with good intentions

This is my sketchbook for the sketchbook project . . .

*true confessions*

. . . it didn't make the deadline . . . 

. . . midway through working on it  

I realized I had made the cover too large to meet the requirements . . . 

. . . my plan was to recover it once the pages were finished . . .

 . . . I hadn't realized how fat the book was getting. . . 

. . .  pages would have to be removed for it to qualify. . .

. . . I wasn't going to like taking pages out . . .

. . . so I didn't . . . 

. . . It will stay as is . . .

 I'm keeping it.

. . . 

And yes, I've been very busy with quilt work

. . .

Thanks for stopping by.

a peak inside the sketchbook . . .

I'm participating in the Sketchbook Project 2012.  Check it out here for details on how you can participe; it's easy and fun.  Last year I made a book of fabric and thread sketches. 

This year I'm using pencils, pens, markers, crayons and water color pencils.  

 Spring through summer seems to be the time for sitting, waiting, and watching outside, so I want to only use tools I can take in my travel bag.

I've been working along on my book when I'm not at home quilting.

This page accidentally got wet on the go, but I wasn't bothered by it-I just stuck a layer of tissue on it, traced over and I'm leaving it in.  Maybe I'll go back over with some other color, maybe not.

When you get your book you can use it as is, or rebind it.  Mine is rebound, I added a few different weight papers and made some fold out pages.

Go sign up now and submit your book by January31, 2012.  In April the books will begin to tour and this year they will go around the globe!

sketching, doodling, journaling,

and just plain having fun. 

Have you heard of the Sketchbook Challenge? 

Click here and learn more.

This month's theme has been named

 Highly Prized

I decided to make a mini journal for each month's theme. 

At approximately 2.5x3, it is small (it's actually tiny) so I can add several elements as the theme inspires me.

Each journal will have it's own little box and you can see it in the first photo.

The second photo is the front cover, below is the theme card which will be kept inside the envelope.

I really  thought a lot about the theme highly prized . . . and I think I'd have to say my freedom is highly prized

so you can see my first entry below. 

As I feel inspired I will contine decorating and filling the journal.

On the back of the box I put a hook - if I finish themes for one full year, I will have 12 different mini box/ journals and I thought I might hang them somehow.

. . . and speaking of sketchbooks...

The deadline for the sketchbook project is looming. I have to document mine with photos and get it sent off.  This was a fun project and you can learn more about it by clicking here

I made thread sketches from some of my pencil/paper sketches, then added some journaling and color.

I continue to get several of my creative prompts for my quick-sketches from Jaye at artquilmaker. She posts a theme word on her blog and she is up to 100.

Check it out here!

sketchbook fun. . .

A few thread sketches to add to my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project.

I came up with a better solution to the wash out stabilizer.

I layered lightweight, tear-away stabilizer and a piece of Misty Fuse together. On the top, I layered the  fabric.

Before pressing the fabric to the stabilizer I finished the thread sketch and let the air erase marker disappear. 

When pressed together the stabilzer gave the fabric a great weight that will hold up to being stuck on the page and flipped through.

On darker fabrics I will use the BOHIN chalk pencil, which is my favorite white chalk pencil. 

(if you don't have one, you need one)

You can see the air erase marker on the pencil sharpener sketch.  I could wet it, but I'd rather not.  Eventually, it disappears.

So far, the thread sketches I'm putting in the sketchbook are taken right from my sketchbook. 

Although, it would be easier to just stitch out a sketch I like that I'm using my actual little sketches.  In some cases I will have to resize them, but that's okay.

It's fun picking which sketch to do next. . .

. . . will it be the Evening Grossbeak?

(he looks more like a hawk doesn't he?)

. . .the wren who set up home in the birdhouse I used for my first one?

. . . the laundry basket?

. . . or Terrance? who is right outside as I type.

thanks for posing, Terrance

The great thing about this project is you don't have to be an artist to play along.  And the end result, is this great little book that you've made!

Now, go get your pencils, markers, crayons, paints or whatever and get sketching.

It's fun!

waiting for paint to dry . . .

It's been so humid here in New England; the gesso and paint I'm using in my sketchbook does not want to dry.  I put scraps of parchament paper between the pages so the pages don't stick to one another.

And I wait.

My book is part of the Sketchbook Project. 

Click the link and you can find out the details if you haven't heard about it. 

It's been fun watching artists get started with their book, so I thought I'd show you a little about mine. 

I went through the book and glued the pages together two by two.  I have 20 pages to work with now.  A few may end up having to be removed if the book gets too fat. 

I painted each page, front and back with gesso.  Then added a different water color to each facing page and gessoed over that.  You can see why my book is taking so long to dry.

I've never done this type of work before -  I'm kind of making it up as I go. 

Below you can see one of the painted pages.  The pages are pretty sturdy now and once they are completely dry I think I can put a weight on the book to get the crinkles out.

This gives you a clue about how I will turn my book into a 'sketchbook'. 

Right now I'm using a water soluable stabilizer... 

I think I've heard of an iron out or steam out stabilizer...  Has anyone ever heard of this or used it? 

It might be a better option for this project.