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.

Sticking down the paper in sections worked well, and I was able to peel back the last bit and reglue with the next section for a smoother finish. I didn’t varnish as I went as I wanted to go in straight away with paints and didn’t want to wait for the surface to dry. I’ve also noted that the dried varnish still retains a tiny amount of tack which I think could cause problems in a closed book. Two ways of combating this if it occurs – don’t varnish (you don’t need to in an art journal context as wear will be minimal) or dust with an antistatic pad. It may be that I’m just impatient and the varnish takes longer to cure than I want it to.

used in this layout

• First Edition Deco Maché decoupage paper: Modern Marks
• First Edition Deco Maché decoupage glue/varnish: Matt
• First Edition Craft Deco Maché brush set
• Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Paint: Picked Raspberry / Rusty Hinge / Cracked Pistachio / Mustard Seed
• Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz stencils: Bubble [TMS002], Splatter [TMS009]
• Posca PC1-MR paint pen: White
• Frisk Sketch Book A5 landscape laminated black cover

First Edition papers can be found at CraftStash and in The Range in a few weeks’ time.