Table of contents for Winter 2021 in Art Journaling

Dear friends, While working on this issue of Art Journaling, a few lines from Amber Walker’s article, “Gritty Beautiful” (p. 10), really resonated with me: “In the end, hope was not found in the pretty and perfect journal but rather in the expression of the mess. The existence of hope is unnecessary in perfect conditions; it grows in the hard places, in a soul searching for light …” The more I think about it, the more I can see an inextricable link between the concepts of hope and mess, even in the most mundane of situations. A literal mess, like a cluttered and overflowing closet for example, is actually an opportunity to improve upon an area of your home that you rely on daily. Working through that mess means your…

This art journal is titled Sanctuary because both my art journal and my studio are places of peace and rest. Making art is both inspiring and organizing to my thoughts and my spirit. By allowing what is in my subconscious to burble out onto the page, I’m no longer plagued by chaos inside — what wants to be said is said, what wants to flow, flows. My art journal provides a safe space for my creativity and for my inner child to be exactly as she wants and needs to be. INSPIRATION FROM CHANGE During the end stages of this art journal, I moved my art studio, which is also named The Sanctuary, from one part of the house to another. This change gave me a look at long-forgotten supplies…

As I am sitting at the kitchen table writing this, I am looking outside to see the coming of fall. This is my favorite time of year: the light changes from the hard light of summer to a softer light, the air feels softer too, and everything is letting go of the colors of summer and opening to the shades and scents of fall. THIS IS MY favorite TIME OF YEAR: THE light changes FROM THE HARD LIGHT OF summer TO A SOFTER light … NEW ADVENTURES I grew up in Los Angeles where the only sign of the coming of fall was the changing light and my excitement about returning to school; it was a time of new shoes, new dresses, and new pencils. I would take those pencils…

UNITED STATES CALIFORNIA Ben Franklin Crafts & Frames 598 Sutton Way Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-1348 Craftiness 21746 Devonshire Street Chatsworth, CA 91311 (818) 960-4010 FLORIDA Everything Scrapbook & Stamps 4095 State Road 7, Suite Q Lake Worth, FL 33449 (561) 432-5201 INDIANA Palette and Paper 6421 Oaklandon Road Indianapolis, IN 46236 (317) 459-3199 KANSAS Mrs. O’Leary’s 126 N. Mead Street Wichita, KS 67202 (316) 262-0600 KENTUCKY Ephemera Paducah 333 N Ninth Street Paducah, KY 42001 (270) 443-0003 OREGON Main Street Stamp & Stationery 12245 SW Main Street Tigard, OR 97223 (503) 639-3180 PENNSYLVANIA Joys of Life Scrapbooking 5222 E Trindle Road Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 (717) 458-5723 TEXAS Texas Art Supply 2001 Montrose Blvd Houston, TX 77006 (713) 526-5221 VIRGINIA GoldensHill Papercrafts 12644 Chapel Road Clifton, VA 20124 (703)…

Since 1994, Stampington & Company has been a leading source of information and inspiration for arts and crafts lovers, storytellers, and photographers around the world. Launched with a small line of rubber art stamps by President and Publisher Kellene Giloff, the company has since expanded to include a variety of bestselling publications. “When it comes to the art of crafting, no one does it better than Stampington & Company.” – Mr. Magazine™ Samir Husni PUBLICATIONS Known for its stunning full-color photography and step-by-step instructions, the company’s magazines provide a forum for both professional artists and hobbyists looking to share their beautiful handmade creations, tips, and techniques with one another. Since its 1997 debut, Somerset Studio has become the flagship publication within the industry and attracts a large, devoted following of…

When I purchase an art journal from someone else, I am helping to support that artist. Maybe it is the size or color of the journal that drew my eye, or maybe the artist herself, but I am happy to have something made by that person to add to my collection and to work in at a later point. When I make the purchase, I have such a sense of excitement and can hardly wait to hold it in my hands. I want to look through and feel the pages. Does the journal contain any pockets or little details that the maker has added? Is the paper thick or thin? Are there many pages? Are the pages dyed? Will I even be able to finish this journal? … I AM…

Collecting different materials to use in my art has been a long-time passion. Papers, fabrics, photos, trims, buttons, and ephemera all live in my art area waiting to be used. While most of my journals are typically paper, every so often I like to challenge myself to create using different materials. When I sat down to get started on this journal, I immediately decided I wanted to create a journal made strictly from fabric. I love THE juxtaposition OF THE SOFT textures IN THE FABRICS WITH THE MORE SOLID elements LIKE BUTTONS AND metals. AN ODE TO ECO-DYEING This journal was created specifically to showcase some vintage and eco-dyed fabrics in my stash. On one of my annual art weekends, my friends and I spent an entire day eco-dyeing different…

“Art is not always about pretty things. It’s about who we are, what happened to us, and how our lives are affected.” — Elizabeth Broun love this quote by Elizabeth Broun. Your art and your life cannot help but be intertwined when you’re an artist. The big things and little things that make up our lives are who we are. The things we laugh about and cry over change us a little at a time. If we are making art that is true to ourselves, then we are incorporating all of that into our art somehow. Whether it’s right out front and in your face or underneath the surface and no one knows it’s there except you, pieces of you are on each piece of art you make. YOUR art…

Breast cancer was not really on my radar; I had my annual screening and didn’t think about it again for 12 months. But this time, one suspicious area led to a series of diagnostic tests and, eventually, a course of treatment that included surgeries and radiation. Five months later, it was mostly over, but I was still feeling a bit traumatized. FROM SHOCK TO JOY Thanks to early detection, my cancer experience was neither extensive nor debilitating, but the whole episode was a shock to my usually uneventful life. As art journaling has become my way of processing my thoughts, experiences, and aspirations, I knew I would make some kind of story about this interval. I don’t always journal in the moment, preferring to examine events retrospectively, but I did…

• If you found a map to a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, what would your pot of gold look like? What would it contain? Create your version of your pot of gold on your art journal page. Shared by Amber Walker• Start a page with splatters of paint and a large circle or a series of circles to get the page covered quickly. Shared by Chris Tessnear• Use words and imagery to express the emotions that nature evokes within you. Shared by Lynne Moncrieff• In anticipation of spring, make a list of the tell-tale signs of the season, and bring a few to life on the page.• Relax your mind by creating a mandala in your art journal. Get lost in the process of adding…

Dina Wakley Media Journal Blue Edition Now available in blue, the Dina Wakley Media Journal features a new variety of surfaces, including blue denim, heavyweight cotton paper, and white burlap. Have fun experimenting with an array of mediums on the assortment of pages, filling the journal with endless creative possibilities. The journal measures 7¾" x 10¼" and contains 26 pages. Learn more at ranger.com. Dina Wakley Media Collage Collective 2 Vol. 1 The Dina Wakley Media Collage Collective 2 is available in two volumes, each featuring 30 double-sided printed pages of two different thicknesses. You’ll also find full-page printed art, small printed tags, decorative strips, and more. Learn more at ranger.com.…

Waking in the early morning hours, pouring hot coffee into my oversized pink mug, and slowly climbing the stairs to my little art space, yawning and conscious of the day about to unfold into the new normal — a routine was starting to form. I reach for my brown leather journal with one tiny word stamped in the corner — “wild,” a time of letting go. Untethering the long leather strap wrapped around the journal, holding it all together, two pages lay flat with a white stitched middle — a canvas awaiting words and paint. MOVING PAST PRECIOUS This leather journal became known as my pandemic art journal. I had purchased it two years prior and felt it was too precious because of the expense and beauty of it; I…

This art journal exists because I dared to say yes to an opportunity. When Tina Walker put out a call for creatives interested in being involved in a StencilGirl Products art journaling collaboration, I knew immediately I needed to participate. I also knew I wanted my focus to be on textures. Textures are my obsession, and I was excited to take a deep dive into them — this would be a new challenge for me. THE NEXT LEVEL In the past I only journaled as a means of creative writing; however, over time my creative-writing journals transitioned into art journals. These art journals became my safe place to play and investigate art, and they are now my go-to for trying new ideas and texture possibilities. Recently I have come to…

Every time I open a Stampington & Company publication, I am inspired by projects that teach me new ways to look at things and how to see creative ideas in everything. It creates havoc in my art room because every scrap of paper has possibility. Since my husband and I are moving to a smaller family home, my art space is being downsized from a whole room to one wall in a room. With so many saved scraps of paper, I am having great difficulty cleaning out and sizing down. ARTFUL RECYCLING This project came to me when I ran across tiny faded pictures from my college days. Seeing the many beautiful possibilities, I grabbed other favorite paper scraps: magazine text, paperpunched bits, corrugated paper, painted pieces, book pages, and…

My artistic process has become intertwined with the simple activities of my everyday life. When I am journaling I feel as though I am continually trying to preserve the moments that are all too quickly slipping through my fingers, attempting to hold on to the tiniest piece of a cherished interaction or memorable experience. FINDING FREEDOM Some time ago I was wandering through some cute shops and enjoying a lazy afternoon when I came across a small pair of light-aqua earrings shaped like silhouettes of birds. At that time I was nearing the end of a particularly challenging point in my life and was filled with a newfound sense of confidence and freedom. I purchased this pair of earrings and called them my “freedom birds.” I had no idea how…

CATHY BLUTEAU Beaconsfield, Quebec, Canada "I'm not sure what I love more about this journal - the fact that I used much of my recent purchases, that I recycled my own art, or that I made the journal itself."- CathyBluteau MELISSA JOHNSON Garden Ridge, Texas " … every time you put a little piece of 'you' into what you're creating, you connect with yourself in a way that only you can."- Melissa Johnson NARAH KIMBERLY MINARDI Pittsburgh, PA LINA ARANGO JAKUSIK Mississauga, Ontario, Canada "My inspiration for this journal (was) our time in a lakeside resort in Muskoka, Ontario … handmade journals help me savor my happiness before, during, and after a trip."- Lina Arango J akusik SANDY WYATT Muskogee, OK "I was nervous about moving to a wildly different…

Art Journaling is released on a quarterly basis. Submissions for specific issues must arrive on or before the following deadlines: Upcoming Deadlines Winter 2021 Issue - August 15, 2020 Summer2021 Issue-February 15, 2021 Autumn 2021 Issue-May 15, 2021 Spring2022 Issue-November 15, 2021 Art Journaling is currently open to submissions from all our readers who wish to share their art journal pages with our audience. We encourage artists to submit entire journals so that we can evaluate how they will best fit into our publication. If there are pages in your journal you do not wish published (for reasons of privacy or otherwise), please be sure to mark them clearly so we do not consider them. GENERAL ARTWORK SUBMISSION GUIDELINES We prefer submissions of original art. If original art is not…