A Wonderful World . . . for Art Journal Journey Monthly!

Hi everyone!

Autumn in eastern Pennsylvania has been quite the rollercoaster so far.  We kicked things off with rain, followed by a devastating Nor’easter. Thankfully, our town escaped the worst of it. Temperatures have been all over the place, hitting the 80s yesterday! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for cooler weather today. Plus, with all the rain we’ve had lately, I think we’re almost out of the severe drought. That’s definitely a relief.

Today I am sharing a project that I made for Mia's challenge at Art Journal Journey Monthly.

 Mia from Craftartista is hosting October, and her theme is “Beautiful World.”

But before I show you my project, I wanted to share a little about Art Journal Journey Monthly:

"Each month, there is a new challenge theme for you to take part in. Our participants are art-journalers, altered book artists, rubber stamp addicts, and mixed media artists from all over the world. You are invited to take part by linking via the Link tool on their site.  

Artwork created in an art journal, altered book, on canvas, or loose pages, as well as digital and fabric art of any size, is now acceptable."

Here is my project, a mixed-media art journal scrapbook page:

I really enjoyed putting this page together: 

• I started by giving a 12 x 12 sheet of Mintay cardstock some playful splatters and drips with spray inks. 
• Then, I added pink burlap to both sides of the cardstock. 
• I matted the photo that my friend snapped of me during our recent trip to the Finger Lakes on a torn piece of white, corrugated paper. 
• Next, I fussy-cut and added some embellishments from the Mintay “Cottage Hearts” collection. 
• Finally, I adhered my title. What a fun project!

Thank you so much, Mia, for hosting this month and coming up with such a fabulous theme.

I’ll wrap things up by sharing some photos of my twin sister and me celebrating our 70th birthdays at the Wilbur Mansion in Bethlehem, PA. It’s the first time either of us has been there, and I highly recommend it for its amazing food, wonderful service, and beautiful surroundings. It was a splurge, but you only turn 70 once, right!?  

Here's the beautiful exterior:

The dining room:

My twin sister and I are celebrating our special day:

It was wonderful!  (Oh, and we forgot to take a picture of us with our husbands! Haha!)

**I am also entering this post into Sunday Smiles hosted by Gillena Cox.  You can find her challenge here:  https://myblog-lunchbreak.blogspot.com/2026/10/4044.html

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today.

Wishing you a wonderful October! ❤

Autumn Blessings . . . for AJJ Monthly

Hello everyone,

I am sharing my final project for Art Journal Journey Monthly with you today. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Erika, Elizabeth, and all of YOU!

I snapped this photo by our pond, and I believe it sums it all up perfectly.  Every morning, I’m greeted by an incredible view that never fails to amaze me. As you can see, the clouds on this particular day reflected the morning sunrise beautifully.  

Here is my project:

• I made the base of this page using a 12x12 piece of grid paper and matted my photo with two different orange tones to make it pop. 
• Next, I tucked strips of different fall-themed patterned paper behind the photo. 
• I also added yellow washi tape to two sides of my background paper.  
• I pulled out some fabric and die-cut autumn leaves from my supply stash to add some extra flair. 
• I finished it off with the Echo Park “Autumn Blessings” title.  
• And that's it - it was easy to make!

Lastly, here are two photos I took at the pond by our home last fall that inspired this project! Looking at this incredible sunrise reminds me what autumn blessings are all about.

My time hosting at AJJ Monthly is nearing its end, and I want to express a big thank you to everyone for their support and contributions. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!💛

Wishing you all a wonderful and creative Autumn season!  

Halloween Party . . . for AJJ Monthly!

Hi everyone! Here is my next project for Art Journal Journey Monthly's September Hello Autumn theme. 

As promised in my previous post, I’m sharing another page with you today featuring photos of the same friends’ Halloween Party, but this time, it’s from five years later!

• To make my page, I started with a 12 x 12 piece of striped orange paper that captures the Halloween and autumn vibe. 
• After matting my favorite party photos in black for contrast, I added black die-cut scallops and a bit of real straw I had on hand to showcase the fun hayride.  
• Finally, I sprinkled some black paint splatter on my page.  
• The "Halloween Party" title was all it took to complete my layout.

I'd like to share some photos from my recent trip to New York's Finger Lakes with my college friends.  We all got together last week to celebrate our 70th birthdays!

We stopped at the Visitor's Center, and I snapped this photo:

Exploring downtown Canandaigua with friends:

The view from one of the beautiful outlooks:

I took this during one of our walks on a hiking trail that was adjacent to the lake:

The Inspire Moore Winery. You can see some fall leaves around the driveway:

They had a beautiful vineyard:

I love how their wine bottles were decorated:

The amazing Sonnenberg Mansion:

And gardens:

One of our incredible sunsets:

We took a boat ride on The Lady Canandaigua:

Here's one of the incredible views from our boat ride:

In conclusion, I'm sharing a photo that one of my friends snapped of me.  I purchased this at one of the shops in Canandaigua:

Thank you so much for joining me this month!  I cannot wait to share my last project with you.

Fall Fun . . . for Art Journal Journey Monthly!

Hi everyone! I’ve been out of the loop this past week because I was on vacation with my college friends in the Finger Lakes, NY. It was absolutely beautiful, and it was so much fun to be with them again. It was amazing to catch up with everyone and to celebrate our 70th birthdays.  I will share photos from our trip in my next post!

I’m thrilled to be guest-hosting Art Journal Journey Monthly for September and embracing the Hello Autumn theme. Your projects this month are truly remarkable!

I’m excited to share two Halloween-themed posts (this one and my next post!) about a Halloween party tradition that I loved when our daughters were growing up.  One of our travel group moms would host an amazing (and I mean really amazing!!) Halloween party every year. 

Today, I'm sharing a scrapbook page I created to commemorate Anne’s first Halloween party in 2005.  It was fun to take her to this incredible Halloween party when she was just 3. It was an outstanding experience, complete with outdoor pumpkin decorating stations, a spooky piñata, and a horse-drawn hay ride! Wow!

Here is my mixed media scrapbook page:

• I put together my page using photos from Anne’s first Halloween party: 
• I used two coordinating patterned papers I had on hand, a "fall fun" die-cut title, some fall leaves, and a die-cut scarecrow I purchased on eBay years ago. 
• I finished it off with a blue striped ribbon. 

I enjoyed making this page for Anne so she can look back and remember her first Halloween party. To me, this is what scrapbooking is all about!

I hope you’re enjoying AJJ’s theme this month.  Stay tuned! My next project is about a Halloween party we attended a few years later at the same home.

I am looking forward to seeing what YOU create!

Here are two photos from a morning walk around the pond. The signs of fall are definitely starting to pop up!

Thank you so much for visiting my blog today.  Happy September!

All That We Behold . . . for Art Journal Journey Monthly!

Hi everyone!

I hope you’re all having a wonderful September! Here in eastern PA, the weather has been hot and humid lately. I’m really hoping for cooler temperatures and less humidity soon!

I'm also very excited to share another project I created for my September Hello Autumn theme at Art Journal Journey Monthly!

I made a hybrid, double-page art journal spread:

• I used a background I already had.
• I mixed in some images from an old Mary Engelbreit calendar to create this hybrid spread. 
• I digitally painted the blue sky and light green/yellow grass, and then I added another Mary Engelbreit image of the child in a pile of Autumn leaves. I remember jumping into leaf piles as a child, so this felt very nostalgic! 
• I had a "Martha Stewart" punch and black cardstock that I used to create the border for the top and bottom of my pages.
• Finally, I digitally typed my sentiment, which I found in another old Mary Engelbreit calendar.  

I don't usually create hybrid pages, so this spread was particularly fun to make!

I’m so excited to see all of your Autumn-themed projects this month at Art Journal Journey Monthly!  I love getting the opportunity to connect with incredible artists from all over the world.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Enjoy September!

Before She Became a Mom . . . for Art Journal Journey Monthly!

I’m so happy to be hosting Art Journal Journey Monthly for the third time! I’ve enjoyed seeing all your entries so far—they’re truly amazing!

Fall always makes me feel nostalgic, so today I'm sharing a scrapbook page I made in memory of my beautiful mom.  She passed away at 89 during COVID on December 20, 2020. Luckily, we were able to see her after she entered hospice care.  I know that a lot of families were not allowed to see their loved ones during such a painful and restrictive time, and my sisters and I were very grateful that we could have a chance to be with her and say goodbye.

Here is my project:

• I created this 12 x 12 mixed-media scrapbook page featuring a photo of my mom "before she became a mom." I think she looked so carefree, stylish, and beautiful here! 
• The 12 x 12 background paper is from Bo Bunny, a brand I had in my stash for years. 
• The rest was pretty simple and easy to put together.  I printed and cut the photo to fit into the background paper. 
• I added the title, some chicken wire chipboard, and a typed label. 
• For my September theme, I incorporated fall colors like dark and light browns, tan, and sepia. 
• The photo was taken in the fall of 1949.

I'm finishing my post with a photo that I took during our morning walk.  I really felt my mom's presence that day!

Thank you so much for visiting my blog today. I've enjoyed seeing all of your projects made AJJ’s theme this month so far!

Good Vibes Only . . . For Art Journal Journey Monthy!

Hi everyone! I’m thrilled to host Art Journal Journey Monthly again this year.  Thank you, Erika and Elizabeth, for asking me!

For September, I chose the theme Hello Autumn. I love Fall and how versatile this theme is, and I hope YOU will love it, too!  You can create pages about Autumn activities, holidays, weather, parties, or anything else that inspires you about Fall.  Whatever you come up with, I’m sure it’ll perfectly capture the essence of Autumn.

If you’re new to Art Journal Journey Monthly, it’s a fun challenge site where a different artist takes the spotlight each month and chooses a theme for everyone to explore. The community is super diverse, with amazing art journalers, altered book artists, rubber-stamp fans, digital artists, and mixed-media creators from all over the world. Each month, you can join in by sharing your projects on their site.

Here’s my first project, a mixed media scrapbook page:

• I was inspired by this adorable photo of Anne that I took in the Fall of 2012! Playing in the leaves and hiking with us were two of her favorite things! 
• The moment I saw this adorable photo, I knew it was the perfect focal point for my first project with AJJ this month! 
• I matted it and added it to my page, using fall colored patterned paper, fall burlap leaves, yellow washi tape, a fun tag with orange rickrack, and a little messy thread to make it all look complete. 

I’m so honored to be asked to host again at Art Journal Journey Monthly! Please visit their site and join in on the fun! You're going to love it!

I am also sharing some photos that I took at the farm by our home.  The wheat fields looked so colorful.

The deer created pathways through the wheat fields:

The trees are still green, but the grass is turning yellow, signifying the beginning of fall:

And here's Abbey enjoying a little rest during our walk:

That’s me snapping the photo! We rescued her 7 years ago, and now she’s my morning companion!

Thank you so much for visiting my blog today! Wishing you a very Happy September. Take time to relax and truly enjoy the beautiful season of Autumn, my absolute favorite time of year.

I cannot wait to see what YOU create!