A completed double page spread in my Moleskine art journal. I always gesso my Moleskine pages as they seem to be very absorbent otherwise. The background was created with Ranger’s Adirondack Color Wash sprayed onto the page, spritzed with water and then allowed to dry. At a recent art journaling workshop we were encouraged to ‘describe something’. My background reminded me of wonderful space nebulae pictures, so I chose to describe ‘Space’.
I finished this faceplate for my art journal this afternoon – I started it last night. The motif is an unmounted stamp from Paper Artsy, stamped onto copper side of Ten Seconds Studio’s double-sided metal foil using Stazon Black ink. I then used metal embossing tools to give the image some relief. The text was laid out in word processor before being printed out and traced through onto the metal. I then embossed the text. The embossed areas were filled with Ranger’s Glossy Accents before sticking the whole plate onto thick card with a smear of Glossy Accents over the flat surfaces. I let the plate dry overnight. Filling the raised areas with Glossy Accents stops them denting through wear at a later date as it dries to a structural solid – larger areas can be filled with lightweight DIY filler instead. The aging was a bit hit and miss, using black acrylic paint, a sanding block and lots of restarts. I also used Stazon Stamp Cleaner to remove the stamped outline. It’s stuck onto the Moleskine art journal with extra strong double-sided tape.
I completed this double spread in my moleskine sketchbook art journal over the weekend. It uses my own art journal elements (the leaves) and the quote is from Albert Camus. Doodles are with Unipin fine line pigment pen. Background is blended Tim Holtz distress inks on gesso.
Ok, so it’s nearly spring… but the colours I’d used to make the background papers inspired an autumnal theme! This is my first attempt at creating decoupage sheets suitable for many things, but I had art journaling in mind when I came up with the sketches. Please feel free to print out the sheets and use the images in your own art projects. If you share the sheets, please make sure my name is still on them. The sheets may not be copied as a part or a whole to be re-sold in any format without my permission. I’d love to know what you used them for!
Click on the images to open an A4 size version that you should be able to save and print out. If you would like a high resolution version, let me know.
I’ve just spent a fab day being taught all things art journal by Anneliese Bates, certified Ranger educator, designer and mixed media artist, and real nice with it 😉 The session covered backgrounds, layering, decoupage, doodling, writing, and what to write. Copious ideas and inspiration with all the materials required. I would recommend any future workshops – great inspiration and value for money. As to my work today – well pics of that may arise as the pages get ‘finished’.
More information on Anneliese’s workshops at her new website www.creativejourneyworkshops.co.uk
I’m discovering art journaling, and so far am just doing the backgrounds. Today I tried ‘napkin decoupage’ – taking the printed layer off a two or three ply napkin and then using a matte gel multi-medium sticking it to the page. So here’s the result! The rose image is from a napkin (Cath Kidston,John Lewis) and the rest is acrylic paint applied with a baby wipe into my Moleskine sketch book – I gesso’d the page first. The large burgundy area next to the rose image resulted from the page delaminating under gesso and heat and the top layer of the page peeling off leaving a much more absorbent core exposed. Adds to the distressed look.
