Moleskine – #26-28

I ordered a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen from Dick Blick and received it a few days ago. I got it out today and tried it  in my Moleskine.  I first heard about this brush pen when I watched Roz Stendahl’s videos at the Strathmore Online Workshop.   It comes with two cartridges.  You can make broad or very fine lines with it.  It takes some time to learn how to control using this pen but I think I’ll really like it after I get more comfortable with it. 

The second page was inspired by a collage bird by Teesha Moore.   The last page is a drawing of a plant I’ve had for many years…at least 15 years, probably more. 

Moleskine#24-25

I’m trying to get my Moleskine finished…I have about three more spreads and I’m determined to do it.  Here are two of the latest pages.  The first one is a really quick sketch with a  peat tinted charcoal pencil.  I went over the lines with a Sharpie pen. There’s some dried glue or something on her cheek.   The second page I did today. I painted the page with watercolor…didn’t like the watercolor on the Moleskine paper. I glued some collage pieces down over the watercolor and used Caran d’Ache crayons on the page.  I had to use my Signo uni-ball pen because my Sharpie wouldn’t write over the crayon.   

 

 

“A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he gets to know something. “

Wilson Mizner (US screenwriter-1876-1933)

 

Moleskine#23

I just finished reading Janet’s fantasy about going to the Academy Awards tonight.  Go over there and read about the lovely gowns she picked from and her escort for the evening.  To be honest, I don’t know how many years it has been since I watched the Academy Awards.  It drags on and on for hours and I can always read about it the next day if I want.

If anyone is interested, Workshop 2 will start Tuesday(March 1), over at Strathmore Online Workshops.  It’s free to anyone, all you need to do is sign up.  Linda Blinn is teaching this workshop and a portion of the description about the class says:  “To personalize your journal, notice how the addition of fold-outs and embellishments make the pages interactive. Play with design layouts and spreads, and learn how to integrate writing and images while keeping design principles in mind… but not being constrained by them!”

I completed this page in my Moleskine today. I had a background on there for days but didn’t know what to do with it.  I  drew the faces and used my dip pen with India Ink to emphasize the lines.  Seeing the crow on the page reminded me that we saw a huge blackbird migration fly over our house yesterday….there were hundreds!  Early this morning, there was a smaller group that stopped and landed in the trees surrounding our house. They were making lots of noise and I went out and started clapping my hands and they all flew off.  I’m not sure what attracted them…I hope it wasn’t my bird feeders.

 

 

Moleskine #23

This spread started with pale blue over- painted with white acrylic paint.  I dripped some red acyrlic ink down the pages and  glued down some collage pieces.  Next, I used my Stabilo marking pencil and used water on the lines to give it a watercolor look.  I used  black and white Signo pens to add further embellishment.  I have  several  “no postage necessary” cards that I have been saving…I’m going to see how many different ways I can incorporate them in my journal pages.

Moleskine #22

I put down some white craft paint as a base. Then more white paint mixed with a tiny bit of blue ink.  I put a few thin stips of black masking tape and then some stamping and drips with the blue ink.  After that dried, I attempted to do a gel medium transfer of a magazine picture…didn’t work.  The collage elements came from painted phone book page and magazine pictures.  I altered the pictures with paint, Caran d’Ache crayons and more stamping.  I really forgot what all I did do before I finished.  This was so much fun. Oh, I also used a Stabilo Colored Marking Pencil in black for outlining.  I was thinking if I’d used pink tones this would have made a great Valentine’s sentiment.  Too late now   Click on the photo to enlarge it. .

 

Moleskine #21

I was going to stop working in my Moleskine and move on but decided that I should try to finish it.  I started this spread with a thin wash of white acrylic paint.  I let that dry and used Caran d’Ache crayons and used a water wash to blend and smoosh them around on the pages.  I used some painted phone book pages for collage pieces.  I used black acrylic paint for the bold black lines and Higgins Black Eternal Ink with a dip pen for the thinner lines.  The Higgins ink says it is permanent but it isn’t waterproof….or maybe I didn’t let it dry well enough?  Last of all, I used my new favorite white pen (recommended by Misty Mawn), a uni-ball Signo pen.  It writes on almost everything! 

Journal Page & Drawings

It’s been a good day…I got my new yogurt maker today and new art supplies.  The yogurt maker is YoLife Yogurt Maker.   I probably paid more for this one because it  is American made. I purchased mine on Ebay but they are available on Amazon and other stores.  You can use the jars that come with it or use tall jars like Mason jars,  pickle jars, etc…it comes with two lids….tall & short.  I can’t wait to try it!

I did the journal page yesterday in my composition notebook.  I did get a new Strathmore Mixed Media Visual Journal today in my art supplies.  I may switch from the composition book to it soon.  For both of the drawings, I used a Bic pencil and a blending stick.  I drew those in my Moleskine….I’m nearing the end of it.

Moleskine-19-20

The days are getting cooler and the daylight hours are getting shorter.  I  guess that means that fall is just around the corner.  I hate to say good-bye to the summer.

This spread came about because I had been using extra paints on a phone book page and saw the figure of the the girl.  I tore her out of the page.  I touched up the area around her but I left her alone…I did add a little more black paint to give her hair more length.  I used the same colors of paints to do the background and glued the torn piece on the right side.

This is a doodle I did several days ago across the page from the sketch of the girl a few posts back.  I used a Glaze pen and Micron pen,  both by Sakura.

I was also going to mention, if you haven’t checked out Monica Zuniga’s Ning site… it doesn’t cost anything to join.  She has some free video classes as well as some paid classes.  I took her sketching faces with pencil class.  She has a free class about altering books and zodiac journaling.  She has a new class:  The Wonders of Gesso for only $20.

http://handsandheart.ning.com/

Moleskine-18 & Cake Recipe

I’m sharing a sketch I did last week…plus a recipe for the cake I made Sunday for my daughter’s birthday. I forgot to take a picture of it…I think there’s two pieces left in the freezer…if you like chocolate, you’ll love it.

I scanned the page from one of my old cookbooks…you can see all the stains from spills…it’s a much used recipe.  The secret of the recipe is using real butter, I think.

 

Moleskine-18 – Zigzag Together When Dancing

Greetings…If I could do this one again, I’d leave off the white swirls.  I started by gluing some old dictionary pages down, followed with a layer of white acrylic paint. I cut the collage flowers and stems  from painted phone book pages…used black India ink to outline and write…used Caran d’Ache crayons to add some more color.  I found some phrases in the dictionary collage pieces and joined the boxes together.  It reminded me of  “found poetry.”  If you want to see some  examples…put “found poetry” in the search box at the very top.