Art Prompt Cards

 When I stare at a blank canvas or blank page in my art journal, sometimes I have no idea where to start. NONE!  About a year ago I decided to start writing down my favorite techniques for mixed media, painting and collage, and before I knew it I had a set of 189 prompts to help me get started.  For fun I added dice to make it a real game of chance.  All you have to do is print them out on cardstock (or stick them to a deck of cards) and you'll never run out of ideas and combinations to create art.  Have fun and MAKE YOUR MARK!

The Frida page I created using a few art prompts!

Watch how to make them and use them here!

LINK TO MY ART PROMPT PRINTOUTS HERE: https://etsy.me/3kuXwgv

HAVE FUN AND MAKE ART!

Upcycled Magazine Art Journals and Stencils

As you may already know, I can't stand tossing things that I know can be turned into something beautiful!  For example, every year I splurge on a fancy home decor magazine from England called The World of Interiors and I have stacks of them going way back.  Because this magazine is printed on thick, yummy paper, in college I would use the old ones for smash books.  Now, I cut them in half and make art journals with them.  So much better than tossing them, right?  You can use Citri-Solve to dissolve the ink on each page OR you can just add some white Americana Acrylic over each page to create a base in which to paint.  Up to you!  Either way, this is an economical way to have tons of art journals for your creative adventures.  Use what you have, my sweet friends, and always

Make Your Mark!

Get the magazines cut in half at Staples with their guillotine machine!

I used a 5" x 7" Gel Press to create my colorful pages!

Make your own stencils with plastic salad lids and a Creative Versa Tool from Walnut Hollow

Watch how I made mine here!

And so the day begins!

Happy journaling!

Art Journaling

Last week I got to teach an Art Journaling class at Craftcation in Ventura!  What an absolute blast I had, too.  The first thing I emphasized when I began the class is that there are no rules in art journaling.  None at all!  I mean it, too.  What I'm sharing here today are the techniques I use to create my pages.  Of course I use DecoArt paint because I love it and the colors are just amazing, as you can see.  So with that, cut a fancy magazine in half or grab an empty notebook and start creating your art journal.  I guarantee you'll be more healthy for it!  Remember to use every color in the box and always Make Your Mark! 

 A few of my pages

 Stenciling, clip art, rubber stamps...Oh my!

Watch how I art journal here!

STUFF I USED

Gel Press and brayer

Americana Premium Tube Acrylics

Americana Premium black and white gesso

Americana Matte Medium

Americana Neons in Sizzling Pink

Magazine Art Journals

Art Foamies stamps

DecoArt Stencils

Book pages, masking tape, plastic cups & clip art

HERE'S HOW

1. Bray orange and hot pink on your Gel Press

2.  Press an art journal page on the Gel Press to transfer the color

3.  Bray green and teal on the Gel Press

4. & 5. Create circles with the mouth of the plastic cup and transfer to a book page

6.  Apply strips of masking tape to the plastic Gel Press protector

7. & 8.  Load the Gel Press with hot pink and yellow, create squiggles with a comb and press on the masking tape to create washi tape

9.  Press more yellow and teal on another book page

PART 2

10.  Stamp the journal pages with Art Foamies using white and black paint

11.  & 12.  Rip and adhere the printed book pages to the journal pages

13.  Cut and adhere clip art to the journal pages

14.  Dilute paint colors to add a color wash to the clip art

15.  Add some of your printed washi tape

16.  Stencil some large flowers using the white gesso

17.  Color wash them with diluted paint

18. Stamp the pages again with the Art Foamies

DONE!

Don't like a page?  Keep adding to it until you do! 

Happy journaling!