…lacelitober…

October seems to be the month I get suckered into All The Challenges. Maybe its the return of the warmer weather pulling me out of the winter blahs and hitting a mojo upswing. Most years I give Blogtober a red hot go, even though blogging hasn’t really been a thing since like 2014. I often have big plans for Inktober, which lasts about 30 seconds until I remember I can’t draw and I throw my sketch book back in the drawer in disgust.

This year, though, I came across a set of prompts by Kimberly at Lacelit, that seems encougaring and acheivable, and weren’t linked to any particular medium. That was doable. I’ve been thinking of starting a new journal for a while, a small format journal that I can work in in the little snippets I can steal from each day, that doesn’t require long drying times, elaborate set ups, and minimal supplies. An easy list of open-ended prompts was just the starting point I needed to stop thinking about the journal and actually start working in it.

I haven’t kept up with it every day, but the small format of the passport sized midori insert makes it super easy and quick to catch up. I’m keeping my basic supplies simple as well, partly because I simply don’t have the physical storage space (and don’t want to be wasting precious craft time walking back and forth to the container storing the bulk of my stash), and also to help create a cohesive look to the journal when it’s finished. Plus I don’t have to think too hard about what to use and add to each page. A set of gouache paints. A vintage book to rip up. A paper pad. A grey stamp pad. Done. My biggest decision is which background stamp to use or which paper to pull out of the pad.

Keeping it simple is the key for keeping on track with this project during the week, and then on weekends when I have a bit more time, I can play around a bit more, like the page I made for day one, where I carved up a cute little house stamp to embellish my page with.

Some days I am just rolling with collage elements, other days the prompts make me think of something happening in our little world that I think would be fun to include, or I just generally feel inspired to add a snippet of journaling. I’m trying to keep my personal guidelines for this project nice and loose and non-restrictive, to give me as few excuses as possible on the days I’m feeling lazy and wanting to give up.

Today was a catch up day for my little journal, completing the two pages in the first photo getting me up to date as far as day five. I’m loving the little burst of mess making in my day, and doing something creative outside of my regular handwork projects. Five days down, 26 to go…