A Leafy Art Journal Page - STAMPlorations May Challenge

Texture! Color! Technique!

That's what I've got in store for you today, my lovely readers! 

It's the first of the month and time for a new monthly challenge over at STAMPlorations. This month's challenge is:

We like entries done in any style! Have a CAS flower card with leaves? Link it up! Have a mixed media masterpiece with autumnal touches? Link it up! 

I definitely opted for the latter as I was feeling like getting a little bit messy. Many of you know that my big project this year is to put some of my poetry along with corresponding artwork. I've already made one page (you can see it here if you'd like) and have really wanted to be considerate of the design when moving forward, so I'm taking my own sweet time. 

Here's how I created my second page, with my poem called Autumnal Lullaby. 

First, I applied a layer of gesso and, while it was still wet, stuck in bits of crumpled up tissue paper to create a textural base. The gesso allows my next layer to go on the page and blend easier. 

Next, I dobbed on some Distress Paint in Mustard Seed and Fired Brick. If you haven't used Distress Paints before, the thing that makes them unique is that they react with water.

Give 'em a little spritz with a water mister and they start doing happy dances all over the page. 

Depending on which way you twist and turn your page, the paint will drip into itself and start creating unique color combos that just weren't there before. Magic!

The last picture is a combination of three steps, First, I used a crinkled paper towel to dab up some of the paint and to create a sort of leaf veining texture in the background, I also spritzed on some Bronzed Copper Distress Spray Stain and painted on a shimmery border with Perfect Pearls (Forever Red). 

I added my poem and incorporated it into the design by using some of the leaves from the STAMPlorations Trendy Leaves set, along with some stenciling work from the Nested Circles ARTplorations stencil. 

I double stamped the leaves using different Distress Ink colors, but in to make them really pop, I used a Faber Castell artist pen and outlined them, then smudged the outline to create some charcoally (that's a word, right?) shadows. 

I added some wood chippies for more texture. And here you can really see how lovely that tissue paper looks. 

One of the cool elements is this dangly wooden piece. It's actually an old earring. My mom and dad go to a lot of auctions and do junk sales during the summer months. Last time I was home, she had a whole box of mismatched earrings that I heroically saved from the garbage can! Just call me SuperBecca!

Anyway, that's what I have for you fine folks. I totally think you should go get messy now too and link up some awesome projects to our challenge over at STAMPlorations. There's cool prizes for you to win, plus we give you lots of great recognition of your artwork. 

I'm also going to link this up to the following challenges: 

Addicted to Stamps and More - Make your Mark (p.s. I tried to find if I could enter things besides cards here, but it didn't say. Just let me know if I can't.) :) 

Craft Stamper Magazine - Take a Stamp

 

Mixed Media Mojo Bingo: (I went gesso, stencil, chipboard)

Thanks for popping by! Leave me a comment or follow my blog and I'll be sure to head your way, too!

Tissue Paper, Gelatos, and Stars - Oh MY! Cardz 4 Guyz GD

Holy flibbertigibbets (which I learned this week IS an ACTUAL word... thanks to what I am assuming is a dictionary editor who got a little tipsy one day)! Have I ever got a textural card for you!!

Well... not literally for you... It's actually for my card stash. But that's not the point. The point is that I'm going to SHOW you a textural card.

This week also marks the last Tuesday of March, which means my Guest Design team with Cardz 4 Guyz is coming to an end. *Insert sad face here* I've so enjoyed thinking about the guy-side of things this month because I so often forget to do that!

The challenge over at Cardz is to use something that starts with an "S". 

Hence: A STAR!!

Whenever I get an order from STAMPlorations, Shery always wraps the stamps in tissue paper. Since I am a weirdo hoarder of all things that could potentially be stuck on a card at some point in time, I have a stack of tissue paper just lazing about unused in my craft room. 

Here's how I made my background:

I began by painting my card stock with a thin layer of Matte Gel and then stuck some crinkled up tissue paper to it. I then painted over it with another layer of Matte Gel and let it dry. Then, because I wanted to use gelatos and didn't want my tissue paper to tear, I painted over the whole thing with gesso. 

Then I applied alternating diagonal rows of bright blue and bright green Gelatos to the base and blended with my finger and some water. 

 Next, I applied some blue ink through a swirly stencil (STAMPlorations Confetti Circles) and then moved the stencil to a different area and applied texture paste. Then I let that dry. (Oh pssssh, yeah right - I totally used my heat gun to speed up the process.)

I sponged the edges and raised areas of the background with Black Soot Distress Ink to really bring out the great texture, and to grunge it up a bit. I added a star from a die cut pack and placed it behind some teal baker's twine. Then I added the In a Word: Happy die from Winnie and Walter and stamped birthday onto the star. 

This is definitely a technique I'll be trying again, because I am in L-O-V-E with all that texture and drama. 

So if you are thinking of the Fellas this week in your card making, put something with an S on it and go play along at Cardz 4 Guyz!

I'm also sending my card over to the following challenges:

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes Birthday
Addicted to Stamps - Stars
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Little Red Wagon - You're a Star
Friday Mashup - Sketch or Masculine project

Thanks for stopping by! Follow my blog or leave me a comment and I'll try to return the favor! Happy Tuesday!