newbie asks what materials for art journals

A question on Blissfully ArtJournals:
I'm doing a lot of art journaling...well mentally anyway...I haven't yet begun on paper. I have a few questions:
1) What kinds of paints do most of you use for your backgrounds? I prefer acrylic paints whenever I paint, but I'm thinking they will be too thick for art journals, and difficult (slick) to then write on. I need recommendations,
please.
...which leads to my second question...
2) What are the best kinds of pens to use to write over the paints you use for your backgrounds?
3) I'm toying with the idea of making my art journals entries the size of postcards. This way I can easily scan them into my computer, PLUS I can print the finished images and actually send them to friends AS postcards. Sound crazy?--OR Sound good???? Thoughts???? I'm thinking that smaller is more portable, and more do-able, and more likely that I might fit it in to my hectic life...which really needs an ART INJECTION!
Thanks! Jo-Anne

There was a whole slew of wonderful ideas by the various members, and I was building up a lovely list, but IE went belly up in the middle and I lost it all ... so you need to go to blissfully to find the list.