Finishing up a Journal

Quite often I find when a journal is almost full I want to finish it quick and move on. These pages are from my manilla folder journal. I think I have 3-4 more left to do so I think I will be able to finish this one this week and move on to something new. I always like the feeling of endings because that means there is always a new beginning around the corner.

In this page I wanted to try a more folk art style page, it was not really planned but just evolved that way.  First I colored the page with neo color II watercolor crayons and water, then I added the stamp on the left which led to the word Art. It was then that I decided to add the woman.  I had issues with my pens writing over the waxing crayon.  If anyone has a solution to that I would love to hear it.

This is a collage for a challenge on my network. As always I used charcoal to enhance some features.  I have always loved this image.  Its funny I have a lot of images I save, and it may be years before I finally use them. I usually find, that one day that image is just perfect for how I feel that day or whatever I am working on.  Its seem a perfect match.

This last one sat unfinished for some time. I found this background already painted in my stash.  I think it came as a freebie from someone.  I think its from Kelli Perkins  but I am not sure.  I just loved the richness of it. I added the piece of Japanese paper to the edge. Next came the lettering where I used a gel pen and then outlined it with a dip pen and white acrylic ink.

I would like to thank my friend Janet for giving me this fantastic tip. Its using a catalog for your surface when you are gluing things to put on a page. I don't know about you but I get a lot of catalogs in the mail.  I would have some scrap paper for this process but a catalog works so much better. Once you get glue on the page you just turn the page and you have a fresh area to work with.  The idea is brillant. Now I will not end up getting glue where I don't want it. Thanks Janet.