Collage Crazy!

Week 16 over at Journal 52 is all about collage this week. I love the whimsical collages that so many people create, but these never seem to go right for me! My collage started out very differently to how it finished. It was rather therapeutic to create in the end, building the layers and textures, even if it was not what I originally had in mind.

I started by collaging torn patterned papers together to create a background, then added a rough layer of gesso on the top to mute the colours and have some texture, but still see some of the pattern through.

The torn strips came next from the pages of an old book with distressed edges. The large circle was a happy accident as I was searching though scraps of paper and it fit just right! I then found the birds nest paper and cut four more circles from this of varying sizes and added the dragonfly and butterflies.

None of this was stuck down as I was playing with placement and chose to add the turquoise blue in a rough graded layer. All elements were collaged on top, then the copper drips added and finally the written and stamped statement - I just want to get my hands messy and create!

 

 
               

 

Art Journalling - Cards

Week 15 over at Journal 52 is all about the theme of cards. What immediately sprang to mind was ATC's. I knew I wanted to create a selection of different ATC's and display these across the journal page. But what to put on them was a different matter.

I started by creating a crackle effect background using acrylic paint and crackle medium. On top of this I added a line on the lower third of the page in dark grey & blended in some turquoise. A touch of pink washi tape made it pop. I use a range of different stencils, stamps, decoupage and collage to create several mixed media ATC's. I distressed the edges of these and the journal page with distress ink, include it all into place.

After a busy week, it was good to find time to get this done. Looking forward to the new challenge.

Sweet Treats

Week 14 at Journal 52 has the prompt of Sweet Treats. Most apt with Easter at the weekend! Hope you all had a fab Easter and didn't feel too sick on all that chocolate floating around! I knew what I wanted to include in my journal page this week, but how to do it? That was a whole other issue!

I love Lindt Gold Bunnies! Everyone has to have one at Easter - just to look at! Well, maybe have a nibble on too. So I took a photograph of the Gold Bunnies I bought for friends and family this Easter and then created an image transfer onto my journal page. Around this I added Tim Holtz tissue tape, layered with acrylic paint and then added some stamps - a fern, birds, postcard writing and honeycomb. They were stamped in acrylic paint as well as Stazon. This took a lot of layering and re-painting to get something that I think kind of works! I finished with a bit of doodling around the bunnies and a bit of text, then added a dark brown distress ink edge. Hope you are all enjoying this Easter week. Definitely loving the sunshine that has finally appeared here in the UK!

               
            
               

Eggs...

Seeing as it was Easter at the weekend, lots of images around that theme and Spring are floating about! Loving the theme of eggs for SPA this week, so chose to create a mixed media postcard with a nest made from a variety of threads, then created a background layered with Tim Holtz tissue paper and distress inks. The eggs were from a blue scrapbook paper, sprayed with distress sprays to add that 'speckle'. I used foam tape to raise the eggs and finished with some button details. Hope you all had a great Easter!

               

Spring Clean...

As we have officially hit spring, Journal 52 set the prompt of Spring Clean for Week 13. I'll start first with the finished piece:

I have to say I struggled with this one, starting the page several times, then painting over it! I love spring, the burst of colour arriving in the garden, sunshine, lighter evenings and the promise of lots to come. As for spring cleaning - there is always something better to do! I started my page by spraying with distress stains, adding clock stencils and blending colours. But once dry the colours did not work as well as I wanted them to. I'm not really a pink person, but on this occasion I wanted bright spring colours.

 

I re-painted the page with distress paints and acrylics. Once dry I layered Tim Holtz Melange tissue paper and washed over with another layer of paint. I made my spring clean fairy using Prima and IndigoBlu stamps. I then stamped the flowers on the background and added some paint and white pen.

I then remembered a sign my Mum gave me once - I refuse to organise my life... It would interfere with the creative process! So totally me! So I made a version to add on. After a bit of further searching I came across the idea of a REAL To Do list - doing the things that really matter! So I made my own and added this too. Hopefully the layers now work together and give a feel of Spring.

My REAL To Do List:
1. Laugh
2. Read under a tree
3. Love
4. Dance like no-one's watching
5. Walk barefoot in the grass
6. Hug your loved ones
7. Hope
8. Keep on loving
9. Take deep breaths
10. Jump in!