Altered Art Journal

I've already mentioned that I have been working on an altered art journal for Becky. I altered one for myself based on a Sketchbook Challenge class I took from Design Matters Art and Craft School....and I've been slowly working in it for several years years. There are LOTS of posts on the blog of my progress under the label art journal.

Starting with a commercial sketchbook Becky sent me....I ripped down pages and stitched in bits of art and ephemera from her pile. This eliminates some of those intimidating blank pages and giving some of the page spreads a jumping off point for whatever she wants to do.  

I just finished...and her art journal is sufficiently altered and I will take it to her at the end of April when I visit.  So I can't reveal the whole thing...but I can give you and Becky a little sneak peak at a couple pages.

I left ALL the threads for Becky to do what she wants with.

Some of the page edges are wrapped....making it quite colorful from the side.

Every page is not altered so there are plenty of pages that are blank and whole for Becky to do whatever she wants. 

I thought this was the perfect card to put near the front...and it layered perfectly with a beautiful watercolor that Becky did.

And I love that the It's your turn card is from a heating and cooling company...a perfect found piece of ephemera. I examine every paper product that comes into my house. Is it something or nothing? (That's actually a line from Becky.)

I cut out and stitched on this lovely watercolor tree Becky painted on the edge of one page...

and layered a doodle and a gelli print on another. I really enjoyed pairing and layering the papers.

Becky's is the blue one...and mine is black. I have  six or eight pages or so left in mine.....and Becky has years of creating ahead of her in her altered art journal.