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It is finally complete and i am so happy. I love the combination of art journal & mini album. You can see the build up of layers in this album in these blog posts.
and now you get to see the interior complete with journals & doodles. I added in 2.5" x 2.5" photos on the pages. I love the simple squares with the background. I journaled a bit here & there just adding in thoughts and a few details. I love this type of mini album and will be doing more of these in the future!
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I admit i am into backgrounds. I love building up slow layers of color and texture. This cool technique falls right into that love. Today i am sharing how to use distress inks, stamps, and water to create this uber fun layer.
Here's the final piece. After completing the background, i stamped the awesome leaf stamp again in citrus ink. It is a Cocoa Daisy stamp that is sold out. I have heard "rumors" that they just may be bringing it back for a second release. I then stamped the word grow in archival black ink and placed the die cut under it. I added in some cream butterflies and journaled around the edges. You can see the "ghosted" stamp in the background creating beautiful depth in the layers. I hope you have fun trying out this technique. Please share if you create something, i would love to see it!
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a simple black pen.
it can transform any page, photo, stamp, layout, mixed media piece,etc.
it is one of the overlooked tools in your arsenal yet ever so valuable.
Let me show you how it has transformed some of my pages in my Doha Art Journal Mini Album.
This is a before and after shot to show how outlining a simple shape gives it some pop.
See patterns within patterns. This stencil by Julie is called Wedding Ring. When you look at the pattern you will most like see circles. However with a few quick lines of a pen, you can see flowers.
Outline a few misted stencil shapes using the stencil & a pen. You can outline as many as you want.
If there are breaks in the stencils, you can add in those pen lines too. For example this henna hand had little breaks and the finger tips didn't come down all the way. This is how stencils work to get the pattern, otherwise you would just have an empty hand.
Add in some doodles. The image to the right was a stamped image. The ones down the middle of the page are doodles. I could even fill in those tiny circles in the stamped image. The washi tape was outline with a wide tip pen.
Doodle around pictures to make them pop. I already outlined a few images on the page with a black pen plus there was a few stamped images in black. When i placed the photo on the page, it got lost. My solution, add black doodles around the edge and make it the center of attention again.
all this through the magic of a simple black pen.
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Over the last couple weeks, i have been able to sneak in some creative time while the boys were off spending some time together. I decided to work on the interior backgrounds of my Doha Mini Art Journal, adding in little bits and pieces of ephemera. I want to add in the photos at home and then finish off the album. My plan is to use 2" x 2" or 3" x 3" square photos on the inside, depending on what fits better.
On these pages, i have used 6" x 6" The Crafter's Workshop stencils and lots of mists. I then stamped images in black and added bits & pieces of washi tape. I plan on doodling some on the pages and adding in bits of journaling. Here's a look at some of these background interior pages.
and don't forget to register for this FREE webinar I'll be hosting with the incredible Lisa Pace. You can find all the details in THIS POST.
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Remember this blank journal from a few posts ago? I knew at the time that it would serve as my travel mini album for this trip. I know that Doha is become a second residences of sorts but i am still so fascinated with the culture, the scenery, and the time i spend here. i like the idea of this mini being a cross between a scrapbook travel album and art journal. The grid on the interior of this album is just perfect for this idea.
It comes with plenty of pages so i decided to adhere some of the pages together since i wanted to add in some spray inks & paints. You can take a glue stick and glue two or three pages together for extra support. i don't mind crinkles but if they are bothersome, use a brayer to get a smooth surface.
Of course i couldn't leave the outside plain. One of the biggest fascinations for me is the use of design elements in every day items. Beautiful intricate designs in doors, gates, walls, etc. I thought this mini should have that same feel. I used some leftover decorated watercolor paper from this post on the front cover. Next i stamped some leaves using paint onto some old text. I outlined them with my favorite uniball vision pen. I layered three of them at the bottom of the orange paper. I added a strip of metal foil tape at the top and drew a design on it. I then stamped some boarder stamps and added my title. I do love this little design! I have been slowly adding to the interior of the album and will share some of those pages soon.
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