'FREEBIES! Art Journal Page Backgrounds / Textures - celebrating 100 Followers in 2012!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

 

Howdy and welcome,

 

As part of the celebration for attaining 100 Followers of my blog , I'm offering this mixed-media collection of  backgrounds - FREE! FREE! FREE!

 

These FREE backgrounds are from my art journal (a giveaway prize) that I created using custom designer tape, custom labels, custom stamps, patterned scrapbook papers, die cuts frames, tissue  papers, painted wax paper, deli papers, custom embossed metal tape, copyright free images, Rollagraph stamps, Stampin' around stamps, printed tissue paper, Tim Holtz tissue paper, ink, acrylic paints, custom glazes and gessos (clear, black, white, custom tinted) using a wide variety of mixed-media techniques.

 

Yep! You read it right - these backgrounds are FREE for you to use in your artwork!

 

So...
how will you use these FREEBIES?

 

• Will you create textures by printing a page for your art journals, altered books, visual journals and assemblages?
• Or will you make image transfers by inkjet printing onto deli paper, copy paper or transparencies - and adhering with soft gel medium?
• Or how about dishing up some digital layers by using these FREEBIES in Adobe Photoshop or in Microsoft Digital Image Editor?!

 

All I ask is that you:

1. please give credit to  'www.lulu-too-beaucoup.blogspot.com' when you use these in your art work.
2. please send me a link to your blog post of any work you create using these  FREE FREE FREE backgrounds. I'd love to see what specatacular stuff you come up with!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Small journal from Staples Office supply store - lined paper.
• Pages glue laminated together for strength.
• Pages 'under journaled' (a Pam Carriker term) with pencil resists (graphite and colored pencils).

 

Thanks for visiting - please leave a comment while you're here - and come back soon....My GIVEAWAY for 100 Followers Giveaway will start this summer 2012 - with fun and artsy prizes for one lucky Follower's creating pleasure!

Peace,
LuLu

WOYWW - 01/26/11 "Cut 'em, Stick 'em, Bind 'em, Test 'em, Rock 'em!"

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,

I've been super busy - cutting, gluing, assembling, testing and experimenting. In addition to going to physical therapy for my sprained ankle - which is not healing as fast as would be expected. Darn it!

I also re-organized my workstation - again. Trying to get non-essentials off the table - it was getting too cluttered again...and my workspace was shrinking...Here's what is on my workstation for WOYWW.

1) Cutting and gluing fancy patterned scrap booking card stock and recycled cardboard. Sizes are 2.5" x 3", 4" x 4", 6" x 6" and more . The glued pieces of card stock and cardboard will be used as pages for some of my art journals. They will be very sturdy substrates with patterns in the bottom layer. I'm using a lot of glue sticks and do this step while watching a DVD movie!

2) Assembling fancy patterned scrap booking card stock pages interleaved with vellum pages and patterned transparencies. These pages are 3" x 6" and are almost ready for punching and binding. I really enjoy how the vellum and transparencies obscure the patterned card stock - just a tad... 


3) Testing how wax paper, deli paper and freezer paper behave when heated with a craft iron. Wondering if they will act as an adhesive when melted. Guess what? They don't really. Only the freezer paper adhered permanently when it was ironed to another piece of freezer paper. The wax paper and deli paper adhered temporarily.


4) Experimenting with my binding machine (ZUTTER Bind It All) to practice punching holes and attaching wire for my art journals. I've had a cute little Bind IT All machine for 2 years - and just now am learning how to use it! There was an instructional DVD in the box (I bought it used from a scrap booking buddy - thanks, Marisa!) It was pretty easy, I practiced on scraps first. The punching was foolproof. The first journal I bound had squished wires instead of circular. Operator error! After I tweaked the machine for the proper size of wire, the binding worked great on the next journal. It was nice and circular. Then I punched and bound a couple more before hitting the hay last night. #4 is displaying a length of wire that I cut to bind the pages assembled in #2 above.

5) Rocking - almost! My invitiation to the GRAMMY AWARDS in Los Angeles, California just arrived a few days ago! Wish I could afford to go next month. Almost made it to the GRAMMY AWARDS show in New York City at radio City Music Hall several years ago. It would be so exciting to go next month. Wouldn't it be fantastic to see all those musicians singing and dancing live onstage?! Maybe I'll get to go in 2012...

6) Cutting - finally bought a pair of T.H. Tonic scissors! They work great. I  used them to cut the binding wires, instead of wire cutters. Bought the scissors with my 40% off discount coupon at Michaels!

Well that's what's on my workstation for now for now. Click here to take a peak at other artists' digs.

Would love for you to be a Follower if you're not already. And comments are encouraged. What do you think of this post - or any of my other posts? Did you see the post about the Altered Book I made for my hubby's Christmas gift? Check it out - there's a link to photobucket.com with lots of photos of this Altered Book.

Thanks for stopping by - hope you can come back soon.

Peace,
LuLu

'WOYWW - Makin' a mess!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,

For WOYWW this week, my workspace has some altered books that I'm prepping to be travel journals.

"Makin' a Mess" -
vintage kids books, gessos, wax paper, deli paper, rubbermaid containers

Left book is an old hardcover Golden kids book. Right book is a softcover kids book. Over the past few months, both books have been slathered with multiple layers of gesso (tinted, clear and white). This was after pages were removed and alternate pages adhered together for more support. Page corners are decorated with my 'homemade' embossed aluminum tape. Just finished another gesso layer and they're going to dry overnight.

Some of the rubbermaid containers were a failed idea. A while back I mixed several colors of tinted gesso. The few that I covered with plastic wrap  before putting on the lid all dried out. Oh, well - you live and learn. At least they didn't all dry out!

Have you tried your hand at altering old books yet? How do you prep your books? Do you spend a long time in the 'PREP' phase like I do?! I'd love to see some of your 'prepped' works in progress.

Please comment about this post - or any of my other posts. Here's a peek at more artist spaces at the WOYWW blog hop.

Thanks for visiting and please stop by again soon.

Peace,
LuLu