Wanderlust Travel Journal

How appropriate to create a travel journal for a course called Wanderlust!  And how appropriate for me in a year when it now seems I'm going to be away more than I'm home... (exciting, but bad news for my crafting time).

Today I'm sharing some pictures of the accordion album I created in response to Kate Crane's tutorials in the second week of the course.  (Well, there are quite a lot of photos, in fact - so I think for once I'm going to stick to the simplest course and put them straight down the middle of the post!)

I loved the construction of the journal, and I think I rose to the challenge of doing at least some of my own mark-making...

... but the finished piece is really quite a long way from the original in style.

But I think that's one of the joys of courses and tutorials... to be inspired and to let that inspiration interweave with your own creative instincts and pleasures.

Obviously, I don't want to give away Kate's secrets, so in this post I'm just making my way through the pages of the album, sharing some close-ups as we go.

As you can see, my colour palette stayed close to home (but then I've got to be inspired to journal in this, so it's no use having lots of colours which don't feel like me)...

... and it was also very natural to me to create lots of texture when I applied my gesso originally.

I love what that gesso texture adds to the whole feel of the piece.

I didn't go for as much colour variation as in the original, but I think different pages still have different atmospheres.

Some are quite moonlit and bluesy with plenty of Prussian Blue Hue.  Others are much bolder and fresher with the bright Green Gold taking centre stage.

And there are some where cloudy whites soften the whole look...

Lots of lids and other implements (both ends, sometimes) were pressed into action to create the circles and bubbles and dots.

For my own mark-making, rather than the geometrical doodling Kate does so well, I wanted to build a palette of more organic, natural doodles.

The stamps and images I return to again and again are the nature ones, so I thought it would be good if I experimented with creating some nature imagery of my own.

I love a good wild grass stamp, or bare tree branches... I think my doodles are somewhere between the two!

They're done with paint/paintbrush for the thicker lines and ink/dip pen for the finer lines.

And I came up with a leaf shape which was no more than a single placing of the paintbrush tip.  I added some pen work to create the veins of a basic leaf skeleton.

Obviously, I couldn't resist including some of my much-loved word stamps... in various shades of green Archival.

One thing I had an absolute ball with was the scribbling.

As I said when I shared my first Wanderlust pages, putting my own handwriting there felt really scary.  But the scribbly version is so freeing...

... whether scribbling words or just plain scribbling scribbling!

In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I scribbled in pen, in coloured pencil and in paint in different places.

I started to feel that I wouldn't want to journal over the top of all my lovely layers, so I layered blank pages in every section.

Obviously, I distressed the white page edges to give a more textured look.

I do like how you get hints of all the different colours, doodles and mark-making in the layering of the pages.

I also think the white framing effect of these inserted pages sets off the busy doodled pages rather nicely.

There's a pocket built in to the whole thing too, so there are some more gesso'd pages tucked in there, ready to be journalled on.

I have a troubled history with sewing machines (though I'm about to have one final try), so I did my bookbinding by hand with a simple pamphlet stitch.  I left the knots perfectly visible because I think the bookbinding thread is beautiful in itself!

For my looped fastening, I gesso'd some burlap ribbon (this is the back cover - texture paste and drybrushing = happy place).

I love the look of the gesso'd burlap, and it makes it pleasurably stiff and chunky.

So, having been a little wary to start with, I ended up having an absolutely wonderful time creating this.

And the end result really makes me happy.  I call that a result!

Of course, if you're tempted to come and join the Wanderlust journey, it's never too late.  All the videos are always available for viewing and download.  So far, we've only scraped the surface of what's on offer throughout the year. If you want to know more about the many amazing teachers involved as well as all the other benefits, take a look at this post, and as an affiliate I can also invite you simply to...

Click here to sign up for Wanderlust 2016

Thank you for bearing with me through all those photos.  As you know, I like to get everything recorded here in my virtual scrapbook, and when a project has this many pages and details, there just have to be a lot of pictures!  I hope you enjoyed travelling through my travel journal, and I'll hope to be travelling around to visit you in the next few days.

These are my scribbled words (which may have altered slightly in the scribbling!)...

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.

André Gide

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - 

I took the one less travelled by...

From The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Setting out with Wanderlust

So after all the retrospectives, we're moving forwards into 2016, and the journey has begun... Wanderlust 2016 is under way.  If by some chance you don't know what I'm talking about, you can see all the details here, and it's not too late to join in.  If you're tempted, just click here.

I'm going to try to keep up as much as possible in these early weeks as, come mid-Feb, I'm off on my work travels again (more of that another time), and will be away from my craft desk and all my supplies.  So I've dived straight in to my Wanderlust book with the first prompt from Kasia.

The idea is to leap in with your own journalling, but there was a lovely video tracing Kasia's own journey, and I was inspired to try some of the ideas and techniques she used in her own page.  After all, the Wanderlust journey is all about exploring and expanding your creativity.  (I won't be sharing the "how" of it here - that's for Kasia's class to share.)

So there are many things about this page that are very familiar to me...

















... but there are also some new things in the mix.












And that's the way I like it!  One of the greatest joys I find in this visual arts exploration is the learning curve.












So the word that came to me was Seeking.














There's still so much to discover, so many things to try out...














... and I'm still finding out what really suits me, what really makes me happy.











(One thing that makes me happy are these gorgeous Calico Craft Parts flourishes, and another is that I've finally started working in my Finnabair Vintage Vanity journal!)












There's a seeking going on in a wider sense too, as I continue to shape my freelance career and work out what fits where...













... what my priorities are, and how I might go about fulfilling some more of my dreams.











It's strange and slightly foolish how scary it feels embedding my own handwriting into a page.














But, as Kasia says, it's not really meant for anyone else to read.  It's my own thoughts in that moment.









That's a really freeing thought for someone who is usually creating for DT duties where the end result has, by definition, a function and an intended audience.












Obviously I always hope for a sense of flow and release, otherwise what would be the point of the time spent at the craft table?

Nonetheless, it was lovely to be officially freed of any "oughts" or "shoulds", and to allow the work to go in search of itself, rather than pushing for a deadline.








And there's nothing I enjoy more than that sense that you're not really in charge of what's going on... you're channelling something from somewhere else.

It was great to spend some time at the table just allowing paint and ink to flow on to the table - using Kasia's guidelines, but letting my own preferences shape the process too.   I'm so grateful for the time and the inspiration to play.

You can still come and join the Wanderlust 2016 journey.  (I'm on the course, but also an affiliate to help promote it.)  There's only been one class so far and none of the videos are going anywhere, so you can catch up whenever you have time.  For just £99 (around $150 or €137) you get a whole year's worth of downloadable video workshops (more than 50 of them) with some amazing teachers, technical classes and information, as well as sponsor discounts, giveaways and challenges.  

Laugh at yourself, but don't ever aim your doubt at yourself.  Be bold.  When you embark for strange places, don't leave any of yourself safely on shore.  Have the nerve to go into unexplored territory.
Alan Alda

Starting the new course, trying new things, starting work in a new journal - so I'd like to enter this in Something New at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge
And with all that newness, especially my new art journal, I'd also like to share this at Anything But Cute where the fabulous Redanne is inviting us to Ring out the Old, Bring in the New

Last chance for bargain wandering...

Hi all, thanks for your lovely feedback on the recent "architectural" posts.  If you've not been Through the Square Window, or knocked on the garlanded door, do take a look.  You'll definitely be welcome!  For now, I just wanted to remind you that there are only a few days left to get next year's online creative journey, Wanderlust 2016, at the bargain early bird price.

If you book before December 15th you'll get the twice-weekly videos from some amazing teachers (more than 50 hours' worth of inspiration), plus challenges, giveaways and retailer discounts all year for just £65 (about $100/€89).  After that date the price goes up to £99 for the year.  You can find out more about the course here, or simply... 

Click here to sign up for Wanderlust 2016 now

As Jamie and Kasia at Everything Art say: 

Join 26 amazing teachers on this year long class about mixed media and art journaling.  Being a member of the class also gives you lots of other different kinds of activities on the Everything Art online community - creative challenges and exercises with prizes, interaction with teachers, motivating discussions, creative games, topics that will help you understand art and find a best way to express yourself, as well as discounts from our partners.

Just to clear up any confusion - I'm not teaching on the course, but I'm along for the ride as a participant and helping to promote the course as an affiliate (many thanks to all those who have signed up through my link - so happy you've decided to come wandering!).  I can't wait for it all to start in January... Andy Skinner, Finnabair, Kasia Krzyminska, France Papillon, Kate Crane, and so many more, offering up creative inspiration and tutorials.   Hope to see you there!

The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter his house of wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.
Kahlil Gibran

Wanderlust 2016

Hello all and welcome!  I'm very honoured to have been invited to be an affiliate for the amazing journey Wanderlust 2016.  It's a year long online learning experience with new mixed media video classes every week from some truly amazing teachers.

Click here to sign up for Wanderlust 2016

I'm a longtime fan of Kasia Krzyminska a.k.a. Czekoczyna so I booked my place as soon as Wanderlust was announced, before any of the teachers were revealed - except, of course, for Kasia herself.

Imagine my joy and excitement as the roll-call developed... Andy Skinner, Anna Dabrowska a.k.a. Finnabair, France Papillon (all of whom I've been lucky enough to do classes with in real life, so I know just how brilliant they are as teachers), and then onward with Flora Bowley, Kate Crane, Rachel Greig, Birgit Koopsen... too many for me to name here, but all amazing, inspiring crafters and artists.  You can check out the full list here.

Click here to sign up for Wanderlust 2016

Here's what Kasia and Jamie - the creative minds behind Everything Art and Artist Trading Post - have to say about the course:

Wanderlust is a whole year long journey - an online event offering you videos from 24 guest teachers and two resident teachers (Kasia Krzyminska and Jamie Avery), one every week (each one downloadable and with PDF instructions provided), 50 amazing videos, which will run for over 50 hours in total, access to a forum with an amazing and friendly community, inspirations, challenges, discussions, galleries, workshops, giveaways and generous discounts from our partners.

The perfect alternative to in-person classes!

Amazing team of 24 guest teachers includes Finnabair, Andy Skinner, Flora Bowley, Carolyn Dube, Kate Crane, Birgit Koopsen, Nathalie Kalbach, France Papillon, and many more talented artists.

As well as project ideas and technique tutorials, there is going to be lots of product information - how to make the most of all those tempting craft materials we have in our stash and maybe aren't sure what to do with.  And with such a wide variety of approaches and styles on offer, there's bound to be something that will light your particular fire, or that sets you off on a whole new crafting adventure.

And now I'm a tiny part of it - not to teach, but here to invite you to come along for the journey.  If you sign up before 15th December you'll get the whole year for just £65 (around $100/€89).  With 50 downloadable videos from 26 teachers, not to mention giveaways, challenges, and discounts from the various crafty partners who are signed up (some of my favourites - DecoArt and the Funkie Junkie Boutique are just two of them), that special early bird price works out at about £1.25 per week.

I call that a bargain for the crafting inspiration on offer - or a great Christmas gift if you can talk your nearest and dearest into it!! If you wait until after 15th December it will go up to £99, so it's well worth grabbing the £65 offer as I did.

Click here to sign up for Wanderlust 2016

You can click straight through from here to sign up (in the interests of full disclosure, that gives me a little boost as an affiliate), and whether you do that or whether you're already signed up, I hope I'll see lots of you there on the journey.  It promises to be a real adventure... I can't wait!

Wanderlust - an irresistible longing to travel, roam, and explore the big wide world; to crave new experiences; to dream, to seek adventure, to discover, to live.
Anonymous