Out with a Whimper? No! - Wreck-Ending Week

Well, I started the week strong...I lost my page in a rather purposeful way last Friday on my way out of work...

I put the page behind a sign that changes on a daily basis. I was hoping that someone would wonder about the page and take it on its own adventure, but I will never know what happened to it.

Then I took some pictures of my beautiful pink hydrangeas, thinking I might take some petals, rub the journal in some dirt or SOMETHING.

Then the HEAT. It got up to 108 degrees (in the Pacific NW, you might as well have sent me in a rocket to the sun). I went to a hotel for three nights to stay cool. I thought I would wreck there, but I was out of my element, out of my environment and I was tired.

My LAST WEEK of Wrecking with the group and I thought, "Well, I just didn't get it done." But underneath that...I wonder if it is my subconcious way of saying that even though the journey with those friends is over, perhaps I will continue to wreck and explore my ability to overcome my creative issues.

I have imagined things I would do to my journal - like rubbing thick paint all over the cover and cutting it up to become a new book. I have always only imagined that kind of behavior, but I am GOING TO DO IT!! This isn't the end...it is merely a transition. This is the part where I say, "I can continue this journey on my own." That is HUGE. Huge steps in letting go, in creativity, in follow-through, in doing things the way I want to instead of how I am "supposed" to.

During this process, I saw so many people doing such brilliant work and I did things I never thought I could do to a book. I have plans for continuing and I think my lessons are still coming. When I saw Barbara @ Reptitude's ultimate end to her journal (burning it for a campfire and some s'mores), I realized that I might need that lesson - letting go. I'm excited for my continued wrecking and I will continue to post here on Fridays with my progress.

Here are the pictures I have - from mailing my partner's page the week before last to my losing of the page and my beautiful pink hydrangeas. Thank you Jamie Ridler at Jamie Ridler Studios for hosting The Next Chapter: Wreck this Journal and to all my new Wrecking Friends for the support, the fun and all the great Wreckreation. It has been a pleasure.

My Favorite Page exchange:



At the post office to mail my exchange page...I was a little slow, but I got it out there...


Now it is on it's way...


Losing my page...


See the black thing in the corner of the sign...That's my page!

My beautiful hydrangeas:

Seriously Wrecking Week 8

I had a very productive week of wrecking for Week 8. I can't believe we are almost done. I left some of the really hard ones for the last week...but I'm feeling it, so I think some major wreckage and rumpusing will be happening in Week 9. Stay tuned!















I made a secret message that I put in an envelope that I made and glued to the back of the journal. When I'm done with my WRECKING, then I can open my secret message.























Then I did the NEGATIVE THOUGHTS page.















It is a dangerous page - I was surprised at how mean my inner critic was being. I didn't like that I filled the whole page with negative thoughts.

















So I decided that I would take that page out and teach it a lesson.


























So there.















I received my exchange page this week and WOW! is it BEAUTIFUL! Carrie sent me a lovely note and this beautiful outline of her hand. I love the black and white-ness of it. And I love the delicate doodles and artistry of the page. Thank you, Carrie!
























I added her page to my journal.















I decorated the back cover some more.















Some scratching with my letter opener. I cut all the way through the page. Oops! Hee hee!












I started doodling over one of the pages...still working on it.

















I glued some pages together...













I played more with my water color crayons and my tiny water color set on the test page...













































Glued some words from a magazine page...













Added some more end color...

Eagerly Awaiting "Julie & Julia"

In the spirit of getting out of my routine (ha, sneaking the theme in), I have been going to more movies recently. I have seen "The Proposal" (love Sandra Bullock, love Ryan Reynalds - hubba hubba), "Star Trek" (better than I expected), "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" (midnight showing on my birthday - very good), "Transformers" (not as good as the first one - which was surprisingly good), and finally "Terminator: Salvation" (not my choice. It wasn't as violent as I expected it to be as far as blood and guts).

The movie I have been WAITING for is "Julie & Julia". I'm not much of a cook, but since I had an opportunity to be in the vacinity of a cooking class a few years ago, I have been fascinated with cooking, chefs, etc. I love to watch cooking shows, but I haven't been brave enough to try any of the recipes yet. I love "Hell's Kitchen" (poor man's "Top Chef" - but I love Gordon Ramsey) and "Kitchen Nightmares" (it is ALWAYS BAD MANAGERS...hmmm). So now, I will get to learn a bit about the queen of American French Cuisine (I admit, until recently, I had always thought Julia Child was French...I haven't seen her since I was a kid and I guess I never bothered to wonder or find out...".

I'm looking forward to a movie that doesn't have a mystery, there are no deaths, no blood, nothing blows up, no intense action. This is it! I'm thinking about going on Opening Day...that would definitely be a break in my boring routine. Maybe I can take my journal and do some wrecking... hee hee.

Wrecking Wreview with New and Improved Color! - Week 7

Here are some photos of the new stuff I have been doing to WRECK...I'm still having some resistance to the messier stuff...but I did finally get water into the book! Watercolor crayons!! What FUN!

This picture shows the watercolor crayon texture...







This is the after photo of watercolor crayons:


For your consideration, a wreview of past wrecking:

Wreckage Failure: Week 6

I am trying to wreckoncile myself with the knowledge that I just didn't do my job this week in the wrecking department. I carried the journal with me all week, everywhere I went, but I just didn't do much with it. I think I have hit a creative slump...I think this week, my birthday week, I will have to go into WRECKING OVERDRIVE and just do all the crazy things I have been afraid to do. And maybe mailing is the last thing to do. I was thinking I should do it now, but it seems like I keep NOT doing it...maybe I should do it after the painting and the shower and the other things that I thought would make it hard to mail.

Anyway, the little bit of wrecking that I CAN show is below...I took pictures of the page I'm sending to my exchange partner, but then I realized it would spoil the surprise, so I will post that next week.

Here are my slacker Week 6 photos: