Art Journal - Create Everyday...

Good Monday morning, all! I'm taking a deep breath, and jumping in with both feet...and sharing a couple pages from one of my art play journals with you.

I was recently asked why I didn't post any of my journal pages. Short answer? 'Cause I'm a big ole' chicken! :)

I've got a few different art journals going at the same time. Each one has a lot of pages filled with mistakes and unsuccessful experiments -  a reminder of what works on certain types of paper, and what to do/not to do in the future. Each one has different types of papers inside - one filled with heavy kraft cardstock pages - one an old book of poetry with pages glued together and gessoed for future use - one with cold press watercolor paper - and the one I'm sharing today, the newest in the collection, filled with mixed media paper.

My newest journal is going to be filled with mixed media pages that are intended to be mini-canvases of experimental play, and I feel a bit more confident about sharing those now and then. They're not masterpieces by any stretch of the imagination, but I thought maybe there would be pieces of some that might inspire you to try a similar technique on your own projects.

Enough chatter...on with the photos...this is a 5-1/2"w X 8"h spiral-bound journal...turned on its side for these two pages...

The base of each page is a piece of Tim Holtz "Melange" patterned tissue wrap with a coat of clear gesso in spots, and white gesso in others, over the tissue.  Since I was going to be using molding paste (which dries translucent so you can see base colors beneath it), I applied the Lindy's Stamp Gang color sprays next (I've listed the names in the supplies section beneath the last picture). 

Next I used the Bubbles stencil and applied molding paste. After the paste dried, I shadowed the circles with black Stabilo All pencil, and highlighted inside some of the circles with white Gelato...

I've had this "A" stamp for many years...I think nearly 10! When these letter stamps first came out in wood mounted stamps, I started gathering as many as I could afford...and they're among the stamps I haven't been able to part with through several "purges" of the unused supplies in my room. LOL  I added a couple tiny letter stickers next to the stamped "A" for this page.

Using Archival ink, I stamped a few phrases from Unity's "empowered words" set around the two pages, emphasizing them with the dark crystal arrows...

Taking inspiration from the partially-visible butterfly on the tissue paper beneath it, I punched a few butterflies from a solid cardstock and tied them together with long black upholstery threads (it was after this step that I added strips of different washi tapes around the pages as a final accent)...

Supplies:

Tissue wrap:   Tim Holtz Idea-ology - "Melange"

Washi tapes:   Tim Holtz "Nostalgia" (text);  local craft store - damask

Stencil:   Prima "Bubbles" 12x12

Punches:   Martha Stewart Classic Butterfly and 3-in-1 Butterfly

Stamps:   Stampers Anonymous - "A";   Unity Stamp Co. "empowered words" - phrases

Color sprays:   Lindy's Stamp Gang - Pop Rock Purple,  Caribbean Blue,  Pink Ladies Pink,  Summer Lovin' Sun,  

South Shore Sand,  Frenchy's Pink Pouf

Miscellaneous mediums:   Liquitex clear and white gessos,  Golden molding paste,  white Gelato,  

black Stabilo All pencil

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today...I hope your week is starting with a smile!