Art Journal Page: Scratch ‘n’ scrape

Posted on 1st October 2021 by perfectly4med

It’s lovely to have restarted my art journaling sessions here at the Studio (first and third Monday evenings of the month). This means that I have also returned to my art journal after a several-month hiatus to create the sample pages for the session. This month the theme is scratch ‘n’ scrape, in part known in the trade as sgraffito. We’ll also be playing with analogous and complementary colours. The overall effect is quite grungy and builds up using quite a few layers and media.

If you’d like to know more then I have one space left on Monday 4th October and four spaces on Monday 18th October, just let me know if you’d like to come.

Bible Journaling 12

Posted on 24th May 2021 by perfectly4med

It’s been a long long while since I have done any Bible Journaling – probably since COVID started way back last year. Actually, now I come to think of it, I did some for New Year 2021. I had got into the habit of creating illustrations ready for my Bible Journaling classes each month, but as classes weren’t happening due to the virus neither was my own journaling practice.

Yesterday and today, however, were spent illustrating, drawing, colouring and painting with even a little gilding for good measure. Here are five more illustrations, and there is a free downloadable PDF featuring the designs in my store (Bible Journaling 12).

Creative JumpStart 2021: Week 2

Posted on 17th January 2021 by perfectly4med

I set myself the challenge of trying all of the techniques in the 10th Creative JumpStart organized by Nathalie Kalbach. This week included Gelli printing with a homemade stencil, illustrations with watercolour, tonal painting with gouache, paper quilting two ways, using texture in watercolour and stitching a story. I almost didn’t do the watercolour ones, as I really don’t get along well with the medium… but I had a go and was rather happy with the results. I haven’t done the stitching one as I don’t have kids doing naive outline drawings! Each of the featured artists has recorded a 10-minute video tutorial, and they’re all super easy to follow. Here’s this week’s work:

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Creative Jumpstart 2021: The first week

Posted on 10th January 2021 by perfectly4med

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:

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Art Journal: Annus Covidis

Posted on 10th December 2020 by perfectly4med

Back in January I joined Mixed Up Creative Academy’s free art journal course which offered a theme and a technique video each month. I chose to work in a larger size than normal – a portrait A4 page – per month. I made my own journal from thick greyboard so that I could chuck all sorts of media at it without it buckling. Unfortunately, towards the end of the year, the course was pulled due to lack of tutors, so the last three months became my own. Over the months, I found myself moving toward Bible verses and each page became an example of how Bible journaling can move off the Bible page. I present my Annus Covidis journal:

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Art Journal Page: Quiet Spirit

Posted on 22nd October 2020 by perfectly4med

I recently took delivery of the latest Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous mini-stencils, along with a Crafter’s Workshop 6×6″ stencil. Along with those came some DecoArt Americana acrylic paints. I decided that I would have a play since I haven’t done much art journaling during COVID lockdown. The text was an image transfer, put together in Adobe Illustrator before printing in reverse ready for sticking down. The woman’s head mask is by That’s Crafty!.

Review: Digital Art Journaling

Posted on 20th March 2020 by perfectly4med

Well, it’s a strange world at the moment. I’m not in self-isolation, but I, like many other self-employed freelance workers, am finding things a wee bit quiet at the moment. So, I’ve been flicking through some art journaling magazines and came across a course I thought looked great. It’s ‘Digital Art Journaling’ from Jessica Sprague and despite it being published a couple of years ago, is still available. Here is a flick through of the finished journal and after, a quick review which I hope you find useful.

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Trimcraft Maker: Modern Marks Mini-Album

Posted on 4th February 2020 by perfectly4med

I’ve not got much decoupage paper left from my goodie box from Trimcraft. I was rooting around in my altered art drawer, full of bits and bobs that I think I can upcycle, and found a stash of scrapbooks-in-a-tin from Woodware. I thought one would work well as a mini-album so decoupaged the tin lid and the included concertina pages. Matched up with some Bazzill paper for matting, I created this:

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Trimcraft Maker: Modern Marks art journal page

Posted on 1st February 2020 by perfectly4med

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.

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Trimcraft Maker: Rose Gold Tabbed Journal

Posted on 31st January 2020 by perfectly4med

I can’t remember the last time I made a mini-book from scratch… I suspect it was one of my travel journals, and the last one of those was over a year ago. I spent the night (literally) dreaming up things to do with the other decoupage papers from my Trimcraft goodies. One that stuck was to make a mini-book using the Deco Maché Rose Gold Geometric paper as the cover. Turns out that I am a little out of practice, but cobbled this together this evening: