A Year In The Life of an Art Journal

Just when I thought I couldn't over commit myself more...I stumbled on this incredible challenge.  The truth is, I followed it all last year but never did any of the prompts.  For some reason, I got inspired and spent all weekend making my altered book to serve as my journal.  And, extra cool, the book divides up really nicely to fit each of the prompts.  I'm still working on the first one!

The book is a children's non fiction book about Christmas.  I sanded the front and put a layer of gesso on the cover.  Then I covered the front with yellow paint in an attempt to do a transfer technique that didn't work.  What did work is using old gift cards to spread paint - it looks so great.  I added images from my massive magazine image collection, stamped words all over that are important to me.  I finished it with a strip of duct tape on the binding, and a gift card spreading of gold paint.  Its bomb, if I do say so myself. 

I did do two transfer techniques that always work awesome.

1. Packing tape and magazine images.  Put packing tape over image, burnish it, and then toss in a cup of water.  Rub off the back of the image and voila, you have a shiny image that is slightly sticky on the back.  (The image of the person in the tunnel and the girl are both done this way)
2. Gloss medium and magazine images.  Paint over image with medium 3+ times, let dry thoroughly.  Give the back a quick sandpaper, and then wet your fingertips.  Start rubbing off the backing.  This creates a more crinkly skin like image that is fairly transparent.   (There is an image over the middle figure that is done this way, and the ocean image at the bottom). 

Front

Back

And get prepared for this one too!  Sign up starts Jan 21st.  Only must:  make one thing every day in February.  Hmm.