February AJ Page-Explore

Art Journaling, Magical/Mythical/Fairytale, masculine, Mixed Media, Other Than a Card, Taylored Expressions, Tim Holtz/Ranger

Hello friends!  Hope that you are doing well and staying warm and safe out there.  It’s been a few minutes since my last post, but that’s because I’ve been working very hard making wedding invites!  They’re coming together and almost done!  At some point I will share those, but today I have an AJ page to share with you!  It was nice to be able to take a break from creating invites to turning my mind on making a page.

**My crafty friend Carol is joining along with me each month to help inspire us both as well as others and I’m so thrilled to be doing this with her, so please click on her name and check out her page too!  We’re coming together as I think we both have an issue with “too much stash”…who doesn’t?!🙄 So I’ve come up with some ‘AJ prompts’ to help us both “Smash Our Stash” to start using it up for our own creative outlets and have some FUN!  The month of February gives us the prompt: ribbon/fibers/twine/thread

If you do any Art Journaling, then you know that sometimes when you have something in mind to do, it doesn’t always turn out like you think it will in your head!  This is the case with this one!  I like how it turned out and really enjoyed the process of it along with feeling good about using up some ribbon and twine overflowing in my stash!

I’m continuing on with making my own AJ book, so I’ve got the holes ready at the top of my 6″ x 9″ 140# watercolor page.  I like to use something really thick as I think it helps to hold all of the wet media/paint without it warping too badly.  

I’ve started by using a Tonic Studios “Falling Diamonds” stencil with embossing paste towards the bottom and not going all the way up to the top of the page.  I then used Salvaged Patina and Mermaid Lagoon Distress Oxide Sprays over top letting colors mix and run.  Once dried, I added some sponged white paint over a Tim Holtz stencil.  I then took some Ranger Ground Espresso paint and added some paint splatters over it, set aside to dry.  Then came my first introduction of the prompt onto my page.  I took some left over pieces of lace (in fact this was the last of this piece from my stash…why I kept it?  Who knows!!!) and glued it randomly onto the background.  Once dried, I added some water-downed Ground Espresso paint over those areas, sprayed with water and let run.  I also took the same paint and sponged around the edges to darken them up.  After it dried, I took some Art Alchemy “Old Silver” wax and rubbed over the raised areas of the paste and lace with my fingers until it showed up as I wanted it to.

I decided at this point, that I wasn’t going to do what I had planned in my head as I thought the background was going to turn out much lighter and brighter.  It turned out more antique/grunge, but I was still happy with it and just changed the plan a bit.  I don’t know what these are called, but I named them “Twine Twirls“.  I took a double-sided adhesive sheet and covered a piece of cardstock with one side, die cut a couple of different sized circles, took the backing off the other side of the adhesive and used some twine in my stash to continue to swirl around the center of the adhesive circle until reaching the edges.  (Do you ever get twine wrapped around one of your craft orders and save it?  That’s what all of this twine is from…can you believe I saved them and got plenty more to use?!!)  I then took a piece of VERY old ribbon from my stash and attached to the back of each “Twine Twirl”.  I laid these over the page where I wanted it and added an adhesive strip at the top of the page right below the holes to secure them as well as glued the back of the circles.  You can also see that I’ve attached some bows above 3 of the “Twine Twirls” too.  I used some Stickles glitter glue and brushed over top of each “Twine Twirl” and set aside to dry.

I also fussy cut out one of the Tim Holtz paper dolls to glue over one of the “Twine Twirls” and then used some foam tape to pop him up over the page as needed once the glitter had dried.

For the top of the page where I’ve added the “Twine Twirl” ribbons, I took another piece of lace that matched that ribbon and covered it over top of the ends.  Since it’s lace, you can see through it, so I layered on another piece of brown taupe ribbon in the center of that. (I’ve used scissors to cut the ends off the page.)

For the lettering, I used some of the items I used for the background page onto a piece of blank cardstock and then cut the letters out using the Taylored Expressions Cap It Off Alpha taking off the frame around the letters.  I glued the letters over top of the ribbon and then covered each letter with glossy accents.

The phrases come from a Tim Holtz “Clippings” sticker book and then I took a brown pen to outline around it.  I finished the page by adding some of the Tim Holtz stars adornments in random areas.

I really hope you’ve enjoyed our AJ pages today or have been inspired in some way!  Be sure to join us next month too!  Thank you so much for dropping in and I’ll see you soon!

Challenges:

  1. Art Journal Journey – What’s Your Style? (I love using stencils most of the time but enjoy “exploring” different medias too!  Not sure about a specific style…I like them ALL!)
  2. Simon Says Stamp Monday – Art Journal
  3. Try It On Tuesday – Add Some Texture
  4. Creative Artiste – #79 Anything Mixed Media Goes
  5. Mixed Media Lovers – #10 Anything Mixed Media
  6. Arty Divas – Anything Goes
  7. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes

Published by *Vicki*

I'm so happy you found me! I love to share smiles with my handmade cards! I also enjoy papercrafts through art journaling, scrapooking and mixed media projects too! Thanks for stopping by!

Published

29 thoughts on “February AJ Page-Explore”

  1. What a great idea to attempt to use up some of your stash Vicki. The embossing paste through the diamond stencil looks fabulous and a fun idea with the twine twirls x. I love how you started and then how it finally ended up…It’s grungy and wonderful and a striking page for your journal Vicki x.

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  2. WOW this is absolutely brilliant Vicki -I must admit to a block for using ribbon and mine is now posted -put tomorrows date in!!! Love all the texture and how you used ribbon -brilliant
    Carol x

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  3. Love the idea of using up stash and I love your page! I have a bound journal and the pages warped so badly that I ended up tearing them out of the journal and tossing them. Even the cover of the journal is warped so I’ll use it for something totally different. You’ve inspired me to find a super heavyweight watercolor paper to start a new journal and I’ll put rings on the side of mine since I have a ton of those. Your page is amazing and thanks for sharing!

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  4. Way to use up that great ribbon for a fun AJ page! This turned out simply fabulous Vicki! I love the embossing paste and especially those twine circles! That’s a genius idea and all those ribbons look just wonderful too! Beautiful and inspiring work for sure! Enjoy your weekend!

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  5. I’m impressed by your stunning AJ, Vicki. Love how it is put together and those Twine Twirls are a great touch.
    Thanks for your clear description of the making of.
    Have a great weekend.
    xxx Margreet

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  8. Wonderful page Vicki, love the colours and textures and those flowers are gorgeous with the ribbon and bows coming down and the glimmer and shine is lovely..great way to use up stash too..

    Luv CHRISSYxx

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  10. When I saw your “twirly twines” I thought about swirly or twirly lollipops and that even though there are hard things in our lives, most of us also have fun things in our lives as well. I really like it all the diamond background, the colors. The ribbon suspending your twines provide different textures also!

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  11. What an impressive journal page. I don’t order anything online, but I love what you did with that twine, That is brilliant. I’m also delighted you are using your stash. I am trying to do the same. Thanks so much for this very beautiful journal entry you shared with us at Art Journal Journey using Bleubeard’s and my theme.

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  12. Popped over from Carol’s blog and am delighted to have “discovered” you. This is a wonderful journal page so full of great ideas like the Twine Twirls. Clearly you enjoy the freedom of journalling and express yourself brilliant here. Will have to visit more often methinks. x

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  14. I’m with you about using up some stash items. Nice use of ribbons. I like how you’ve set yourself a kind of supply and focus your month on that. You page is amazing and it has lots of texture too. You’ve also got some good sparkle going on too. This is a beautiful page and I like it. Thanks so much for joining us at both Art Journal Journey (for Elizabeth’s style theme) and also art Try It on Tuesday for our texture challenge Vicki. It is much appreciated. Hugs-Erika

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  15. A fantastic page with so much detail, texture and images to look at. Its good that you used up some of your stash as well. Thank you for linking with us at Art Journal Journey and Try it on Tuesdays.
    Yvonne

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  17. What a great art jurnal site, Vicki. I love the variety of patterns and forms you have used. It turns out that you are perfect for the mix media style.
    xx

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  19. Vicki this is such a playful design with the sweet boy sat upon the twine twirls like little lolly pops. The background is so dimensional all painted and embellished in a beautiful colour way. What a fabulous eye you have. Thank you so much for sharing your incredible journal page with us @ Creative Artiste and joining in with our February challenge.
    Creative best wishes Tracey (DT)

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  21. How awesome – especially when I saw it on my laptop vs. phone. The details are so beautiful, every time I looked I saw something I had not seen before. I have not AJ – well maybe a little on a tag – but I never think it looks good. What great inspiration and enjoy making more.

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  25. Wow, this is such a beautiful page! I love the shimmer and shine and the texture that you created is amazing 😀. Working with your friend to Smash our Stash sounds so much fun and you definitely did that when creating this stunning piece. Take care and happy wishes! Hugs Jo x

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  26. CONGRATS Vicki on making Top 3 in our February Creative Artiste Anything Mixed Media Challenge.
    I was totally blown away by your amazing creation with it’s texture and creative twine twirls.
    Looking forward to having you as a Guest Designer and seeing what creativity you bring to inspire us.
    Creative Hugs & best wishes Tracey xx

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  27. Great fibers, stunning layout and fantastic textures on this journal page. I am with you, I have tons of stash and need to keep working my way through using it.

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