Gel Medium

I have been experimenting with gel medium ever since Jan sent me some journal pages that had some gel medium on it.  Then, Martha goes and takes a class where they talk about all sorts of mediums, and I get totally blown away.

So, now I have irradescent medium, gloss gel medium, and glass bead medium.  The first two I have used with great success!  The gel medium gives everything a richer color, like it is wet.

No, I haven't tried to do any fancy techniques with it like transfers or anything.  But, I do plan to.  For now, I am using the gel and irradescent medium like paint or collage glue.  

One thing I did learn, though.  The gel medium dries so slow that I don't know how successful I will be using it in my journaling adventures.  Even after pre-drying it with a heat gun and letting it sit for an hour, it was somewhat tacky.  Although, it wasn't tacky enough that I noticed it by touching it with my finger.  When I did notice was when I went to open my journal and the pages were stuck together and the gel medium page tore an image on the facing page as I tried to seperate the two.

If I can be very patient, I should be able to use it in my journal.  Maybe next time, I will do my musings on another page with the gel medium and just glue it in my journal.

Hobo Chicken

As Joseph and I were driving into town, it occured to me that "Hobo Chicken" would be a great name for a band.  Then, I got to thinking about the images that "Hobo Chicken" might conjure up.  I soon drew Joseph into my funky musings and we discussed it at length.  

First thought it brought to my mind is a chicken carrying a stick over his shoulder with a knapsack hankerchief tied to one end.

The second thought was a bunch of hobos sitting around a fire eating a roasted chicken they snatched from someone's chicken yard.

Joseph's first ideas was a vagrant chicken riding a train.  

But, the best image was the last one Joseph came up with.  "Hobo Chicken" made him think of a hobo that always runs away.  

I laughed a long time at that one.

Clean Desk Collage

I have been stopping and starting several times trying to clean up my craft room.  As I clean, I find something and think "I know just what to do with this!"  Next thing I know, I have stopped cleaning and have started a new artsy project.

This page started that way.  I committed myself to use a bunch of images that I had scattered around my desk.  If I could not put them up, I was going to use them up.  

Actually, I shouldn't even be showing you this.  This page is in a journal I am creating for a project:  30 Things I Want to Remember.  This project ends in May, but I am sort of keeping my creations under wraps until the great unveiling.    

I liked how it turned out so well and thought it might inspire someone else to do a "Clean Desk" collage.  Each image has a meaning to me and reminds me of things important to me.  I think it made a nice graphic for my journal.

Drawing Time

Joseph has been doing a lot of drawing lately.  I am encouraging him to put some up on his blog:  http://leenucks.blogspot.com.  He hasn't yet, but I think he might.

He was showing me some stuff he drew, when I got inspired to give it a go.  I snatched his beloved Moleskin away from him and teased out this beauty.  I named her Methy Bethy because there is something seriously wrong with that stare she has going on.  :)

Once Upon a Time

I did this page for my personal journal.  At the moment, I have 3 different journals going.  My personal journal has not been visited in a while.  I would love to contribute something to it everyday, but I have not found myself that reliable with it.

In this journal I put whatever suits me at that free moment.  I have a story, dear diary type entries, doodlings, and collage.  I was inspired to do something with this nice lady here.  She was part of a piece of cool old wallpaper that my friend Jennifer shared with me.

This paper roll has been setting on my desk for a while, and today I cut out this individual and gave her a home.

The background is a combo of my blue irradescent calligrapher's ink and my gold acrylic paint.  I am definetely in a shiny, make-it-sparkle phase.  I have been for most of my life.  :)

Asian Dragon

Here is a page I did for a book in my sketchbook group.  The theme was Asian dragon.  The dragon came from a large souvenir sticker from a museum.  I cut him in two pieces to make it appear that he is even bigger than he orginally was.  Let's give that Samurai something to think about, don't you agree?

All the other images are from various Asian inspired stamps I have in my collection.  The black card in the middle was a failed ATC attempt, but I think it turned out nice as an addition to this page.

Scary Stories

Emma came to me yesterday wanting to write a scary story.  She was frustrated because she had tried to imagine a scary story where the bad guy was a beaver, but, in her words, "Beavers just aren't very scary."  I told her that if she were a tree she would feel that beavers were very scary indeed.  She conceded that, but still insisted she wanted some help to make up a scary story.

I told her that I would help her by writing down her story.  I started her off with "It was a dark and stormy night..."  The rest is her doings.  She composed two stories and illustrated them herself.  

What you see above is a copy of the original manuscripts.  Read on if you dare!