Distraction Journal

Hello, crafty friends! 

I'm going to share a little secret with you....I'm an over-thinker.

I over-think lots of stuff in my life but I do it a lot when I'm creating.

I can over-think myself into a virtual paralysis when it come to 

creating. So in order to help myself and to help embrace art journaling I have made myself a distraction journal. It's small enough to take with me, I can doodle in it, write down thoughts or memories, basically distract my brain when I begin to feel overwhelmed.

I started by grabbing a stack of 12x12 pattern paper from my stash.

I dry brushed acrylic paint in several different colours across the paper. 

It was so messy & so much fun! I think I did about 50 sheets of double-sided paper

by the time I was all done.

For the cover of my journal I used a Worn Cover from Tim Holtz Idea-ology.

I stamped some plain tissue paper and stamped on it with some of my fave background

 stamps and Jet Black Archival Ink.

I then used matte medium to adhere the tissue paper to the journal.

After the matte medium was completely dry I dry brush some Distress Paint over

 the entire journal, inside & outside. (sorry, I didn't take photos).

To finish off the outside I applied some Remnant Rubs and used some 

ribbon to attach the binder rings.

I filled my new little journal with pages made from my painted 

pattern papers.

Here is my first page in my new distraction journal.

Box o' Birds.....Craziness

It has been a crazy week for the Chupik family this week. 

I made the 3 hour drive from Edmonton to Calgary to help not one but BOTH of my kids 

pack up and move into college dorms.

It's weird to not have kids in the house - for 21 of our 22 years of marriage

 there has always been a child here and now nothing. 

This is pretty much how I feel....

I decided that I needed a creative distraction.

I grabbed my big shot, Crazy Bird Stamp stamp set and matching dies

 and a few sheets of patterned paper.  

 

I now have a Box O' Birds  to use for future projects.

 I may even use a few to make fridge magnets - wouldn't that look adorable!?

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

~~stay crafty~~

julia