Hi everyone...
I've just been catching up with all the posts from the behind the scenes aspect....did you know that we can label all our posts so that they come up in the search engines ?
When you publish your post, at the bottom of the peachy box is a box marked "labels". Click "show all" and a whole list of previously added words will show to help you choose. To add new words, just type in the box and comma... you can add @20 words so have a peek at the labels already used and be as varied as you can...it all helps!! Also, if you type a letter in the box a list appears with words beginning with that letter, just another way to make it easy...
I'll add this into the helps and hints section so you can read at leisure...
Happy creating,
Kal.xxx

Hello, it's Deedee and I'm finally aboard!

A few pictures to share with all of you. First is Liz Monaghan's wonderfully beautiful journal cover. OMG the whole journal, the entry page, the sign in pages, the front and back covers are just unbelievable! This picture does not do it justice. There are actual beads in the stitching all around the cover!

My contribution

I just received Loren Cranes journal from Liz and will begin this week. Pictures to follow...

"Bygone Era" Page Spread

Here's the page spread I completed for Beth's journal. I loved the image as it reflected a New Year - okay 1875 but, still a new year; another new beginning for everyone. Hope Beth likes it.

I hope to get this journal on it's way to Loren soon.

I will begin working on Sadie's "Haiku" journal spread.

Kalona's spread in Elvira's journal jan 2012

Elvira's journal is themed "Hands of an artist". I love the previous works and was tempted to do some of my usual doodling, but that had already been done as the first spread...so I wanted to try something really new. Thinking of hands I just kept recalling a photo I'd taken of a sculpture, but didn't want to do a literal collage, something 3D was in order, so I had a play with making a pop-up. Hope you like it, Elvira! x

gesso, card, inks & stamps, alcohol inks and templates, sharpies, stick-ons, pastels, fimo, beads and wire. Butterfly courtesy of a friend with a sizzix. I told her I'd find a great project for it! I hope she agrees...

Beth's page in Marie's Journal "Nature"

I finished my snow scene in Marie's Journal. I decided to do a snow scene because it is winter in Pennsylvania. It is Christmas time and New Year's. I love the quiet beauty when it snows.

Here are the pictures of my journal Sanity by a Thread........

Marie's work in Anne's Journal. THEME: Light Through The Cracks

Merry Crimbo!!

A quick message before bed to all the 15+1er's,

Don't work too hard tomorrow, enjoy the day!!
Here's to a productive, fun and hassle free 2012!!
Kal.xxx

Artist: Marie Austen

I joined this Round Robin as an opportunity to share artwork with other women/artists who are passionate about creating art as I am and to explore different themes; to see what inspires us. I am inspired by the beauty in nature, especially flowers and trees (birches!! - LOL). So the theme of my journal is: The Beauty of Nature. This is my first time blogging so please forgive me Ladies if my pics are too big etc. I am loving this process and look forward to receiving my journal one day with your gifts inside!!

                                                

15, +1,

Well, after all that commotion one of our previous artists has decided to return to the fold, please welcome back Rhelda!!!

We will have to do some special jiggling ( flashing images of 15 women wiggling wildly.... wrong!)  so that we can get Rhelda up to date and included, although I don't think too many journals have passed her by? I 'll know once we set up the progress chart.

So our 15 is now officially 15+1, yay!!

xxx

(I'm finding it slightly ironic that the 17th "artist" missing is the one who started it all off- how quirky is life?)

Kalona's entry into Trine's journal

Trine's journal is titled "Blue is the colour of..." . It's beautifully made, and the more artists that add to it the better it gets. My interpretation of blue revolves around one of my favourite themes- the elements. Blue is water, which we cannot live without and is permanently under threat of contamination and shortage. I love it in all it's forms; liquid, ice and gas, but especially snowflakes.

It is a mixed media piece using paint, inks, gesso, transfers, stickers, beads, wire, gel medium, mica powders and various cuttings.

Kalona's entry into Lucine's journal

The journal is titled "Smile, do not fear". As it was the first one I had received, compared to mine I was amazed at the level of construction, detail and the whole journal look...it was amazing, made mine seem quite empty and bland, never mind, as my first one from scratch this is a big learning curve....

Nervous to begin, I took some time thinking about what I would add. I was determined to let the book  and fate dictate my piece.Once I had opened my file of cuttings the idea began to form, and off I went.

"Your heart is in my hands" is a direct response to the first spread...

 I have used photos and transfers, ink and stamps, acrylics, watercolour pencils,crayons,gesso,wet-felt and glass beads. I hope Lucine feels it has done her journal justice, it was quite a challenge!
xx

Louise's entry into Rachels 'Purple Owl Tree' journal ~ November 2011

Woohhoo

Here we go!

This is the first journal belonging to one of my fellow artists that I have worked in! It belongs to our gorgeous Rachel and her theme is Purple Owl Tree.

I am sorry about the pics but I did so want to share and I am using a very cobbled together system atm.

Artist:Anne Trudell -- Spread: Journey

The theme of Kalona's journal is "journeys: physical and spiritual". She hopes we'll show some interplay of those aspects.

When I saw the image of the kayaker a few weeks ago, I knew I wanted to use it! Then what else? Once I had the journal in hand and sat down to work on it, I found the dripping leaf image (it was from the same magazine as the kayak image) and while waiting for the gluing of the images to dry, the words about journeys came to me. The other words came as I worked finishing touches.

Artist: Kalona Simmons

I have taken part in a couple of  Journal projects around the UK, and was really looking forward to taking part in an international swap. This is also the first one that will round robin back to the original creator, and I love that idea, a gathering of 17 artist's work in each journal to treasure afterwards. How special is that!

I loved travelling (pre-kids) and felt that as the journal will be doing just that journeying would be an appropriate theme. As many of us are also embarking on personal or spiritual journeys it seemed nice to combine the two...how does physical journeying affect our spiritual dallying? Where do we go to find ourselves? What places bring out the best in us and help us grow?

We each create our own journal, and I went for an experimental covers which can be found in my tutorial using perspex, inks and embossing powders. It's so light, just as well considering the miles it will travel...

"Journey" front cover

Back cover

Expandable signatures

Front page, mixed media symbols, ink,stamps

My spread....mixed media journey

Artist: Beth Gould

 After much thought, I decided the theme for my journal would be "Bygone Eras". I have always been attracted to things that are old. I'm fascinated with the way other generations have lived their lives; the way they dress; their hair styles, furnishings, and family pictures.
  This will be a fun and creative journey. It is a wondrous present to receive and give artwork. The opportunity to have other artists' interpretation is a gift I will truly hold dear.

 My cover is made of leather. I purchased a black leather skirt at a thrift shop. I ran it through the washer several times to get the worn look. Then, used several inks to get it to the color I was looking for.

Cover:

 My introduction page:

 Welcome page and artist sign in booklet:

My journal page:

I am looking forward seeing and being a part of this project.

Artist: Mary Montedonico

Hi Ladies! I just wanted to post some pictures of what I have been working on in my journal of Fairy Tales. I used 140lb watercolor papers for the pages and for the cover, I used a cardboard postal envelope which is pretty flexible to work with. I have created 4 spreads in my art journal including a sign in page in the back. I will be mailing my journal out on Monday. I am looking forward to seeing all the other journals as we go along on our journey for the next 17 months. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

These are the main pages of the art journal. There are plenty of pages for all of you. As you can see, I worked with Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast. If you want to create pages with those fairy tales please feel free to use their tales or even make up your own fairy tale. I am pretty flexible with what you all create just please no "off-color" words. Thank you so much! I did my blog spot much better here than on my own Creative Endeavors blog. Go figure! Lol! Hope you are having a very creative day!

Artist: Anne Trudell: Prepared Journal

The first spread of the journal got finished on Friday. So here are the pictures!

The back cover is a continuation of the front cover design.

The journal pages and cover are put together with a Western multiple signature as described by Alisa Golden in Making Handmade Books-- lots of book projects and methods there!

The journal is bound with a ribbon tie to accomodate pages with added dimension.




The quote from which I drew the journal theme in on the back of the front cover.

Some notes of welcome are on the first page.





This is the first spread. I decided to go with a vertical design. I collaged the black-and-white scene the bottom, then ripped it before pasting it on the page. The background is sponged acryllic. It is further decorated with star sequins, gold foil bits, and metallic ink.








Since the pages in this journal are small and there are enough of them, I've used the last three pages for signature boxes.



This is the last signature page and the pocket for contributed ephemera and goodies.

ARTIST: Louise Kirby- TOTEM ANIMALS

My little journal is ready for its journey.

It has a canvas cover,

and I had to make my own feathers as customs rules in Australia are very strict about feathers and leaves and seeds etc.

My theme is

TOTEM ANIMALS

and I am really excited about my journal

taking this journey around the world

gathering wisdom

and

beautiful art works

from my fellow artists.

This is a little welcome booklet

with some lovely elephants

I have had for a while and I have

been looking for a good place to use them.

A wise owl for my title page.

Stacey has asked us to also do our first double page spread

and I chose to do Platypus as my totem animal.

The platypus is a unique Australian animal.

They are monotremes.

Mammals that lay eggs

instead of live birthing their young,

and they produce milk to feed their young.

Platypus are only found on the east coast

of Australia so are a very local totem to where I live.

They are very interesting and secretive creatures

Here is my journal,

all ready to travel the world,

I wish I could tuck myself between its pages

and go along as well.