by Linda | Jan 23, 2012 | my creative journal
A bit wide in the hips, but still a cute baby dragon. I thought it would be a nicer version to doodle, as opposed to the fierce scary ones we usually see for new year. Wishing you a super productive and blissful year…
For those of us who missed making new year resolutions or starting a project in 2012, why not start today with lunar new year? Although really, it goes to show that you can start something whenever you want. Every day is a great day to start something amazing.
by Linda | Jan 19, 2012 | my creative journal
A bit of practice, doodling possible hairstyles on my girl illustrations. I tend to do the same thing all the time…need to practice variety…
by Linda | Jan 16, 2012 | my creative journal
I was randomly doodling and discovered that the scribbling of a circle can result in a pretty cool face drawing. At first it looked like the girls were wearing head scarves…but then they also looked trapped in another dimension when more scribbles were used. Hmm… wonder what these can become. BTW, check out this video to learn about doodling patterns with Joanne Fink.
by Linda | Jan 13, 2012 | my creative journal
Although I should be finishing up my December Daily album, a new idea that couldn’t be shaken popped into my head. I took some packaging and made it into a wraparound mini album. The idea is to record successes in 2012, sort of cheering myself onward and helping me to remember all that did happen, versus didn’t happen.
During the new year, we tend to review our progress and resolutions. I always fail to remember anything great or fantastic from the year prior and thus beat myself up for not finishing projects. Boo hoo. I’ve realized that I need to celebrate and acknowledge my successes, instead of focusing on the negative. That’s where this minibook comes in.
We often like to make lists of to do’s and ultimate goals, along with a million projects bookmarked or starred, to be completed. I thought about how it’s important to do the opposite, to record what I have already accomplished. Do you sometimes add onto your to do list, just to cross the item out? Yeah, I do that sometimes too! What a mind trick!
Of course, this mini is not about saving my to do lists of tasks. I’m thinking of bigger successes that I will want to reflect back upon at the end of the year. Finishing a project or accomplishing something for a month or adding something into my routine, etc.
So far I’ve put my little celebrate illustration postcard inside, but not sure how I will add pages into it. Any ideas on how an unknown number of successes (or pages) can be accounted for? I was thinking accordion style… but I suppose the first success will be a deciding factor.
I used the North Country line of Prima Marketing papers to cover the chipboard, but not so happy with the quality. I don’t think it’s thick enough paper to do that kind of thing, but used some white lace to hide some of my mishaps. Since I finally got some elastic, I was able to create the elastic closure to this mini, which is totally neat. The bling is actually an old button from my stash – I’m all about reusing and recycling. I’ll be sure to update as I add in entries to this mini, wish me luck!
by Linda | Jan 4, 2012 | my creative journal
Yes, I have been MIA this holiday season, spending all my time with visiting family. However, there were many creative pursuits throughout our vacation together, namely leather crafting madness! For now, here’s a page from my doodling to ring in the new year… happy 2012 to you!
by Linda | Dec 15, 2011 | DIY printables, my creative journal
Want a cute little mini airmail design in fresh colors for your papercrafting project? Lately, I’ve been noticing the light blue and pinkish red combination of colors for the Christmas season. I’m more drawn to the palette that is light, airy, fresh and snowy…rather than the traditional classic red and green. Somehow seems more peaceful and quiet happy.
So, I decided to update my airmail stationery to these colors for a little tiny gift card design. You can see my printout on my december daily page below:
Really small and cute, nothing fancy. Matching card with little envelope.
Download the Christmas Airmail Stationery Printable PDF for your personal papercrafting projects.
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by Linda | Dec 7, 2011 | my creative journal
On and off, I’ve been working on a series of girls with little nuggets of wisdom. Just simple thoughtful messages. As I tinkered with the designs, I’ve come to realize this is a series that will never be finished. I’m not very prolific compared to some and I’m prone to tinker with tiny details for much too long. A teacher once told me that it’s good to keep playing until you’ve gone too far. Then you know that you’ve explored enough. But I think that I often get lost in the deep end…
Regardless, I’m really happy with my little girl characters and since there’s an endless supply of thoughtful messages to illustrate, I’ll add on as time goes by. I’ve actually created 12 so far, which could make a nice 2012 calendar. I think I’ll make myself one for sure…
by Linda | Dec 6, 2011 | my creative journal, Uncategorized
Over time I have learned what my favorite tools and materials are for this lovely art called bookbinding. I thought it would be nice to go through what I normally use when binding books and journal. Nothing really fancy here…I think we might all have these items in one form or another. I’m definitely a very DIY small-time bookbinder…
A self-healing cutting mat and cutting knives – definitely must haves in so many ways. I’ve never found a paper trimmer that I love and much prefer a mat and knife. Also, the measurements on the mat itself are very useful for lining up cuts and projects while crafting in general.
A metal ruler – metal means it will last longer and sits heavier on top of paper to prevent sliding while you cut. Love it!
Bone folder – a must for folding paper and smoothing things over. You can also use the tip to score lines in your paper as well…
Awl – for punching holes! I have a pretty small one that sometimes gives me a handache…one of these days I might invest in the Japanese screw hole punches… very cool. Just know that you need a way to pre-punch your holes.
Needles – big tapestry needles work great for sewing up books.
Linen thread – I use both waxed and unwaxed linen thread, because it’s super strong!
PVA glue – Vinavil is the brand we use here in Italy and it’s the same glue even bookbinding teachers at workshops use…so I’m cool with it! Really, just any glue will do.
Junky brushes – to brush on the glue – probably more important than the glue, because if you get a nice coat on, it’ll stick! I use hardware store brushes. If it gets junked up, I just toss them out.
Materials from paper to leather – I use all types of materials, even recycled board to create book covers and fill in the pages of my journals. It’s fun to use alternative materials actually.
Those are pretty much all the tools and materials that I use, so it’s nothing too fancy. Of course there are many other professional tools you can buy, but you certainly don’t need them to make yourself a journal to use!
Hope my list can help you get started in bookbinding and you might also like these bookbinding tutorials I’ve written:
by Linda | Dec 5, 2011 | my creative journal
I’ve noticed here on my blog that bookbinding posts have been the most popular by far. Granted, some bookbinding affiliated sites have linked over to certain posts, so it might not really represent my regular blog readers. However, I love creating my own books and journals, yet fail to share the process as much as I would like to.
At times all the ideas and thoughts get jumbled up and I find it difficult to express and organize. One big hang up is just fear, because I’m a beginner in many respects. I’m also very much self-taught and have no claim to the proper ways or professional ways of bookbinding. I don’t have a standing press. I don’t really care about the grain of my paper. I skip steps and mess around, because it make the process more fun for me.
In my effort to stop over analyzing and simply create, I’ve decided to share regardless. I’ve thought about creating a series of posts about all the different types of binding methods I use…but I kept getting hung up on the order of presentation, how NOT complete my list was, and if I was using the right names. I realize that it doesn’t matter in the end, I’ll just take it post by post…no one is expecting a course in bookbinding here! So yes, lots of book projects will be coming to the blog in no particular order or sense. It’s just what I happen to be creating.
In the past, I have already shared various bookbinding tutorials… so check them out in the meantime.
by Linda | Dec 1, 2011 | my creative journal
Some of you may not know, but I also have an art blog called tortagialla. From my creative musings there, I started writing a zine about art and craft topics and really loving the process. It occurred to me that issue 8 is all about scrapbooking, but I haven’t introduced it here on the blog. So here’s a little plug for myself!
My handmade zine is called Pensieri, meaning thoughts in Italian. It’s an outlet for me to share my crafty endeavors, from art history to specific techniques and craft subjects. I design the whole zine myself, a one-girl operation when it comes to printing, folding, binding and all the handmade touches. The cover of my zines are created with a big envelope, which results in a back pocket for goodies – a feature I’m particularly fond of. Although it takes a massive amount of time to create these zines, I love the process and love sharing a bit of my knowledge and writing with others. It’s been a really amazing experience for me and ultimately, I think I gain a lot from creating Pensieri.
The last issue of Pensieri is called Scrap Slam Smash – A mini history of memory, story and life keeping. I suppose you can say that it’s a culmination of my own adventures in scrapbooking and how I’ve ended up (thus far)…in terms of why I scrapbook and all the ideas I have for the hobby. I go through a brief history of the hobby, some design principles, a color discussion and pages and pages of journaling prompts as project ideas. I really hope to inspire others to scrapbook in the end. Whether it be a mini project or an ongoing scrap your life in an art journal type of way. Whatever works for you.
I scrapbook because I love the process. I get to relive beautiful memories and celebrate them by scrapping those stories. It’s also a fun and creative release for me. I love playing with pretty materials! I also love to share the results with friends and family, seeing the joy it brings and helping them to relive those wonderful moments in our lives. Again, it’s about celebrating the good and perhaps even acknowledging the bad and working through it.
So if you are interested in getting a copy of my zine, you can find Pensieri issue 8 Scrap Slam Smash in my Etsy shop. Thanks and scrap on!
