Playing with the new Strathmore toned paper journal

I have a journal I use almost exclusively for writing, and decided I needed to try the new Strathmore hardbound journal when I ran out of my faves.

It's nice! Smooth surface, a pleasure to write in, tempting mid-tan color, and fun to do some art in, taking advantage of that middleground tone.

This is a Prismacolor dark grey pencil with touches of white...

Whee, more colored pencil and ink!

Pilot Penmanship pen with water-soluble ink, plus white Prismacolor and gouache.

And a female bluebird in gouache.  The paper really buckles VERY little, and it's just plain fun!

It was just a very quick pencil sketch...the gouache brings her to life!

I'd definitely recommend these...I'm having a ball trying out different mediums in addition to my daily journaling!

Sketch and Taxes...

Amazing how useful our journals can be, even when working on our taxes...we don't always remember when this medical visit was, or that trip to the camera store...

...but if I can find the sketch in my journal, and the date, we figure backwards from there!  Joseph had actually forgotten a couple of trips to the doctor, but there they were, recorded and dated with my sketches...

My journal really IS a journal, and a diary, and a record of days--nice that it's so useful that way!  (And the easiest way to find some of these?  My Flickr account!)