New ATCs

Just finished up some ATCs that I started several nights ago. It only took me a few minutes, so I don't know why it took me so long to get back to them. Maybe because I'm just not really in an art mood lately. I've been reading a lot of art books, and have even been doing some doodling and drawing each day, but that's still not enough to really get me motivated and excited about art. Monday, I start a four-week workshop based on Beryl Taylor's book Mixed Media Explorations: Blending Paper, Fabric and Embellishment to Create Inspired Designs. It's something altogether new for me and hopefully it will get me jump-started. I've also been reading Tracie Bautista's Collage Unleashed. You'd think if anything would get me excited, that would! But again, I'm just kind of feeling "blah" about the whole thing. I go through this all too often, so I'm not too worried (just annoyed). I'll snap out of it -- or rather, cycle through it.

One thing that does have me a little excited is Julie's tutorial on art journaling over at The Land of Lost Luggage. I have a busy day tomorrow, but I think this is what I'm doing on Monday. It's been awhile since I worked in my art journal. Maybe that's why I'm feeling blah. My art journal and I have a strange relationship. I've blogged about this before; art journaling is something that I need to be doing. So much so, that the very thought of it can bring tears to my eyes if I'm honest enough. The first time I read Journal Revolution, I sat in Barnes & Noble and cried buckets of silent tears. The first SuziBlu video I saw also had me bawling. Yet, art journaling is something I find myself reluctant to do, maybe because it does touch something so deep inside me. I want to do it well, whatever the hell that means. I want my pages to be perfect, to be praiseworthy. I haven't yet let go of the idea of making art for other people. Really, that doesn't just apply to my art journal, but to all of my art. I should be doing it all for me, not for anyone else. I thought keeping an art journal would help me through that, but so far, it hasn't. I think I feel a therapy session coming on!

About the new ATCs: All images are from Lisa's Altered Art. If you haven't been to her eBay Store, go visit. She's got great collage sheets at reasonable prices. The flourishes are embossed with Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder in Milled Lavender; script stamp is from Inkadinkado. For the embossing I used my new little pillow from Inkadinkado, and I loved it. It works great. If you have trouble with stray particles when you emboss, you've got to pick one of these up. I found mine at Michaels for less than $5.00, and it was worth every penny.