Create with Me Art Journaling

Video: Gelli Print Art Journaling

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Today I decided to play with my gelli plate.

I admit to seeing some amazing things done with gelli plates but haven’t quite fallen in love with using them myself. I decided today to have a play in my journal with my small gelli plate and see what came from it.

I started off using a stamp pad that I then sprayed with a bit of water. Then I used acryllic paint and brayer with some stamped images and followed that all up with some Tombow markers. I really love the look the Tombow gave  to the page with the gelli plate.

The fun thing about the size I am using is that it can easily be used like a stamp and it’s the perfect size for my journal. I am going to try and have some more gelli plate journal spreads to share with you soon.

While I worked on this page I was listening to an audio book-“The Mysterious Affair at Styles” by Agatha Christie. The version I am listening to is a free one that was available with my audible subscription and it’s really well narrated. What do you listen to, if anything when you are being creative?

I hope you enjoy today’s video! Until next time!

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Music by Eli Lev – Dancin’ on the Lawn – https://thmatc.co/?l=9EA04504

Music by Little Boots – Silver Balloons – https://thmatc.co/?l=54B37541

Video: Using DIY Collage Pages in Your Art Journal

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Today I am sharing one of my favorite practices with you-collage.

I say it all the time but there is just something I love about tearing and gluing down bits of paper. Sometimes I will clean up my desk after a project by picking up all the little bits of paper and gluing them down in my journal. I love using a wet glue for this like matte Mod Podge or regular white glue diluted with a little water.

Today I am sharing a process art journal page from start to finish using the DIY collage pages we made yesterday.

I started off by going through my pages and choosing several that I felt like playing with. I didn’t over think this process and just chose ones I liked.

Then I started tearing some pieces from the pages and gluing them into my journal. Again I didn’t really think too much about this and just had fun.

Once the pieces were glued down I dried them with my heat tool and decided to add a drawing as my main image. I had been sketching faces in a new journal I received at Christmas and I used one of them as my inspiration. I took just a piece of printer page that was on my desk and began sketching with a water soluble pencil. Once I was happy with my sketch I added some color with my watercolor pencils. Originally I thought I would activate them but I decided I really liked the sketchy look so I left them.

I used a glue stick to apply the image to the page and then took some green craft paint to paint around her and the opposite page, pulling all the elements together. Then I took another of the collage pages and cut a heart out of the page to add to my left side page. Before gluing down I added some book page behind the heart and cut out the word “love” from the dictionary to add.

I am really happy with this page. I am always hesitant about my drawing skills but that’s exactly why we should draw! Adding as many handmade elements to our journals personalizes them in a really unique way and helps to build our confidence in our own creativity.

I hope you enjoy watching the video below. If you have any questions please let me know!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Music by Ben Camden – Take Me Away – https://thmatc.co/?l=8E9D24E7

VIDEO: DIY Collage Pages

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I had some really fun play time in the studio this weekend.

I was inspired by this video to make some more collage pages. If you have been around here for a bit you know that I really love collage. There is something about gluing down bits of paper that I just find therapeutic. I am always on the search for materials to add to my pages and since it’s been a while since I made my own I thought it would be fun to bring you along while I do.

Do you love collage? If so grab some computer paper, your favorite (or least used mediums) and play along!

I used all sort of mediums so this project is really flexible-use what you have on hand. It’s a great way to play with new materials as well as using up some materials that maybe you have hanging around.

I started out with acryllics and watercolor pencils and then just started adding spray inks, Karin markers and more. I had so much fun! In my first session I made about 10 sheets and then in the second session I made around 12 more pages and added another layer to the first group.

If you want to have some creative time but maybe you aren’t sure what to create practices like this are always a great place to start. You don’t have to plan or think anything out and I find that after making some pages I suddenly have more inspiration and ideas for other projects. It’s a great warm up!

I hope you enjoy the video and if you decide to play along be sure to comment and let me know how your pages come out!

Until next time!

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

VIDEO: Imperfect Pages: Checking in with My Word of the Year

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Today I am checking in with my Word of the Year.

I started by filling out the quick check-in sheet from my workbook and then I started on a double page spread in my Word of the Year Journal. I had no real plan so I used the bits and pieces on my desk to collage down as a background. Then I pulled it all together with a layer of gesso followed by a pretty green color.

I found these images that conveyed how my word feels so far. The idea that I am journeying home. I altered one photo with some paint pens to make it feel a bit more whimsical and then just glued down the other pages. My title came out really messy but for some reason it felt perfectly imperfect that way.

I am thinking of going back and adding some journaling around the photos but either way I am happy with this page.

I was hesitant at first to share this page because it’s not really anything special. No amazing techniques or art created but that was exactly why I decided to share it.

Creativity should be first and foremost for us.  A way to express something, release something or maybe-as in today’s page-just some playful time with no expectations. I hope this little video below might inspire you to have a play in your journal.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Music by Saint Stephen – 50’s Milkshake – https://thmatc.co/?l=352EAE2D

VIDEO: Collage Mixed Media Play

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Happy Monday!

Today I am sharing a process video with you. I wasn’t feeling well last week and didn’t make it to the studio. Today I was still tired and trying to find my groove in my warm-up journal.

I spent time last week watching some really fun mixed media artists using collage to make paper dolls and applying alcohol to watercolors for some really neat effects so I decided to give both of these techniques a try. I really love the idea of collage paper dolls and will be on the look out for some images that might work well for this.

I started out applying gesso and then sticking the pages together to get some texture. I used my heat gun to dry them and then applied some watercolor. It’s a gorgeous color from a set I received in a past Art Snacks kit and it really had me thinking all things ocean.

I sprinkled some rubbing alcohol with a paint brush and it really does make a fun effect. I never can stop myself when I am having fun with a new technique so I might have gone a bit too far but I love how it turned out.

I really wanted to use some images I found of a girl in the water but felt they were too small. That’s when I decided to add the original image I had planned and then have some fun with the paper doll type technique. I added some paint pens, more gesso over top a really sweet dog that gets a bit lost in the background-but I just loved him! I finished off with some circles I punched out.

I don’t think the page is done quite yet. I want to add some doodles and a few more layers and I’ll be sure to bring you along when I do. For now, this page is filed under my unfinished art journal pages until my next play session.

How about you? Have you had a chance to play in your art journal? Do you have some unfinished pages awaiting a few more layers? Let me know in the comments below. And you decide to play along with my video below please let me know and share a link to your blog so I can see what you have created!

Until next time!

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

 

Music by You ME and the Piano – Merry-Go-Round – https://thmatc.co/?l=4B20EFD1

Music by Little Boots – Silver Balloons – https://thmatc.co/?l=54B37541

Facing the Blank Page: Getting Started Art Journaling

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I was thinking about ideas to share with you today. I wanted to offer something unique and different but one of my most popular videos was about breaking in a new art journal and it reminded me that we can all use some inspiration.

I still sit down at my journal and think, “now what?” Sure some days creativity pours forth and I have lots of ideas but other days I just feel stuck. I may not like anything I am making or it might all blend together into a muddy mess. Days like these can make showing up at our journal again feel a bit like work.

Whatever the reason, it can be challenging to know where to start when you are looking at a blank journal page and I wanted to share a few ideas on how I get started.

One of the simplest ways for me is to use a journal that isn’t blank. If you watched my Word of the Year journal video you saw that I made some painted pages for my journal. This is so much fun because when you sit down to work you already have color and texture-some of the work is already done for you.

Another way I like to start out is to write out whatever I am thinking or feeling. It could be worries, gratitude, or song lyrics. You can just scribble on the page to give yourself a starting point-something so it’s no longer blank. If you are really feeling stuck-maybe you are worried about messing the page up-then I would say take a marker and scribble. Intentionally mess it up and then you have an opportunity to fix a mistake.

Paint is one of my favorite ways to get started. I love to cover a page with my favorite color. I start off messy using a card or scrapper tool and then add a few of my favorite paint colors. I almost always follow this up with collage. Not because it’s the right way but because I absolutely love collage. I find that putting down some color, collage and then random scribbles helps my brain to start seeing pictures. That’s usually when the page starts to take shape.

Another thing I just love about collage is that if I make mud or just a huge mess in general-I can cover it up with cut up images and glue. There is always a fix for a page-even it’s to cover it up or gluing 2 page together and pretending they were never there!

In this video I am going to share just a few little ways to get yourself started when you are facing a blank page. If you have a brand new journal that you have been nervous about breaking in-why not grab it, 2 or 3 of your favorite materials in your favorite colors, a magazine, junk mail or an old book, some glue-and let’s have a play. I used a heat tool to dry in between layers but cut it out to save time on the video. If you have any questions about the materials I used please comment below.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Music by Saint Stephen – 50’s Milkshake – https://thmatc.co/?l=352EAE2D