Saturday 24 October 2015

Halloween Journal pages

I couldn't let October go past without recording Halloween in my visual journal, so here is a double spread to mark the occasion.


You might remember that my journal is in fact an old book called the 'Roadmender' and to get started I pasted in some tissue wrap using matte medium.


I painted on DecoArt media acrylics and before it dried properly I rubbed over with a babywipe to remove the intensity of the colour but still leave enough on to create a darkish background. See how you can still see the book text underneath?


I dried with a heatgun and then finger painted over some contrasting colours,smudging them to create interest.


Next I dipped the pages in watery picket fence distress paint, let it move around the page and heat dried......


.... and then randomly stamped some cobwebs using black archival ink and stencilled the arrows using gesso and a piece of sponge.


 Now to introduce some further colour - I applied water soluble wax pastel over the arrows, dabbed with water and coloured over with chalk pastel pencils.


Taking a sketch and wash pencil I added shadow around them and darkened the edges more with woodless charcoal pencils, this created more interest and focus.


Onto filling up the pages and die-cuts seemed my best option to create the atmosphere and give me the bold images I wanted. Once adhered I set about using white and black charcoal and aquatone pencils to shade and colour until I was happy with the balance and depth to the pages.




I stamped 'beware' and used black modelling paste and a stencil for the 'halloween' and then added more texture with silver embossing paste and the dot fade stencil.


Did you notice the lights are on in the house?


 Having used Ranger, DecoArt, Studio 490 and Derwent products and had fun painting, daubing, rubbing, colouring and texturing the pages I am pretty pleased with the results. This is #37 in my Visual Journal, there is very little room left in the book and the pages are bulging but it is the first ever one I have completely filled so I am feeling rather proud of myself too.


Thanks for stopping by on this wet and miserable day here in Surrey, have a gresat weekend.

hugs Brenda xxx


24 comments:

Patty O'Malley said...

Fantastic pages, Brenda!

Craft Addicts - Tracy Evans said...

Great pages Brenda, love the backdrop and those arrows. Great colours and the die cuts work perfectly. Tracy x

Chrissy said...

I can make a card..I can make a canvas, but when it comes to my journal I sit there and just stare at it..how strange,especially when I get so inspired by brilliant work like this..love your double page Brenda..just wonderful with the colours and textures, the house is FABulous..love it all.

luv CHRISSYxx

rachel said...

brilliant. i love these pages brenda. gorgeous colours too. hugs rachel x

Juliz Design Post said...

Love these spookalicious journal pages and the depth achieved in them.
Julie x

Unknown said...

I love these Halloween scrapbook pages. Excellent job!

Redanne said...

As soon as you added the Picket Fence it took on an wonderfully spooky, almost ethereal quality and the rest just sent me into Halloween heaven - beautiful work Brenda, love, love your page! Hugs, Anne xx

Meggymay said...

A fabulous Halloween journal spread Brenda, love all your spooky details.
Yvonne

Barbara said...

Fantastic pages Brenda! I love unusual color that you used! Love it! Barbarayaya

sally said...

Quietly you have filled that "roadmender " book and we have seen pages at random times...this one is timely indeed and quite captures the spookiness of Halloween- a great seasonal share!

Sally

Sophie said...

Huhuuu...es gruselt mich :-)
Ein tolles Werk, liebe Brenda, so richtig spooky.

Liebe Grüße
Sophie

Karin said...

wow, stunning spread, love the colors and the background details!
Groetjes Karin

A Pink said...

Fantastic Halloween pages ! Brenda - love the real moody background and all the detail . Great use of all the dies and ya dot fade stencilling over the Rickety house is fab and those house lights really add to the spookiness . x

Words and Pictures said...

Fabulous seeing the layers building up to create that smoky ethereally spooky background. Love how the house is bedded in and the detailing of the cobwebs.
Alison xx

Lucy said...

When I looked at how you did the pages, I had to keep scrolling to the top because I couldn't believe I missed a particular detail. The layers are wonderful. Very compelling to look at all. You keep finding new things in each page every time you look.

Hella said...

Absolute stunning. So beautiful the way you created this spread. Thank you for the pictures. Thank you for the inspiration.

Anonymous said...

Fabulous pages in honour of Halloween!
Wishes
Lynne

Unknown said...

Oh my... this is a masterpiece. The colors, the textures, the placements, the blending of it all to make PERFECTION. Totally adore. j.

Deb said...

Fabulous Brenda, all of the amazing layers that you add to your journal pages add so much depth and interest, you always inspire me whenever I visit! Deb xo

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

How fun and layer filled!!! LOVE the spooky sight...so artsy and clever too!

sarascloset said...

You have good reason to be proud, Brenda! Your Halloween pages are fantastic, from the visual depth you've created on the background to the little details of the illuminated windows, those wonderful shadows and the white doodling! LOve these pages! I can tell you had fun making these! Hugs!

Julia Aston said...

I love you wonderful Halloween pages Brenda! What a great mix of paints, gesso, stencils, stampings and die cuts! Julia xx

pearshapedcrafting said...

This page really is fantastic Brenda! Such great details - I'll have to go back to have another look! Chrisx

Anne (cornucopia) said...

This looks fantastic! (I had added a link to your blog back at the beginning of the year, but I don't think I made it over to see your work very much after that.)