Winter Birdies Art Journal Tutorial

Hello lovelies!

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.

Have a beautiful day,

Tutorial: Colorful flower collage fodder

Hi everybody!

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 :) 

Have a beautiful day, wherever you may be 🌺🍃🌸

How to make Tissue Paper collage with simple tools

Hi crafty friends!

A big part of my mixed media art is incorporating collage, especially tissue papers. I've made a bunch of these in different colors for my various projects. Today I'm sharing an easy way to create your own collage with simple tools. Best part - you don't require a gel plate (these are quite expensive, I know...)!

The above photo shows an example of the simple tools I use to make my collage papers:

- a sheet of tissue paper, which I cut to a convenient A5 size

- acrylic paints in your choice of colors

- stencil to fit A5 size

- make up sponge for applying the paint

- chunky acrylic permanent paint pen

- small sponge brush

- masking tape to stick the tissue paper to a hard surface

In the above example I have dipped the sponge brush in black paint and simply made marks with the tip. You can make thin or wide marks or even use the side of the sponge brush to make larger marks. I often add pieces of these graphic marks to my art work (see below).

 

The chunky paint pen is such a fun tool to use. It has a chisel tip and comes in a big color range. I drew fat circles on my tissue paper. Keep in mind, that these paper need to dry completely, before you can use them in your mixed media projects. Below I am sharing even more ways to make handmade collage:

Using a make up sponge and a couple of stencils you can create endless patterns. After use, I always thoroughly wash the make up sponge and stencil with water and some mild soap, as I want to prevent a build-up of paint.

If you're looking for inspiration to use these handmade collage papers you can check out my new video!