HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!
I've created this spread in honor of all of my art journaling and
altered artist friends. May the warmth and love of the holiday season
be with you all through 2009. With hugs from Vale :)

My latest spread for Art Journal Gypsies...

'Evening all!
For week #16 I created 4 separate categories
from which participants would choose one thing
from each of the 4 lists. The categories were:
1: Theme
2: colour
3: Background
4: An element to use in your spread

For my spread, I went with the word "heart" for
theme. The colours I picked to work with were brown, red
& metallic. For my background I went with the tape, combined
with all of the other background choices I'd listed. Finally,
I decided to use "individual words" from the "elements"
category. Above is the spread I came up with for
this week @ Art Journal Gypsies.

More "Art Journal Gypsies" spreads....

Hi all!
Above are my latest spreads for my
"Art Journal Gypsies" blog. The bottom photo is
what I created for this past weeks exercise, about
experiences with artjournaling....how it made
you feel, whether it's therapeutic for you, or just
plain fun! The top photo is the spread I created
today for the current weeks exercise about the
traditional gypsies. If you're interested, you
can view my "Art Journal Gypsies" blog
using the following link:
http://artjournalgypsies.blogspot.com/
Come join in on the fun if you wish!
Warm hugs for all on this snowy day in
Ontario, Canada! Vale :)

I've had the past 2 days off work, so I took it easy
& played in my art journals. The top photo is of the
spread I created for this week's "Art Journal Gypsies"
exercise. The bottom photo is of the inside cover to
my new "Book of Odd" aka "The Big Book of the 3Bs".
I wish I could stay home for another 2 days & play!

The Book of Odd...

After I got all of my housework out of the way,
last night & into the wee hours of the morning, and
all of this afternoon, I have been on a bookmaking frenzy.
Now that I haven't any outside art projects to work on I am
finding new ways to use my creative imagination. I took an
old vinyl 3-ringed binder and cut it down to a shape of a book
that I like working in; a tall skinny book, that is approximately
11 1/2"H x 7 1/2"W, with the pages slightly smaller in width.
I then grabbed up my supply of cardboard pieces and went
to town, cutting up all sorts of shapes to use for its pages.
I have semi-circles, triangles, 2 halves of a cross,
even a tree, & house shaped page. All that I
have left to do, is to play in my book now!
Above are images of my book, so far.

Art Journal Gypsies spreads....

'Afternoon everybody!
Here are some of the spreads that I have created
over the past few weeks for my Art Journal Gypsies blog.
Every week I post a new exercise for anyone that is
interested in creating their own art journal along with me.
If interested in joining in, you can view my Art Journal Gypsies
blog, and the weekly exercises I've been posting there by
clicking on the following link:
http://artjournalgypsies.blogspot.com/
I am posting these weekly exercises just for fun, and
to hopefully share in the art journaling experience
with others that enjoy keeping their own art journal.
I'd really love it if you'd join me! I am loving the
freedom of playing in my "stay @ home" art journal.
Warm hugs for all, Vale :)

The final calendar journal for 2008

Well, here is my final contribution to our 2008 calendar journal
round robin. This year's CJ RR has gone by amazingly fast;
I can't believe we've already reached the end of our art
journaling journey! This time around I worked in
Lizbeth's journal. Above are the pages I created.

I've had a couple of days free to myself, so I
worked on my spread for this week's exercise
over @ "Art Journal Gyspsies". Above is what
I've created. I decided to use a freestyle poem
that I wrote. Since the first page of my spread
turned out to have a rather dark & serious
atmosphere to it, I thought I'd take advantage
of my initial "V" and use "Stone Maiden", my
poem about an encounter with a vampire!

More calendargirlz round robin work....

Here are my latest contributions to the "Calendargirlz" round robin.
This month I worked in Patty's "Inuit Art" calendar journal. I have been looking
forward to seeing this particular CJ. I kept to the theme of the journal
as much as I could since I really love the artwork of the Inuit people.

Art Gypsy Journal....

Over the past few weeks I have been working on a new journal, an "Art Gypsy Journal". I've created another blog and I have been posting weekly exercises there, following the steps I am taking for each weekly spread I create. If you are interested in checking out the blog, or joining on the weekly exercises, you can do so by clicking on the link below the photos:
http://artjournalgypsies.blogspot.com/

And, BTW, I would be absolutely thrilled if any of you would like to join in! The exercises are into their 3rd week now, but only one spread a week is created. So, it isn't too late to join in! Anyhow, I thought I'd add photos here of what I've created in those 3 weeks. I hope to see some familiar faces joining in @ "ART JOURNAL GYPSIES"! Warm hugs, and happy art journaling!
Vale :)

This is what I created in the latest calendar I received.
It's Jo's "Around The World" calendar.
Of course, right away I began singing the
theme song to the movie "Around The World in 80 Days".
So, that's the idea I went with for the spread.

Beginning a new art journal...

Aside from the latest "Soul Journal" I've started,
I've begun a new art journal for exercises in
varying techniques and art supplies.
This is the first spread, a claiming
of my new art journal.

Collage Potpourri for my Soul Journal

Here are the latest additions to my Soul Journal.
They are are for the six page collage potpourri. In
the bottom photo, I have added some doodled
black hearts and red blood droplets to my
"taped" page using permanent ink pens.

Here are two more spreads I've created following the instructions of "soul journaling".

SOUL JOURNALING: Day 2

Here is what I have done to complete the randomly papered, gessoed and journaled pages in my previous posting. I am thoroughly enjoying the "soul journaling" experience! Instead of using armor for page two of my soul journal, I used an "Inukshuk" to symbolize my source of strength, direction and safe haven.

SOUL JOURNALING: Beginning: Day 1

Karen BP shared an interesting and inspiring site with the Calendargirlz recently, on "soul journaling". On the site are daily instructions for creating your own soul journal. I fell in love with the idea and started making my own. Using the daily prompts, this is what I have come up with so far.

I'm enjoying 6 days off work, so I've been playing away the time in my art room. I've been working in the latest calendar journal from our Calendargirlz round robin. This time it's Suzanne's "Salut!" CJ. These are the pages I've created in her journal.

You're So Vain....

I am gathering that I had something to say here! lol

The hair on the female on the right, and the hat on the
other on the left are textured. It took several layers
to achieve a more life-like look to them. Although,
you can't tell they're textured in these photos.

My pages in Juliet's calendar journal

Here are the latest pages I've created for our calendar journal round robin. This month I had a great time playing in Juliet's CJ!

Today was my son's wedding day. How so very proud I am. Jesse has accomplished a great deal in the last couple of years. Today I have not lost a son, but have gained a lovely daughter-in-law, Amie. Here they are sealing their wedding vows with a kiss.

THE ARTS & THE SOCIALITE