The making of a personal journal

It's been a few strange days of hectic pace mixed with low energy, (first mom and now I'm coming down with some sort of bug, desperately hoping C doesn't catch it), so I've upped the vitamin C to mega doses and C's been making delicious smoothies with fruit, spinach, flax...everything good. I wanted to have my usual tea cup Tuesday post, was actually looking forward to it, but then, again, ran out of Tuesday time and sun light. (What ever happened to my New Year's resolution to stop running out of time and start running into it instead?) Isn't it a funny old world?So, actually, this is as close to "tea" that C and I got yesterday...apart from the copious mugs and mugs worth throughout the day to soothe my throat and warm my heart.Oh well, at least we have Morgan...who could enter the world's cutest sunshine cat in the cute sunshine cat Olympics...and her half cat/half sea anemone face to make us smile.The other day, when I was at Dalyce's book store, she gave me a lovely 1956 book of London and I got the idea to make myself a personal encouragement book. Sort of a hopes and dreams and aspirations book. These books are so easy to make and so much fun that I thought I'd give you a little tutorial of how to, so you can make one too...if you like.This book is about 7"x10", so not too big, but not too small either, (small books tend to be very fiddly), and I loved the red canvas front plus the two golden dolphins. I guess the trick is to get a book which resonates with you. For example, I know what is under each one of my pages and would not be very happy if there was something depressing or something I was against. I guess what I'm saying is think about what it would feel like to have that subject under your page, because, subconsciously, you'll always know it's there. This book doesn't have too many pages and the paper is pretty sturdy. This is also good for a first try.This book is divided into two distinct sections, the front is all typed introduction and description, and the rest, the major part, is black and white photographs of London.Now go thru the book gluing every three of four pages together with a glue stick. If you come across a page you don't like, then tear it out. Don't leave those pages in the book. (subconscious comfort) As long as you glue pages together around the torn pages it will be just fine. Here I tore out about five pages I didn't like, including one depicting dead foxes. Not having that in my happy, positive journal! Plus, you'll be collaging and gluing into the book making it thicker, so tearing out some of the pages is actually a good idea. The resulting pages will have a thick, card stock-like feel. Perfect as a backdrop for any amount of paint and glue.I started the first pages, (which only have writing), by reading thru and picking out the words I liked. Words which were positive to me, sent a message. Then I linked the words thru the spaces between. I got the inspiration form a most wonderful book called "A Humument" by Tom Phillips, which I bought last summer. I linked it to Amazon, but if you google images you'll get a better idea.Then I got my stash of paper and my acrylic mat medium, and began gluing around my new found sentence.This takes a long, long time, and some patience, but, when one is feeling poorly and a little artistic distraction is good, then it all works out.So now I'd like to show you the first three finished pages.I left the beginning and end pages just as they are to make it feel like an authentic book full of surprises. Then, the first page, which had the publishing info, I substituted my info (didn't feel good about publishing my addy in this photo, so photoshopped it out), but if the book is lost, it could be returned.Then, I left another page alone. It is a page with a couple lovely quotes about London.And then the first complicated page I made has two sentences on it:" It seems to me that a better position seizes artistic interest. To be less inhibited and to have a surer eye for significant detail."This to me, represents my desire to get my art out into the world. To contact places like Anrthopologie to see if I can interest them in my map series, to be freer with my art like the butterflies, my dream of selling in a gallery in New York (the sign of an established artist), to be in artistic circles...well, you get the point. But the main point is that each scrap of paper is deliberately chosen, each stamp, each image, each drawing is purposeful to make me happy. And that's the whole point.I finished this second page yesterday evening in about two hours. This page is telling me that I must take the first step. The two sentences say:"The door steadily opens. Situation one essential to other vast splendours to be found."I love the rich gold patina, made by brushing a gold powder onto the wet-ish mat medium. I like the escaping swallow; escaping out of her enclosure, the golden circle, even if it is golden, to be free, to spread her wings, and I love the happy daisy chain.Well, that's as far as I got so far. I hope you try to do this too. It's so satisfying to make a little jewel of a book like this. If you like, you could use all collage, you could write your personal thoughts in it, you could draw, stamp, glue, use your own personal photos, photos of loved ones...the possibilities are endless. If you do try this, or you've already made one, let me know. I'd love to see it.Also let me know if I can help you with one, I'm happy to answer questions, show more photos of a page process, keep showing additional pages as I make them, make a little how to video...Gulp...on second thought, a video would require some effort, but I probably could if you'd like me to. Just ask. :DSharing over at The Dedicated House