"Vintage File Folder Journal" Workshop

Won't you join us for "The Vintage File Folder Journal" Workshop?  

Sunday, July 19th at THRIVE in Waterford, Michigan.  

Details can be seen on the THRIVE website or more information is available on my website with oodles of photos to show what I have done with my File Folder Journals journals.  This is my all time favorite journal format and I bet you'll agree after making one for yourself! 

Please pre-register as seating is limited

Ingrid@IngridDijkers.com

Published in "Art Journal Kickstarter"!

I am honored to have my work published in this new book "Art Journal Kickstarter". Do check it out as it has some very amazing work in it.  This is by far one of the best books on Journaling!

"Art and Soul" - Virginia Beach,VA

I spent the morning making these fun promo banners to share on FaceBook. ... really wish I had done it sooner, but I have been so crazy busy, (and loving every minute of it!) that there has been no time.  I just got home from Dallas a few days ago and will be off again to Virginia Beach in a few days.

While I was in Dallas, I made a new friend that introduced me to a new editing program that I am over the top thrilled about.  I have been using an antiquated version of Adobe Photoshop for a few years now.  I have had a love/hate relationship with it from the beginning.  As a result of using this older version, (as I can not make head or tales of the newer versions, nor do I want to spent every waking moment of the rest of may life trying to.) I have to run it on an ancient computer.

I now have a new computer on it's way and am very happy.  Many thanks Linda! In the mean time, I am off to unpack from Dallas and repack for Virginia Beach!  Phew! ... lots of work, but SOOO much fun!  Hope you'll join us in Virginia!

Art and Soul - Virginia Beach

Are you signed up yet?  There are still openings.  Don't miss out on a few of my most popular workshops! Sign up here at Art and Soul Retreats.

Collage by Erin Keck

Create - Dallas, Texas

I am looking so forward to my trip to Dallas in a few short weeks!  

I'll be teaching "The Ambrosia Journals" on September 18th.

"The Wall", a graffiti inspired accordion book, will be on September 20th.

"The Vintage File Folder Journals" will be on September 19th.  

Hope you'll join us!

Art Unraveled 2014

Art Unraveled in Phoenix, Arizona is coming up very soon!  It runs from July 28th till August 5th, 2014.

Above are 2 photos from "The Mandala Journal".  This is a brand new workshop being taught for the first time ... and the only time this year, for that matter. It's a new take on Mandalas and adapted for journaling in the round.  This is a new format for journaling and lots of fun to work with.

Below is a classic workshop "De Corporis Humani Fabrica".  I haven't taught this in a few years due to supply problems for some of the materials I needed. This class has been revamped and now I am happy to offer it again.  It includes oodles of delightfully creepy vintage anatomical drawings in the form of collage sheets.

And the "Vintage File Folder Journals".  An all time favorite! (only a very few seats left!)  Don't miss out on this exciting journal construction, so spontaneous and unpredictable!  We'll start by making a 12' foot of paper by gluing and sewing vintage papers together and then we'll construct a fabulous journal.

Lots of examples and samples provide for all classes. Please join us!  A good time will be had by all and you'll walk away with a beautiful journal ready for all your journaling needs.

Ransom Style Lettering

Can't get enough of this ransom style lettering lately.  I love adding the extra little doodles to the letters .. helps make it more my own. This spread is done in "File Folder Journal #4". It's one of the workshops that I'll be teaching at Art and Soul in Portland, Oregon, which is coming up in just a few short weeks. For the workshop we will have use of a couple of portable sewing machines, but I sure would like to have a couple of full size ones for class use.  Anyone local to Portland that would be willing to help me out here as I can't bring them along from Michigan?  If you can let me borrow your old machine for a day (April 10th, 2014) please contact me Ingrid@IngridDijkers.com. 

Ransom Style Lettering

I have been working in File Folder Journal #3 for awhile now ... a couple of years (on and off) to be more exact.  It has a certain feel to it that is so different from all my other journals ... even other File Folder Journals.  I can't quite pin point why, but it's by far my most favorite journal of all time. Perhaps it is because I have been working on it for so long ... it has so many layers and "history".

I added some ransom style lettering awhile back and left it feeling that it was somewhat incomplete and lacking.  Having gotten back to it recently, I realized it needed a bit of simple doodling around some of the letters.  I'm much happier with it now.  I might even add more "stuff" later.

My schedule for this year has filled up quite nicely for the year.  I hope to also start having workshops locally at a brand new venue not too far from home ... in fact it's about a 35 minute drive for me.  More on that soon as it all starts to come together at THRIVE.  In the mean time, please check out the top of the right hand side bar on my blog for my 2014 schedule as it stands right now.

A few journal pages ...

I'm still playing catch up from a very busy year of workshops.  It was great, but so many things ended up on the back burner.  I am desperately trying to take care of that all now, plus finalize some plans for 2014 workshops.  Non-the-less, I still manage to squeeze in some journaling time.

 Sometimes I enjoy just revamping old pages that just aren't to my liking.

Other times I sit down and work on pages I started and never quite got around to finishing ages ago.

And then sometimes I just want to prep pages for future journal entries.  It also gives me the opportunity to work with and refine a technique, such as the "beading" you see below.

Not all pages are to my liking, but they are included anyways.

These pages were all done in my File Folder Journals (#4 and #5) .... my favorite journals to work in lately and as a result, the journals are rapidly filling up. Playing around and doing a bit of experimenting always leads to new ideas and soon I shall start constructing a new journal (and perhaps a new workshop as well!) to work in.  I love the hunting and gathering process for the construction of a new journal and hope to have photos to share soon.

"I'm a Bad Dancer"

Here are a few photos from a couple of journal pages I have been working on lately. They are done in "File Folder Journal #4".  This is quickly becoming my favorite journal to work in of all time.  I really like the overall somewhat gritty appearance of this journal.

As it fills up, it is beginning to develop a rather soft and worn look from working in it and handling it. Even the pages feel good to the touch ... they make a wonderful sound when they are turned. That all really appeals to me and gives the journal the feeling that it has history.

This is a first for me, as far as I can remember.  I have never used "stickers" in a journal spread, but in an attempt to force myself to use up the mountains of "stuff" that I have, I thought it would be fun to try them. 

"Evoke Wonder" Journal Page

Just finishing up this journal page I started last week.  This is done in File Folder Journal #4, which is beginning to fill up nicely.  The more I work in these File Folder Journals, the more I like them.

File Folder Journal Page

This spread in File Folder Journal #4 was just finished up today.  I have been wanting to share how a typical page develops in this style of journal construction. I always think of this AFTER I have finished a spread. Fortunately, I remembered to take photos along the way this time.

The page above is a typical beginning of a page from a File Folder Journal. The file Folder Journal is made up of various papers that are glued and sewn together in a random fashion making for rather unpredictable pages.  It's a lot different working on this type of page verses a journal with white blank pages. 

I usually start by adding a few bits and pieces of paper and then start adding a slight amount of color.  The page continues to be slowly built up from there. There is an awful lot of problem solving involved.  In a way these pages are more difficult to work on than blank pages, but you  are forced to work on them in a completely different way than most journals.  As a result you end up with very interesting journal pages that you would normally never come up with.

On the areas that I want to write on, the background might have a very busy look to it.  In that case, the background has to be obscured a bit so that writing will show up.  Often times I get to a point that I feel a bit stuck.  To remedy this I just set it aside for awhile and come back to it later.  This usually works.  This is my 4th File Folder Journal and has become one of my favorite styles of journals to work in.

File Folder Journal #4

File Folder Journal #4 is well under way. This morning I started working on the cover. For awhile I was very displeased with it and set it aside.  Later, coming back to it, it starts to grow on me. It really looks better than I originally thought.

Hand stitching was added around the edge of the cover and I am much happier with it now. It still needs quite a bit of work, but so far this makes for a decent background.  I have no idea what I need/want to add to it, so I will just continue to work inside the journal and come back to the cover at a later time.

These are a few shots of the inside edge so far.  The journal is still in the very beginning stages, but it's beginning to look like something other than a blank journal now.

Closed, this journal is approximately 8" X 10", which is a very nice size to work in.  It has room for 32 spreads, so this journal is going to take me awhile to fill!

New Journal Pages

It seems like forever ago that I have worked in my journals.  I have to admit I have really missed it.  Now I am making up for lost time and have been journaling like crazy. These are a few I have been working on and are all done in File Folder Journal Number 4.

I find that this style of journal to be a real challenge to work in as they involve a lot of problem solving.  As with my other File Folder Journals, they are made up of random papers, junk mail, old books and assorted vintage papers. With the way they are constructed all the papers end up in rather unpredictable locations on the pages and throughout the journal.

I also have chosen to post pages with lots of complaining, which I usually don't post. If you chose to enlarge these images and read what I have written, don't say you weren't warned!

I'm really starting to develop a love for handmade tabs on pages.  I have included a few in this journal, but have plans to make many more.  Those will be in my next post .... now off to journal and make tabs ...