The Documented Life Project

 

This is what has been keeping me busy so far this year!  One part planner plus one part art journal and one part weekly challenge equals an amazing year of organization, inspiration and community. The Documented Life Project! All of the specifics can be found here at Art To The 5th. Five amazing women put this project together and provide the weekly challenges. (That is Roben-Marie Smith's planner in the pic) It's been so much fun to say to least!! I love my planner and take it everywhere with me...it's that chunky book sticking out of my purse! If you know me personally you know there are some things I can't help but put my hands all over (get your head out of the gutter)...the cover of a Moleskine is one of them! As soon as I read "it starts with a Moleskine planner" I was in!! It's not too late to join if wish...I highly encourage it!!

So here is my planner:

Fold out (or tip in) pages added with washi tape.

Tabs punched from Roben-Marie Smith's Art Pops.

Monthly calendar provided by Lindsay Ostrom. Thanks Lindsay!

 Below are a few of my favorite fold out (or tip in) pages. Many of my tip ins are plain white mixed media paper, book pages, graph paper or sheet music but I did grab a few of my "play papers" to use. Here are some of my favorites...

Distress stains

This one is a "spark" from Carolyn Dube.

 Here are my challenges from weeks one and two:

Week one: Your front door. Mine is done in watercolor and ink. If you've been to my front door or inside my house you know you have to say hello to Dash. He welcomes all! I love the quote but found it especially appropriate because my children leave my front door open all.the.time.

And my planner pages...

Colored pencil and Sakura Moonlight pens.

 Week two: A selfie! Include your One Little Word for the year as well if you like.

It's difficult to NOT get photo bombed at my house :)

This one was a bit tough...I am not really a part of the selfie taking crowd. I'm terrible at taking them and right now I am having a bad hair month so I wasn't really excited for this one. My other option was to draw or paint a self portrait. Um, no. I could skip it altogether but that option didn't really didn't appeal to me either. The pics didn't turn out so bad...I won't tell you how many I had to take to end up with one decent one of just me...after a while I began to feel really self absorbed!

 

 

 Used watercolor and washi tape this week...

Week three: Add an envelope from your mailbox.

This will be fun...I'm waiting on the perfect envelope to arrive. I see the post man now...gotta run!

As always, thanks for stopping by! I'm grateful for all comments and I'd love to hear from you if you have the chance! Have a great day!


Dawn


Oh, by the way...I'm doing a Creative Pay It Forward on Instagram...there's room for 2 more. You can find me at dawnjonesstudios if you'd like to play along!

 

Now That The Gifts Have Been Given...

I can show you all what had been keeping me busy at the end of 2013! I got a bit ambitious with hand made gifts this year...

I decided to give quilting (and I use that term very lightly) a try. I was inspired by a pin that lead me to Decor Allure. I made two of these. I have to admit they were difficult to give away, I think there is one for me in the future. The top is bandanas and I backed it with simple white muslin. They are light weight and fold up to small, easy to transport size. Both of the recipients have toddlers and I thought they would make awesome picnic blankets when it warms up again.

I painted this for my Mom. I took Donna Downey's Canvas Create series during 2013. This is my interpretation of May's canvas. It is Golden acrylics, gesso, acrylic ink and India ink.

I knit 21 dish cloths, 3 each for 7 different loved ones. I use Grandma's Favorite Dish Cloth

pattern. I didn't take pictures of them all put here is one set:

Finally, these are some pages that will eventually be an art journal. The journal didn't get finished...like I said, I got a bit ambitious. Too ambitious. I learned the techniques I used to make these in Roben-Marie Smith's Mixed Media Mayhem online workshop. So much inky messy fun!!

These are all still works in progress along with the other 12 pages that haven't even made it to "photograph" stage yet. I'll be getting back to them soon!

As always, thanks for stopping by! I'm grateful for all comments and I'd love to hear from you if you have the chance! Have a great day!

Dawn