Pre-Doodling for my Techo

Morning coffee and my Hobonichi Techo...

...and painting in some doodles that I drew

in pen while watching TV. They come in 

handy to add a little 'arty interest'

to my journal entries.

I realize that my pages are crazy 'busy.'

I pack as much onto these little pages 

as possible.  Above, the watermelon page

before it was finished.

And here you can see quite a bit more

was added to the page. That's just how I

roll.  The stickers on the left were unearthed

among children's supplies. I think these babies

might be over 30 years old, from Hallmark.

And they still stick!!  so...I am a supply 

hoarder, I admit it.

Loving the Hobonichi Challenge this month

(from April Wu on Instagram) which is fruit.

Cheerful and pretty subjects to draw, and

I'm learning about a few fruit that I 

might want to try, like Mangosteen. Not 

sure it is available fresh in the U.S. though...

have you ever tried it?

Anyone else remember that old song

"put the lime in the coconut and 

drink it all up?!"

I seem to be using more Washi tape and

collage in my Hobonichi this year. I think

this journal will be even bulkier than

my 2016 edition.

And here is the partial page for today,

lest you think the entries are done all

in one sitting.  Actually, the page may get

added to a little at a time during the day; 

often just notes about what got 

accomplished or what happened. Then

I finish it up the following morning.  It's 

interesting to try to 'notice' how you

proceed with your journal pages. It is often

intuitive, and you have trouble explaining to

someone else how it happened!

Do you follow a planned process when 

you make art, or does it just 'happen?'

Linking up for the T Tuesday blog hop.

I recommend you stop by for a cuppa

and a chat. There might even be

baked goodies...you never know!

Techo Tuesday

Art journaling every day in my

Hobonichi Techo keeps me busy,

and happy...

even when I have "one of those days"

where I can't seem to focus or 

remember anything! I write and draw

about it, and it's like therapy.

Linking up with Bleubeard and Elizabeth

for T Tuesday, where we share a 

beverage and have a chat. Can you spot

my coffee cup sketches? (and a 

sweet roll!?)

Got some cool collage goodies from

some mixed media friends, and into

the Hobonichi they went!

The Hobonichi Challenge (by April Wu)

on Instagram is up for May. It features a

different fruit each day. Several I've never

heard of, so Google will have to help

with that...it will be fun and educational to

illustrate each one on the appropriate day.

And you can see, above right, that some

days get filled in at a later time...maybe 

because it was a busy day, or maybe because

I didn't know what to draw/write. Blank

spaces do get filled eventually!

The month of April was the month of 

International Fake Journal Month. At my

Cottonwood Counterfeit Journal blog, I

dreamed up a Fake character, who would

draw about what she saw and experienced.

It was a tough one for me to identify with, 

but the response from my readers 

seems to indicate that it struck a cord.

In a week or so, I will be doing a Wrap-Up,

where I will explain all ~ and my conclusions

about the project.  Stop by to see what

the Faking was all about!

Welcome to all my visitors...what are

you doing to be creative these days?

Hobonichi Techo Illustrations

Illustrations in my Hobonichi Techo

are mostly about my day...including

the fact that I gotta have that

morning coffee to feel human!

Linking up with the Altered Book Lover

blog today for T Tuesday, when we have

a chat over a beverage, and see what 

other bloggers are doing. Click on the 

link to visit the blog hop!

Quote stolen (like an artist) from Pinterest!

Lots of images today, so I won't add

much commentary...

I love finding vintage stuff at

any thrift store!

Sorry for the wonky scan...

you can click on the image to

enlarge.  I had several days running

of madly working on favors for a

women's retreat, just to get them

done in time.

Even a bit of painted fabric

can go into my Hobonichi. I think this

one will be even chunkier than 

last year's!

When I don't have much to write,

the doodles can get elaborate!

The apple blossoms were

so beautiful!

I learned to run a chain saw.  I suspect

the electric one we bought is easier

to manage than one powered by

gasoline. And it can be safely stored

in our basement. I was pretty sore

the next day, and still more to do.

Little steps...

I've also been creating a Fake Journal

this month. Stop by

Cottonwood Counterfeit Journal

to see who my character is.

What about you, what are you up to?

Details Matter

Drawing done in Sharpie extra fine pen

for my Fake Journal 2017.

Your can see more of this year's

posts and art work at

Cottonwood Counterfeit Journal.

Techo Tuesday: Coffee and Plants

Recurring themes in my Hobonichi seem

to be coffee, plants, and food...

with maybe some monsters and

quotes thrown in!

It's challenging to keep up with my

Hobonichi this month, as I am also

doing the Fake Journal project too.

I do a drawing every day, in character

with whatever fake identity I chose.

Visit Cottonwood Counterfeit Journal

to see what I've done so far this month,

and try to guess my identity!

Thankful for the cheerful, pretty flowers

my hubby bought for me, and for

warming temperatures and sunshine!

Now we need to get busy picking up sticks

and removing this 'little' project from 

our yard. It's a bit soggy out there

right now, but we'll do a little bit

at a time. What's your latest project?

Linking up to T Tuesday over at 

Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog...

stop by for a beverage and a chat!

T is for Techo Journaling

Sharing my coffee in my Hobonichi Techo

with you today...

and how about a scone to go with it?

Perhaps you'd like to forgo the

rain!

Last week you got a peek at the

"tree stump page" before it was finished.

I added some tiny vintage images

and a Spring quote.

I admit that I am fascinated by Frida Kahlo's

image, art and history. I can't seem to capture

her features in correct proportion, but I

will keep trying. I am pleased with the 

colorful background to set off the black

and white ink drawing. Guess I should

have done a pencil sketch first. I just 

jumped in with my pen...

Some cute bunnies...

Monsters and a butterfly on the same page.

Weird. I know. The flowered paper covers

some journaling that is private.

(It works when you don't know how to blur

the image digitally...😏)

The butterfly and freesia were prompts

from The Hobonichi Challenge on Instagram.

The ticket is from a high school musical that we

attended. Brought back memories of when my

kids were in musicals. Hectic, but good times.

Breakfast sketches yet again, as I usually

 journal in the morning. Another unfinished page

with space to fill. Because I pretty much

feel I have to fill it up!! I admire artistic

negative spaces, but have difficulty making

that happen myself. Just not my style I guess.

Linking up with Bleubeard and Elizabeth

for T Day. Click on the link to visit the

blog hop and see what's up.

Oh, just one more thing.

(To quote the old TV detective Columbo)

April is International Fake Journal Month!

I hope you will join me in April at

Cottonwood Counterfeit Journal to

see who/what my fake character will

draw in April!  Maybe you'd even like

to try IFJM yourself. Visit here.

Happy Spring!

Ten Things You Should Know About My Hobonichi Journaling Obsession

Ten Things You Should Know About My Hobonichi Journaling Obsession

10.) Don't Judge ~ we all have our obsessions, right? For some people it's tattoos or jewelry, antiques or show tunes from musicals. For me, it's journaling and drawing in my Hobonichi Techo (nearly) every day.

9.) Try It Yourself ~ Anti-digital may become a New Thing. It may be faster, easier or 'efficient' to set a date or an alarm on your digital device, but actually writing something down can be rewarding and effective. Writing it down makes something that is abstract a little more concrete and real. Generations have written diaries and drawn in sketchbooks. They are now records of the times. In a fast-paced world with so many digital options, slowing down enough to write it down on paper is a fun way to document your experiences!

8.) Google It! ~ Educate yourself about it. There are so many ways to use a Hobonichi Techo.  Of course we are crazy about the excellent quality of the paper. I collage, draw, paint and record the mundane and the interesting. Other uses could include a bullet journal - food/exercise/drink diary - gratitude journal - study journal - sketchbook - calligraphy workbook...  One of my art friends said that my Hobonichi shows that I am practicing 'Mindfulness' each day. What did you notice today? What impacted your day? Visit the Hobonichi website for videos and pictures of how others use their journals.

7.) You Can Never Have Too Many Supplies (or Hobonichi Covers)! ~ Well, not as long as you're actually using them all! (Edit: or maybe just looking at them brings you joy!) I try not to buy too much stuff, but there are a lot of products to tempt us. Not only art supplies, but stationery supplies too! Think of it as contributing to the world economy...

6.) Explain Why You Love It To Your Family ~ Or, at least try... if they don't understand how important it is to you, they may not give you the time/space you need. And your Hobonichi obsession gives friends and family a great resource for buying you gifts for the holidays and birthdays!

More will be added to the right-hand page...

5.) Research Products Before You Buy Them For Me ~ The Tomoe River paper in the Hobonichi takes watercolors well, but certain pens bleed through the thin paper. Ask for a list of products that are acceptable or check on-line for the information. Dye-based inks will bleed through the paper!

4.) Everything is Fodder For The Journal ~ Fair Warning. If you said/did something hysterical/wise/cute, it will go into the journal. It might get posted on-line. (within reason, of course. or, maybe not.) 

3.) The Hobonichi FB Group is a Bunch of Enablers ~ Yes, you can join a FB group that is all about Hobonichis. Several, in fact. And you will see every product or cover known to man. And the group may...ok, they will... enable you to justify more purchases for your Hobonichi!  You've been warned. But it's practically the only place where people understand this obsession! You can see a lot of posts of different styles of journaling. The group is very supportive of efforts and styles of planner use, and extremely willing to share information. I love it.

2.)  I Take My Hobonichi Everywhere ~ You'll have to wait for me to gather my Hobonichi, pen case, and watercolor pencils before I can leave to go anywhere. Even to the grocery. Because, you know, I might need to draw broccoli...

1.) If I'm Journaling, I'm In The Zone ~ Give me a few minutes to come back to reality. If you need something from me, don't expect me to drop everything.  I can't stop in the middle of a drawing! Can't. Fix. Your. Supper. Right. Now.

Linking up and sharing tea and my 'Ten Things' with the bloggers visiting Bleubeard and Elizabeth for T Tuesday. Click on the link to share a visit and a beverage with other bloggers.

What is your current obsession?