Fern and floral art journal page
Posted: March 5, 2021 Filed under: Art Journal, fresh ferns, garden variety, Penny Black | Tags: Art Journal, Fabriano art journal, Penny Black creative dies, Penny Black stamps, Tsukineko Memento inks, Tsukineko Versafine inks 8 Comments
Recently when I was making a card with the new Penny Black stamps, ‘garden variety’ and ‘fresh fern’ I also began an art journal page. I really need to be braver with my art journal, I tend to reach for the same mediums that I use all the time in my cards. Today’s journal page was not particularly adventurous but I did pull out my box of pastes, gels and mixed mediums only to find several of them had dried up completely in their containers while others that used to be thick had turned to liquid. Those ones got tossed but a jar of distress collage medium came in handy along with some modelling paste. I think they might have both done the same job in the end.
I’m still working in my Fabriano art journals made up of drawing paper so I’m trying not to rely on my watercolour habits and techniques. I began as usual by taping the edges of the pages both to keep the book open and to create an attractive frame.
I inked the garden variety stamp with tangelo, northern pine and rosebud memento inks, spritzed it and stamped on the pages multiple times. I did first and second generation stamping to get both bold and pale prints. Then, feeling all brave and mixed media-ish I coloured some modelling paste with peanut brittle memento ink and applied it around the edges with a little plastic applicator (an old bank/library card would do). This step didn’t really yield the results I wanted but it was all in the spirit of experimentation so on I went.
I hadn’t used tissue paper in a while so I scrounged through our wrapping paper box and found some white, stamped the fresh fern in rich cocoa memento ink then tore it into sections before gluing it on the journal pages with collage medium. The tissue became almost transparent which gave the flowers behind a soft pearly look. I stamped the verse from 1 Corinthians on tissue too and glued it down in the same way replacing the first word, ‘love’ with a die cut.
I would love to know if you have an art journaller you admire. I am a big fan of Vicky Papaioannou and have watched many if not all her art journaling videos. I am interested to know what gels, pastes and mediums people use for what purposes. Which are best for resist effects, which are great for gluing, etc. Please share any recommendations you have.
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Heather Telford 
This is beautiful! The colors and highlights are dreamy.
This is fantastic Heather and the fern is fast becoming my favourite and love the soft watery look of the flowers in the background and the stamped tissue paper added to the pages is a great idea, and you can see the bit of coloured modelling paste around the edges which looks good. I’m afraid that I don’t use these mixed media mediums much myself apart from some powder which you mix with water to make a dimensional paste and some transparent glossy medium which I have used a couple of times but which is probably now dried up as I haven’t even looked at it for a very long time. x
This page is so beautiful as well as your first fern cards that I went and ordered that fern. I do love your colors! The soft floral behind the neutral ferns look fabulous. Your color combinations always catch my eye. Thank you too for the links to all products you use.
I have yet to do an art journal. I wish we lived close so you could spur me on! This is amazing! I love the soft flowers in the background with the acorn colored ferns! Thanks for the link. I’ll check it out. Maybe I’ll get brave one of these days and try it myself.
I wish we live closer too; I’m sure we would have many artsy adventures!
Love this journal page. I follow you and Vicky P for journal ideas.
Thank you Carol, and to be grouped with Vicky P is quite the honour. Her journal pages are so bright and beautiful.
Your journal pages are gorgeous with the combination of the two stamps, Heather. I love the colours you’ve chosen. I have not used tissue paper, but now I am eager to give it a try. I love the look and it opens up so many possibilties of adding layered stamping. I have some mixed media products, but not enough time to play with them often and so have ended up with dried up jars of dust. đŸ™‚ If only there were more hours in the day to play! xx