The completed book

I made this book out of Behr brand paint chips I got in CA at Home Depot. I also brought home a lot of found objects, ephemera, trash, and the type of souvenirs only an altered artist could appreciate.

Originally, I started this book for me, then realized it would be a wonderful thank you gift for my friend Joseph, who made the trip possible. By making this gift, I was able to relive that time in CA. It put the trip into perspective and I was able to appreciating how much Joseph did for me while I was there.

I have never made an art journal before. I have seen many examples in many art magazines and artists' blogs, but this is the first time I've recorded my true thoughts and experiences interspersed with the flotsam and jetsam gleaned from my experiences.

Although the paint chips, ephemera, and most of the materials cost me nothing, I went through two and a half bottles of Elmer's glue, 11 glue sticks, pop dots, dimensional tape, double sided tape, staples, masking tape, and . . . . Well, you get the picture!!

Enjoy

June 3 and 4

The front cover of the book without the metal frame started life as a lowly orange bag.
This is the inside front cover. It is a personal message to my friend Joseph "Panhead" Peck.

An airplane from a TraderJoes bag, my boarding pass, and the Minneapolis/St. Paul transfer tag from my luggage make up this first page.
I had hoped the silver pen would show up better in the scan. The images are from a TraderJoes' bag and a dried petunia from Joseph's yard.
This was a difficult page to scan because the violin was so thick it didn't scan well. I raised the small circles using pop dots. I drew the steel drum (yes, I know, I can't draw at all).

I'm not sure this is much better, but at least you can see the dimension.
Our first sightseeing outing was Griffith Park Observatory. This is an actual photo that I mounted on green card stock I ran through my printer.
The upper image is from River City Rubber. The lower image is one of my photos I took through Joseph's car window.

June 5 and 6

I printed this on shaving cream paper, then embossed the journaling.
I used shaving cream paper for the background, a gold paint chip for the pocket, and a magazine image. The ATC is left over from the texture swap.
I actually assembled these ATCs in CA.
This is a filler page that is probably my favorite in the entire book. I started with a page from a book, added color using a credit card, then put HVAC tape around the outside. I used an awl to punch the holes. Next I made the inside piece using the same book page, a heart, and punchinella. I printed the word "Appreciation" using my printer. I set eyelets in the large and small pieces, then used wire to connect the two pieces together.

June 7 and 8

I found this image in a high end decorating magazine. I swear this furniture looks exactly like what is on Joseph's patio, right down to the lantern. The only difference is the coffee table at Joe's had a glass top. The background is some of my shaving cream paper.
Stickers and a magazine image are mixed with my gold leafing pen to make this simple spread.
This was a filler page. I printed the herb information on regular paper, then swiped it with pigment ink. I added a flower I colored with pigment ink and attached using a brad. I used white glue, which was not paper friendly.
This is the map from the festival where Joseph played, along with his wrist band. The color is horrible because it is holographic. The color is much more realistic in the photos of the completed book.
I attached the wrist band with a heart shaped brad and it swivels out of the way to expose the journaling.

June 9 and 10

It's Joseph's birthday, and I used die cut balloons, rick rack, a dark chocolate wrapper glued over vintage sheet music.
I got these lovely die cut candles from a friend. She also sent the piece she cut the candles from. I used that as a template for the "H" and the short leg of the "Y." A die cut balloon and fiber complete the spread.
All images from this spread came from a gardening magazine. I used my 1" punch to make the two circles.
This coaster is from the restaurant we went to when we celebrated Joseph's birthday. I didn't realize what a problem it was going to pose when I punched holes in the paint chip. I ended up using my Crop-a-dile to punch holes in this spread. I also used small gold paint chips to journal on.

June 11 and 12

You have to turn this page round and round to read the message. I used a leftover assembly from a swap, then added the journaling. I glued the extra piece at the top to cover the back of the Home Depot card holder I used on the back side.
I got this card holder (and card I use in a later spread) at Home Depot. I added the die cut file folder.
This is the layout of the herb garden I planted for Joseph while he was in NYC. It accordion folds into the file folder.

June 13

I had these paint chips and postage stamps left over from a patriotic swap I participated in, so used them as a background for this spread.
Everything in this spread, including the ATC, is recycled. Here the ATC is tucked inside the slit in the paint chip.
This photo shows the ATC (sideways) and the spread minus the ATC.
The background for this page is a paper towel I dyed using strawberry juice. The tape transfer uses an image from National Geographic. I stenciled gold paint along the top corner using punchinella.
This was created on my computer and printed, then embossed using various colors of embossing powder.

June 14 and 15

A paint chip, flower, and magazine image were used in this spread. I journaled with a black felt tip pen and a lavender calligraphy pen. I glued the paint chip off the page to reinforce the image on the back.
I printed the journaling on scrapbook paper, then cut it up. I used an old photo to signify Father's Day, then made it vintage by adding a flower petal I spritzed with Color Wash, paper I painted, and two skeleton leaves. I finished it off by trimming the edges with my gold leafing pen.

June 16

I printed the text on the paint chip after I glued the two postage stamps on. While the ink was still wet, I embossed using both turquoise and gold embossing powder. I added photo corners to the photo to complete the page.
I used magazine images and a photo of Joseph on this spread. I used a fine tipped felt pen for the journaling. I don't think felt tipped pens are good for journaling.
This is another page I ran through my printer and embossed. The photo sticks slightly away from the page because I used pop dots. I rubber stamped the frame because I thought the page needed something else. I don't print small well, so "Hollywood" was a real challenge.
These are both photos that I attached with photo corners.

I printed the journaling and embossed it using black embossing powder, then stamped the "subway train" and embossed it in gold.
A few weeks ago, I tried a technique where you squiggle colored sharpies on plain paper, then add rubbing alcohol to move the ink around. Well, it didn't work, but it still made a great background for this colorful restaurant.
I planned to add the chop sticks after I assembled the book (due to bulk), but forgot them in my haste to get the book out the door.
I took this photo of Joseph in a restaurant. If you click to enlarge the photo, you'll see scratches on it. Bleubeard used his photo as a scratching post!!
I couldn't believe that I found two pictures in two different magazines that were exactly the same. I placed the small one in a slide mount that I painted using my gold leafing pen.

June 17

I dried some flowers in Joseph's yard, and added one to this Home Depot card Joseph teased me about.
I was pretty happy with this spread. If I just liked my handwriting better, this spread would be great. The butterfly is from a brochure from the Getty, and the basil image is from a gardening magazine.

June 18

This was the day for picking up trash, and the first place we stopped netted me the business card. I also saved the receipt for tea at Hugos.
This was a filler page because I goofed on the layout placement of the edge of next spread (see below). To compensate, I used a heart cut from a napkin and a flower petal I colored using a Sharpie.
I made this page to accept the holes on the left, but realized my mistake when I started to assemble it to the "Hugos" spread. I cut a wavy line on paper, then penciled in lines both above and below for the journaling. I tried to erase the lines, but some of them still show. I also used dictionary words to break up my handwriting.
This is another filler page, since I needed something to go on the back of the one above. I used an image from the Getty brochure I got while I was there.
More Getty brochure images were used on this page.
The background for this page was cut from the sack I got at the gift shop. Since I really couldn't write on the slick sack, I printed the journal entry and outlined it, as well as the entire page, with gold leafing.
I used thick dimesional tape to lift Joseph's image away from the page.

The rest of the gift shop sack, as well as some white flowers I spritzed using Color Wash.
Everything on this page was cut from a Getty brochure.

I had all this blue paper left over from printing, so used it for the background. I cut the background away from Joseph, and like how it looks.
My latest gold leafing pen (I've gone through two since I left for CA), is a mess. First, the tip messed up when I was printing the title, then it globbed all over the bottom, so I had to try to disguise the drips.
All images are from various brochures at the Getty. I have to admit, of all the museums we went to, this one was the most generous with its many brochures.

For this spread, I used more Getty images and a travel brochure image. I was glad I scanned it before I added the shell.
The shell is visible, but the rest of the paint chip is distorted in this scan.
I love Topanga Canyon, probably even more than the ocean. I had to include this memory, using only a map.
I glued the Whole Foods napkin to the front and the back of this spread, then ran it through my printer. Although it didn't print exactly straight, I was pleased with the way it turned out.
When we stopped at Whole Foods, we sampled some gelato before Joseph made our purchase. I saved my spoon, a napkin or two, and was able to make this spread.