A = Art

There are so many talented artists out in the world and I do have a few favourites that I follow. One of my favourites is Marta Lapkowska (blog, facebook, Instagram), at the end of last year she started up her own facebook group called Maremi's Creative Café.

It is full of so many talented artists and just recently Marta created a challenge for us. The challenge is either using a deck of playing cards, flash cards or something similar and creating on that size with a theme that is determined by Marta each week. So far we have had the themes of art, bubbles, coffee and this week is dragonflies. You don't have to do each week it is just for fun so do the ones you want. I did find a deck of old playing cards. I prepared two by sanding them to take off the shiny coating on one side and painted a layer of gesso over it. Then they sat on my desk, until this week where I finally I had an idea.

Since taking the above finished photo I have actually changed the place of the quote, it was just in the wrong spot for me. I have moved it a little further right and down a little as well.

products used: prima art extravagance texture paste - white crackle, liquitex matte gel, e-xpress it glue - triple tac, prima art basics heavy gesso - white, derivan matisse flow - magenta (quin violet), faber-castell pitt pen big brush -  cold grey III, mont marte gesso - black, ranger archival ink - jet black, gelly roll pen - white, the crafters workshop stencil - mini harlequin, adornit wooded shapes, muslin, derivan spreader medium, tim holtz idea-ology tissue wrap - melange.

Happy Creating

The Universe Works In Mysterious Ways

In July I shared with you all about breaking a blank page art journal videos from Marta Lapkowska (blog, facebook, Instagram) well I have finally completed another one of my art journal pages. In total I have completed 6 but have only share 2 including this one. Will share the other 4 with you on another day.

To start this page I punched the different size circles from a magazine, I just loved the colours in the stones and they reminded me of planets. I stuck them down and that was where it ended until the other day.

I broke one of my own rules while creating, I put the lid back on the bottle but I didn't do it up. I even thought to myself as I was putting it down I really should do it up but I knew I wanted to keep using it. Well I paid the penalty I knocked over the bottle the next time I went to use it.

This photo was taken just before I started to wipe everything down it was a real mess and to top it off I was cross with myself as I just knew it was going to happen. If I don't follow my own rules I knock things over, last time I didn't follow the rules it was a bottle of indigo ink across my desk, the time before that was bottle of Ranger Patina, the time before that was a bottle of paint. Okay, yes I am clumsy when I don't follow my own rules.

 

So before I wiped everything down and got my desk nice and clean again I mopped up the spray with two art journal pages and 4 atcs cannot waste the medium. One of those art journal pages was the one I created from the break the page videos.

 

Once I had mopped up the gold spray I had no idea what I was planning on doing with the art journal page but it still reminded me of planets. So I went with that theme and found some chipboard stars that I heat embossed with my new favourite colour of embossing powder Liquid Platinum.

Its pretty ironic that while printing out the quote I had to embrace the journey that the universe was taking me on because the quote I was trying to print in brown but no matter what I did it kept coming out purple. I enlarge the print, I made it smaller and I even checked my ink, which didn't need replacing. I have no idea why but that's where the universe took me.

products used: clear gesso, white gesso, water colour paper, prima color bloom - antique gold, chrome, tangerine and deep teal, ranger embossing powder - liquid platinum, circle punches, magazine pages, um wow chipboard - star confetti, versa watermark, stabilo aquarellable - white and black.

Happy Creating

 

Breaking A Blank Page - Chipboard

Chipboard adds instant dimension and texture to a project, it provides lots of possibilities. On one of the breaking a blank page art journal pages I used chipboard.

I used matte gel to adhere my chipboard to my paper, this gave it added strength as some glues wouldn't hold. Once dry I covered the chipboard and paper in gesso, for some reason I don't like brush marks so with my brush I pounced up and down on my page which gave it added texture.

When adding water or wet medium to dry paper I always have the problem of my paper curling so a couple of times now I have beat the system and stuck my paper to my desk with blu tack. It doesn't completely stop the curling but it certainly minimises the effect.

I love the randomness of the magicals, you just never know what result you are going to get, especially when you combine more than one.

I really had fun playing and finishing off this page, cannot wait to start adding colour and embellishments to my other break a blank page journal pages.

products used: kaisercraft stamp - script, sa crafters chipboard, prima art basics heavy gesso - white, watercolour paper, archival ink - jet black, lindy's stamp gang magicals - merci beaucoup mint, c'est la vie cerise, freaky franken-lime, merry-go-round green and hag;s wart orange, posca paint pen - white, faber-castell big brush - orange glaze, stampin' up stamp grateful bunch, tim holtz idea-ology - small talk, liquitex matte gel

Happy Creating

Breaking A Blank Page

Art Journaling what does this mean to me? It is a way to express yourself through creativity and words. I have never really kept a journal but art journaling does appeal to me. I have created between 12 - 15 pages, but I just cant get the hang of it. I want to do it but it eludes me at the moment.

A couple of months ago Marta Lapkowska (blog, facebook, instagram) put together a 3 part series of youtube videos on art journaling for beginners. I marked them at the time to watch later, it has taken me this long but last week I finally watched all three of them. Please find the links for the YouTube videos below

Art Journaling for Beginners: TIPS & SUPPLIES, how to get started part 1  
https://youtu.be/cfaIHsNmQ3M

How to Break A Blank Page? Mixed Media Art Journaling for Beginners part 2
https://youtu.be/GovaxOR1HpM

How to START? How to Break A Blank Page? Mixed Media Art Journaling part 3
https://youtu.be/HgvuJTUqZdQ

I found all three videos very useful. I would love to share with you the blank pages that I have broken. There are 24 of them so far and I haven't use all of Marta's ideas yet, the coloured pages are yet to be done, I need to cut up some more paper.

book pages, music sheet, masking tape and washi tape

washi tape, clothes tags, scrapbooking paper, magazine, gesso

texture paste (whipped spackle), thread, chipboard

As I was creating the above pages, I had some ideas of my own that I wrote down and the pages below are some of those ideas, still have a list that I want to create.

die cuts, tea bags, tissue paper and sequin waste



So maybe breaking a blank page is not my problem maybe it the next step that is. I do know that I had a lot of fun creating the start of some journal pages.

Happy Creating