Merry Christmas!
Back in October I attended a workshop at Wrapped In Paper (also on Facebook) where I started working on my first art journal. It was a fun gathering where we used alcohol inks and a Darkroom Door stamp set with a poinsettia stamp set (can’t remember which brand that was) to create this double page spread.
The background
First we covered both the base pages in a thin layer of gesso. One side is craft paper, the other side is relatively “normal” paper, so the ink moved differently on both sides and may look slightly different in color.
Next we put drops of one color of ink on the page and blew it around with a blower, backwards and forwards to create those lovely puddles and hard lines.
Then we followed by doing the same with a different color of ink. Rinse, repeat.
I used champagne (a metallic gold color), purple and green.
It’s important to ensure full coverage of the page by blowing the inks until they overlap with other colors. So you have to be careful about choice of colors so you don’t combine colors to make a muddy brown.
We also added straight alcohol to dilute the ink to help it flow more easily.
Poinsettia
Also, we used pretty much the same technique on a separate piece of yupo paper but on the yupo paper we sprayed alcohol on the paper first. By doing this, the alcohol ink moves more easily.
Stamping
After the ink dried, we stamped the poinsettias on the yupo paper and the other stamps straight into the art journal. Obviously we then had to fussy cut (eyeroll) the poinsettia out by hand, but it does create a nice contrast – in color and texture – on the page.
The stamps on the page include a partial stamp of text, used about 5 times on each page. A “25” in the top right corner, “Merry Christmas” on the left page, and Santa on the right page. We also added the bells in the corner.
Gilding
One last touch: adding one color – in my case, the champagne – on to a felt pad with a little alcohol to wipe the champagne colored alcohol ink around the page for a rough “gilded” effect.
The End
I really enjoyed this class. It was partially trying something new – I’ve been wanting to use alcohol inks for ages – and the layout. However, it was also largely because of the people and the atmosphere of the class. They are lovely and welcoming. And other disabled people attend too.
I was, however, the only person wearing a mask. Sigh.
Gail, the proprietor of Wrapped In Paper, runs a class like this every month. Actually, she runs several classes of each type but she does the same *thing* each time in a month so it’s possible to attend one such class each month for a different project. I’m planning to continue with this class, start the other (different journal) art journal class and do a few other classes regularly, so expect more blogs like this.
Then hope for more blogs with BOOK INSPIRED CARDS AND ART JOURNAL PAGES. Because FUN, FUN, FUN!!!
(At this time I have plans for at least one book-inspired card but it will take time. And I’m still in the process of MAKING the awards to be able to GIVE AWARDS for good representation of disability this year.)
Thanks
Thank you for joining me in this journey. I love doing classes like this. I’ve done art & craft classes whenever I’ve been able to afford them and whenever I’ve found good classes. Now I have a place to go. So expect more joyous blogs like this, interspersed with reviews and podcasts.
May you find things that bring you joy. Do them.
Stay safe and have fun.
Merry Christmas from Mr Potato Head Doctor Who and Dalek as well.
