Altering Paper on a Journal Page

Have you ever had paper that you wanted to use in an art journaling project but were uncertain how to add it to your page? In this week’s project, we will be altering paper on a journal page. We will be focusing on two different ways that you can use a piece of paper on one journal page.

For this week’s project I wanted to share with you one of my new favorite paper lines by Wild Whisper Designs called Carefree. I love this paper because it is so bright and cheery.

In my city, we are experiencing a typical Canadian winter. With the snow and gray days, I often wish for spring to come! What I love about bright paper is that it makes me feel happy and hopeful, like spring is just around the corner.

Often when I start an art journaling page, I will have a word, a product or a thought that helps guide my creative process. For this page, the paper was my prompt for this project.

What You Focus on Grows

This paper reminded me of a phrase that I heard several times during a Creative Journaling class that I took this fall. That phrase is “What you Focus on Grows.” It is something that has been on my mind recently. The mind is a powerful thing and what we focus on in many ways can become our reality. We can either focus on what is good in our lives, or we can focus on how situations are not meeting our expectations.

We create habits with our thoughts, to either focus on the positive or the negative, and this can affect our outlook in many areas of our lives. This page is a reminder to myself to think about what I focus on and to ask myself this question. “Do I want this thought to be the focus of my life? Is this the direction that I want to be going?”

The Art Journal Project

In this project I used scrapbooking paper, which is something I have not used recently in my journal process though I have a lot of it. In this project, I challenged myself to alter the paper on this journal page and use other materials to make a bright and colorful mixed media page.

Adding Paint to the Floral Paper

Start by cutting the floral paper to the size of your journal, then add a wash of paint to the paper. To create a wash, use a little bit of paint and water and mix until smooth. Use a transparent paint and test it on a piece of paper before adding it to the page to make sure that the wash is thin enough. My mix is usually 10% paint, 90% water. You can use any color for this, but I chose Green Gold, Teal and Turquois (Phthalo) for my wash. Brush randomly across the background blending color as you go. Set aside to dry. 

Fussy Cut out Flowers from Scrapbooking Paper

With the remainder of the sheet of floral scrapbooking paper, cut out the red daisy and orange flowers. Set aside.

Stamping the Words

Using the Wild Whisper Capital Letters stamp set, stamp the words for the phrase. Stamp out “focus on grows” and use smaller letters for “what you” to create visual interest to this layout. Cut out the words. You can either fussy cut out the individual letters or the words depending on the look that you want for the page.

Embossing the Words

Cover the letters with embossing ink and use Broken China Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Glaze to cover the images. Make sure that you use a translucent embossing powder for this step so that you do not cover the stamped image. You could also use Distress Ink with a blending foam to color around the letters, but the shine and color of the embossing glazes adds a strong mixed media element to this project.

Adding Spray Paint Through A Stencil

Once the floral paper is fully dry, spray Pebeo Gold Chromium Spray Paint through a stencil. Spray in small areas in several spots to get a more random pattern.

Adding Flowers and Words to the Page

Add the fussy cut flowers to the page and adhere using glue dots and foam dots. Layer the flowers and add the words on top of the flowers. Use the rule of thirds when arranging the flowers which creates a visually interesting layout.  Also add in small letter stickers for the words “What you” to finish the phrase.

Adding Glass Bead Gel

To add additional texture and shine to the page, add glass bead gel through a stencil. Choose a smaller pattern that will not compete with the floral paper. This gel will dry clear leaving some texture and glimmer to the page.

What Do You Think?

What do you think about altering paper on a journal page? I would love to hear what you think of this design and the process. Please comment below or contact me directly. Also, if you are interested in purchasing the paper or stamps, to get a 10% discount on your next order, please use code DTNADINE at www.wildwhisperdesigns.com.

Project Supply List

• Koh-I-Noor Bristol Journal
• Wild Whisper Designs Pam Bray Carefree Paper
• Golden High Flow Acrylics Green Gold, Teal and Turquois (Phthalo)
• Golden Glass Bead Gel
• Pebeo Gold Chromium Spray Paint
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
• Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Ink
• Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Glaze Broken China
• Tim Holtz Collection ZigZag Stencil CHS047
• Echo Park Bubble Stencil
• Staples 90lb White Cardstock
• Word Stickers
• Misti Stamping Platform
• Adhesive: Thermoweb Zots, Foam Adhesive Squares, GlueGlider Pro Tape Runner
• Other Materials: Paint Brush, Water, Scissors, Palette Knife, Ranger Mini Blending Tool and Foam