Thursday, November 1, 2018

Diva Challenges and other artsy stuff...


"Splotch- tastic"
&
Inktober Day 30
The Botanical Series

This couldn't have been a more perfect challenge for the Trainwreck Sketchbook, which is to say not a challenge at all since splotchy messes are what it's all about πŸ˜‰
I've been seriously off my Inktober game this week but managed some doodly bits here and there.

The splotchy pages

Non- dominant hand

I did this early last week and though I always react to this challenge with an audible groan, I always have fun with it. I looked to the Inktober prompts as the jumping off point. Narwhal seemed like a safe bet seeing as the wonky factor might work in my favor. The rest just appeared where it wanted πŸ˜‰


Inktober Botanical Series
Days 27, 28 & 29

I've been noodling around on this for several days from a page actually started months ago, but as a whole, my Inktober botanicals fell by the wayside. I, once again, fell down the art/junk journal rabbit-hole, finishing off the latest Flowish Journal for a swap going in the mail today for another FB group Trashy and Flowish Junk Journals.
This Flowish Journal is a collection of junk journal fodder assembled from my stash of images, papers, postcards, stickers, notecards etc. accumulated from over 20+ years as a theatrical costume designer and student and my current occupation as a Cheesemonger in a small specialty food market.

I collaged a file folder with tea bags, tea tags and tea bag packets. Junk.

Decorative napkins fun for collage
and color copies of my original butterfly drawings



there's a hand painted envelope made from a magazine page

I have a lot of lovely costume history images

Museum postcards


hand made tags and journaling cards
 and playing cards I got during a trip to France

spraying coffee through stencils
The small photograph in the corner is a hidden paper clip

And lastly, a few things from what has become my most favorite journal ever. It was instigated by a challenge at the Facebook group Trashy Smashy Funky Junky Journals last month. I just finished this one, well, that is to say that there's paint, images and words on all of the pages. I could noodle around in this for ages.

Junk Mail Journal
made from one week's worth of junk mail πŸ˜‰

Grocery store advertising covered with painty calligraphy paper...

...and envelopes  painted, stamped and stenciled...

...then decorated with images from an open art studio directory I picked up at the library 
and words from several free publications available at my neighborhood cafe...

...adding more stamping, doodles, framing and shading.

 My favorite play space to experiment and have fun!


Thanks so much for stopping by! Your thoughtful and generous comments delight and inspire me😍





22 comments:

  1. Alle so very beautiful. LOVE that Diva splotch!!!!

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  2. You totally amaze me, woman! When do you even have time to breathe? Your colors and all the interesting ephemera are just gorgeous!

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    1. Many thanks Antonine! I'm so glad you stopped by. I haven't "seen" you in ages. Much of this is cumulative, though I am quite guilty of hibernating in craft mode when I don't have to leave the apartment to go to workπŸ˜‰

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  3. Whatever you do: I love your colors.

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  4. Love your 373 non dominant hand challenge. It's my fav.

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    1. Thank you Duchess! I'm so glad you like it πŸ˜‰

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  5. Your non dominant hand ... ??? well, Michele, I am not sure you DO have a non dominant hand! It looks too beautiful, too perfect, and all those lines drawn too steady.

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    1. BTW - would you believe we do not have chunk mail here? !!!!

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    2. Many thanks Susie! The key to the lefty (my non-dom) challenge is to go slooooowww and have a helpful buffer like a painted background to smooth out the rough edgesπŸ˜‰

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  6. Wonderful work and great colors this week, Michele! My favorite is your non dominant hand tile. It looks like you are talented with both hands. It is nearly perfect!

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  7. I love all of these. Your Diva challenge is awesome - love it. Your journals are so interesting and I really like seeing your coffee shop work. Anytime I visit your blog, I always scroll backwards as it is a vision to inspire.

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  8. Wonderful "Splotch" Journal pages!
    Thank you again for your inspiring posts every week, dear Michele!

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  9. I wish I had more time to try out all those fantastic links and work you show us every week. Thank you very much Michele. My fave is your gorgeous Splotch tastic for Laura!!! Love it!

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    1. Thank you Ria! It's been a fun week in my creative zoneπŸ˜‰

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  10. Your Diva Splotches made me smile - they remind me of Lollipops or handheld windmills. And I'm still charmed by your blue ink work even if it's drawn by your other hand! And your journals are a riot of colour and fun!

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