Grungy Art Journal Page with Watercolor Flowers

Hi everyone!

Although popular, I'm the first to admit that watercolors are actually my least favorite medium. However, I was intrigued by this small five pan set by Kuretake, which is relatively new here in Europe. Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors are an upper end brand, but I was lucky to get the set on sale. The set includes Aurora Red, Aurora Pink, Aurora Orange, Aurora Blue and Aurora Violet plus an empty pan for mixing.  At first I was sceptical, as the paint in the pans looked drab, but once activated with water they have a wonderful granulation and color dispersion. You can see this effect on my swatches in my watercolor sketchbook. It takes a bit of experimentation, but I feel the more water is added the better the color effects! It's best to not manipulate the water and just let it air dry. Once completely dry, the full two-tone color dispersion can be seen and admired. Side note: The colors are definitely not as bright as on the package.

Of course, now that I have them I will need to use them. I wanted to create something in my junky handmade art journal. So I grabbed some watercolor pencils, a few acrylic gouache paints, some crayons and some favorite stamps. I opened the journal and chose a random spread with pages that already had some colors and marks on them. I started by loosely putting down some colors with a flat brush. 

I continued brushing on paint. I used a sky blue, light turquoise, prussian blue and rose. I also used my fingers to blend in some white. I made some marks with a black crayon and added some splatters with white acrylic ink. This "playing" is just so relaxing, and since it's done in my junk journal there is no pressure to create a masterpiece.

Once satisfied with my background, I set the journal aside to focus on my focal images. I stamped some floral motifs on a white sheet of paper and colored them in using small round brushes in size 4 and size 6. While the images were still wet, I went in with my watercolor pencils to add some details and enhance the flowers. I set these aside to dry completely. 

Now that I've experimented with the Kuretake watercolors I must say, that while I appreciate the color dispersion and granulating effect, I find that it is not as pronounced on a small area. The colors are probably more effective as a background wash or when painting sky or seascapes. I felt the two-tone effect did not show up as well on a small and detailed image like those above.

Anyway, back to my background. I stamped some of my favorite grungy stamps in some areas. And once the flower motifs were dry I cut them out, but I wasn't too precise about it, as I was just going to stick them on my junk journal pages.

I adhered the floral images on the pages with a glue stick and also added a little sentiment. "Progress not Perfection." And indeed, I made some progress as far as painting with watercolors goes. Controlling the amount of water seems to be of paramount importance. I feel these granulating colors will be fun to use on larger areas. Good to know for future projects!

Thank you for reading along and I hope you enjoyed my little art journal demonstration. And if you missed it - a quick reminder that I launched my mini workshop last week. If you are interested you can click on the button in the side bar or follow this link.

[Mini Workshop] Memory Booklet ♥

Hello lovelies,

The secret is out. I have been working on something special behind the scenes...my very own mini workshop! I came up with the concept of this cute memory booklet after spending many evenings brainstorming beginner-friendly ideas that would appeal to anyone who loves mixed media art as well as art journaling, and who cherishes the idea of creating a mini photo album of a meaningful event, be it a trip, a special birthday or holiday! 

I truly enjoyed filming and editing this mini workshop from start to finish and since my booklet is filled with photos of one of my favorite city trips to Amsterdam, I often ended up walking down memory lane long after the camera stopped rolling 😀

Piqued your interest? Follow this link for more information.

And a quick reminder that I also offer over 20 absolutely FREE mixed media art tutorials over on my YouTube channel. Click on the button in the sidebar to view.

I'm sharing a few process photos below:

Create a tip-in page

Stencilling

Create the intro page

By the way, in my workshop we'll be making the booklet from scratch! Don't worry, it is super simple and only requires two A5 sheets of mixed media paper plus a cover paper. In the workshop I guide you through the binding process, which is also very easy. 

The watchtime for this mini workshop is around 30 minutes structured into five manageable video clips. Plus I've also included a bonus video, where I share how to create a color-coordinated stack of collage papers with and without a gel plate. Super fun and easy!

A note about my painting style. If you have been following me on Instagram and elsewhere, you will know that my style is loose and expressive. I lean into this style in my workshop to some degree. Mainly it's about showcasing your favorite photos using collage and paper embellishments with a bit of stamping, stencilling and, of course, journaling. 

The beauty of this workshop is that it is customizable to your own style. Feel free to choose your own color palette, collage papers, stickers and embellishments!

Click on the button in the sidebar for more info and please share with friends 😊

Fun & Easy Messy Art in my handmade Junk Journal

Hi lovelies!

It's been so grey and rainy these past few weeks, that I was craving some color. I wanted to make some easy art, that I could fit in between my chores :) That's where my handmade junk journal comes in handy. Since the pages are made with leftover papers, underpapers, junk papers etc. they mostly already have some color or marks on them. A good starting point. For this project I actually used my fingers to "paint". Basically, I chose a couple of my favorite paint colors and randomly smeared them on the page. I guarantee this is so much fun! To see the entire process, scroll down to view the video.

There are not many tools required for this art page. Any journal will do, if you don't have a handmade one. Then pick your favorite paint colors, a couple of wax crayons, and maybe a stamp or two. For my focal point I picked one of my pre-made collage leaf images. If you are interested, you can watch this short video on how I made these.

Fun "finger painting" process below.

Step One - Use your fingers to spread the paint on the page.

A pea-sized dollop of paint will do.

Step Two - I sometimes scratch into the still wet paint to reveal color beneath (optional).

Step Three - Making marks with a crayon.

Step Four - Stamping.

I simply adhered the focal image and a title to the page with a glue stick. Another finishing touch I like to make are splatters! I made some with white acrylic ink on this page and I think they add another layer of interest to the page. Thank you for reading along and I hope my art page has inspired you to try this yourself. Enjoy!

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Handmade Greeting Cards with Kraft paper

Hello everyone!

I am back with a new, fun tutorial. I love papercrafts of all kinds and therefore have quite the stash of various papers - among those some sheets of A4 size Kraft paper. I thought these would be perfect for this card making project. The process is easy with lots of mark making and using leftover bits of collage, junk paper, found objects, ephemera and anything else you would like to decorate the card with. 

I forgot to take a picture of the plain Kraft paper, but it's really self-explanatory. You take the sheet of Kraft paper and cut it in half. Then you take the two pieces and fold them in half. That's your card bases ready!

Below is a step-by-step instruction, however, feel free to substitute any colors or decorations as you please:

Step One

I stamped my text stamp in a few areas on the card front, then used blue paint to make a couple of random swipes with a big brush. I let this dry.

Step Two

Next I used a small dagger brush and black acrylic ink to make abstract swirly marks and let this dry again.

Step Three

With a fan brush I made some splatters all over the card front.

Step Four

I set aside the cards to dry and prepare the focal images, which in my case are various leaves. I used stamps and distress ink to create the images.

 I keep a basket with tiny paper scraps that I like using in my collage art and journals. These are leftover from bigger projects. These are also great for adding texture to cards. I did not want to overload my cards, so I just chose few neutral pieces. On a whim I cut out tiny hearts from this pink leftover paper. (see above)

I arranged and adhered the pieces with gel medium, which is best for thin tissue papers and a glue stick for the sturdier pieces.

Finally, I add the cut out leaf images and hearts!

Now, I have two unique handmade cards - ready to pop into an envelope and send to someone special! 

You can watch the process in the video below:

Do you or someone you know like making papercrafts with Kraft? Pin/Share this project!

Late Summer Break

Hello everyone!

it's late August. I can already see and feel subtle shifts as we transition into cooler weather. I'd like to make the most of the mellow warmth and enjoy the outdoors, maybe visit gardens to appreciate the roses, poppies, lupins and lush green trees before their leaves turn yellow. Therefore, I will be taking a short break from the blog.

This time of year always gets me in a reflective mood. I turned a year older in August, and it's important for me to grow in meaningful ways. I like to accomplish something, even if it's just a little thing. Perhaps getting my YouTube channel up and running can be counted as an accomplishment? 

Meanwhile, I have compiled some older posts below in case you missed them. Perhaps these may interest my new followers (hello!) :

Handmade Felt Bunny - Read the article here

Vintage Style Accordion Book - Read the article here

Garden Days - Read the article here

I hope that you enjoy the quiet beauty of those last days of summer, too. Thank you for stopping by my blog and I'll catch up with you in September. Take care!

DIY Art Prompt Cards - Ideal Tool for Artists

Hi everyone!

I've had this idea to create my own art prompt cards for the longest time - not least out of necessity, as I've been struck with the dreaded "art block" a few times these last couple of years and it is not a good feeling. As it so happens, I've had this set of blank postcards in my stash for a while, which came in handy for this project. Obviously, I was in quite a creative mood when I made these, as I completed the whole card deck (30 pcs) in a weekend!

I'm sharing my process for how I made these cards, however, feel free to tweak and substitute anything to your liking! This is why I love mixed media so much, is that the possibilities are endless.

When I'm working in a series, I often like to tape the cards together with a bit of low-tack masking tape and view the surface as a whole piece. As in the example above, I simply used a brayer to roll on some bright, contrasting colors as a first layer. Another way to start is by adding a light wash in pale colors and stamp something bright on top - see below.

The cards I'm working on are 200 gsm. They did curl a little when I put down the wash, but this is easily fixed by lightly spraying the back with water and then putting several heavy books on top with a paper towel in between to soak up the moisture. 

Let's continue with the bright colored cards...

Step One

I like to add texture with my text stamp and a black stamp pad. I stamp the image to random areas.

Step Two

I make some marks and add some handwritten text with a fat acrylic paint pen.

Step Three

I adhere tissue paper collage that has graphic elements on it.

Step Four

I add a layer of stencilling.

Step Five

I make more marks with an old plastic lid and indigo ink.

Step Six

Finally, I add focal points to my cards. This can be anything from stamped images, ephemera, cutouts, stickers etc.

Above is a selection of cards from my deck. As you can see, it's the layering process that gives them interest and depth. Besides, it's fun!

All thirty cards have individual art prompts on the reverse side. I came up with general art prompts, that can be used for all types of art, not just mixed media. You can watch me create an art card in the video below. The list of prompts is in the description box directly below the video on You Tube. So, when next I'm stuck in my art, I grab my art card deck, give the cards a good shuffle, spread them out on my work table and randomly pick three cards. I sometimes do this with my eyes closed to avoid picking the same ones I tend to gravitate to. The prompts on the back are my starting points. I grant myself the freedom to use any substrates and any tools that I wish - from brushes, to brayers to sponges! I also gently remind myself, that these prompts are simply suggestions.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today and if you happen to watch the video below on YouTube a thumbs up would be very much appreciated ♥ Have a lovely day, wherever you may be.

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Hydrangea Love

Hello lovelies!

Hydrangeas are the quintessential summer flower! I simply love their large, showy blooms that come in a variety of pretty colors. My recent walk in this garden inspired me to create this art journal spread. There are lots of yummy layers including washi tapes, inks and texture paste. Here is a step-by-step plus if you scroll down you can check out the full video.

Step One:

Cover the page with assorted washi tapes and painter's tape. You can find the latter at hardware stores.

I added a light coat of clear gesso on top and let it dry.

Step Two:

Pick up three different shades of green acrylic paint* with a brayer and quickly roll it onto the page making sure to leave some areas for the washi tapes to show through. Let dry. *I use them sparingly.

Step Three:

Add texture paste through a stencil and let dry completely. This takes several hours better yet overnight, so patience is required. Add dark green ink to the stenciled areas.

Step Four:

Stamp various hydrangea images onto white drawing paper and use watersoluble crayons to color them in. You can get stamp sets online and at craft stores. I used a black stamp pad and let the images dry for a bit before coloring them in.

Step Five:

Once dry I fussy cut all the images out. Again, patience is required.

Step Six:

Arrange the images as you would like and glue them down with a glue stick. Add a title or sentiment if you wish.

Scroll down for video tutorial.

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