I was going to post a step-by-step tutorial for this art journal spread, but I was so in my element creating it, that I totally forgot to take photos! Sorry about that! However, you can still follow the process in my video here:
I'm back with a cute DIY idea for Valentine's Day. For me, this day has always been about spreading kindness, joy and love to all my family and friends. It's never been about just couples. While I endeavour to be kind all year round, I like the idea of a day dedicated to love. If you are thinking of gifting the special people in your life, why not embellish your gift with a handmade tag? Here's how:
Gather your supplies. You'll need a piece of white card stock or mixed media paper. The size depends on how many tags you intend to make and the type of tag punch that you may have. Alternatively, you can simply cut rectangular tags to your preferred size. Mine are 2.5 " (6,3 cm) wide and 4.5 " long (11 cm)
You will also need:
• a heart stencil
• super heavy white gesso
• a scraper (or old credit card)
• red acrylic ink
• spray water bottle
• alphabet stamps
• red stamp pad
• red ribbon
• scissors
If you have a tag punch, go ahead and make as many tags as required or alternatively cut rectangular tags. Next, line up your stencil on the bottom part of your tag and using the scraper thinly apply the heavy gesso. Make sure the hearts are filled in. Carefully lift off the stencil. This needs to dry completely. It will take a couple of hours, but you can use a heating tool to speed up the process.
Once dry, add a couple of drops of red acrylic ink onto the raised hearts and spray them with water. Move the tag from side to side to make the color spread. I placed some used copy paper underneath, so as to not get any paint on my table. Mop up any excess ink with a paper towel. Then set the tag aside to dry.
Now grab your alphabet stamps and red stamp pad. I have a set of silicone stamps, which I use in many of my mixed media projects. I placed my letters on acrylic blocks. If you have wooden stamps you can forego this step. I chose to stamp my word three times to the top part of the tag.
And finally, cut a piece of ribbon and loop it through the hole in the tag. If you have cut your tag into a rectangular shape you will need to punch a hole with a regular hole punch first. And now your tag is ready to attach to a gift! I hope you have as much fun to make these as I did ♥
I'm back with another mixed media art tutorial. My tutorials are oriented towards those who are just starting to explore the world of mixed media and are curious about all the different techniques. Of course, seasoned artists are welcome too! What I love about mixed media is you don't actually need a lot of stuff to get going. A good quality art journal or pad, your favorite paint colors, some brushes, your favorite stencil and stamp, and a couple of pens/pencils. All of these can be student grade except the surface. It's the same principle as in sewing. The fabric might be a bargain, but the thread must always be high-quality. So, be it a journal or paper pad - make sure you buy heavyweight paper atleast 200 gsm. Because if the paper is cheap, your work will look "off" and you'll be very disappointed at the result. That said, let's get to it:
For this tutorial I grabbed my square journal and taped off the edges, which you can skip. I just like the clean finish when the tape is removed. To ged rid off the blank page I stamped my postcard stamp in two areas. Then wet the page and dropped in some Sky Blue acrylic ink. Using the mop brush I spread the paint until it resembled a cloud like finish.
I layered a stencil on top using three acrylic paint colors. Remember that each layer needs to dry before adding the next layer. You can use a heat tool to speed up the process.
For the top layer I glued down bits of collage paper - tissue paper, vintage-style paper and gelliprints - from my stash. I usually rip the pieces by hand to make them blend into the page better. I then added my focal image and the title for this page. Would you like to see the whole process from start to finish? Watch it here:
If you have any questions please leave them in the comments below or on my channel. If you liked this short video tutorial please give me a thumbs up. Thank you and have a beautiful day ~
This is my first post of 2025 and one of my goals this year is to boost my blog! I know blogging seemed to be on the downward trend a few years ago, but personally, it had always been my favorite form of communicating. So, trendy or not, I will endeavour to increase my posts this year.
We've been having exceptionally cold weather and even a light dusting of snow. I have been in my studio working on a series of small paintings on wood panel. Like with my other crafts, I enjoy mixing things up and in between paintings I have done some art journaling and created a few mixed media pages. Some of these I share the process on my YouTube channel. Here is one of them. Since I'm working in my A6 journal the page is easily done and includes fun tools and plenty of layers with an assortment of stamps and stencils.
I'm mainly working with acrylic inks in this tutorial. I find I like the ones from Liquitex, as they are highly pigmented and come in a large color range, including neons and metallics. Using an old, small plastic bag I spread the inks randomly on the surface.
Applying scraps of collage, grungy stamps and fun stencils. All supplies are listed in the video description. You can watch the entire process from start to finish here:
Creating this art journal spread with its many layers and textures was enormously satisfying. Are you a fan of "messy art"? Let me know in the comments.
I was thinking about my blogging journey the other day, and how this little blog of mine has changed direction several times. Last year, due to circumstances beyond my control I wasn't able to post a single article. Therefore it makes me especially happy that I was able to pick up blogging again this year, even though not quite as often as I had hoped.
I know that mixed media art might not be your cup of tea, but I combine this with other crafts, such as card making and gelli printing, for example. Who doesn't love those?!
Anyway, today's tutorial is a full spread in my art journal. If you are wondering what type journal I am using - it's from Hahnemühle, my favorite brand. Since it's a German brand it's readily available here, but foremost, I use it for its smooth, natural white paper quality. At 200 gsm it takes a lot of wet media surprisingly well. I also like the different formats they come in. The art journal above is a nice A5 size that opens up to an A4 spread.
I've chosen a Winter theme and primarily use acrylic paints for this project. In this first layer I have chosen Burnt Sienna and Yellow Ochre, reflecting a bit of the colors of Autumn, which you can still see here and there. To get this interesting texture I have used a piece of sandwich paper.
After the first layer has dried, I add another paint layer, this time with a small brayer.
I let this dry again, before adding the next layer with some stencilling. I like dabbing the paint on with a make up sponge - just be sure to pop it into a jar with water after use. Then rinse thoroughly under a tap.
You can watch the whole process from start to finish in my video tutorial here:
Be sure to give me a "thumbs uo" or leave a comment...this helps to circulate my video to a wider audience, so more people can enjoy it! All the supplies are listed in the video description.
And here's my finished spread! I have chosen an excerpt from Mary Oliver's book "Winter Hours" and printed it out, then cut out the sentences and glued them down with a glue stick.
Let me know if you like these type of spreads or if you wish to see more card making, collage fodder type of tutorials? Thank you.
I like to make batches of floral paper embellishments - also known as collage fodder - for future mixed media projects, card making or junk journaling.
To make these you'll need acrylic paints in the colors of your choice, a couple of text stamps, crayons and your favorite floral and leaf stamps. The process is quite simple! You can watch the whole video here:
If you're watching on YouTube, do give me a "thumbs up" - this will help my video reach more people to enjoy it. And if you have any questions you can ask them in the comment section or here. I read and appreciate every comment :)
Autumn is upon us, with the leaves gradually changing their colors to lovely warm yellows and reds. The days are getting shorter and there is a chill in the air in the mornings. I appreciate the last golden rays of sunlight that we get!
This fall season has inspired me to create this leaf-themed art journal spread 🍂
I am sharing a free tutorial over on You Tube:
In this video I am having fun with various types of mixed media techniques: dry brushing, stencilling, stamping, collage and drawing/illustrating. While it's not difficult to create this spread, some drawing experience would be helpful. I used graphite pencils in HB/4B/6B, as I find this tool is accessible to most. All of the supplies are listed in the video description.
I chose one of my favorite Autumn quotes by Albert Camus and stamped this onto paper scraps with my silcone alphabet stamp set. Be warned - It takes quite a while to stamp, cut and glue onto the page :)
For her "hair" a simple leaf-shaped stamp works best. Just make sure it's a single leaf without any branches etc.
after a scorching Summer the temperatures have dropped dramatically, and it's been quite stormy these past days with lots of rain. I guess Fall season is here!
I'm sharing a fun and easy DIY today. You can watch the YouTube video in real time here:
In step one I started by stamping one of my favorite text stamps in random areas on a plain, store-bought gift tag. You can use kraft paper ones or even cut your own. It's up to you.
I then went ahead and added the watered-down distress inks. You can see how I do this in the video.
After this has completely dried I then make some marks with wax crayons, because I just love using them, but you can use inks, markers, colored pencils etc.
I then glue down a piece of the tissue paper collage in olive green with gel medium, Mod Podge or other suitable glue.
I again let this dry completely before adding the next layer. You can use a hair-dryer to speed up the process. Then choose whatever paper embellishment you wish plus a tiny bit of cheesecloth to add some texture. This is optional or you could add a piece of jute or linen if you have that on hand.
Glue these pieces down one on top of the other and add a layer of Mod Podge on top. As you can see I have a bit of overhang to one side and some frayed edges, which I like the look of. Set this aside to dry. Tie on a gingham ribbon through the hole as the final step. Now do another one :)
today I am sharing a fun mixed media craft - altered cards and envelopes using a variety of techniques, such as collage, stamping, mark making and painting with a brayer! You can watch the tutorial on Youtube. A full list of supplies is in the video description.
https://youtu.be/ZQdloAYA2I4
Below are some additional tips!
I have used a small rubber brayer to quickly roll the acrylic paint across the envelope, both front and back. Let the first color dry, before applying the next one. Remember to wipe excess paint off the brayer to avoid the two colors mixing.
The end of a used wine cork is perfect for making these big dots. Simply dip it in the paint and make some random marks. I also used a black paint marker with a chisel tip to make a row of marks.
I applied a thin coat of white gesso to the front of the card, before pressing it in the diluted paint. Let the paint flow naturally and try not to move it around or manipulate it with a brush. This needs to dry completely, before adding any further layer, such as collage or embellishments.
I always have some stamped and colored embellishments ready to use. I stamped a flower motiv and used colored pencils to color it in. I also used a alphabet stamp to make the word. I fussy cut them carefully. I used a glue stick to adhere them on the card in the desired position.
I hope you enjoyed this free tutorial. If you watched the video on Youtube, a "thumbs up" would be very much appreciated :)
it's the height of summer and my dahlias are in full bloom. Way back in February I bought dahlia bulbs from a flower market in the Netherlands. I planted them in our garden in March, and since then they have grown exceptionally well. I find that they prefer a shady area and need plenty of water. I guess it's a good thing, that it rains frequently in my area!
Insprired by these beauties I created a fun and colorful art journal spread! I am sharing the video here or you can watch on You Tube if you prefer. If you are new to mixed media or art journaling - no worries. This tutorial is beginner friendly and only limited supplies necessary. Enjoy and have a great week!
p.s. if you do watch on YouTube, a "thumbs up" would be massively appreciated :)
Hello readers! Please note all original content on this site is intellectual property of Duni's Studio. If you do share, please give proper credit and link back to this site. Thank you.
//