Borage art journal page

Hello, design elf Katrina here again to show you what I have been up to recently my craft nook.   A couple of posts ago I showed you how I build up my art journal pages. For those of you who have not come across art journaling before I should explain that all it is really is a book where you can express yourself through art. It can be any book, any style and all that really matters is that you enjoy making your pages.  There is a lot out there for art journalers, it has become very trendy at the moment and if you believe all the hype can be very expensive to even begin. As an art journaler of many years experience believe me all you need is a book and your choice favourite craft products that you already have.          I love my paints so I began with a simple paint and stamped page you can find here -          http://thefruitpixie.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/angels-are-near-art-journal-page.html  The book that I have been working with is the IndigoBlu Junk and disorderly book which has a mixture of dark and light pages as well as a few tags. You can find it in the shop here - http://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/indigoblu-junk-and-disorderly-art-journal-26811-p.asp

So now I can show you my page. This time I have built on the layered background and added some collage and some creative lettering.

To start this page I wanted something in the background, under the paint. This just gives you something peeping through background. So I used a piece of book paper from a Chinese book and glued it to the base, along with a vintage coat check ticket.

 

I had chosen my paint colours to match my main collage piece and added a little of each colour to my glass mat.

 

Paint the background using more than one colour at the same time and covering up the pieces of collage. 

 

One of my favourite ways of making different marks with my paint is to use an old credit card or gift card, any of the plastic cards we get these days. You can get all sorts of wonderful marks with these. Just draw the edge through some paint and just play. You can make lines of course but you can also put it down on the edge then tilt it slightly and spread the paint from your card onto your page. This gives a great mark.

Once you are happy with your background (if you Don't like it then just add more paint until you do like it) you can start to build up your finished page.

 

I chose a wild flower print from the ever changing ephemera section of the Fruit Pixie to be the main focal point of my page. I tore the borage plant out of the page to make it easier to blend in with the background

 

I also cut the little plant description out and a dictionary definition from a dictionary page and added that to the page.

 

One thing I love to do on my art journal pages is my own creative lettering. I have been playing about with calligraphy ever since I was at school. This time I used a glass dip pen and acrylic ink to write my word. 

 

The only tip I can give you about lettering is just practice and play with your own writing. You do have to change the way you think about the way you form your word. You are drawing your letters not writing. I always begin by drawing the basic letters, like you do when you learn to write, leaving a bit more room between your letters. Then gradually fill them out until you get the look you want. Just keep tweaking them until you like the look. You will find that you form your own style and look, which is great!

 

 

To finish my page off I used some of the stamps from the ephemera section. I did get told off by my hubby, a stamp collector since a boy, for not letting him see them before I used them. Apparently I have used a victorian stamp which he was horrified about. Oh well!! 

 

I also used some postage themed rubber stamps from my own collection with a grey ink,  just to add another layer.

 

So there we have it, the finished page. Don't forget to add a date and signature so you know when you made it.

 

The Fruit Pixies ephemera section along with the Fruit Pixie Etsy shop is always worth a look for interesting collage pieces for art journaling. 

 

All the products I used, except the stamps, were from the Fruit Pixie. Because of the ever changing products available in the ephemera section because they are all vintage pieces, you might not be able to get exactly the same but you can use the idea and techniques to achieve your own beautiful page.

 

Here is where you can find the products I used -

 

IndigoBlu Junk and Disorderly journal-

http://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/indigoblu-junk-and-disorderly-art-journal-26811-p.asp

 

 

Cosmic Shimmer paints - http://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/cosmic-shimmer-paints-644-c.asp

 

Ephemera -

http://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/ephemera-64-c.asp

 

I really hope you enjoyed looking at my Art Journal page and will have a go yourself. It really is a great hobby. If you have any questions Ill be happy to help. You can ask them here or on the Fruit Pixie Facebook page.

 

Please remember that Sarah-Jane, the Fruit Pixie is on a well deserved holiday From 22nd June until 12th July 2017. So any orders placed during this time will be dispatched after the 12th July 2017.

 

I will be back very soon with another project to show you. until then, take care

 

                                                                                Love Katrina