Tips for working with stencils with mixed media

Many people often ask me about getting into mixed media and deciding what they should buy first.

After thinking about it for a while, I think naturally the first step would be stencils, or masks. They are so versatile and easy to use. You can use a number of media with them, such as modelling paste, like Lori has done below using the Enchantment kit. I always recommend getting started with a light modelling paste that has a consistency of something like heavy whipped cream. That way your pages don't get too wet. Some light modelling pastes are runnier and can warp your paper.

You can also add colour to your modelling paste. I love how Lori used it below.

And then you can also use it with chalk ink and spounce through the stencil, or sponge paint through a stencil, as seen below.

And of course, if you've used a spray ink, you can get twice the use out of the stencil by flipping it over after you have sprayed and placing it somewhere else on your art journal page or layout to get the negative of the pattern.

Why not try out stencils on your layouts in different ways and you'll see what I mean about it being one of the staples of mixed media art journaling or scrapbooking.

Pastes and Glues and Mediums, Oh My!!

Hi there peeps!

Lori here and I thought I'd share a bit with you about some of the
 pastes, glues, mediums, etc. we've mentioned in our art journaling posts,
or that you may have heard of and wondered what in the world they were.

Demystify them, if you will.

Here are the products I played with:

I used the patterned paper, stencil,  and Distress Paint found in the

 August Enchantment Kit. 

Let's start with gesso. Gesso (pronounced [jes-oh] like jello) is used as a primer to prepare surfaces for wet mediums and paints. It provides a "tooth" to the surface to help paints stick better and give some added thickness to paper. It comes in clear, white, and black. 

In the top picture below, I have used a paintbrush to dab white gesso through the stencil, mixed white gesso with the blue distress paint and just painted 

some white gesso on the paper. 

You can even see how my pen is a little scratchy on the gesso...it definitely adds texture.

Here's just the distress paint smooshed through the stencil:

Next, let's talk about glues. Gel medium is an acrylic product. It comes in Heavy, Soft, and Regular and has a variety of finishes, Matte, Gloss and Semi-gloss. The basic use for these is to build texture in paintings by mixing them with acrylic paint. If you add a small bit of it to your paint it will also extend the drying time. The Soft gel is the medium that is most often used by paper artists. It can be used as a glue for collage and it is also used to make photocopy transfers. So basically it is a glue, a paint, and decoupage stuff. 

(definition found here.)

Decoupage glue, such as my favorite, Collage Pauge, is used in most of the same ways. 

This picture shows the difference in texture: you can see that gel medium on the left is much thicker.

These are used to stick things to the paper, typically. 

I also wanted you to see the distress paint as a base.

Modeling pastes are often used to add some dimension and texture. 

I used several different kinds. 

Texture Magic is a light paste. 

I left it plain  and smooshed it through the stencil. 

It is very similar in texture to light modeling paste.

Here is light modeling paste both plain and mixed with the distress paint. The top right pic below also shows the light modeling paste and texture paste next to each other. 

Regular modeling paste is thicker than the light modeling paste/texture paste and takes a bit longer to dry. But, you can see the thickness it creates.

The cool part about these is there really is no "right" or "wrong" way to use them. 

Play and experiment and see what you like to use. 

All of these are readily available either at your local craft/hobby stores, or online at amazon.com or dickblick.com.

I'd love to see what you come up with!

Any questions? Leave them in the comments and 

we'll try to get back to you with answers and advice. 

Thanks so much for reading and for your patience as our site is being temperamental. 

Remember, you can still see the August Enchantment kit in our Design Team Gallery, and our message board/forums are still up and running!!

Now, you go get messy!

Try this mixed media trick!

As you've seen already this month, there are lots of different kinds of art journaling, for different purposes. Some people make backgrounds using paint and sprays to use as a sort of diary later. Other people do more visual journaling, reflecting what they are feeling by using particular imagery, such as magazine cut outs, sketches and such. Each type of art journal has its own beauty and its own challenges.

My art journal is not so much about the technique, or the journaling itself, but rather, it's about the process. It's not necessarily like an artist's journal, where each page is a trial of a different technique, colour or product, but it is more about just using what I have, putting things down in layers, painting on them and releasing emotion in the process. 

The layering of the papers onto the page (and I always start my process this way), and then putting down the Distress Paint on top was very relaxing, almost therapeutic. It released tensions, just working through the process. But once in a while, when you stop that process and try to restart, it's sometimes difficult to get going again. I found it hard to get this page finished because I stopped mid-process. What did I do?

I used a pretty common mixed-media trick, if you will. What I love about art journaling, and you can try this at home...if you aren't happy with what you've got, you can put down another layer of paint, or gesso, and start again. Sometimes you'll see parts of you older work peaking through, like the circle and rectangle rub-ons you can see in the bottom right corner of my page just coming through the white gesso. Or the star rub-on up near the top left corner. Art journaling quite often is layers showing through layers of other media. And that's the beauty of it.

So next time you are afraid to try art journaling, remember this: Never be afraid to cover up your work and start over, because you may just love what you find peeking out from underneath the new layers and give your art journal page new depth.

Make sure that you link us up to your art journal pages in the comments so that we can give some love on your pages too! Hope you will stay tuned for more mixed media fun in the coming weeks ahead!

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What Do You Treasure Most?

© Hiddenhallow | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

Guess who's here to challenge you to play?  Yep, it's time to dig deep.  Let's look at Fortune from the "treasure" perspective.  Please create a scrapbook page, art journal page, mixed media piece OR... just write some responses down to the challenge below.   Share your heart with us in our community, or below in our comments... or link us up to your blog featuring your creation. 

Ready?  Set?  Go!

Treasure: What do you treasure most in life? Has what you treasure changed through the years? Is what you love most now what you thought you would love or are you surprised? What is the thing you worry most about losing?

For the design twist, please use an image or icon that related to value or currency - maybe the sparkly green coins in the kit or a treasure chest, dollar (or pound, or local currency symbol for you) sign...

My take? 

After pondering the questions above, I had quite an epiphany.  I realize that what I treasure most, right now, is myself.  It has taken a long time to think of myself as valuable... and I certainly am.  I think I'd love to do a layout with pictures of a few other items I value, with an actual dollar sign and amount next to them, but then... a picture of me with the huge title of PRICELESS!  Yep, yep.  I think that's my direction...

Can't wait to see/hear what you come up with!

Mixed Media? Me?! Yes, YOU!

Hi everybody! Lori here to chat a bit about mixed media.

"But, Lori, I can't do mixed media! I'm not artsy!"

I beg to differ!!

Do you ever use stamps and paper on one layout? How about stencils, mist sprays, and markers? Modeling paste and ...gasp...PAINT?! 

Guess what? You are MIXING MEDIA!!!

mixed media

pl.n. (used with a sing. verb)

1. A technique involving the use of two or more artistic media, such as ink and pastel or painting and collage, that are combined in a single composition.

So, literally, all of us who use two or more mediums in our artwork are creating .....drum roll please....mixed media art!!! 

Now, obviously, there are artists who have extensive schooling, training, and experience as mixed media artists and I certainly don't want to minimize their work.  

I simply want to empower those of you who are feeling like this area is

somehow out of reach for you!

Simply put, I love to play with all kinds of media in my artwork: paper, glue, buttons, flowers, ephemera, paint, ink, spray mist, pastes, markers....etc.etc.etc.

In my DT layout this month using our April FORTUNE kit, 

I wanted to play a bit.

I used the Balzer Designs stencil from Crafter's Workshop and mixed some Liquitex Light Modeling Paste with turquoise paint and smooshed it through the number parts of the stencil. Then I dribbled some Deep Violet Liquitex Acrylic Ink, sprayed white mist through some punchinella, and used a scrap of corrugated cardboard to make some lines with white paint. 

Here's another one I did this month and used watercolors:

So, my challenge to you is to try something new...splash some watercolor on your background, use some ink or spray, use markers or paint through a stencil...just try it! 

Link us up on the blog or in our 

GALLERY.

You can do it!

Celebrate Today!

Hi everyone! I'm so happy to be here on the Scrapbooking from the Inside Out blog! I can't tell you how much I've learned about journaling, and being purposeful in thinking about symbolism, meaning behind your scrapbooking.

Let me tell you a little about one of my latest art journal spreads, using the April Fortune kit. First off, it's so full of wonderfully patterned papers. I'm on a real chevron kick lately, and this kit gave me that in spades this month. So let me get to our Behind the Scenes questions and then I'll tell you more about my process, and what really drove me to create this spread.

What prompted you to pick this take on Fortune ?

It seems to me that what is typically thought of as fortune, that is, riches, is very fleeting these days. Countries like the United States and Canada have come through some very tough financial times lately, and my husband and I have felt the pinch, to be sure. But I didn't want to journal about money. To me fortune is about what you do have in your possession that you are grateful for, today. And so I created this art journal spread around that idea: Celebrating today and all that you have now.

Why did you choose this photo?
When I art journal I rarely use photographs at all. To me, the spread is not so much about the photo documentation, but rather the process. 

How do you feel about the message of your layout?

To me, the title of this layout says it all. But it's the journaling that gives you an insight as to what I was feeling at the time that I made the spread. I've been enduring a difficult time lately at work, and felt as if I was falling into a depression, or really down mental state. But something changed this past week... I took positive steps to change my situation by changing my outlook. And the sky was blue again. Nothing physically changed for me. I didn't get richer. I didn't get healthier. But I appreciated what I had more. I felt grateful for the help I received even if they were just words of encouragement. It made my life feel more rich.

What symbolism did you pull into your design?

In terms of symbolism, I found that it just felt more natural to have the chevrons facing up, like life was looking up. The hearts symbolized my gratitude and the running horse represented the freedom I felt. Freedom from feeling down, and overly concerned, worried, and fatigued. I felt exhilarated as I created this art journal spread. I felt positive and uplifted.

Tell us a little bit about how you feel now that you have "let it all out" on this page.

This page holds a very special place in my heart now, because there is so much meaning behind it, and such a positive force in it. If I ever lose sight of how "rich" I am again, I will open my journal to this page, and read the journaling card that I wrote, and remember how much I have, and how to celebrate every day!

You can read the positive message that I tucked into the envelope here:

You will notice that I took quite a few strips of the papers and laid them down in a grid pattern. Sometimes I cover them up with gesso, and sometimes I leave them completely exposed. This combination provides lots of texture to the page. I also used one of the die cut word art pieces as a stencil. I painted through the stencil with the distress paint in pink and let that dry. Then once that is done, I layer down the paper.

I loved the words that were printed at the bottom of some of the patterned papers. Instead of just the name of the paper, it had cute sayings. They spoke to me, so I used them too. I cut out the strip of washi paper that had the word "today" repeated and used it in a few places. And then for a grungier look that I love, I stamped some texture onto the page (life isn't always nice and clean is it?), and sprayed some pink drips and light blue glitter paint (I always love to have a mixture of shine and grunge).

When I find that something is too bright or just doesn't "go" with the feel of the page, distress paint or gesso does a wonderful job of toning down the colour so that the focus of the spread stays where you want it.

I hope you enjoy the spread and take encouragement from it somehow. If you think you need more in your life to consider yourself fortunate, take another look. I'm betting that if you look around, you'll see just how rich you are.

You can find more of my design team work at my blog: http://kiki-halbert.blogspot.com

Mixed Media on your Layouts

Have you guessed by now what my favourite technique is in scrapbooking? Do you have one? A friend of mine says that her favourite technique is gluing paper to other paper.  Mine is using mixed media on scrapbook pages, and what's exciting about that for me is trying out something new, not knowing exactly how it will turn out.

Take for example my page using February's Risk kit, Try:

A friend and I were browsing in one of my favourite art/scrapbooking stores and I found some glass bead gel and had to try it for myself. I love putting media through stencils to create raised patterns.

Here's a close up:

See those triangles that shimmer? That shimmer is tiny glass beads in the clear gel. You can always add colours to the gels, or pastes to create a whole new look, without any additional cost. I love embellishing my scrapbook layouts using something inexpensive, don't you?

If you want to give it a try, it's as easy as getting a trial size of an art medium, or taking a shot, and buying something that looks like fun. Show us what new art medium you've used lately!