Hey! This is fun!!!

Wow! It's already the 11th day of 2013!!!

I have been so busy trying to finish left over projects from 2012,

I am already falling behind for 2013!

In my defense, I have been trying to get organized, and trying to finish

undone projects and even trying new techniques and mediums in my crafting.

About two years ago I received a beautiful art journal from my 

RSD EDT sister, Suzi. I wanted to start working in it immediately, but wasn't sure where to begin. I decided on making it a painfully cathartic journal to help me deal with, and heal past emotional wounds.

This was as far as I got. I think I scared myself .

Didn't touch the journal again for another year.

I was inspired by the challenge at Stampotique, so I dusted off the journal

and got out some paints and stamps and got busy! 

I used the Welcome Door, with Mister Stripes, and the body of Winter with the skull from the Hallowe'en Cube 2. 

All stamps are from Stampotique, and all images drawn by the wonderfully

creepy, Daniel Torrente.

The door actually comes with a heart on it, but I replaced the heart with Mister Stripes, the spider.

I stamped the door onto kraft card stock and then colored it in with pencils. Not my usual choice for adding color to an image, but pencils tend to give more vibrant results than Copics when using kraft stock. I did add some shading with Copics over the pencils for more contrast.

I'm only using some 30 year old Coloray and Col-erase pencils I've had since I was a kid. They still work, and with as much as I use them, they'll do for now. 

I do like the look of the Inktense pencils though....  

 

Mr. Stripes all UTEE'd up. I used my melt pot for the first time. I am thinking I could use some tips and some practice. I guess I didn't work fast enough, so the UTEE turned amber. Plus, I was having a problem with too much build up of UTEE and then bubbles.

Like I said, more practice is needed.   

I used some more dictionary page shreds here and there, and

 a Salvador Dali quote, "I am not strange. I am just not normal", from

Dilly Beans. Seemed fitting. 

My Grandpa called me, "consistently strange" once, and I had never been more proud! 

I will not reveal just how many different layers of paint went onto this page, but let's just say it was more than six. Yup. More than six. 

Winter has such a sour face on her (him?) that I decided to cut her face out, and use the skull face instead. I also swapped the heart on the hoodie for a teeny scarab sticker.

Hearts are just not my thing. Unless they're still beating and in my hand....

But, I digress... 

I really like all of the layers and textures and emotions that went into this piece.

I am looking forward to filling this journal this year.

I would like to enter this page in the following challenge:

Stampotique: journal page or cover or calendar page