Getting Started

Before our family gathering yesterday I drove into Portland to check out the May Day Protest March. People were gathering at the University of Southern Maine not far from where we used to live. And on my way home I was excited to see one of the tulip beds at the end of our old street in full bloom....so of course I stopped to take a closer look.

This bed was in bloom...but several others in other color schemes were just getting started so I'll probably go back. 

From this angle you can see Woodmont Street....

the dead end street we used to live on....we loved living there.

I needed this mostly rainy day! Not just because I wouldn't need to water the newly planted grass seed and plants I moved around....but I was in desperate need of a joyful puttering day in the studio.

I have several things I wanted to work on...and I was excited to get started. My biggest challenge will be keeping the projects all straight...and not mixing up the papers. But that might not be such a bad thing and may end up doing a little of intentional mixing.

Things I'm starting with:

• Becky's little journal for our new art exchange 
• A blank journal to alter for Brenda with her own art papers
• A blank journal to alter for Lynn with her own art papers
• Several junk journals for Lynn with her own art papers

I got started on ALL of them today. I mostly want them to be a surprise...but I might write about a few spreads here and there. I like giving a little sneak preview. Since today's post is about getting started...I thought I'd include the first altered pages of Brenda's journal.

The hardest part is tearing those first pages. I start randomly in the middle of the book...and using a metal ruler I just start tearing and stitching. 

I tore a few pages and stitched on coordinating papers. The polka dotted paper is aqua on on side and pink on the other....so I added coordinating gelli prints. I wrapped the gelli prints so the edge of the journal is going to look good too! It feels good to get started!