TyQuilts Designs

Well, I took the plunge and have completed the cover of my journal. I used watercolors for the background,  including an iridescent gold that gives it a subtle shimmer in person. Then I dragged out my foam stamps and acrylic paint from my scrapbooking days and stamped the word autumn, roughly outlining it with pitt pen. The leaves were done with walnut ink and a stamp.  I just have to find a bit of ribbon to cover that left edge where the paint bled under the tape and it is done.

Below you will find my first assignment from Laure Ferlita’s Imaginary Visit to Autumn class that I am taking. I had to laugh at myself a bit as I was totally disconcerted by the idea of painting a white pumpkin. I had never even seen a white pumpkin before.  I got the light areas a little too dark so it reads more as a grayish green pumpkin than white, but here it is.

A post on Laure Ferlita’s Blog led to a comment I made about ordering a custom made journal and being afraid to use it for fear of messing up the pristine white cover.

I started to think about the issue a little bit more.  First the journal– As I have become a little more proficient in watercolor, my paper of choice has been Fabriano Artistico 140# cold press.  it works the best for me with the least frustrations.  I don’t make my own journals, and haven’t found one using that paper.  I came across a wonderful etsy shop  Elvie Studio where I could order a custom journal.  It arrived and it was so well done I was very pleased, but afraid to use it.  I am a very messy watercolor painter especially when doing background washes, and I always end up with paint everywhere. I didn’t want to get random paint on that pristine cover so it sits on a shelf and hasn’t been used and really,  how silly is that?  What good is it doing me there?

So Laure’s post today led me to the determination to use that journal.  I am currently taking her Imaginary Visit to Autumn Class and this would be the perfect journal.  I am going to start by painting a wonderful mottled wash of autumn colors on that cover and if it doesn’t turn out the way I want it to, well then I will collage over it or make a slip cover for it.  And if random messiness ruins it, then I have the same solutions available to me.  Tomorrow I will post a picture of that cover and my first lesson.  Fear has been dumped into that trash bin in the corner.

For a bit of color,  I have posted one of the layouts from the travel journal I am making from our trip to the badlands in South Dakota.