Happiness is...a Really Big Art Journal

When I first started art journaling, I purposefully made myself a small book. Nothing fancy, just a little brown paper covered, card stock filled, amateurishly coptic bound dealie. The idea of a large, blank page staring up at me, waiting to be filled, would have been intimidating, but something small I felt I could handle. I continued to make books around the same scale (about 8"x5" for an open 2 page spread)and happily worked away. But I got to the point where I was feeling more and more cramped. I love art journaling (maybe even more than working on individual pieces), and I needed much more room to work. But how to make a much bigger art journal simply and very cheaply?

Would you believe, manila folders? I used this vid by samanthakira as a jumping off point, and away I went. I was skeptical about using manila file folders as a surface, but after being gessoed, they are really strong and perfect for whatever mixed media you want to throw at them. Probably not archival quality, may not be around for my great, great grandchildren to look at, but whatev. Life is impermanence, and it sure is fun to have a place where I am free to just mess around.

So I've been working away, and loving it. Here are a few pages:
(the first 2 are inspired by one of Gary Reef's "Loosen Me Up" course exercises which I can't seem to get enough of. There may be a series of crazy ladies coming! First is Crazy with Worry and the 2nd, which is still a WIP I think, is Love Crazy.)









PS Haven't had time to start the naked challenge yet, but am planning to work on it this afternoon. eek!

PS II Sorry for the shoddy photo quality, but the idea of having to take the time to scan them in properly and tidy them up in photoshop, fills me with a very painful sort of ennui. So this folks, is as good as it gets on this busy day. :)