Thursday 8 January 2015

Weekly Visual Journey

I have started a Visual Journal and as often as possible I am going to make a page and blog it, by the end of the year I hope I will have a book full of ideas, layouts, quotes, colour palettes and further design inspiration.

The first page can be found here and certainly got me started on making a ‘quick’ (well quick for me) visual collage and I certainly had to push myself into working without a plan.

I haven't entered any challenges for a long time and have decided to 'keep an eye' on a few that I know will provide me with inspiration and challenging themes that will get me back into thinking about new ideas and help me explore and practice alternative and perhaps unfamiliar ways of approaching my art. The changes at PaperArtsy certainly look exciting and I will enter this altered book with it's 'fragile' pages there.


So I have another double page spread for you.


This week I wanted to try out  a photo transfer technique and began with two tags and a photo of my daughter as a baby and one of my Mum as a young woman.


I had researched techniques and decided to go with one I had found using mod podge. But my favourite wet glue is Evo-stik wood adhesive so I experimented with that instead.


Many of the tutorials you find say you can only use laser prints but I used my trusty inkjet printer and a thin photographic paper. When the photo was dry I adhered it to the distressed tag (face down) and dried it with my heat gun. I also let it cool and left if for about half an hour to ensure it was dry.


Using some warm water I began to gently rub it into the back of the photo so that the paper rubbed away and slowly the image began to appear.


I continued to do this until I could see the image clearly.


I gave Maddie’s photo a sealing layer of the wood glue …..


….. but not with my Mum’s photo as I wanted to see the differences. I actually prefer the matte finish to the shiny finish from the glue.


I gathered some collage pieces, tissue wrap, tissue tapes, scraps of papers and borders and started to glue them down.


I have to admit I did spend some ‘thinking’ time on this one but not too much, just enough to plan the butterfly in the film strip and to find the letters and numbers I wanted to add.


So there we have it my second go at creating a collage and this time with trying out a new technique as well. I have to say I am rather pleased with it.


Thank you to Nikki, Alison, Sue and Mona for joining my blog hop and sharing your journal pages with me. You can see their contributions below as part of the link-up. I would love it if you joined in as well. I am deciding whether I keep each linky open for 2 weeks or a month, let’s see what happens before I make the decision. So it’s ‘anything goes’ with whatever journal/sketchbook/ type activity is right for you.

This is the code to add to your post so you can share the Link Up with your readers.
get the InLinkz code
Please join our Visual Journal Link Up and thank you for sharing your inspiration with us.

hugs Brenda xxx

29 comments:

Juls said...

Oooooh wow, so very fabulous :-) xx

Scrumplescrunch said...

Hello Brenda,
Another double page which looks fabulous, I never have much luck with transferring images, yours have come out wonderfully. I like the added string to connect your images also.
Mine is coming along, I have been placing my wastes on my pages to create a Bg. Watch this space!
Smiles:)
Sue

pearshapedcrafting said...

Oh Brenda! This is just THE most gorgeous pair of pages I've seen - just love the colour palette and of course you have reminded me how much I love making image transfers! Do hope I can join in! Chrisx

Jennie Atkinson said...

Fabulous pages Brenda - I love the design and your colour combinations and the image transfers are stunning. I have never had any luck. So…… you have inspired me to give it a go! I had a play in my art journal yesterday and I have one ready to post so thank you too for the "push" to try something new. Jennie x

Daniele said...

so loving this art journal, I have never been successful with image transfer, I end up with just a mess, never tried it with photos though
hugs and best wishes x

froebelsternchen said...

beautiful Brenda!

Karin said...

wow beautiful pages!
Groetjes karin

massofhair said...

Fragile Papers is the Challenge over at Paper Artsy at the moment, your pages would qualify and they are most beautiful colours and collaging i have seen in a while.

Thank you for the wood glue tip, i shall try that as i rarely have success with image transfers.

:-) xxx

Ana K. said...

Gorgeous journaling Brenda...great combination of details and beautiful family photos...keep going, I want to see more!
Hugs from Slovenia

The Sparkly Fairy said...

This is fab Brenda - I'm very envious as I would love to journal but never get the time! Happy new Year to you x

Gina said...

Really liking the "freer" style you are getting with these pages. :D XXX

Redanne said...

Your spread is really beautiful Brenda, I love your collage style. Thanks for sharing the photo transfer, you make it look quite manageable! Hugs, Anne xx

Astrid Maclean said...

Another fabulous spread Brenda, and your photo transfers have worked out stunningly well!

Juliz Design Post said...

Brenda, this journal is going to be awesome when finished, looking forward to watching it all come together throughout the year.
Happy New Year, Julie x

Anonymous said...

Brenda
This isn't simply beautiful to look at but it is beautiful because there is a wonderful tenderness from the photographs you included.
Such a lovely post to visit.
Wishes
Lynne

Jane said...

Another gorgeous pair of pages Brenda. The transfer technique looks great fun. We're on dog duties this week whilst Matt is skiing so I am getting crafting withdrawl symptoms. .lol xx

Lucy Edmondson said...

Brilliant! Your photos transferred so well!

Lucy x

Silvia(Barnie) said...

That's outstanding, just a wonderful project.

Hazel Agnew said...

Great technique, beautiful work! x

Cocofolies said...

Fabulous page wow, really beautiful. And thank you for your trials on this photo transfer technique, very interesting!!! Have a lovely week-end, Hugs xxx

~*~Patty S said...

Your journal pages are really lovely in every detail.
The beautiful transfers you made are a wonderful addition and set a sweet scene!

2amscrapper said...

awe struck! I would love to make journal pages such as these!

Jennidee Mills said...

Hi Brenda,
I'd like to join the blog hop ... but my journal pages aren't vintage looking and they aren't in an altered book. Does that matter?
Jennidee

Esther said...

What a great idea Brenda - and cool pages...the transfer technique is one on my loooong list of 'need to get round to sometime'...Esther xx

Brenda Brown said...

Thanks for the question Jenni - this is open for everyone with an "anything goes with whatever journal/sketchbook/ type activity is right for you". Happy for you to share. xxx

Mona Pendleton said...

Wow Brenda! So fabulous! What a cool transfer technique! Your project is beautiful! Love the pretty butterflies! Thanks for the inspiration!

I don't know how to share the inlinkz on my post, so if you don't mind emailing me the instructions, I would be happy to do so :) Thanks!

kaybee said...

Fabulous pages - love the photo transfers, and interesting that you used an ink-jet.

Terry said...

I may just join in Brenda in a bit when I can get my mind straight! I love what you have created and the entire idea! Hugs!

experiments in paper said...

Thank you, Brenda! This is just what I needed to get me into actually using my stash in a "just do it, and no rules" atmosphere :-)