For those unfamiliar with card making terms, a sketch refers to a predetermined layout as a guide for your card. The latest challenge at AAA Cards is for a clean and simple card following such a sketch (pic below). Sketches are great recipes for those new to, or not confident in, card making and scrapbooking. There’s the optional extra to use flowers. Here’s my take on the theme:
One layer card time at Less is More with a diamonds theme. This is what it says, with no die cuts, embellishments, and all completed on the folded cardstock. It’s harder than it seems and today’s example was the third time I tried the same technique!
I signed up to do Creative Jumpstart 2021 back in November. What with Covid and no studio groups to prep for, my creativity has had a minor slump and I’ve not even had the mojo to create for the fun of it. Creative Jumpstart has a daily 10-15 minute tutorial or inspiration video to watch and so far it has included monoprinting, art journaling, illustration, watercolour and collage as part of the ‘storyteller’ theme. I’ve had a go at all but one so far and it’s been great to challenge my prejudices against some media (watercolour!) and to try out new media. Here are my attempts at the first week of projects:
Here’s another design team card for Less is More challenge blog. This time the theme is ‘doodles’ which is a pretty open-ended challenge allowing all sorts of artwork to be included. I’ve chosen to use a stencil for the main element of the card, doodling over the top with a Sakura Gelly Roll black pen.
Less Is More challenge time again… and the theme is ‘OLC Going Dotty’. This is a one layer card challenge, with artwork applied directly to the card. No matting or layering is allowed and no other embellishments either. It can be quite tricky and it’s not unknown for several attempts to be needed to get perfect stamping and other mark-making. Here’s my design team card, just one this time:
Quick and simple – stamp a sentiment first in jet black archival ink and then mask. Apply distress oxide inks through a Tim Holtz mini-stencil and take off the mask. All done!
I’m on a roll! Today’s make is an art journal page featuring the new First Edition Deco Maché decoupage paper in the Modern Marks design. I decided to augment the marks and colour matched the marks to Distress Paint colours (listed below). The paper behaved itself today – I used less of the glue and the wrinkles were kept to a minimum as a result. It’s certainly a lot harder to work with a sheet rather than pieces, so bear this in mind. Time-lapse video below.
I’ve done two art journal pages today… but I’m only going to share this one! I’ve not played in my Dylusions journal for a while and thought I’d get out my Dylusions paints and have a play. The shiny silver bits are not foiled, rather where I used Molotow’s Liquid Chrome pens to trace over elements from the stencil. I’m still stunned by the shininess the pens create. It’s nice enough as it is, but I’m not sure it’s finished.
Side note: I had to resurrect one of my paint colours – a quick tip is to use a couple of drops of ammonia in your water when trying to thin a gloopy semi-dried paint. I really must use up paint before it dries up!
Next month’s art journal session’s theme is ‘Washi tape’. This versatile patterned translucent sticky tape is ideal for decorating pages, but can also be used as a masking tape. Here are two pages for your creative inspiration.
On Monday night I have my art journal session in The Studio, and we’re using the prompt ‘New Year’. This layout developed from a teaching session I did with a new Studio guest a few weeks ago, showing the difference and similarities between Distress Oxides (left-hand side) and Distress Inks (t’other side). A quick layer of acrylic paint forms the background to the white text. The purple text is a combination of stamped and handwritten, using Distress Oxides and Posca pen respectively.
As with everything internet, I tend to only post things I am happy with. It’s the same with quality control in The Studio – it only goes out of the door if either my guest is happy, or I’m happy (and hopefully both) with the result of hard work. Today I’m going to share the process that led to this illustration:
