21 secrets 2015 Roxanne Coble

I bought 21 Secrets a few years ago when it was only $59 or so. Now it's $98, which still isn't a ton of money for 21 classes, but I didn't even go look at the class line up this time since I had enough classes to work on. Then I started seeing pictures in the 21 Secrets FB group of work coming out of Fragments & Mysteries, Roxanne Coble's workshop. I was fascinated, and finally swallowed the hook and bought the workshop.

Glad I did because I never would have figured out the layers by myself. I've finished 1 spread and have 3 more in progress. Very interesting way of working. The theory is that you study your painted/collaged page to find fragments that speak to you. That didn't happen for me on this one, but I'm sort of not surprised as I am not one to find hidden meaning in *anything*.

Anyway, here's my finished first spread. As I'm writing this in blogger, I'm positioning the two pictures side by side, like a spread. But by the time you see it on whatever platform you use, they may be one above the other. In any case, left hand page is 1st, right hand page 2nd.

I like the colors a lot, and the doodling was a workout. Will keep this way of working in my bag of tricks because it suits my "plan? what plan?" way of doing things.

21 Secrets SALE

I'm still working my way thru the 21 Secrets classes, and hoping to win a free spot for next year's classes.

If you haven't signed up yet for this year's version, it's ON SALE now. Worth every penny.

more 21 Secrets art

This was one large page but it doesn't fit in my scanner that way and I was going to cut it in half anyway, so I scanned it after cutting.

Rhonda - this is that page you gave me that was mostly yellow and aqua, that you'd done with the rubber baster brush technique. Remember it? I was casting about for something to do and spotted it in a pile. Perfect starter for one of these pages. I shoulda taken its pic before I covered it all up.

I collaged with dress pattern tissue and gelli prints in the same colors, then just went nuts with stencils, stamps, doodles, paint, gesso, stitched paper bag.

The stamp pad I used to rub thru the harlequin stencil wasn't permanent so when I rubbed gesso on with my finger, they mixed and made the pale aqua areas, which I quite like now, altho at the time I spoke a few bad words when I saw what was happening.

I know the world doesn't need another Etsy shop with handmade journals in it, but that's prolly where most of what I'm making will eventually end up since I already have a lifetime supply of journals for myself and so few friends who would appreciate such a gift or don't already make their own.

I not only really enjoy the process shown in her 21 Secrets video, but it has finally broken me of stopping too soon, of being worried about covering up that cool thing I just put on there.

<conversation in my head> There's lot more cool things around! Just do it! And if you use the last one, oh well. You bought them to USE, right? Right!

I'm loving these....

Journal Soup from 21 Secrets

page with tag in envelope

Yes, folks - here at One Woman's Hands, it's All 21 Secrets, All The Time. 

Because here's a journal page from Kate Crane's class Journal Soup. All this was from instructions in the first 14 minutes and 31 seconds of her class vid. The rest of the hour and 7 minute video is other techniques, coming soon to a blog near you lol.

My page looks completely different from hers but the basic idea is there. Spray, stamp, glue, doodle.

page without tag

I started with a page that already had a gelli ghost print on it from the large bubble wrap. Then I sprayed various inks, stamped a few stamps here and there. Made paint marks with bottle caps. Did the same to a small glassine envelope, and using slightly different colors, to a tag. 

Glued strips of the printed out painted page from Roben-Marie's class to the envelope, along with a cut down ticket. For the tag, I liked that little quote from an English/Chinese dictionary cause I do have a hard time socializing most of the time. 

tag

Anyhow, the contrast of 'play' and 'socializing is hard' grabbed me, so that's how it all came together. Love all the colors in this. It's fun using my spray inks, which I don't do often enough. I tend to hoard them cause they're pricey. 

Kate isn't someone I'm familiar with but I like her teaching methods so far. And she's British, so it's fun listening to her.

bonus project from 21 Secrets

GLUED, THEN SEWED CUT PIECE TO
OUTSIDE OF FOLDED BAG BOTTOM

Roben-Marie included an additional little booklet in her class. It's made using a photocopy of the painted page, in this case, the second page I made, not the one I made the dos-a-dos book from. 

INSIDE VIEW - NOTE I DID NOT SEW ACROSS THE TOP*

It also uses the bottom of the gift bag that was cut off to make the main project. I love that aspect of this. Now I'm not faced with the bottom of the bag laying around. I'd have a hard time throwing it away because, ya know, it just might be useful for something, so I'd end up keeping it for years. Now it's a cool little book for my purse or desk. 

It's a little larger than 4" square.

SIGNATURE WITH SEWN ON BITS OF PAGE COPY

PS - added a tie using the same old linen napkin I used for the dos-a-dos journal.

INSIDE BACK AFTER SEWING IN SIGS

INSIDE FRONT

POCKET!  THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T SEW ACROSS THE TOP
WHEN ATTACHING THE COVER TO THE BAG.
THERE'S ANOTHER ONE IN THE BACK COVER.

OUTSIDE OF FINISHED BOOKLET.
I USED DOUBLED PINK LINEN THREAD TO STITCH
THE SIG IN. STARTED AND FINISHED IN TOP HOLE
SO THAT I COULD LEAVE THE TAILS ON.
PUT A FEW KNOTS IN EACH FOR INTEREST.

CUTE LITTLE BOOKLET!

ADDED A TIE

STITCHED IT ONTO THE INSIDE OF THE FRONT COVER
UNDER A BUTTON

Dos-a-dos journal from 21 Secrets

SIDE 1

INSIDE SIDE 1 WITH POCKET

I signed up for 21 Secrets a few days ago and the first class I did was Roben-Marie's Baby Got Back-to-Back. You make a collage painting, then turn it into part of a journal. Providentially I already had the painting from last Sunday with Rhonda, so I got to work on Friday night and got it mostly done. 

It's a pretty cute project that would make a great gift for artsy friends. Part of it is a gift bag so you end up with a handle. I had no trouble following her video instructions and put the finishing touches on it this morning.

INSIDE SIDE 2

Sorry the damn pictures aren't in any logical order. I find Blogger impossible to deal with sometimes but no way I'm changing and learning something else! So you'll just have to hop around and figure it out lol.

SIDE 2

I'll probably use this as my trip journal when I visit my friend Julie in San Diego next January. Or maybe when she comes here in July.

This was a good class and pretty much worth the $59 that 21 Secrets costs, and I still have 20 classes to go! 

BACK OF SIDE 2

DETAIL OF TIE

SIDE 1 WITHOUT TIE (and upside down! oy)

SIDE 2 WITHOUT TIE WRAPPED AROUND

WHOLE THING STANDING ON EDGE.
YOU CAN SEE THE TWO SETS OF PAGES,
HENCE THE 'BACK-TO-BACK' CLASS NAME.

BACK OF SIDE 1