Bloom Collage Lifebook Project

Hiya, strangers! I have a photo tutorial to share with you today...that's right...I crafted AND I'm blogging about it! LOL! This art journal page was inspired by the 2015 Lifebook classes.  Let's get started!

This is a small art journal, created by Donna Downey, size is 6" x 9". I started by covering both pages and the inclusion with Tim Holtz tissue wrap. I used Matte Medium for all of my gluing.

I used Distress Paint to cover both pages and the inclusion. Distress Paint is great for art journal backgrounds! The transparent nature of the paint combined with the thinner consistency makes for easy spreading, shading, and color.

I added a bit of texture using embossing paste (this is Wendy's white paste mixed with black gesso) and stencils from the Crafters Workshop.

I then added my designs, two giant poppies (designed by Donna Downey) to one of my pages. Both were stamped in Archival Ink. Stamping the designs first gave me guidelines for my collage.

Next...collage! I used designer papers, all with red being the main color, and torn into small pieces. More matte medium and lots of pieces of paper later, and my flowers were created!

I used a stamp positioner to restamp the poppy images so that flower design was still visible. I also added black collaged paper for the middle of each flower and green for the stems.

You'll notice on my finished piece that I got rid of that dark black, embossed text. It was too stark so I mixed gesso with some whater to whitewash over the black text. A baby wipe helped to blend the whitewash into the background and allow just a hint of the black to shine through. I added a bit of stamping (the crackle design) around the edges and on the inclusion, along with some shading around the flowers and on the art journal edges.

The quote was added using two Tim Holtz alphabet sets (just a little twitchy that my "pl" is a crooked...arrgghhhh) and highlighted with a white gel pen.

Both sides of the inclusion got just a hint of stamping (more Donna Downey designs) and a few quotes from one of Tim's word books.

That's it for me today, friends, hope you enjoyed the tutorial!