The 4th of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays we plan for and celebrate every year, but there are other patriotic days that mean a lot to many Americans, new Americans or even those who travel from around the world to America. Crew Member Karen Bearse, who is Canadian by birth, has been part of America for a long time and finally completed the requirements to become an American Citizen. The day will be a part of her for the rest of her life, adding American culture and history to her Canadian background.
I have been living in the U.S. married to an American with American children & finally found the time to become an American citizen. I made this art journal page to help document this milestone in my life. Even though I scrapbook, documenting big events in my art journal helps to create a time frame & makes these books more personal. What better way to create an art journal page than with 7gypsies ephemera & Tattered Angels Paint? The 7gypsies American Vintage Collection is all about the special places in the US, the nostalgic feel of America, and beautiful art that added to the journal.
Materials Used:
7gypsies- American Vintage 8×8 paper pad, & mini ephemera
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist – Sapphire & Lobster
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist – Sapphire & Lobster
Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze
tape runner
Petaloo Blossoms
Tim Holtz Stamps
Ranger Archival Ink & collage glue stick
Petaloo Blossoms
Tim Holtz Stamps
Ranger Archival Ink & collage glue stick
Tools Used: Cinch, textured toilet paper; stencil; hard piece of foam; paint brush; egg package for paint
Step 1 – I started with a piece of corrugated cardboard which I punched holes in using The Cinch. I had put aside a roll of textured toilet paper, interested to see if the texture remained when adhered to a journal page. Adhere the toilet paper to the board with decoupage glue. The paper is very thin and in some places was transparent & in some spots texture did show through. Once dry, scrape modeling paste through a stencil, in 3 spots around the outside of where your ephemera will be placed. This will make it easier to glue your pieces down. Set aside to dry naturally.
Step 2 – Stamp images on paper from the 7gypsies American Vintage 8×8 paper pad. This gives your images an interesting background to start. I find plastic egg cartons the perfect size paint containers. I wash the cartons, cut them apart and stack them until ready to use. For the USA image, stamp with archival ink. Pour some Tattered Angels High Impact Paint into one of the egg cups and paint using a detail brush. Once finished simply pour the remaining paint back into the original bottle and set the cup aside to dry. The next time you use a like color your egg bowl is ready to go! These are easily stackable so they don’t take up much space & can sit on your desk ready to go.
Step 3 – I used a Petaloo DIY Blossom for my flower and Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Sapphire & Lobster. I wanted the flower to be half red, half blue so painting created better control. Why not use regular paint for this step? The shimmer of course! What I love most about Glimmer Mist is it has good color coverage and just the right balance of shimmer, allowing the texture of the flower to show through. Follow the directions for painting in Step 2. I also painted my stamped American Flag image with the 2 colors used on the flower, watering down the red so it was more of a water color.
Step 4 – Time for ephemera! Cut out pieces from the 7gypsies American Vintage 8×8 paper pad. Play with the placement until you are happy. For this step, take photos as you move your pieces around so it is easy to pick a favorite layout. Here is an example of one of my layouts during this process. Time for assembly! Once my favorite layout was found, the pieces were glued using a permanent tape runner and good quality glue stick.
Step 5 – After my layout was put together I found it was missing something. I like the idea of having a white background to represent red, white & blue, but the page was a bit bland so Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze to the rescue! After stirring the glaze with a coffee stir stick, pour a small amount on your craft sheet. Take a hard piece of foam and get a small amount of paint on it. Simply keep the foam horizontal & slide across the high points of the modeling paste. Don’t worry if you get some on the back ground but the idea is to mainly hit the stencil image.
Step 6 – Here is another close up of the mist on the flower & the stars! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and now go get inky!
Documenting life’s major events or life’s little events is even more special when done with art, creative icons, lettering and ephemera that help bring your thoughts and feelings to life. Add journaling or notes tucked away in an envelope that help you remember the special moments.
Check out Karen Bearse’s Blog and Instagram for more projects and ideas!!
Happy Creating!!!
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