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How to Create a Traveler’s Notebook
There are so many fun Traveler’s Notebooks available for sale, but have you ever tried creating your own Traveler’s Notebook? Today I will be demonstrating how to create a Traveler’s Notebook using a stitched binding. Why Make a Traveler’s Notebook I have shared about how to use a Traveler’s Notebook in a previous post. In that post I share some of my ideas on how to use a Traveler’s Notebook in a variety of ways. Traveler’s Notebooks are not only fun to use but are also quite easy to make. The process of cutting the paper, sewing the binding, and assembling a book can be a great self-care activity. It…
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How to Create Layers Using Ink Blending
Creating in a journal is a great self-care practice but it can be challenging to add layers and dimension to a page. Today we will discuss how to create layers using ink blending in your creative projects. Layering Inks Layering inks is a great way of creating dimension in your projects. There are several things to consider when you are creating layers with your inks: Color Values In my last article I shared about how to use color values when creating a monochromatic project. By using a variety of color values this creates different shades and intensity of color, which adds dimension to your project. Type of Ink Certain types…
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Monochromatic Art Journal Project
Have you ever tried using a color wheel when designing an art journal layout? This week we will be learning how to create a monochromatic art journal project and talk about the color theory behind this concept. What Does Monochromatic Mean? Monochromatic means “containing or using only one color.” When applying this to an artistic application, it is choosing one color as the basis of our project. It can be challenging only using one color in a project, but by understanding how color values work, we can create a very dynamic layout using only one color. What are Color Values? Color values refers to the lightness or darkness…
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Using Alcohol Inks with Stencils
Have you ever tried using alcohol inks with stencils on a large project? It can sometimes be challenging using stencils with alcohol inks because of the loose nature of the medium. If the stencil is smaller than the surface that you are using, it can leave harsh lines detracting from the overall design. Layering Alcohol Inks One of the ways to prevent harsh lines in your alcohol ink project is by layering alcohol inks. One thing to keep in mind when using this technique is that when you add more ink, it rewets and often resists the ink below. When it resists, the ink will push the previous layer of…
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Coloring with Inks and Watercolor Crayons
Coloring with inks and watercolor crayons is an essential part of a creative self-care practice. By learning to color with these mediums, they will teach you many things. This includes how these mediums blend, how they react with certain papers and surfaces, and how you can incorporate them as layers within your mixed media projects. Caran d’Ache Watercolor Crayons A new product in my art practice is the Caran d’Ache Neocolor II Watercolor crayons. I had originally purchased these to use in my acrylic painting classes. They are a very useful when creating basic sketches on canvas. But watercolor crayons have many more uses than just sketching out images.…
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How to Use a Traveler’s Notebook
Have you ever used a traveler’s notebook as part of your creative practice? Today we will be discussing how to use a traveler’s notebook to elevate your creative practice. What is a Traveler’s Notebook? The Midori style traveler notebook that kicked off the craze started in 2005, but the concept of a traveler’s notebook or journal has been around for a long time. They were used for taking notes and observations when people were traveling. A traveler’s journal includes a notebook cover that has an elastic strung through the middle to hold a notebook, or notebooks in place. The covers can be made of a variety of materials, including leather,…
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Scrapbook Page Design Tips
Do you ever struggle with coming up with a strong design on a scrapbook page or art journal page? This week I will be sharing scrapbook page design tips that will help you create pleasing compositions with ease. Creating a Strong Layout Creating a strong layout seems simple. But it can feel like a struggle to get the photos, papers and mixed media elements work well together. Here are 3 tips that I use for creating a strong scrapbook page design: Tip 1: Rule of Thirds By using the rule of thirds when placing your photos and images, this will help create a stronger design. If you are not familiar…
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How to Cut and Color Intricate Die Cuts
Have you ever had frustrations when working with small die cut images? This week we will be talking about how to cut and color intricate die cuts successfully. I will be sharing a few of my favorite materials and tips on how to get successful images every time. The Challenges with Cutting Die Cuts There can be many challenges when working with die cuts, especially delicate ones. It takes some trial and error to figure out the best way to run the die cuts through your machine so that they will cut consistently. Here are 3 tips that will help you get consistent die cuts. Using a Quality Die Cut…
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Gelli Printing with Die Cuts
Have you ever wondered how to make those lovely Gelli print backgrounds and how to incorporate them into your projects? This week I was playing with combining Gelli printing with die cuts and Pan Pastels and had some fantastic results! Gelli Printing with Die Cuts Gelli printing with die cuts is a great way to combine and duplicate images in your art pieces, cards, and journal pages. I love using die cuts in my prints and then cutting these same images for use as focal images on my page. I find that using a repetitive pattern in my pieces bring cohesion to my art. What to do with Gelli Prints?…
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How to Paint a Night Sky
This week we will be learning how to paint a night sky using watercolor paint. This is one of my favorite self-care exercises as it is simple and so relaxing. What makes learning how to paint a night sky so fun is this technique can be used with other colors and other applications. This provides practice and an understanding on what colors you can create from blending watercolor paints. The Inspiration The inspiration for this project was thinking about the warm summer days when I can get out of the city and see the stars. I love the night sky, there is something about the expanse of it that is…
The Art of Self-Care
