'The Art of Living' by Elisa Ablett - August Watercolour Mixed Media Kit

Hi everyone, 

Elisa here from the design team with my latest creation for Artified - A mixed media Art Journal Page using the awesome products from the  NEW and exciting Mixed Media Kit - August Edition.

The kit is perfect for those wanting to try out new products and also to add to your mixed media stash!

The link to the Shop for the kit - Head on over to check it out!

Artified - August Watercolour Mixed Media Kit

Here is my project - The Art of Living.

Tutorial time 😀

Step 1 - Using the dictionary paper provided cut two feathers either by hand or using a template and also cut a few rectangles (about 5 or 6 ) depending on the size.

Step 2 - Using gesso from your stash, give your feathers and rectangles a coat and let dry

Step 3 - While your feathers are drying, lets start the background! Coat your page with gesso and let dry, then spray your page with the Gold Acrylic Marabu Spray and while wet add drips of colour onto your page from your watercolour palette (the greens, browns, oranges and yellows). With a very wet paintbrush grab your colour and add to the wet areas on the page. Using a heatgun dry and then keep applying colour til you are happy with the page.

Step 4 - Add colour to your feathers and rectangles by spraying each with water. Spray water onto a craft mat and add some of your colour to the water. Then using a paintbrush add colour to the wet area of your feathers and dry using heatgun.

Step 5 - Some paper weaving! cut thin strips about 10cm long and lay the first few on top of each other and then start weaving over and under, doesn't have to be neat. Then spray over the top with the gold Marabu Art Spray and let dry.

Step 6 - Add some stamping to your rectangles and background page using the stamp and an archival black inkpad and an acrylic block. 

Extra steps - Using the stencil and white modelling paste add texture to your background page

Cut a piece of white cardstock to stick your elements to the background page

Wrap some extra strips of the dictionary paper around a stick and add some ivory coloured cotton

Highlight some words from your dictionary or book paper - i was lucky enough to find the words - The Art of Living!

Stick down your rectangles, paper weaving, stick and feathers as shown in the main photo, overlapping each layer

Grab the thin paintbrush or water brush that comes with your kit and fill it with water, using the black colour add hand painted elements to your page, I added dandelions and grass.

I also used a dauber and a black inkpad through the stencil to add a butterfly to my page.

My theme was to tie in the words The Art of living with natural earth tones and flora and fauna.

Here are some close ups!

That's it from me today! I hope you have enjoyed my Art Journal page tutorial and also looking through the NEW Mixed Media Kit from Artified - Artified August Mixed Media Kit. Make sure you leave me some love!

Also make sure you join the new Artified facebook group to share your creations and keep up to date with all things Artified - https://www.facebook.com/groups/246759415835526/?ref=br_rs

'Stop and Smell the Flowers' by Elisa Ablett

Hi Everyone!

My turn up on the Artified Blog today with a step by step Art Journal page featuring Vicki Boutin Art Crayons - Cool Palette and Dylusions Ink Sprays.

If you haven't tried the Art Crayons as yet, put them on your list as a must have! They are so creamy and vibrant in colour and easily blended using many methods AND are easily water soluble as well, so many uses!

Here is my page - 

Links to products in the shop for easy reference at the end of the tutorial!

Now onto the first step - 👇

Step 1 - First prepare your background, in this case I used a teal Dylusions paint painted roughly over the page, then once dry I sprayed Black Marble Dylusions Ink Spray on both the top and bottom of the page and tilted the page to make the drips. I added a little Teal Ink Spray as well to the top and bottom.

Next Step - Gesso the page in the middle roughly again, Then glue a square of water colour paper to the middle your gesso square and a few bits of ephemera to the lower right hand side for a bit of added texture. gesso over the top of the ephemera to dull their colour. Once dry draw black lines with a black marker and ruler on your square.

 Splatter watered down gesso over page.

Grab another square of watercolour paper and your Art Crayons and a craft mat!

One great technique to use with the crayons is to scribble them directly onto your craft mat and spray the colour with water and mix with a paint brush, you now have a lovely vibrant and thick watercolour paint.

To stamp the flowers I put my stamp on a block and then dipped the stamp in the paint on my mat and stamped on the water colour paper. To get the darker background i scribbled directly onto my stamp with the crayon and lightly misted the stamp with a spray bottle of water and then stamped over the top of my layered flower. To add details, use a paint brush and using the technique above scribble colour on your craft mat and spray with water to make a paint. Then pick up colour with your brush to add details.

Next step, tracing around your silhouette onto your page to get your outlines in place with a black archival safe marker.

Next step - add your die cut feathers, in my case I handmade my feathers with a cool technique using a silicone mould and modelling paste. Scribble your colour crayons directly onto your feathers and then mist with your water spray bottle and using a paint brush move your colour again over that area.

Stamp over the top of your flowers again with a black archival ink to add finer detail. Set aside to dry. Then fussy cut your flowers and leaves out.

Next step - grab your layered stencils and lay them over your silhouettes, scribble your coloured crayons over the stencils. Then using a baby wipe, wipe the the colour through the stencil onto your silhouettes. Adding colour and texture. Once dry we are now going to add your black colour to add shading to your page. Scribble your black crayon from the Vicki Boutin - Art Crayons Classic Colours set around your silhouttes and feathers and flowers. Using a wet paintbrush and your finger (YES your finger lol) smooth the black and blend around. Dab the harsh edges of your black shading with a baby wipe to further smooth the colour out.

Next step ! - stamping with your crayons - scribble onto your craft mat again and spray the colour with water and then dip your stamp into the colour and stamp onto your page as per the below photos.

Last steps! Glue your flowers and leaves onto your page just over the top of the feathers, add your cut our sentiment and add more splatters of white watered down gesso over your page.

Here are some close ups of the finer details - 

You are now finished!

Product Links 

Vicki Boutin Art Crayons - Mixed Media Oil Pastel

Tim Holtz Layered Stencil - Diamonds

Tim Holtz Layered Stencil - Leafy

Dylusions Paint - Teal

Gesso

Dylusions Ink Sprays

Stamps

Thanks for stopping by the blog today, I hope that you have enjoyed the tutorial! 

Make sure you leave some love xx

Elisa 

'My Sanity' Art Journal page by Elisa Ablett

Hi everyone, 

My turn up on the Artified Blog with a fun and colourful (tongue in cheek) Art Journal page.

Featuring loads of awesome Artified goodies including Tim Holtz layering stencils, distress paints, prima watercolour confection pans and a gorgeous Stampotique unicorn stamp.

Here are just some of the wonderful products used to create my Art Journal page, follow on for the step by step tutorial.

Step 1 - Using Dina Wakely heavy body white paint paint/glue old book paper and medical gauze to your page to add texture and depth.

Step 2 - while you are waiting on your page to dry, stamp your unicorn onto smooth watercolour paper with archival ink and colour with your prima watercolours using a paint brush. Fussy cut your unicorn out. I also drew a couple of bears to ride the unicorn in keeping with my funny saying and coloured them as well. 

Step 3 - Add some more texture to your page with modelling paste and your Tim Holtz Layering stencils. 

Step 4 - Once your paste has dried, using the side of a ruler ( i added black indian ink to the side of the ruler) and spritz my page with water in the middle, then pressed my ruler to the page to create black lines 

Step 5 - Add some circles to your page using stamps, toilet rolls, plastic lids etc and ink, start colouring the larger circles with watercolours or distress paint. Then start colouring your page using distress paint and water colours spritzing with water when needed.

Step 6 - Add some visual interest by gluing some colourful strips of paper. and then using a baby wipe over the top of a stencil to take away colour from your page.

Another chance to add some stamping !

Step 7 - Last steps - Add a large grungy circle in the middle of your page with a ink nib pen and Indian ink so that your unicorn can sit inside it and you can add your quote around the circle. 

Here are some close ups !!

Here are some links to the products in the Artified Store:

dina-wakley-media-heavy-body-2oz-acrylic-paints

india-ink

stampotique-stamps - unicorn

prima-watercolor-confections-watercolor-pans-12-pkg

layered-stencils

Well that's it from me today!!

Hope you have enjoyed seeing my Art Journal come together :-) 

Elisa xx