Playtime

Meet my new play journal.

 

 

I made (well, really I am in the process of making) it using the Restoration Hardware Fall 2012 Source Book. It came in the mail a few months ago and I really wanted to alter it and make some kind of a journal/altered book with it. So, now that I'm setting aside more time for painting (January goals), I decided to get going on my idea.

 

 

 

I glued 3 pages together with Mod Podge, just a quick swipe of the edges with a paintbrush.  I did this to make the pages sturdier.

 

 

 

Then 1 brushed on a thin layer of gesso. In that perfectly imperfect way that I'm so fond of. So the images are peeking through and the edges may or may not even have any gesso at all. It's not meant to be a pretty book, but rather one that looks a little beaten up and touched a lot, and loved.

 

 

 

My kids thought I was nuts as they watched me gluing and painting last night. But I actually enjoyed it. No thinking, yet still getting to move paint around (well, Mod Podge and gesso) with a brush.

 

 

Then, this afternoon, I painted my first piece in the journal. Nothing fancy. I scraped some paint splotches using an old gift card, then drew some big circles to make floweres. I painted the circles in, added stems, and brushed on a layer of Mod Podge on top (I just felt like it needed to be shiny). Finally, I added some details with oil pastels and Pitt pens and stamps. And I had fun. And I didn't worry about it being "good enough" for my new journal.

 

 

All of this made my heart very, very happy.

 

Now my wish is for you to do something this week to make your heart very, very happy!