May Mixed Media Journal #1 ...

Hello my lovely friends and visitors, I hope your weekend was good and you have a fabulous week!  I'm worried to jinx it but I think I'm getting into the swing of playing and creating mixed media style. It certainly feels a little like it's getting a bit easier these days, lol, anyway you know why I am here and here it is …

Creating all the individual parts and putting them together was so fun!

All the yummy details

A final look

Created for me and especially for these Challenges

A Inky Mess Challenge #10 Anything Mixed Media Goes

As You Like It Challenge Favourite Die and Why:

The butterfly die is from a set I purchased less than half price. It's very versatile and I use it on cards, tags, home decor or in my journal. It's especially good for using those snippets and for adding a little splash of colour to whatever project I'm working on

Card Mania Challenge CMC#92 Life is Colourful

Country View Crafts Challenge Flower Power

Creative Artiste Challenge #26 Mixed Media Anything Goes

Love to Create Challenge #8 Mixed Media Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamps Wednesday Challenge A Hint of Pink

Stamplorations Stamps May Mixed Media Challenge Anything Goes

I've owned the stencil I used for this page a while I had forgotten about it, hands head in shame, well no more! It's one of four that I was very lucky enough to win from the Craft Stamper monthly challenge. I have used only part of the stencil this time but it really packs a gorgeous punch along with the huge orchid flower, love that stamp so much! Anyway my first play with the stencil was with using watercolour pencils. I attached the stencil to a piece of card and lightly drew around the cut out parts. I then used a damp brush and when necessary a little more watercolour pencil to colour those parts. The uncoloured white was a bit too harsh so I dipped my brush into clean water and lightly brushed across the areas. It has taken away that harsh white and left more soft and subtle shades of green on the background and I like it.

The orchid was stamped onto white gesso card using a Staz On ink pad and I used watercolours to colour that too. Fussy cut it out and popped to one side. My journal page already had a light coat of gesso on it. When I am working on a page the next two have already had a layer of gesso. Once that page is finished the next two are done - so that there are always four gesso coated pages ready to use, especially as I tend to journal when inspiration strikes, so I've learnt to be well prepared for it. I decided to colour the background with a lovely dark blue acrylic paint and I used a damp baby wipe I spread the paint across my the journal page.

I left the page to dry overnight and the next day I started to play around with the finished orchid and the stencilled panel. It was at this point that I decided I wanted to cut a bit of the stencilled card down because I wanted a big leaf behind the orchid. I glued the pieces to my page and added a left over die cut butterfly and I love it!

Scheduling in the time and being prepared for it seems to be helping me keep on track with my mixed media play and experiments, I hope that will continue as we get more into the year and especially in December! I was desperate by Christmas, all I wanted to do was play MM but time and needed Christmas cards made it impossible! Thank you so much for taking the time to visit and comment. I really do appreciate it and I hope you get some time to do what you love to do soon ttfn Karen x

Tools

Stamp:

Stampendous Orchid stamp

Retro Beech Stamp Set from Rubber Dance Art Stamps (I used the textured sand stamp)

Stencil:

Gio Gio Craft Leaf stencil

Die Cutting Machine & Dies:

Cuttlebug die cutting machine

Crafters Companion Sara Davies Signature Butterfly Lullaby Range

Miscellaneous Tools:

MISTI; paintbrushes; water pot; paint palette; palette knife; baby wipe

Supplies

Card Paper:

My Pink Pig A5 Journal

Snippets: Sheena Douglass white stamping card; patterned paper

EP Ink/Paint/Pen Colours:

Staz On IP

Derwent Inktense Watercolour pencils

Winsor & Newton watercolour half pans

Adhesives/Mediums:

White Gesso

Washi tape

Collall all purpose glue