First Glimpse of my first official Art Journal

In the Spirit of Tim Holtz Tags of 2012, here is my version of the April 2012 Tag. BUT...since I don't really know what to do with the completed tags, I decided to covert the tag to something I could use in my first official Art journal.

(Please keep on reading after this first picture to see what I did with this tag.)

Now I say, first official, because I have always been a journaler of sorts. Or...someone who collected a bunch of little nicknacks/papers/ and stuck them in a book with an occasional thought written or expressed with magazine letters. Now I am using real art supplies in a real moleskine journal! So to me that makes it official lol! I have already created an AWESOME cover which I'll share at a later date. I decided to use my April 2012 Tag for the inside cover.

Over the past couple of months, I have found so many artists that overwhelm me with their creative genuis. One of these individuals is Sarah Engels-Greer. I am constantly visiting her blog to stare at all of her creations. Plus it's fun to read about her house decorating escapades. I wasn't ready to submit any of my "I'm new to mixed media pieces" to her My Monthly Mojo Challenge for March. And I'm probably not ready to submit to the My Monthly Mojo for April-Tagology, but I wanted to acknowledge how she has inspired me. I found myself wandering through my local hardware store looking for electrical boxes to use in a future project because of this piece she created!  I know my use of the Tag theme isn't that creative, but it is going in a very important creative piece.

The front of my journal says "Enjoy the Journey". Tim used a Word Band on his April Tag "The Journey Awakens the Soul". I thought this was perfect for the inside cover. I have been through a lot in the past few years, I feel I am at some sort of precipice to truly discovering and understanding myself and my role in this massive Universe (I think I've been watching too much Science/Discovery Channel television). Anyhoo...

The magenta background was a layer of acyrlic paint spread on with a credit card. I topped it with a layer of semi crinkled Idea-Ology Tissue paper. I took a peice of 12x12 Manilla Card and experimented with my new Dylusion Sprays using stencils, water, and kitchen roll. I took that completed cool looking inked piece and cut out letters using my new Word Play die. I also cut out a set of black letters. I glued them to the tag pieces and added Glossy Accents. I added my bird and branch topped with silver crown. I added a smaller tag embossed and stamped using the same technique as the big tag. I added April 2012 as the date of the start of the journal/journey.

Here is the list of challenges that I am entering my "tag turned into inside cover of journal"

Simon Says Stamp and Show: Show a Tim Holtz Technique

Frilly and Funkie: I'll Take Your Word For It

Tim Holtz Tags 2012 April

My Mojo Monthly April Tagology

Thanks for visiting!

Heidi