Signature, please?

This past couple of months I've been enjoying The Creative Life, an art journalling play night once a month for a year at Creative Fix that I received as a Christmas gift (thanks Rochelle!). Although I've created many books, this particular course is of interest to me as we'll bind each signature (supposedly we'll create one a month over the year) into a completed book.

I started my February signature right after the class at the end of January.  The class demo was with Dylusions sprays, and I went right to town with them. I put that stuff on everything.

You can tell right off that with Valentine's Day in the month, I'd be using a lot of red.

And what's red without some yellow and orange to go with?  That would be like having a peanut butter and jam sandwich, sans the jam.

 There are surprises everywhere,

and there are so many pockets in the signature I even missed a couple of them when I first started photographing for this essay.

I used photos and alcohol inked wallpaper,

scraps, used paper towels, hole-punched papers and Gelli-prints galore,

I collaged, stenciled, glued and messed about until I was in colour heaven.

The signature pockets are filled with tags and small memo books,

and even with all that, I know there are more layers to come.

The next month's signature is well started, and last night's get together has me starting on a third this morning.  Who has more fun than an artist?!  Nobody, I think.

If I could manage...

...to be on time for Wednesdays, this post would qualify for WOYWW (What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday), but once again I'm a few days short this week!

Playing with the JumpStart videos gave me an opportunity to test a technique using keys presented in a video by Ronda Palazzari.  Ronda was working on journal cover and using acrylic inks;  I, of course, had to do my own thing using a CD and alcohol inks, but I think she'd forgive me!

I'm also testing a pour technique for acrylic skins presented by Joe Rotella.  This has to dry for four days before use, and you know how patient I am ... fingers drumming as you read! The colour combination means it will, in part, end up somewhere in the first signature of the art journal project below.

I also tested out the canvas staining video by Nathalie Kalbach, the organizer extraordinaire of JumpStart, knowing the technique would garner some lovely colour additions to my mixed media. The techniques uses acrylic flow release, and happily I found some in my studio I didn't even know I had!

I've already sliced and diced another piece into starts for making into tags.

Since there's so little colour in my life (says she, laughing hysterically), I also attended the first session of The Creative Life here in Creston (thanks for the AWESOME Christmas gift Rochelle), presented by Brandy Hunt and Beth Swalwell at Creative Fix.  We're on a year-long mission to create an art journal, and I've got Dylusion sprays on everything!    Warning - red alert!

It's everywhere - must be because Valentine's day is coming up, or maybe because I'm a red colour pig?

Also on my desk is this gorgeous tag that came in the mail from my friend, Jackie P. Neal. Jackie is the owner of Creating and Sharing Mixed Media Art over on Google+ and I know she'll take it kindly to see me say she is much of a colour pig as am I.  I love that her tag (January's theme was magical) makes reference to Alice in Wonderland and immediately makes me think of my friend Alice, who is also magical.

Because I find it impossible to do only one of anything, I'd started another CD piece.  I'm in love with dried vegetation, and the poppy bits that John saved for me from the garden begged to be used on the CD, along with some UFO pods and other 'things' (can you tell what an avid gardener I am?).  I used a blended fibres layer and then alcohol inks on these to colour.  I thought this might be restful for your eyes after all that previous intense pigmentation.

Here's a close-up.

I hope your work area is a colourful one too, and that you're happily creating up a storm.