Daily Journaling Week 44

I'm following the prompts of the original Documented Life 2014. Week 44 : Incorporate Leaves
And from the blog for Life Documented 2017 HERE : 
Prompt: To incorporate a pretty pocket and elements of a bullet journal in your layout.
Technique:  Use deli paper and the art of brush calligraphy (you can use India ink if you have any or simply use watercolours and a brush)
This week I decided to use the prompts quite literally to develop my page over a few days. My base had left-over paint swiped on it - have decided I'm better with a blank page so will not be continuing this practice in future! Incorporate leaves - lovely metallic paint over stencils

I had already decided I'd use a blank library card to journal on, so that determined the size required for the pretty pocket. It was a good opportunity to use some bits from my box of painty papers.

Deli paper - again I dug into a box of samples - this time a gelli-printed page which I was attracted to first for the stars,

but then realised it also contained lovely metallic leaves. Cutting out the shapes worked well - stars and metallic keep my word SHINE alive in my work

And I'm enjoying adding more stitch (on the pocket too)...and found words of course ♥
Decided for the brush calligraphy to just add some Dylusions sprayink to an empty water brush

Not that fussed on how this looks, but it gets better with some finishing touches later....

My version of bullet journaling : 

and here's the completed spread - black pen outlining finished it nicely. Click on any photo to see it larger. 

You can see all my posts about this project HERE and my Flickr album HERE.

Book of Days : using collage elements

Art lesson from Book of Days last month. I started her in September - didn't get very far!

This weekend I finally answered her call to become my Spring celebration. Effy's lesson was about using collage elements (something she doesn't usually do) and celebrating the abundance of Autumn. This was her example - shared on her blog HERE.

I share hers so you can see how I took mine in a different direction - she always encourages us to take what we've learned and make it our own. This is how I 're'-started last night.

One of my favourite techniques to use for collage is paper serviettes - using only the top layer and torn edges means they melt right into the page (see details in my tutorial here). Very fortunate to have been gifted this lovely serviette last week - perfect timing!

Worked on her face 

and then decided that her hair could do with some collaged serviette butterflies too

Here she is all finished. Click on any photo to see it larger.

Effy blogged every day in September. In her post "Revel", she talked about our BOD theme for October and provided the PDF of prompts FREE for you to have as well. The great thing is these prompts are useful for whenever you want to use them - they don't have to be October and you could even use them month to month - your answers will be different. These prompts are offered as a way in to self-inquiry. The way we use them in Book Of Days varies according to each person’s individual needs. Some of us cut and paste them into a written journal and engage them there. Some of us just let the prompt guide our writing in whatever direction it wants to take. Some of us use these prompts as a portal into our art journals.
See my Flickr album for all my art from classes with Effy HERE. Sign up to Book of Days or other classes with Effy Wild HERE. 

Stitch*Bookery : book 4

Recently I decided it was about time to make myself a book from the Stitch*Bookery online class by Mary Ann Moss. The first 3 were all gifted. One of my favourite colours is purple, so I started making a concertina book on canvas featuring purple complemented by yellow and green. You might remember these progress shots from previous posts : 

I was stuck at this point (below) before I realised that the end pages form the cover...

and I was able to finish it today ♥ It's my fourth book made from this class, so I was thrilled to find these words for my cover : 

Click on any photo to see it larger

I just LOVE how it turned out. I also like the canvas back with the exposed stitching.

These are a couple of my favourite spreads from the back

Registration is currently open for this class until 1st November! - better get in now if you've been thinking about it. 

Check out all my posts about this class HERE.