Smashbook Week

 My Smash Book has had a busy couple of weeks...so woo hoo! I picked up a pen. I colored. I wrote. I felt good. Just having a Smash Book has given me the kickstart I needed into the world of art journaling. I feel free to just smash anything into any page, color, write, draw, glue, paint and stamp until I'm happy. Or happier. What amazing therapy it is to put anything in your book--depending on your mood, inspiration, experiences that day--and the most important thing is to put anything...something.

In last week's little daily entries--I was struggling with a Monday, and journaled all about it, every which way and even stamped and glued on a flower--but it's mostly just writing, and that is fine. I used to keep a little art journal in my bag, all the time. At least, back then, I called them art journals. One was a pretty silk bound little book a friend brought me from China. I have written thoughts, quotes, verses, sermons I've heard at church, and designs and sketches in this little book. I LOVE looking at it now. I get new ideas from those entries all the time. So, I've never been a person to diary, or just straight journal--I'm just not the type to be so intensely deep into the exact happenings and feelings of the day in the diary style (maybe that's shallow, because what would we do without Anne Frank) but if I'm feeling inspired one day, I love to write down those thoughts and draw something, or sketch a cool display I saw, or write down what my cat looked like he was thinking with a fun sketch of him, or sketch a flower and that's the difference. That's the art I love. It's personal--and not completely defining as I change and grow. It captures a moment, a thought, without playing out a defined scene.

My little old silk art journal

This chilly afternoon--cozy in a corner, spending a little time smashing up a thought or two.

Eat a cheeseburger, Write about Indian Summer, Dream in paint, Stitch in color.

No Trashing--Just Smashing

I have never really kept a traditional diary. All this time I have been smashing...and I didn't even know it! I found out, or had this epiphany, when I received a Michaels store email with a Smash book video tutorial. It caught my attention initially because of one thing: the handy dandy combination pen-and-glue-stick with its own loop on the side of the book. (why didn't I think of that!) Then I watched the video, and in turn, other Smash book videos, and realized that scrapbooking has come full circle, back to the casual, laidback activity it once was.

I've never had a pen and gluestick all in one!

Now, I actually love scrapbooking. I have five or six very fat and fancy scrapbooks to prove it. But, my problem is, I want all my scrapbook pages and layouts to be beautiful, and that means really devoting huge blocks of time to it when I'm ready to sit down and have all my photos together, and my hord of scrapbooking supplies and options spread out. So, in the meantime, I've always kept little journals that I write things in, draw in, glue things into, and also jot down my creative ideas and favorite quotes. I'm a big-time quote collector, but also picky about my quotes. 

My box of journal smashing goodies that's always handy.

Anyway, my other problem is, I may be somewhere with my journal, but nowhere near a gluestick. Or, I might have some things laying around that are not necessarily worthy of their own scrapbook layout, but I still want to keep them. Example: a very old Pandora bracelet ad that I gave to my husband as a hint, and two years later, got my Pandora bracelet for Valentines day, at which time he gave back the torn-out magazine ad to me (he had kept in his wallet, cute!), and yet I couldn't throw it away. (one woman's trash is another woman's treasure!) It was then stuck in a ribbon board, but not anymore. When I saw those Smash books, I knew they were for me, and went right down and got a book, a really cute stamper that has a date stamp and different little sayings, and I got an extra combo pen-and-glue-stick, cause I just love that!

Took a half-hour to smash a few things yesterday!

And by the way, (Michaels should be paying me for this) that glue stick is a very smooth glue and I really like it. I also love that everything is archival quality--perhaps unlike some of the other journals I have. So it's all good now! However, I went back to get more Smash goodies, and they had run a sale on that brand and pretty much ran out of everything! I really wanted a pink Smash book, but I like my red one. I have no idea if they're going to keep selling this stuff, but I have enough for now. And really, smashing, as I said, is what I've been doing all along. And I could attach an elastic loop to any journal and always have a pen and glue stick at the ready!

Inside cover of my Smash book

Here are the pages I decided to smash in yesterday.

The actual Smash books have different designs on their pages. You might be just writing in some of those pages--and then there will be others where you are smashing in so much memorabilia and junk, you don't see the original page--and that is perfectly fine. Anything goes when you're smashing! It's all about whatyou like, what inspires you, what you are feeling, and what you want to remind yourself about. Life is good. Breathe. Remember every moment. Love each other. Appreciate your blessings and be thankful.

 

I smashed a few of my favorite things!

It is easy to tuck this journal into your bag, and away you go, ready to jot down a thought or idea. I'm really enjoying this kind of old-fashioned ultra casual journal/scrapbooking. Next time I see one of my dream bags in Vogue, it's going to be smashed!

I never Smash alone. Minnie loves anything having to do with paper or yarn.

I'm sure I'll find some great excerpts to journal from my daily devotional book.

Eat, write, dream, stitch--and then smash it!