Get Messy and World Wildlife Fund

Get Messy Art Journaling is quite a diverse, outgoing, caring, global artist community. When they proposed a collaborative art journal magazine to raise funds and awareness for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), I jumped at the opportunity to join in.  All profits from this magazine are donated to WWF and go to aid in conservation efforts, research, and awareness.

I contributed two double page spreads created in my 81/2" x 11" Strathmore 400 Series journal. For both, I utilized image transfer techniques; one made with Faber-Castell gelatos and the other, was my first project using my new Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolours. I must say that I am quite thrilled and honoured that one of my pages appears in the sample preview. So go check out the preview and learn more about the magazine.

Get Messy X WWF - a collaborative art journal is available here through Blurb.ca.

 As an added bonus, Torrie @foxandhazel is offering a beautiful, downloadable, "don't let them tame you" print (found in the collage above) free to anyone who purchases the magazine. All you need to do is forward your magazine purchase receipt to foxandhazel@gmail.com to receive your free download.


TTFN,

Art Makes Me Happy

As soon as I saw the "I'm a Get Messian" colour selection for Get Messy Art Journaling members, I knew what I wanted to do with them and my new Prima Crayons. I printed them out and created this colour blocking art journal page.

Supplies: 81/2 x 11 watercolour journal (Strathmore 400 series), Get Messy Art Journaling printable, watersoluble pastel crayons (Prima), Tim Holtz's Tracks, Splotches, and Flourishes stencils (Stamper's Anonymous), gesso (Liquitex), Donna Downey stamps (Unity Stamp Co.), Cloudy Sky StazOn ink (Tsukineko), Gold Sheer Shimmer Spritz (Imagine Crafts)

As it was the Season of Happy week 1 prompt, I made it around what makes me happy - Creating art makes me happy... getting messy with my fingers makes me happy... these Prima Pastels make me happy (love the vibrancy and spreadability)... these colours make me happy... layering and stencils make me happy... gold splatters make me happy (loving Imagine Crafts for making this effect so easy).

Being part of a supportive creative community is definitely something that makes me happy.

TTFN,

Happy Place Art Journaling

My backyard is a place of enjoyment for me. It makes me happy. I love gardening and the wildlife that are attracted to the yard. Currently, it is the various winter birds at the feeders and the antics of the squirrels that makes me smile when I look out the window. While I enjoy all the seasons in the yard, the best time in it to engage all the senses is in the spring.

Supplies: 400 Series Mixed Media Journal (Strathmore), gesso (Golden), clear gesso (Liquitex), gel medium (Ranger), clear emboss powder (CTMH), Versamark (Tsukineko), Gelatos and Stamper's Big Brush (Faber-Castell), distressed chicken wire stamp (Magenta), alpha stickers (October Afternoon, Creative Memories), pen (Staedtler)

I created an art journal page to capture a little bit of my Happy Place. Inspiration for this page came from Get Messy season of Adventure prompt 1 and 2.

The image transfer is a photo that I took of the crab apple tree in bloom. The leaves are stamped and heat embossed from actual magnolia and fragrant viburnum bush leaves. I loaded them with Versamark, stamped with them and then clear embossed them.

The background was then coloured with gelatos and stamped with a chicken wire stamp from Magenta.

TTFN,

Go On... Get Messy

A while back there was an interesting post where Get Messians (that is the Get Messy Art Journaling community nick name) were sharing which brand/type of journal(s) people use. I personally use several different sizes which are all Strathmore and either watercolour paper or mixed media paper as I tend to do wet based techniques. Many other group members use Moleskines and while I have looked at these on and off for a year now (because I really like their size), I always decided that the pages just looked like they couldn't handle the media that I prefer to use. This week I was in Curry's (fav art store), when I spied this single lonely black Moleskine Notebook and you can guess who it came home with.

So as the proud new owner of a Moleskine, I created my inaugural page in this journal with a Get Messy inspired page.

Supplies: journal (Moleskine), Qor watercolours (Golden), pen (Uni-Ball), marker (Fibracolor)

I used the neat printable that DT member Nina Christensen offered up on her blog when she hosted the Get Messy Instagram account.

The journaling reads... "No Regrets... go on... it's okay... give yourself permission to... Get Messy".

I tried out watercolouring on the pages with Qor watercolour by Golden using a water brush. The pages became a bit too saturated in my attempts to move the colour around and to get the blending effect that I was going for but in the end, I didn't mind it warps and all. I will try out different techniques to get the hang of the right saturation point that I can work with in this journal.


TTFN,

Adventure Awaits

Another Get Messy season of Adventure art journal page to share. This one was made with the washi tape scraps from my season of Love "Love Unconditionally" page (can be seen here). At the time of that page's creation, I had adhered the scraps and gessoed over them being sure to leave some washi showing for a future page.

When the Adventure season came along, I was inspired to turn that page into a sort of envelope front. The colour is from Magenta's Nuance powder water soluble dyes in Orange, Bright Yellow and Hot Pink. While the inks were wet, I used them to stamp the postal marks at the top.

Supplies: 6x9 watercolor journal (Strathmore), washi tapes (Scotch 3M), gesso (Golden), Orange, Hot Pink and Bright yellow Nuance powders and grid stencil (Magenta), Distress Glaze (Ranger), stamps (CTMH), StazOn ink (Tsukineko), Stamper's Big Brush (Faber-Castell), blk acrylic paint (DecoArt), pen (Signo)

Once all was dry, I removed some of the colour through a grid stencil. Next, to hold down the colour so that it would not rub off or mix with the acrylic paint, I used the new Distress Micro Glaze. This stuff worked awesome. As there was a slight sheen even after buffing, I just ran my corn starch sack over it that I use for anti-static with heat embossing. I wiped any residual starch away and it was sealed perfectly for the next layer.

I photographed the journal on a Muskoka rock which if you are not familiar with this type of distinctive pinkish granite, it is what makes up the Canadian Shield and is one of the sight-seeing things to see when traveling in northern Ontario. You can see how the rock was my inspiration for colouring... but of a brighter summer variety.

TTFN,

New Adventures in Art Journaling

Get Messy Art Journaling is winding up the season of Adventure. This page was an adventure in trying out Caylee's tutorial on abstract painting giving me an opportunity to crack open my new Dina Wakley acrylic paints. This was definitely a different style for me but nothing ventured nothing gained. So I gave it a go.

Supplies: 6x8 400 series mixed media paper (Strathmore), grid and heart stencils, sentiment stamp (Magenta), Dina Wakley acrylic paints (Ranger), blk acrylic paint (DecoArt), gold Sheer Shimmer Spritz (Imagine Crafts), heat emboss powder (Stampendous), embroidery thread (Aurifil Mako'ne)

This one looks better in real life. You can't see it from the photo but the gold stenciling is all shimmery. As you can see, I had some crafty mishaps with the black stenciling when I went to the reverse side of the stencil but hey it is not to be stressed about, it is happy crafting and I learn from these for the next time. For me that is part of the beauty of art journaling. It is a great way to try out something and get the hang of it before using it in a bigger project.

I would give this a try again. I liked the background work but feel I need to either add more layers and/or embellis. Lots more season of Adventure pages to come.
  
TTFN,

Be Bold with Gel, Gesso and Gelatos - Get Messy Art Journaling

I have a how-to mixed media tutorial up on the Get Messy Art Journaling blog. We are currently in the Season of Brave thus I made a simpler version of this double page spread based on the Brave prompt in the hopes of inspiring people to give some mixed media a try and be brave with gel, gesso and gelatos.

If you are into art journaling and want some fun prompts, a great supportive community, and learn new techniques or about different styles, come join us over at Get Messy!

New to art journaling or just curious, there is lots on the site for beginners too. Also Caylee and Lauren, the creative minds behind Get Messy, are doing an Art Journaling 101 class over at Big Picture Classes if you want to check it out.


TTFN,

Get Messy Art Journal Blog Hop - Season of Love

A little hop time for Get Messy Art Journaling. I am sharing a few art journal pages created from the Season of Love prompts. The first two are new and last one is one of my favs to date.

First up, I played with my new FW Acrylic Inks by Daler-Rowney on this page that was inspired by Set 3 - numbers 1 and 2.

Supplies: 6x9 watercolour book (Strathmore), FW Acrylic Inks (Daler-Rowney), stencil (The Crafter's Workshop), Texture paste (Ranger), Tim Holtz stamp (Stamper's Anonymous), Stamper's Big Brush (Faber-Castell)

A detail close up...

Next up, is this simpler and toned down page inspired by Set 4 - number 4 and Set 5 - number 3. This page is dedicated to my grandmother who taught me that love should be unconditional.

Supplies: mixed media paper (Strathmore), doily (Kitchen Aid), Scotch Brand washi tape (3M), gesso (Golden), Tim Holtz stamp (Stamper's Anonymous), Ink (Ranger), pen (Sharpie), book page (Misc.)

Style wise my art journal pages are like my scrapbooking, I do not have one set style. I like variety... a little freestyle eclectic, a little clean and simple, a little shabby romantic. So while the above two pages fall into the later categories, this next page that I have previously shared, falls into the bold classic romantic realm. I just adore it.

Supplies: 400 Series Watercolor Hardbound 11" Art Journal  (Strathmore), Tim Holtz tissue paper and stencil, Archival, glue n' seal (Ranger), stamps (CTMH), gelatos and Stamper's Big Brush (Faber-Castell), gesso (Golden), word strip stickers (Cosmo Cricket), beige tissue paper (misc.)

The inspiration for this page was set 2 - number 1.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Be sure to hop over to one of my smaller group fellow hop participants. You are sure to find some beautiful inspirational pages. Enjoy!

Group 002

1. Elizabeth http://ontapfortoday.com
2. Sara http://sarafree.typepad.com
3. Cait http://www.cait-makes.com
4. Julia http://julestea.blogspot.co.uk/
5. Cassandra - me - You Are Here :)
6. Kristin http://rukristin.com/blog
7. Delaney  http://delaneypaige.typepad.com
8. Anna http://inaveryforeigntongue.blogspot.com

TTFN,

I {Heart} this Page!

The art journal page that I am sharing today is a little different than my usual pages in that it is really bold and bright. I LOVE it and I am thrilled that what I had envisioned in my head translated so well onto the page.

Supplies: 400 Series Watercolor Hardbound 11" Art Journal  (Strathmore), Tim Holtz tissue paper and stencil, Archival ink, glue n' seal (Ranger), stamps (CTMH), gelatos and Stamper's Big Brush (Faber-Castell), gesso (Golden), word strip stickers (Cosmo Cricket), beige tissue paper (misc.)

The inspiration for this page was Get Messy Art Journal Love prompt set 2 number 1 - I Love Things.  For me, that means happiness and how to achieve it by doing things that you love.

TTFN,

This Little Light of Mine

Today I am sharing a journal page that I finished up at Crop and Create Markham.

I made this one with washi tape inspired by a Get Messy Art Journaling prompt set 1 - #5 and Ann-Mari Reigstad's use of filling a page with washi bits. I also added in lyrics from a previous pre-class prompt.

A few close ups... here I hand drew the star and lettering.

I was able to use eleven different washi tapes in three different widths.

Supplies: 12x9 mixed media journal (Strathmore), washi tapes (MME, Webster's Pages, Stampin' Up, Freckled Fawn), paint (Plaid), glue n' seal and Tim Holtz distress Paint (Ranger), marker (Sharpie), glitter (Doodlebug Designs)

TTFN,

Bees Do Matter

I had a go at the blackout newspaper/magazine prompt from Get Messy Art Journaling.

Supplies: patterned paper (MME), newspaper article (Toronto Star), gesso (Golden), Tim Holtz Distress Paint and Glue n' seal (Ranger), Hexagon stencil (The Crafter's Workshop), foliage stencil (Magenta), B6 pencil (Faber-Castell), stamp (CTMH), ink (Tsukineko), Inktense watercolour pencil crayons (Derwent)

Some close ups...

My take is not so simplified but I am really pleased with how it turned out. It conveys how I feel about the current bee debate. If you are interested in reading the full article, it is "What's the real story behind bee deaths?" by Catherine Porter.

TTFN,

Get Messy Art Journal Printable

I registered for the new series of Get Messy Art Journaling prompts. With pre-registration came a printable that I turned into this journal page.

Supplies: 12x9 mixed media journal (Strathmore), printable (Get Messy), soft gel (Golden), clear gesso (Liquitex), Dylusions Ink Spray (Ranger), Black acrylic paint (Artist Loft)

I reverse printed it and image transferred it on to the centre of my page. Then I clear gessoed it prior to adding the vibrant Dylusion ink colours. I sprayed each one on and then spritzed with water to make it saturated enough to run and blend as I went along. I dried slightly between colours and layers and finished it off with some grayish splatters to match the titling. So MESSY and fun!

TTFN,