Just Breathe - Art Journal Page

Like many, this year is proving to be an ongoing challenge and I am just trying to make it through to the other side of what is to come. I was in need of a crafty fix and happened across Marta Lapkowska's (Maremi SmallArt) live session YouTube video as I was turning on the TV on a late Saturday afternoon. As I continued to watch while making dinner, a journal page idea formed in my head based on the digi files that Marta had created for the class. So after dinner and a walk, I was determined to carve out some crafting time and created this page.

I enlarged the music sheet page when I printed it and did so two times to get the sheet music parts that I wanted to use. Working in my Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media Visual journal, I tore and glued them down with matte gel. After they were dry, I brushed on a clear coat of gesso and then paint spatula scraped on a some white gesso. Next, I added Opaque Crackle Paste to three areas with a Martha designed stencil that I love. I fussy cut out the images that I wanted to use while it was drying. For the hydrangea, I enlarged the page for the second printing so that I would have different sizes and I altered the smaller one by cutting out different sections when I was fussy cutting it.

Once the paste had done its crackle thing, I adhered the fussy cut washi sections and then used a Brown Stabilo All pencil and a water brush to shading definition and grudge. Once I was happy with that, I splattered the background with white and black acrylic paint. I adhered the flowers and the butterfly and popped up the Just Breathe with some cereal board. For the flowers, I extended the flower branches with a black fine Sharpie, added some highlights to the flower petals in some sections with a White Gelato, and adhered a bow tied with a piece of hemp string. Lastly, I added shimmery details to the butterfly with a Stardust Gelly Roll pen.

Supplies: 9x12 400 Series Mixed Media Visual Journal (Strathmore), digital pattern papers (Maremis SmallArt), gel medium and opaque crackle paste (Ranger), clear gesso (Liqutex), white gesso (Golden), brown All pencil (Stabilo), Tacky glue (Aleene's), black and white acrylic paint (DecoArt), hemp cord (Darice), Coconut Gelato (Faber-Castell), Black Fine marker (Sharpie), Stardust Gelly Roll pen (Sakura)

I am very pleased with how this worked out. I do so like this colour combo and find it calming which is really not all that surprising as it has been my blog's colours for years. The sentiment title just speaks to me and where I am at right now. Getting creative is so what I needed. It does the soul good.

Thanks to Marta for the inspiration and push to get making. Check out the hashtag #MaremiFreeDigiPapers on IG and/or FB to see what others have come up with.

TTFN,