Pocket Journal with Altered Pages

Hi lovelies,

I have different sized art journals to work with, but I always come back to the pocket sized ones. They are a practical size for art play, quick sketches, and making notes. Some of mine are dedicated to just one theme, such as "florals", "autumn", "faces" etc. 

At the beginning of this year I started a new project: altering the pages in a vintage style theme with fun tuck spots, journaling cards, collage clusters, tabs, and other interactive elements. I recently completed this journal and I wanted to share some of the pages here with a short explanation on how I created them.

First, I decided on the color palette, which I used thoughout the journal: ash green, misty blue, rose, gray and cream. Plus black, white and tiny touches of brown and ochre.

I painted, collaged and/or distressed all the pages. I alternated simple pages with pages that contained tuck spots for tags and note cards. This is to prevent the journal from becoming too chunky.  

A simple "trick" to make cards look aged is to brush them lightly with watered down raw umber ink and make a few splatters. In the example below I dipped a small plastic lid into the ink and stamped faux coffee rings. 

For embellishment I used torn paper pieces, washi tape, tissue collage, stamps and added cute tabs to a few pages. On each spread I left enough space for journaling. The journaling cards and note paper tucked inside can also be used for additional notes, thoughts, dreams. 

I'm really pleased with how this little journal turned out! I like how each page is different, yet the overall look is cohesive. I like the textured elements. Bonus: I used leftover paper scraps from other projects to create the collage and some of the journaling cards.

Thank you for reading along. Take care and Happy Friday!

Vintage Style Art Journal Page

Hello everyone!

for as long as I can remember I've always had a diary to express my thoughts and feelings - sometimes with words, other times with loose sketches - a place to take refuge at the end of the day. I suppose my art journal is an extension of that, and it's become more than a creative outlet. For these past six years my journal has been a faithful companion on my art as well as life journey. 

As mentioned in a previous post I didn't quite complete this journal within the last year, on account of being a slow journaler. I like to contemplate each step in the process, often guided by my current emotions and let the story unfold intuitively. Some of the steps can be seen below:

I often start by journaling with a watersoluble pencil and then give the pages a good spray with water to let the color flow. Most of the journaling will be covered with collage, but it felt good to express my thoughts. I did leave a few words and some of the pale mint colored paint that had already been on the pages peek through here and there. Once I was satisfied with the collaged layer I pushed it back with white paint. At this point I took a break and came back to the page the next day. 

One of the things I enjoy is adding sentiments from word snippets that I collect in a small box. I have them in different sizes and fonts, which adds a whimsical touch to the page.

At this stage I know I am nearing the completed spread and usually add some marks, lines, and splatters as finishing touches.

I chose this image from The Graphics Fairy as my focal point. Before printing it out, I processed the image to match the colors in my spread. Then I used gel medium to adhere it to the page along with a stamped leaf image. It was very satisfying to complete this spread. 

Thank you for visiting and I hope you have a wonderful day ahead!

Mixed Media Art Journal Page with Collage Fodder

Hello lovelies!

Today I'm sharing a beginner-friendly art journal page with handmade collage, stencils and stamping plus using one of my ready made collage clusters as a focal point. In the picture below you can see a small selection. These are really fun to make plus you have the added bonus of using up those tiny paper scraps.

I've decided to create this page in my large square journal and I have taped off the edges, as I wanted my finished work to have crisp edges. 

Step One

I started by randomly stencilling a dot pattern and then proceeded to tear up some papers, mostly my handmade gelli prints and some old book pages and sheet music. I always like adding the latter, because the musical notes carry their own unique pattern. I adhered them with gel medium and brushed on a thin layer on top not only to seal the papers, but to prepare them for additional layers.

Step Two

While the collage itself looks pretty, I wanted it to "melt" into the background and unify the pieces. The best way to do this is to either brush on a layer of white gesso or in my case I used acrylic paint in titan buff and a brayer. 

Step Three

Once the paint has dried completely I played with some crayons that matched the collage colors and also added some stamping with black ink.

Scroll down to watch the full video tutorial.

Step Four

Finally, I removed the tape and grabbed some of my collage clusters. I wanted to try out different sizes and shapes before committing to one. 

I went with the bird cluster, as I felt the colors harmonized well with the background. I also added a little sentiment. Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you enjoyed this simple collage work and if you watch the video, please kindly give it a thumbs up ♥

Click to watch the YouTube tutorial:

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[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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Art Journal Spread with handmade Collage Fodder

Hello artsy friends!

On most days I like to make some art, even if it's just 20 minutes of enjoyable art play in my handmade junk journal. One such session resulted in this colorful and messy page! The papers in my junk journal already have some color on them, so this gave me a nice starting point to create a background. I did some mark making with my creamy crayons and added a few bits of collage. I stamped my text stamp in a few places for interest and texture. As a finishing touch I adhered some colorful leaves as a focal point on each page as well as a title.

Here's a step-by-step:

Step 1 - There were already some blue marks on the pages, so I spread some more blue - a bright sky blue - on both pages. 

Step 2 - I used my fingers to spread the color on the pages to get a unique "messy" look.

Step 3 - Next, I added acrylic ink in burnt sienna and used a small brayer to spread it around.

Step 4 - I spread some more ink around - in bright pink. I also grabbed my creamy crayons and made some random marks. Colors used: black, light orange.

Step 5 - I grabbed some paper scraps and collaged them in some areas on the spread.

Step 6 - using my text stamp to make marks in some areas for interest.

If you would like to know how I made this junk journal, check out this video:

Finishing touches: I glued down colorful leaves and a title to each page.

The point of this mixed media art play is not to create a masterpiece. It's to simply enjoy putting down colors, making random marks, using your favorite tools - yes even your fingers - and since it's done in a junk journal there's no need to be precious about it. Just make art the way that pleases you. I guarantee you will feel re-energized afterwards :)

Here's a quick video on how I made my collage fodder:

I hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

P.s. Pin / Share this project ☺

Mixed Media Art Journal Flip Through

Hi everyone,

I recently completed my personal art journal! There is a certain sense of achievement once that final page is done. It's a testament to me showing up for my art almost daily, even on days when I don't feel so good. I titled this journal "Faces & Collage" and I chose a journal with creamy-toned paper. I mostly draw expressive faces, in a loose and sketchy style and I love adding unusual colors to them. My favorite shapes are circles and hearts - a recurring theme throughout the pages. I'm sharing a complete flip through over on YouTube. So, grab a coffee or tea and enjoy a couple of minutes of my art work:

 p.s. a like, subscribe and comment would help get my channel seen by more people who enjoy mixed media art. Thanks ♥

Have a beautiful Sunday!