Scrapbookpaper 2

I am uncertain whether I should label this as making a scrapbook page, or if it is not mixed media. Sometimes the lines get very blurred, especially when you add art journaling to the mix. I leave the thought with you and allow you to decide.

I start of by preparing the background. I use a piece of paper that has been strengthened with gesso. You can read more about the strengthening of paper here. I will also use a flat brush and acrylic paint.

We have entered Winter and I can feel the chill in my studio. This is why I choose a very warm palette. I squish a big dollop each of Azo Vermillion and Cadmium Yellow Deep onto the paper.

I paint very broad, loose strokes of red over the paper.

I do not wash the brush, but simply dip it in the yellow and continue painting, filling in the white spaces. I do not want to over mix the colours, but want to retain the integrity of both, as well as to get the full range of the mix as well. Leave the page to dry in the sun.

I loved the design elements on this fabric since the first time I saw it and have made a number of handbags and berets from it. These are available at APrettyTalent.com from Miekie Crafts. This tiny piece of fabric that is left over from my projects will not achieve much when sewing, but it is still good for crafts.

I cut out all those elements I loved from the start and arrange them on my page.

To my delight I am left with a few more!

I am now going to decoupage the cut-outs onto the paper. I use Acrylic Gel Medium for this purpose that I apply with a flat brush.

I paint the back of the cut-out with the medium.

I then turn it over and stick it to the page, rubbing out any air bubbles that may have been trapped underneath.

I then lather the fabric with another layer of acrylic gel medium on top. I repeat these steps for all the elements that go onto the page.

When using an element right on the edge of the page, I always prefer to let it stick over a little. I will much rather crop it when dry, than to have it crimp off the edges on me.

When I am done, I allow it to dry completely before I continue.

When it is dry, I turn the paper over and trim the parts that are sticking over the edge.

I found these two cute die-cuts in my stash. I will use them as stencils.

I arrange my 'stencils' on my page. I am going to describe them with a old gold marker.

I like the progress, but think that the layout still needs more.

This time I use a copper marker and a tearing ruler.

I line the tearing ruler up with the bottom of my page and construct the line.

I repeat the same line two more times and run three lines down one side of the page as well.

I then use the other side of the tearing ruler and make a border around the fabric elements that has straight sides.

The rest of my elements only get broken lines of unequal lengths.

This is what the page looks like when finished. I am satisfied and leave it be.

However, I did not leave well enough alone, but secretly, I have been using the other cut-outs from the fabric as well and made two more corresponding pages. Note how I repeated the same steps to join them into a cohesive group.

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Remember to keep nurturing your TALENT for making PRETTY things.
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