Xmas presents

A very short post from me today, to show that I'm still alive (and kicking).

I've been really busy building the content for my little DaWanda shop, which is now starting to look like a real shop. I'm really proud with how it's all starting to come together. Still not completely there yet, but people do seem to start noticing it and are buying Traveler's Notebooks. So I'm happy about that.

It does mean I have less time for other things, especially with the holidays planning and presents for the people I love. Still I thought I'd share one of the presents I made for them. I can't show the rest yet, because, well, that would spoil the surprise =)

I made a new agenda for my mother. It took me forever and a day to complete, because neither word, nor the printer wanted to cooperate with me. But I made it and shared the files on my Midori TN free inserts page for those of you who would like to make their own.

Here are a few pictures of the content....ok, maybe not so short after all...

Art Journal Journey Theme for December

A while back Susi from Art Journal Journey asked me if I would like to think of a theme for December. I immediately said yes, because I love joining in the Art Journal Journey montly prompts. I thought a bit for a while and finally came up with the theme "Dark and Light".

I think (hope) this theme leaves enough room for play and still ties in with the overall December theme. She also asked me to make an example.

So here it is, I even found a quote that ties in with the theme wonderfully.

There is in every true woman's heart, a spark of heavenly fire,
which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity,
but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.
- Washington Irving

I made some progress pics and detail shots, but forgot to turn the camera on and make a film.

Traveler's Notebook swap with Ray Blake

Over a week ago I entered into a swap with Ray Blake. I would send him one of my Traveler's Notebooks with inserts and he would send me one of his. 

Since my note book arrived today, I can safely share the pictures of the book and inserts without spoiling the surprise.

Some quick sketches

I was first only going to post these to facebook as I thought they weren't blogworthy, but then I thought, hold on, it's my blog. I can do whatever I like, right? Perhaps I'm falling into the same trap I always fall into and maybe I'm setting my bar too high again. Making it near impossible for myself to post anything here. While this was supposed to be a place to share all my creative doodads and whotnots.

So I'm lowering my bar again to share some 5 minute sketches and some playing with watercolour paints. They are not perfect, but they're not supposed to be.

Just me playing in my Travelers Notebook on my daily timetracking pages. The quick doodle above is a self portrait from a goofy picture my daughter took of me yesterday. I think, for a quick sketch it turned out alright.

WOYWW 233

Just a quick WOYWW blogpost before I head over to work, showing you what was on my workdesk last night. Since joining the NaNoWriMo fun, I've been almost completely in book making mode, so of course yesterday I made another set of booklets. This time as a present for a friend of mine that was so kind as to read my raw draft and tell me if I am at all any good.

And when I say raw draft, I mean RAW, because there has been no editing going on and the manuscript is riddled with spelling mistakes and there are no annotations to mark the spoken lines, because those stop the flow of words rattling out of my fingers.

NaNoWriMo, or how to procrastinate on a professional level

Last month I found out about a phenomenon called NaNoWriMo. I thought all month about joining, because I always wanted to write a book. I always figured I would do that someday. By the end of the month I realised, someday was never going to come. I would just have to bite the bullet or give up on the thought. I still was hesitant about writing 50000 words in a month though. So I only really joined on November the third. It has been a bit of an uphill struggle, so far, as I am forever trying to catch up, or so it seems. Yesterday I passed the halfway mark of 25000 words and I am actually really proud of myself and I feel my writing isn’t half bad. So yay to me.

I’m writing this though, not because I started writing a novel, but to show you what I did when I should have been writing my novel, my procrastination results so to speak...

I did not write a book, I made books and lots of them... It seems, I'm starting a collection.

these are all inserts for the Travelers Notebooks. I also made another template for the Midori Travelers Notebook Inserts (regular size).

New diary insert for my Travelers Notebook

This weekend I just wasn't in the mood to do anything difficult, so I decided I would finally make myself a decent diary insert for my work Travelers Notebook. Yesterday evening, after we watched Alien, well you have to show the classics to your kids, don't you, I set out to adapt a file so it would fit my needs.

Today I made it into a little booklet.

I kept it fairly plain, as it is for work, but I'm very happy with how it turned out.

The diary itself is a little different from what you usually see, as the normal week on two pages wasn't working for me and the normal day per page diary's don't work for me either. So I made a combination.

WOYWW 230

It's time again for another WOYWW. Number 230 already, so yet again time to snoop around those artsy workdesks around the world.

This time I have a different workdesk for you.



My writing desk this time, the way it usualy looks when I'm writing a blogpost.

Second spread in Beate's journal

Today I finally finished the second spread in Beate's Round Robin art journal. I had some difficulty with this one. Her theme for the journal was Fools and or Divinities and in keeping with the theme, I wanted this one to be about fools. The first one, I thought, was about Divinities. I also wanted it to be completely different.

I ended up making this one about Divinities and the first one about fools. Somehow intertwined, as they are in life. Both being two sides of the same thing, forever connected and dependant upon each other.

I did find my quote for the first spread and together with that one I found the quote to go with the second spread. They are both from Ursula K. Le Guin.

WOYWW 229

I think I skipped a few WOYWW's, I just haven't been able to keep up with all that's going on. Things are just not going to plan, as so often in life, but I think I'm getting it back together again. I just need to take it really slow and let go of the pressure.

So today I thought I would show you what my workdesk looks like when I'm like this...

You wouldn't believe the mess I make...I've got too much on my mind and it shows.

First spread in Beate's journal

Last night I finished the first spread in Beate's Round Robin art journal. I did plan to do both, but forgot I had a birthday party to go to. As my father-in-law turned 85 and we celebrated that happy fact last saturday.

At first I was a bit anxious to touch her journal, as she made such a beautiful book. I really didn't want to ruin it, with me goofing around with paints and stuff.

Once I took some precautionary measures, like taping the spine and protective sheets under the pages I intended to work on, I got a bit more secure. While working on it I gained confidence and in the end I was just painting like as if it was my book =).

I did take a few progress shots and some details...

Travelers Notebooks and a sneek peek at Beate's journal

Lately I've sortof been obsessed with making these Midori style Travelers Notebooks (MTN) and things to put in them. Trying to figure out how to put it all together and make those beautiful notebooks, covers and accesories.

What materials to use, the leather, the elastic and those nifty thingies they use to connect the elastic on the spine and yes I did find out what they were. Me being me, I obviously could not stop before I figured it all out...

I also joined two facebook groups (Midori Traveler's Notebook resources and Midori Traveler's Notebook Nederland) and have been having fun with posting a photo a day following prompts by Monia Marzo.

In the midst of all this, completely neglected my blog...well not completely, because I did make an extra page for the blog, where I keep a listing of my downloadable files for making the inserts for the Travelers Notebooks (TN).

I've also started selling these Travelers Notebooks though they are not listed in my store yet.

What I'll be sending out into the world

The last few weeks I've been really busy getting my art journal ready for a Round Robin (or circle journal) I'm participating in. I found myself getting distracted a lot and doing a lot of procrastinating, because actually I'm a bit scared about doing this.

A bit scared, as I've never done anything like this before and very exited, because I think it'll be AWESOME. So I finally finished it and I think it's ready to send on it's journey out into the world.

The round Robin is hosted by Tracy Woodsford (Sojourner) and there are 7 of us making this journey. Tracy asked us to make a journal with room for 15 spreads. Each participant would then do 2 spreads and one would be for the sign in. Obviously I deviated from that, because I'm a rebel.

Haha, no just because I wanted a certain approach to the book  that wasn't going to work with the 15 spreads.

The theme I choose for the book is: "What lies within..." and it has a subtitle, a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what is within us out into the world, miracles happen.”

In keeping with that theme, I felt the TARDIS* to be a great metaphor for this. I used the River Song book as an example. I also wanted the signatures to be removable, so it would be easy for each participant to work on.

* Time And Relative Dimensions In Space

I took a few progress shot, but mostly forgot to take them. Still, here they are together with some detail shots and a short show and tell video.

29 Faces Final check-in #23 - 29 or there abouts...

Final check-in for the 29 faces challenge. Though I have been practicing faces every day this month, most of them were just quick scribbles in my journal. 

As today is the 30th of september I thought I would add a quick painting in my art journal and then call it a day.

I think I learned a lot by just doing a face every day and it has been an interesting experience. I will try and keep sketching a face every day, be it in my journal, or whatever medium I have at hand =). So maybe someday I will be able to just sit somewhere and sketch people passing by...I would so love to be able to do that.

I don't have my regular camera at the moment, so here are some shots made with my iPhone.

WOYWW 225

I wasn't going to write a WOYWW post today, because I have so much stuff to do. I figured it wouldn't be responsible of me to write a post and then not find the time to go and comment on the other workdesks out there ... and there are a lot ....

But you know what, I'm fed up with having to do the things I have to do and to proove it, I'll show you what was on my workdesk just a few minutes ago...

See it's a complete mess.

I started cleaning it up, because that's what I was supposed to do, among other things. Right, but in stead I found myself making these little cuties... MiniDori's =) and I couldn't stop myself, I made booklets for the inside, decorated them. made a folder etc. I had soooo much fun!

Here are some close-ups of the MiniDori's =)

29 Faces check-in #14,15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and ...oops, 21 and 22

That's a lot of faces all in once, but last week has been a bit hectic for me, so I didn't get any blogposts done. I did finish some of the video's I was working on, about the Midori style travelers notebooks I made recently. I'll post those at the end, just in case you would like to see them.

First though, as this is a 29 faces post, I did do a face a day this week and I am keeping up.

Here are they all in chronological order.

Book of books, secret belgian binding with a twist

I finally finished my secret belgian binding book for the swap for the Hinges group. It took me quite a while to finish it. First trying and testing, then working out a concept and when I finally started making the book I ran into several problems. Making me want to cry, but I made it, it's finished and it's ready for shipping =).

I made some progress pics, some detailed shots of the finished book and a video, so you might want to go get a cup of coffee for this =).

29 Faces check-in #11, 12 and 13

Yay, I made it to face 13 on friday the 13th. Nearly halfway through the 29 faces in 30 days.

Though I must admit, I might have bitten off more than I can chew. So just in case it gets too much, I have some paintings and drawings from way back when standing by. Luckily that hasn't been necessary yet.

For face #11 I wanted to go bold and big and not sketchy at all.

29 Faces check-in #8, 9 and 10

Instead of doing a post every day, I think I will keep grouping them together. This way it feels less like pressure and more like fun making them. As it was intended. So here are my faces #8, 9 and 10 for the 29 Faces in 30 days challenge.

To be honest I have been struggling a bit with this. I felt I was doing the same thing each time and I didn't want that. So I started trying out some different things.

Here are some close ups of the three different faces I made and some explanation with each one.

29 Faces check-in #5, 6 and 7

Here's a quick update with my next faces for the 29 faces in 30 days challenge.

I started out with a quick doodle of a face in one of my journals. Trying to make a face from a more side view.

29 Faces check-in #4

Another quick post with face 4 for the 29 Faces in 30 days challenge.

I sketched her with aquarel pencils on a collaged and gessoed background in my art journal. The background is mostly an article from a newspaper, about stress and what it does to you.

29 faces check-in #3

Just a quick post with face #3 for the 29 faces in 30 days, september 2013 challenge.

I first drew the face on some bookpages and then cut her out.

WOYWW 222 and happy mail

Or perhaps in this case, what was on my workdesk for the past few days. Yes you saw it right, it is a suitcase, or perhaps again, it was a suitcase. A rather old and beaten up old suitcase I got from a thrift store for next to nothing.

I killed it....

29 faces in 30 days, september 2013

Since I love drawing and painting faces, I thought, I'd join the 29 Faces in 30 days challenge for september 2013.

Now I saw this only yesterday, so I have some catching up to do with faces. That's why I'll post two faces today. Three if you also count the ghost like face in the background =)

Here are some close-ups from both faces.

Tim and Dotty...

With the end of the month drawing near, I figured today (or yesterday, as I am posting this today) I would finally make the Tim Tag for august, or should I say booklet as I prefer to make books. Don't get me wrong, I like tags as well, I just don't know what to do with them once they are created. Now books I can use and that's why I prefer to make those.

And since it's all about the technique, I guess it's alright. Tim has shown us some fabulous techniques in the past year, but this one has to be my favorite. As per usual I didn't have all the materials he uses in his tutorial.

So I had to be a bit inventive and make do with what I did have.

And while I was busy making one booklet I figured I might as well make two, so I also made one for the Dotty challenge over at Simon Says Stamp and Show, monday challenges.

Hence the title, Tim and Dotty =). Here are some close up shots of Tim and Dotty.

WOYWW 221

Wednesday again Time for yet another WOYWW and I have finally found my way back into my art journal. Since I now made a new realy cool one and I won't allow myself to work in that one until I, at least, finish working in this art journal.

I have way to many things going on at once and I do feel it is distracting... too much to try out.

I realy need to stay on top of things and make myself more organized. So I bought an agenda a while back, as I showed you last week.

I've been good an I have been using it, but all I seem to do is make lists. Which is good, don't get me wrong, but I also nee to do some sort of time management thingy.

That's why I started looking at chronodex and spiraldex as a system.

You must break out...

The theme for Art Journal Journey this month is "Square/Quadrat".

I did not have a plan in mind when I started working on this. I didn't even work in my art journal. As I had some trouble getting back to normal life after my vacation.

I did take some progress pics while I was working on this and some detail shots... so be warned, this is a picture heavy post =).

Secret Belgian binding tutorial

A while back I made a little booklet as a test for a swap. The booklet was bound with the Secret Belgian binding method an I promised to make a tutorial for this binding method.

There are several fabulous written tutorials for this type of binding online, so I won't do that. Instead I made a video tutorial, showing you how to bind your book with the Secret Belgian Binding. I haven't found any other You-Tube videos with this type of binding, so I can't link it to any other videos for reference.

I hope you will find this video tutorial helpful.

I had to break the video up into 3 parts, because it would've become to long otherwise. I did think about cutting parts out, but I guess this works as well.

WOYWW 220

I wasn't going to write a post today, because there's not much going on realy. I've been taking a break from crafting and blogreading etc. Trying to prepare myself for going back to work next month. Trying to get into the right mindset.

I have been doing some painting, but somehow not in my art journal. Just on some old 12"-12" scrapbook papers that I didn't like.

On my desk you can see one of those art journal paintings. I do consider them art journal pages, because I do journal on them. That is, I dump the contents of my brain into my arm and out through my fingers onto the paper. I don't stop to think and just let it all out. The same way I write in my day book.

Just goofing around

Yesterday and today I have actualy realy been goofing around, doing everything and anything and nothing at all. I think because I'm sortoff postponing making the booklet for my next swap for the Hinges group at Milliande's art community for women. We're supposed to make a book with the secret belgian binding.

When I looked it up I was enchanted by it. the binding looks very appealing and intriguing. But I cannot, for the life of me, find any video's of it anywhere. Just some tutorials with photo's....in some foreign language. I lie, some are in english =).

I started a prototype booklet with the binding. Smaller than I want the real thing to be, no theme and not as elaborate.

I kinda like how it turned out and learned quite a bit making it.

Then I thought I would do a video of the making of the book for the swap... and so the stalling began. All kinds of questions popped into my head.

WOYWW 219

My last WOYWW was #215, so I missed quite a few desks while I was away, but I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. I even played around with some paint again these last few days. Not to much mind you, because I first had to clear away all the mess I made before I went on holliday. So I could start making a whole new mess.

And a mess I made =)

Here's a birdseye view of my mess. On the right you can see my mothers hands. She came by yesterday to pick up my son for a sleepover with his nephews and to work a little in her travel journal.

My workdesk is on the left side and the clean and tidy workdesk I created has long gone. It's once again a huge pile of, well I don't know what. Anything and everything I use, or find, or think I might use. One day is all it took. I actually don't mind it looking like this, as long as I have a spot to work in, that's just fine. I just figure that's what it's for. If I want it to stay neat and tidy, maybe I shouldn't work on it, right?

On my desk you can see a bubble envelope I'm decorating, because I actualy just got my first ever order for 2 little books on my DaWanda site. Yay =).
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(spoiler alert for Susanna =) ...)
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Back home

We are back from our holiday in Italy. A little sad and glad at the same time. We had a wonderful time, such a beautiful country and such lovely people. I even understood some Italian this time around, though I realy should try and finish my course before I go there next time. I might even be able to say some words in Italian by then, other then bon giorno, ciao, prego and grazie =).

Back home I'm having some trouble getting back in my rhythm, so I thought I would start off with showing you what I made to take with me on my holiday.

At first I was only going to take a tiny little file folder journal, but since we bought this little printer for the holiday snaps, I realy wanted something bigger so I could journal and add some photo's at the same time.

WOYWW 215

Or maybe I should ask, what isn't on my workdesk, because we are getting ready to go on vacation to Italy next week. So I raided my workdesk to test what needs to come with us for this trip.

My daughter and I have been testing it all out in our backyard, as we haven't a clue what to bring with us.

Trying to keep it simple. So, that's no acrylics for me. I guess I will be doodling and drawing this vacation.

And I really don't do doodle very well, but I'll give it a shot. It'll be a lesson in patience for me, or a sign I should get up and go for a walk or a swim. Or perhaps just be.

Anyway, from next week I won't be writing much on this here medium. All the more in my journals probably. So I won't be participating in our weekly workdesk hop.

I also finished the last page with video for the Summer Of Color yesterday and posted it last night.

This afternoon my mother will come over and we will try and finish our travel kit. Before that I hope to visit some workdesks from all around the world, to check out what others have been up to last week.

So a nice and short post this week. Just like Julia, our hostess from the Stamping ground likes it.

Thank you for watching and I wish tou a wonderful week, or weeks...

Summer Of Color 3, week 6 - Sage and Sepia

The last week of the summer of color allready. Just in time, because next week I will be away on holliday and I won't have time to work in my art journal, let alone write blog posts.

Sage and Sepia are this weeks colors and though I love those colors, I had no clue what I wanted to do. Which, I must admit, does happen quite often.

So I set out to make a journal page, with video again, as I have set this up anyhow and ended up here.

I ran into some trouble while making the video. Or perhaps I should say, I created some trouble, by thoughtlessly deleting some files to make room on the hard drive of the camera.

Fun with ATC's - Classic Films

When I saw this challenge prompt over at Fun With ATC's, I immediately thought I wanted to do something with it, because I love old movies. After which it totally escaped my attention and I forgot completely about it.

Untill this weekend, when I found myself in need of an ATC to send out with my little package to my one hundredth follower (Jan). So I made a few inspired by the prompt from Fun with ATC's and some old movie stars I loved watching when I was a child.

Here are some close-up shots and a sneek peek at the package for Jan.

Add color to my sunset sky - art journal page

With the Color Of Summer challenges these past weeks, I've been limiting my choice of color in my art journals to the colors of the week. I at least tried to do that and because I had several other projects that needed to get finished, I haven't had time to just go out and play in my journal.

Somehow, last night I urgently felt the need to splurge out in color, because it makes me happy and I needed that.

I didn't even pull out every color I have in my drawer, but I seriously tried. I found the perfect quote to go with it:

A rusty japanese stab book

When I made my first japanes stab book for a swap, my husband liked it so much that he wanted me to make one for him. So I promised him to make one.

I started working on the book last week when I showed you the covers in my WOYWW post. I finished the book last monday.

As he likes steampunk stuff, I made it rusty and old looking. He's quite pleased with his notebook.

I did take some progress shots, but not very much. So I won't be able to show you exactly what I did to get this look, but I will try and talk through all the steps.

WOYWW 214

Wednesday already, wow time sure does fly. Yet another What's On Your Workdesk wednesday over at Julia's stamping ground, you can check out desks from all over the world. If you're not familiar with this, you can go to her blog and she'll explain it all to you.

There's not much to see on my desk today, just a little chillin' with my day journal, after posting my last video (here) for the summer of color.

My little black book with quotes on the left and one of my art journals on the right. Right on top of a really messy and in need of replacement drop sheet.

My day journal is just a little file folder mini junk journal and I slam all sorts of things into it. Things I encounter, things I want to keep, photographs, ephemera, random thoughts as well as daily journalling. When it's full I'll just make a new one and continue the chaos.

Here are a few close up shots of my messy mind.

Summer Of Color 3, week 5 - Candy apple Red and Yellow

The Colors for the Summer Of Color this week are not exactly my cup of tea. I did try to make it work though, but my yellow went gold and brown. Which in a way are derivatives of yellow, right? So I think it still qualifies.

This page took me on a little journey down memory lane, back to a time when I didn't know what worries were.

In the picture you can see me, sitting on my grandfather's knee and my sister, trying to get away, because she probably saw a butterfly worth chasing, in my grandfather's garden. Cows grazing peacefully in the background. My grandfather is pointing to my father, who took the picture.

He was a warm and thoughtful man, very close to nature. Always outside in the garden. My happiest memories of our visits are of him taking us to feed the chickens and showing us the baby rabbits, cuddled up nice and warm in their hay nests. My mother muttering in the background about our sunday clothes getting all dirty. Happy days.

Here are some close up shots of the page and a short making of video.

little blue book charms

A while back I posted a picture of some booklets I was working on. Yesterday I finally finished them. Somehow I kept bumping into a wall while making these. So I'm really glad it all came together in the end. 

Two of them are already spoken for. I don't know what to do with the last one yet, but I'm sure it will find a good home as well.

I did make some progress shots while making them so I can show you how I made them.

Summer of Color 3, week 4 - charcoal grey and pale pink

I actually made two projects for the Summer of Color this week. I started with a journal page, that at first went horribly wrong. While I was thinking about how to proceed with the journal page I made two ATC's. I think they turned out really cute.

I finally knew how I wanted to finish my journal page and even made a video.

Since I filmed the whole process, I don't have progress pics, but I do have loads of detail shots. So be warned, this is a picture heavy post.

WOYWW 213, or is it?

Yet another wednesday and time to snoop around the world at other people's workdesks. If you're new here and want to know what this is all about, just hop on over to Julia Dunnit's Stamping Ground and she'll explain it all to you. 

Today it's time for WOYWW 213, indeed really 213. Last weeks confusion about the number did give me a giggle here and there. I'll make it short and sweet, well I'll give it a go at least.

This time Not a photo of what's on my workdesk, but one of what isn't on my workdesk anymore. I got this really cute hanging rack at a discount. It has lots of room for all sorts of little thingies. Really happy with that.

 
I also decided to clean out this old ship trunk and store my recycled papers, cardboard and my dies in there. I finally got rid of the last remnants of my kids toys, the playmobil has now taken up residence in the attick.

I've been working on several things last week, but I can only show you some small previews, since they are either not finished, or they are finished but the video that's supposed to go with it isn't.

Here are some quick shots of what I\ve been working on.

Very late 12 tags of 2013...not a tag

I know, I am really, really late making the june tag for the 12 tags of 2013. So this will be a really, really short post. I loved the tag Tim made as an inspiration and the techniques he used, butI just couldn't get it together to go and make this tag.

This afternoon it hit me. I just wasn't in the mood to make a tag. I wanted to make books. The feeling of booklets and the fiddling with paper just makes me happy. So I decided to make the cover of a booklet with the techniques Tim showed us.

I didn't have all the products Tim used, so I used substitutes that I thought would work. I did make some progress shots and detail photo's.

Japanese stab book - wisdom book

A while back I told you I was working on a japanese stab book. I finally finished the book this week. The book was made as part of a swap for the Hinges group at Milliande's art community for women.

Every month there is a prompt and a theme to make a book. This month the idea was to make a japanese stab binding book with quotes. As I wanted to make a book with a japanese stab binding for some time now, I decided to join in the swap.

So I looked in awe at all sorts of beautiful binding patterns and figures, but decided to go with the simplest form of binding for my little booklet. Especially since it was for a swap. In hindsight I'm so glad I did, because binding it proved to be a bit of a challenge, as you can see in the video I made.

So here's my little book. I didn't make many progress pics, but i'll try and explain what I did to make this booklet. In the video you can watch me struggle with the binding =).

WOYWW 212 and winner birthday giveaway

It's time again for yet another workdesk hop all around the world. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go and check out Julia's blog, Stamping Ground and she'll explain it all to you. From there you can also visit all other participating workdesks.

My workdesk this week is a rather funny one, as I'm getting to grips with making youtube video's .

On the desk you can see the journal page I was filming. Which I finished right in time to post the video and the page here.

First things first. Last week I posted a birthday giveaway and I promised to let my daughter draw a winner from among the comments, both here and on Youtube.