River Bend Ranch - Patty Van Dorin

like oil and vinegar

we are having a huge thunderstorm, so Tuesday's tutorial will be a short one. I am always asked how I can get so many journal pages done. To speed up the drying process of whether it be glue, paint, or ink, I use an old hair dryer that has found a permanent place next to my studio table.
Today's Journal Page

and look, no stencils were used but that is only because my stencils were forgotten and left at another location. In a couple of days I will be back with all the stencil lovin' goodness.
On this page, I though it would be fun to see how many different sources of paper I could use.
1. center image is a label peeled off a devotional candle
2. paisley at the top is the packaging from bath soap
3. old book page
4. cardboard from a tissue box
5. vintage wallpaper (of course)
6. turpentine paper
7. scrap of an old map
8. scan and printed image of a Radio Orphan Annie badge from circa 1938 (I had already used the original in another project)
9. the tree frog piece at the bottom is from a men's shirt found at a thrift store (scanned and printed as the fabric was too heavy to layer but I do plan on using the fabric on a journal page, it just didn't work for this one.

Thanks to everyone who emailed me asking what Ralph the dog's new trick is. I am teaching him to herd cats. REALLY I am. Not an easy trick but both cats and dog are getting the hang of it. Why you ask do I want Ralph to herd the cats???  My cats love to annoy me by running into the garage every time I open the door. Now normally this wouldn't be a big deal but we get an occasional scorpion in the garage. I have been told that scorpions are only lethal to small cats and kittens. Even though my boys are big hefty felines, they are very old and I don't want to take any chances.
So I have taught Ralph when I say "Get the cats in", he runs into the garage and herds the two cats back into the house. Now no emails saying this is cruel, it may be a bit unnatural but as you can see there are no hard feelings.

Hachinohe Bart aka Simba sharing Ralph's bed (my Bart kitty is from Japan hence the name). Ralph is a rescued cattle dog that was born to herd even if it is only cats.

How Many Journals Does One Girl Need

Okay, I cheated a bit yesterday and didn't do much for a Tuesday Tutorial. So today, I will do two posts. Since I had intended on doing a tutorial on different journal themes, I decided to go on a journal safari around my house and post some pictures.
In no particular order
several cut and paste journals, these journals are a daily ones, where I put bits and pieces of thoughts and daily junk

Dream Journal where I record fragments of dreams, very interesting to go back through over the years

Song Lyric Journal - just songs I was listening to that day or favorites

Vintage Journals - or what I call pretty girly stuff journaling, this one is a vintage photo album

All kinds of journals from tiny ones to basic composition journals

 
I try to keep current journals I am working on corralled in wire cages (old gym locker baskets)

I have finished journals tucked and scattered all over my house and studio

And how appropriate that I could not find the travel journal for a picture.
This is just a sampling, as the types of journals are completely unlimited and that is why I love journals.

Going Home

There are several things I have on my studio table and one is this old tin loaf pan that I put cut out pieces of text. I like using different fragments of text in my journal pages but it never seemed like I could find something when I was working on a page. So now when I go through magazines, newspapers and even junk mail, I will cut up pieces of sentences and keep them all together. Sometimes digging around in this tin will be just what I need to get an inspiration when I am stuck.
 
And today's journal page. This page finishes the loose journal pages I have been working with. I had taken apart a spiral bound watercolor sketchbook with intentions of taking it to my copy store to be re-bound. The other day I was informed they no longer provide this service. I have a few ideas how to bind these pages into a journal and as soon as I have it completed will post some more pictures.

****an altered newspaper clipping from 1965. scaned, printed on paper, watercolor and some gel pens****

Stuck on You

The glue stick may be your best friend but there's more than one way to get stuck.
Okay, enough silly one liners, so here are some of my top ways of getting that paper and other bits adhered to your work. This tutorial is mostly geared towards journal art but I use all this stuff in other projects.

Glue Sticks -  I know some people prefer brand names but for me it pretty much all works the same. Just look for the ones that say permanent.

Gel Medium - save your discount coupons and stock up on this stuff. If there is one item I would want to be stranded on a desert island with, gel medium would be right up there top on the list. I go through gallons of this stuff. Look for regular gel medium in either matte or gloss. I prefer matte (I don't like a slick shiny finish) and I use it as glue and a finish to my pages. This stuff is flexible when it dries and has UV protection (not that my pages will ever see the light of day). One thing that is nice about gel medium is that I will spread a layer on my page with a brush, add paper, more gel and just keep working not waiting for it to dry between layers. Eventually it all dries up nice and if you "smoosh" down the papers as working, you shouldn't have a problem with air bubbles. The gel needs to be dry before you can do any stamping or ink work.

Other Glues - I always test a glue before using it. They all have their uses but sometimes they don't work well in journals. I have found that Yes glue is nice and sticky but when it dries, it is not always flexible and if a page is bent, paper has popped off. PPA or perfect paste adhesive is good but it is runny. Craft bond is good to use with fabric and other odd things. It works like a contact cement. Both surfaces are sprayed and allow to dry a few seconds and then pressed together. This works good with things that are transparent.

Xyron - and speaking of transparencies or anything that is sheer and glue will show through, the Xryon is the girl for you. Since the cartridges are pricey (another good coupon item), I only use these on transparent items or when I am very lazy and want to add something quick.

Tape - there is an endless world of tapes from decorative, masking, electrical to those nifty tape runners. Don't forget to look in the automotive department at those pin striping tapes and then there is the aluminum tapes that they use on metal. I use foam tape when I want dimension in the project which is rare.

Eyelets - now off to everything else and this list is huge. Just go to any paper scrapbook type store and your head will swim with all the cool stuff out there.
  Staples - I am always amazed at all the variety of staples and what a leap it has gone from the old familiar silver office ones. Here is my secret, even though I love my stash of decorative staples, I still use the old fashioned office type the most.

Stitch - whether you sew through with a machine or hand stitch, I love the look and texture stitching gives to a page.

So this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to adding paper and stuff to your journal, so any of it a try and half the fun is in the playing...

Paper - the good, the bad and the ugly

Seriously, when it comes to paper there is no such thing as bad paper, just paper that is made to do things it just wasn't created for. With that said, here are some of my favorite substrates for journals. There are unlimited materials you can use to make your journals but this is just a sampling to get that creative thinking kick started.

Composition Books - cheap and a favorite for decades. They have their limitations and are great if not using lots of paint and other mediums. Pages can be glued together to give more strength but they may wrinkle. Pages can also be lightly brushed with gesso and paints but gesso will gum up makers. These make terrific paste books and are perfect for journalizing with light watercolor application. If you remove paper from these books, remember to leave a small tab. Since these books are stitched, if you rip the page the corresponding pape in the back may fall out.

Watercolor Paper - This is my favorite paper to use in my journals. I only use 140 pound as I use a ton of paints, gel medium, stamping and added paper. The 140 holds up perfect to all the abuse I subject my journals too. Sometimes I will work on loose pages but mostly I will bind them myself into a book. I prefer using a Coptic stitch binding technique as it allows the journal to open flat. Some people prefer specific brands but I use what it available or on sale. To get a good fold, you will need to score a line with a bone folder and a straight edge to prevent the paper from cracking when folding it. Watercolor sketch books also in 140 pound weight. I like to remove the wire binding and them when I have a fistful of pages (hmm, a Clint Eastwood theme is a happen' here), I take them to Kinko's and have them rebound. I think all Kinko's do this.

Children's Board Books - the stiff pages allow all sorts of paper and all sorts of stuff to be added. In addition, these books can be cut into shapes and even peep holes cut in the pages. I like to peel the slick printed layer off first, or it can be sanded and gesso brushed on to prepare the page. I use quite a lot of gel medium in my journals and this tends to make the pages stick together in the binding center. I don't mind it but the book could be deconstructed and then put together with the pages loose.

Desk Calendar Books - another favorite of mine. Not much you have to do with these to prepare them. They work great for altered journals. As you work, you will need to remove some pages as they get really thick. Also I am very messy as I work and the ring wire binding builds up with goo and then the pages won't move well. I just scrap the wires occasionally, tedious but even when I try and be neat or over the wires, it just gets messy.

And Everything Else   - I always keep a look out for different materials to use for journals just to keep it interesting. At any given time, I have several types and themes of journals going on. A couple of weeks ago I found these older index tab cards and this clip board. My plans are to punch holes along side of the index cards and use the clip board as the book binding. I will probably make a cover and cut the clip board down so it is a bit larger than the cards...stayed tuned I may start on this today.

Junk - I am never one to pass up good journal junk. All those pesky CD's that used to appear in the mail...gosh when did that stop or maybe it's just my mail. The CD's can be great for travel journals and just loosely stacked in a case. Playing cards and don't forget drink coasters. All are perfect for unusual journals and then later be bound....stayed tuned for a tutorial for a plethora of binding techniques.   The folder that photos used to come in can be bound together and will make an interesting journal. I used all different sizes for this one.

Vintage - I get weak in the knees for anything vintage. From old ledger books, pocket diaries, you name it, it's all good. I have been saving this vintage negative file folder book for who knows what but you just have to love the transparent vellum pages inside.

Now I must run and get some journal play going.

Tuesday Tutorial

When good intentions of posting every week, I am starting Tuesday Tutorials.  I get so many nice emails every week asking me for tips on the journal pages that I thought I would start weekly posting a tip.

So today's tip: Let go of perfection and just get to working in the journal

This page is an example, I didn't like the writing on the bottom on the first page so I went back and sanded it off with sandpaper. Even though it removed some of the paper with the words. I then added more paint and now it works better for me. The image on the lower bottom is a tape transfer and a piece of it came off leaving a small white area but I used it anyway. The imperfect adds character to a page. Also I have a tendency to drift up with stamping and paper placement. I don't let this stop me in a page, I just realize I do this and try to remember I have this tendency.

Other fixes for areas that aren't working is to add paper and use paint to blend it into the page, paint over the area and then use rubber stamps or add another image. Sometimes you just need to set the page aside for another day. If all else fails just glue a bunch of paper over it and start again. Often the best pages are ones that have been re-worked several times. All the layers add to it's interest. 

So get out there and just play with those journals. If you wait and put off journaling because you want it to be perfect, you will never start. It's all a learning process and by journalling every day you will soon get the results you want.