Christmas Carols?!

My followers from last year may remember this altered book I started.  It was a book that I called 'New (Techniques) to You' and originally it was an old hardback book with a religious theme.  Whilst I have kept the theme of the book the 'same,' I have been altering all the pages so that I can explore various art techniques that I haven't tried before. 

Today I added the words to a Christmas Carol - I love singing hymns and carols, and always have, ever since we were 'made' to sing them all those years ago in school assemblies.  I do like the original tunes though and think its a shame that so many of them have been changed these days.  If I have occasion to sing them now I can't seem to help but revert to the tune that I used to sing them.

(I have added journaling to the pages but have blurred them out as they are my own private thoughts).

The technique I tried for this page was to add white gesso and then some black gesso.  After leaving it to dry for a few minutes, I then wiped over it with a baby wipe. It has created a 'broken-up' texture that still shows part of the original image.  The edges were touched up with some more of the black. 

On the facing page I used a dry brush with the black gesso (on top of the white gesso). 

  Love this dated carol singers picture from the early 1980's!

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Apologies for the fact that you haven't seen much of me lately, my husband is on the scene more now. He has returned home from Germany and this week has started his new job, just 15 minutes down the road!  Also our second son just celebrated his 9th birthday, tell me - where does the time go?

Thanks for looking and for any comments,

qwiksave

New Techniques to You

Today I got covered in black and white! For a lot of the day (until my sons came home from their grandparents) I've been gessoing pages and pages of that altered book I started a while ago.  I also have made its title frame for the front and also for the binding:

I decided that aswell as its pages being full of techniques, it would be more of an art journal with a theme.  And whilst listening to some religious music this morning when washing up, it gave me the idea to make the theme of this book Religion, and more specifically, God.  I've been looking at 'how to' art journal sites recently and they have inspired me by saying you make the journal for you!  Nobody else has to approve, nobody else even has to see it, you do it in your way, and you choose how you wish to do it.  This is me being brave! Not something I do very often.  

Anyway, here is the full cover and front inside page:

Yes, I've called it 'New Techniques to You  Subtitle God?'

I've added black distress ink and scroll stamps (which is how I ended up covered in black!) around the exisiting frame.

Part of the reason I chose this subject was because the original book was religious, so I'm keeping with its theme.  

And even though I will be keeping my views private, I still plan to show you the book as it progresses as I'm going to be doing artistic techniques on the backgrounds of the pages. 

And this was the reason I got covered in white today:

Lots and lots of pages that had to be brushed over with gesso!  Strangely soothing to do though as gesso (it works as a paint primer) has a nice texture to it.   I've still got quite a few pages left to do though....

Thanks for looking,

See you tomorrow,

qwiksave