Dust It Off Sunday - No Stamps Today - the start of my Art Journal!

This still qualifies for Dust if Off Sunday I think - you see I dusted off a bunch of different products for this. Some I have had for YEARS... some a few months. All I have needed and wanted to play with!

Let me start off with explaining what this is and what I am thinking here - I LOVE Donna Downey. I just think she is a fun bubbly personality, that isn't afraid of trying anything new, and isn't afraid to show that art is not suppose to be perfect all the time. The important thing is to enjoy yourself, and learn about yourself in the process of playing with art. I totally love that. And heck she is just fun to watch on her blog. And of course in person.. He he Since I got to meet her at CHA I can say that!!   She makes these "Art Journals" They are basically notebooks of small pieces of art. All different, trying new things and new styles. For months I have been wanting to do this. But kept finding reasons to not go for it. Too busy with work, Husband, Family, Animals, House and needed DT items. But you know there is no reason that I can't work all my life into my Art Journal. It is about what I want it to be. So you may see a piece from time to time under Dust if Off - and then next time a challenge. And then from time to time just cuz I do something fun. Now Donna does most of hers with a video camera and shows from start to end. One I am just not that techno yet, Two I start and stop things and am just a mess right now, but who knows one day I may figure things out enough to show step by steps.. LOL

So here is page one - I say page one loosely here, as I don't have my book to put this in yet. I plan for the book to be a 6x9 vertical ... so hopefully I can find what I want to use. I have seen it in the past, now I just have to find it again!

Here are the products I dusted off to make this pieces -

Tim Holtz Fence Mask - had this for litterally years and never even opened it.

PanPastels - I wanted these forever, and end of the summer last year I was given the green light to go ahead and order a set to play with. I really got busy and didn't get to do much with them, but now... ok - loving these and will be trying lots with them! I got mine HERE - you can get them as sets, or individual colors. They are really fun to work with! So Smooth!

Basic Grey Sticker letters and scrap paper - For some odd reason when I purchased Basic Grey paper collections years ago, in my scrapbooking days,  I saved all the letter stickers that came with them. I cannot tell you how many times I had a bunch of these sheets in my  hand saying... why am I saving these letters I will never use them! Well.. ta da! I used them!  Then a scrap of an older Basic Grey paper for my leaf.

Old piece of Sassafrass Lass paper from long ago for the flower leaves.

This isn't a Mona Lisa or anything - it really is a VERY simple piece. I just stuck down the mask. Painted on the pastels in two shades and blended. Removed the mask. Then made my cloud with an eraser... yep.. just erased the blue coloring from the paper to show the white through as my cloud. I then tore out my flower petals, and leaf. Painted on my stem, and stuck down the pieces. I took my Copic Brush tip multi-liner to give a loose outline of things. and a fine point for the fence. Added my sticker words, hand wrote the word "Art". I sewed the edges of the entire piece and then backed with a dark red card stock with a bit of a mat to show. Tied some bakers twine in a white button and done.

The main thing for me is that I "PLAYED" for a while. No set rules or plan - and used products I have been really wanting to use. May be dorky... but it really made me happy. Not sure if Hubby understands this at all. He gave me a really odd look when I showed this too him when done. But that is ok, it is the journey of making this Art journal for myself. Just to see what I can do... and can't or shouldn't do.. LOL But to try new things and new styles myself. Instead of just surfing the web saying "Man I wish I could do that" ... Well why can't I? May not be as good as most, but I want to try and see how I enjoy it.

Hope all of this ramble makes sense... if not oh well.. I at least hope you enjoyed seeing my little flower today :0)

HUGS and-