2013

All Art Journals, All the Time

2013, Altered Book, Art, Books in Bed, Favorites, Non-Fiction /

I ran into Raw Art Journaling while looking at another art journaling book and figured what the hell, I’m on an art journaling kick – might as well go with that for awhile.

This one was slightly different from the others I’ve read. More life coach-like. I liked it. It was nice to read a book that didn’t forget that words are a part of art journaling. Sometimes we get hung up on the color and the collage and the texture that we leave out the word portion of the journal.

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Acrylic Techniques in Mixed Media is all technique, all the time. Most are techniques I know or have seen but there were some new ideas. And, in a couple of cases techniques I might not have tried were made more appealing. I am going to hold onto this book for awhile and try some of these.

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Art Journaling, Altered Book, Tag Book, The Pocket Scavenger — Gah!

2013, Altered Book, Art, Books in Bed, Daily Dose, Non-Fiction /

I’m seriously into the art journaling thing right now. Big change from the how many years I’ve had this unaltered altered book and the one year that I’ve had two tags of a JMP tag journal and … yea. Totally into it. I think it was the Doodle a Day in April that helped spur me into it.

I did the daily doodle in my altered book, which means I moved away from the idea of turning the book I hated into a book on the topic that I loved. Instead, it turned into art journal, junk journal, inspiration journal — just journal journal.

Giving myself “permission” to play with that book, that way — and keeping it on my desk every day so I’d remember to doodle, well, that did it. I’ve done some type of art journaling or doodling every day since April 1.

And it’s awesome.

I blogged about a review copy of The Pocket Scavenger over at BlogHer and I’ve watched about a zillion youtube videos of art journal techniques and flip throughs. I’m totally into this. My only problem is… my stuff is everywhere. I don’t have one good place to art journal (particularly if I want to keep my stuff safe from the darn dog.)

I’m almost tempted to let TW re-arrange the furniture in hopes of finding a space that allows me to paint a bunch of pages or gesso a bunch of pages or glue a bunch of pages all in one place — and be able to leave them alone to dry. Or be able to leave them out, open, with art materials out so I can walk past or get up and add something/change something whenever the mood strikes.

Blah. It’s such a production to do anything more than doodle with gel pens or markers (the only two mediums that are on my desk all of the time.)

OK enough griping, I’m off to gesso some tags or something.

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Chomp

1 Comment / 2013, Audiobooks, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Favorites /

I like Carl Hiaasen but I don’t love Carl Hiaasen so I figured I’d enjoy Chomp but I didn’t know I’d really, really, REALLY enjoy Chomp.

The only problem with it (well besides the neverending supply of beer the “bad guy” seemed to have and his inebriation level, but it’s middle grade fiction — that’s to be expected) was that we listened to it on audio and… Dawson, yes that Dawson, was the reader.

I kept expecting Joey and Pacey to show up… that was a little weird.

Great Cybils selection. Great book for those of you who aren’t sure you like audio books.

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I Am Number Four (The Movie)

2013, Books in Bed, Movies & Television /

Finally — a movie for my Book to Movie Challenge.

I Am Number Four (the movie), which I read last month, was not as good as the book.

Duh, right?

Except that if you remember what I said about the book, or click the link, you’ll see that I wondered if I might like the book better. So darn. I was wrong.

The relationship between John and Henri was completely different in the movie. The relationship between John and Sarah and John and Sam was different as well. Not enough character development. Not enough character, in general. They needed another 30 minutes of film to show to allow the characters to develop so that we cared about any of them.

The only thing that worked was Bernie Kosar.

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Art and Craft or Art vs Craft

2 Comments / 2013, Art, Books in Bed /

I’m having a lot of fun with art and craft books, right now. Even when I don’t absolutely love the books I’m reading and playing with, it’s fun.

Like Craft-a-Day: 365 Simple Handmade Projects. Nice cover. Nice, big book. Total impulse pick up from the library. Turns out it’s not so much 365 projects but a couple dozen projects done with 52 different themes. So, a little stuffed felt animal/item every week. Same method of creation, just a different template. Simple and pretty boring.

Most of the people on GoodReads panned this book, because it’s just the same thing over and over. That was my feeling as well. But… this wouldn’t be a bad book to have on your shelf, for simple templates or to hand to a bored child who wants to DO something.

A better book, in my opinion, is Zentangle untangled. I loved it. I want a Zentangle kit. I want the Zentangle workbook. I need a better pencil and a much better black pen!

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Farewell, Dorothy Parker

2013, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Favorites, Women /

Total impulse pick up because I like Dorothy Parker and because Michelle really, really likes Dorothy Parker. How could I not pick up a book where the ghost of Dorothy Parker arrives to help a movie critic (and everyone else she meets) get her life in order.

Turns out the book critic helps Mrs. Parker and everyone lived happily ever after, except Dorothy Parker (who was dead) but she was happy with the way it ended too.

Farewell, Dorothy Parker is fun chick lit for those who like Dorothy Parker.

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