Project Art Journal: Page 7

The pages for Project Art Journal are often inspired by other mediums of artistic expression. Throughout my childhood I watched my grandmother make beautiful quilts (and eventually started making them myself) using patterns such Hole in the Barn Door and Grandma’s Flower Garden.  One of my favorite patterns was one called Log Cabin, which involves staggered strips sewn together into a square.  When I sat down to complete Page 7, this pattern popped into my head, so I decided to make an altered version of it out of paper.

Are you awake?

Supplies:

• card stock (off-white, brown)
• Pages from an old travel book
• Craf-T Crafter’s chalk
• brown ink pad
• 2 spiral clips
• twig
• copper wire
• decorative fibers
• copper brads
• paper slicer or scissors
• paper piercer
• double-stick tape
• standard tape
• marker

Layer 1: Foundation

• Cut a square out of card stock that is slightly smaller than the paper bag journal page.

Layer 2: “Log Cabin” Background

• Tear out five pages from an old travel book.
• Choose five complimentary colors from your chalk palette.  I used red, orange, light orange, brown and tan to create a very natural and warm atmosphere to emulate the feel of log cabin.
• Using an eye shadow applicator smudge a different color chalk all over each travel book page.
• Cut each page into 1/2″ strips and then cut the strips into smaller pieces of varying lengths. This is important!  Without varied lengths it’s a lot harder to create the staggered look of a log cabin.
• Drag the edges of each piece on a brown ink pad.  This gives each piece a more defined edge that will stand out when the pattern is complete.
• This is where order and whimsy come together!  Arrange the pieces into a staggered pattern on Layer 1.  Its okay to go in different directions with the text, (i.e. horizontal, vertical or even upside down!).  Allow the pieces to overlap multiple times.  Attach the pieces with double-stick tape as you lay them out.  Tip: To give the background more texture, don’t put tape on the corners of each piece.  Use your fingernail to slightly curl the tips upward.  To add even more texture, crumple and flatten a few of the strips and mix them randomly into the square.

Layer 3: Quote Block

• Cut out a small rectangle from off-white card stock.  Pencil in the quote and then go over it with a marker.
• Measure and cut a rectangle from brown card stock that is slightly larger than the quote rectangle. Attach quote rectangle using double-stick tape.
• Attach quote block to Layer 2 using double-stick tape.  Place it slightly off center, favoring the left to leave room for decorative fibers and the lower edge to make room for embellishments.

Layer 4: Embellishments

• Using a paper piercer, poke three holes below the quote block, centering them as much as possible.  Insert and fasten copper brads.
• Grab a small twig and place it just below the copper brads, again centering as much as possible. Take the paper piercer and poke holes on both ends of the twig – one hole above and one hole below.  These holes will be used to fasten the twig into place, so be sure to leave enough clearance for the wire to take hold.
• Thread thin copper wire through the holes, (you can use thick thread, too).  Come up through the bottom, so both ends are above the twig and ready to twist or tie.  Once fastened, cut the excess wire and leave a small “tail.”  Wrap tail around the paper piercer to get a cute little spiral. This adds a nice design feature, but also keeps the wire secured.
• Take three strands of decorative fibers and string them along the left hand side.  Secure the ends on the back with standard tape.
• Attach spiral clips on the right side of the square.  Place one along the top corner and the other along the side so that it clips the quote block.

Attach the competed page to the paper bag journal using plenty of double-stick tape.  Again, don’t be stingy!

That’s it!  Enjoy your page and stay inspired!

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c.b. 2012