Let's talk paper...

So... yesterday, in the comments to the blog post, Deb asked a really good question that many may be wondering about, so I thought I'd take a minute to talk about what you can use for the background if you cannot find those humongous paint chips. The short and long of it... anything. Yup... pretty much anything.

Now, I know that leaves a whole lot of options on the table, so let me explain that a bit more.

First, let me give y'all a disclaimer here... I come from a loooong line of very creative people, but I don't have a background in art. I am not one who has ever been all that great at following "the rules" when it comes to creating, I'm far more the... "what if....." type. My brain is constantly humming along while I go about my daily life, and every now and again some little voice pops up saying... "hey, you know that piece of paper over there, what would happen if... (add whatever wacky and insane idea it comes up with here)?" This has led to some amazingly stupendous disasters... and some really interesting results. So far, the interesting results way out number the disasters, so I keep playing. Feel free to follow what I do, feel free to try it for yourself... tweak it, expand on it, play with it... and share your results so we can all "ohhhhh" and "ahhhhhh"... but be ready to have a few disasters too. They really just add to the fun you know.

Now, back to the background options. Deb, honestly, I have used pretty much anything as a background. My preference is paper that is somewhere between a 90 lb weight (pictured to the right) and a 120 lb weight. That's a bit heavier than the card stock you generally find in a craft store (which is about a 60 lb)...


... and thinner than a 140 lb watercolor paper (pictured over there on the left), but I do use paper both thinner and much thicker. It really sort of depends a great deal on what sort of plans you have for the paper and what you feel comfortable using. If I am going to use lots and lots of layers, toss in some stitching, add more layers, etc... I go with the thinner. Mostly because it is darned difficult to stitch through 140 lb cold press watercolor paper that has lots of layers added.

But, what if you want to use some really cool old pages from a vintage book? And, what if those pages are pretty thin? Simple enough... just glue them to a stiffer sheet of paper. Should you choose to do that, use a brush to cover the heavier paper with glue, then carefully place your page on it, and use something (the Formica chip) to "squeegee" out the excess glue. Let it dry completely before you use it. There will be wrinkles... embrace them, work with them... incorporate them (sort of like I am trying to do with the ones on my face).


And, oh my goodness, had I know that Gesso would become one of my best friends, I'd have bought stock... You can add "tooth" to any paper with Gesso. You can also layer it to thicken the paper. Paint on a layer, let it dry completely, and gently sand it, repeat until you like what you see. Or... add layer and layer without sanding to smooth... embrace those lines...

You'll also notice, I'm sure, that I do a lot of loose pages. I'm not sure why, but I don't seem to be as good at doing an already bound book. (Although, I do have an altered book journal started that I'll share with everyone later.) I find I like to be able to move my pages a great deal, I tend to work on them from all sorts of angles. And, if I want to add some sewing on them, it definitely makes it much easier to feed under the sewing foot. Of course, that leads to the inevitable question of how to bind them, but we'll get to that later too. I will say I have developed a particular fondness for these ring binders though...

So, here's what it boils down to when it comes to using papers to create your backgrounds. Use something that has enough thickness to offer the support you will need to create your pages. Don't be afraid of trying anything... and everything. Being creative and creating a visual journal isn't about making something "right", it's about the act of creating itself. Be like a little kid, have you ever noticed how uninhibited they are when it comes to creating things artistically? Have faith in yourself, and don't be afraid to make a mistake. I've always told my kids that a mistake is nothing more than a learning experience, and we have to make them to learn. And if you need permission to let go of all your preconceived notions about what is good or what is worthy about what you create... I'll strike a bargain with you... if you let go of yours, I'll let go of mine...