LOVE THE 2014 ICAD CHALLENGE

Once again I am participating in ICAD - Tammy Garcia's Daisy Yellow Index-Card-a-Day challenge.

And I love it! Tammy provides themes and prompts and I've religiously stuck to this - and that in itself is a challenge - a bit like doing what I'm told! (Which I'm not good at - so I can learn that too)

There are well over 1100 members and the inspiration is never-ending. My ideas file is growing daily!

These 5 cards were the "warm-up" cards before the challenge started on June 1st. I'm most proud of my lettering.

Week 1 - all backgrounds are text - and various prompts my favourite is the Circus tent.

Week 2 - Collage backgrounds and prompts - my favourite is the Alphabet one.

Week 3 - Maps were the backgrounds here - weather, and road - and my favourite card was the orange prompt.

Week 4 - and Rainbow gelli prints formed my backgrounds - with the Maple leaves being my favourite.

WHY AM I DOING IT?

It's a great challenge on many levels - setting aside the time, planning and thinking (better than doing crosswords fro the brain cells), doing the art, following the prompts, taking a photo and uploading to FaceBook, and so much fun meeting like minded arty friends in the group!

Making Travel Journals

MY ARTY TRAVEL JOURNALS

I belong to a couple of online art groups and have been asked many times how I make my journals, what my documenting process is and what supplies I take with me - so, with some photos, I hope to explain, and hopefully, encourage you to make one too!

I've been documenting my important travels for  nearly thirty years and I myself am in awe of the changes over the years -

from tidy and neat and text only like this 

.. .gradually adding collage to writing pages 

... to creating whole collage pages

and ...
to the now preferred style of hand made junk journal style brimming over with flaps, envelopes, tickets and brochures, and completed with writing, doodling, collage and washi tapes.

WHAT I TAKE WITH ME:
My essential supplies are the journal, and a tin or pencil case containing scissors (if traveling by plane they'll be in my checked luggage or if I have only 'carry on' then I'll buy a pair of scissors at a discount store when I arrive.  I have also just used torn images). A couple of favourite writing pens, a few Pitt and/or Posca pens in favourite colours, or one or two black fine liners, a white pen (love Signo) and a glue stick and a small ruler all in a small carry bag.
SIZE:
My preferred size is made by using A4 pages or smaller, with a cover of heavy card a little larger. This is a nice size to carry around and easy to work in.
PROCESS:
I collect found papers or junk papers, travel brochures of the destination, scrapbook papers I like, hand painted pages, hand decorated and/or painted or Gelli printed or the papers that I have underneath other projects - all sizes - small and  large are used then assemble them in an order pleasing to me with a mixture of sizes, weights to give me interest when opening a new page.

 

 Various papers, envelopes, words and last picture above is of assembled pages for a signature.

Pages and cards are added with washi tape or glued on a narrow page as I assemble the journal.

Envelopes make pockets or pages.

ASSEMBLING THE JOURNAL
15 pages make 30 pages when folded. (This is a good size to work with - but my recent one had two signatures for a 6 week trip).
I then sew this signature using the basic pamphlet stitch (lots of tutorials online - I like the 5 hole version for stability) into a cardboard cover measuring about 1 - 2 cm larger all around than the A4 pages the book is made from. I usually collage the cover with travel words or maps as I go.

I prepare the pages before I travel by decorating them with washi tape edges, random words, gesso some pages, use left over paint on some,  rubber stamp some, collage postage stamps or scraps of paper or brochure words and pictures eg 'holiday adventures", "take time", "enjoy". Some words and pictures I keep in an envelope stuck inside the back cover to use later.
I attach pages 'on the go' too with washi tape or even strips of paper. Envelopes can be added and are glued in - glue stick is perfect!

I sometimes create an arty piece - like this collaged and drawn postcard - that I add or have a page for doodling in the journal eg these flowers on the inside of an envelope page.

Pitt pen flowers.

When on my travels I can work in the journal on a plane or train or during the day/ night in accommodation ranging from a tent to a caravan to a ship and of course a hotel or house.

I range from just jotting down words of impressions to historical information to documenting my daily thoughts, activities or  ponderings,  depending on the time available.
I add pages creating a flap or a fold out of zig zag pages. I add pages or postcards next  to the spine or sometimes I'll glue a postcard on to a narrow page.

TIME:
I try to work in my journal daily and for at least an hour but that is not always possible so I'll adjust my expectations according to the time available - or get up early - or stay up late! I often travel with my husband and I need less sleep than he does. I thoroughly enjoy this process. I delight in recycling and reusing and finding a place for souvenir brochures, postcards and bookmarks. Questions very welcome - and you might like to check out other previous posts with my journals too. I'd even love to make you one so just email me re postage costs etc.

65 POSTCARDS!

 

Stack of 65 postcards in progress.

 

A recent "Arty" interest of mine is MAIL ART.

 

I have been inspired by Emma, who created 50 postcards to send to celebrate her 50th birthday a year or so ago

-  by my joy & delight in receiving Mail Art envelopes and postcards from my paper swap friends ( met during Lawendula's swaps)

 - and my success & enjoyment doing and completing the 61 Index Cards Project (Tammy - ICAD and DPP) ...

and now...

 

I'm going to make and post 65 postcards!

Yes - I have decided to celebrate an auspicious birthday (October 31st) by making and sending out 65 'hand made' postcards to people I've met in other swaps and art groups!

 

Maybe this will work as a swap and I'll receive some hand made postcards? - but there will be no obligation.

 

My postcards will be in the collage style and a 4 x 6 inch size or 10 x 15 cm size. 

Four cards in progress on my desk.



I will post them without an envelope so that the card can "gather" the postmark and that the Australian stamp will be part of the card.

 

All my cards will have some stitching and flowers.

I will blog about the progress of this project of mine - with hopefully some pictures of cards received.

 

 

MORE INDEX CARDS

 

 

Still loving creating one Index - Card - a - Day - for the ICAD project - at Tammy Garcia's page.



I am SO glad I discovered this project through the 21 Secrets Workshops I am doing - and a wonderful added bonus is "meeting" like minded "Art Friends" in the other members of the group.

 I am as of today - up to number 52! That's 52 tiny pieces of Art - Play - Experiment - Discovery!

 

These cards were created while I was on holiday in The Northern Territory - and the prompt was coffee and tea - you can see pieces of maps, tea bags, coffee and tea tags, with backgrounds made from tea and coffee.

It was a great project to take on holidays - only needed some index cards, a glue stick, scissors and a small selection of markers.

Recycling and Art - love it!