The Documented Life Project Week 29: "Photographs & Memories" Art Journal

The Documented Life Project
Week 29

July Theme

Ephemera
July 18
Art Challenge: Photographs & Memories
Journal Prompt:  "All that I have to remember you"-Jim Croce

"Photographs and memories
All the love you gave to me
Somehow it just can't be true
It's all I've left of you"

Those were the lyrics that I heard after I was curious who Jim Croce was after reading this weeks Journal Prompt, when my curiosity took me to YouTube, where I heard this song called Photographs and Memories by Jim Croce.  Instantly while listening to the song memories of summers spent at grandpas house flooded my head.  Many of the lyrics to this song took me back to what I do have left of him, which are photos, old cards, and cherished memories of time spent together while he was still here on this earth with us.  I have posted the video here so you may hear this classic song, that may very well bring back some memories for you as well. 

Each month there is a theme and for July it is to use ephemera.  So for the background I collaged many pieces of ephemera for the Tim Holtz "thrift shop"  ephemera pack.  A few other pieces were from the Ruby Rock It pack of die cuts, and some from a piece of scrapbook paper that had tags and tickets were cut out from them. Many of the pieces were picked out intentionally because I found some meaning in them.  For instance there is a U.S. map, my grandpa was a rambling man back in his earlier years traveling all around the country, and never settling any where very long.  Two other pieces used were referenced to a type writer.  Some memories being at grandpas house were of him letting me use his old antique type writer and learn how to use it in an error where computers were coming out into popularity.

Lace was added to the to left hand page to give it a little more of a shabby vibe to go with the flowers put by the framed pictures, of my Grandpa, and the doily cut from a piece of scrapbook paper.

"Photographs and memories

All the love you gave to me

Somehow it just can't be true

It's all I've left of you"

Thank you for visiting and taking a trip down memory lane with me, as I went back to them summer days.  Be sure to comment below, I would love to hear from you all.

Happy Craftin'

Krystal

"Time Keeps on Ticking" Art Journal Page: Week 28 DLP 2015

The Documented Life Project 2015

Week  28 

July Theme
Ephemera
July 11
Art Challenge: Focal Point vs. Layering*
Journal Prompt:  Time keeps on ticking

*Your challenge is to create a focal point on your piece this week. Add layering as you choose.

This week I really went quick and easy with the layout.  I started with some scrap book paper from the DCWV Heirloom paper stack.  I liked that it had the clock on the side of the paper along with a little whimsical design.  I knew I wanted some of the pattern on the paper to show through the color being put down.  The picture to the left shows my journal after putting a light wash of Gesso and water.  I like using Gesso on my pages because it helps to prime my paper for all the layers of collaging, painting, and water that go down to make a page.  Gesso helps certain mediums to not absorb right into your paper. For instance when using my gelatos (like I have done for this layout), I prefer putting down gesso before using the gelatos so that the color blend smoothly and do not soak right into the paper.

Ephemera is the monthly theme for July, so I used Tim Holtz ephemera packs an layered the clocks as my focal point.  After placing the clocks, it looked plain, like something was missing.  I then added the butterflies and moths with the clocks.

The Scrap book paper used had a picture of a clock on it that I wanted to show through in the background.  The small ephemera clocks were layered around that large clock in the background, and was then highlighted with some brown.

The larger brown clocks in the background were achieved using my Tim Holtz Clock work stencil and Vintage photo Distress ink from Tim Holtz.





I wanted to use the journal prompt as my quote on the right side of the page.  I used the alpha stickers from Tim Holtz.  Another little butterfly was also added to the bottom of the quote.

I had some Prima Say it in Crystals bling that was added to the  right hand top and bottom corners of the page.  I hope you enjoyed this weeks layout!

Krystal

The Documented Life Project: Week 27: "Life... with a history"

The Documented Life Project 2015

July Theme

Ephemera

July 4th : Week 27

Art Challenge: Using Old Maps, Letters, Tickets & More

Journal Prompt:  Life...with a history

For this weeks challenge, I wanted my layout to have an older vintage look to it, so I stuck with using quite a bit of browns and gold, with a few touches of teal, and pink.  My ephemera stash is quite small.  Thinking outside the box,  I decided to go through my many stacks of scrapbook paper  to see what I could cut out and use as ephemera. DCVW makes great paper stacks and if you catch a sale going at JoAnn's you can get them half price.  I found The Heirloom Stack, which has a page in it that i cut out two different pieces to use in my layout. I also used some Ruby Rock-It "heritage" die cuts, and a die cut of a dressmakers doll that I had cut while at my local scrapbook store.  

I wanted to organize all my pieces out before gluing any thing down or putting my modeling paste down, just to get more of an idea of how things were going to sit. It drives me crazy when I'm in a rush and I don't plan things out before hand, and once I glue something down its hard to change it with out messing something up.  So for all the little pieces of "ephemera" I had I wanted to be happy with the layout once it was glued down, so here was my layout planned before all the layers.

Supplies Used:

Cypress Homes Cocktail Napkins " Global"

Liquitex Matte Medium

Liquitex acrylic gesso

Liquitex modeling paste

1" paint brush

Tim Holtz "Clockwork" Stencil

Claudine Hellmuth Studio Semi-gloss acrylic "classic teal"

Tim Holtz Distress Paint "Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Tarnished Brass."

Viva Decor Inka Gold

6x6 TCW "Mini Alhambra" stencil

DCWV 180 Sheets "Heirloom Stack" scrapbook paper

Tim Holtz Cling Stamps "Steampunk"

Prima Marketing Finnabair clear stamp "item # 960780"

Archival Pigment ink pad Brilliance "pearlescent olive"

Ranger Archival Ink "Sepia"

Tim Holtz Distress Ink: " picked raspberry, vintage photo."

Ruby Rock-It "Heritage" die-cut pack
Tim Holtz Alpha Tiles

Ranger's Perfect Pearls was used to add a gold shimmer to the dress makers dress.  For the metal wing embellishments, I added Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks to give it some color.  Also on the heart locket and the pocket watch you can see a bit of a shine from the reflection of light.  That is where I have applied Ranger's Glossy Accents.  For a shadowed look I have went around each piece with a brown Faber-Castell pitt brush marker. Tim Holtz "Clockwork" Stencil was used with some modeling paste on the bottom right hand side of the page for some added texture.  The flowers were part of the Ruby Rock-It die cut heritage pack. They have accents of glitter on the flower pedals and on some of the leaves.  




Above I have added the brown & gold "say it in crystals" by Prima.  The quote "life with a history" is written with Tim Holtz Alpha Tiles.  I have also added Ranger's Glossy Accents to the heart on the ruler, the top of the perfume bottle, and on the buds of the flower.  

Here is the full layout of this weeks Documented Life Project Challenge.  Below I have posted the video for the making of this page.  Please be sure to check it out.  I'd love to hear from you, be sure to like and comment.

Thanks for Stopping by! XOXO

Krystal

"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words" Week 26 DLP

The Documented Life Project 2015 

Week 26

June Theme
Travel Journaling
June 27
Art Challenge: Photos and Words
Journal Prompt:  A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Can you believe we are already half way through the year of 2015, and half way through our journals for The Documented Life Project .  We are also on the last challenge for the month of June.  Travel journaling reminds me so much of using my Smash Book, since that is what I seem to use when I travel beings it's so convenient to keep all my keepsakes in one place.



.  I went through my stacks of scrapbook paper and decided to use The Dear Lizzy's Neapolitan 12x12 Specialty Paper Pad.  Inside was a sheet of stickers which I used along with a sheet of multi colored stripes, and florals for the back ground .When starting an art journal page, I like to always start with collaging pieces of scrap book paper down first.  Not only does it add more stability to my page, but if I'm using a translucent medium (gelatos) for color, you are still able to see the print from the scrapbook paper in the background

In the pad of paper there were a few sheets of these "photos" which I thought would be fun to use as part of the art challenge to use photos and words.  I knew I was going to be using the sunset photo that I had taken, and some of the photos in the paper pad had cute sayings.  I cut out six different photos, one saying "sweet sunshine" another saying "The sun stretched out and touched my cheeks.", one of a camera, and another of a heart.  

This weeks challenge I decided to bust out some of my Amy Tangerine stickers that I have been hoarding for a while now to throw in the background of the layout.

The color for the background was achieved using Faber-Castell Gelatos.  I like using the gelatos when I want the under paper to show through under my color.  I was careful not to color over the photos I had cut out.  I wanted them to show through.  

 For the Art Challenge there was an awesome picture that I had taken while in Florida while visiting my family of a gorgeous sunset that was going to be used.  This week while browsing my Tumblr account I had came across this beautiful poem that went perfect with the photo, and would work with the art challenge of using photos and words. 

"I find God in sunsets. 
Where the beauty is warm and pleasing.  
It’s breathtaking. 
The fiery reds and calming pinks.  
Like the rays of sunshine touch my skin.  
Tears well up in my eyes. 
How beautiful my Creator is. 
How He comes to me in nature.  
Meets me at the other side of my worries. 
God, I yearn for you and your colorful heart. 
You have a way of knowing my every move.  
In the rays of Your Son. 
Shine on me. 
Light me up."

I had taken the poem I found on Tumblr, and wrote it out on a journaling tag.  Next I sprayed the journaling tag with Dylusions Spray Ink, and put a ribbon through the hole of the tag.  After I made the tag, I wasn't happy with just putting it on the page.  I had recently gotten a We R Memory Keepers Albums Made Easy Journaling Card Kit, which came with a brown envelop that held the tag just perfectly. I didn't want to leave the envelope plain so in the kit was a yellow chevron card that I cut down to fit the front of the envelope.  

Below is my YouTube video that I have made of this weeks challenge. Check it out to see how it all came together.  I would love to hear from you, please like, comment, and share. 

Thanks for stopping by, xoxoxo! 
Krystal