In Room 202

In Room 202. Front Cover. I had NO (none, zero, nada, rien) intention of doing a cover and told Holly that, cuz I a) suck at covers and b) thought she might want to do her own thing. But on Mother's Day, when I was roaming in my blissed out state through that antique mall, I came across a table. On the table was fanned out all kinds of vintage sheet music. I went through each one looking for something for My Lovely Mother (who plays piano like sweet singing breezes -- oh! wondrous!), and as I was carefully surveying titles and cover art and music and general condition of the paper, THIS one fell on the floor. I looked; I said, "Whoa!" under my breath. She paused, key in the lock, then tossed a saucy wink over her shoulder. She said, in a very husky, boudoir voice, "I would be tres jolie on Holly's journal cover, n'est-ce pas?" Oui. Oui Oui. [My Lovely Mother will whack me, twice, hard! for putting paste to perfectly lovely (& vintage) sheet music, but I'm willing to take the hit. This cover is BOMB!] Pinup. Wanted to try to emulate an idea board ... paper scrap, little tags, vintage playing card. The 'board' lifts for surprises and journaling under. Blue Dawn. Photo is one of mine, of the construction yard here at work, at dawn. Tuscan Rose woman image, slide one of my own word play creations, paper scrap, deco tape, and journaling stickers. Blue Sheen. Sometimes I make myself 'do' a page using ONLY items found on my desk top ... here is one. Deco tape, some vellum print-outs of Mary Mata collage sheet images, a new journaling stamp I wanted to try. Adore. Playing with shrink plastic, so there is a shrunk plastic tag on each of these pieces, including the 2 tags hiding in the glassine envelopes. Paint, paper, scrap, stickers, library pocket, die cut hummingbird. Class. Paper, paint, rubber stamps. Martini Pinwheel. Wallpaper background, paper pinwheel with scraps added, rubber stamp images. Love this! The pinwheel flaps open for journaling, too! The End. The last page. Hee. Hee hee hee. Ha! HA! hahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I so crack myself up sometimes! Big Mama!!! This is how my journals always look when they're done. I tie each of them closed with the ugliest tie I can find at Good Will. Holly may need two ties. Or a handful of bungie cords, huh? The journals are weird/difficult to write in as I get to the end, true story -- I'm wondering what challenges My Queen will have writing in this, as she's getting it in Full Blown 'Splosion Mode!!! Holly, eat your veggies, Baby!

I'm doing a few touch-ups and finalizing the cover tonight, so this could conceivably go out in the mail TOMORROW!!!! Oh, Holly Holly Holly come HOME!!!!

Backgrounds Farewell

I still have 3 more layouts to do, but there will be NO contorting the book for scanning those ... this thing is JAM PACKED!!! Peek-a-Boo A Tuscan Rose image (the woman), and a column from a Mary Mata collage sheet ... a little bloom for modesty.Royal. A book for Holly would be glaringly incomplete with a crown, don't you agree? Woman transparency from The Tuscan Rose and OOH do I ever love this one! Little pearls, a button with stars and moons ... and Holly's favorite color (purple!) Sight. Idea from a greeting card I saw. Hopes and Dreams. Sewing pattern paper background, two old unlined index cards with tabs, rubber stamp images and paper scrap. The tabbed cards lift for journaling beneath. Dress Up. More of the sewing pattern paper, then I decided to sketch a little frock and embellish it -- sequins and some fine mesh packing material. Modigliani. This image came from Mercedes, a blogging friend in Madrid. The marbleized paper is from an experiment of mine. Deco tape, lacy fabric swatch. The bathing Modigliani opens, and I've attached another for Holly to use as a bookmark (different Modigliani woman). Saturday Morning. Which is when I drew this woman, sitting outside on my patio roost. I like it all but her mouth ... the waxy brown paper came in some kind of auto part Double BB bought and I liked the crinkle and texture of it. Waz Eez Laundry This would be a private joke between Holly and me ... the Iron mask came off the packaging of a new iron we bought. The woman image came from the package of a sewing pattern. Adornment. An ATC card I made some time ago and liked too much to put it into the swap! Scrap, rubber stamp image, journaling sticker. Mother's Day. So called only because I made it yesterday. Paper scrap, rubber stamp image, photo copies, journaling stickers, deco tape. Lavender Eye Mask. A beloved photo from an old Toast catalog. Paper scraps, deco tape. Find Your Muse. Woman image & slide mount cuts from The Tuscan Rose. Photo taken by Rick R, one of his gorgeous flowers.

B-B-B-B Bad to the B-B-B-Backgrounds

16 pages/32 backgrounds to go ... rollin', rollin', rollin'!!! High.Print of a canvas I did, deco tape, remainder of the child's calendar page. There's an insert behind the canvas scan for journaling. Fun. Baby photo from The Tuscan Rose, but photocopied then transferred with a Coptic marker. Telephone dial image also from the Tuscan Rose. My photo of the grapefruit. Stickers, deco tape. Fun, right? By Request. Holly wanted an image of me in this book. Voila. Photos by my youngest male child, last summer. I love the one on the right, but the left one? Flashing my non-existent cleavage for all the world to see ... let's just focus on the cool head wrap, eh, what? These are what you see when you lift the 'Between the Lines' flap, above post. All in the Attitude I used the crow as a stencil earlier - can't throw away a perfectly good crow mask, eh? And the sassy little wench on his wing - they seemed to make a good pair. He is sifting the waters for river music to accompany her number. Notes. Wrapping paper scrap, library pocket full of little strips, each with a message of inspiration, rubber stamp images and ribbon. Believe In Magic. This is a direct rip-off of a greeting card I saw in a magazine. And the lettering has already started rubbing off my little tapes - pffft. No Llores (Don't Cry) Frida images are irresistible to me - she was SO FIERCE. Ribbon, paper, rub-ons, scrap. Frida lifts for journaling behind. Be Yourself. Everyone Else is Taken. A page inspired by Beth of the blog by the same name. She's always on fire - I love that in a friend and artist! Matchbook from a collection, magazine photo, doodle template, paper scrap, rub-ons. Used my heat gun to 'burn' parts of the page -- a nod to my inner firebug!!

Background Badonkadonk

Only 20 more backgrounds to do in Holly's book -- the spine cracked so I can continue to scan and post. I'll tape the bejeezuz out of it once I'm done, per usual! Not to Scale. This image (out of a Pier I flyer) is where I wanted to be early Saturday morning, and the dog reminded me of Holly's dog-tales ... what a fresh, sweet page! Dream Travel. Directly from a dream I had. Truck image from The Tuscan Rose. Paper napkins are the flowery background and beneath that a shop drawing/blueline sheet from work. Felty scrap piece from a swap. Sari. One of my cherished rubber stamp images. Fed Ex plastic envelope. Inside is a doctored-up fold-out thingie that came in the mail to my youngest male child. Being as it was purple, and Holly loves purple, I absconded with it for journal use. Childlike.Art from a calendar, tag & polka dot deco tape from a package I got from Ms. Juliana Coles. Gibson Girl. Center right, new rubber stamp image. Exterior of envelope. Interior of envelope. Rubber stamp image from Veronica's ETSY called Keeping watch ... wallpaper scraps from Patty, vintage envelope from my collection. 1894 -- that just slays me!

Holly's Journal - Movin' & Shakin'

Lake Dreamer. New stamp image I received yesterday and I wanted to try it out immediately! Fine Handmade. A magazine image I've loved a long time. Wallpaper snippet from Patty. Lemon Merengue ribbon end; Jenni Bick tag from the travel journal I ordered for our England trip, a wee moleskin. Page intersection ... these would NOT scan any other way. Note: If you're going to do crack, do it this way! Leisure. Photo from Anthropologie catalog. I think this new model's face is SO interesting! Buried Treasure. Sandy beach image from magazine, rubber stamped images, overlaid by a decorative vellum page that came with a stamp order I received yesterday.

Overflow Overboard!

Ok. Cat outta the bag here -- this journal began because I can't stop making journal backgrounds, so initially I was going to finish it and offer it as blog candy. However, a certain wonderful someone spoke up very early on, encouraging me when I wondered aloud to her if anybody would even want such a pre-prepared journal. I just thought maybe it would be too personal by way of the images and art and colors I chose for anyone to want it! Ever since that moment, when she basically said, 'Heck yea! Who wouldn't want such a journal!' I told her this journal would be earmarked for her. THANKS HOLLY!!!!!!!

I'm about 25 pages from the end, and it has reached the explosion point, where scanning it means I almost have to sit on it to lay it flat. So these may be the last pages I'm able to scan without breaking the book open! Growing. Paint, rubber stamp images, tags, vellum a gift from Sweet Carla!, and 2 of my Romanian flower postage stamps outta my collection! This may be my favorite page in this book, so far. Tibet. The stone Buddha image came out of Smithsonian magazine; the little boy insert was free in a magazine. The Chinese scripted tape was actually used on an order that came to me from China. This is one of those few pages that comes out exactly as I see it in my mind! Fresh. Image was from a free download site, and I tweaked it in Photoshop. Paper and wall paper scraps all from my dear one, Patty. Profile. Basic Grey and scrap papers, all gifts from Patty -- also the images are from one of her collage sheets, available at The Tuscan Rose. Paris tag insert. Lots of little tucks and folds and hidden corners here. Wisteria. Wanted an excuse to use this sheet from a new Basic Grey paper collection called just that, Wisteria! Daytona Beach Blown up copy of a post card, paper scraps (also from the Basic Grey 'Wisteria' tablet), rubber stamp image. Swans. Enlarged photo copy of a vintage post card in my collection. Lifts for journaling beneath. Wonderful. Lumiere metallic paints, paper punch-outs, B&W print of one of my homemade collages, image from Patty at The Tuscan Rose. Luna Memories. The crow template came from a Stampington publication - love it! Synchronicity. Paint, paper (new tablet from Basic Grey called Lime Rickey - way fun patterns!, bought at The Tuscan Rose!), rubber stamp images. That Synchronicity stamp is one I use sparingly - it has SO much meaning for/to me.