Small Red Art Journal - where it all began

My art journaling adventures began in this little 4.5"x 5.5" journal. I had bought this book to make a scrapbook album for a friend and I had ended up using a different one for her album. When I discovered art journaling, this little book fit the bill. I've had a great time playing and experimenting with techniques in this journal. I decorated the front cover with some stickers and flowers I had in my stash.

This is the first page in the journal. I had such fun using a stencil, homemade spray inks, stamps and inks and doodling to create this page. It is so freeing to just create and not worry about being as precise as you need to be when stamping cards. There are no rules in art journaling. Your journal is your own and you can experiment and create anything you want.

I love all things Halloween, but I don't send Halloween cards. I have collected a few Halloween stamps and I love to create scenes with them. So my journal is a perfect place to do this. I love this page. Can you see the ghosts and mummy? Click on the photo to make it bigger and check out the tombstone and ghosts, and mummy. The little Frankenstein just makes me laugh!

Sometimes I do a scene across two pages in the journal.I had the idea for this page in my head for a while and then searched for just the right magazine pictures to create it. I painted the background and collaged the pictures in place and painted the rest. Then I used some stickles to make the water sparkle.
I have 6 different art journals on the go as well as a junk journal that I'm having a blast doing.
Creating art is such great therapy for the soul!