Planner mania

I feel that using this planner is like a mix of the journal I was keeping last year and the scrapbooking I did years ago.  I am finding it really enjoyable although somewhat time consuming.  But being creative is much better than scrolling Facebook and Instagram.

I showed you the setting up of my second planner in this post.  I am really using it as a journal rather than a planner.  And my diary/journal/planner featured in this post.

Today I am featuring my main planner/journal.

In last year's journal I put a photo in almost every week.  In this journal I decided I would use the last page of the month (which is supposed to be a Currently page for February), as a photo memory page for the month.

Here's the calendar pages for February.

This week's pages

And next week's pages in production.

I'm still watching lots of YouTube videos especially Planning With Bumble (MaryEllen) and Scrappy Wife (Elisa).

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice
 

What a surprise!

I have been following along with Hilary Beattie and her Saturday Sketchbooks classes.  I desperately want to call it Sketchbook Saturday!  But either way on two Saturdays each month Hilary generously shares copious amounts of information about working in sketchbooks.

In January she suggested we recycled our Christmas cards into a concertina sketchbook.  I put gesso over the cards and some acrylic paint.  I also stamped on the background with wooden blocks.

Hilary decided to make an imaginary village but I decided to make a version of Venice.  Surprise! Surprise!  

I cut out the shapes of buildings and bridges.  I also made some trees.

There are a surprising number of trees and green spaces in Venice.  Did you watch the opening episode of Monty Don's Adriatic Gardens?

I used my gelli plate to print the buildings and trees.  I had made the shapes from textured wallpaper which made fabulous designs on the prints.

I glued the various prints using both the cut out buildings and trees and the pieces of paper they were cut from.

I gessoed and painted the reverse of the zigzag book. I used different stamps

I used the left over prints and the wallpaper masks to make a different version of Venice.

Here are some closeups.

The second side definitely still needs work.  And the above end piece needs some additional pieces.

But for now I'm happy with what I have.  Colouring in windows and trees can be a pleasant activity in between other larger bits of work.

Of course, a zigzag book like this doesn't have to be about buildings and trees.  It could be jugs, vases, dancers etc.

What theme would you choose?

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

Playing at Littleheath

This month's episode of Textile Explorations was postponed 2 weeks ago but the wait was worth it.

Liske had two ideas for the day.  The first was to layout shapes on fabric using masking tape.  I used some cotton poplin (top) and a smaller piece of calico.

I aimed for 5 inch squares.  The other pieces I have made in this project are 10cm or 4 inch squares.  But I thought I would make 5 inch ones which I can cut down.

Using mark making tools, stamps, Thermofax screens and acrylic paint, I randomly printed over the whole fabric including over the masking tape.

Then I flooded the fabric with Koh-i-nor dyes.

I tried putting some freezer paper masks on the fabric

And painted over them with acrylic paint.

In the afternoon we used cold water paste to glue the remnants of fabric onto a backing fabric.  This is how it looked wet.  At this point I really didn't like it much.

However when it dried it looked much better.  It now needs machining and then I shall cut it up.

When I got home I decided the fabric was too pink rather than the orange it was supposed to be so I painted over the fabric again with orange watercolour paint.  There should have been crisp white lines between the squares but the original dyes had leached under the masking tape.

 

 

I cut the fabric up into approximately 5 inch squares.

They are now ready for the next stage.

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice