Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Living On The Edge

Keys4Art2011 -- Day 2

Just so you know, even the strongest Cuban coffee will not totally counteract the effects of too many mango mojitos from the night before.  But it helps.  I'm just sayin'.

Today we began the fabulous On The Edge journal with the even more fabulous Ingrid Dijkers.  Back several months ago, when Elena announced that she had gotten Ingrid to come to the Keys to teach this class, I had no idea I'd be learning so much.  Of course I'd heard of Ingrid, but wasn't that familiar with her work.  A visit to her site really got my heart pumping.  Her work is gorgeous, and full of techniques I was anxious to master.  We all got to vote on which of her journals we wanted to do, and On The Edge was the winner.  That's Ingrid, standing and explaining a page to Sarah and Jen:

Marita, Gina, and Lill working on their pages:


Tracy is the hands down queen of the "fussy cut."  She adds shading with pencils to the graphics she uses and her pages are all gorgeous:




As the name implies, the edges of the pages are the focus of this book.  They may be folded, shaped, beaded, or wired with buttons.  Some pages are larger than others, so the edge of one will peek through behind the edge of another.  Here are some of Ingrid's pages, from the sample book she brought:







                                                                                   
And a few close ups of her beautiful edging techniques:



                                                                               
We began with ten sheets of book board that Elena was kind enough to prep with gesso in advance, so we wouldn't waste class time doing that. How many was that, Elena?  At least 150, I'd guess.  I've said it before, but Elena's energy, enthusiasm, and generosity are awesome.  She is a true force of nature. 

We basically applied some torn text from old books to the gessoed page and then added some color with whatever medium we wanted.  Here's one of my yet to be colored pages:


And here is a page with color and some beading on the edge:


You can see that the color is kind of roughly applied.  At this point I had no idea if I'd be adding text, graphics or doodling to it.  Here are a few more of my pages.  I don't feel any are totally finished, and that's fine.  I'm glad to have a project to work on at home.








The pages all go into a chipboard binder that Ingrid's husband cuts down for her.  That way it looks less like a school looseleaf notebook.  We decorated it inside and out with a variety of papers, inks, paint, etc.  This is my cover:


The great thing about working in a binder is the ability to switch pages around.  In a project like this one, where the edges are the stars, this is very important.  I had a great time moving my pages around, searching for the best layout.  As I complete the pages and add journaling, I'm sure I'll be doing even more rearranging.

I'm sure the pictures of Ingrid's work speak for themselves, but I'm telling you, if you ever have the chance to take a class with her, DO IT!!  She is not only talented and a patient teacher, but she is also good people.  She's warm and friendly and funny, and I feel like I can now call her my friend.

Tomorrow.....glamour girls with Julie Nutting!  You won't want to miss that.

20 comments:

Eliza said...

What a blast you seem to be having, thank you for sharing your wonderful journal progress I have really enjoyed it.

Dorothy said...

Wow!!

Healing Woman said...

Both your pages and Ingrid's are fabulous. Those edges are just amazing. I follow Ingrid but I've never seen or rather noticed those edges before. I will watch for when she gives a class close to me.

Thanks for posting.

Ingrid Dijkers said...

Eileen, I so enjoyed meeting you in Key Largo and hope our paths will cross again! I love what you have done with your journal so far and look forward to seeing it progress.
All my best!
Ingrid

Alicia B said...

WOW What an awesome project! All of the pages are just beautiful! *Hugs*

Anonymous said...

Oh how AWESOME!! I love all there is to look at on these..but buttons are AMAZING!!!!

Elaine A said...

Eileen -

WOW! I can tell you had a fabulous time at the Keys! Love your journal, what a neat concept, decorating the edges. And Val gave us sneak peaks of the glamor girls. Loved yours! Can't wait to see more.

Elaine Allen

SusanK said...

Wow! So much going on - must have been really fun working on these pages.

Debby said...

Wow what a great thing to have taken one of Ingrid's classes. Her work has been featured in Journaling the magazine by Stampington. Your pages are wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

Kathy Eddy said...

Great beginning to a very cool journal. What a doll to have all that work done ahead for you gals.

Nancy Lynn said...

This project is awesome. I will definitely keep her in mind for a class. I love all the work on the edge. Wow. Thanks for sharing.

Jennifer R.D. said...

Hi Eileen,
I knew you would write the best detailed posts and you didn't let me down, girl!
I worked on my tray till the wee hours of the night last night! Your journal and your tray are amaaaazing!
Hugs,
Jen

goodling4 said...

Yes, thanks not only for all the details since I am blogless, but for the intro to the K-Cup machine and all the flavors of coffee. YUMM!!!
You are such a stellar artistic star and a wonderful friend, Eileen. Couldn't do the Keys without my morning hug from you everyday!!!
keep up the "edge" and the daily posts!
XXO Gina

Vic said...

Wow! All of the pages are fantastic.

Clara said...

Eileen....you never let me down! Always fabulous work & great details of your fun times!

Chrystal S said...

Oh MY! This looks amazing!

Diann said...

Oh, Eileen, what a fantastic ART display from Ingrid...no wonder you had such a fun time and what an awesome learning experience! Your journal is a treasure! I can't wait until tomorrow to read more about your grand retreat at Elena's! Diann

Patzee said...

This focus on the edge has totally opened my eyes. I am wild for the wired buttons, jazzy hands, and spiky edges. Thanks for sharing--you can bet my copy cat attempts will show up in my next journal.

Lori said...

Oh, these are awesome! What a load of techniques! Your favorite! lol! Would love to take one of her classes, sounds and looks like a lot of fun!

Cher said...

realllllllllly very cool!