tuesday’s gone with the wind

I put a little more time into these journal pages than I normally do, and they have become my favorites so far.

Above I started with a piece of scrapbook paper on top, and a cool gift wrapping sheet on the bottom. I then glued a picture of flowers by my favorite artist, Lulie Wallace. In the corner is a paint chip of the color I just painted my bedroom. I like to write random thoughts on top of my pages after I am done gluing. Nothing profound – just whatever’s on my mind at the time.

I had a lot of fun with this page! I think the randomness of my questions is a good reflection of how quickly my brain switches gears from one subject to the next. This is a prompt I will have to use again on a larger page next time. I never run out of questions.

Art Journaling

I have always loved and collected journals. I have created written journals, inspiration books, travel journals, and sketchbooks. My most favorite type of journaling though is through art journals.

I like to create my art journals using pages from magazines and colorful papers that inspire me. The act of gathering these beautiful pages is both meditative and relaxing, and by far my favorite part of the process. I love flipping through old books and inspirational magazines, listening quietly as the pages speak to me. My favorite places to collect pages are Anthropologie catalogs, Frankie magazines, and home decorating books. I like to cut them all up, glue them into a beautiful collage, and write and/or doodle on top of the pages whatever I feel at that moment.

Sometimes the pages just speak for themselves.

 

“Documenting little details of your everyday life becomes a celebration of you are.” 

– Carolyn V.Hamilton

I like to add lists and any current thoughts to the page – such as things I love, what I’m grateful for, and things that I find inspiring in that moment.  I like to look back at my pages and remember where I was physically and mentally when I made them. They each serve as an visual and artistic scrapbook of my mind.

I will journal for days and then take a long break to catch up on the things I neglected while absorbed in the process. When I start journaling, I usually can’t stop. One time I created a whole journal in three days. It’s as if a creative switch turns on and I know it is only a temporary one. The rush is exciting and thrilling. It’s then I make the best pages.

These pictures are just a few of many of the pages I have created – more to come!

Art Journaling

I started making art journals three years ago when I stumbled across some on Pinterest. So far I have made close to 20 journals that serve as beautiful scrapbooks and inspirational diaries.

The pages that fill the journals are only really meaningful to the creator of them. This took me a while to realize. When I first began making them, I would proudly show my mom the pages, only to hear, “These are really great, Leigh Ann, but what are you going TO DO with all of these?” My answer was simply, “nothing at all.” Making them just felt good. It was a place to express my creativity and write my inner thoughts…. A place I could escape to once Jack and Nick went to sleep and all was quiet. The journals became my therapeutic and creative outlet, and as often as I could – I was making them.

Part of the reason I created a blog was to show some of my pages in the hopes that someone else might want to join in on the fun. I plan to post a How To page in the near future, but until then, here are a few of my favorite pages from one of the first journals I made back in 2012.

Since I am new to blogging and my page is pretty blank, these journal entries will hopefully provide you with a better insight of myself – what I like, the places I enjoy, the kind of music I listen to.

I started with a blank sketchbook and added pretty paper to the pages. I found pictures online I thought were beautiful and added them where I saw fit. 

I wanted to look back at this journal years later and have a good idea of who I was and what I loved when I created it.

Above are just several of the many pages I have made, these being the most descriptive. Most of my other pages are collages, daily mementos, and travel journals. Do you like to journal? Thanks for checking out my page! Have a wonderful day.

Blogging – The Struggle is Real

Is it just me, or did anyone else have a tough time when starting a blog?

I think I made a terrible mistake when I read all of the “tips and tricks” for beginners when I created my blog. For most people I know these posts were very helpful, but for me I am left feeling overwhelmed and intimidated, really. 

The posts I read were great, but some were packed with so much information that my brain shut down after a while. There’s also a ton of technical components I just don’t understand, such as SEO, how to create links, what to put in my menus, social media buttons, etc.

I think the one of the main problems I am also having is coming up with a cohesive theme. Apparently that is super important according to all of the posts I read. I really don’t want a theme, I just want to post what I am currently thinking or working on, and these things change all of the time. Can I just blog about things like Art Journaling, politics, my house renovations, personal stories, and/or how to make wreaths? Do I really have to stick to one theme?

I don’t want to make money off of my blog, nor do I expect to get published. I just want a blog that represents who I am, what I like, and what I think others should know. I am also looking forward to creating conversations and meeting great people!

I know I will find my way the more I post, but if you have any advice on what helped you in the beginning I would be more than glad if you passed it along to me!

Thank you for stopping by!

– Leigh Ann

Yarn Bombing

I am obsessed with nature and all things colorful, so when I came across this rad thing known as “yarn bombing,”  I had to know more.

Yarn Bombing is a type of graffiti, or street art, where yarn in any form is attached to an object in a public environment.

It all started in 2005 with Magda Sayey, 37, of Houston, TX, but has since gone worldwide.

Yarn bombing

 

 

Yarn bombing

If it were up to me, every tree, stop sign, car, truck, statue, you know it, would be full of colorful yarn. I am definitely going to sign up for crochet lessons in the near future. My backyard is in serious need of some yarn bombage

Check out Magda Sayey’s TedTalk to hear her full story on the Yarn Bombing movement: