How I used the acrylic skin

I love it (the acrylic skin)! You don't really see it, unless you are looking for it - it just melts into the collage. I found an old painting, cut it in half and used it as a base for my collage. The only remaining visible part is the heart. Everything else is a mixture of different papers I had on the desk.

I often sketch little birdies on anything available. They are quick, simple sketches, but I can't make myself throw them away. The above one was sketched on a napkin, the other one on sticky paper.

 I wanted a little journal with soft covers for a while now, and couldn't find anything "exactly" as I want it in store. Don't know why I didn't think of making it myself in the first place. My stitching is not the best (working in almost complete dark is my excuse)  but it is still good enough to make me happy.

Danielle wrote that acrylic skin looks like a wax painting, and I smiled when I read it because at that moment I was adding an encaustic layer on top of my collage. 

I love how the sketch done on a napkin disappears into the collage...

At the end - a quick answer to Heather (as I don't have her email address, and don't want to seem rude by not answering her question). The crackle I used on my angel is the same or similar crackle to the one you describe - the one you rub a darker color on when it is dry and cracks show up. You can find more information about different products I use in a post I wrote here. Hope this helps!

Happy Day

Happy day!
Every woman I know is caring, nurturing, selfless and wonderful, so I wish you all a very happy day.

The little bird has a message scratched into the wood - "You are enough". We all are. Even when we forget it and feel miserable for this reason or that - it is something to keep in mind.

I've poured a layer of thick, milky encaustic medium over this painting, leaving some parts of the wood exposed. I love how it is cloudy and super shiny at the same time.

Couldn't resist showing the wonder of random cracks and colors. I hope you like them as much as I do.

My new journal

 For years I have admired photos of Judy Wise's journals... I think that the way she mixes writing, collage, painting and puts it all in one book is amazing. I jumped to the opportunity to see how she works and signed up for her online journaling class.

Usually I like to watch how other artists paint and don't participate much, but this time I am very inspired and ready to work through all the prompts and exercises. And because none of my 65 ongoing journals would work, I started by making a brand new one, and filled it with watercolor paper.

We have had rain for days, and it is really dark, so I none of my photos do justice to the journal (the colors are all wrong). I used encaustic medium for most of the cover (the birds are covered with something else, so they have a different texture). I can't get over the wonderful tactile part of it... I just want to keep looking at it and touching the surface, which might trigger me into exploring encaustics some more...

I know what I'll be doing tomorrow... splashing color and words in it :-)

Have a happy weekend!