Tag Archives: Recycling

Turning Something Old Into Something New!

Good evening!

Now that I have been not working for the past few weeks, I have been looking at my art supplies in a new way. You see in the past, whenever I wanted any new fancy-schmancy arts or crafts do-dad, I would just run over to whichever art store I wanted and picked it up! It would then proceed to be taken up to the art studio, put it in its new proper location, and then nothing. That’s it! Nothing! I wouldn’t do anything with it.

Now that I see that money is not coming in, like it had been, I realized that I have to start being more economical with my art supplies, and that got me to thinking about all of the miscellaneous stuff that has been lying around. What could I recycle into my art play???

Soooo…this morning, I spent some time taking an old box and turning it into two different art journals!!

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I think they turned out rather cute, and they were so easy to create!

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I was so excited by how they turned out that I decided I would look around and see what other household things I could turn into some interesting art journaling backgrounds.

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This was a napkin that I happened to have in my copious amounts of supplies. Note to those who use napkins in your work: if you use a two-ply napkin, you will have an easier time using it if you carefully peel the two layers apart, and just use the layerΒ with the pattern on it! I discovered that the hard way!! πŸ™‚

DSC04576This background was created using a bunch of old checks that I was waiting to take down to the shredder! I tore them up myself and then randomly glued them down to my page using gel medium. Using three colors of acrylic paint and a palette knife, this technique turned out looking a bit like dyed leather. I rather like it!

I am not sure what I am going to do next on these backgrounds, but using unexpected materials in new ways is something that I am going to have to try more in my future projects!

What kinds of recycled materials do you like to use in your art journaling/mixed media art projects???

Here is to a FABULOUS evening!!! πŸ™‚

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If you want to have a different life, live differently!!

Tutorial Tuesday: Convert a Book Into an Art Journal

Good evening!

Welcome to my very first ever tutorial Tuesday!!

YEAH!! WHOO!! HOOOO!!!! APPLAUSE!!!!Β πŸ˜‰

If you saw yesterday’s post, you would have seen that I am in the habit of writing Morning Pages every morning. I do those Morning Pages in a leather bound book, that has grid-lined paper inside of it. I like the fact that it is not just regular boring lines, in case I want to doodle or draw in my journal, I feel like the grid-lines support me in thinking outside of the box.

However, I am also a big fan of art journals, and today I want to show you how to convert any regular book into an easy and inexpensive art journal of your very own.

What you will need:

  • A book – I have found that hard covers hold up the best

TT - Book to Journal 1

  • Paper tape – this could be any kind, but what I enjoy using is the paper tape that you find in the first aid section of most any pharmacy
Paper tape found in first aid section of pharmacy

Paper tape found in first aid section of pharmacy

  • Scissors (optional)
  • White gesso

TT - Book to Journal 3

  • A wide paint brush to use with the gesso

To convert your book into an art journal:

The first thing you will have to do is to create room in your art journal so that all of the fun elements that you might want to use to decorate your art pages, such as decorative papers, buttons, beads, lace, fabric, broken jewelry, pictures,Β  etc,Β  have space to go.

To do this, count the first three pages of the book, then count the next three pages of the book. Tear out the second set of 3 pages. Otherwise leave in pages 1, 2, and 3, and carefully tear out pages 4, 5, and 6. You will want to tear the pages out as closely, and as carefully to the spine as you can get, but rememberΒ  perfection is not necessary.

Count three pages, to skip.

Count three pages, to skip.

Tear out the next 3 pages.

Tear out the next 3 pages.

You will keep repeating this step over and over again until every other set of three pages have been removed.

Once you have torn out every other set of three pages, you will then want to reinforce the remaining sets of 3 pages that you have left.

To do this, you will go back to the beginning of your book, and gather the first set of three pages. Using your paper tape, you will want to either tear, or cut a piece of tape that measures the width of your page.

Once you have the correct length of tape, carefully lay it across the bottom edge of the book, with half the tape hanging off of the edge

Cover bottom of page, with tape letting 1/2 of the tape hang over the edge

Cover bottom edge of page, with tape letting 1/2 of the tape hang over the edge

Once that has been smoothed into place, turn your set of three pages (treating as if they are now one page, because they essentially will be), and then fold the overhang of tape up and over the back side of your new page.

Turn 3-page set, and fold up the remaining tape to create one new page out of your original three pages.

Turn 3-page set, and fold up the remaining tape to create one new page out of your original three pages.

Do this to all three sides of your new page: bottom, top, and side.

Do this to the bottom edge, the top edge, and the side edge of your new page.

Do this to the bottom edge, the top edge, and the side edge of your new page.

Each set of three individual pages will now become one thick page per taped bundle.Β  This reinforces your pages, and makes them sturdier for any kind of media or technique that you might want to use to decorate your journal pages with.

Repeat these taping steps for all of your sets of three pages.

Once you have your pages reinforced, you are now ready to prep your pages for arting on!Β  WHEW!!! πŸ˜‰

To do this, you will want to use your paint brush and apply a thin layer or two over each page of your new art journal.

Apply a thin coat or two of gesso to each page and let thoroughly dry, so your pages don't stick together. As you can see I don't mind some words showing through.

Apply a thin coat or two of gesso to each page and let thoroughly dry, so your pages don’t stick together. As you can see I don’t mind some words showing through.

If you are impatient like me, you may want to use a hair dryer, or a embossing heat gun to speed up the drying process. Please note, if you do use an embossing heat gun to dry your pages (like I do) make sure not to leave the gun pointing at one spot for too long, you do not want to accidentally burn your gesso. Not fun, and kinda smelly!!

Once your pages are gesso’ed you are ready to get arting and customizing your new art journal in any way you would like!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me in the comments section of this post! I am always happy to help!

Keep an eye out for more tutorials in the future, including many ideas and techniques on how you can decorate your new art journal! I can’t wait!

If you haven’t already, please follow This Artsy Life by hitting the “Subscribe” button on the right. I would really appreciate it!

Here is to a FABULOUS evening creating!! πŸ˜‰

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If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

Whistle While I Work!

Good morning!

This weekend is kind of an odd weekend for us, you see I have to work! Mind you, I can telecommute, but still!! I have to clock in at least my self-appointed 8 hours for today!!! (and then I get to do it again tomorrow!!) I think since I have to focus so much time on that today, that is all I will say about it here – for fear of depressing myself!! LOL! πŸ˜‰

Since this is not a “normal” Saturday, I have created a short “Honey-Do” list for my sweetie to accomplish today. πŸ˜€

  • Duct tape box upstairs so I can fill it for GoodWill
  • Clean kitchen
  • Gather dirty laundry – including bedding
  • Put 3 large flower pots into corner in back yard
  • Prep worm/compost bin out back
  • Tend to mini front yard (and when I say mini, I mean like 5 foot by 5 foot)

The one thing I really miss about having a house vs a condo, is that I miss having fresh veggies ever year, so I am wanting to have a small container garden out back this year. In one section I want an herb garden, and in the other section I want some simple veggie plants, like cherry tomatoes, potatoes, and maybe some spinach and dark leafy lettuce. I wanted these things last year too, but we didn’t make them a priority, so we will see what we can make of these dreams this year!!! πŸ˜‰

Does anyone have any good ideas on vegetable plants that may grow really well in a large container??

Also, my little sister, Jennifer is going to teach me about recycling – I know – WHERE THE HECK HAVE I BEEN??? I am REALLY BEHIND in this area of my life. You know GOING GREEN!?!?! Ever since watching the documentary No Impact Man, it has really been a persistent thought in my head, that I have to do more to protect my environment!! So, this is where my new found motivation is now coming from, with a renewed vigor!! πŸ˜‰

I will keep you posted of our progress!!

Oh, and did I mention – WE ARE PICKING MEGAN TODAY!!! WHOO-HOO!!!

Have a FABULOUS day!!! πŸ˜‰

Happy Early Monday!!

Good morning!!

At least I assume it is morning, since it is so dark outside yet this morning! I have really gotten spoiled being able to not even have to get up for work until about 7 am!! This morning, I have an early morning meeting, so time is of the essence!! πŸ˜‰ Even with that, I am really looking forward to a fun, and productive week!!! Unfortunately, and so unlike me, I do not have a plan yet for my week – I let myself get busy watching documentary’s last night.

One of the documentaries that I was watching last night that has really got me thinking. It was called, ‘No Impact Man’. Now I know that he is not the first person to try to bring the cause of being green and living a carbon footprint small life to the world, but for some reason, what he and his family did just kind of intrigued me! For those of you who don’t know, No Impact Man is based on a New York city man, Colin Beavan, who challenges his family, of three, to live without electricity, television, non-self-propelled transportation, producing garbage, eating out,Β  eating meat – or anything non-organic, for that matter, or purchasing anything new for an entire year. I think what intrigued me about this family, was it made me think, ok, I would NEVER want to go THIS extreme to go green, but what things can I do to help decrease my carbon footprint on the environment?

I could:

  • Turn my thermostat down one degree in the Winter, and up two in the Summer
  • Start recycling, to produce less waste
  • Purchase more bulk-type foods to reduce my garbage output
  • Wash my laundry with cold water, as often as possible
  • Start a compost bin in the backyard
  • Prepare to grown some of my own veggies this upcoming season
  • Go vegetarian once or twice a week
  • Take public transportation to and from work
  • Purchase fruits and veggies from the local farmer’s market, or directly from local farms when the season opens
  • Go television-less 2 or three times a week
  • Reduce the frequency in which I purchase clothes, and other material goods – in most cases used items work just as well as new
  • Get involved in an environmental project

Whew! Now that I have gotten that down on paper, so to speak, I feel MUCH better!!! πŸ˜‰ I will keep you posted on which of these things I implement! Already: thermostat turned up: check, washing machine set to cold: check. I am on my way!

Have a FABULOUS day!! πŸ˜‰