6 X 6 X 2014

These are my contributions to The Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo) in New York for their annual 6 X 6 show and sale.  I made 10 of each of the 3 designs, but will only be sending 1 of each.  The remaining ones I'll hold on to for now.  I enjoy production work, such as making multiple ATCs.  These are pretty much the same as ATCs, but a larger 6" X 6" size.  It's a really nice size to work with.

These 6" X 6" cards are made from journal pages that you can see below in recent blog posts and are made from pages in my File Folder Journals. I scanned them in to PhotoShop and manipulated them to fit the 6" X 6" format.

I emailed the final images to my local printer and had them make color copies for me. I then mounted them on to boxboard, backed them with coordinating cardstock, and put my bunny image on the back with contact info.  Finally, I put them through my sewing machine to finish with a zig-zag stitch to hold all the layers neatly and securely together.  

A couple of journal pages

These are just a couple of journal pages that I finished up today.  They are done in my new "Bohemian Rhapsody" journal .

I have to admit I am absolutely smitten with the visual bead work and the usage of tape.  I was having real issues with the permanence of the tape as it seemed to be lifting on the corners quite a bit.  I complained of this before and someone on FaceBook (I'm sorry, I don't recall who it was) suggested I use some gel medium to hold it down.  Well that worked like a charm, so I am indeed a very happy little "vegemite" (honestly I don't get it, but my sister says it often... she lives down under ... I figured I'd humor her if she reads this).

I haven't blogged a lot lately, but I still have been very busy with lots of small projects.  Often times I can't post photos if it involves possible publication down the road until after it comes out in print.

On the right hand side bar, I have listed my teaching schedule for this year, so far.  This is pretty much all I will be teaching this year (with the possible exception of one or two additional venues).  This year I have to take it easy as there are a lot of family commitments that are taking priority.

Failed Wormholes

I have never been much of a joiner.  I tend to follow my own path.  However, I have been very intrigued with the new "Artstronauts Club" hosted by Tracy and Teesha Moore and have decided to join.  Among all the fabulous material available, there is an instructional video on making "wormholes".  After 4 failed attempts, I gave into the fact that I can not do it.  Each time they come out looking more like a messy version of bad dreadlocks.

Rather then continue to fight my inability to make nice looking wormholes, I have owned up to the fact that I am better off drawing dreadlocks. I can live with that.

This is the first spread I have done in a brand new journal tentatively titled "Bohemian Rhapsody".  The Journal is 8" X 10" and is made in an old, discarded hard bound book that has been deconstructed and rebound with new pages.

A few new journal pages

These are just a few pages I have been working on recently.  They are done in my "Extraordinary Life" journal (Cover of the journal is shown above).

The pages above and below were used as part of the background for my blogger header before the lettering was added to them. Some Photoshop manipulation was also used on the blogger header.

I have been in a journaling slump for awhile now, but I still try to journal a bit when I can.  Even though I am not entirely pleased with what I have been doing, I feel it's important to keep working at it.

Below is a portion of the back of the journal cover.  Just love doing the ransom letter style!

More from this journal can be seen here.

Workshops in France

Anyone interested in workshops in France?  email me - Dijkers@ameritech.net

A Moment of Insanity

I was going through some photos on my camera and ran into pictures from this journal spread I did not long ago. 

I am still working with blocks and circles and probably will be for awhile as I am really enjoying the results. I have found that continuing to work in a similar style repeatedly will slowly yield new discoveries.

This spread will go into the "My Extraordinary Life" Journal which is a spiral bound journal.  It has been taken apart temporarily so that the pages can be worked on independently, but mostly so that I can paint around the binding holes  more effectively.

"Bohemian Rhapsody"

Yes, I am still totally obsessed with making these File Folder Journals.  This is the newest one I have started, "Bohemian Rhapsody".  It'll have 2 signatures packed full of Bohemian style patterned backgrounds in luscious jewel tone colors.

These are some of the lamp work beads I plan to dangle from the spine of this journal once I get a bit further with the construction.  More photos to follow as this journal develops, but I wanted to share a few for now.

New File Folder Journal ... again

I just can't seem to get enough of these File Folder Journals.  I think this is the 5th or 6th one I have started. Circles also seem to be one of my obsessions  lately.

Here I have gotten a page all set up for journaling.  I have been adding lots of fun additions such as sewing sequins on to a page.

To see more of these journals, just scroll down the page to see previous blog posts.  Seems all I have been working on are these File Folder Journals.  They offer so many fun options.

Workshops for the File Folder Journals will be offered at these locations -

April 21, 2012 - Small Studio - Westlake Ohio

May 31 - June 4th 2012 - Whispering Woodlands, Verona, Wisconsin

Beginnings of a new journal

This is the beginnings of a new junk style journal. We'll be playing with this concept tonight at our monthly ATC meeting. I have acquired some of these wonderful old folders with metal tabs that we'll use for the covers of the journals. I have made about 20 feet of scrap papers that are sewn and glued together that I'll cut pages out of.

These are are few photos showing how this journal is starting off. I decided to keep the basic structure of the journal rather void of color at this point, just taking the sage green color of the cover and somewhat pulling that throughout for now.

More photos will follow as it progresses. The size of this journal is 7 1/2" X 9 1/2".

Mixed Media Dots

Today I made these 2 inch layered "dots" from cardstock, fabric from the scrap pile, buttons and string. I plan to use them in my journals. How much fun is that?

Julie Nutting - Workshop

I am slowly unpacking things from my recent trips to Key Largo, Florida and Charlevoix, Michigan. I probably will be posting random images from both trips and what is currently going on, in no particular order ... and why not ... keeps life interesting, I figure. The image above shows a collage I made in Key Largo under the direction of Julie Nutting. She was most generous to share her techniques with all of us there. While mine is a simplified version of her beautiful work, I am non-the-less quite pleased with it. Julie has a book coming out soon called "Collage Couture", I am really looking forward to getting it!

"The Twirly Swirly Journals" A sneak peek at a new Workshop

Here is a little sneak peek of what I am working on, "The Twirly Swirly Journals" and the Workshop to make them.

As the name implies, these journals are full of just about anything you can imagine that swirls and twirls. Elegant, a little bit girly, but above all, unusual and slightly quirky, this series of Journals will get your head spinning with more and more ideas of how you can add a new dimension to your journaling. We’ll start with a basic pre-made hard bound book construction, collage the cover, sew in the pages with a simple binding method, work with lots of fun twirls and swirls by adding fold out pages, quotes, text and other fun oddities using provided collage sheets. I’ll be bringing lots of swirly rubber stamps, templates and stencils to work with and to top it all off we’ll add a plethora of beads, trinkets and baubles that dangle from the spine to finish off this delightful journal. Already scheduled ... teaching this workshop in May 2011 at Whispering Woodlands in beautiful Verona, Wisconsin! Hope you’ll join us!

Hawaiian Collaborative

This is "Celebrate Life", my contribution and assigned theme for the month for the Hawaiian Collaborative I am involved with. For some reason I have been struggling with preassigned subjects to work with lately, they just aren't coming out as well as I would like. I have to admit though, I am happy with they way the stencils worked out. I have been looking for an appropriate use for these wonderful, to die for, "Dancing Girls" stencil made by "Coffee Break Designs". (You can buy the stencils here). Don't you just LOVE them?!

Post Card / Journal Page

A few weeks ago I taught a few workshops at Ginny's Small Studio Workshop Series . I had a great time and really enjoyed meeting Ginny and her husband John. I decided to send a Thank-You note in the form of a postcard that doubled as a journal page. It's always fun to see what can go through the postal system. I sent this as you see it without an envelope (it's a postcard after all), but I don't see any cancellation marks on the stamps after Ginny posted it on her blog. I bet the Post Office took care for it's safe delivery by putting it in one of those clear plastic envelopes! The size of this "Postcard" is 6 1/2" X 10 1/2".

Hawaiian Collaborative

This is my newest contribution to the Hawaiian Collaboration I am involved with. We are given a theme to follow and are to briefly explain the technique used on each entry. Admittedly, I am having difficulty with this collaborative and have not been very pleased with what I have done up to this point ... although I am rather pleased with this one. Perhaps I have too many other projects and commitments going on and just can't seem to focus well.

"Extraordinary Life"

This is the new visual journal I have just begun. I am often asked for more photos including more detail of my journals, so I have included a few. All these photos enlarge to see more detail.

This started out as a spiral journal I found in a clearance bin for $3.00. When I got it home I had decided that the covers were too thin and flimsy and set it aside. I have now run across it again and decided that I could beef up the covers to make it more suitable for my purposes.

The cover had a very slick high gloss surface so I sanded it down just enough to break the shine somewhat and then glued heavy boxboard to the covers. After having collaged the surfaces I saw that the boxboard was popping loose from the original covers. The original covers seemed to have an almost plastic like surface that I obviously didn't sand down far enough to create a strong bond between surfaces.

I liked what I had already done on the journal, so rather than start over I decided to "sew" the two surfaces together with some vintage rayon ribbon I have. Most often mistakes lead to the most wonderful solutions. I would never have thought to do this otherwise.

And while this doesn't seem like a very humble title for my journal, all I can say is that I do indeed believe my life is extraordinary, and I would hope everyone thinks that way about theirs. As always, the photos I put on my blog (plus more) can be viewed in the "Gallery" section on my website.