Feelin' Good About Journalling

     This is my first venture into the world of journaling, so I've chosen to use it as my DT project for Altered Eclectics. I have always been a little worried about starting something in a nice new book, what do I do if I don't like it? The answer is make a loose leaf journal, that way I only keep the pages I'm happy with.
      I had a Bind-It-All machine as a gift and decided this was a perfect opportunity to use it. I have cut all my pages using various types of card and punched the holes ready for binding. I thought if I had the holes done at the beginning it would help me keep any important decoration away from that area.

     To ease myself into this journey I chose a theme for my art journal, one of my favourite songs.
     This page is cream, coloured around the edge with Distress Ink Old Paper, then I used a crackle stamp and the same ink to add pattern.
     I printed a copy of the music, tore the edges and folded it up a little,then coloured it with Old Paper, adding some stains through a stencil. Once dry I stuck it to the aged page.

     I found some images of Nina Simone on line and printed one out in sepia tones, this I fussy cut and stuck over the music score.
     Using an alphabet stamp set I added 'Nina' to the bottom corner and embossed it with Wow Perissa, which has a lovely metalic mix of bronze, gold and silver.
     Two of the corners are stamped with a tatty corner design and covered with bronze mica powder, a quick blast of hairspray over this keeps it in place and stops it rubbing off. To finish the aged look I went around the outside edges with an edge scuffer, leaving the binding edge smooth.
     It's quite a simple page but for my first one I am pleased with how it turned out, I dare say I shall become more adventurous as I progress through the song. The covers are cut from mountboard which will lend themselves perfectly to some mixed media, but I plan to complete the song before starting on them.
     Altered Eclectics is a challenge for anything altered or mixed media, just no cards or ATC's, so please come and join us with whatever you're working on.