Oh, how I love to get mail from the creative community. Today I receved Teesha's Journal Book Set. There are four little books, each with about 20 full color pages from Teesha's art journals. Those of you who are Teesha fans will love these exuberant and quirky booklets and will look through them again and again. Teesha and I go way back, becoming acquainted about 1997 when I attended one of her early ArtFest events. I was so enamored of the whole evnt that after, I immediately called her and asked if Stampers Anonymous could be a part of the next one. She had decided not to do another ArtFest (thankfully she later changed her mind). I asked her if I could do an ArtFest type of event in Cleveland and she agreed even offering to come and be a part of it. She and Tracy never missed an Art Continuum, often teaching and vending. I have always been thankful for that. I admire Teesha for all she accomplishes and all the different things she jumps into. I also love her style of journaling.
Teesha has such a wonderful sense of color and balance and free spirit. She never worries about who will read her journals or what they will think. She has said that it is much more important to be true to yourself and to freely play in one's journals.
At the opposite extreme of Teesha's freedom of expression is Violet Sexton's 1914 Neola IA high school journal. She mostly relates simple facts...where she went and who was there. It seems she was somewhat of a 1914 party girl, always attending at least one party a week.
She carefully chronicled each party and each event of her year always noting how kind the hostess, how abundant the food, how clever the games and decorations.
I love all kinds of journals and keep several running at any one time. Right now, my favorite is my "Home" journal where I have, over the years, cut out magazine pictures of ideas I might one day want to re-create and adapt to my little nest.
Since "nesting" is the priority right now, I have taken my Home tome off the book shelf so many times, that it now resides on the family room coffee table, opening me up to gentle mocking by my husband. But that doesn't bother me, for aren't all journals about finding out who you are and what you like?
I have mentioned before that my favorite blank journals are the 500 page, large ring 8x10 journal from Michael Rogers Press. I use them for artwork, cutting and pasting and just writing.
Another journal I cherish is actually two 3-Ring Binders. John saved all of our e-mails from the long distance dating we embarked on in 2003-4. It really holds the story of our relationship from day one. We e-mailed a lot!
Back to mail from the creative ones...friend Mike Meador sent me these very cool new stencils. They are about 12" long...eat your heart out Mary Ann! I am thinking they might look very fine stencilled around a window. He also sent John a wonderful little, but powerful light for his keychain. John has been quite pleased with this wee wonder! I want to see if I can use it to light up an art piece, but John is being very stingy with his present!
Well, that's it, boys and girls. Enough meandering musings from me. Y'all come back soon.
What a great post! And check out those email folders! That's amazing!I still have all my letters between Stewart & I during our long distance love affair in 1992/93. They make for some sensational reading, LOL!!!!
Posted by: Rachel Greig | Tuesday, 08 January 2008 at 02:44 AM
That stencil would be cool to use for a flip book animation in your journal.
Posted by: Lelainia | Tuesday, 08 January 2008 at 09:14 AM
Miss Ginny: Those stencils are screaming for a "flip book"...!
Inky Hugs, Robin
Posted by: Robin Beam | Tuesday, 08 January 2008 at 10:34 AM
What a wonderful post!
Maybe you should consider a book...in your spare time!!
Wendy
Posted by: Wendy Vecchi | Tuesday, 08 January 2008 at 12:08 PM
The stencils are backwards.
Please!
Posted by: luftmensch | Tuesday, 08 January 2008 at 08:16 PM
lucky girl to have received such great swag...journals, stencils: coolness!
love to you...
Posted by: suzi finer | Tuesday, 08 January 2008 at 11:09 PM
better hide them smarty pants. i'm coming for them. and i know where to look.
leave the milk and cookies out please.
a comfortable chair and the Email Lovestory of
G&J would be nice too.
Posted by: Mary Ann | Saturday, 12 January 2008 at 11:14 AM
Oh how awesome you printed out all of your correspondence! It's the book of YOU TWO!
My husband and I had that thought before but never got around to it. We have most of our emails and online chats saved from when we met but we're missing the very first few. waaaah, haha so it sort of seems incomplete. But I'm so glad to see some one else with the same idea. Probably the best book you own and you wrote it yourself eh!
Posted by: TACE | Thursday, 24 January 2008 at 07:52 PM