Sometimes it worked out well. I didn't realize this old magazine page was from a December issue till I'd glued a holiday photo down, to what I thought was just a neutral background. Lucky mistake!

If you are wonderfing why there is such an over abundance of Sugarwings in this book, its because I was way, way behind on doing a scrapbook, and these are mostly older photos I'd been stockpiling.

The Dewdrop photos are mostly tiny baby pictures. I have another stash of more recent photos that need to go in the next book I do.

Some of these photos are three years old, before Dewdrop was even around!

On this one, I added a flower plucked from the hat that my fairy baby is wearing in the picture.

 

I'll leave you with a few more pages. I think I've rambled on enough for now.

(this paper was not in Beth's stash, it is a painting Sugarwings did for me for Grandparent's Day!)

   

Comments

[janette kroeger]

October class

[Louise @ Elsie May and Bertha]

This journal you have made is a much better way to display youor photos than putting them in an ordinary phot album. I must create one for myself as I have loads of photos to display. Thanks again for the inspiration.

[Lululiz]

Of course it had to be a FAIRY bookcover, nothing else would do, lol. It turned out really great, must have been such a fun class. Love the collage you made with the same techniques when you got home as well.

[Gypsy Rose]

That's some scrapbook you got there girl! luv it! just precious. The cover is great. Am so looking forward to another tag swap.

[Sheila R]

What an incrediable scrapbook! Thanks for the wonderful chance at the gorgeous art collage.

[Kate]

Your book is so pretty! I love fairies and texture! Your wall hanging is so full of vintage beauty! I love your distressed edges and such. Just gorgeous!!
Kate

[mercedes scott]

Karla, your journal is fabulous... all those sweet pics and memories.... how fun it will be to sit down with the grandbabies to look at it together. Love the techniques with all the layers; please let us know about your little get-together in September - I'd love to come!

[Karla Nathan]

I think that this time, Ill do a larger book, not just tags!

Sent from my iPad

[bobbie]

Beautiful!!!

[Gypsy Rose]

A larger book would be awesome! Can't wait for the details.
Hope you are enjoying your getaway.

[Kate garfield]

I don't know who/what to look at first! The fun backgrounds or the family pics! Some great inspiring ideas,
thanks.
Kate

[Patty in Kansas]

Karla, the page with the dorkies wearing the party hats is hilarious, and of course, the grandbabies are always adorable. The joint compound sounds intriguing...but scary! Patty in Kansas

[Danielle @ Blessed Serendipity]

Love your scrapbook of all your wonderful photos and memories. I love how the book has a vintage feel. Gorgeous collage you are parting with. I would love a chance. I hope you post a tutorial of creating texture with joint compound. I am intrigued and would love to try it.

Danielle

[Linda P.]

Slapping in photos as fast as you can--that's called gorilla scrapbooking? Ha ha! Love that. You are so talented that even the fast slapping in of photos turns out magnificently! The fairy cover is just gorgeous. Oh, and I'm still lovin' that collage you're giving away!

[LeeW]

The textured journal is really nice- I love your painting of the fairy! I like all the compound added, as well, and also to the collage. Would like to hear more about the fall studio workshop! Thank you!

[Erica H.]

I haven't seen this type of scrapbooking before, but I LOVE it. It looks so quick and easy, but still incorporates the vintage items I like. I am soooo behind on my scrapbooking. I will have to give this a try and maybe catch up! Thanks for sharing. I'd love to see even more!

[Gail]

LOve your textured journal. Now I am inspired to do one too. Thanks!!!!

[Karla Nathan]

As soon as Beth and I come up with our Romantic Gothic Ghost projects, we will let everyone know, thanks for asking!

Sent from my iPad

[lynn legge]

i love all of the photos and momentos you have used.. the class sounds like such a fun one to attend and learn new techniques.. i am excited to be in the pool for a piece of artwork.. i so admire your style.. and that one picture of sugarwings and grandpa.. ohhh it touches my heartstrings.the photos that are not posed.. just caught.. in a moment of time :)
thank you for sharing.. and sending big ladybug hugs
lynn

[jeanie]

What a terrific project -- I'm thinking that modeling paste is my favorite art plaything -- you can do such great stuff with it! Love the photo book -- so many fun projects. Oh, I do indeed want a break so I can play like you do! Is it really that good?

[Kathy Uhrig]

It is utterly astounding to me that you could make a book like that in such short order! I like that term "gorilla scrapbooking" and will try to remind myself of that when I go off over-thinking every little thing.

[Karla Nathan]

I think I was supposed to spell it guerrilla, though!

Sent from my iPad

[hope]

I love how your journal came out - and that I got to see it as you made it :) that was a great class!

[Laurie]

It's so fantastic when you can stick to a project and finish like you did with your beautiful scrapbook. I am intrigued with your joint compound technique!