Friday 7 April 2017

Magic of Three - Journal page

It's the beginning of the April challenge at A Vintage Journey; Annie is our lovely host this month and wants us to focus on using three of something on our projects. It is said that three is a magic number and adds more interest and power when using it and everything comes in threes right?

It seems ages since I created a journal page so I decided to get my large A4 black journal out and use some of the inspiration learnt from Seth Apter and added a collage (I seem to be so into these again at the moment). I also decided my collage would not contain lots of ephemera but use some of the diecuts I seem to be hoarding that didn't get used on past projects. But as always things change lol.


I began by brayering layers of chalky finish paints in lace, primitive and eternal.


Then black gesso, yes black to get the darker page back again and hoping there would be some lovely peeled paint like textures showing through. But it didn't quite work like I imagined, so I stamped over the page with the eternal and primitive chalky finish.


So now it was time to build the layers. Taking a piece of card and the chalky finish paints with burnt umber and raw umber media fluid acrylics I monoprinted some random mixes of colours over the surface. Then stamped with black archival ink. 


I repeated these two layers again only this time stamping with everlasting -


To start the collage I cut Seth Apter's pocket watch from a piece of card I had already created a rust and patina effect on .....


.... and then  using the same die I cut a vintage photo so that it fitted perfectly inside. Don't you love this old photo of the family of three?



Next to collect together the elements to for my collage. I tend to build a composition like a 'jigsaw' 
so I rifle through boxes and tubs and choose pieces to fit together that look right to me. Here's where I play at putting pieces together before I make my final decisions. (sorry about the photo but it was taken at night with an overhead light on).


As I refine and start building the layers some pieces get discarded and others are added in to create balance or dimension etc. Here's the top layers beginning to take shape ....


..... and the base layer.


I love how the photo fits exactly in the watch frame ........


.. and the stamping on the little tags adds interest to the composition.


This even smaller tag is hidden away in the pocket.


It seems to have taken me ages to get the photos and post done this time but I'm really happy with the page.


 And here are my  'threes' -


and


 I hope you'll pop over to AVJ to see all the amazing inspiration we have for you and I hope you have a fabulous weekend whatever you have planned.

hugs Brenda xxx

Update
The lovely Susi from Froebelsternchen has suggested I link this to Art Journal Journey for their Magical Mystery Tour theme - the magic is there and I'm always wandering into the mystery of heritage photos and people so I'm off to link up. Thanks for the suggestion Susi xxx