Happy New Year, I hope 2019 will be a happy, healthy and creative year for us all.
Friday saw the start of a new challenge over at A Vintage Journey and I'm mega late in getting my contribution into the line up but here I am better late than never. The lovely Deb is the host this month has outlined the focus for the challenge.
Friday saw the start of a new challenge over at A Vintage Journey and I'm mega late in getting my contribution into the line up but here I am better late than never. The lovely Deb is the host this month has outlined the focus for the challenge.
"For this challenge we would like to see some stamps on your creations, a minimum of one stamp but the more the merrier! Stamp your backgrounds, fussy cut or die cut some stamped images, add some stamped sentiments; whatever you'd like as long as it is in one of our preferred vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial or steampunk styles."
I have made a cover for a new journal I am starting focusing on natural elements and inspired by my wonderful team mate and friend Alison Bomber. The amazing winter journal pages she was doing before Christmas were gorgeous to see and you can find a couple of them here and here and more in between.
Process steps
1. Scrape a layer of gesso over the surface of your substrate and let it dry.
2. Apply crackle paste through a stencil.
3. Carefully lay (but not glue) collage and ephemera papers in one area which will become your focal point and lower layer. As you stack and overlap your pieces glue them together but leave the edges not glued so you can tuck bits under them later if you want to.
4. Continue to build your layers testing and trying out where pieces would fit best.
5. Stamp and cut some insects and other elements, colour and distress them.
6. Go back to the background when it is dry, take your chosen paint colours and start to add them and spritzes of water to get some of it to move around.
7. I used quinacridone gold and paynes grey plus a black and burnt sienna water soluble wax crayon to add tones around the edges.
8. Check your collage design looks good over the background, alter any pieces that need colour and distressing. I chose this gorgeous dragonfly for my focal image and cut and layered three of them to make it extra sturdy ......
9. Go back to your lower collage layer of ephemera pieces and give it a coat of mate decoupage sealer. When dry use the quinacridone gold and paynes grey to age and 'rust' the edges.
10. Adhere this layer to your background and start to add the other pieces.
Because this is the front cover piece I sealed everything with decoupage first to help it last longer.
11. Finish of with some remnant rubs to add more interest and help balance the overall composition if needed.
I hope you can find a moment to see some fabulous inspiration from the Creative Guides and maybe show us what stamps you are using throughout January.
4. Continue to build your layers testing and trying out where pieces would fit best.
5. Stamp and cut some insects and other elements, colour and distress them.
6. Go back to the background when it is dry, take your chosen paint colours and start to add them and spritzes of water to get some of it to move around.
8. Check your collage design looks good over the background, alter any pieces that need colour and distressing. I chose this gorgeous dragonfly for my focal image and cut and layered three of them to make it extra sturdy ......
.... and a chipboard frame to stand him on. I layered on some random patches of texture sand paste before daubing on paynes grey, quinacridone gold, raw umber and cobalt turquoise hue.
9. Go back to your lower collage layer of ephemera pieces and give it a coat of mate decoupage sealer. When dry use the quinacridone gold and paynes grey to age and 'rust' the edges.
10. Adhere this layer to your background and start to add the other pieces.
Because this is the front cover piece I sealed everything with decoupage first to help it last longer.
11. Finish of with some remnant rubs to add more interest and help balance the overall composition if needed.
I hope you can find a moment to see some fabulous inspiration from the Creative Guides and maybe show us what stamps you are using throughout January.
xxx
Supplies
DecoArt media fluid acrylics - quinacridone gold, paynes grey, raw umber, sap green and cobalt turquoise hue.
DecoArt mediums - media white gesso, media white crackle paste, decou-page sealer,
Tim Holtz ephemera pieces, Entomology stamp set, Entomology framelits, layered dragonfly die and embossing folder, quote chips and remnant rubs
Journal, flower stencil, various stamped leftovers, water spritzer, black and burnt sienna water soluble wax crayons.
