Connect * Empower * Create
I am happy to announce that my Art Journal Thursday Video #18 has been posted out on YouTube! This week, the supplies I used were: Dina Wakley Heavy Body Acrylic Paints: Tangerine, Lime, Magenta, Sky, Turquoise, Lemon, Lapis, and Blackberry Violet the circular Dina Wakley …
Good afternoon! I am happy to announce that my Art Journal Thursday #17 video is up on YouTube!! 🙂 The materials I used this week were: Folk Art Acrylic Craft Paint: Medium Yellow DecoArt Crafter Acrylic Craft Paints: Leaf Green, Tuscan Red, Tropical Blue Apple …
Good morning!
My Weekly Art Journal #10 is now up on YouTube!! 🙂
The supplies I used today:
As usual, I went into this spread with no real plan whatsoever, except that I knew I wanted to keep some white space on my layout! I have been noticing that I have been covering almost every square inch of my pages leaving very little white space, and this week I wanted to see what white space would feel like if it was done on purpose!
Oh, and did you notice??? I actually speak??? I thought since this video was so short, this week, that would be the perfect, and unscary way to dive in and give my new microphone a go! I was pretty happy with that!! Let me know if you like these videos with speaking or without! 🙂
I found a bunch of wash tapes on sale at my local Staples so, with the encouragement of my sweetie, I ended up buying at least one of every pattern!! YEAH!!! Is there a simpler way to add color to a layout???? I LOVE THAT!!! 😉
Of course I am still on my Dylusions Spray Ink OBSESSION, and could NOT imagine not using some on this layout!!! 😉
Plus add oodles and oodles of texture stamps and doodles!! I LOVE THIS!!! 😉
I didn’t even mind the occasional wrinkle, fold, or tear that the washi tape might have ended up!! I am really learning to not only embrace the messy, but I am really LOVING the no pressure-ness of it!!! 😉
Overall, I am ABSOLUTELY in LOVE with this week’s spread! It is so bright, and happy, and it was so quick and simple to do!! What could be better???
Also, I wanted to make sure that I share that this week’s spread sentiment was totally inspired by a video that I had stumbled on that morning, by Melody Ross from Brave Girls Club:
This was a message that I really, REALLY needed to hear this week! 🙂
What do you think?
If you have any ideas, or techniques that you might like to see me try in one of my future layouts, please let me know in the comment section and I will see what I can do to be accommodating! Also, I really do LOVE answering any questions you may have about art journaling, mixed-media, or anything you might have seen me do here! Please feel free to ask questions in the comments, and I will try and get back to you in a timely manner!!
Until next time!
Here is to a BEAUTIFULLY CREATIVE week! 😉
Good afternoon! I am happy to announce that this week’s Art Journal Video #8 is now posted on YouTube! Here are a list of all of the materials that I used: Black Medium Sharpie Faber Castelle Gelatos: Red, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Light Blue, …
Good morning! I am happy to announce that my Weekly Art Journal Video #6 is now up on YouTube. Here is a list of supplies I have used today, and the list is quite extensive! 🙂 HB 2 Pencil Liquitex white gesso Ceramcoat acrylic paints: …
Good morning!
I am happy to announce that my weekly Art Journal video #4 has been posted to YouTube for your perusal!
I have a bunch of pictures to show you, but first the supplies I used this week are:
I had a lot of fun doing this spread this week! Unlike most weeks, where I am just winging it, this week I had a vague idea about what I wanted to do, but had really no idea what my thought was going to be, or how to pull it all together. It wasn’t until I was finally spending time arting in quiet, while I was actually doing these art journal pages, that it finally seemed to come together!
Did you notice how much gesso I used? ACK!!! I was very heavy handed, which means it really took forever to get that layer to dry! Matter of fact, it never did completely dry until the next day!! Too much gesso + an immediate layer of gel medium + another layer of thick body acrylic paint = mamma-has-no-time-for-this-drying-craziness-so-I-had-best-be-careful-not-to-mess-this-up!!! 😉
I don’t really have any hard and fast rules for art journaling, or for mixed media in general, except for one, always ALWAYS let your layers dry thoroughly!! Unless you want them to blend together, smear, run, slide off, or flake off, than that is a different story, but I was having a heck of a time sticking to this rule for this spread! What can I say, patience is NOT one of my virtues! 🙂
As you may have probably noticed – I have a heck of a time getting drips to look right! I think I know how to do it, but when I am in full on “art mode”, the proper way to do this seems to slip my mind, and I find myself struggling to get the look right! Not to worry, though, this is all a learning process for me, and I know I will continue to get better! That is the point, right??? 🙂
I also have been wanting to find a really good quality neon fluorescent paint set! I did purchase a cheapie set this past week, but it was not a high quality brand, so there isn’t much pigment in the paint, which means I have to use A LOT of it to get the rich pop of color I am wanting, so I will keep looking! If I find a really good one I will let you know! ( I should’ve known – you get what you pay for!)
So, when I was stamping, to get more texture, I stamped right into a big glob of wet green thick body acrylic paint. This happens, and it is fine, and can add a lot more texture because it causes peaks and valleys in your acrylic paint if you let it dry that way, but make sure you stop what you are doing and clean your stamp thoroughly, right away! II have an old toothbrush on standby for just such occasions.) If you leave the acrylic to dry on your stamp, it will ruin your stamp, because it changes the shape of the stamps ridges. NOT what you want! I’m just saying’! 🙂
Anyway, although this may not be my favorite layout – I am not sure how I am digging this silver butterfly decal – it was a learning process, which is the point, as well as stopping just to listen to what your soul is saying to you, so in that way I LOVE this spread!!
Now for your input, do you have any questions, or comments for me? Is there any kind of mediums or techniques you would like me to use in future videos? Just let me know in the comment section of either my blog, here, or at my YouTube channel, and I will try and get a timely response to you! 🙂
Until next time!
Here is to a FABULOUS day!! 🙂
Good morning! I am happy to announce that my new weekly art journal video has posted! I would love for you to check that out here: Materials used: Acrylic paint colors: Americana: Carousel Pink (DA274), Turquoise Blue (DA268) Folk Art: Wicker White (901) Apple …
Good morning! As promised yesterday, here is some close up pics and details about my first ever weekly art journal video! That video can be found here. As with all of my art journal pages, I always go into the project with no real idea …
Good evening!
Tonight, for Tutorial Tuesday I thought I would share one of my favorite texture techniques, and that is texturizing with spackling paste! I know, that may sound crazy, but hear me out!! 🙂
What you will need for tonight’s project is:
Some spackling paste from your local hardware store.
Various stencils. I have a bunch of different styles that I enjoy using! 🙂
Various random tools for marking up AKA texturing the spackling paste.
You will need a palette knife, as you can see I have many different sizes, styles that I can choose from.
Some acrylic paint. I used some inexpensive craft paints for this, but you could use high pigmented paints such as Golden’s fluid acrylic, or other tube paste. Either would work just great!
and finally, you will need some acrylic gel medium, or Mod Podge will do too!
For this sample project, I started with an inexpensive plaque that I picked up at my local craft store for a dollar. I painted a solid color – any color will work!
I used sequin waste for my texture on this project. Position the sequin waste at the top of the plaque. Note: I had covered the holes of the plaque with painters tape before I started, so I would not fill the holes with the spackling paste.
Place a dollop of the spackling paste out onto your work surface – mine just happens to be freezer paper for easy cleanup.
Using a palette knife, spread some of the spackling paste over the top of the sequin waste.
To create a gradual gradient design, I decided to add yellow acrylic craft paint to my spackling paste.
Mix thoroughly.
Reposition sequins waste to cover the middle section of the plaque.
Apply the now yellow spackling paste, making sure to blend in with the overlapping white.
Do the same thing again, but this time adding orange acrylic craft paint to your yellow spackling paste.
Mix thoroughly.
Reposition sequin waste to cover the lower portion of the plaque.
and remove sequin waste.
Remove the painters tape that was covering the holes – do not worry about the areas that have no spackling compound. When I knot the ribbons that will be used to hang this plaque, those blank areas will be hidden! 🙂
Cover the whole thing with the acrylic gel medium, or Mod Podge, to seal it and there you have it. Isn’t that easy?? And really economical too!
Can you see a theme in all of my art tutorials??? Let’s just say mama doesn’t have a lot of patience!! 😉
Here are a few other examples of how I have used this technique in the past:
This is white spackling compound used over one stencil.
Here is the spackling paste, turned blue, over a painted and torn paper background (another one of my favorite techniques!)!
And finally, here is a project where I basically frosted the plaque with white spackling paste, and drew in the still wet paste. Once it was completely dry, I painted blue over the top of it, and wiped the excess off with a paper towel, leaving more paint in the recesses.
This “create” was created using the tip of a butter knife, the stripes were made using the tines of a fork.
Here are more of those fork tine lines, and the swirls were created with the blunt end of a skewer! 🙂
There you have it! I hope this inspires you to go to your local hardware store and give this simple, but fun technique a try!! Please make sure to share your results with me, I would LOVE to see how you put your own spin on this fun technique!!
Here is to a FABULOUSLY ARTSY evening! 😉
If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!