Prepping for ArtFest

 Nonie and I leave for ArtFest on Tuesday!  Above are my trades for this year.  I had buttons made this time around.  I'm busy and making trades, individual trades, this year would have been very difficult, so I opted for the button route.  I'm quite pleased with the result.  It'll be interesting to see if the other attendees like these or not.

I did the fish last summer in a class taught by Fred Mullet.  It's his stamp and his technique, filtered through me.

And here we have the beginnings of my new journal.  This is the one I'll be taking with me and working in for my journaling classes this year.  I am using my images of Lady Phyllis Sopwith.  I have this continuing obsession with Lady Phyllis, sometimes known as The Green Dragon by her nearest and dearest.  I've put two of my efforts at her portrait on this journal---and then I started playing with it.

 I added gesso....

and I added modeling paste with a little paint to tint it a soft grey....

and I added some polka dots to the inside front spread, for interest (okay, I was having too much fun playing with the modeling paste!).....

and then I added some dye based ink to make it look older and/or worn....

and the back cover got the worn treatment also.  I am very happy with the state of the covers of this journal, at the moment, but I think it is still "cooking" and may well go through several more changes before it's finished.

I have two classes with Jill Berry and one with Orly Aviniri at ArtFest and I am so ready.