Word Strips
I like this technique of getting words onto a journal page. I used some ordinary cartridge paper and splashed a load of color on to it. Then, when it was dry, I tore it up into strip and wrote on them. Used a grey marker to add shadows to the letters. On my journal pages I created some backgrounds with stencils, stamps and paint and just stuck the word strips on. Added shadow with more charcoal.
Wishi-Washi
This page is a previously created background with journaling on. It wasn’t very attractive so I didn’t bother posting it. However, I’ve been hankering after some washi tape and decided to have a go at making some. It was good fun and I wrote a hub about it: “How to Make Decorative Tape“. Smash journaling seems to have taken off as people want pretty journals but don’t want to go to all the trouble and mess of art journaling. With smash journaling you simply grab your memorabilia, ephemera, quotes, tickets, photos, etc and ‘smash’ them into your journal with glue or tape.
This page was made as part of Joanne Sharpe’s Letter Love course. I ‘drew’ the letters on to Bristol paper, doodled on them, cut them out and glued them into place. The background was done with markers and Neocolor lls.
Banish the Grumps
Three times I tried to finish this page… and it’s still horrible! After the first disaster, I rescued it and wrote beautiful lettering (well, y’know, I tried) all over it. Half an hour later I picked the book up and my thumb managed to smudge the still-wet ink. Grrr. Got a damp paper towels and swiped the lot off. I give up. Boring girl, boring old collage, boring old acrylic paint and boring old black marker.
I mentioned I was taking an online lettering class… well I just got started and it’s lovely. Check out Joanne Sharpe’s Whimsperations for details. I’ve also joined her new class, Color Love 101 starting on June 11. Here is one of the first exercises. The earlier ones were working on creating our own fonts/letter-forms and that is an ongoing part of the course – very addictive!
This little journal page was a set piece with specific instructions. Joanne told us to add color to a doodled and lettered page with Pan Pastels. I don’t have any Pan Pastels so made do with using my Neocolors as watercolors. The flowers were done with alcohol-based markers. The lettering was made with various black pens: Sharpies, Microns, Copics. Playing with this process has driven away my grumps!
And Then….
Feeling Down
Here’s another girly page. I seem to go in waves of wanting to do the same stuff until I get bored with it. I am feeling fed up. I have the remnants of a cold and I’m concerned that my home-schooled kids aren’t doing enough. We’ve been home-schooling for seven years and never really had any problems – perhaps I should just relax.
On this page we have home-made styrofoam stamps and acrylic paint for the background, a little sheet music collage, some scrapbook paper for the left border, a girl-face, fabric paper dress and that’s about it.
Show Yourself
This afternoon I thought I’d create another step-by-step for Hubpages. Haven’t written the article yet so no link but here’s just part of the page for now. Made a pinkish background using bubble-wrap. Yellowed up an old map, tore it into pieces and glued randomly to page. ‘Knocked it back with white paint diluted with glazing medium. Drew the face in my sketchbook and cut it out. Glued to page, cut out a dress from art paper. Toned down the background a bit more and painted her hair. Gave her a heart to hold and added text and white highlights. Rubbed gold acrylic paint and a little Neocolor II round the border and finally, journaled with a plain old ballpoint.
Edit: Here she be: Mixed Media Step-by-Step
Everything’s Just Wonderful….
I had to write another article for HubPages – “Using Mixed Media in Painting“, so made a step-by-step sort-of tutorial, ending up with this. I could tell you how I did it but wouldn’t you rather go and read the article? Of course you would. Off you go…
Moments
I have been creating. Honest!
Was accepted onto an intensive 6 month writing course with Hubpages and have been completely absorbed. I made this:
and this:
How to Deal (Spread) Tarot Cards
and this:
Techniques for Mixed Media Layering
and this:
and this:
and this:
Back to the book. A quick reminder… I set myself the challenge of creating something every day for a year. The main theme of my challenge is to work in THIS BOOK altering it, one page at a time. Sometimes I have to veer away, as the past week shows. However, barely a day has passed during the last two months when I haven’t made something. If you want to apply yourself to a shorter challenge, then have a look at Make Something Every Day, which has loads of ideas for a one-month creativity fest.
This page was created by stamping the page with a homemade styrofoam stamp and acrylic paint, collage, text, white-out pen and a quick spritz of diluted acrylic ink. My kids have both got colds right now and I hate to see them feeling less-than-great, so I wanted to remind myself to appreciate them at their rambunctious best, however irritated I am by the noise and general family rumpus.
My Internet Connection Hates Me
Which is only one of the reasons I am late with my updates.
I was not inspired to work in The Book over the weekend. Instead I had put down some backgrounds in a Moleskine a while back and wanted to bring them to fruition. The journal has already been written in and some pages have Zentangles on them. I’ve been giving them makeovers with color washes, layered with gesso and more washes. Stamping, collage and lettering added.
Last night I returned to The Book and created another background by spraying diluted acrylic ink over stencils and a plastic comb abandoned by my daughter. I tell you, leave anything around and it will end up in an art journal.
Layers and Layers and Layers, Oh My!
Idly trawling around Youtube yesterday wondering what to do with some black styrofoam/polystyrene saved from a couple of frozen pizzas, I came across this video. I was on it right away and created this cool background (and several more) with one stamp and some heavy-bodied acrylic paint, including gold. I white gessoed the page first but, yep, that is a pink elephant peeking through.
So today, I simply went to town with layering – I can barely remember what’s on the page, truth be told. Collage, stenciling, shading, corrector pen, journaling, doodling, and finally I rubbed on some yellow then white soft pastel to give the page a distressed look.
