Word Prompt Journal Challenge

(Open to Paper Traders members only)

Kickoff Date: January 30, 2011
 
All skill levels...even if you are a newbie at journals, please think about entering this challenge and stretching yourself a bit.

As we begin a new year, and with moving my father to a nursing home, my thoughts have been on how life never ceases to change and evolve.  Sometimes it is full of joy, sometimes sorrow, and often a mixture of many things at once.  Carl Jung  said, "There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year's course. Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness."

There have always been two scriptural quotes that have inspired and helped me through the ups and downs of life.  The first is  "Man is that he might have joy."  and the second "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things."  As I deal with the struggles of life, these thoughts provide balance to keep me more centered.

So, upon contemplating on these things I have decided to host a challenge for our group.  There will not be a specific theme or style required, but each of the prompts given will be a word that refers to the challenges and joys of life.  To inspire you I will include a few quotes each time that might get your creative juices going.

Swap Description:
First, before our kickoff date, each participant will need to make a 16 page journal (including covers) approximately 8x10 inches. We will be decorating only 12 pages using our prompts.  You may decorate your covers and extra pages as desired.   Please use sturdy watercolor paper for your pages so they can support the work you will do on them.

You may make your journal however you like but I would suggest Teesha Moore's easy to make journal that is done with one large sheet of watercolor paper.  She suggests Fabriano Artistico, which is on sale right now at Dick Blick for less than half of what I can get it for locally - if you buy 10 sheets.  (So do think about sharing an order with some friends and save yourself some money.)

Her easy to follow instructions are found on YouTube.  It is in two parts so be sure to watch both:
       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z6qmXGRrsE
       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vvSsJ39bc0&feature=related

For inspiration you may want to watch some more of Teesha's amazing collage journal instructions. She has some good suggestions for penwork there also. There is a listing of the videos here:
      http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=teesha+moore&aq=f

And some basic journaling tips here:
       http://www.teeshamoore.com/latest_news.htm

Every other week I will post a new word prompt and you have two weeks to complete your page for it.  Please post your images to the 2011 Word Prompt Journal Challenge album on the Yahoo group Challenges site.

No one will be checking up on you, but everyone who completes all of the challenges by the end of the project will have their names put into a drawing for a special prize.  There! Is that incentive enough to make you want to do this?