It's All About The WHIMSY!

Rebinding No Excuses Journal, Part 2

 

NME 2012 journal

For those who have asked for a more information and have questions this is a step by step explanation of the process I have used to expand my journal.  If your journal is soft covered, this is not necessary.  It will grow through the year without falling apart.  If you are using a hard covered daily planner these steps will keep it in one piece as it grows.

 

 

Here's the book unaltered

 

Use an exacto knife and slice off the cover.

 

Repeat on the back.

 

Remove the spine.

 

 

Cut your choice of fabric to fit the size of your book and add enough width to create the gap that will allow your planner to expand.

 

Here you can see the gap that will remain, 1 1/2 to 2 inches..your choice.

 

 

Apply PVA adhesive to front cover wide enough to match your fabric.  

 

Using a brush spread a thin layer of PVA.

 

Adhere the fabric to the cover.

 

 

Repeat the process on the back cover.

 

This is how the cover will look, from the inside.  Notice the gap that has been created.

It is important to allow time for the PVA to fully dry to avoid frustration!  

At this stage the book binding tape is used to join the cover and book pages back

together.  Cut tape to fit the length of the cover, press onto thecover first, then draw cover up to adhere the other half of the tape to the book pages.

 

It will look like this.  Repeat for the back cover.

 

Your finished book.  

Of course you can add ribbons or other embellishments

to dress up your journal!

Questions?  

Happy No Excuses journaling!

 

Rebinding No Excuses Journal, Part 2

NME 2012 journal

via whimsykalina.typepad.com

Winter returns

After one of the mildest winters  in recent memory, seems "normal"  has returned.  Heavy wet snow coats everything and unfortunately the landscape has taken a hit. 

Poor birds have been working hard to keep warm and find seed with the feeders coated in ice and snow.

The resulting sunsets have been spectacular!  

I've kept busy in the studio painting snow as well...well snowy owls!  

Large and Small...

Some of my paintings are large, intended for framing....

 

 

And some are quite small, just for the pleasure of creating...

Beginnings

A new year, a new No Excuses Art Journal!  This will be my seventh year using Gina Rossi Armfield's No Excuses techniques.  I love seeing the journals all stacked together!  

 

This year's theme is A Field Guide to the Seasons! Perfect!  

With an emphasis on the natural world I can include my favorite subject~ Owls.  

 

Oh how I love the Snowy Owl.  This beauty was spotted just before Christmas along the shoreline of the Atlantic here in Rhode Island.

 

Welcome to the new year, let's get this journaling party started!  

flowers a different way

So many pretties in the garden in spite of the very chilly weather (it actually snowed in the northern part of the state this morning)!  

Gathered a few pansies and made hammered prints. I love the rich color. Would you like to give it a try?  Place pansy face down on watercolor paper, cover with waxed paper.  Gently hammer to smash the pigment into the paper.  remove waxed paper and any pulp residue.  Let dry.  Fabulous !!   

 

 

 

Signs of Spring

A mossy kitty in the garden...

 

Miss Maggie in her "happy place"..

 

butterfly wings..

 

ink blot painting #SBS

and soon to be flowers!

 

Sketch Book Skool Stretching exercise this week...ink blot painting, such a fun and freeing project! 

 

ink blot painting #SBS

about rabbits...

 

See these beautiful crocus!  Spring has finally arrived after a very long difficult winter.  

 

And this adorable bunny...

Rabbits love crocus...and now I have none.....not rabbits, loads of those in the garden, but the crocus were last night's dinner for said rabbits.  Drat!  Not feeling so charitable to the adorable bunnies now...I failed to apply liquid fence fast enough.   First job on the to do list today!  At least I can save the pansies and protect the day lilies which are beginning to pop.  

Blues!

The color of the month for No Excuses Art Journaling is BLUE!  I do love blue, well there's not really a color I don't like.

Sprout #44 feather~ and yes it too is blue.  I seem to find a "pile" a day lately in the garden.  This is the most recent victim of our resident owl, poor blue jay....

And a pretty little blue bird card peek!

Playing with monotones and other stuff

 

I  issued  myself a personal challenge this weekend, use only one color and in loose strokes create a small portrait.. sometimes it's a good thing to break out of my existing groove.  This was fun, I will do it again.

Have you seen FLOW magazine?  Great illustrative fodder for inspiration.  They have an app!  Each day has a different tip or motivational quote with an illustration.  I'm making small copies to insert in my visual journal.  

More Snow???

The snow continues to fall...the poor adirondack chairs are disappearing.  26 days until SPRING, it can't come soon enough.  Another round of storms this weekend following a sub-zero blast tomorrow...

 

Our resident buck has been sleeping under the pine trees in the garden.  I think we've reached an understanding.  

There are opportunities to be seized with all this bad weather, more studio time!  This week's No Excuses Art Journaling sprout~ teapot.  Some days you are just at a loss for what to draw and paint.  I love Gina's weekly challenges, just the inspiration needed!

 

Card peeks for February, normally done one a week but as I'm snowbound I've finished them all.   This month's color focus is pink.  So cheery on a cold winter day.  

 

This sweetie is a commission for a charity auction coming up locally next month.  I can assure you our beach looks nothing like this today!  Even the sand is buried in snow!