Traveling Art Supplies Kit

My summer travels are over for the year, but you may be one of the lucky ones with an August vacation to end the summer in style.  I thought I would share with you the traveling art-supplies kit I took with me to Hawaii that enabled me to take my art-making and travel journaling in the air and on the road.  Then, later in the week, I'll share some of the travel journal pages with you.

Here, in all its glory, is the sum total of the art-making supplies I brought with me on my trip:

I looked around for a zippered make-up case for carrying my supplies, and I think I found this one--the most affordable option--at WalMart.  Inside, I included some basics like a glue stick, a small pair of airline-allowed scissors, a small selection of decorative tapes, and an eraser:

I also brought a selection of pens and a pencil for sketching, lettering, and journaling:

And, one of my very favorite parts of my travel kit:  a water brush and a tin adapted to hold a selection of watercolor pans:

The pans in my Prang set lift right out, so I could choose the colors that I wanted to include.  In retrospect, I wish that I had included black among the selections.

I read this tip somewhere along the way, and wish I could remember where:  I attached strips of adhesive magnet tape to the bottom inside of the tin, and then a little piece to each pan of watercolor.  It didn't really help them to not get jumbled in transit, but it kept them from moving around while they were in use.  Pretty smart!

Here's a peek at all the supplies, and the journal itself, tucked into the zippered bag:

I placed it upright next to a standard glue stick so you can see how compact it is.  It's easy to stash in my carry-on, and easy to bring along on a walk, a trip to the beach, or a morning on the deck.

You will see the travel journal itself in my next post.  Basically, I covered cardboard with duct tape, punched holes for binder rings, and used index cards and index-card-sized papers as my pages.  It is the perfect size to accommodate postcards right into the book as a page, or even 4"x6" photos once I get them developed at home if I feel so inclined.  I'll show you what's in there so far later this week!