My Remains of the Day Journal is Done

My remains of the day journal cover

Well, I dusted the cobwebs off my very neglected sewing machine. Step 1 complete. The only problem was that I totally forgot how to use it. It took me an hour to figure out how to wind a bobbin, as my machine is a bit different than most others. In the end, I realized that my frustration was due to using the wrong bobbin, as opposed to the ones that go with the machine. As the sewing machine was a donation from my Mom, who got a new machine, it came with a bunch of random parts, bobbins, and no manual. Who knew it would be so difficult to find a manual online. I thought I had hit the jackpot when I came across the model on the Singer website, only to find it was the right model, but the downloadable manual did not match the machine. Frustration aside, I used Easter Monday to get my cover done.

On Saturday, I took a fieldtrip out to Vancouver to find fabric. I came across the most amazing little sewing store called Spool of Thread. This was a random find, as it was right next door to RubyDog Art Store, which is chalked full of great ephemera. Just bins and buckets of old papers, clip art, and odds and ends. Great for a journal. Click on the links to access their websites. If you live in Vancouver (the Canadian one), or you are coming for a visit, check these stores out. Both stores also offer some great workshops. Now that I have dusted off the machine, I am tempted to take one of their classes. They look fabulous. Spool of Thread has the best fabric. It is bright, funky, and varies between modern and retro. It is all very cool. I had a very different plan in mind, but ended up with the brightly colourful fabric above. Totally not what I was going for, but it makes a good summer travel journal for my trip to Europe. Following the videos that Mary Ann Moss provided as part of her online class, it was really fairly simple. If I am saying it is simple, you know it must have been. A couple of hours later, I had myself a cover. By that evening, I had a cover and the first 15 pages of my journal. If you could see my apartment right now, every inch of the table is covered in paper, sewing supplies, and scraps. It is motivation to complete the journal just to resume some normalcy in the state of my home. Here is what my cover looks like, although the colours are quite different in the photo than in reality.

If you have not had a chance to check on Mary Ann Moss's online class, take a look at her website. http://dispatchfromla.typepad.com/dispatch_from_la/rotdoci.html
You can also checked out her intro video. Enjoy! If you decide to join me, let me know how your journal is going. I would love to see it.

More Postcards Arrive

Well, three more postcards have arrived from ihanna's postcard swap. Just four more postcards to go. What will I do once my mailbox is filled with boring old flyers, bills, and junk mail once again. This postcard swap has been such a great experience and I am already looking forward to next year. It has been such a great way of making connections and gaining inspiration from others, both via their cards and blogs. Here are the three latest cards.
The first card is from Bev. I love the springy feel and the layers of collage and paint. It is beautiful.

This postcard arrived from Kim. The front of the card is as fabulous as the back but I did not include a picture as I didn't want to publish Kim's address. Hopefully she stumbles upon my blog as I don't have an email to let her know how much I loved her card as well as the permission to be creative and just play.

The final card was from Suzanne. I love all the little individual butterflies. The colours are beautiful. On the back, her card says, "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life ~ Picasso." What a great quote, and it is one I have not heard before. I will have to add it to my collection. I also adore the glaze she used. The card is virtually indestructible and has a lovely crackeled look to it. 

Thanks Kim, Suzanne, and Bev for making my mailbox a whole lot brighter. Happy Day to you all!

Remains of the Day Journal

Well, you know how the world of blogs goes, you read one, which leads to another, which leads to another. Blogs are a wealth of great information and resources. I can't remember exactly how I came upon this online class, but I found it in a blog somewhere. I was intrigued by the notion of creating a Remains of the Day Journal, or a "shabby" journal. I travel a fair bit, and I am always in pursuit of the perfect travel journal. My travel journals tend to be loaded with a bit of writing, but more than anything, they include sketches, postcards, play tickets, train and airplane stubs etc... In the past, I have handled this by taping the items in or just stuffing them somewhere in the back. If I use a moleskin, I stuff everything in that clever folder provided. Something never seemed right about the way my travel journals have turned out. With that said, the Remains of the Day journal seemed to fit my needs better than anything else I have come across. It is full of the great paper and ephemera that I already have stacked on my desk, it includes wonderful pockets and folders to hold my travel treasures, and each page is unique and different. It was hard for me to make the choice to take an online class, because I have not done that before, but when I came across this month's issue of Sommerset Memories, and one of the big articles was on Remains of the Day Journals, I took that as some sort of sign and, as such, I registered. I have bought my fabric, which was a process in itself. Making a decisive decision was not easy when fabric stores are lined wall to wall with the most amazing fabrics. I also picked up some great ephemera, which was so much fun. I will post pictures as I create. In the meantime, here are Remains of the Day Journals from Pam Garrison and Mary Ann Moss, the instructor of the class.  Just click on the pictures to go straight to their blog posts.

 

I suddenly love opening my mail box

There is never anything good in my mailbox. Each day it is full of flyers, take-out menus, and bills. However, the last week has seen me rushing home to see what piece of creativity will arrive on my doorstep next. Ihanna's postcard swap has exceeded my expectations. So far I have received 3 out of the 10 postcards that should be arriving... that means 7 more surprises await. Here are pictures of my two latest cards.

My first card is from Michelle. I love the use of text as the background and the cherry blossoms were so timely. Not only are they blooming everywhere on the west coast, but I just posted a picture of the blossoms in my last entry.

The other postcard was sent by Mindy. It is amazing. Her use of collage elements and fabric is stunning. I can't imagine the work that went into each detail. My picture does not do it justice. It is sparkly and glittery and delicious. I encourage you to take a look at Mindy's flickr page. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunnyland_girl/ I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.

What I love so much about this postcard swap is the opportunity to see what other creative people out there are doing. It is inspiring and fills my head with ideas. I am still trying to figure out how Mindy created her flowers. Maybe she will let me in on her secret. Thank you Mindy and Michelle for brightening my day.

Spring has sprung

Signs of spring are everywhere. Flowers are beginning to bloom, blossoms weigh heavy on branches, birds are beginning to return, and life seems full of possibility. Spring is a rainy season here on the "wet," oh I mean "west," coast. It is easy to get discouraged with the rain and grey weather at this time of year I often yearn for the sunnier days of summer when I can bust out the flip flops and retire the rain gear and warm sweaters. With that said, I know that with all this rain comes new life. This page was an inspiration that rose from the most recent Art Journaling magazine. In the magazine, one of the contributors (who I would tell you about had I not lent out my copy of the magazine) created this adorable little nest out of scraps of paper. I loved this idea and it seemed to fit so nicely into a page on spring. Beside adding collage elements, some from Teesha Moore, I tried to jot down words or phrases that represented this season. In the nest are three small eggs that each hold a new possibility for the coming year. So far, at least two have already manifested themselves as I am in the process of planning my summer travel to Europe, and I accepted a new "challenge" in my job that should prove rewarding. Take a moment to get outside and experience spring. I know that depending on where you live, spring is going to look quite different. Enjoy what this season offers and open yourself up to the possibility of growth and new opportunities. What are your "3 eggs" or wishes for yourself this coming year. Take a moment to dream big. Dreams realized manifest themselves in many wonderful ways.

Happy Spring

My First Postcard

My first postcard arrived from Andria in Pennsylvania. What a great surprise it was to open my mailbox and find it sitting there. I love the bright colours and the small bird in the corner. Birds often find a place in my own journals, perhaps because they represent the carefree, happy side of life. I also love the quote, "No sound is dissonant which tells of life." Perhaps that is what journaling is all about, giving voice to the stories of your life, those lived and those yet to live. Thank you for the inspiration Andria. If you want to check out her great blog go to http://www.andria-drawingnear.blogspot.com/

The Finished Product

I finally finished my cards. I found it challenging to produce 10 tiny pieces of artwork but it was well worth the challenge. It will seem strange sending them off and out into the world but rewarding to receive 10 cards back. Producing these postcards, and receiving one already, reminded me of how wonderful it was, and sometimes still is, to receive something beautiful in the mail. In the current day of email, facebook, and texting, communication is at our fingertips. They only time I am blessed by a letter or postcard is at Christmas or if friends or family journey somewhere far and postcard worthy. Participating in this challenge has inspired me to do this more often for friends and family. What we send out into the world comes back to us and perhaps if I send out something beautiful it will come back to me in some form or another. If you are just dropping by my blog, and did not have a chance to sign up for the postcard challenge, I challenge you to create a beautiful postcard of your own and send it to someone you care about. Brighten their mailbox and, in turn, brighten their day.

The Post Card Swap: The Process

 When I heard about the postcard swap posted on the ihanna blog I was eager to try it out. It sounded fantastic. You create 10 small postcards and send them off to 10 strangers in 10 parts of the world. In turn, you were receive 10 postcards. It was a fun process and one I would certainly do again. The biggest challenge was coming up with ideas for the postcards that worked and that I liked at the end of it all. There is one thing about slapping paper and paint in my journal, it is quite another to send them off to someone you have never met in the hopes that they will like it. I didn't intend to have a theme of any sort, but in the end, I guess I kind of did. My postcards tended to be uniform in terms of their colour scheme and they all included a favourite quote. I had a hard time deciding what medium I would use, but in the end, I decided to work with mixed medium, one of my favourites. It gives you a chance to play around, use great paper, and splash on paint and colour.

I started out by double siding some cardstock in the hopes that it was strong enough to handle world travel. I then scrounged and scavenged through my piles of scrap paper, clippings etc... to find images that seemed to work with my theme of "creativity." After that, it was all about trying to place it in a way I felt worked. Once my cards had sufficient scrap added, I got to work with the paint, spray, water colour crayons, and glitter. My favourite journaling supplies are my box of cheap dollar store paints, my tattered angel spray mist, my caran d'ache watercolour crayons (they are the best!), and some cheap dollar store glitter glue. I then sealed each piece with modge podge in the hopes that it would stick together. In the end, I had 10 postcards I am reasonably happy with and am ready to stamp, address, and send off. My hope is that they will be well received. They were certainly made with love and some were hard to part with. Enjoy!



The Kindness of Strangers...

On my most recent trip to Paris, I managed to wander into the most amazing bookstore. It is not any great secret really, as it is one of the most famous bookstores in Paris. Shakespeare and Company has been around for years and is geared towards the "English" speaking reader. I had read about it and had planned to make my way there on prior trips but never quite got there. When I finally did, I was not disappointed. My family and friends know that a bookstore and I are never a good thing. Well, its a good thing for me but perhaps not so good for the people I am with. It is easy for me to get lost in a bookstore and this one was no different. The only thing that finally lured me out was my sister whining, an hour later, about wanting to see something other than the inside of the Shakespeare & Company bookstore.

Despite roaming through aisles and aisles of amazing books, the interior of the store was so fantastic. Each corner was another hidden treasure. There were wonderful surprises in every inch of the store, like a tiny writing room and even a bed to take a nap perhaps. Old armchairs lined the hallways, should you decide to just pull up a chair and read a while, and the walls were covered in murals and quotes. The photo I put into my journal has become one of my favorites.

Often times we are taught to fear strangers, to see each as some sort of personal threat. What a sad state of affairs we have found ourselves in when our first thought, upon meeting someone on the street, is whether they are going to bring us harm. This doesn't mean I don't trust my instincts. I think when we take a moment to listen to what our heart is telling us, we are able to see people for who and what they are. With that said, I am constantly surprised at the kindness of strangers. In fact, the greatest moments of kindness have often come from people I don't know. This summer, lost in a London tube station, I was blessed with the kindness of a well-dressed stranger who, while racing to work, took a moment to ask if I was lost. As I was, he got me to where I needed to go and then sent me on my way. There were also the two lovely men who carried my very large and very heavy suitcase up a very steep flight of stairs when they saw me struggling. These are only two small examples of the many I could have written about. They may not have been big, and they certainly didn't change the world, but they are just two small examples of what has renewed my faith in strangers.

I encourage you to think about a time that a stranger was really an angel in disguise for you. What did they do and how did it make you feel? Journal about it. Give thanks. Maybe even write a letter of gratitude. When you are done, try to pass it on. Kindness is catchy and it makes you feel as good to dish it out as it does to receive it.

Mandala

I had so much fun creating this mandala because it allowed me to just be free to splash on whatever colour suited my fancy. The idea for this exercise came from "Artists Journals & Sketchbooks" by Lynne Perrella. An artist featured in her book, Juliana Coles, talkes about the idea of creating mandalas. While she states that the dictionary defines mandala as "a symbol representing the effort to reunify the self," Juliana sees mandalas as a chance to unveil emotions through color. In creating this mandala, I used my Caran D'Ache watercolour crayons and splashed on whatever colour I felt. I kept adding layers of colour until I felt like my mandala was done. After that, I added some glitter and then took a moment to think about why I was drawn to each colour. I started in the center with the heart and worked my way out. The brighter colours tended to represent the lightness and joy inside me, while the darker colours represented the quiet, more reflective side. At the end of this activity, I was able to sit back and really see the many layers of me.

I encourage you to try this very activity. Grab your favourite medium of choice and let yourself be free. Splash on colour, smear on glitter, pull out anything that inspires you and slap it on the page then sit back and look at what you have created. What does it all mean to you? What do the colours represent? What emotions do they bring forth? What does your mandala say about you?

Wandering...

Some of the best days are the ones spent wandering. Anatole France said, "Wandering reestablishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe." Perhaps that is what I love so much about traveling. You can spend days simply wandering from one shop, coffee bar, or street to the next, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells. Living in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, I don't have to travel far to just wander. For me, the best wandering moments take place at the beach. Walking along the shoreline is a feast for the senses and I am never sure what treasures I am going to come across. Just taking some time to roam refuels me. It gives me a chance to be by myself, to reflect, and to breathe deeply. Wandering is also the one thing I don't think I do enough of.
This week, try to take a moment to wander. It doesn't need to be anywhere special, even your neighbourhood will do. As you wander, notice the small things, the way the light streams through the trees, the new spring flowers, the sound of the birds, even the smell coming from your local coffee shop. Take it all in and then let it inspire you.

Postcard Swap

Today, I signed up to participate in ihanna's postcard swap. I love the idea of both making and receiving something creative. If you are interested, check it out by clicking here. Perhaps, I may just receive a postcard from you?

Tomorrow is...

There is so much creativity out there if you dare to look. There is something to be said for having your own style and flare and for just unleashing your own kind of creativity on a big white page. There is also something to be said for looking at how the masters do it. There are so many amazing people who have managed to make creative journaling their life's passion and work. I love nothing more than to sit down on a Sunday morning with a cup of coffee and a stack of magazines. Some of my favourites are those published by Stampington & Company. They are full of rich ideas and techniques from some of the best in the field. One of my favourite journal artists is Dina Wakley. You can check out her blog at http://dinastamps.typepad.com/. What I love about her work is the bold colours, the layers of spray and paint, and constant originality of her work.

A few months back, I picked up some Tattered Angel spray in the hopes of trying out some of her techniques. It is not quite like the spray brand she uses, which appears to only be available in the UK, but it does the trick. This journal page started with the simple clipping in the corner that said, "Tomorrow is..." There is a lot that can be done with a quote as broad as that. I started by cutting out a few star templates and then I had fun layering and splattering paint. I added some glitter and gave some thought as to what my tomorrow would look like. In the end, I decided that tomorrow is really whatever I want to make of it. It is full of possibility, it is full of the unknown, and it is full of adventure. It makes me look forward to what is to come. What does your tomorrow look like? Is it full of adventure, travel, new career opportunities, or new relationships. What is possible for your tomorrow?

My goal for the month is to...