'Ya Don't Tug on Superman's Cape ...'

'ya don't spit into the wind
ya don't pull the mask off the Ole Lone Ranger,
& ya don't mess around with Jim'.
**Jim Croce, of course**

Heard this song coming home from work last night, wrote it in my journal, then dreamed it, so while it has veritably nothing to do with this post, I wanted to share. Do you all have it in your brain now? (Hey, it could be worse, I coulda done like Double BB does to me, waking me up with TV theme songs, especially Green Acres -- then I go about humming the thing all day!!)

Yes, of COURSE I've been journaling since I got back -- started a brand new journal, in fact, upon my return -- talk about grand timing there! What will all the England picture posting (and I'm not done yet), journal backgrounds kinda got pushed to the side. I've missed posting them, though, and since I'm under an entire barrage of new ideas/influences/techniques, I decided to make them my focus this morning. Later this morning, My Lovely Mother and I are going gallivanting - our first escapade since our return -- moseying through such as Pottery Barn and Borders, lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, and much much kvetching about jobs (mine AND hers). We've both 'had a week' and she called a lunch forum. From Anthropologie -- this photo kicked off my call for kitchen pics - just wanted to share. Many many pages done like this in the last few weeks, under the 'England' influence, using my own photos as the basis and accents. Does everyone else already know about this blog? Be ... Dream ... Play ... because I didn't, until I saw it linked on Beth's sidebar and went exploring. Elizabeth Bunsen is her name, EB; she is my new journal page inspiration of all inspirations -- she does exactly what I have been trying trying trying to do -- a delicious, colorful, exuberant melding of visuals with words, and photographs to make my CRY!!! with response ... all I can say is GO LOOK: here. and here. and here. So last night I did a serious attempt at modeling my layout after her pages. Side 2. Long way to go, but I GET it, how a single word or phrase is enough, just like in my travel journal from England. All images from an Anthropologie catalog. Glue down images, sand entire page, then Bombay ink color washes. Love the etched, aged feeling I get doing that. My new obsession: color blocks, with an image peeking through. This is an exercise designed by Juliana Coles, to use 'repetition' in images (sizes, the image itself), to create visual journal pages reflective of somethin' goin' on in me. I used a few images of myself, and several others I already had punched out. Side 2, larger images but still repetitive in size. I did this exercise in my current journal, but I think I'll separate them into another book going forward.

I'm off to peruse EB's blog a WHOLE lot more/longer ... it's a place in which to get lost, true story!

Lightly on LaBelle

Sunlight & Blue Shade. Images from Toast Catalog. I drew the man, another five-minute, 'Southpaw' drawing challenge, but wanted to paint him more realistically this time. He flips open for journaling, and so does the stairway image. Mosaic Tea. Two lovely photos from a Toast catalog and watercolor paint. The Landowner's Daughter. Magazine image, clip art senorita, my photo of the trees.

On a LaBelle Wave

Pandora's Box. Doesn't this ROCK?!!! Now let me 'splain why ... I did a creativity exercise to make this -- 5 minutes allowed to draw from an inspiration photo, using my NON DOMINANT (left) hand! FIVE MINUTES!! Then five more minutes to color or paint it, and not allowed to use a 'realistic' palette. Ten minutes and this is what came out of me!!! [[Seriously, I rarely seem to do anything this free, this abstract or cool, with my right hand!]] Ciera Leads the Way My fave picture, ever, of Ciera ... the rest of the background just followed. Vintage postcard (1909!) from my collection, papers, etc. Lots of flaps and hidden inserts for journaling. Bergen. This photo turns up a lot on Cam's blog(s), so I figured it must be one she loves. I copped it, true story, and printed it off to use on a page. Altitude. I made a photo copy of Bergen's photo, then used a Copic marker to transfer it so you see it in reverse. Then I did some paper-piecing to re-colorize his cap, t-shirt, shorts, and the soaring blanket! Fireflies. A long-cherished image from a Focus magazine, shot by Keith Carter, 1992. Papers, vintage wallpaper, decoupage tissue paper. Summer Skin. Photo from a Focus magazine - background paper came in my latest Somerset Studio magazine, deco tape, bird photo by Elliot Porter, image folds back for journaling beneath. She Wanted to Go In. Inspired wholly by Cam's blog post, here. All the 'waves' open for journaling. Nature's Herbal Remedies. Paper scrap I doodled on to create a 'villa', image from Ten Two Studios, a little 'journal' created out of the catalog cover, acrylic paint.

Groovin' on LaBelle

Dreaming to the Moon. A Julification page that Cam liked, with just a few Toni touches. LaBelle Parasol. Paint and rubber stamps. The parasol pulls out for journaling on the back. Ticket to Ride. Cam? Dearest? This is NOT meant to be you, except in escapade and attitude, 'k? & possibly hair color. Meanwhile, hands - eesh! Proportions - blimey! FACES - SHITE!! But you know, I sat down and just straight-up painted this, no sketches first, no erasing of any sort, just did it, looking at a magazine photo. And the 'gist' is there, the feeling. There will be more of these.

My Farewell Julification Page

The Julification class is OVER!!! WAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!! The last videos were posted a while ago -- I waited. I let the anticipation simmer. Then I watched the videos but made myself wait, again, before going to paint and paper. And as it turns out, this is, hands down, my favorite Julification page of any I've done.

The groovy thing is that Julie is leaving the videos up, the group OPEN, for a year. Who does THAT, I ask you?! So when I get back from England, I can pretend to be a newbie and start the class all over again. I'm aiming to come to friendly terms, a truce, with crackle paint, I am!

Julie, Julie, Julie ... sigh ... you are the Soopreme Layer Love goddess, Woman! I would (will) take a class from you anywhere, any time.

LaBelle-icious!

I am SO getting my LaBelle journal background groove on -- last night, I listened to a new (to me) Rickie Lee Jones CD THREE TIMES IN A ROW (it's that good, see bottom of post) and just played & played & played. I wrote in my journal this morning, after eyeballing the pages again -- I must work entirely in my right brain when I'm my zone, because when I look at the pages, later, it's like seeing them for the first time with my cognitive brain. I remember the FEELING of the pages but don't remember all the images used until I see them again -- they're that, um, melded into my creative process. Pier 5. Paint, rubber stamp images, deco tape, vintage postcard from my collection, little paper image. Meep Meep! The LaBelle Love Bug visits Toni in the desert. Can ya dig it? VW is a copy machine transfer with copic marker, then painted. Meep! Gifts From and To The Sea. Inspired by the colors of the shells on the tag. A soothing page, to me. This is on a piece of manila folder, and I've already aged/distressed the other side - can't wait to see what I do with that. I never know 'til I get there and get started. Pears. [ya think?] anyway I was trying to get the colors of bosc and regular pears, with the greens and browny-golds ... the right edge made me think of a garden trellis. Reclining. Vintage wallpaper background, vellum envelopes with wee sooprises inside, old button, velvet ribbon, vintage photo from a collection. I could really see this wallpaper in the room our reclining heroine is in, here! I chose her because her dress looks like a mermaid tail, doesn't it? Designed and Produced. Those words are from a fabric swatch ... various paper bits, little folder. This is one of my Julification backgrounds that had the dark strip up the center. Looks better now. Cat's Eye. Leftover paint from my palette (cool!), swirly stamps, tag, twine, cat's eye circle on a big brad!
**********************
Rickie Lee Jones, Evening of My Best Day
And for anyone who buys used from Amazon, the seller GOHASTINGS rocks my world -- turbo mailing, items are ALWAYS as they describe them, they take care with how they package their stuff ... I always look for them, now, and will pay more for something if they have it.

Gettin' Busy with LaBelle

Love Is a Verb. Magazine image, wallpaper scrap, acrylic paint, rubber stamps. The artist Angela Cartwright does a LOT of painting onto photographs, imprinting rubber stamp images, etc., and I love that technique! Wish Whisper. Images from Mary Mata and Tuscan Rose, scraps, journal stickers, tags. Sheer. Photo by Steve Diet Goedde from a collection I have. Background papers and paints, glass paint on photo. Kind of a dreamy image ... Samurai. Postage stamps, odd papers, rubber stamps. The green/blue vellum sheet opens for journaling, and the bottom strip is actually a pocket for -- whatever! Beautiful. One of my Julification pages which I didn't initially like much. Pink, and all. Add painting and words, though ... what a difference!

LaBelle? or Beara?

This is a direct rip-off of the fun fun fun child's art work I saw in a doctor's office. I can't credit the young artist except to say what a GREAT piece you did! At first, this seemed bent on going in the LaBelle journal, but this morning when I was sitting on my patio roost eyeballin' it, I thought: oooh, what a cool a** thing to turn into a gynormous post card and send to My Love, Ciera Beara! So now I'm torn. I may have to do another. Can you imagine, as an 8 year old, receiving a post card of THIS size? hee! (shhh, Daddy Chris and Unk Cam, don't tell her about this!)

In the Pink

Julification, Lesson 7 - how to take the Over the Top Girly-Girl outta pink ... I had to channel my love, Ciera (whose favorite color is pink!) in order to even come at this assignment. I chose collage elements that are too dark -- even with all the over layering and dripping, they don't recede enough -- feel too stark, but I truly like the woman-fairy anyway. I added the green stenciling cuz, I admit it, I couldn't stand all that pink. I used a coffee wash on this to tone it down, but it's really not visible in the least. The light shape in the background reminds me of a hot air balloon, so something on that theme might happen when I get around to journaling on this page. And I could only muster myself to do ONE pink page ... me and pink, we never have had a thang. True story.

Adding Color - Purposefully

I didn't want to post these earlier, as I was waiting for permission to use the inspiration photo, and to link back to this blog, as it's new to me. But permission has been generously granted ... My color inspiration, found HERE. [Copyright by Photographer Hanne Stoyer.] Take 1 - I would wholeheartedly like this one except the collage element, dead center, is TOO dark! Take 2 - I like it but too much drippage! Take 3 - My personal favorite.

Crazy 'Bout Color Play - Saturday Fun!

Spent part of Saturday doing "Adding Color" Julification pages ... can't stop! Scooter. This page makes me want to skip! All images from an Anthropologie catalog. Took the collage pieces and gel texture thru a path up the middle ... was thinking about lava and how it burns its way through ... the collage bits are from Beth. Piece of an old letter, from Beth. One sentence on it reads: 'There is only two people I want you to love, the first is me ...' I love that! The paper itself inspired the colors of the page.

LaBelle Journal ... movin' slowly

This is the new journal I'm working on -- slowly, as my Julification class is Priority 1, and now the England trip is only a little over 3 weeks away. Staccato. Flash cards (from Beth) with tags on the backs of those, tucked in the pocket. Patterns. The red patterned piece lifts for journaling beneath. Delta. These were copy machine images transferred with a copic marker. Overlaid a clear sheet on the right for journaling atop ... this is Bobby Gentry on the Tallahatchee Bridge, from the song ... I love the song.

Crackle in the Left Corner, Toni in the Right

Instructions for Lesson #6 included spreading a very thin layer of crackle paint in different areas on the paper. I used a color called Milled Lavender ... out of a semi-used bottle from long ago. Nary a crackle, man, nary a crackle. So I went wayward and did my own thing. Pffft. Inspired by/copied from the artist Marilyn Stevens' series: Patterns of Life. This feels like vintage Paris to me, like some of the old postcards for sale in Montmartre. The thing about crackle paint is that it has a definite shelf life. I've had this little jar of milled lavender for at least 7 months. Advice: use your crackle paint muy pronto, or be prepared for a) zero crackle, followed by b) crackle paint jar launching into the trash can! This reminds me of the rainy Parisian day when My Lovely Mother and I visited the Eiffel Tower, floated up to the 3rd level ... all of Paris, in every direction, bathed in a misty, violet-gray light ... it was something!